Zerubbabel cannot be meant Ezeck 34 and 37. you may reade the Chapters at your leasure In those Chapters wee have expressions such as plainly appeares they are but Comments to this Text of Hosea for Ezekiel prophesied after Hosea did and especially in the 37. Chap. we have a prophesie of the union of all the Tribes together Judah and Israel and ver 24. David my servant shall be King over them and ver 25. My servant David shall be their Prince for ever That one head that they shall have when they come together shall be David And so in Chap. 34. ver 23. I will set one shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David and ver 24 I the Lord will be their God and my servant David not Zerubbabel Now by David we are to understand Christ cleerly for so in other palaces as Esay 55. 3. I will give unto you the sure mercies of David they can onely be meant of the sure mercies of Christ and so it is interpreted by S. Paul Acts 13. 34. Therefore then we conclude certainly this is meant of Christ and they shall appoint Christ to be their Head This is then the first great point that we have in this Text a head-point of Divinity indeed that JESUS CHRIST is the head of the Church And secondly he shall be so appointed We shall shew you what the meaning of that is when we come unto it JESUS CHRIST It is he that is the head for the Church and shal appear so hereafter further then now he doth The Church is not a headlesse multitude it is a community of Saints that hath a glorious Head That body cannot be contemptible that hath a Head so honourable It is he that is the brightnesse of the glory of his Father in whom all fulnesse dwelleth yea the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily It is he by whom all things consists that is the beginning of all things he that is the head of Angels themselves Col. 2. 10. You are compleat in him which is the head of all principality power The Head of Angels how First because the Angels are joyned together with the Church and are part of the Church triumphant and so Christ is their Head Secondly Yea the Angels have influence from him That Grace which they have from God which is beyond naturals it is from Christ for Christ is canalis gratiae the channel of grace from God Their establishment in their condition it is from Christ for it is not due to them in a natural way yea the glorâ— they 〈…〉 with the Church it is above that which is due to their naturals and 〈…〉 from Christ 2. Hâ—â— the head of all men 1 Cor. 11. 3. The head of every man is Christ The head of every man how What are all men in the world the body of Christ if he be the head then it seemes they are all the members No though Christ be the head of Angels yet Angels are not said to be members of him yea in the same place of the Corinths God is said to be the Head of Christ and yet Christ is not a member of God So that he may be the head of every man and yet every man not a member of Christ The head of every man in regard of that superiority that Christ hath over every man and some kinde of influence even from Christ commeth to every man he inlightneth every man that comes into the world Thirdly Yea hee that is the head of his people of his Church is the head of al things Ephe. 1. 22. God hath given him to be head of all things to the Church Mark it it is a most admirable place that Christ is the head of all things But how To the Church for the sake of the Church as ayming at the good of the Church especially Sure it is the honour of the Church to have such a head that is thus the brightenesse of his Fathers glory the head of Angels the head of every man the head of all things for the good of his Church And as their honour consisteth in it so secondly it is their strength Christ is the head of the Church in regard of the strength that the Church hath by him An oppressed multitude cannot help it selfe if they have no head but if God shall please to give them strength and a head and that in a legall way if they have hearts they may deliver themselves from oppression this God hath done for us if therefore God doth not vote us to misery and slavery if we be not a people given up of God to ruine we may have help The Church is a communion of Saints oppressed here in the world their strength is in heaven it is in their Head that hath received all power to exercise for them in him is their strength to him do they cleave for him they blesse God even the Father because he is their strength Thirdly He is their head because the Saints do hold all upon Christ all that they have they hold in Capite as the best tenure of all the Tenure upon which the Saints hold all their comfort all their good in this world it is in another way then other men hold it other men have what they have through the bounty and patience of God but the Saints hold all in Capite in their head in Christ in the right they have in him Fourthly Their head because their safety is in him though the Church all the members be under water yet all is safe when the head is above water our head is in Heaven It is a speech of Luthers He saith he was even as a Devil to them they did so accuse him but let Christ live and raign Christ is above the head is above water Fifthly Their head in regard of his compassion to his Church and people The meanest member here below if wronged Christ is sensible of it When but the toe is trodden upon the head cryes why doe you hurt me Christ the head cryes Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And observe the meaner and poorer the Members of Christ are here in the Church the more is Christ sensible of their sorrowes and afflictions and the more will he appeare for them when he shall appear a head yet more gloriously then ever he hath done For this that forenamed place Ezek. 34. from the 16. ver to the 26. is very notable You shall finde there Christ is said to be one shepheard to his people and a Prince to them but mark what is promised That he will binde up the broken and bring back again that which was driven away and strengthen that which was sick but as for the fat of the flock and the strong he well destroy them and feed them with judgement and he will judge between cattell and cattell between the rams and the hee-goats he will judge between the fat and the
leane cattell he will judge those that thrust with side with shoulder and push at the diseased with their horns untill they have scattered the sheep abroad When Christ shall appeare he will not shew such respect to the jolly spirits of those that were in the Church to your brave stout jolly hearts that would carry all before them with force No he will looke to the poor of the flocke and those that thrust with the side and pushed with the hornes and scattered the poor and the leane they shall be judged My brethren have you not known times when stout-hearted and cruel-hearted men have thrust with the side and pushed with the horne and scattered up and down in divers Countreys thousands of the weake ones tender conscioned Christians VVell but here is a promise that Christ our head will come and he shall be one shepheard and he shall shew his tender affection toward the poor afflicted of the flocke he shall take away from the land the evill beasts as you have it there in the 25. vers He is the head in regard of his compassion Sixthly Christ is their head in regard of guidance and direction The body is to be moved and guided by the head so all truths all doctrines of Religion must hold on Christ they hold on Christ in Capite Colos 2. 19. The Apostle rebuking worshipping of Angels and other false opinions he saith that they did not hold of the head All Doctrines in the Church therefore must hold of the head and must not be obtruded upon the Church but as they come from the head and hold there Seventhly And that principally and which we must stick upon a while which is intended here in the Text most of all Christ is the head in regard of his rule in regard of his government and therefore he that is called one head here is called a Prince in those two forenamed Chapters Ezek 34 and 37. It would spend time needlesly to shew you in Scripture how Governours are called heads that I suppose you are all acquainted with This therefore is the maine thing that we are now to open unto you how Christ is the head of the Church in regard of his rule and government There are many things of concernment in this point I shall desire to decline what possibly I may all things that are controversall especially with our brethren only speak of what I think for the present you are fit to beare First then There are four 〈…〉 especially of the government of Christ in his Church for which he is to be accounted the head First All Offices and Officers in the Church hold upon Christ and are from him as from the head As you know it is in a civill body the Offices of a civill State holds of the King holds upon him in a legall way the power of the King being regular it regulateth all power in all other Officers that which is done is done you know in the name of the King So all the Officers Offices in the Church are in the name of Christ they all hold on him First That there can be no officer nor offices in the Church but such as Christ himselfe hath appointed for they must hold of him they must be by institution I beseech you observe the difference between Officers in a Civill State and Officers in a Church A Civill State because it directly reacheth but to the outward man hath liberty to appoint what officers it please according to the rules of prudence and justice to appoint more or lesse according to the necessity of the Country place But it is not so in the Church there we have no liberty to goe according to the rules of prudence meerly to erect any office because we think it may make for the good and peace of the Church I say therefore to erect any new office that is not erected before in the Word we have not that liberty we cannot do it we are too bold if we shall do it for such an office will not hold of the Head In the State none can erect new Offices new Courts but the supreame power the supreame Legislative power So in the Church none can erect new Offices but onely from the Head In the Civill State God leaveth a great deale of liberty there may be change of Officers those that are good now perhaps they may seem not to be so fit afterwards and those that are in one Country may not be so fit for another But the Officers of the Church they must be all the same in all places where they can be had and no more but those that are appointed by Christ Again further the difference between the Civill State and Church State in their Offices and Officers is this The Civill State may limit their officers as they think fit They may choose one into an office but he shall goe but so far he shall have power but in so many things this shall be the object of his power when he is come hither there he shall stop though he that was before him had more power yet he that comes after him may not have that power the Civill State may limit that if they see it fit But now in the Church State it cannot be so And upon this ground because they hold upon the Head Indeed the men that beare any office in the Church are designed unto it by the Church but they doe not hold of the Church they hold of Christ the Head therefore it is not in the power of the Church to limit them being in it but they must go to the Word for their office once taken upon them whether it be the office of Teachers or of Pastors they cannot then be limited by any power but what the Word saith is the office of a Teacher or of a Pastor that they must doe they cannot have the rule so propounded to them as You shall go but thus far and you shall do so much of the office of a Teacher and no more but when they are once 〈◊〉 they are in without any limitation of the power of their office it is onely from Christ the Head Yea further In a civill State there may be alteration raising the dignity of the office and making of it lower then before but in the Church no such thing the officers of the Church are alwayes the same no raising no depressing why because they hold upon the Head Others depend upon mans prudence but these are institutions by Christ and hold of the Head 2. Christ is the Head in regard of rule because all Ordinances hold on Christ too and all Lawes I will put both together Ordinances and Laws and Institutions do hold upon Christ the Head It is not in the liberty of man to erect any new spirituall Ordinance in the Church no nor to make Laws in the Church that are spiritual that shall tend to the
a Law of Christ to us to walk and live according to the rules of Justice and prudence so wee are bound for conscience in those things but not primarily and so they cannot be said to bind conscience so as Christs Lawes do There are other things that are commanded by man and that especially concerns our question and these are such things as indeed are neither here nor there for the common for the publique good the good of the community doth not at all depend upon them and there is nothing in them but meerly the satisfaction of the wills of those that are in authority above us Now here is the Question How far those Laws bind men and bind Conscience Indeed many poor Christians that are conscientious have been extreamly snared in these things To that I answer That though such things should be commanded to be done yet it they be not done so be it they be not omitted out of contempt nor so as may bring scandall upon the authority that doth enjoyne them and those that doe omit them shall patiently and willingly submit to what punishment the Law of the Land shall require in such things this mans conscience shall not nor need not bind him over to answer before God that he hath sinned against that rule You will say How do you prove that How doth it appeare For that must needs be made out I vvill make it appeare from the Text from the nature of subjection that is required in the Text and from Reason First this Text here in Rom 13. giveth this as the ground why we are to be subject Because saith the Text ver 4. he is the minister of God for thy good So that that which is the speciall ground of our subjection is because they that are in place are ministers for our good But here is then an abuse of their power if they will command what is not indeed tending to the good of the publique but meerly the satisfaction of their own mindes But suppose it be an abuse the Text saith we must be subject 〈…〉 You must do the thing for conscience 〈…〉 be subject we must not resist but be subject The words are We must be subordinate for conscience sake so it may be translated Here is all that is required that I must be subordinate and not resist that is though there be a thing commanded by authority though this authority should be abused yet I may not resist I must be subject If then out of that reverent respect I have to authority though I do not doe the thing yet I doe not forbeare out of contempt It is a thing exceedingly prejudiciall unto me and it is not for the common good but yet I am so carefull that authority shal not be despised that I will keep it secret I will not refuse to do it so as shall be ascandall upon authority And yet further if authority shall so far urge upon me as to inflict punishment because I do not do it I will patiently beare it Now when these three things are done here is that subordination to authority that the Apostle in that Scripture requires And the reason why this of necessity must be granted is because otherwise all the Christian liberty that the Scripture so much speakes of may be utterly taken away in regard of the practice that it is in the power of man wholly to deprive us of it This Scripture cannot be so understood that all that liberty we have in all things in their own nature indifferent should be so under the power of men as that we for the practice and for our conscience too must be tyed that we cannot have liberty no not in secret certainly that is that which is against the judgement of all Orthodox Divines of the Reformed Churches But it may be said who shall be Judge whether things be tending to the publicke good yea or no will you take upon you to judge your self To that the Answer is thus plainly that indeed those that are appointed by Law have the power to judge legally and authoritatively to judge so as to bind others But every man hath liberty so far as concerns his owne act to judge at his perill And that a two-sold perill First at his perill lest he judging himself should sinne against God in this that he should judge that not good for the publique which indeed is good that he should perhaps judge that to be of an indifferent nature that justice and prudence requireth of him Here he mis-judgeth at his perill hee sinneth against the Lord against the rules of justice and prudence and indangereth his own soul if he goe amisse in this Secondly If he mis-judge it is at his perill that comes by the Lawes of men that he is in danger then to suffer what the Laws of men shall inflict upon him And so submitting this way his conscience may have some ease and yet no gap open at all to liberty or any disturbance to any lawfull authority for all this This is necessary for men to know that they may understand aright how to answer that question about Lawes binding of conscience You heare it is the prerogative of Christ our Head so to be our Law-giver so as to lay bonds upon conscience in such a manner as no man can doe the like That is the third Fourthly Christ is the Head of the Church in regard of some even personally so as to come and rule in the world in a glorious manner personally and so they thinke this may be interpreted that Christ shall be a head how said to be appointed we shall speake of when we come unto it that he shall come personally and rule and governe things even in this world As Christ in his own person did exercise his Priestly and Propheticall offices so they thinke in his own person he shall exercise his Kingly power office Which opinion because the further discussion of it I suppose generally you are not able to beare yet therefore in modesty I will forbeare and though out of modesty I shal for the present forbeare yet out of conscience I dare not altogether deny it but so we will leave it to see what trueth may be in this we must expect to have light let in by degrees In these four things then we have the rule of Christ three determined of the fourth only propounded which Christ in time will shew further light unto us in Christ is then the Head Now from all this there followes three consequences that are very usefull 1. Hence we learne that the seeking after the right government of Christ in his Church is not a light matter it doth concern the Head-ship of Christ 2. By what hath been said we shal come to be instructed to know what is properly Antichristian and what not 3. Wee shall come to have light how far the King may be said to be head of the Church These
things you will finde needfull for conscience to be informed in I shal carry them on too I hope with modesty fulness safety First I say it followes from hence that it is not a light matter to seeke after the right government of Christ in his Church it concerns a head-ship of Christ The head-ship of Christ in a speciall manner consisteth in that there are some other things in which it doth consist which perhaps may be spoken of hereafter but here in this place especially that Indeed in the primitive times there the greatest contention was about the Doctrines of Religion what Doctrines should hold upon Christ and what not and the people of God did there suffer most for contending about the doctrines that held upon Christ the Head they would not receive a Doctrine but what held on Christ and what was obrtuded upon them not holding upon Christ the Head they did reject And Luther upon this place hath this speech he tells us how much the Church in after time did suffer for this very thing and saith What kinde of dangers did inviron the Church and do inviron it for acknowledging Christ to be the head these our times doe sufficiently testifie And further because we preach Christ to be the whole head therefore we are subject to Anathemas and to all kinde of punishment And in these latter times it is like that the great contention will be rather about the head-ship of Christ in the point of his government then in the other the other being so cleare unto us and the sufferings of the people of God will be so much the more grievous because that this is accounted such a little thing such a poor businesse And further because this doth not seem to be altogether so clearely revealed in the Scripture as other Doctrinall points that hold upon Christ the â—ead And Christ the rather hath so disposed of things that this shall not be so clearly revealed because he intended to suffer Antichrist to rise to his height and it cannot be imagined that if the Doctrine of Christs government in his Church had beene clearly and demonstratively laid down so as there could have beene no gain-saying of it I say it cannot be imagined how it is possible for Antichrist to have risen to that height that he hath Christ because hee intended to bring about many passages of his providence and many great workes of his that way in suffering Antichrist to arise therefore he hath left this point so in the word as is subject to many doubts and may occasion many objections against it But the nearer the time comes for Antichrist to fall the more clearly this shall be revealed Secondly By this that hath beene said we may learne what to account Antichristianisme and what not for there are many amongst us that cry out against every thing that displeaseth them that it is Antichristianisme that it is Antichristianisme and yet understand but very little what Antichristianisme is But by this that hath beene said you must know that Antichristianisme is not every errour It is true in a large sense Antichrist is as much as against Christ and so every sin every errour is against Christ and in Antichristianisme if you take it so But you are to know the Scripture speakes of the Antichrist and of Antichristianisme in a speciall acceptation What is that This my brethren is Antichristianisme that which shall oppose Christ as a Head and set up another head-ship here is the propriety of Antichrist and Antichristianisme as in all those foure things named before First VVhosoever shall obtrude any Doctrine upon the Church to be believed by their own authority he is guilty of Antichristianisme not whosoever shall preach or hold an error in the Church But when any shall presume to obtrude upon the Church any Doctrine that holds upon humane authority to be urged upon the authority of those that do impose it this I say is properly Antichristianisme for it doth oppose Christ in his head-ship Secondly The intrusion of such offices and officers in the Church as meerly belonging to the spirituall man such as are properly Church offices that do not hold upon Christ the Head but only hold upon them this is Antichristianisme Thirdly The imposing of any Ordinance any new institutions that are as hath been opened upon the Church belongeth to Antichristianisme Fourthly The imposing of lawes so to bind conscience as the Lawes of Christ do here is Antichristianisme This is Antichristianisme and that not onely because these things are directly against the head-ship of Christ but because these things doe set up another head too and so the word Antichrist may signifie as well for one to be in stead of Christ for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke signifieth sometime as well for as against as of his fulness we receive grace for grace it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke grace for grace so Antichrist is one that shall set up hâ—mselfe as head of the Church in stead of Christ one that shall clayme unto himselfe that head-ship that is proper to Jesus Christ and not to be communicated to any from Jesus Christ This is Antichristianisme Now the Apostle faith that there were many Antichrists in his time and this mystery of ungodlinesse of inquity did worke then but now it comes to grow to a height in that great Antichrist of Rome for you know in these foure are the speciall things wherein he is the Antichrist Because hee obtrudes Doctrines Articles of Faith upon the Church by his owne authority He makes all Offices of the Church to hold on him And appointeth Lawes Ordinances and Institutions likewise to hold on him And claymeth the binding of Consciences so as is proper to Jesus Christ And all those that hold thus on Antichrist and are thus abettors of him in these things these are guilty of this greatsinne of Antichristianisme That for your right information about the sin of Antichristianisme The third consequence You say Christ is the Head but you know the King is called the Head of the Church in what sense are we to understand that Or how may we come to understand aright that Oath that is given of Supremacie These things my brethren are necessary for information of Conscience and the burthen lyes upon us to make out these things as cleare to you as we can that you may go along with the more freedome of spirit and conscience in your way and yet give every one their right too You are to know that the Oath of Supremacy came into England thus In the time of Popery the Pope claymed unto himselfe the Head-ship of the Church He being excluded then came in that Oath to acknowledge the King or Queene the Head of the Church But now you must know first that this title The Head of the Church as it hath been attributed to the King hath been much abused
the Lord himselfe that supplyeth all outward good to his people he doth not onely prize the soules of his people but hee takes care of their bodies too and outward estates Psalm 34. 20. He keepeth all his bones Yea he takes care of the very haire of their heads The bodies of the Saints are very precious in the eyes of God the most precious of all corporall things in the world The Sonne and Moone and Starres are not so precious as the bodyes of the Saints how much more precious are their soules VVe have an excellent note of Austin upon Psalm 63. 1. where the Text saith My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee c. Upon this he hath this Note If the flesh hath any need of bread of wine of money or cattell seeke this of God for God giveth this too for marke Those who thirst for God must thirst for him every way not only their soules â—â—rst for him but their flesh must thirst for him for saith he did God make the soul and did the devills or any idols make the flesh No he that made both soule and flesh he feedeth them both therefore all Christians must say My soule longeth after thee and my flesh also If then we can trust God for our soules and our eternall estates that hee will provide for them we must trust him for our bodies also for our flesh for our temporall estates that he will provide for them also Secondly thus All that we have all our supply that we enjoy in this world it is the free gift of God They did not know that I gave them corne and wine c. All of us live upon the meere Almes of God the greatest man in the world is bound to goe to Gods gate and beg his bread every day though he were an Emperour over all the world hee must doe it to shew his dependance upon him that he lives wholly upon almes Men thinke it hard to live upon almes and because they have maintenance so much comming in by the yeare such an estate in land they thinke they are well provided for many yeers But what ever estate thou hast though by thy trading thou hast gotten so much by the yeare coming in yet God requireth this of thee to go to his gate beg thy bread of him every day so Christ teacheth Give us this day our dayly bread And certainly if we did but understand this our dependance upon God for all outward comforts in the world we could not but feare him and seeke to make peace with him and keepe peace with him and it would be a meanes that our hearts would be inlarged to give to others who need our almes and seeing every man and woman of us is an Almes-man and an Almes-woman Thirdly It is our duty that we owe to God to know and take notice of God as the author of all our good They know not that implyeth they ought to have knowne This is a speciall duty of that worship we owe to God it is the end of Gods communicating all good to us that he may have active glory from his rational creature as well as passive glory and there is no creature else in all the world that God hath made capable of knowing any thing of the first cause but only the rational creature therefore it is the excellency of such that they do not onely enjoy the good that they have but they are able to rise up to the highest and first cause of all their good There is a great deale of excellency in this It is observed of Doves that at every pick of corne they take in their bill they cast their eyes upward and in the Canticles you shall finde the eyes of the Church are called Doves eyes because they looke so much up to heaven upon every good they receive They have not dogs eies the men of the world have dogs eies dogs you know looke up to their Masters for a bone and when they have it they presently looke downe to the ground so the men of the world they will pray to God when they want but whâ—n they enjoy what they would have they look no more upward but all downward This taking notice of God to be the Author of all our good and to give him praise is all the rent we pay to God for what we enjoy therefore it is fit we should doe that and if we doe any thing for God be sure God takes notice of that to the uttermost yea though it be himselfe that enableth us to do it yea though it be but a little good mingled with a great deale of evill God takes notice of it and will reward it surely then we should take notice of the good that he giveth out to us This sweetneth our comforts to see that they all come from God and for that observe the difference betweene the expression of Jacobs blessing and Esaus blessing when Isaac came to blesse Jacob hee expresseth himselfe thus Gen. 27. 28. God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corne and wine c. Now when he commeth to blesse Esau marke his expression then verse 39. Thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above but hee never mentioneth God in that It is not Esaus blessing God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatnesse of the earth though it is true Isaac meant so but yet he doth not mention the name of God so in Esaus as in Iacobs blessing Certainly my brethren the seed of Jacob count their blessing to be a double a treble blessing that they can see God in it carnall hearts do not much regard God if they can have what they would have if they can have their flesh satisfied in what they desire from what hand it cometh that they doe not much care but a gracious heart a child of Jacob rejoyceth more in the hand from whence it commeth then in any good he can possibly enjoy Fourthly They did not know God doth a great deale of good in the world that is little taken notice of or laid to heart Many of Gods dispensations are invisible the Angels Ezek. 1. are described with their hands under their wings God doth great things somtime so invisibly as he cannot be seene And when he doth great things that we might see yet through onr neglect stupidity and drossinesse of our hearts we doe not see them The most observing eye that is in the world that takes the exactest notice of Gods mercy and hath the greatest skill to set forth the riches of Gods goodnesse to himselfe and others yet alas it is but very little that he takes notice of no not of that he might doe It is with the quickest sighted Christians as with a skilful Mathematician a skilfull Mathematician takes notice of and understands many parts of the world
two hundred years before he wrote his Antiquities that was an hundred and five years before Christ but it appears that they had no Vrim and Thummim long before that time for at their return from captivity Ezra 2. 63. the Tirshatha that is the Ruler said unto them that they should not eate of the most holy things till there stood up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim therefore they had not then a Priest with Urim and Thummim they expected to have one but whether ever they had one after it is not know This was the reason of that complaint of Asaph Psa 74. 9. We see not our signes there is no more any Prophet neither is there any among us that knoweth how long that is a grievous complaint Now it is like that Psalme was made about the very time of their return from captivity for Ezra 2. 41. Asaph is named among those that came to Jerusalem from the captivity The singers the children of Asaph an hundred twenty and eight But let it be then or after by this Psalme wee may finde that it was a very lamentable complaint to be without Urim and Thummim The result of all is that it is a grievous thing to the Saints that in the time of their strait they donoâ— know Gods mind At any time when God brings his people into straits yet if they can know the mind of their God they are refreshed and encouraged but when they shall seeke to know Gods minde and the Lord resuseth to discover it to them this is a sad condition indeed I find one note more of Jeroms about their being without an Ephod We may observe saith he the hardness of the hearts of the Jews that they should be so many hundred years without sacrifice and without Ephod without the true worship of God among them and ways to know Gods mind and yet they are not guilty of any greater sin then the sin of Idolatry except it be of the killing of JESUS CHRIST that they should not reason thus what sin is it that thus provokes God against us more then ever he was provoked Surely there is some greater sinne then ever yet we have committed but saith he they can never finde any other offence beside the killing of Christ to be a greater offence then Idolatry and yet they have a greater judgement upon them then ever they had though they are not guilty of that sinne as they were formerly surely were they not extreamly hardned they would be convinced that all this is because of our rejecting crucifying Christ the Son of God As they had the Ordinances of God so they had wayes of false worship of their owne Images and Teraphim I must shew you what those were and then how it is a threatning that they should be without those Image That seemeth to refer to the two calves they had set up in Dan Bethel which they so much gloryed and rejoyced in they should be taken away Teraephim that likewise should be taken away Now if you aske what this Teraphim was in the general Taraph is a divining image as the Ephod was Gods Ordinance to know the minde of God by so the Teraphim was a way of the Devil an idolatrous way to know things that were to come It was an Image made after this fashion so I finde those that write of it tell us The Teraphim was the image of the head of a man wrung off his body salted and bespiced with precious spices and then upon this head there was a plate of gold with the name of that spirit they would divine by or as some the name of the uncleane spirit was to be put un der the tongue of this head and this being set upon a wall there were burning candles and incense offered to it and that under the constellation of some star and so enquiring to know something that was to come by it the devill was used to answer and to tell them of such things as were to come it was an oracle of the devil that told them what successe they should have in this or the other businesse sometimes it hit right See the superstition of the Jewes they desired much to know the minde of God now because they were afraid they should not know all by the Ephod which was the ordinance of God they would joyne with the Ephod the Teraphim From hence there is this profitable note It is a very great and fearfull evil for men in searching to know any thing of Gods mind not to keep themselves to Gods ways of knowledg to Gods own Ordinances It concerneth us much now at this day We are about enquiring the mind of God that wee may know it about matters concerning the Common-wealth but more especially about Religion I suppose there is none of us but will acknowledge that way that God hath appointed for the revealing of his will in the Scripture that we must look into the Scripture and seek to know Gods minde there that is good but let us not joyne Teraphim with it then do we joyne Teraphim when we rest not upon Scripture alone but search after rules of mans devising and what will stand with our own carnal ends The Lord may justly meet with us in wrath if we presume to joyne our Teraphim with his Ephod Pray that at this day where there is so much searching after Gods mind that those who are employed in it may keepe themselves to the Ephod to the Scriptures to that which is Gods Ordinance for the revealing his minde that they may not joyne the Teraphim their own fancies and inventions of men with the Scriptures so long as we keepe to that rule we may hope to do well enough but if the Teraphim be joyned with the Ephod if any thing be joyned with the Scriptures though it may seeme to be never so rationall we have cause to feare God will leave us We finde this word Teraphim used sometime in Scripture for the image of any man as 1 Sam. 19. 13. when Michael took an image and laid it in the bed instead of David the word in the Hebrew is Teraphim so when Rachel stole away her fathers images the word is she stole away her fathers Teraphim and some thinke they were her fathers Divining Images that she did rather steale those then any others because she would not have her father Divine which way they were gone Zachar. 10. 2. it is said the Idols have spoken vanity the word is the Teraphim By which we may see they were wont to aske of their Idols about their successes And sometime wee find in Scripture that Idolatry is called by this name as 1. Sam. 15. 23. stubbornnesse is as Idolatry the word is is as Teraphim But here comes in the question God threatneth to take away the Sacrifice and the Ephod that plainly is a threatning but how is this a part of the threatning to take away the Image