thanksgiving Besides yet there is another thing considerable that is in the stating of the time Though men may thus depute and appoint dayes to worship God yet they cannot state any such dayes but onely as Gods providence calls them to it according to the present occasion Therefore it were certainly a sin if a state should appoint once every yeer to be a fasting day in a religious way God did so but men have no power to do so the reason is this because they doe not know but God may call them to rejoycing upon that day they have not the liberty of the time All that we can doe is this when God calleth us to fasting wee must appoint dayes of fasting when God calls us to rejoycing we must appoint dayes of rejoycing Therefore to appoint the time of Lent as a religious fast is sinfull and the Statute it selfe threatneth a mulct upon that man that shall call it a religious fast for civill ends it may be but stated fasts which are not limited by providence are certainly evil and so for these monthly fasts that are now injoyned if we should say we will have a fast once a moneth upon this day these twelve moneths or these two yeers I perswade my selfe the State should sin but to have it as long as Gods hand is upon us as long as the occasion lasteth and Gods providence calls us to it that is justifiable Our Brethren in Scotland wholly deny both stated Fasts and all other dayes Nay they will scarce agree to this monthly fasting we have because they are so loth to yeeld to any stat a jeiunia And I remember I have heard of a speech King James once made in Scotland blessing God that hee was borne at such a time and was a member of such a Church and the reason he giveth is this For saith he the Church of Scotland exceeds in this all other Churches England though it hath pure doctrine hath not pure discipline other Reformed Churches have pure doctrine and discipline but they retaine the observation of many holy dayes but the Church of Scotland hath pure doctrine and discipline and keeps no holy dayes and therefore saith he it is a purer Church then any in the world Thus I have endeavoured to shew you how far things may be set apart how far not when it commeth to be a sinne for any one to sanctifie a day By this we may see what a mercy it is to be delivered from those men who have robbed the Kingdome of so many dayes as they have and put so many superstitious respects upon them and so have involved us in much guilt blesse God for delivering us from them and for those dayes that God giveth us liberty to exercise our selves in his worship let us know our liberty in them Thus much for those Feasts that are called their Feasts that were of their owne appointment Her new moons The ordinance of God in the new moons is in Numb 28. 11. In the beginning of your new moons you shall doc thus and thus c. It was Gods ordinance that the Jews at the beginning of every month should have a holy day when they had a new moon they should keep that day holy to God That which the Latines call Calends were their new moones The holy solemnity of these dayes was in three things First the offerings that were there appointed by God particularly for that time were many chargeable two young bullocks one ram seven lambs of the first yeer without spot besides their flower oyl for their drink offerings and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering Secondly At these times they were wont to repaire to the Prophets for instruction to know the mind of God That you have 2 King 4. 23. where the husband of the Shunamire said to his wife wherefore wilt thou goe to him to day it is neither new moone nor sabbath Indeed if it were new moon or sabbath you may goe but while it is neither why will you goe That implyeth that this was a thing in use among the Jewes to repaire to the Prophets for instruction and to heare Gods word from them upon those dayes Thirdly yea it was unlawfull to buy and sell upon those dayes Amos. 8. 5. When will the new moone be gone that we may sell corn they were weary of it it seems because they might not buy and sell in it These three things we finde in Scripture upon their new moones Now Euxtorphius who relates to us the Jewish way hee tells us of three other things they were wont to doe in their new moones First Those that were most devout among them used to set apart a day for fasting and prayer to intreat God to blesse the new moon to them 2. As soone as there was an appearance of the new moone one steppeth up and cryeth O thou Creator of the moone be ever blessed and so he goes on in the benediction of God for this creature 3. They used to leap and to reach toward the moon so soone as they saw it speaking after this manner We reaching to the moon we cannot reach it so all our enemies that reach at us are as unable to reach us to our hurt as we that But why did God appoint this feast of the new moone It was appointed for these 4. ends 1. Because God would be acknowledged to have the government of all inferiour things in the world and especially of all the changes of times As the Sabbath was for putting us in minde of Gods creating the world so the new moones were appointed for them to blesse God for the government of the world for many nations have attributed much of the government of the things of the world to the moone the tydes you know ebbe and flow according to the moone the great worke of God in the seas seeme to bee governed by God in the use of that creature yea things seeme to be governed more sensibly by this creature then by others to the end therefore that they might not sticke in the creature but give God the glory therefore hee appointed the feasts of the new moone if they had any changes of times and seasons God caused it rather then this creature and as the heathens so they called the Moone the Queene of Heaven and they would not be taken off from offering cakes to the Queene of heaven they attributed all their prosperity to her as we reade in the Prophet Now from this God would take them off therefore he appointed this solemn feast of the new moone 2. God would hereby teach that the bringing of any light unto us after darknesse is meerly from himself and he must be acknowledged in it The Moone is a glorious creature and causeth much light but soone after there is darknesse and after this darknesse light springeth up againe Here is the work of God we are taught a morall lesson from this Feast that
things you will finde needfull for conscience to be informed in I shal carry them on too I hope with modesty fulness safety First I say it followes from hence that it is not a light matter to seeke after the right government of Christ in his Church it concerns a head-ship of Christ The head-ship of Christ in a speciall manner consisteth in that there are some other things in which it doth consist which perhaps may be spoken of hereafter but here in this place especially that Indeed in the primitive times there the greatest contention was about the Doctrines of Religion what Doctrines should hold upon Christ and what not and the people of God did there suffer most for contending about the doctrines that held upon Christ the Head they would not receive a Doctrine but what held on Christ and what was obrtuded upon them not holding upon Christ the Head they did reject And Luther upon this place hath this speech he tells us how much the Church in after time did suffer for this very thing and saith What kinde of dangers did inviron the Church and do inviron it for acknowledging Christ to be the head these our times doe sufficiently testifie And further because we preach Christ to be the whole head therefore we are subject to Anathemas and to all kinde of punishment And in these latter times it is like that the great contention will be rather about the head-ship of Christ in the point of his government then in the other the other being so cleare unto us and the sufferings of the people of God will be so much the more grievous because that this is accounted such a little thing such a poor businesse And further because this doth not seem to be altogether so clearely revealed in the Scripture as other Doctrinall points that hold upon Christ the â—ead And Christ the rather hath so disposed of things that this shall not be so clearly revealed because he intended to suffer Antichrist to rise to his height and it cannot be imagined that if the Doctrine of Christs government in his Church had beene clearly and demonstratively laid down so as there could have beene no gain-saying of it I say it cannot be imagined how it is possible for Antichrist to have risen to that height that he hath Christ because hee intended to bring about many passages of his providence and many great workes of his that way in suffering Antichrist to arise therefore he hath left this point so in the word as is subject to many doubts and may occasion many objections against it But the nearer the time comes for Antichrist to fall the more clearly this shall be revealed Secondly By this that hath beene said we may learne what to account Antichristianisme and what not for there are many amongst us that cry out against every thing that displeaseth them that it is Antichristianisme that it is Antichristianisme and yet understand but very little what Antichristianisme is But by this that hath beene said you must know that Antichristianisme is not every errour It is true in a large sense Antichrist is as much as against Christ and so every sin every errour is against Christ and in Antichristianisme if you take it so But you are to know the Scripture speakes of the Antichrist and of Antichristianisme in a speciall acceptation What is that This my brethren is Antichristianisme that which shall oppose Christ as a Head and set up another head-ship here is the propriety of Antichrist and Antichristianisme as in all those foure things named before First VVhosoever shall obtrude any Doctrine upon the Church to be believed by their own authority he is guilty of Antichristianisme not whosoever shall preach or hold an error in the Church But when any shall presume to obtrude upon the Church any Doctrine that holds upon humane authority to be urged upon the authority of those that do impose it this I say is properly Antichristianisme for it doth oppose Christ in his head-ship Secondly The intrusion of such offices and officers in the Church as meerly belonging to the spirituall man such as are properly Church offices that do not hold upon Christ the Head but only hold upon them this is Antichristianisme Thirdly The imposing of any Ordinance any new institutions that are as hath been opened upon the Church belongeth to Antichristianisme Fourthly The imposing of lawes so to bind conscience as the Lawes of Christ do here is Antichristianisme This is Antichristianisme and that not onely because these things are directly against the head-ship of Christ but because these things doe set up another head too and so the word Antichrist may signifie as well for one to be in stead of Christ for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke signifieth sometime as well for as against as of his fulness we receive grace for grace it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke grace for grace so Antichrist is one that shall set up hâ—mselfe as head of the Church in stead of Christ one that shall clayme unto himselfe that head-ship that is proper to Jesus Christ and not to be communicated to any from Jesus Christ This is Antichristianisme Now the Apostle faith that there were many Antichrists in his time and this mystery of ungodlinesse of inquity did worke then but now it comes to grow to a height in that great Antichrist of Rome for you know in these foure are the speciall things wherein he is the Antichrist Because hee obtrudes Doctrines Articles of Faith upon the Church by his owne authority He makes all Offices of the Church to hold on him And appointeth Lawes Ordinances and Institutions likewise to hold on him And claymeth the binding of Consciences so as is proper to Jesus Christ And all those that hold thus on Antichrist and are thus abettors of him in these things these are guilty of this greatsinne of Antichristianisme That for your right information about the sin of Antichristianisme The third consequence You say Christ is the Head but you know the King is called the Head of the Church in what sense are we to understand that Or how may we come to understand aright that Oath that is given of Supremacie These things my brethren are necessary for information of Conscience and the burthen lyes upon us to make out these things as cleare to you as we can that you may go along with the more freedome of spirit and conscience in your way and yet give every one their right too You are to know that the Oath of Supremacy came into England thus In the time of Popery the Pope claymed unto himselfe the Head-ship of the Church He being excluded then came in that Oath to acknowledge the King or Queene the Head of the Church But now you must know first that this title The Head of the Church as it hath been attributed to the King hath been much abused
as if he should say thus O Lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of Egypt but herein we prize thy mercie that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holinesse it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage as that wee expect to bee brought to thy holy habitation Now saith the Lord you shall sing as you did then look what causes you had then to sing you shall have the same causes to sing again when I am reconciled to you The last thing for the explication is when this was fulfilled or to what time this is to be referred There are four times that this prophesie aims at and refers unto First It began in some degree to be fulfilled at their returne out of their captivity from Babylon though it is true few of the ten tribes returned yet it is clear in Scripture that many of them did then return and had the beginning of this mercy and there was joy and singing Isa 12. the whole chap. is a song blessing God for their return from the captivity Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation c. 2. This prophecie aims at spiritual Israel so in Rom. 9. it is applied to the calling of Jew Gentile together when the Gospel was first preached Jewes and Gentiles being called home became the spiritual Israel of God then there was singing Rom. 15. 20. Again he saith rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people The third time that it refers unto is the delivery of Gods people from under the tiranny of Antichrist typified by the tiranay of the Egyptians for that the former place is very full Rev. 15. 2. there you shall observe Those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire having the harps of God in their hands and they sang the song of Moses the song of the Lamb saying Great marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints c. In this song which I make no question but this Scripture hath reference unto there are divers things observable To take them up briefly by the way 1. That they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast over his image and over his mark that is a full victory not only abominating Antichrist himself but any image any character of him any thing whereby they might seem to allow of him to be owned by him 2. They stood upon a sea of glasse mingled with fire The sea of glasse I find interpreted Christian doctrine so called for the clearness of it though not so clear as afterward it should be for there is some darknes even in glass but clear in comparison of what it was before for 2 K. 25. 13. The sea was of brasse which is far thicker and darker But there was fire mingled with this sea of glass that is though they had a clearer doctrine then before yet there were many contentions in the Church through many different opinions and much division there was even amongst the godly It was a sadde condition indeed yet it is ordinary especially when Doctrines come to be first cleared to have great contentions grow in the Church among godly men It is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions yea and have some heat of spirit one against another when the light first breaks forth When men are in the dark they sit together and walk not at such a distance but when light comes it cannot be expected but there will be differences But yet mark the godly then they did not reject the doctrine because there was fire mingled with it because there was heate of contention but the Text saith they were there with their harps in their hands they were professing this doctrine and rejoycing that ever they lived to that time to have the Gospel so clearly revealed unto them And they sang the song of Moses and not only of Moses but the song of the Lamb too What was that First great and marvellous are thy works in that we see we are delivered from Antichristian bondage as the people of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine Oh it is a marvellous worke of God that wee are thus at liberty Therefore know this that whensoever the Church shall be delivered from Antichristian bondage it shall be a marvellous work of God therefore we may not be discouraged because wee meet with some difficulties by the way for wee shal never be delivered but so as it shal appear to be a wonder if we should be delivered without difficulties we should not see the marvellousness of the worke Further Iust and true are thy wayes God in that deliverance will shew the fulfilling of all his promises and he will fully satisfie the hearts of his people who have been a long time seeking him and suffering for him Whereas the adversaries because God did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper thought there was no God in heaven that looked upon them they scorned at the fastings and prayers and faith of the Saints But though the hearts of the Saints were ready to faile yet at last they shall say Iust true are thy wayes Lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled all thy promises made good now we see it is not in vaine to seek thee it is not in vain to wait upon thee for just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints God will appear then to be a King of Saints He is indeed the King of the world now and the King of his Saints but he doth not appear so clearly the kingdome of Jesus Christ as King of Saints hath been much darkned in the world We have some what indeed of the Priestly and Propheticall office of Christ made known to us but very little of his kingly office but when God shall fully deliver his people then they shall magnifie Jesus Christ as the king of Saints in an especiall manner Lastly they shall say Who will not feare thee thou King of Nations As if they should say wee see now it is good to feare God wee see now God hath made a difference between him that feareth him and him that feareth him not The Angel that John saw Apoc. 14. 6 7. Flying in heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach cryes with a loud voyce Feare God and give glory to him The feare of God will be mighty upon the hearts of the Saints in those times This shall be the song of Moses that this Scripture aymeth at they shall thus sing as they did in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt yea and the truth is their song
well pleased with it Esay 53. 10. Why was God pleased with it Because the Lord saw this was the way for him to communicate himself in the fulnesse of his grace unto his Church and therefore though it cost him so deare as the death of his own Son yet he was well pleased with it And as for Christ he takes delight in letting out himself to his people after he had suffered the Text saith he was satisfied when he saw of the travell of his soul As if Christ had said O let me have a Church to communicate my self unto though I see it hath cost me my blood it hath cost me all these fearfull sufferings yet I am satisfied I thinke all is well bestowed so I may have a people to partake of my love and mercy for ever Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes Then for the Saints the delight they have in communicating themselves unto Christ is unutterable Stay me with flaeggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love saith the Church Cantic 2. 5. Psal 63. 5. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate of thee in the night watches Take this note the more fully you lay out your selves for Christ the more comfort you shall have in your lives Here is the great difference between hypocrites and others in the comfort of their lives It is impossible that any hypocrite can have that comfort in his life as a gracious heart can have upon this ground because a hypocrite reserveth somewhat of himself for something else there is not a full comunication of himself unto Christ he alwayes keepes somewhat back and thereby loseth his comfort But a gracious heart fully letting out himselfe into Christ from thence cometh the comfort sweetness that he hath in the ways of Christ above all hypocrites in the world Perhaps you thinke that the onely comfort you can have is by receiving some benefit some mercy from God you are much mistaken the comfort of letting your hearts out to God is a greater comfort then any comfort you have in receiving any thing from God And now Oh how happy are they unto whom Christ is thus espoused How comfortably may you live being made sure to Christ and how comfortably may you die It is our work to seeke to draw soules to Christ to allure soules to be in love with him Gen. 24. 35. You may see what course Abrahams servant took in drawing the love of Rebekah and her friends to his Masters son he begins wiâ—h telling them that he is the servant of Abraham and that the Lord had blessed his Master greatly so that he was become great and that the Lord had given him flocks and herds and silver gold and that he had an onely soone that was to be heire of all this This is the work of Ministers to tell people what riches of mercy there are in God and that all the treasures of those infinite riches of the infinite God are in JESUS CHRIST and to be let out in him this gaines the heart Yea it is not onely the work of Ministers but it should be worke of every gracious heart thus to seek to draw souls to Christ as Rev. 22. 17. not onely the Angels there say Come but the Bride saith Come and let him that hea eth say Come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely VVere I not in such a way of explication as I am surely wee could not get off such a point as this but that which I shall say for the present is onely this Know that it is not want of any worth in you that can hinder communion with Jesus Christ doe not reason in that manner I am a poor wretched sinfull creature will ever Christ be married unto me It is not thy sinfulnesse it is not thy base condition that can hinder thee Christ never joynes himselfe to any because they are worthy but he joynes himself to them that they may be worthy hee makes them to be worthy in joyning himselfe unto them The woman is not married unto the King because she is a Queen but the King maryeth her to make her a Queene And further know if your hearts be not taken with Christ to joyne with him in his holy mariage if he be not your husband to enjoy conjugall communion with you he will be your judge to condemn you But besides this betrothing between Christ a soul there is a betrothing between Christ a visible Church especially the Church of the Jews when they shall be called God shal appeare in his glory when this maryage shall be between Christ and the Jewish Church the King will then be in his Robes if a man of estate have a sonne to marry and intends to solemnize the maryage according to his estate if he have any better cloathes then other he puts them on that day so at the calling of the Jewes the King of heaven will be in his robes God will appeare in a most glorious manner to the world then ehe did since the creation Yea and you know the Bridegroome too will be very fine upon the mariage day so Jesus Christ will then appeare whether personally or otherwise wee say not but certainly hee will gloriously appeare at that day Tit. 2. 15. We looke for the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour jesâ—s Christ And 2 Thes 1. 10. Christ shall come so as to be admired in all them that believe the Church likewise shall then be arrayed in her fine cloaths shee shall be then cloathed in white cleane and fine liâ—nen as it is Rev. 19. 8. all in the righteousness of Christ the great doctrine of justification by Christ shall be made out full and cleare Yea and the creatures her servants shall put on the best rayment as in a great marriage the servants in the house have new cloathes at that day there will be a change in all the creatures and another kind of face in the world then now there is Then will be the marriage supper and happy shall those be that shall then be found worthy to enter into the bed-chamber let us now love Christ let us now cleave to him let us now suffer for him we may perhaps be some of those who beside our eternal enjoyment of christ in heaven may enjoy him in this mariage upon the earth But we must leave this argument we spake something of it in the end of the first chapter And I will betroth thee unto me for ever For ever This adds to the mercy to make it glorious this for ever makes a misery though never so little an infinite misery and a mercy an infinite mercy This betrothing for ever shall be fulfilled
are a dishonor unto him before Men and Angels what you the Spouse of Christ where is this ornament this bracelet of righteousnesse then whosoever Christ maryeth he putteth upon them this Jewel of righteousnesse Hee blasphems Religion which he seems to honour sayes Cyprian who makes not good in his life what he professes The Eighteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 19. And in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies IN Judgement Some Interpreters we finde make this and righteousnesse to be all one according to that Psal 33. 6. He loveth righteousnesse and judgement and so passe it over but we must not do so for wee shall finde much of Gods minde in this Others take judgement as divers times it is taken in Scripture for sanctification so they would make this promise sutable to that of Christ John 16. 10. 11. I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement that righteousnesse there is the same with that here judgement there by many Interpreters is understood of sanctification because the Prince of this world is judged the power of Satan is already broken he is already cast out of your hearts And they thinke to strengthen that by that place in Mat. 12. 20. He will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed till he send forth judgement unto victory that is untill he perfect the work of sanctification that it shall overcome corruption This text in Matthew is quoted out of Esay 42. 3. but there we have the words somewhat different there it is He shall bring forth judgement unto truth Now if that should be the meaning that by judgement is meant sanctification then we may learne an excellent note from the comparing these two Texts together that it is all one to bring judgement sanctification unto truth and to bring it unto victory when it is in truth it will certainly be in victory But we shall a little more examine this interpretation of Judgement presently for my part I do not think that it is meant either in this Text or in any of the Texts named Thirdly I finde others make this in judgement to be Gods judgement against the adversaries of the Church I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse I will deale with you in a way of righteousnesse and for your adversaries I will deale with them in a way of judgement you shall have judgement against them So I finde Luther carries it and he saith that judgement here is the second pearle of the Husbands ring he gives to his Spouse God promiseth to exercise judgement vengeance against the adversaries of the Church and so he applyeth it unto those times wherein he lived in Germany saith he for these many years wicked Magistrates have oppressed the Church and prophane Doctors have corrupted the doctrine of it but Germany hath seene God judging his adversaries And if we should understand it in this sense we have a sutable place Esay 54. 5. where God telleth his Church that He that is her maker is her husband even the Lord of hosts and her Redeemer the God of the whole earth the word there is Vindex the avenger he that will avenge thee of thine enemies is the God of the whole earth he is thy husband This might afford a sweet meditation that the Lord will defend his Church from the rage of adversaries as the husband will defend his Spouse being betrothed unto her the Lord certainly will take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries who wrong his Church But this I thinke not to be the scope of the place Another is In Judgement Though things be now out of order all things seeme to be in confusion yet the time is coming when all things shal be ordered in the Church according to equity and right These two I thinke are meant in the former Texts I will convince the world of judgement that is the world shall be convinced that Christ hath all judgement committed unto him and he shews it in this that the Prince of this world is judged so that place before in Matthew I will cause judgment to returne unto victory that is though the adversaries of the Church be many yet he will cause them all to be vanquished judgement shal conquer over them all though there be much opposition and confusion in the Church yet I will bring all things in the Church to be ordered composed in a right way according unto equity That place likewise Esay 4. 4. where the Lord saith he will purge his Church by the spirit of judgeâ—ent and by the spirit of burning I know some carry it as if it were meant of the spirit of sanctification that is as fire to consume lusts but rather thus whereas there were such as did oppresse the Church by false judgement the Lord would cleanse the Church from wrong and oppression by giving a spirit of judgement unto those that should be the Officers of it and consuming the adversaries But yet I thinke we have not the full scope of this place I rather would pitch upon this as that which is more principally intended though the other may be in some degree included viz. I will betroth thee unto me in judgment that is there shall be a good reason for what I doe that which I will now do in betrothing thee unto my selfe shall not be out of rashnesse it shal not be done unadvisedly but with understanding with good deliberation I know what I do in it and I know what glory I shall have by it I will do it in judgement So I finde the word judgement taken in scripture Jer. 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse In judgement that is when you sweare know it is a worship of God and you must doe it in judgement you must not only sweare in truth that is sweare to that which is true and in righteousnesse that is not to the wrong or prejudice of your neighbour for you may sinne in swearing though you sweare in truth if you have an intent to wrong any but thirdly you must sweare in judgment too you must understand what you doe that is when you take an oath you must know that it is not as the Ex Officio was to sweare to answer to every thing that shall be asked you but you must understand beforehand what you are to sweare to and so sweare out of judgement So saith God I will betroth thee unto me in judgement that is I have considered what I am to doe in this thing and I doe it out of judgement And for your parts when you shal come and close with me in this blessed conjugall union and communion you shall doe it out of jndgement too I will betroth you in judgement so as to make it appeare before the world that I had good reason so to do and you shall likewise close with me as you shall be able