but promised to be done and were immediately sent to manifest that clearely as it were in the open sunne to the world which by the Prophets so long before was but shadowed for albeit the fathers in the old Testament had at all times the Prophets as it were the lesser starres of heauen to giue them light yet was it in a manner night with them all till the sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesu did arise vnto them Whose light because it was in great measure bestowed vpon the Apostles as also because after his ascension the holy Ghost in visible maner came downe vpon them therefore was the doctrine which they taught a necessary meane by which to lay the foundation of the Church vpon Christ This though the Church of Rome doth labour to auoide by prouing that there was a Church before the word was written with inke or engrauen in stone and so making it to be more probable that the Church should giue authoritie to the Word then take any from it yet because we know that howsoeuer there was light in the world before the Sunne was placed in his tabernacle in heauen Gen. 1.3.16 yet when the Sunne the chiefe of the two great lights was made there was no light that was not deriued from it we are perswaded that though the heauen of the Church had her light of knowledge within before the light of letters came yet as soone as the word was written which was written when that Law imprinted at the first in Adam and Eues heart began to weare all the light the Church had was to be borrowed from the Word first of the old Testament and after of the old and new And this we may learne of the Apostles themselues whose Church was it selfe grounded vpon the doctrine of the Prophets which is here added as another part of the Churches foundation in Christ But because the doctrine was not theirs but his that sent them and who when the fulnesse of time was come Gal. 4.4 came himselfe and brought his euerlasting Gospell with him therefore Christ as followeth is mentioned and spoken of by an excellency as Iesus Christ himselfe and Christ the chiefe corner stone for though the Gentiles in their vocation to the Citie and houshold of God were built vpon the foundation that is doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets yet were they not built vpon them but vpon Christ who as he is the ground of all faith so is he the matter and end of all Scripture and therefore vpon him the Gentiles and all Churches were and are properly laid by their doctrine And whosoeuer buildeth I doe not say vpon any other but him but vpon any other with him hath the lesse hold of this foundation and the lesse assurance of his owne building This stone this chiefe stone laid in Sion was and is contemptible in the eyes of the world and therefore refused by worldly builders Psal 118.22 yet was it made the head of the corner and here the chiefe corner-stone not by comparison with others as our aduersaries would haue it that they may make them to be of the foundation that are scarce of the building and heads that are no sound members of the Church but because to him that is onely high all things are ascribed in the highest degree And he is called the corner-stone because both sorts of people Iewes and Gentiles are reconciled and equally founded in him for he is the Sonne whom we must kisse when God is angry Psal 2.12 It is his face in whom we must and onely can behold the glory of God to him was giuen a name aboue all names Phil. 2.9 neither is there any other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued Acts 4.12 Tertullian cals him the seale to both Testaments and Saint Austin the knot in the which all the Articles of our Faith are bound vp or which holds them altogether and therefore are the righteous said to bee as Mount Sion which cannot bee remooued but remaine for euer Psalme 125.1 Because they are grounded vpon that stone in Sion in which whosoeuer trusteth shall not be ashamed Esai 28.16 1. Pet. 2.6 which stone is not onely so elect and precious that wee cannot haue a better but so necessary and so singular that we may haue no other For other foundation no man may lay then that which is already laid Iesus Christ 1 Corin. 3.11 in him is the summe of our saluation and all the parts Hee is the authour and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12.2 the beginning and the end the Alpha and Omega thereof and of whatsoeuer is betweene Apoc. 1.8 And to be short hee alone is all in all vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 and in him doe the Gentiles trust Rom. 15.12 But were the Gentiles and are wee that sometimes were as these Gentiles laid by one continual and constant doctrine of the Prophets Apostles vpon Christ Then is there but one rule both to them and vs of faith vnto saluation by the doctrine of the Scriptures For did not all eate of the same spirituall meate And did not all drinke of the same spirituall drinke and were not all baptized vnto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10.2.3 4. That is was not one Law as it were Moses and one Gospel as it were spirituall meate and spirituall drinke in Christ to Iew and Gentile To these Gentiles and to vs that were Gentiles and are Christians So the Gospel is said to bee the power of God vnto saluation to euery beleeuer to the Iew first and also to the Grecian Rom. 1.16 Not one to them and another to vs but one to both The people before Christ and wee now in Christ were of one houshold and vnder one gouernour now the people of one Kingdome and much more priuate persons of one house haue but one law For the great God of Israel is not like that great King of the Macedons of whom it is written that as many nations as hee had vnder him so many kindes of seruice hee receiued of them but so ielous rather he is of his glory and true seruice that as he admits no God but himselfe so he vouchsafeth no seruice but his owne and acknowledges no seruice of his owne but what is done by his owne Word and tendred in his owne Sonne Abrahams creede and ours are one and the booke which Abraham Isaac and Israel had in their heart as it was hidden in the Wall 2 King 22.8 Wee their posteritie who walke in the steppes of their faith haue in our hands saue that they had but an epitome of Christ and wee the volume at large God spake by his Prophets in the old Testament by his sonne in the New Heb. 1â—1 2. Is not the tongue of God alway the same and one to all Or did hee speake contrarily to our fathers and to vs In diuers manners I grant for he lisped as it
THREE SERMONS PREACHED BY THAT LEARNED and reuerend Diuine Doctor EEDES sometimes Deane of WORCESTER For their fitnesse vnto the present time now published by ROBERT HORN Minister of Gods WORD The seuerall titles and Texts follow on the next page ECCLES 12.10 The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words and that which was written was vpright euen words of truth LONDON Printed by G. M. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at the Golden Lyon in Pauls Churchyard 1627. The Christians Admission and foundation in Gods houshold The Text. EPHES. 2.19 20 21 22. Yee are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone c. The Christians Guide to a wise Conuersation EPHES. 5.15 16. Take heede that yee walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise Redeeming the time for the dayes are euill The short prosperitie of the wicked and the Happy estate of the IVST PSAL. 37.35 36 37. I haue seene the wicked in great power and spreading himselfe like a greene Bay-tree Yet hee passed away and loe hee was not yea I sought him but he could not be found Marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is peace THE PVBLISHER to the READER GOOD Reader the substance of these Sermons was long since preached by a reuerend and learned Deane Doctor Eedes Deane of Worcester which being giuen me in sundry broken and cast papers after his death I perused at my times of leasure and perceiuing they might be of vse to many by Printing I was very vnwilling to engrose them for priuate vse from publique benefit And that made mee thus to set them together as I could with some supply where any thing was wanting and where the reading was troublesome with some small alteration Thou hast them therefore not altogether as they were preached but as I could copie them from the Authors first lines They concerne the times we liue in as directly and particularly as if they had bin set vnto them by the Preacher If any thing here set downe may any whit further thy walking in the way of grace I thinke my labour this way well paid for God blesse thy reading in this and other good Bookes specially in the Booke of God for which I pray who am Thine in the Lord Iesus Christ ROBERT HORN THE CHRISTIANS ADMISSION into the houshold of GOD and his foundation in the same EPHES. 2.19 20 21 22. Yee are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit YEE are no more strangers and forreiners but Citizens c. Great was the goodnesse of God in creating great in continuing the world for mans sake his power in the one was more then the wisest of the world could expresse his loue in the other is more then the best of Christians can conceiue but neither was the creation of the world more then the election of his Church nor the continuing of the one which is great beyond the preseruation of the other which is greatest It was much that he created the world of nothing more that he redeemed it of nothing the one he did for vs when we were his owne and that without cost the other when we were his enemies but not without the death of his onely sonne Therefore how much the greater a benefit it was that God should saue vs then that he should make vs that we should be borne anew then that we should be borne so much the better it were for vs not to be borne then not to be chosen and not to be then not to be of his Church Wherein howsoeuer Iacob had a priuiledge and Iudah the prerogatiue so that they were chosen as the Lillie before the flowers of the field as the sheepe before all the beasts of the earth as the Vine before all the trees of the Forest as the Doue before all the birds of the aire and as his peculiare people before all the Nations of the world yet was the benefit to the Gentiles no lesse and the mercy of God to them a great deale more that they which were no people should bee called a holy people and which were wild by nature should by grace become naturall and legitimate branches in the true Oliue which is the Church of God For which cause the Apostle in this place commendeth to the Ephesians and in them to vs not onely the estate of their calling in Christ but the ground and end thereof in him In the speaking whereof that I goe no farther then the words lead me three things may well and chiefely be obserued as first the calling of the Gentiles secondly their foundation being called and thirdly their building vp In their calling wee are to consider from whence and to what they were called in their foundation by whom and vpon whom they were laid and in their building vp how and to what end they were built They were called from being strangers and forreiners to be citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God They were laid by the Prophets and Apostles vpon Christ and they did grow for the manner as coupled together and for the end to bee a holy Temple in the Lord and the habitation of God by the spirit For the first there is no one thing that doeth more mooue a man to consider what hee is then to remember what hee was So great a light to our iudgements doeth this light of comparing our selues with our selues bring and so deepe an impression in our hearts doeth the conscience of that which is past being set to the present make For as there is no misery greater then to haue beene happy so is it not the least part of happinesse to remember that we haue beene miserable Adam the better hee was in Paradise the worse hee was out contrarily the Gentiles the further they were from the Couenant promise the greater was their benefit in it And therefore as the Church of Ephesus was bidden to remember from whence shee was fallen Apoc. 2.5 that remembring her great fall she might sorrow and bee more ashamed then if she had neuer beene mounted so high in that loue which the Apostle there calleth her first loue verse 4. so here the Ephesians are bidden to remember to what they were raised as from being Gentiles in the flesh and strangers in Israel to bee worshippers in spirit and of the Israel of God that they might thinke more highly of that excellent estate to which they were called and in him
Abraham Mat 3.9 and he made them that were Gentiles no longer Gentiles that is strangers but sonnes and those that were vncircumcised in the flesh circumcised in the spirit and the old men of sin the new borne of God and those without Christ the very members of Christ and those heires of promise that had no hope and those that were aliens from Israel partakers with Israel of the couenant of life and strangers Citizens and farre of neere and without God in the world Gods children and no people a glorious people Yet because he is not a Iewe that is outwardly one and because many that are called few are chosen therefore we that are Citizens must liue as Citizens not the worlds Citizens but Citizens with the Saints Ierusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together Psal 122.3 this was spoken of the earthly and may well be applied both to the spirituall Ierusalem the Church of Grace and the heauenly which is the Church in glory for we must not thinke that Gods delight was any way set vpon timher and stone or at any time vpon faire and well compacted buildings but this was rather to admonish the Citizens then to praise the Citie teaching them that if God be pleased with such an vniformitie and compactednesse in materiall buildings much more will he respect in them his owne building by grace spirituall order and compactednesse of minde And so if the Citizens at Ierusalem must be in order to God shall the Citizens in the Gospel breake order and liue in no conformity to him Are we then Citizens of God we must keepe Gods order and not what rule we list in his Citie we must honour his person and word reuerence his name and Sabbaths bow to him onely and to no creature with him keepe his ordinances and obserue his lawes The Magistrates that watch his gates must see that no prophanenesse be either practised or countenanced within them they must see that the good be encouraged and the euill taken away or reformed also that all within their authoritie as it were gates serue the Lord or be made to serue him The Ministers must faithfully execute their charge in the watch of this Citie they must not be blinde guides nor sleepie watchmen and they must eate the roule and goe and speake to the house of Israel Ezech. 3.1 they must warne the people of their danger with the trumpet at their mouth Ezech. 33.3 6. and feeding them with good and sound teaching lead them to the pure streames and riuer of life The people the Citizens must be ruled by the good word of God and by humaine ordinances and lawes agreeable to it not resisting gouernment and giuing honour to God by honouring those powers that are of him Thus if we be Citizens we must liue as they that dwell in Gods Citie and not in the worlds forest So if we be of the houshold of God we must liue as his houshold seruants and sonnes and not as seruants of sinne and sonnes of Belial and so shame our Masters house and discredit our Masters seruice or we must liue that is holily liue as his seruants and sonnes Now holinesse becommeth Gods house Psal 93.5 and they that are of his houshold must be holy Many get in that are not so but they shall be turned out as hee was that had not on his wedding garment Mat. 22.11.13 for God cannot endure that any vncleane person that any Moabite Cananite Ismalite or other sonne of Belial should be witnesse of his praise The gates of the Lord are gates of righteousnesse and the righteous shall enter into them Psal 118.19 His house is the house of his honour and they that be of his houshold must doe him seruice which dogges and swine cannot doe and therefore though such be sometimes in the house yet they are but strangers and none of the houshold which is true in all that prophane rabble of swearers drunkards filthy adulterers and other notorious offenders and in all hypocrites of whom the Apostle Saint Iohn speaketh thus they went out from vs but they were not of vs 1 Iohn 2.19 and generally in all contemners and despisers of God who though they liue in his house haue no inch of priuiledge neither any allowance therein Gods houshold is the houshold of faith and of faithfull men or it is the Church of Gods Saints and not a stable of beasts or cage of vncleane birds In a word Gods house it is the house of good people and of goodnesse and will ye steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne your incense to strange Gods and come and stand before the Lord in the house whereupon his name is called though ye commit all these abominations Ier. 7.9 10. If ye be of the houshold of God ye must not conspire against him in his owne house as a houshold of rebels and increase of sinfull men and ye must be ruled by him and doe reuerence to him that hath the key of the house of Dauid Some liue in his house that both dishonour him and his house and many arme themselues with the name of the Church when yet saue for name the Church hath no greater enemies then they are therefore least in stead of the Arke of the Church we fall into a ship of Pirats and in stead of the Lords house vpon a den of theeues we must as followeth see that our Christian outward calling haue a good and sure foundation VERS 20. Built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and Iesus Christ himselfe the chiefe corner-stone THat is grounded by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles vpon Christ The Rhemists in their annotations vpon the new Testament would wrest this which is here spoken of the foundation in Christ to the persons of the Prophets and Apostles his seruants But besides that it makes flatly against the supremacy of Peter to haue that giuen to all that they would appropriate to him it seemes to haue no shadow of that that they would haue it in substance to be for whether by the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles be meant as some vnderstand it that the vocation of the Gentiles had the same ground which the Prophets and Apostles had or which seemeth to be neerer to the Apostles minde that the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets was the foundation of their calling in Christ in neither can it any way fauour their absurd opinion or if there had bin any respect of persons in this recitall of names the Apostle might as well haue mentioned the Patriarks to whom the promise was made and the worthy Kings by whom it was continued as the Apostles and Prophets by whom it was but spoken And here first he nameth them that were last to wit the Apostles not that they preached any other doctrine then was agreeable to that of the prophets which were before them but because they witnessed that to be done which before was