love of their Maker But seeing Christ came into the World to be a Saviour hee must satisfie for man by contrary meanes For Pride by Humility for Disobedience by Obedience for carnall delight by suffering of punishment these three Christ performed Looke into the 2. Phil. 8. and there St. Paul make it playnely appeare that Christ was not behinde hand in any of these Hee humbled himselfe saith the Apostle behold his true Humility and became obedient behold his prompt Obedience unto Death even the death of the Crosse behold the largenesse of his punishment So that if Christ will be a Saviour hee must by the death of the Crosse open the Kingdome of Heaven to all Beleevers This was typified in the Old Testament by the Sacrificing of Isaak By the lifting up of the Brazen Serpent By the smiting of the Rocke By the Leviticall Oblations and Offerings And yet these hard-hearted Jews could not understand it O foolish Pilate thinkest thou to dishonour the Son of the most High by writing Iesus No it was a name assigned unto him from Heaven for the Angell said unto Ioseph Math. 1.29 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes It is that name wherein Christ most glories and whereof every Christian is least ashamed Seeing there is no name under heaven whereby we can be saved but by the name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Act. 4.12 A blessed name a sweete name Mel in ore Melos in aure Iubilus in Corde as St. Bernard sweetly saith Honey in the mouth Melody in the eare But a Iubile a ioy in the heart This name is light unto the soule Yee were Darknesse saies the Apostle Ephes 5.8 but now yee are light in the Lord. This name gives health to the body In the name of Iesus of Nazareth rise up and walke Acts 3.6 This Name is the Life the comfort the restauration of the soule of a Christian Aridus est omnis cibus si non oleo isto infunditur insipidus si non hoc sale conditur St. Bern. saith St. Bernard All Spirituall foode is dry if this Oyle bee not powred into it unsavoury if it be not seasoned with this Salt Other names of Christ are names of Majesty onely this is a name of mercy To bee called the Word the Sonne the Annointed of God These Titles proclaime Christs Glory but the Name of Iesus imports our Redemption By the former we know him to be God by the latter wee know him to be our Mediator and Saviour To him then and to him onely properly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belongs the Name Iesus But it may be objected that there are others in the Scripture called after the same Name As Iesus or Iehoscua the sonne of Nun Iesus or Iehoscua the High-Priest of the Jewes And Iesus the sonne of Sirach the Author of the Booke called Ecclesiasticus All this I confesse and I know that the first was famous for his valour and government in Israel the second for his Integrity in his Preisthood the third for his Wisedome and Understanding But alas these three were but types of our Jesus The first represented his Kingly the second his Preistly the third his Propheticall Office They were so tearmed in regard of some temporall and particular Deliverances Our Jesus so styled because of that generall and Spirituall Redemption which hee hath wrought for all his Saints Jewes and Gentiles The former were sent before like Elishaes staffe 2 King 4.29 2 King 4.29 but could not raise Mankinde from the dead But the true and powerfull Iesus was faine to descend from Heaven himselfe as Elisha from Mount Carmel to apply his mouth to our mouthes his eyes to our eyes his hands to our hands becomming the same with us in substance in Nature and infirmity sinne onely excepted before wee could bee raised Magna miseria superbus homo Maior misericordia humilis Deus St. Aug. saith St. August Great misery it was to see man so proud greater mercy to see God so humble And therefore to him properly and to none but him belongs that Name which is above all Names the Name of Iesus For hee alone is the Saviour of the World to whom both the Name and Office appertaines And as he is by Name Iesus so is hee by Nature a Saviour For him alone does the Gospell proclaime throughout all Ages to be a Saviour by whom Abraham was accounted righteous Hee was that Salvation which the Patriarchs desired he was that Salvation which the Ceremoniall Law prefigured he was that Salvation which the Prophets foretold he was that Salvation which Iacob waited for when he said Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord. He was that Salvation that David prayed for hee was that Salvation which old Simeon rejoyced in when hee sung Mine eyes have seene thy Salvation Luke 2.30 This was that Salvation by which the Patriarchs entred into Heaven the Prophets attained blessednesse and the Saints enjoy true happinesse In him alone were all the promises of the Messiah fully accomplished Hee alone trod the Wine-presse of Gods wrath He alone satisfied his Fathers Justice He alone became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our Redemption It was he that was sent of the Father to save the World Iohn 3.17 And for this cause he came himselfe into the world to save sinners It was hee that was smitten for us Propter scelus populi mei percussi eum I have smitten him for the wickednesse of my people Traditus est in mortem propter offensas nostras Hee was delivered to death for our offences Solus Christus sine peccato peccati paenam subire dignatus est St. Aug. saith St. Aug. Hee alone without sinne was pleased to undergoe the punishment for sinne His Death was not for himselfe but for us Quasi peccator occisus est ut peccatores justificarentur apud Deum St. Ambr. saith St. Ambrose Hee was slaine as a sinner that sinners might be justified before God It was our sinnes not his owne deservings that fastened him upon the Crosse Pro me doluit qui nihil habuit quod pro se doleret sayes the same Father God was the Creditor Man was the Debtor but he that was both God and Man the Pay-master Thus he who enjoyed the Name of Jesus hath performed the Office and remaineth our alone Saviour Blessed in his Name and for ever blessed in his Person I have long insisted upon this sweet Name for that it brings so much profit unto us yet can I not shake hands with our Romish Adversaries who ascribe so much unto the Name and so little unto the person of Iesus They affirme that the bare Name it selfe being used hath great power and doth drive away Deviâ—s though the person that useth it be voide of good affection whereas indeed the Devill is no more timerous of the Name of Iesus than of any other Title of God The sonnes
he cryes Consummatum est It is finished Iohn 19.30 In his whole life his face inclined towards the Sunne For hee might truely say in the words of the Prophet David I have alwayes set thy Law before my face Psalm 119. And as the face of the Cherubine looked alwayes towards the Mercy-seate so the face of this Marygold was alwayes towards the Sun of Gods Law He was so addicted thereunto that it was his meate to doe the Will of him that sent him and to finish his Worke. Iohn 4.34 John 4.34 The Lord calls him His righteous Servant who shall justifie many by his Righteousnesse Esay 53.11 His righteous Servant There is the exactnesse of his Obedience Who shall justifie many by his Righteousnesse there 's the Superrogation of his Merits Thus is Christ compared to the Marygold and may bee justly tearmed Nazarenus The Flower of Obedience Here then have I let you see a Garden of fragrant Flowers to the sight beautifull to the smell odoriferous What remaines but that we enter into this Garden and gather of these Flowers from the Crosse of our Saviour and making Garlands thereof weare them upon our Heads and Poses to carry in the bosome of our Hearts O thou sweet Nazarenus draw us by thy odoriferous sent after thee yea unto thee Lead us into thy Garden and comfort us with the fragrancy of thy Celestiall Flowers Nay make us O blessed Nazarenus spirituall Gardens unto thy selfe Set in our Hearts some slippes of these Flowers purge us from the weeds of vice and insteed thereof make Humility to flourish in our cogitations Innocency in our conversations Temperance in our appetites Charity in our affections and Obedience in all our actions to the Salvation of our Soules the good example of our Brethren To the glory and praise of thee our blessed Saviour who wert art and ever shalt be Iesus of Nazareth And so I come to the last word of Pilates Inscription King of the Iewes King of the Iewes THese were the last words of Pilates Inscription fastened upon the Crosse whereon our Saviour Christ was crucified which is the third pretended Cause of his Crucifying Little thought Pilate that Christ was truely King of the Iewes when he set up this Title For he received this Name not by Pilates Inscription onely but by his Fathers Ordination For hee is our Great King who ruleth all things who hath subdued all our Enemies tryumphing on his Crosse over the World the Flesh and the Devill He is called The King of the Iewes not carnally but spiritually not of those that were of the seede onely but of such as are of the Faith of Abraham that is of such as beleeve with the heart and confesse with the mouth that he is their King and Governor This Title was not first given him upon the Crosse for the Prophets did prophesie of it before I have set my King upon my Holy Hill of Syon sayes David Psal 2.6 And so the Prophet Zachary Chap. 9. ver 9. Rejoyce greatly thou Daughter of Syon shout out thou Daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King commeth unto thee Hee is just and having Salvation lowly riding upon an Asse His Dominion and Government was fore-told by Daniel Chap. 7. vers 14. There was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome which shall not be destroyed It is he that is Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Rev. 19.16 With this Title did the Wise men seeke him Math. 2.2 Where is hee that is borne King of the Iewes With this Title did the Souldiers deride him Math. 27.29 Haile King of the Iewes And with this Title did Pilate thinke to dishonour him as it is in this Text Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes A King indeed hee was though Pilate knew it not whose Kingdome though it be in this World yet is it not of this World having nothing in it that is Temporall or Terrestriall but all Spirituall and Celestiall depending not upon Man but upon God consisting not in Riches Pompe Cities Castles Forts Armies But in Righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 He is universall Monarch in whose hands are the hearts of Kings whose Vicegerents onely they are heere upon Earth The Pope weares a Triple Crowne in token of his three-fold Kingdome In Heaven in Earth and in Hell or Purgatory What he assumes usurpingly Christ Iesus enjoyes properly For hee is a King Regens in Coelo per gloriam in Mundo per gratiam in Inferno per justitiam A King I say reigning in Heaven by his Glory in Earth by his Grace in Hell by his Iustice Unto this Kingdome Christ hath a Triple right The first as hee is God coequall with the Father by whom all things were made John 1.3 John 1.3 and this he is Iure Creationis By right of Creation Secondly he is King as hee is the Sonne of God whom the Father hath appointed Heire of all things Heb. 1.2 And this is Deno Patris By the donation of his Father All power is given me both in Heaven and Earth Math. 28.18 Thirdly he is King as he is Mediator betweene God and Man And this is Merito Redemptionis By the merit of Redemption and thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is here styled Rex Iudaeorum King of the Iewes As hee is then our Iesus so is hee our King The which Title King presupposes a Kingdome and a Kingdome presupposes Subjects and Subjects presupposed Lawes and Government In the handling therefore of this Kingly Office I am constrayned though but in a word to unfold unto you a whole Commonwealth Christs Office his Kingdome his Subjects and his Government And first of his Office he is Rex A King The word King imports a Soveraigne power over Subjects whereof the Scripture records foure sorts First there is Rex infernalis An infernall King which is the Devill called by Iob Chap. 41. the last Verse Rex super omnes filios superbiae A King over all the children of pride And also tearmed by our Saviour Iohn 12.31 Princeps mundi The Prince of this world And by St. Paul Eph. 2.2 Eph. 2.2 Princeps Aëris The Prince of the Ayre And by St. Iohn Rev. 9.11 King of Locusts Abaddon by name a destroyer by nature whose Kingdome is of this world whose subjects are the slaves of sin and children of Disobedience whose government is wickednesse and whose Law is the transgression of all Gods Commandements Secondly there is Rex temporalis A temporall King such as Saul David Solomon Ezechias and others were in Israel Such as are now Kings of the Nations This Kingdome is both in this world and of this world Their Subjects men ordered by Reason and governed by Lawes Civill and Ecclesiasticall Thirdly there is Rex
Creationis By right of Creation so the Angels are his Subjects But as hee is Rex Iudaeorum Iure Redemptionis King of the Jewes by right of Redemption So none are his Subjects but such as are saved by him For this was the end why he became The King of the Iewes That wee should bee saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us Luke 2.71 For as St. August St. Aug. observes Non Rex Israel Christus ad exigendum tributum vel exercitum ferro armatum hostesque visibiliter debellandum sed Rex Israel quod mentes regat quod in aeternum consulat quod in Regnum Coelorum credentes sperantes amantes perducat Christ was not the King of the Iewes to exact Tribute or to raise an Army or visibly to vanquish enemies but hee was the King of the Iewes to rule mens hearts and mindes to counsell them eternally and to bring all those that beleeve in him hope in him and truely love him unto everlasting life Happy then is that man who is a Subject in the Kingdome of Grace but thrice happy is he who is a Subject in the Kingdome of Glory For he shall be glorious in his body This corruptible must put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15.53 1 Cor. 15.53 but much more glorious in his soule for Qualis tunc erit splendor animarum quando lux corporis Solis habebit claritatem saith St. August How great shall the splendor of their soules be when their bodies shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament Their felicity shall be such as that they shall desire to dwell there for ever as Peter did on Mount Thabor And good Reason seeing they shall be possessed of such happinesse as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceiue The which happinesse seeing wee cannot comprehend Grant ô Lord that we may be comprehended of it and so I passe from the Subjects unto the government of this Kingdome which is the last thing considerable in the Text. This Mighty Monarch this King of the Iewes governes not his subjects by humane Lawes and civill policies but by his owne Law called by St. Paul Gal. 6.2 Gal. 6.2 The Law of Christ Now this Law is nothing else but the Word of Christ by which Word wee shall be judged at the latter day sayes our Saviour His Word must rule us outwardly and his Spirit inwardly the one as a Law the other as a Guide We offend not if we transgresse not his Word we obey not if we erre from it This Law of Christ whereby he governes is like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians unalterable It shall bee an everlasting Law especially that new Commandement which he gave us namely That we should love one another Now as this Kingdome and the government thereof is spirituall and stands not in the glittering shew of this world nor in any thing desireable by flesh and blood as the two sonnes of Zebedee vainely imagined but ruleth in the heart and reines Therefore the Lawes of this Kingdome and the government thereof requires the inward righteousnesse of the heart binding not onely the outward act but the Conscience For the Authority and Government of the King is that whereby he by his Word and by his Spirit for the Word barely without the Spirit pierces not into the heart effecteth and worketh the conversion of those that are to bee converted and glorifies himselfe in the eversion and confusion of the rest For as the Kingdome of the Gospell is the meanes to bring us to the Kingdome of Grace so the Kingdome of Grace doth bring us to the Kingdome of Glory And none shall enter into the Kingdome of Glory but such as through the Kingdome of Grace submit themselves in the Kingdome of the Gospell to Christ the King his his Lawes and Authority Now in this inferiour part of his Kingdome which is the Kingdome of Grace there is not the best subject but is subject to tansgresse though through infirmity yet not through wilfull Rebellion But in the superior part which is the Kingdome of Glory there shall not be the least omission of good nor the least commission of evill but all our thoughts words and workes shall wholly tend to the glory of our Celestiall King and Governour For when sin and the old Serpent shall be cast into the bottomelesse pit we shall have no temptations but shall sing Blessing glory honour and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and the Lambe for ever-more Rev. 5.13 Rev. 5.13 What remaines now but that with the Queene of Sheba we set forward out of our owne Countrey the World to see and admire the Wisedome Justice Peace Power Mercy and Magnificence of our Heavenly Solomon here entitled King of the Iewes She was a Queene we subjects shee came from farre we have our Solomon amongst us shee sought a meere Man we may finde one who is both God and Man shee gave presents we shall receive rewards Let not the Queene of Sheba then rise up in Judgement against us for behold a greater than Solomon is here Seeke him then O sanctified Soule seeke him with devotion for he is Iesus A Saviour seeke him by imitation for he is Nazarenus A sweet smelling Flower seeke him by homage and obedience for he is Rex Iudaeorum King of the Iewes seeke him for thy refection seeke him for thy protection for he is the Seed of the Woman that breakes the Serpents Head It is hee that is the keeper of Israel and the Salvation of his people It is he that will slay all thine and his enemies that would not have him reigne over them Though that great Dragon old Serpent and roaring Lyon seeke to devoure thee yet seeke thy King and Saviour and hee will defend thee Of thy selfe thou art Debilis ad operandum facilis ad seducendum fragilis ad resistendum Vnable to doe well easie to be seduced and weake to resist Yet the Name of Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes is a strong Tower to fly unto for under that thou shalt be secure Feare not therefore for hee is thy shield and exceeding great reward Hee is that God of peace that shall shortly tread downe Satan under thy feete Rom. 16.20 Rom. 16.20 Feare not the Law for Christ hath satisfied it where Moses launceth Iesus cureth where the Law searcheth the Gospell salveth Feare not thy sinnes if thou doest weepe for them for this King of the Iewes calleth all that are wearie and heavie laden and hee will refresh them Feare not the world for Christ hath overcome the world It is he Qui pugnat pro te it is he qui pugnat in te It is he that fights for thee against the world it is he that fights in thee by his grace Feare not the ungodly for thy King is a righteous and severe King who shall one day sit in