And of whose House it may be well said There is in it bread enough large mercies and comforts to the hungrie and wearied soule that comes to seeke them Drinke is good for a thirstie body but wilt thou not remember of thy soule and heare him who hath said I haue drinke to giue whereof whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst againe If we haue no appetite but naturall of things concerning the body what difference betwixt vs and the beast But a spirituall and renewed man is he not knowen in his spirituall appetite and desires such as was that man according to Gods owne Heart expressing his spirituall appetite this way As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters so panteth my soule for thee O God Garments are steedable to the naked But remembring thy soule heare him who calleth you to come and buy of him garments to couer your filthy nakednes that yee bee not a spectakle of shame in the sight of God Man and Angell With which garments whosoeuer shal not be found cled in that Day shall cry but in vaine to hils and mountaines to fall vpon them cover them from the face of the Lamb. Gold is profitable hauing for this life the owne necessary vses But harken to him who hath to giue thee fine gold tryed by the fire euen that better and induring substance which cannot be taken from thee again So as the Lord led his people of old from things temporall to things spirituall and from types to trueth so let him take vs by the hand by him let vs be led from these earthly things to spirituall things And frō the things of this life to the consideration earnest desire of the better things of that life to come There is another word also to bee marked heere There fell out many changes which were grievous to this people their owne sins bred them great disquiet As change in their policie desolation in their cities great change in the face of their Church vpon their Priesthood And when their Temple and Priesthood was restored againe it was a griefe to such as remembred the dayes of old to see the last no wayes answerable to the glory beauty of the first This doctrine therfore proponed by the Prophet is to comfort them against all such griefs to settle establish their hearts against all changes whatsoeuer and it is this cast the eyes of your faith toward IESVS CHRIST the great High Priest to come and there your soules shall finde rest IESVS CHRIST who was represented in the figure of the Law is exhibit in the fulnes of time As he came in the world for this end to saue sin ners so is he the only stay of the Hearts of sinners and in him is perfite remedie against all those griefes and tentations that rise here in this world by reason of sin to oppresse the hearts of sinners Heere all things are subiect to change and alteration he that is knit to him stayes vpon a rocke with a defiance of all these worldly changes althogh the world should be turned vpside down the moūtains rolled in the mids of the great deep yet can he not be moued In no thing that is here can there be found cōtentment in him the soul hath ful delight And when a man is as it were chased hūted with griefs on all hands with his many sins with the devils tentations somtimes with the ingratitude malicious doing of men It is euen vpon such a wearyed and distressed body that Christ calleth saying Come to me and I will ease you and refresh you we would therefore hearken to the sweet call of IESVS CHRIST and labour to follow the Saints and seruants of God seeking onely and finding this way contentment to our soules Heere God by his Prophet willeth his people to looke ouer all that blacke cloud of ceremonies to IESVS CHRIST I desire saith Paul to know nothing but IESVS CHRIST and him crucified he is to me both in life and death an advantage Whom haue I saith Dauid in Heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for euer Where shall we go to saith Peter hast not thou the words of eternall life What further can I wish sayth old Simeon hauing gotten Christ in the armes of my body and soul both and s◅ene my saluation in him Now let thy servant go in peace Therefore as this is noted to be the great sollicitude and care of the Church to inquire for him Tell mee O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest So if thou will proue thy selfe a true member of this Church and be partaker of this onely consolation inquire for him seeke him out while he may be found be homely with him seeke to be daylie farther conioyned with him in him shall ye finde perfite ease and contentment In these three Verses commeth to be considered first the preface that is vsed next the speech which is deliuered containing so many excellent points concerning the Messias both in his person and office In the Preface Iehoshua and his fellowes they are bidden hearken and advert vnto that which is to bee spoken Iehoshua was immediatly of before wakened to attention when the Lord hauing absolued him giues his direction to him speaking vnto him with vehement and earnest protestation Now hee is wakened to attention againe and bidden giue eare to the graue speech following concerning the Messias Although this with the former be but one continued Sermon he that heard of before hath need to heare still he that was wakened of before hath neede to be wakened againe And these graue and great mysteries vttered by the mouth of God himselfe they craue vpon our part great attention When God speakes our eares should be ready to heare In the volume of thy Booke saith Dauid it is written of me This volume of the Booke of God is the Law of God The first words whereof is Hearken Israel The seale of all the letters written to the seuen Churches is Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth to the Churches No man hath his care so ready to hearken but he hath neede continually to be put vpon to waken him vnto attention And the meanes of this doing are many vpon the Lords part his word a principall his word sometimes in the mouthes of old men sometimes in the mouthes of yong men to waken thy hearing Sometimes it comes with a mourning sound sometimes with a ioyfull sound to waken thy hearing Sometimes it comes in a mysterie as a sealed letter and sometimes the mysterie is revealed and the booke opened to waken thy hearing Sometimes he that cryes in thy eare takes a rod in his hand of some inward or outward affliction wherewith he choppes
to see men with such pleasure and delight run vpon their owne euerlasting destruction The day of decision is comming when these who were heere in the eyes of the World men wondred at and of contempt shal be made in the eyes of these same men men wondred at for the greatnes of that glory which they shall inioy And the comparing of these two together shal be one of the stripes of the wicked and a degree of their torment Are not these the men whom we so despised and in contempt wondred at and now how wonderfull is the glory and blessed estate which they are brought vnto The Priests and they that serue at the Altar of God may be heere also in a speciall manner called men wondred at For if contempt follow the generall calling of Christianity surely in the highest degree it followeth that speciall calling And if ye regard the subiect of their ministery It is the matter of wonder to man and Angell The substance of all both in old and new testament being these same points of the mysterie of godlines which Paul reckons forth in the first of Timothy Of the which subiect because the verses following speake clearely and comfortably Let vs hauing now but shortly past ouer this Preface come to speake of them This speach concerning Messias his comming and suffering and the fruits of it He beginneth with a Behold Behold I will bring forth my Seruant the Branch Esay speaking of his Conception and Birth beginneth his speach also with a Behold Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Son The Angell of the Lord sent to the sheepheards to declare his Birth mentioneth the same with a Behold Behold I bring vnto you tydings of great Ioy which shal be to all people for vnto you is borne this day in the Citty of Dauid a Saviour which is CHRIST the Lord. When old Simeon who waited for the Consolation of Israel got CHRIST in his armes he spake of him to his Parents Ioseph and Mary thus Behold this Babe is appointed for the falling and rysing of many in Israel When Iohn the Baptist his fore-runner seeth him approach vnto him he wakens the hearts of all that were there to an earnest consideration of his Person and office with a Behold Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the World All this is to signifie as concerning the Messias these things First that his sending in the World his Incarnation and the manner of it his execution of his Priestly office being both the Priest and the sacrificed Lambe for the Father saith to him Thou art to me a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec And yee haue heard Iohn say of him that he is the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the World All these were a disclosing and revelation to the World of the greatest mysterie that euer was And therefore the Spirit by his Prophets and seruants cryeth so oft Behold it looke to it and consider of it This mysterie althogh it beganne to be revealed to Adam in that first promise of the seed of the Woman to tread down the head of the serpent Yet in regard of the fuller manifestation it remained then but a secret This mysterie all the time of the Legall seruice and obscure ceremonies thereof it was but as a sealed booke And as Iohn sayeth when he saw there was none to open the sealed booke he weeped till the Lambe came So all mankinde might haue weeped for euer if the Lambe had not come in the fulnes of time and opened this Booke revealed this mysterie That now that same may be the song of the Church and people of GOD which ye haue in the Apocalypse 5 Chapter 13. vers Blessing and glory and honour and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euer and euer Secondly in this Booke behold we are sent to looke to the degrees of the revelation of this mysterie his Conception marvailous his Nativity althogh in a base place yet glorious The Angels of Heauen singing about the same his office my Servant saith God The Servant of the Father in a speciall kind of Service his suffering he was that ingraven Stone The fruite of his suffering I will take away the iniquity of my people in one day Thirdly by this behold we are led in all this Mysterie as in a cleare mirrour to looke and consider 1. the deepnes of the Wisdome of God in finding out such a way of mans safety which was the wonder of Man and Angell 2. The deepnes of the loue of God to man whereof there could be no such demonstration as this To giue his onely begotten Sonne to be his ransome 3. The deepnes of the Fountaine of the refreshing mercies of God opened in the House of Dauid for vncleanenesse Here is first matter of reproofe to vs all that we being called to behold this great Mysterie kept close in former time we care no more for it nor accompt no more of it then if it were a commō and base matter 2. As GOD hath proceeded and gone on in the degrees of this revelation so the World hath gone on in the degrees of ignorance and contempt And so old Simeon his prophecie will proue true This Babe is appointed for wrack and falling of many and that vpon their owne default Thirdly we being so oft called vpon by the Spirit to behold this great Mysterie And in this Mysterie revealed so many great things ye must not thinke that we are called to an idle contemplation and beholding But we must so behold him and looke to him as we may be blessed in our sight He is in his Temple stand not amased to behold him afarre off But if thy soule with Simeon wait for the consolation of God come neare take him in thy armes imbrace him by faith so shall thy soule goe in peace when God cals for it thou shall be blessed in thy life blessed in thy death and blessed for euer after this For they that once truely apprehend him he will neuer part with them till he bring them to that same place whereof he spake to the thiefe that hang on his right hand euen the Paradise of God He is in the preaching of the Word as it were lifted on his Crosse. Behold him not afarre off but come neare hand put thy finger in the hole of his side in the print of the naile that is let thy soule by Faith so rest vpon his mercies and passion that thou may say My Lord my God my Savior He is among you not that ye should be alienated from him standing afarre off as idle gasess but come neare hand and lay thy head in his bosome I meane not bodily but spiritually this way First let thy faith rest vpon him as the perfite sacrifice for
Dauid in his 32 Psal. saith not Blessed is the man that is not a sinner no man is blessed that way but blessed is hee whose sins are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not his iniquity I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloude and thy sinnes like a mist Esay 44 Chapter Clouds and mists which appeare for a time are by the brightnesse of the Sunne vtterly dispersed When God looks vpon thee through the bright Son of Righteousnesse IESVS CHRIST all thy sinnes like a mist and cloude goeth away The King Ezechiah saith Esay in his 38 Chapt. That the Lord had casten his sinnes behind his backe That thing a man will not remember nor regardeth not he turneth away his face from This is the gracious doing of our God with his people his amiable face is toward their persons his back is turned vpon their sinnes They shall neuer come in his eye nor be remembred of him The Prophet Micah in his seuenth Chapter saith That the Lord casteth the sinnes of his owne in the bottome of the Sea alluding to Pharaoh his chariots whom he drowned in the red Sea so that they were neuer seene againe aliue to trouble his people So will the Lord drowne in euerlasting oblivion the sinnes of his owne that they shall neuer meet them to effray or disquiet them Heere is then the comfortable fruit of the sufferings of Christ pointed out vnto vs. God himself the engrauer of this Stone hath as it were with his owne finger written vpon his crosse Remission of sins and taking away the iniquitie of all that beleeue in him Adam and his wife put forth their hands and tooke of the fruite of that forbidden tree wherevpon followed nakednes and shame Stretch out thy hand and take of the fruite of this tree Remission of sinnes which groweth vpon the Crosse of Iesus Christ. Righteousnes and life eternall shall follow Remission of sinnes that great and maine benefite earnestly to bee sought for of vs all For since all are borne sinners and liue in sinne if a man obtaine not remission of sinnes it had beene better for him neuer to haue beene borne or being borne it had bin better for him to haue beene a beast nor a man for the death of the beast is the end of all miserie to it But the death of a man dying in his sinnes is the beginning of such miserie and woe as shall neuer haue an end There is no burden nor weight comparable to the burden of sin that hangeth so fast on and presseth down The burden of sicknes of long and heavie sicknes is a heauie burden The burden of shame and ignominie a heavy burden which maketh Dauid so earnestly cry to God in his 119 Psalme to deliuer him from that shame which he feared and his sin had deserued The burden of disdaine and contempt a heavy burden We are counted saith the Apostle the off-scowrings of the World The burden of povertie and want a heavy burden And therefore Iacob vowed that God should be his God if he would giue him food and rayment And Agur the son of Iakeh desired the Lord not to presse him with the burden of povertie lest he should blaspheme him But of all these burdens none of them can compare with the burden of sinne lying vpon a mans conscience vnpardoned And that made the Kingly Prophet laying aside his royaltie earthly pleasures of his Kingdome to cry out Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiuen Seeing therfore we haue often at the desire and entisements of the deuil eaten of the bitter fruits of sin which althogh they looke pleasant at the first yet shall proue bitter as gall and wormewood Let vs resort to this tree to IESVS CHRIST crucified and eate of this fruite and liue euen remission of sinnes in his death And that thou may know that thou hast true lie tasted of this fruit and that it is no presumption but the assurance of faith that draweth in this comfort to thy soule of the remission of sinnes Consider first if thou can looke to God the Author of it who for Christs sake hath taken away thy sinnes and forgiuen thy iniquitie Secondly by dailie teares humiliation mourning and weeping for sin labour to increase thine assurance I water my bed with teares saith Dauid Thirdly let euery one that saith he hath gotten from God remission of sinnes of many sinnes and great sinnes change the tenor of his life endeavour to walke more holy lie And then although death when it commeth strip thee naked of all the pleasures that are heere yet thou being made naked and free of sinne thou shalt not bee found in that great day as the wicked are but shal be covered with the white rayment of the righteousnes of IESVS CHRIST THE THIRD SERMON ZECHARIAH 3. Chap. and 10. verse 10 In that day saith the Lord of hostes shall ye call euery man his neighbour vnder the vine and vnder the figtree THe last point contained in these words is in the last verse and that is of the happie estate of the Church and Kingdome of Christ vnder him so gracious and comfortable a Head As remission of sins and taking away iniquitie is a consequent of his suffring and of this deep engrauing of the stone so this peaceable estate is a necessary consequent of remission of sinnes for all that haue remission of sins in the death and suffering of Christ of necessitie they must haue peace with God peace in their owne heart and soule which passeth vnderstanding tranquillity and rest which is the beginning of heauen heere for we who beleeue doe enter presently in our rest The words of the verse if they shal be considered with some respect to the temporall deliuerie of the people from Babylon and their full restitution from the captivity as was both prophecied and performed then they offered this comfort vnto them that albeit the dayes by past haue beene vnto them dayes of woe and miserie dayes of weeping and lamentation wherein they haue beene brought in a strange countrie at the rivers of Babel to shed teares for hearing the enemies deride their Hebrew songs and in the remembrance of Sion that was of before so beautifull and glorious yet when the Lord should returne to shew himself the captain Defender of his Church and should loose their yoke and bonds that day and time of their libertie is to bring with it a great glorious change being broght to their owne home and country where before they were in Babel Lying vnder their owne Vine and Figtree where before they lay at the rivers of Babel each neighbour speaking comfortablie to an other where of before they were forced to heare the rayling and out-cryings of the children of Babel And all these in the appointed time of God did so gratiously come to passe that albeit in the dayes of their
could well subsist because he was to get vp his head and to wrestle out from vnder all this paine and grief And heerein is offered to vs a great word of comfort that seeing all the troubles that wee sustaine in this life are finite both in weight and time For what is our life but a moment And the Lord who afflicteth vs knoweth our mould and our shape that we are but dust Then although the Lord to thy sense intreate thee hardlie yet he is still to thee a louing Father in regard of that glorious end that he hath appointed for thee whervnto momentanean troubles shall succeed an infinite weight of Ioy and glory As the gravitie of Christ his sufferings is pointed at in the inflictor God himselfe so also in the phrase of speaking whereby his suffring is imported it is not a light nor superficiall going over but a deep sinking and graving so deepe that of him are the wordes of Ieremy to be vnderstood Consider yee that passe by if there be any dolour like vnto my dolour The wordes of Dauid in the 129 Psal. The plowers haue drawne deep furrowes vpon my back And the words of Esay in his 50 Chapter I giue my backe to the smiters and my cheekes to them that plucked off the haire The deepe ingrauing of this Stone look to it this way The thornes making impression in his Head the scourges making deepe furrowes in his backe the nailes piercing his hands and feete the souldiers speare going through his side to his Heart so that water and blood came forth And yet a deeper ingraving then all this the plough of the wrath of God went deeply through his Soule made so deep a furrow that he did sweat Blood for water Now looke to and consider the grauen Stone and therein see great matter of feare there being heere the most fearefull declaration of Gods wâ—…ath against sin that euer was giuen great mater of loue being herein The greatest declaration of loue that could be offered to mankinde Secondly he was so deeply grauen that although his paine and suffering be away and ended yet the print of his suffering is not away but remaineth fresh in the eyes of his Father as meritorious for all them that shal be safe Thirdly hee was so grauen that he might take vs and graue vs vpon his brest vpon the palmes of his hands neuer to be forgetfull of vs but to present vs blamelesse before his Father Let the suffrings therefore and Crosse of IESVS Christ be drawne in our hearts not lightly nor superficially but deeply grauen that we may say with the Apostle We desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified The fourth thing mentioned in these verses is the happy fruite and effect that followeth vpon the suffering of IESVS CHRIST it is expressed this way I will sayth the Lord remoue the iniquity of the Land in one day The grauing of Christ although painfull to him for a time yet pleasant and comfortable to his Church for euer For it is by reason of his sufferings that God his Father hath giuen this declaration I wil take away and put forth of my remembrance the iniquity and sinnes of all that repent beleeue in him his stripes were many his grauing deep his sufferings infinite in weight although not in time Therefore though thy sinnes were neuer so many and thy iniquities neuer so great they are all wel payd for Thou being in him needest not to feare death hell nor condemnation In the words expressing this benefite of taking away the peoples sinnes two things are to bee marked The one is of the perfection of the worke All sinne and iniquitie shal be taken away And the other is of the circumstance of time in that day As for the first there is promised heere the perfect taking away of sin and iniquity And how doth this agree with the manifold complaints of the Saints in the Scripture of the abiding of iniquitie and with the experience euen of these who beleeued remission of sinnes and taking away of iniquities in the Blood of Iesus Christ. Doe not the Saints in Scripture complaine of sinne cry out vnder the burden of sinne craving daylie the renovation and purgation of their heart And who hath not reason with Dauid to say If I should reckon my iniquities they are moe in number then the haires of my head And who knoweth the errours of his life Hath there beene and is there manifold sinnes euen in the best children of God how doth God then performe this promise saying that the day of his Sonnes death shal be a day wherein he will take away all the sin and iniquitie of his people for answer to this When God is said in Scripture to take away the sinne and iniquity of his people two things are imported The one is that which hath the proper respect of sinne which accuseth and condemneth vs before God the guiltinesse of it that is taken away And so to take away sinne is to forgiue sin to cover sin not to impute sin In the meane time there remaineth in the corrupt nature of man the mater of sinne the nourishments of sinne sinfull concupiscences wherewith the Elect of God haue a daylie strife not suffring this remnant sin to reigne in their mortal bodies Secondly by the words of this promise is imported that the remission of thy sinnes that great benefite acquired by the death of Christ is full absolute and perfect although the renovation be not as yet perfect His merite taketh away all the guiltinesse of thy sin so that thou art free of condemnation althogh at the first all corruption be not mortified slaine into thee So that both these are the speeches of a renewed man the one of the assurance of faith there is no condemnation to me the other of the complaint of sin the flesh lusteth against the spirit and this holdeth them in a continual exercise striuing to a daylie mortification till in end sin as it is perfectly forgiuen so it may be perfectly slaine and abolished and left as a carcase without motion life or senses The other worde heere is of the circumstance of time God saith he will do this in one day And the day meant of heere is the day of the slaughter and sacrificing of his Sonne It may then bee demanded was there no remission of sinnes till the day of his death Is he not that that Lambe spoken of in the Apocalypse 13. that was slaine from the beginning was not the sinnes of faithfull Patriarches Prophets and Servants of GOD taken away in the vertue of that same Blood althogh the day of the actuall shedding of it was not as yet come For laying open this matter ye must consider about the suffring of Iesus Christ four things 1. The ordaining of it by God the Father as the mean
yet heere is the supply of all Art thou set vpon the right Stone vpon Iesus Christ hee shall make thee ouercome it may be with fighting combat euen to the going downe of the Sunne to the end of thy life yet in the end thou shalt prevaile And as the going downe of the Sun is Ioyfull to the man that hath beene wearied in the fields with labour all day long for then he goeth to his rest So shall the Lord make the latter end of his owne ioyfull after their wearisome combat in this life they shall then rest from their labors and be in glory for euer A third stone or rock we read of Num. 20. chap. In the day whē the people wanted waters were ready to perish for thirst Moyses striking that rock with his rod forthwith there came abundāce of water wherof the people drank and were satisfied we cannot erre in the signification of this stone for the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 10 cha giues vs the same in expres words affirming that this stone or rock is Iesus Christ. And hereby are we informed of these things 1. that al mankind should haue perished for euer And for them not a drop of refreshment could haue beene found if the Lord himselfe had not demonstrate and pointed out this Rock euen IESVS CHRIST his Sonne Secondly from him flowes rivers of spiritual waters euen abundance of consolations to refresh the weary heart Thirdly as Moyses got no water from the Rock till he touched it with his Rod So must thou stretch out the Rod of thy Faith and therewith touch CHRIST or els thou canst draw no vertue from him althogh he be a Rocke for abundance of spirituall waters in him yet he is not so called as though he were hard intractable and that it were hard to get any good from him No he is meek and gentle easie to be entreated Thogh he be a Rock yet the smallest touch of Faith will draw healing vertue from him Althogh the Rod of thy Faith be weake and smal like a bruised reed yet he will not breake the bruised reed nor extinguish the smoaking flax Stretch out thy withered hand and touch him with thy weake faith thou shalt draw waters of refreshment and comfort from him Fourthly we reade in the 4 Chapter of Iehoshua of a heape of stones which Ioshua set vp in a testimony that Israell had past with dry foot thorow Iordane These stones are also a representation of IESVS CHRIST tovs who is set vp as a great signe of God to vs by whom we haue passage to eternall life by him we shall escape all dangers by him shall we goe with dry foote without feare through the valley of death and shal be brought to that Land of rest euen that promised Land Feare not saith he little flocke It is my Fathers will to giue you the Kingdome Fiftly we reade in the first booke of Samuel and 17 Chapter of a stone wherewith David killed Goliah This stone also hath a representatiō of IESVS CHRIST who hath overthrowen the Devill led captivity captiue bound that strong one And it is hee in whose strength we are able to prevaile Sixtly in the second Chapter of Daniel we reade of a stone was hewed out of the mountaine without hands wherein there is proper resemblance of his nativity and manner of bringing foorth in the World being brought from the Wombe of the Virgine without the company of man by the worke of the Holy Ghost It is not my purpose to digresse Let it therefore be sufficient that all these places haue beene mentioned to make out this first reason wherefore IESVS CHRIST is called a Stone Euen because in him is truely fulfilled all which by a stone or stones in the old Testament was prefigured The second reason why IESVS CHRIST is called a Stone is Because he is that Rocke vpon which his Church is founded and builded This the Apostle telleth vs in the first to the Corinthians and 3 Chapter Another foundation can no man lay then that which is already laide that is IESVS CHRIST Let the Papists abuse as they please it is of himself he meanes when speaking to Peter he saith Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock that is vpon me that am the Rocke will I build my Church vpon which shee being builded the gates of Hel shall not prevaile against her The words of the confession of Peter referres vs to CHRIST himself Thou art saith he the Son of the liuing God Vpon him the Sonne of the liuing God who is God made man in time is founded and builded the Church It is of him that these words of Dauid are to be vnderstood in the 118 Psal. The stone which the builders refused is made the head of the corner He is in his birth Daniel his Stone hewen out of the mountaine without hands In his passion he is this grauen Stone of Zacharie all full of eyes In his résurrectiō he is Esay his Stone a Stone laid in Sion that whosoeuer beleeues in him shal not be confounded He is to vs the rock of our faith that fundament wherevpon the true Church and euery member thereof is built This reason would be well considered whereby 1. ye may perceiue that this hath beene of before the craft and malice of the Deuill to make them who by profession were the builders of the House of GOD misknow the foundation and neglect the principall Stone of the building Was not Caiphas and his Priests the professed builders for the time and what did they they reiected with despight and cast away Iesus Christ so that Barrabbas was of more accompt in their eyes then he But in his resurrection hee was lifted vp and declared to bee the chiefe Stone of the building This same craft and malice of the deuill doth still rage in the world Is it not to be seene in the Antichristian Church making them to reiect and cast aside the chief Stone foundation of the building euen Iesus and to build vpon the foolish inventions and traditions of men a building althogh it appeare to rise high yet shall it be Babell it shall come to confusion Let it be farre from vs to thinke that flesh and blood can bee sufficient for the Church to build vpon There is no foundation but this pointed by the Finger of God Behold the Stone that I haue laide the same is Iesus Christ the Lord. Secondly as the Church in generall is a building set vpon this Stone foundation so euery member of the Church is a builder And he would take heed how he buildeth The instrument of thy building is Faith he cannot build that wanteth Faith hauing Faith build vpon the right ground let thy Faith take hold of Iesus Christ. The more thou growest in Faith the faster thou art built vpon
of mans redemption 2. the typing figuring of it by the ceremonies of the Law Leviticall sacrifices 3. The merite efficacie of it And last that very act it selfe when his body was at Golgotha affixed to the Crosse. Now althogh this act of his suffring was in the last time yet in the decree and ordinance of GOD it was from the beginning In the ceremonies of the Law he was typically slain before their eies the merite and efficacie of his death extended the selfe to all that was safe from the beginning and doth extend to all that shall be safe to the end of the world These words of the promise of taking away sinne and iniquity being narrowly looked into you will finde they containe these necessary points that thou must know and beleeue in this comfortable Article of the remission of sinnes as heere you are led to consider 1. the Author of the benefite I will take them away sayth the Lord. Sin being the offence of God none hath power to forgiue or take away his offence but himselfe And whereas God is the Author of this benefite then hath it these properties First it is sure Secondly perfect Thirdly it is vnchangeable and neuer commeth vnder revocation Thy memory may forget thy sinnes for a while and cast them vp againe thy conscience may loose feeling of them and cast them vp againe But if God take them away they shall neuer meet thee neither to thy shame heere nor condemnation after this A necessary point of tryall for men to examine what way they are made quite of their bypast sinnes For although thou haue drowned them in oblivion and put them away in forgetfulnes yet are they not soundly taken away till GOD take them away that thou be able to say God for Iesus Christ his sake hath forgiuen me them Secondly in these words is pointed out vnto vs the meanes by which remission of sins is obtained and that is cleare by ioyning these words with the former He said before I will graue the Stone I will sinke it deeply I will lay great weight of suffering vpon the back of my Sonne What then shall follow vpon it this same gracious effect I laide this great burden of pain vpon him that I may take off the great burdens of iniquity The meane is then whereby remission of sins is purchased his bloody Passion the grauing of the Stone his painfull sufferings If you aske at Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter how men are freed of their sinnes he will answere you The Blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes If you aske at Peter in his first Epistle and first Chapter how and by what meanes we are redeemed he will tell you not with gold nor siluer but with the precious Blood of the Sonne of God And if there were no more but this Sinners are sent to rest vpon Iesus Christ and his Blood because it is the onelie meane of our reliefe which GOD himselfe hath devised and found out I wil saith he graue the Stone and by that meanes take away all thy iniquitie He that wold present to Gods eye any other thing meritorious of the remission of his sinnes but this graven Stone Iesus Christ crucified he must remaine comfortleffe if it were for no other way but this he misknoweth that way of his peace which GOD himself hath devised and appointed Thirdly in these wordes of the promise wee are to consider of the persons to whom belongeth this great benefite of taking away their iniquitie And it is heere said The iniquity of all the Land A generall to be restrained to the Church and people of God the eyes of whose faith as was said of before shal be fastened vpon this Stone Thus saith Esay in his 33 Chapter The people that dwell therein meaning of the Church shall haue their sins forgiuen And in his 62 Chapter They shal be called an holy people the redeemed of the Lord a citie soght out and not forsaken By the Arke of Noah which was a type of the Church It was told vs none would bee safe but they that are within the compasse of the Church And now the builder of the Church saw this and therefore made a good prayer for his son Iaphet God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem that is make him a member of the Church to whom this promise is made I will take away all thy iniquitie Fourthly to make this comfort that is in the promise of remission of sinnes firme sure he doth not giue to sin the common word of sin but hee giueth it a name more expressing the weight of it and calleth it iniquitie Wherein he would allure vs to apprehend the comfort of the promise this way Let no man by reason of his sinne iniquitie despaire when he considereth these two things First It is I saith the Lord of hostes that am the doer that taketh away iniquity come and reason with me Albeit thy sinnes be many and great is it not easie to mee to take them away I that said to Light and to all the rest of the Creatures let them bee I that can fold vp the heauens as a garment cannot I make thy iniquities passe away Esay was lamenting his impuritie and crying Woe is me But how easie was it to the Lord to send him comfort when an Angell with a slight came to him with a coale taken from the Altar touching his lips telling him that his sin was taken frō him The thief that did hang on the right side of Christ had experience of this who hauing vttered but a few words of remors for his sin his iniquitie was instantly taken away his soul made ready for the Paradise of God 2. As looking to God the Author of this work men should not despair So considering the medicine how pretious it is how can sinners distrust go away comfortlesse here is a stone deeply grauen much blood shed And whereas one drop of that precious blood being the Blood of GOD might haue bin a ransome for all the world behold streames of blood flowing frō him that thou may euer therein as it were bath thy soule And although thy sins were neuer so great yet heere is the medicine so large it goeth beyond and aboue all Last of all you would mark here the phrase of speaking vsed heere I will saith the Lord take away the iniquity of the Land In the former Chapter speaking to Iehoshua he said to him I haue caused thy iniquity to passe from thee God is said to take away our sinnes when for the merite and suffering of his Sonne he accounteth of them as if they had neuer beene committed And to ingraue this consolation in the hearts of penitent and beleeuing sinners divers phrases and sundry forms of speeches are vsed by God in Scripture