coniugall Couenant that is betweene God and man God hath promised to be our God and we haue promised to be his People but eyther side promiseth to the other exclusiuely God promiseth to be our God and the God of none as he is ours and wee promise to be his People and to be the People of no other God as we are his This appropriation of our selnes vnto God is that which the Apostle speakes of 1 Cor. 8. Though there be that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many yet vnto vs there is but one God God the Father and one Lord Iesus Christ This made Dauid to say Psal 73. Whom haue lin heauen but thee Psal 139. and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee Yea doe I not hate them that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred as if they were mine enemies Psal 16. but all my delight is in thy Saints which are on the earth As man in his zeale doth so proceede exclusiuely towards God so doth God towards man for God taketh the Church for his peculiar Exod. 19. therupon promiseth Abraham I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them thâ—t curse thee This is true coniugall Loue of each side and vpon this knot commeth in zeale which is otherwise called iealousie and is nothing but the affection of eyther part whereby it so desires to enioy the other as that none other either haue it or wrong it for if eyther the wife communicate her selfe to any other or be by any other wronged the iealousie of the husband is stirred vp against his wiues enemies or against his wife Against his wife so speakes God Ezekiel 16. And I will iudge thee as women that breake wedlocke and shed blood are iudged and I will giue thee bloud in sury and iealousie And as hee proceedeth in iealousie against his adulterous wife so doth he against enemies that wrong her thereupon the Prophets expresse his anger against them by iealousie and the Church Esay 62. desiring reuenge saith Lord where is thy zeale In this place the zeale respects reuenge vpon the enemies not vpon the Spouse you may perceiue it by the coherence of this Text with that which goeth before where mention is made of a deliuerance and Christ is here brought in as the Deliuerer the ground of the worke is zeale Finally marke that whereas Gods glory doth as well appeare in our deliuerance as our owne good yet in working thereof God seemeth to be moued rather with his loue to vs than care for his owne glory and giueth a good patterne vnto vs that we likewise in seruing of God must respect not so much our owne saluation as his glory And so haue you heard the Warrant of this Doctrine what remaines but that I vse vnto you the words of the Psalmist Be yee lifted vp O yee gates be yee lifted vp O euerlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in Who is the King of glory euen the Lord of Hosts hee is the King of glory You haue heard him described and haue heard the substance and excellencie of his Person and State Behold God is our saluation let vs trust and not bee affraid the Lord Iohouah is our strength and song he also is become our saluation therefore with ioy let vs draw waters out of this Well of Saluation O Lord that art able and willing let me feele the efficacie both of thy power and will in making me partaker both of the Person and State of Christ and the excellencie of both So shall all my power be set on worke by all my will to make me wholly thine as thou art pleased to be mine Grant this mutuall knot may bee so knit that I neuer breake it so shall I be sure that thou wilt euer hold it IHS SIXE SERMONS VPON The Second of HAGGAI HAG. 2. Vers 6 7 8 9. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heauens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of Hosts The siluer is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts The glory of this latter house shall bee greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I giue peace saith the Lord of Hosts ALthough the fruits of seruing God be not his The first Sermon but our owne welfare yet if it were not more furthered by him than it is endeauoured by vs wee should neuer fare well because wee should neuer serue him Our impediments are two and they are two extreames Carelessenesse and Curiositie Carelessenesse keepes vs backe when we should beginne and when we should goe forward Curiosity slakes our zeale Sometimes we doe not serue God because we doe not care for him and sometimes we grow cold in pietie because we thinke our best endeauours are not worthy of Gods maiestie Thus the euill Angell whether hee appeare in his darkenesse or in his counterfeit light both waies gaines vpon vs. This Prophecie of Haggai doth little else but propose an example of eyther impediment and the remedie that is applied thereunto the Iewes yeelde the example but the remedy is from God The Iewes in acknowledgement of Gods great goodnesse should vpon their returne out of the Babylonian captiuity haue made their first work the re-edifying of Gods house but they were otherwise minded and busied themselues about their owne houses That memorable speech King Dauids religious meditation neuer came into their hearts which is recorded 2 Sam. 7. Lo saith hee I dwell in a house of Cedar but the Arke of God lodgeth vnder Curtaines therefore I will build him an house But these Iewes could finde in their hearts to dwell in sieled houses and let the Temple lye in its â—uines Wherefore God corrects and reformes this their carelessenesse corrects it with rebukes and stripes reformes it by his word and spirit By these meanes were they brought at length to begin the worke They beganne but were quickely wearied and it was curiosity that wearied them They were contented indeede to build a Temple vnto God but not except it might be so goodly a one as was that of Salomâ—n and because their ability would not reach so farre many of them gaue ouer working and fell to weeping Behold a wicked curiosity which vnder colour of Gods honour would not honour him at all Well God must remedie this impediment also and he doth it by teaching the Iewes two excellent rules in Religion The first is wee must not iudge of Gods workes as wee doe of mens In mens workes by the beginning wee make coniecture of the ending and a iudicious man when hee seeth a foundation will easily ghesse what pile of building will be raised
and in the eyes of God doth grace and commend vs as if it were ours But if you looke to sanctification that redounds from Christ vnto vs it maketh vs starres in the spirituall firmament though of vnequall magnitude and vnequall glory St. Paul is cleare for it 1 Cor. 3. Wee with open face behold the glorie of God and are transformed into the same image from glorie vnto glory euen by the powerfull spirit of Christ. When the Apostles did but see Christs transformation in the Mount though themselues were not transfigured yet they thought it so happy a sight that they cryed out Bonum est esse hìc Let vs pitch our Tabernacles here And what would they haue thought if themselues also might haue been partakers of the same glorie if themselues might haue appeared like vnto him if they might haue beene as he was yet such is our condition in Christ The last morall shall be that whereas other things that fill vs proportion themselues vnto and take vp whatsoeuer capacity they finde it is not so with Christ whatsoeuer he filleth that he enlargeth Aug. Confes and the more we haue of him the more capacity we haue the more capacity of glory for that is that wherewith he filleth all other things deale worse with vs they straighten our capacitie or fill vs with vanitie Wherefore were we as wise as we should be wee would suffer no bodie to take vp any roome in vs but only Christ wee would leaue no corner for the diuell or the world or our corrupt lusts And indeede who would with-hold any part from him to continue a straight a darke a filthy dungeon that by his presence may bee made a large a light a glorious habitation And yet so it is some of vs steale our heads from him and entertaine errour some steale their hearts from him and therein lodge sinnefull lusts there is no man that doth not with-hold some part and keep that part the worse for it But this should bee to euery one of vs his votiue prayer To thee O Christ I consecrate totum me and totum mei my whole selfe and all that is in me humbly desiring that nothing may inhabit me but thy selfe and that which commeth from thee This is that whereunto I aduise my selfe as I aduise you And that I aduise not in vaine let vs lay this text to the former there we heard of a desire here of a filling Salomon hath a good rule A desire accomplished delighteth the soule So that if we profited so much by the last sermon as to make Christ our desire we may be comforted by this which assures vs that our desire shall be filled Yea whereas desire is sinus cordis the bosome or lappe as it were of the heart if we doe enlarge it God will replenish it But let vs bee sure that this sermon doth little concerne vs if the former tooke no place in vs. Dauid no sooner heard that Obed Edoms house prospered by hauing the Arke but hee was stirred vp with a godly zeale to bring it vnto Sion to bring it to his owne Citie What shall I wish vnto you but that hauing heard the blessing that Christs presence brought to Zorobabels Temple euery one of you would striue to lodge him in your Temples the temples of your bodies the temples of your soules So may he fill these mysticall as he did that typicall Temple so fill them here with the glory of his grace that they may bee hereafter filled with the grace of his glorie Psal 24. Wherefore lift vp your heads O yee gates and bee yee lift vp yee euerlasting doores and the King of glorie shall come in 85. Saluation is near them that feare him that glory may dwell in their Land LEt thy worke O Lord be seene towards thy seruants and thy glorie vpon their children that in the sensible sweet comfort thereof wee may all now and euer sing Glory bee to thee O Lord most high Blessing honour glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer and euer Amen THE FOVRTH SERMON The siluer is mine and the gold is mine The glorie of this later house shall bee greater than the glory of the former THe bountie which Christ vouchsafed that Temple which was built by Zorobabel is by this our Porphet set forth absolutely and comparatiuely Of the absolute consideration thereof I spake last I will passe now on to the comparatiue exprest in those words which now I haue read vnto you Of this comparison we must obserue 1 the preface and 2 the contents The preface will teach vs what Christ can the contents what hee will doe Christ can in point of bountie doe as much as he will so much the words of the preface import The siluer is mine the gold is mine And he will doe more than the Iewes doe desire for they would haue beene contented if they might haue had a Temple but as goodly as that of Salomon Christ will doe more for them The glory of the later house shall be greater than the glorie of the former But more distinctly These points of Christs power and his will must be opened first seuerally then ioyntly If wee looke into them seuerally then wee shall finde that the preface which sets forth Christs power doth in the outside of the words entitle him to these earthly mettals gold and siluer but the inside will informe vs that he is owner of much more precious mettals of gold and siluer that are heauenly As for the contents the comparison therein presented vnto vs may be conceiued eyther of fabricke to fabricke or furniture to furniture I will touch at both that so you may the better see of whether and how far my text may be iustified Hauing thus opened the points seuerally I will ioyne them together and shew you that first Christs power is set downe before his will that the Iewes should not thinke he doth promise more than hee can performe secondly that his will beareth correspondencie to his power and he giueth gifts not sutable to the narrownesse of our desire but to the widenesse of his owne store Of these particulars I shall now God willing speake briefly and in their order God grant we may so listen to and profit by that which shall be said concerning Christs power and will that it may bee his gracious will alwaies to sustaine and blesse vs according to his all sufficient power Come we then to the preface and first to the outside of the words The siluer is mine the gold is mine If so we reade the preface it doth entitle Christ to these earthly mettals gold siluer and his title is iust and clear he that made all is owner of all now all things were made by Christ and without him nothing was made that was made Iohn 1. therefore wee may conclude with the Psalmist Psal 24. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the
thou hast armed with thy power that with a watchfull and single eye they may obserue and represse with a seuere yet a tender hand all vnsound Beleeuers and inordinate liuers that Church and Common weale may blesse them as happy Supporters of this Christian State and themselues may with comfort make their last account to the vnpartiall ludge of quicke and dead and now and euer both of vs may giue glory vnto thee that art our most mighty and most mercifull Lord. Amen Blessed are they that keep iudgement and doe righteousnesse euermore Psalme 106. יהוה A SERMON PREACHED IN OXFORD AT AN ASSIZES 1613. PSAL. 75. Vers 2 3. When I shall receiue the Congregation I will iudge vprightly The earth and all the inhabitants are dissolued I beare vp the Pillars of it Selah THis Psalme was penned if not by surely in the name of some worthy Iudge the people blesse God for the comfort they receiued by him and hee promiseth to redresse the disorders of the people put both their speeches together and you haue a good Commentary vpon the title of this Psalme The title is Ne perdas or rather Non perdes the Hebrew Al-tasheth will beare both and it imports That a good Iudge yeelds the best hope that a disordered State may recouer although it be farre gone Who this Iudge is all are not agreed some ghesse at him by one part of the Psalme some by another and according to their different apprehension giue the Psalme some a mysticall some an historicall interpretation both may stand true as elsewhere so here But being to fit this present occasion my purpose is to passe by the mysticall and insist only vpon that sense which is historicall According to the history the person that speakes seemeth to bee the king of Israel and that king as it is most likely is king Dauid He speaks here first of his owne Tribunall the Tribunall of a king but because that was set at naught by many insolent ones hee calleth them to an higher Tribunall the Tribunall of God and telleth them that it is God which from time to time appoints those that shall iudge here on earth till by Christ he call that great Assizes and fit Iudge of all the world This is the effect of the whole Psalme my Text containes so much thereof as concernes the Tribunall of the king the Dignity the Necessity the Vtility thereof To vnfold it I beseech you to marke therein The person and His work the person is the king whose worke is to iudge I will iudge But of the iudgement wee are farther taught When it shall be executed and How The time is at an Assizes When I shall receiue the Congregation The manner is according to the law to try the vprightnesse of mens liues I will iudge vprightly and that of mens vprightnesse the word Mesharim reacheth so farre As if this were not enough here is a seuerall reason added to each of these branches a reason of calling an Assizes It is no more than needeth there is much amisse in the people The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued And a reason there is why the king must iudge vprightly and of vprightnesse because if any goe awry if any swerue hee must set and keepe them strait so saith the king I beare vp the pillars of it These be the points that are to bee considered on this Text and that they are to be considered seriously you may gather by the last word Selah the character of a remarkable sentence it signifieth an extraordinary eleuation of the speakers voice which calleth for a more than ordinary attention of the hearers eare Consider then I beseech you in the feare of God the particulars that I shall deliuer thereon and God grant you a fruitfull vnderstanding of them all The first is the Person and this person is the King to Iudge is his work At Ierusalem are Thrones set for iudgement saith another Psalme and those thrones belong to the house of Dauid therefore in the Scripture is the kings throne called not onely the throne of Glory but of Iudgement also yea therefore of Glory because of Iudgement the Glory is giuen to countenance the Iudgement So that the plaintiffes speech was though not very courtly yet very true which hee vttered to a king denying him iustice Si non vis iudicare noli regnare implying that it is the proper worke of a king to be a Iudge And indeed God commits the power of iudgement immediately to the king and to that end setteth him vpon his owne Throne But you know what Iethro obserued to Moses Exod 18. and what Moses himselfe in his complaint to God confessed to be true A king in his owne person cannot beare all this burthen if he attempt it hee vainely tireth out both himselfe and his people wherefore it is Gods pleasure that so much as he cannot doe by himselfe he shall doe by his officers Whereupon ariseth a good distinction of a kings person It is either naturall or politique and vnder the politique are contained the Iudges This is cleare by Gods owne fact for when he called the 70. to bee assistants vnto Moses and to that end did qualifie them he saith not that hee will take of his owne spirit though that which hee tooke was the spirit of God but God is pleased to call that the spirit of Moses which he tooke and gaue to the 70. Numb 11. giuing vs to vnderstand that they were alwayes to bee reputed a part of Moses Yea and they communicate also in the same diuine title for I haue said yee are Gods containes not the peculiar title of a king it extends to euery Iudge as Moses teacheth in the Law if it be not plaine enough in that 82. Psalme So then when a king sendeth Iudges hee sendeth his owne eares to heare the complaints of his people his owne eyes to looke into their causes and his owne mouth to pronounce according to that which is heard and seen The person then in my Text though at first sight it seeme to bee onely the king yet now appeares to bee moreouer the Iudge and by I it is most plaine Honourable and Beloued that you are vnderstood The Vse of this point for the people is made by St. Peter 1. Pet. 2. Wee must be subiect to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as supreame or to Gouernours sent from him such as are the Iudges the improuement of their persons must make them reuerend in our eyes But there is a Vse also which Honourable and Beloued must be made by you you may not mistake your eares your eyes your mouth you haue of two sorts priuate and publike the priuate you may vse about your domesticall affaires but to the Bench you may bring none but the publicke you must heare there with none but the kings eares and you know that a king is Abimelec my Father the king
a man which takes into his thoughts the Law of God must by his Meditation chew vpon it and when hee hath found out the sweete matter that is in it his Affections must swallow it greedily and he must not cease to worke vpon it till hee hath made the power thereof appeare in his liberall hands in his godly lips and in a word euen in his whole outward man for the Law is giuen to the whole man Mat. 5. the Commandement Thou shalt not kill by the Glosse of the Pharisees was restrained to the hand as if Thou were nothing but thy Hand and to Kill were nothing but to shed bloud It is true that what a man doth by a part the whole becomes guiltie of it but then he must know that there iâ— no part but may contract his guilt a man may commit Murder with his tongue and he may commit it with his Affections this the Pharisee knew not and because he knew not he taught not and his Disciples practised not and so both of them for want of Meditation scanted the entertainement which they were to giue vnto the Law And so shall we if we tread in their steps and learne not how to Dedicate our selues to God whose Law we must Delight in Meditate vpon and Affect that so wee may occasionally set on worke the tongue and the hand and may vtter and Act with the outward man those things which wee conceiue and loue in the inward man Thus you see How we must be Dedicated But how long Day and Night saith the Psalme For first we must Meditate Day and Night Which words some take properly some improperly improperly the Day notes Prosperitie and the Night Aduersitie these significations are frequent in the Scripture and then the meaning is that be we as happie as Solomon or brought as low as Iob neither condition must make vs forget our Meditation this is a worke for all times for hereunto shall we bee beholding for our temperate vsing of Prosperitie and resolute bearing of Aduersitie But take the words properly and then because the Proposition is Affirmatiue some thinke that it holds Semper but not Ad semper that though habituall Meditation must neuer bee wanting in vs yet the Actuall neede not be exercised but as occasion is offered vnto vs but if we take Meditation together with the fore mentioned Actions which must goe with it we neede not doubt but the Proposition will hold semper and Adsemper for when are we not doing speaking or thinking and which of these can be perfect without Meditation And how then should not our life be a perpetuall Meditation and why may it not be said that we should Meditate on Gods Law Day and Night Sure I am Deut. 6. that Moses speakes thus vnto Israel These words which I command thee this Day shall bee in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy Children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as Frontlets betweene thine eyes and thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thine House and on thy Gates And the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glorie of God The enuious man will alwayes bee sowing Tares therefore we must neuer sleepe the enemie will bee alwayes giuing an assault therefore we must alwayes stand vpon our gard No man putting his hand to the Plow and looking backe is fit for the Kingdome of God Luke 9 Secondly as we must Meditate vpon the Law so we must Delight in it Day and Night This circumstance of time must not be restrained onely vnto Meditation but enlarged also vnto Delight neither must it onely belong to our Dedication but to our Abrenuntiation also For Meditation when it goeth so far as to season the Affections with that which is knowne as I expounded it presupposeth Delight in the will and the Dedication presupposeth the Abrenunciation it is impossible the later should subsist without the former therefore as long as wee are bound to obserue this last wee must continue all the rest which must needes goe before it Whereupon it followes that except this Text be vnderstood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who onely hath performed this Vow which is vndertaken by vs it rather shewes vs what we should then what wee can doe and sets vs vp a marke whereat all our endeauours must bee ayming in this world in hope that we shall hit it in the world to come I conclulde The summe of the Christian mans Vow is Psal 37.27 We must Decline from euill and doe good from all euill must we decline whereunto we are prone by nature and we must doe all good which is recommended vnto vs in Gods Law That must rellish pleasantly vnto vs and therein must we continually exercise our selues our inward our outward man fully constantly fare we well or fare we ill PSAL. 1. VERS 2. Blessed is the man THis Psalme containes the Couenant betweene God and Man so that we are therein to obserue the Parties to the Couenant and Articles whereon they are agreed the Parties are God and Man the Articles man vowes his Duetie God promiseth a Reward of the first Partie and his Article I haue alreadie spoken It followes that I now come on to the second Partie and his Article The second Partie is God God is a partie to a Couenant with man A Mercie to be wondred at for God is a Creator man his creature therefore God may require whatsoeuer man can doe a man is bound to doe it were there no other inducement but this that hee is Gods creature for he cannot owe his being but hee must with all owe his seruice and to whom he oweth the one to him hee oweth the other also And yet see how gracious God is vnto man hee will not haue man serue him for nought This is signified in that he vouchsafeth to enter into a Couenant If a man haue a bond-seruant and make him his Farmer the Law saith of bond he makes him free and inables him as well to implead his Master as to be impleaded by him And doth not God in a maner doe vs the like fauour when hee doth contract to giue a Reward vnto our seruice whereby he becomes bound to performe and we may bee bold to challenge it It were honour enough done vnto our Nature if onely it were vouchsafed some neere attendance vnto God and it caries with it a great Reward to haue our person so imployed how much more honour then is done vnto vs when God not onely yeelds that but a much higher aduancement also for that It is a question whether a man may serue God for a Reward The nature of a Couenant doth cleare this doubt For seeing God puts on the person
liue amongst Beasts and vpon his acknowledgement of the Lord of Heauen and Earth was restored againe maketh this cleare Canutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chaire to bee set by the Sea shore at the time of the floud and sitting in his Maiestie commanded the waues that they should not approach his Throne but when the tyde kept his course and wet his garments Lo saith hee what a mighty King I am by Sea and Land whose command euery waue dareth resist Though then they are mighty yet there is much weakenesse ioyned with their might Not so Christ It appeares in the Epithite that is added vnto El which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of preuailing might In Daniel he is called El Elim The Mighty of mighties whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like vnto thee Exod. 15. O Lord amongst the gods Which words abbreuiated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and therehence as the learned obserue did take their name of Maccabees Certainely this Epithite is a lust ground of that which King Dauid perswades Psalme 29. Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord glory and strength But there are two Eminences in Christs might by which hee is aduanced aboue all Creatures The first is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty of himselfe The second is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Creatures haue their power from him and therefore their power depends vpon him so that he can at his pleasure intend or remit theirs but his owne continueth euer the same Secondly they can doe but euery one so much as is permitted him and neuer was there any creature to whom God imparted all his power I speake not of the degree but the parts thereof some things he committeth to Angels which Men cannot doe and some things to Men which Angels cannot doe the earth hath not the power of the heauens nor the heauens of the earth but God is the fountaine of all power there is nothing done by any of these which without these he cannot doe Ier. 23. Nothing is hard vnto him and the Angel Luke 1. Nothing is impossible vnto God therefore hee hath wrought the same effects without these creatures What he doth by his Angels ordinarily he extraordinarily hath done by himselfe and what doth hee by Man which without Man hee hath not done And as for the Sunne and the Starres he hath illightned the ayre without them and without the earth hath he prouided both bread and flesh yea at his pleasure he hath stript all those of their power in an instant in a word He doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth he cannot will that which he cannot doe nothing resisteth his will but all things readily do serue him If this title be carried through the Gospell euery point of the Gospel will witnesse the truth thereof in Christ it will witnesse that hee hath a preuailing power and that he is therefore worthily called a mighty God When God promised him hee promised him in these words I haue layd helpe vpon one that is mighty Psalme 89. When God exhibits him Luke 1. Zacharie proclaimes him thus God hath raised vp a mighty saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Christ himselfe Mat. 28. All power is giuen to mee both in heauen earth to say nothing of like titles that are remembred in the Reuelation But I chuse rather to obserue vnto you out of both Christs Regall titles how well they fit vs what comfort they doe yeeld vnto vs. Our enemie the Diuell is compared to a Serpent to a roaring Lion hee is full of craft and of great strength and so are his instruments the wicked subtill and violent but wee are silly and we are feeble If we compare our selues to them how can we but feare to be deceiued to bee opprest See how God hath prouided for vs see how hee hath furnished Christ whom hee sendeth vnto vs Hee is a Counsellour and it was a Counsellour that wee needed that â—ight discouer vnto vs the Serpents policie in his end and Sophistrie in his meanes wherewith he setteth vpon vs He pretends that we shall be like vnto Gods when he meaneth to make vs Diuels and by setting an edge on our desire of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill he would depriue vs of the Tree of life but Christ is at hand to discouer his purposes and to giue vs timely caueats that we bee not abused by them Secondly he still compasseth the world seeking Whom he may deuour and is mighty to destroy And certainely none should escape him were it not that we haue on our side a mighty God the seed of the Woman that shewed himselfe so much mightier than the seed of the Serpent by how much breaking of the head is more than bruising of the heele Wee haue a Dauid for that Goliah and a stronger man that hath entred that strong mans house bound him rifled him and diuided his spoyle So that if now it be doubtingly asked Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawfull captiue bee deliuered we may answer with the Prophet Esay 49. Thus saith the Lord Euen the Captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee deliuered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will faue thy children and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Iacob Wherefore seeing Christ is become our Counsellour let vs not leane vnto our owne wisedome but be counselled by him It is the second degree of wisedome when wee cannot aduise our selues to bee aduised by others if we faile herein the Philosopher himselfe will censure vs for fooles And remember withall that of the Sonne of Syracke Bee in peace with many neuerthelesse haue but one Counsellour of a thousand cap. 6. hee giues the reason at large cap. 37. And well may we rely vpon the iudgement of this Counsellour who much better than Elizeus can detect vnto vs the plots of the King of Aram of all our Enemies that we may prouide against them yea he can take them all in their owne wilinesse and infatuate their Counsels as he did Achitophels Reade Esay 19. 8. So did Christ deale with the old Serpent and with the broode of the Serpent in all ages our age our country hath had proofe thereof As this must encourage vs to rely vpon his Counsell so must the other title encourage vs to rely vpon his power his preuailing power We walk in the middest of our enemies and they vse the vttermost of their strength to ruine vs yet though we are in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death let vs feare none euill
place of mortality But enough of the place Christ ascended not onely in place but in state also in a blessed place he had a blessed state and his state is reduced to two branches Glory and Power for he sate downe on the right hand of God and the right hand of God singifieth both first glory They that come neare in place to the person of a King come neare also in glory and dignity vnto him St. Paul saith he was receiued vp into glory Dauid Psal 8. he was crowned with glory and worship The Author to the Hebrewes he is set downe at the right hand of Maiesty farre aboue all powers and principalities hauing a Name giuen him aboue all names And this is opposed to the forme of a seruant which Christ tooke in the dayes of his flesh while hee was in the world he emptied himselfe of glory and made himselfe of no reputation becomming as the scorne of men and out-cast of the people not a house to hide his head but after the Resurrection he appeares in another habit In the first of the Reuelation and other passages of that Booke Iohn saw him as the King of Glory and the Fathers interpret those words in the Psalme Be opened O ye gates and be ye lifted vp ye euer lasting doores and the King of glory shall come in of the Ascension of Christ and entring into his glory for then did he lift vp himselfe aboue the Heauens and his glory aboue all the Earth As his state was full of glory so was it also of power for all power was then giuen vnto him both in heauen and earth and all knees bowed vnto him all things were put vnder his feet and he became King of kings and Lord of lords Heb. 4. yea he heares vp all things with the word of his power it usharper than any two-edged sword The Psalmist compares it to sharpe arrowes Psal 45. he hath an tron scepter in his hand wherewith he breakes the wicked as a Potters vessell finally he reignes in the middest of his enemies And this power is opposed to that weaknesse wherein he appeared in the dayes of his flesh the condition of that time is amply set downe Esay 53. wherein you shall see nothing but passion and subiection and the Gospell confirmes that Prophesie wherein you shall finde that from the day of his birth vntill the moment that he gaue vp the ghost Christ endured as if hee were the subiect of euery wicked mans blasphemous tongue or bloudy hands but the case is now altered for his enemies are now the patients and he the agent they are subiect vnto him and hee can as hee will bridle and crush them for his Kingdome is ouer all This is the summe of the Exaltation of Christs person and our nature in his person for hee made vs sit with himselfe in heauenly places that will appeare better in the second part of the Triumph Wherein I noted two particulars the first was that the monuments of the Conquest did attend the chariot of the Conquerour Incedunt vinctae longo ordine gentes Quam vartae linguis habitu tam vestis armis to this allude these words He led captiuity captiue and indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes that which is taken by force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ was the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah and Esay cap. 63. he is described as a glorious Conquerour Shah the prey be taken from the mighty or the captiuity of the iust be deliuered Thus saith the Lord the captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be deliuered Esay 49. Christ the stronger man entered the strong mans house he bound him he rifled him But St. Austin on these words obserues a distinction of captiues and captiuity In Psal 67. Austin on these words obserues a distinction of captiues and captiuity there is inuolunt aria captiuit as and voluntaria whereof the former is misera the later faelix the fiends of Hell were taken captiues Christ triumphed ouer them and made a shew openly of them and the children of God were taken captiues Col. 2. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Cor. 10. for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a purchased people And St. Paul tels vs that the weapons of his spirituall warfare are mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ The children of God are deliuered from captiuity but to continue captiues still for they must take vpon them Christs yoake and they must account themselues not their owne but his The very same doth St. Paul meane Rom. 6. when he saith that of seruants of sinne we are made seruants to righteousnesse for servus and captivus are Synonoma's But betweene these captiues there is this difference that the first are vnwillingly captiues and in their captiuity are miserable for they are reserued in chaines of darknesse for the iudgement of the great day and they take little content in this thraldome But as for the children of God they are glad that they haue so changed their Master and well they may be for they are made happy by the change for their seruice is perfect liberty and what can our heart more desire In this difference captiuity being vnderstood of both sorts it is true that they attend Christs chariot the wicked vincti as Prisoners the godly coronati as being Conquerours for what Christ did hee did for them and there is a sense thereof in euery one of them But how is this true that eyther the one or the other are so captiues seeing this our Apostle in this very Epistle doth tell vs Cap. 6. that we striue not with flesh and bloud but with powers and principalities and spirituall wickednesse in heauenly places We must therefore obserue that Christ hath taken away from Sathan two things ius in nos and dominium in nobis His right vnto vs hath Christ taken away absolutely in his owne person for Christ hath the keyes of death and hell and Sathan cannot stirre but when and as farre as Christ giues him leaue As for dominium in nobis Christ hath taken that away by putting his spirit into vs and thereby mortifying the old man but yet so that wee still consist as well of the old as of the new the flesh rebels against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Thus Christ is pleased to exercise vs that wee may imitate his Triumph and by experience of our trampling vpon Sathan be vndoubtedly assured that Christ hath bruised his head St. Paul was buffeted by a messenger of Sathan he prayed and Christ answered him My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weaknesse If we would but resist the Deuill he would fly from vs if we would resist I say stedfast in faith