ioyning others with Christ in it Making some prayers to God and some to creatures making some religious bowing of the body to the Lord and some religious bowing of the body which they thinke lawfull to giue vnto Saints not reseruing falling downe for worship to God onely doe faile against this Commandement and how euer they please themselues with distinctions thinking to hide their sinne vnder a couering of words yet this most cleare word of the Lord doth conuince them of the crime of Idolatry They say that the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they giue vnto God onely as due vnto him To Creatures they giue no more but the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But against their owne distinction sometime they teach that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be giuen to others than vnto God And if we take these words according to the vse of Scriptures it is cleare that these two are indifferently vsed for one the whole seruice men owe to Christ is comprised vnder the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16. 18. And the Apostle condemnes the Galathians of Idolatrie because they gaue the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those things which by Nature are no Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which manner of reasoning were not forcible if this distinction of the Papists were true that the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be giuen to those which are no Gods according to the vse thereof in Scriptures But what euer they meane by these words of Worship why do they bowe the knee to things of Gold siluer and stone they cannot say it is for ciuill reuerence for their Images haue not eyes to see them nor tongues to answere them If it be as it is for religious Worship why doe they not remember that by this the Lord distinguisheth true Worshippers from false I haue seauen thousand that neuer bowed their knee to Baall and that the three Children are commended for that they would not bowe the knee to fall downe and worship Nabuchadnezars Golden Image Or how can they excuse their offering of Incense to their Images seeing it is commanded to be offered vnto God himselfe and the Iewes are condemned for offering Incense to the brasen Serpent and to Baal Where if they obiect vnto vs that we doe great wrong in comparing their Images which are of Saints now glorified in heauen with the Images of Nebuchadnezzar of Baal c. I answere wee acknowledge a great difference betweene the Saints of God and those falsely reputed Gods of the Heathen but in this point wee affirme it is no lesse Idolatry to giue religious worship to the Saints or their Images then it was for the Iewes to giue it vnto Baal It is true Paul and Barnabas are more excellent Creatures being the chosen vessels of the liuing God then Iupiter and Mercurius yet to giue religious Worship to them is no lesse Idolatry then to giue it to Iupiter and Mercurius for if they be compared in this point Paul and Barnabas are no more Gods then Baal Iupiter or Mercurius But to returne let vs for our owne instruction take diligent heede to those things which the Lord hath reserued to himselfe onely and be content with those things which hee hath offered vnto vs. Where hee saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God onely farre be it from vs to breake that limitation by giuing any part of his worhip vnto another I will not saith the Lord giue my glory to another that which the Lord will not giue how dare man be so bold as to giue that vnto another what greater glory hath the Lord then the glory of a Sauiour and Redeemer hee made vs wee made not our selues What greater glory hath hee then that hee is the Father of lights from whom euery good gift doth descend shall wee take this glory and giue it vnto another shall wee seeke from another the fulfilling of our necessities then from him is there any eyther more willing to help seeing hee is our father or more able seeing hee is almightie Shall I goe to him by another Mediator then by his Sonne seeing the Father hath proclaimed This is my Sonne in whom I am well pleased Or shall we ioyne other Mediators with him seeing the Apostle saith Hee is able to saue perfectly all those that come to God by him From such impieties the Lord deliuer vs for his great names sake to whom be all praise honour and glory for euer Amen FINIS MEDITATIONS for Instruction and Consolation Very profitable and right necessary for euery Christian to read PSAL. 119. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy wayes LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge 1612. MEDITATIONS for Instruction and Consolation The glory of Britaines Ile EVery Kingdome glorieth of their priuiledges we haue our owne also wherein wee are nothing inferiour to them but let this be the greatest glory of our Ile that 2600. yeeres agoe the Lord promised to giue the ends of the earth for a possession to Christ which in our time blessed be his holy name for it is abundantly performed The Law came forth of Sion the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem and with a speedy course ouer-shadowed this Ile with the brightnesse thereof whether it was by S. Paul as Theodoret affirmes or by Simon Zelotes as Dorotheus and Nicephorus witnesseth or by Ioseph of Arimathea as many testifie sure it is by some either Apostle or Apostelique man soone after the death of our Lord from Gentilisme we were conuerted to Christianitie long before that Papistry or papall power was knowne in the world for which by the testimonie of the aduersaries themselues euen they who dwell in the Northmost part of the I le are honoured with the stile of ancient Christians Scoti antiquiores Christiani A warning to the I le of great Britaine AS the going forth of the Sun is from the one end of heauen vnto the other rising in the East and running on like a mightie man in his course toward the West so hath the light of the Gospell from them in the East shined towards vs in the West where now it stands more marueilously then the Sunne did in Gibeon in the dayes of Ioshua till the fulnesse of Gentiles in these parts be brought into the Tents of Sem. And sure we are it shall stand like a cleare light in the Firmament of his Church till all his Saints be gathered together Now the Candlesticke is remoued from them in the East the Sun is gone downe ouer their Prophets darknes is vnto them in stead of diuination While we haue the light let vs walke in the light for woe shall be to vs also if the Lord depart from vs. Time of Grace how dispensed by the Lord. THe time of grace is called by the Lord an acceptable yeere or day of saluation to tell vs it is but short and therefore wee should redeeme
when he is in the hands of his very enemies Againe this is for the comfort of Gods children for sometime power is giuen to Sathan ouer their bodies to afflict them as we see for a time in Iob or for a time to possesse them as hee did the body of Magdalen for albeit then shee was not called yet euen then was shee an elect woman least therefore the children of God should at any time be discouraged with the like of this to take it for an argument of reprobation or finall deliuery of them vnto Sathan that the Lord for a time permits him to haue power our their bodies the Lord Iesus who would in all things be tempted as we are except sinne did taste of this temptation also for our comfort This being spoken concerning the manner of his carrying now we come to the place which is the holy City Ierusalem more particularly the very Temple which stood in the sight of all Ierusalem Sathan sets him on the platforme of it wherein were turrets with pinacles on their tops this place he takes as most conuenient for his purpose thou hast lurked too long as a priuate man among this people if thou be the Sonne of GOD that promised Messiah the king of Israel here is the time and place to shew thy selfe in the sight of Ierusalem all the people shall admire thee and acknowledge thee for to be the Sonne of God if thou cast thy selfe downe among them which easily thou maist doe without all perill or harme seeing the Lord hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee Concerning the place beside that which we marked in the first temptation how that there is no place so holy on earth wherin we can be free from the temptations of this vnholy spirit In Paradise he tempted Adam at Christs table he tempted Iudas and in the very Temple dedicated to the seruice of God how often finde wee by experience that hee dare tempt vs making vs eyther to turne the house of God into an house of marchandise while hee drawes away our mindes to thinke vpon worldly affaires or else into a den of theeues whilst he carryeth our Eyes to wander after vanitie that so hee may infect the heart or else at least he casts vpon vs the spirit of slumbring that wee cannot with reuerence heare the word of the Lord. Sathan is an enemie to euery good action standing alwayes at Iosuahs right hand to hinder him but specially doth hee resist vs in the Exercâ—ses of the Word and Prayer and seeketh to polluâ—e vs most in those places wherein wee should be most sanctified and therefore as the Iewes in the building of Ierusalem had their weapon in the one hand and their worke-toole in the other so wee when wee come to edifie our selues in the most holy Faith haue neede to haue an eye continually vpon our aduersarie and our weapon ready to resist him And set him on a pinnacle of the Temple FOr what end Sathan set our Lord there is euident out of that which followes that he might from thence cast him downe Sathan in his working is contrary vnto the Lord for the Lord casts downe to the end hee may raise vp so did hee with S. Paul first he cast him to the ground and then raised him vp to the honour of an Apostle but Sathan if he raise vp any man it is for this end that he may cast him downe It is true preferment comes neither from the East nor from the West but from the Lord yet such as come to high places by euill meanes are said to be raised vp by Sathan It were good for men to abhorre such preferments with those famous Martyrs who when offers of honourable Offices were made to them answered Nolumus honorem vnde nobis nascetur ignominia wee will none of that honour which breedes vs ignominie for that honour wherevnto men come with an euill conscience shall assuredly end in shame If thou be THis tentation as wee said is to Presumption and Vaine-glory Before men thou shalt haue great honour if by this Miracle thou manifest thy selfe the Sonne of God and at Gods hand thou needest feare none euill for since thou art his Son thou maist doe what thou wilt hee will not let thee perish This temptation to presumption in this age preuailes mightily ouer many who abuse Gods mercy and turne the grace of God into wantonnesse conceiting with themselues that because God is mercifull and Christ hath dyed for sinners and they haue receiued the seales of the Couenant and are now by adoption the Sonnes of God therefore they may doe what they list And though they cast not their bodies from on high to the ground being loath to endanger their naturall liues yet they spare not to make daily shipwracke of their Soules and Consciences by casting themselues downe head-long into euery snare of the Diuell A lamentable thing that the death of Christ should be abused to entertaine the life of sinne he died to abolish sinne and destroy the workes of the Diuell and miserable man will take boldnesse to sin the more freely because Christ dyed for him Where desperation enters all men see and abhorre it but though this presumption possesse the greatest multitude in this generation yet are they few who perceiue it The other branch of this temptation as I noted tends to a seeking of vaine-glory before men while hee would prouoke our Sauiour to manifest by vnlawfull meanes that hee was the Sonne of God And this is Sathans ordinarie temptation whereby hee assaults such as are endued with graces aboue others If the Apostle S. Paul had neede of counterpoyse against pride alas what haue wee Many doth Sathan so bewitch with a loue of their owne glory that rather then it shall not be manifested they will blaze it abroad themselues in most vaine-glorious manner and so vnawares they cast downe themselues before Sathan for to seeke thine owne glory is not glory But this is strange that Sathan hauing power to set our Lord on the toppe of the Temple puts not to his owne hand to cast him downe but tempts him to cast himselfe downe thus we see how in the greatest libertie Sathan hath hee is alwayes bound and brideled that he cannot doe what he would if hee get a commission or power it is euer with limitation as wee see in Iob loe he is in thine hand but saue his life And except wee our selues giue him armour he cannot hurt for it is by man himselfe that hee gets at any time vantage ouer man Let vs praise the power of God that restraines him let vs marke the impotence of Sathan let vs confirme our harts by grace to resist him so shall hee neuer be able to hurt vs. Last of all as here his voyce is Cast thy selfe downe so is it in the next assault Fall downe and worship mee This is the
and ordained in most solemne manner to doe the office of the Mesias that is of an anointed King Preist and Prophet for our Saluation so that he is now no more a priuate man but a publike by most sure authoritie and in most solemne manner become our head and redeemer And in his temtation we see how immediately after his ordination he encounters with Sathan in a singular combat ouercomming him in the wildernesse who before had ouercome our parents in paradise and so by his first deed after his consecration makes it manifest that he was come to destroy the workes of the Diuell If these three be ioyned together in one wee shall finde them making vp vnto vs a compleat doctrine of Christian consolation The Lord Iesus in regard of his diuine nature is called by the Prophet Zachary Gnamith Iehoua that is the fellow and companion of Iehoua or as Saint Paul expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall with God In regard againe of his humaine nature Iob calleth him Goel my kinsman In regard of his vnited natures he is called by Esay Emanuel God with vs. Now we know that by the law he who was neerest kinsman had power to reuenge the blood of his brother vpon the Murtherer if hee had found him without a Citie of refuge and therefore was he stiled by the name of an auenger and likewise hee had power to redeeme the inheritance which his brother through pouertie had lost for the word Gaal from which Goel commeth hath in it these two principall significations to redeeme and to reuenge So that heere wee see how the Lord Iesus being neerest of kinne vnto vs as wee may see out of his Genealogie being likewise clad with the power of a redeemer and reuenger as wee shall learne out of his Baptisme commeth immediately after his entrie to the publicke Office of the Messias vpon Sathan that murtherer and finding him out of a Citie of refuge enters into combat with him to reuenge the blood of his Brethren and to redeeme the inheritance which they had foolishly sould for nothing yea moreouer he doth that which no tipicall Goel vnder the Law was able to doe for not onely doth hee ouerthrow the murtherer but restoreth life againe to his brethren that were slaine and murthred by him Yours in the Lord William Cowper THE GENEALOGIE OF CHRIST Declaring how Iehoua becomes Gnimanuel GOD with vs. MATTHEVV 1. 23. Beholde a Virgin shall be with Childe and shall beare a Sonne and they shall call his name Emmanuel which is by interpretation GOD with vs. THE FIRST TREATISE declaring Christ his Genealogie THe Genealogie of IESVS CHRIST our LORD is written for this end that wee might know him and beleeue that Iesus the sonne of Mary is the Christ the sonne of God that blessed seede of the Woman promised to Adam that should breake the Serpents head that seede of Abraham in whom all nations were to be blessed for whom the godly looked in all ages the same is he whom in the fulnesse of time GOD hath exhibited vnto vs a branch of righteousnesse a pllant of renowne sprung of Iuda his tribe according to the flesh Herein haue wee neede to be confirmed that wee wander not in vncertainties but our faith may be stablished and grounded aright in him There are foure which haue written vnto vs the holy Gospell not at one time nor at one place nor yet aduising one with another for so it might haue beene thought there had beene some collusion among them but in that they wrot in seuerall places and times and yet doe speake all as it were with one mouth no difference at all being among them in these Articles that concerne the substance of saluation to wit the Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord it is out of all doubt as Chrisostome calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very great demonstration of the verity Of these foure there are two onely that records his Genealogie vnto vs Saint Mathew and Saint Luke and these write of it diuerso modo sed non aduerso diuersly but not contrarily and the diuersitie being well considered shal be found to make vp the greater harmony as shall appeare in the particular handling thereof For Saint Mathew reckons from the Fathers downeward to the children but Saint Luke reckons from the Children vpward to the Fathers the one lets vs see how both they and wee come from God by his eternall Word Christ Iesus the other how by that same Word incarnate wee assend and returne to God againe We are of him by Christ Creator as his creatures or sonnes by our first creation we goe to him by Christ Redeemer as his new creatures or his sonnes by regeneration the first of these is common to all men the second proper to those onely who are of Christs spirituall kindred and the praise of this communion betweene God and man is to be reserued to CHRIST Iesus onely for it is no lesse absurditie to say that wee can goe to GOD the Father by any other then Christ then if it should be said also that wee came of God the Father by another then Christ. But now for orders sake wee will diuide the whole Genealogie into fiue sections reckoning as Saint Mathew doth from the Fathers to the Children for the better help of our memories the first is from Adam to Noah the second from Noah to Abraham the third from Abraham to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to Zorobabel the fifth from Zorobabel vnto Iesus Christ. In the first and second from Adam to Abraham Saint Luke runnes him alone In the third from Abraham to Dauid Saint Mathew and Luke runne together In the fourth from Dauid to Zorobabel they take different courses for where Saint Mathew goes downe from Dauid by Salomon Saint Luke followes the line from Dauid by Nathan and both of them meets in Salathiel where going on two steps together they part againe and the one takes his course from Zorobabel by Rhesa to Mary the other from Zorobabel by Abiud to Ioseph and in the end both of them meetes againe in Christ Iesus the reason of which diuersitie will appeare God willing in handling the seuerall sections thereof The first then is from Adam to Noah contayning ten Fathers Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iared Henoch Methusalem Lamech Noah Here as I said Saint Luke reckons him alone where Saint Mathew goes no higher then Abraham the reason of this diuersitie is that Saint Mathew in writing had a special respect to moue the Iewes to embrace the Gospell and therefore beginnes it in a manner most plausible to them The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham because it was then most commonly in the mouthes of all men that the Mesiah should be the sonne of Dauid But Saint Luke
haue done to offend him through his grace is the matter of my griefe but what I haue done against thee to the hinderance of thy kingdome I allow it and reioyce in it wishing from my heart I were able to doe more for the destruction of thy kingdome both in my selfe and others Sathan enemy to prayer VVHen the Apostles were going to pray then the Pythonisse perturbed them and no maruell that Sathan who interrupts not men in other actions interrupt them in Prayer for as hearing of the word preached is the mother so Prayer is the nourisher of all Christian vertues in vs. A preachers comfort LYdia conuerted entertained the Apostles into her house and the Iaylor who before straited them with iron bands being conuerted ministred to their necessities such as get grace by the Gospell will not faile to giue comfort to the instruments by whom they receiued it It may content a Preacher that hee shall want comfort of none but those of whom GOD wants his glorie where the Lord gets not his part what maruell thou get not thine After great comfort looke for temptation TWo sundry times was Christ proclaimed the Son of God by an audible voice from heauen first when hee was baptised at Iorden and then immediately was he tempted in the wildernes Secondly when hee was transfigured on the Mountaine and then shortly after was hee troubled in the garden As Elias after he had gotten a double portion got forty dayes fasting so Gods children when they receiue double comfort are to prepare themselues for double temptation How the wicked runne post vnto hell AS they who run post change their horses when one is weary they mount vpon an other so the wicked when they are weary of one sinne fall to an other weary of one beastly affection they make hast in their madnes to mount vpon another as if riding vpon one were not sufficient to bring them soone enough thether Their miserable end BVt if they were wise they would draw the bridle consider their course and thinke vpon their end they thinke not in their life that sinne is terrible they feare and abhorre nothing but death but how farre they are deceiued the end shall declare then shall their sinnes in such sort terrifie them that to be quit of the sight of sinne they shall seeke death but shall not finde it there will be their last and desperate voice Oh that the hils mountaines would fall vpon vs and smother vs Against sinfull lusts ABraham was content for the loue of the Lord to slay and sacrifice his sonne with his owne hands and the Lord accepted his will for a deede and a cleare declaratour of his loue Now said he I know thou louest me But alas O my soule wherein wilt thou shew thy loue to the Lord thy God if thou be not content to forgoe a vnlawfull pleasure for the Lords sake and to slay the life not of thy lawfull sonne but of thy vnlawfull affection If thou doe it not how shall the Lord say of thee as hee said of Abraham Now I know thou louest me The patience of God should not be abused LEt men remember that suppose the mercy of GOD be euerlasting yet his Patience is limited it is called a long patience and long suffering but neuer a euerlasting patience happy therefore is he who before the time of Gods long patience be finished gets within the compasse of his enduring mercy Pride AS Pride was the first sin powred into our nature so it is last in departing for pride is such a sinne as rises of the ashes of other sinnes The loue of Christ. IT is not a great thing to loue that which is seene whether truely good or apparant onely but to loue him whom yet wee haue not seene 1 Pet. 1. is the worke of a great Faith yet great reason there is why wee should doe so what visible thing should be loued comparable to him that made it and the more should we loue him that for loue of vs he became like vs but so that hee is the fairest among the children of men When he was transfigured his face shined like the Sunne but now the brightnes of his face far surmounts the glory of the sunne among all the creatures none in beauty comparable to him Alas that we long not more then wee doe to see him A soule stretching out her wings to the Lord. O My soule what hast thou to doe here in this earth thou camest from aboue Shall these visible things snare thee and detaine thee from the inuisible God from whom thou came Except it be to fight for a time the Lords battels that thou mayst be crowned and so leade so many as thou mayst captiues vp vnto him that so thou mayst follow the Lord who ascended on high for thy sake led captiuitie captiue Circumspection needfull EVah looking where God forbad her Dinah wandring Dauid intermitting spirituall exercises became a ready pray to the enemie the corrupt nature of man not kept with a narrow circumspection is easily carried into captiuitie but not so easily recouered The euill may be contracted in one day which in many dayes can not be amended O my soule therefore learne to walke the more circumspectly An awe-band for the heart AS the Lord is omnipotent so is hee omnipresent hee is secret in his wayes and when hee goes by vs wee see him not Iob 9. 12 but goe where we will he is alway with vs to see vs when wee see not him no more then Gehazi when he tooke the bribes of Naaman saw the spirit of Eliah that went with him Oh that we could remember this that what euer we doe we are vnder the eye of God that so with Henoch wee may walke with God in all that we doe seeking to please him and be approued of him The desire of a godly soule VVHen the Lord came to the graue of Lazarus hee wept and cryed with a loud voice Lazarus come forth and as he commanded so was it done Oh Lord that thou wouldst come with the like affection to me and visit this graue and monument of my corruptible body wherein my soule is imprisoned yea buryed after a sort that it can not mount vp to walke after thee Cry vpon mee Lord with thy powerfull voyce that I may come out let me notlye any longer in this graue command them to loose my bonds that euen while I am in the body I may goe out of the body and follow thee Three rankes of sinnes OVr sinnes may be reduced to three rankes 1 Defections 2 Transgressions 3 Rebellions by the first wee faile in doing the good wee should doe by the second we passe our bounds and doe the euill wee should not by the third men comming to the deepe of sinne fall into the contempt of God and at length to rebellion of the first and second wee are guilty The Lord deliuer vs that we fall not into the third A precept