finde a place from the face of the serpent but if she should find none there yet in y Ioh. 14. 2. her fathers house are many mansions the Kings sonne her husband is gone before to provide a place for her The Churh may want sometimes what she desires but never what God knowes good though the King denye his daughter one thinge he may give her a better And though she be a Queene married to the Kings sonne it is fitting she acknowledge her father the King may suffer her to want because he would have her come to him for he is the King wil be sought to great reason he should Because she is the Kings daughter she Lookes the King should looke after her so sets still does not stirre up her selfe to take hold of the King nor call upon him with that humility fayth fervency constancy she ought to doe which if she would doe so dispatch her prayers as extraordinary Embassadours to the King of heaven she should receive a gracious answere z Isa 54. 11. oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest not comforted the Lord a 6. hath called thee à woman forsaken grieved in spirit for a moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a little wrath I hid my face from thee but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee Let the Church then with Queene Hester goe in to the King he will hold out the scepter of his grace the devises of wicked Hamans shal be brought on their owne heads b Ps 122. 6. Pray then for the peace of Ierusalem for she is the Kings daughter they shall prosper that love thee Peace bee within thy walls prosperity within thy palaces c Isa 63. 19. Looke downe from heaven wee beseech thee O King of heaven behold from the habitation of thy holynesse of thy glory for the glory of thy name suffer not men on earth to doe thee this dishonour to abuse thy daughter where is thy Zeale thy strength the sounding of thy bowels of thy mercies are they restrayned O thou who hast the hearts of Kings in thy hands put into the hearts of the Kings of the earth to hate the whore that is drunck with the blood of thy saints Arise o Lord God of our salvation smite thine enemies in the hinder parts put them to perpetual reproach Oh d 64 9. remember not our iniquities for ever neyther he wroth very sore behold see we beseech thee we are thy people thus much for the Queenes comfort Vse 3 Thirdly this also teaches the Church her duty for is shee the Kings daughter let her then behave her selfe like a daughter to so great a King shew forth in her conversation the e 1. Pet. 2. 9. vertues of him that hath called her out of darknesse into his marveilous light walke as a child of light be holy as the King is holy be mercifull as her heavenly father is mercifull abhorre sinne as a base thinge sinfull wicked persons as unworthy the company countenance of the Kings daughter Psa 101. 7. It is an abhomination to Kings to commit wickednesse f Prov. 16. 12 sayth Solomon so is it also to Kings sonnes daughters who as they are above others in state so they should be higher in their vertuous behaviour as King Saul g 1. Sam. 10. 23. higher by the head shoulders then the rest of the people h v. 9. When Samuel had annoyuted Saul King it is sayd that God gave him another heart a heart befitting a King to great persons God gives heroick spirits to doe great thinges but to his owne children he gives his owne spirit so there is another spirit in them then in the world for as i Rom. 8. 14. many as are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God now the fruit of k Gal. 5. 22. the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse fayth meekenesse temperance Bet ye there fore followers of God as deare children walke in Love as God hath loved us but l Ephc. 5. 1. all uncleanesse or covetousuesse let it not be once named among you as becommeth Saints or the Kings daughters Thus farre of the relation the Kings daughter Glorious SEcondly is to bee considered her qualification she is glorious Glorious in being gracious First because grace is true glory therefore the saints are called the m Psa 16. 3. excellent ones upon earth by the prophet n Isa 4. 5. Isaiah the glory 2. Ly because her graces are as so many tokens of Gods grace love to her in which she glories for let o 1 Cor. 1. 31 him that gloryes glory in the Lord a wife glories in shewing others her rings jewels costly apparrel not only for the value of the thinges but also for that her husband gave them which she thereforealso esteemes of will keepe as evidences of her husbands love 3. Ly because her graces are the way to eternal glory for p Heb. 12. without holynesse no man shall see the Lord. The Church is glorious in that she is the Kings daughter by her spirituall adoption but glorious also in her justification her sanctification The q Ioh. 8. non generis dignitate sed morum nobilitate jnnotescere debemus dist 40 c. 3. ex Greg. qui genus suum jactat aliena laudat sen H. F. In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 80. impres Ha. noviae Jewes gloryed that they were Abrahams children yet did not the workes of Abraham and many glory in their noble birth who are inglorious in a wicked life their birth cannot affoord them so much glory as their life begets disgrace the glory of their birth is anothers prayse but their gracelesse life is their owne shame It is true that our late King of blessed memory relates that for the most part a vertuous civill morall life followes a noble birth wee see many times that none are so base rude in their carriage as such of meane rude parentage But it is true that S. Paul r 1. Cor. 1. 26 sayes that not many wisemen after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble are called for God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise the weake things to confound the mighty base things of this world that no flesh should glory in his presence but such as are glorious in the flesh by a noble birth being called by God are farr more glorious in their new birth gracious spirituall life there may bee then a natural noble birth but an ignoble life but whosoever is truly ennobled with the glory of a spiritual birth is also glorious in a gracious life Vse 1 Whereby examination may be had who is the Kings daughter Justification
sanctification are evident signes fruits of our adoption If a man gloryes he hath the Philosophers stone yet goes in raggs wee will not easily beleeve him neyther him that sayes he is the child of God lives in sinne for hee that ſ 1. Ioh. 3. 9. 10. is borne of God sinneth not not willingly going on in a sinfull course without repentance in this the children of God are manifest the children of the divel who soever doth not righteousnesse is not of God Use 2 And from hence also we may Fax mentis honestae gloria S. Ital. Phil. 3. bee exhorted to seeke for this the truest glory Some glory in their sinnes whose glory is in their shame some glory in their riches worldly honours but this world passeth away the glory of it some glory in their fine cloathes but all this is vayne glory too often keepes man from attayning true glory how can ye beleeve sayth Christ t Ioh. 5. 44. that receive honour one of another seeke not the honour that cometh from God only whose hearts time is taken up wholy in an ambitious affecting honour from men can spare no time to seeke after the true honour from God they that too much love the prayse of men too little care for the prayse of God Bad people Nullarū fere pretiosior cultus est quam quarū pudor vilis est Cyp. de hab virg may weare good cloathes base minded men step up to worldly honour glory but the Kings daughter only is truly glorious in being gratious Let that argument moove us which comonly preveyles every where that is the fashion Let your u 1. Pet. 3. 4. adorning then be in the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of an humble meeke quiet spirit which is in the sight of God great of price put on by the hand of fayth the fine w Rev. 19. 8. linnen which is the righteousnesse of the saints cover your heads with the feare of God hang at your eares wind about your wrests I meane your hearts the precious jewell of Gods word more x Psa 19. 10. worth then thousands of gold silver choisest pearles girt about your loynes the y Eph. 6. 14. girdle of truth shoo your z v. 15. feet with the preparation of the Gospell of peace wash hands face I meane your soules in the blood of Christ for be they never so high coloured were your sinnes as a Isai 1. 18. red as scarlet they shal be as white as snow For this is the Kings daughters cloathing of wrought gold this her rayment of needle worke this is the Queenes fashion she will never change it but live dye in it I pray God give us all grace to follow it then shall the King have pleasure in our beauty And when the glory of al earthly Kings kingdomes shall cease be brought to nothing then shall the Kings daughter appeare in her glory for we are b 1. Ioh. 1. 18. now the sonnes of God but it doeth not yet appeare what we shal be but we know that when the King our husband Jesus Christ our saviour shall appeare with all the glory of heaven earth that we shal be like him c Col. 3. 4. Rev. 21. 2. appeare with him in glory thus prepared as a bride adorned for her husband cloathed with the glory of God in a kingdom of glory crowned with an incorruptible crowne of glory to which let us d Rom. 8. 18. account all the momentary light afflictions of this world not worthy to be compared but go on from grace to grace from glory to glory e 5. 2. rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God Allglorious THe third thinge to be considered is the amplification of this glory First by the universalitie of it all glorious First by the grace of justification for Christs blood cleanseth her from f 1. Ioh. 1. 7. all her sinnes so God seeth no iniquitye because he does not g Psa 32. impute it to her her iniquities are forgiven her sinnes covered the absolute perfect righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is h Rom. 4. to her in this respect Christ sayes of her thou art i Cant. 4. 7. all faire my Love there is no spot in thee Secondly by the graces of sanctification wherewith her whole person in all the faculties of her soule members of her body is adorned her understanding enlightned with saving knowledge so that with open k 2. Cor. 3. 18 face she beholds the glory of God is changed into the same image from glory to glory her will being conformed to Gods will her affections rightly ordered her love feare joy hope set on other objects contayned within the limits of due moderation her outward senses members of her body l Rom. 6. 13 instruments of righteousnesse unto God in this respect also all glorious For as by sinne the whole person is corrupted so by grace the whole person even in m 1. Th. 5. 23. soule spirit body is sanctified the old man is cast of with his workes beggerly rags the new man is put on which after God is created in righteousnesse true holynesse he hath respect to n Ps 119. 6. 3. all Gods commandements does no iniquitye though in this life the Kings daughter be not so glorious as to bee perfectly sanctified in full measure through the reliques of sinne in her though forgiven yet is she in some measure sanctified in perfectio graduum partium all the faculties of soule members of her body so perfectly sanctified in this sense I dare affirme universalitie of grace for where the flesh is there is the spirit also this spirit of sanctification striveth against corruption thus though she bee black yet is she o Cant. 1. 5. comely but heere after when the body of sinne shal be destroyed all teares wiped from her eyes she shal be all p Eph. 5. 27. glorious without any spot or wrinckle holy without blemish Vse 1 By the consideration whereof we may discerne true grace from counterfeit Herod will heare John gladly doe many glorious good things but he will not part with Herodias this blemishes ye rest discovers him to be of base Idumaeā birth no true Israelite many glory of their good intentions that they meane as wel as the best yet their mouths are full of rotten cōmunication so we may know the tree by the fruit to be of no good kind others glory of their good deeds but their thoughts are free their hearts full of uncleanesse malice covet ousnesse It is ordinary with many in much vehemency to inveigh against to handle roughly the sinne they are not subject to but their beloved
THE CHURCHES GLORY SHEWED FORTH IN A SERMON Preached at the HAGHE Before their Majesties THE KING QUEENE of Bohemia By J. E. Preacher to the Company of English Merchant Adventurers in Hamburgh Ecclesiae non jungitur qui ab Evangelio separatur Cypr. de lapsis TO HER MAIESTIE THE QUEENE OF BOHEMIA c. MAny commend the Churches glory but few imitate it because they never truly knewe it somewhat they have read heard of it but never truly saw it for with carnall eyes they behold her spirituall beauty cannot discerne it An ignorant person looking on the picture of Helena drawne by Zeuxes sayd that she seemed not to him to be so fayre Nicomachus the Pamter answered him Take my eyes you will Sume meos oculos De am judicabis thinke her a Goddesse The best way to judge of the Churches glory is to get it within our hearts to feele it a Rev. 2. 17. none knowes the new Name that Christ writes on his but he that receives it VVhosoever hath once felt within him the excellent unspeake able benefit of the pardon of his sinnes peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost power of fayth quiet fruit of patience comfort of obedience yea the sweetnesse of the very teares of repentante with other parts of the Churches ornaments will say with Peter when he saw but part of Christs glory in his transfiguration b Mat. 17. 4. It is good being heere with the c Rev. 12. 1. VVoman in the Revelation cloathed with the Sun viz Christs righteousnesse tread the Moone viz all earthly changeable gloryes under feet And though your Majestie knowes more of the Churches glory by your invvard feeling of it then I can discover yet in all dutifull acknowledgment of your Majesties favours gracious countenance of my Ministerie with an hearty desire to doe your Majestie any good service vvere it but to bring Pinnes to the Temple in the least to further your spirituall dressing glory I am bold to present to your Majesties view this small treatise of the Churches glory And what you vvere pleased once to heare being called by your command to preach vouchafe I humbly desire now to reade Being confident of your Majesties gracious acceptance hereof for the matter sake though not set forth vvith shew of vvordes vvhich the truth needes not the Churches glory being sufficient of it selfe to commend it playne vvorke being best most in use curious vvrought plate not regarded I commend your Majestie to God to the vvord of his d Act. 20. 32. grace vvhich is able to build you up to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified e 1. Pet. 1. 4. an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Your Majesties most obliged Chaplaine JER EL-BOROUGH THE CHURCHES GLORY Psal 45. v. 13. The kings daughter is all glorious within IT is uncertaine vvho made this Psalme but certaine that he vvas a Prophet holy man for S. Peter a 2. Pet. 1. 20 tells us that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretaetion but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost It is also certaine that it vvas made concerning Kinge Solomon his Queene to set forth the glory of his kingdome But most certaine that the authour looked higher then Solomon his Queene chiefly intended by them their outvvard great vvorldly glory to expresse the invvard spirituall farre greater glory of Christ his Church for neither Solomon or his Queene in all their glory vvere clothed like one of these And that this vvas the Prophets scope appeares by some sayings in this Psalme vvhich cannot be attributed to Solomon but to Christ as b v. 6. Thy throne O God is for ever ever for though Kinges in the vvord of God are called c Psa 82. 6. 2. Thes 2 4. Gods in respect of their office not their nature for d Psa 82. 7. they shall dye like men yet this vvord heere God is spoken of the sonne of God as appeares plainly Hebr. 1. 8. Unto the sonne he sayth Thy throne O God is for ever ever as also Solomons throne vvas not for ever but Christs Moreover it is e v. 16. sayd In stead of thy fathers shal be thy children whom thou mayst make princes in all the earth but this is not true of Solomon for Rehoboam his heire vvas so farre from enlarging his dominion on earth that he lost the greatest part of his fathers kingdome neither reade vvee that any of the rest of his children ever attayned to that Kingly glory their father had but this is true of Christ his Church for in stead of the fathers Abraham Isaack Jacob c. they had children Peter John Paul other Apostles vvho spiritually overcame al nations by the preaching of the Gospell so vvhereas Christ set up his throne only in Judaea in his life time as Kinge of the Jevves these children enlarged his dominions to the uttermost parts of the earth And since the f Mat. 12. 42. Queene of the South came from the uttermost parts of the earth to behold the glory of Kinge Solomon let us also come vvith our best attentions to behold the glory of the King of Solomon his Queene for behold greater then Solomon or his Queene are heere The Parts of this Psalme are tvvo The 1. concerning Solomon this is the literal sense The 2. concerning his Zueene The 1. concerning Christ this is the mystical sense The 2. concerning his Church Solomon is comended for is g v. 2. beauty fairer then the children of men for his h ibid. eloquence for his i v. 3. povver for his vertues of truth meekenesse k v. 4. righteousnesse For his l v. 8. riches in his costly garments his ivory palaces All vvhich vvere but types of the farre exceeding spirituall beauty eloquence povver graces riches of Christ For m Cant. 5. 10 he is white ruddie the chiefest among ten thousand n Ioh. 7. 46. never man spake like him o Mat. 28. 18 all Power in heaven earth is given him p Ioh. 14 6. hee is the way the truth wee must Learne of him for he is q Matt. 11. 29 meeke lowly his name is the Lord our r Ier. 23. 6. righteousnesse hee is perfumed with ſ Cant. 3. 6. myrrhe frankinsence all powders of the merchants heaven is t Is 66. 1. his throne the earth his footstoole Happie vvoman may some thincke that hath such a husband as Solomon more happie soule that hath Christ Solomons Queene is 1. instructed 2 comēded Instructed u v. 10. to forget her owne people Kinge Pharaoh her fathers house the reasons hereof are three 1. for then the w v. 11.
sinne must not be touched they are as tender of it as a King of his prerogative whoso touches it hurts it the chiefe Priests Pharises will not q Ioh. 18. 28. enter the common hall lest they be defiled behold their conscience but scruple not to defile their Soules in shedding innocent blood behold their basenesse they tythe also r Matt. 23. 23 eummin mint but neglect judgment mercy faith the greater things of the Law but the Kings daughter is more generous she is all glorious in hating all sinne willing to all good how beautiful are thy feet O princes daughter if therefore thou art not all glorious thou art not truly glorious if there be not grace in every part no true grace in any part no true friend of Christs that does not in his willing ready endeavours what soever he commandeth neither doth he truly hate Ioh. 15. 14. any one sinne that hates not every sinne nor his obedience sound in any good he does that is not willing to every good for this universality of obedience is true graces evidence It is an honourable qu'il aimeroit mieux mourir que faire une meschant acte S. du Haillan p. 987. report that History gives of the French King that he often sayd he had rather dye then doe any wicked thing Vse 2 Let us then as many as would seeme to bee or rather have the comfortable assurance to be the children of God cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of flesh ſ 2. Cor. 7. 1. spirit perfect our holinesse in the feare of God A little leaven leavens the whole lumpe a sparke of fire may burne a whole Towne one flye corrupt a whole boxe of precious oyntment one spot blemish a faire picture one sinne given way too blemish the Soules glory Men are carefull to have their apparrel sutable for it is ridiculous to see one cloathed in velvet breeches a canvas doublet let it be our care to sute our Soules with the variety of heavenly graces not to plough with an Oxe an Asse to serve God Baal to hold with the hare run with the hounds for if it be glorious to be good in some thinges it is more glorious to be good in all thinges he that is t Rev. 22. 11. filthy let him be filthy still the dog will to his vomit the swine to the mire but he that is righteous let him be righteous still he that is holy let him be holy still behold the King the bridegroome comes quickly his reward is with him to give every man according to his workes hold fast what thou hast that none take thy u Rev. 3. 11. crown from thee goe on with undaunted courage setled resolution in the all glorious pathes of grace the Lord bee with thee his grace wil be sufficient for thee till thou come to thy race end be with the Lord he that hath blessed the with w Eph. 1. 3. all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ heere will blesse thee with all eternall blessings in heavenly places with Christ heereafter thus shal be done to the man whom the King wil honour VVithin SEcondly this glory is amplified by the sinceritie of it VVithin Not outward say some as the glory of earthly Kings Queenes in riches worldly honours other outward pompe temporal magnificence for this is the whores dressing in purple scarlet x Rev. 17. 4. decked with gold pretious stones but the Churches glory is inward in the purity of doctrine right administration of the Sacraments Ecclesiastical discipline the spiritual ornament of heavenly graces which glory is befitting the Church as daughter spouse to such Kings as have no carnal eyes to looke on love her for any outward respects though never so glorious True the Churches best glory is inward that is her only beauty for which the King Loves her delights in her she is more glorious in her golden Priests then golden cups in being rich in fayth good works then rich in the world but the outward glory is not to be neglected when it pleases God to give it only we are to be cautionate that the outward doe not allure our eyes take up our hearts more then the in ward She that hath the outward only without the inward is the whore She that hath the inward without the outward is the Kings daughter a true Church but where is both inward outward it is an addition to that Churches glory The poverty from thence the contempt from thence the confusion miserable disorder of some Churches where like Jeroboams priests the meanest of the people even hospitall children for the most part are made Pastours which is not a nations glory but shame in so contemptible though it should not be a ministery may cause us to blesse God for his mercyes to our English Church both in her inward outward glory The voyce might have bin as truely uttered that poyson was poured into the Church when the livings were taken away as when great revenues given she had once too much now in many places too little I have often Wondered at the most grosse almost heathenish cōmon ignorance from thence prophanesse of some poople which I conceived to proceede through want of able Preachers which proceeds through want of sufficient maintenance which makes so many weavers Taylours to become y That cannot speake Latin Dutch Clearkes as they say in their Churches I am sure this is a deformity not a glory in reformed Churches But I thinke by the Churches glory VVithin to be meant the sincerity of her glory She is glorious because gracious as I have already shewed which is her spiritual glory but this glory is not in outward shewes ostentation only before men which were hypocrisy but in private also which argues the uprightnesse sincenity of her heart before God Solomons Queene not only put on her glorious cloathing of wrought gold her costly rayment when she came publiquely before the King or abroad in the view of the people but within also in private in her closet or bedchamber when she was alone she wore such glorious cloathing as her ordinary dayly apparrell so the Kings daughter viz. the Church is all glorious viz. gracious not only in the publique assemblies before men but also when she is alone in private she adornes her Soule with heavenly meditations fervēt prayer fayth in gods promises c. yea the more private the more glad careful is she in the exercise of spiritual duties as having more fit oportunity liberty to decke up her soule What she seemes to bee in her life she is the same in her heart the same at home in private that Is 63. 8. she is abroad in publique she will not lye glorious yea all glorious