in the Church yet is there but one Sun but one Lord. One Lord one faith sayth the Apostle Ephes. 4. 5. True it is there have been others which have been so called and owned This the Apostle elswhere taketh notice of 1. Cor. 8. 5. There be Gods many and Lords many saith he viz. so called as he there explaines himselfe Such were the Gods of Baal to which the Apostle may be conceived there to allude all which were called by their masters name Bagnatim which signifieth Lords As Baal-Zebub Zebub Baal-Peor Baal-Berith Baal-Berozim and divers others These were the Heathens Lords which they worshipped and served as their Patrons and Protectors But these were all as the name of the first of them Baal-Zebub imparts Flye-Lords Mock-Lords not unlike some of those Lords which were wonte to be set up at this season of the yeare a strange honour to such a Master Lords of misrule as they were vulgarly but truly called Lords in name nothing less in truth In truth in the Church there is but one Lord In the Church I say In the common-wealth indeed there are many Lords and those not only Titular but Reall Thus we read of the Lords of the Philistines and of the King and his Lords Dan. 5. 10. Such are all Rulers and Governours who have Authoritie and dominion over the estates liberties lives of others But in the Church but one Lord which is Iesus Christ. So the Apostle there goeth on in that Text forenamed 1 Cor. 8. 6. Vnto us there is but one God One Lord Iesus Christ. Whatever there be to others to us Christians there is but one Lord One Mediatour There is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and men the man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. One Saviour Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. But one Sun One true Sun I mean sometimes indeed there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they call them half Suns appearing in the heavens which are nothing but reflections of the Sun shining upon some thick clouds And so there are false mediatours such as those which Romish superstition hath set up as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partners with Iesus Christ as sharing with him in the office of his Mediatourship But one true Sun and one true Mediatour both of Redemption and Intercession even the Lord Iesus who upon this account is fitly resembled by the Sun Sol quia solus 2. As the Sun is but one so it far exceedeth and excelleth all the other stars Exceedeth them in Quantity excelleth them in Quality In Quantity in the magnitude of the Body which is vast and great even beyond belief being as by the masters of the Astronomical science it is voted no less then one hundred and sixty times bigger then the whole Globe of the Earth and Sea and far exceeding any other of the Stars And so in Quality in the greatness of the light which is greater not onely then the light of any one star but of the Moon and all the stars being put together And such is the transcendency of Iesus Christ above all other creatures whether men or Angels All which he excelleth in dignity and power in majestie and glory To him is given that nomen super omne nomen that name above every name Phil. 2. 9. supereminent power transcendent glory and that above all creatures Yea even above those Angelical spirits which in themselves are glorious creatures yet compared with Jesus Christ they are but as stars to the Sun So the Apostle setteth forth his transcendency and preeminence Ephes. 20. 21. where speaking of the exaltation of Christ he sheweth how God the Father having raised him from the dead set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also that which is to come In the whole firmament of heaven no star to be compared with the Sun Among men and Angels in earth or heaven none to be compared with this Son of man the Lord Iesus 3. Again the Sun it is as it were Oculus mundi the Eye of the world seeing and beholding what is done upon earth As it were viewing all places and passages His going forth saith the Psalmist speaking of the Sun is from the end of the heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Psal. 19. 6. And therein is it a fit Embleme of Iesus Christ who whilest he keepeth his residence in heaven yet hath a universal inspection and oversight of all things here upon earth being absolutely omniscient taking notice of all persons in all places and of all their several transactions and actions I know thy works saith this Son of man to the Churches in the Chapters following And not onely their actions but their thoughts their counsels When he was upon earth he was able to look through the Breasts of men He needed not that any should testifie of man saith St Iohn for he knew what was in man John 2. last And elsewhere we read of his seeing and knowing the thoughts of men Matth. 9. 4. 12. 25. And this he still doth Like as the Sun looketh through the window and so as it were discovereth what is within doors which those that stand without take no notice of Even so doth the Lord Iesus he being as God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of hearts he looks into the most secret corners of them looking through whatever lattices whatever specious pretences their words or actions are glazed with taking notice of their most secret counsels and intentions seeing their thoughts yea before they arise in their hearts Thou understandest my thoughts a far of Psal 139. 2. This was the mystery of those fiery eyes of the Son of man in the verse before the Text. His eyes were as a flame of fire intimating the perspicacity and omniscience of the Lord Jesus 4. Yet again the Sun is an Emblem of Purity Being pure in it self and not capable of contracting any impurity from elsewhere Though the beams of it pass through the impurest channels yet they receive no taint but still retain their native purity And such was this Son of man the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his flesh He then passed through the womb of the Virgin which was not so pure as those that Idolatrize her would make it she being no more free from that Original contagion then others of the sons and daughters of Adam yet he received no tincture from it Whilest he partaked of her nature taking flesh from her yet he was free from the taint of that corruption which cleaved to her nature Thence called by the Angel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That holy thing that shall be born of thee Luke 1. 35. Such he was
them Therefore Watch. Ministers should be vigilant at all times knowing that that Roaring Lion is still walking about But when such Wolves and Foxes subtile and dangerous Seducers are abroad they had need then to look out sharp as the STARS heavens sentinels do in the dark of the night But I fear I have wearied your attentions with what I confess doth immediately concern but a few of this present Audience You have have heard what ones the Ministers of Christ ought to be But shall we now give way to an Enquiry Are the Ministers and Teachers in this our Church I mean the Church of England at this day such Such Stars Blessed be God such there are and that not a few But how many far otherwise Such as go for Stars being set in the firmament of the Church but are unworthy of that name having little light or if they have yet hiding it less zeal no purity but are rather like those spots in the Moon no small blemish in the Churches face I might go on But I have no pleasure in discovering of what I have here no opportunity to rectifie Besides these how many Meteors such as would be taken for Stars but are nothing less in truth Comets they are 1. Being first not set in the firmament of the Church ascending of themselves But meer Exhalations ascending of themselves and drawn up by some sinister respects of Honour or Profit or the like and fed with those earthly vapours I mean men taking this office upon themselves not being called thereunto by God not being set apart to the work whether Actually or yet Intentionally 2. Blazing-stars Such were the false Apostles in Saint Pauls time and such there are too many in ours Men who make a great glare a great shew and as Gamaliel once said of Theudas Acts 5. 36. they boast themselves to be some body no ordinary Teachers And thereupon they hold forth new and strange lights new and strange doctrines such as the world cannot but stand amazed at the beholding hearing of as much as in them lieth setting the Church on fire therewith By which means it cometh to pass that the truly Orthodox Ministers with their old light their old truths comes to be the less regarded and by some slighted Even as it is when there is a blazing-star flaming in the heavens the world stands at gaze at that all tcome out of their doors to look upon that whilest the true Stars in the mean time are little passed by without any observation 3. To these add in the third place Falling-stars Such are Comets they shine for a time and that it may be very brightly out-shining all the stars about them but in a little time having spent their stock of vapour they fall down to the earth from whence they came and thereby are discovered to be what they were not stars but Comets Quae cecidit stella non fuit Cometa fuit And such stars how many have we seen of late times falling-stars Time was when they shone and that brightly like Lucifers sons of the morning but now how are they fallen from heaven as the Prophet saith of the Babylonion Monarch and Empire Isaiah 14. 13 Fallen from their Principles Such a Star we read of Revel 9. 1. I saw a star fallen from heaven saith Saint Iohn which some understand of some eminent Minister of the Church who fell from the true Religion of God and turned Apostate And elsewhere he tels us of the Stars of heaven falling to the earth Revel 6. 13. Ministers falling from the truth into Errours And such stars how many have we seen or heard of Men sometime of special note in the Church shining like Stars in the firmament thereof But now are they fallen from heaven to earth I had almost said to Hell but I would be as charitable as I may hoping however desiring that God would give them repentance unto salvation that they remembring from whence they are fallen may repent and do their first works as the spirit counsels the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Revel 2. 5. fallen from the truth of God into dangerous desperate damnable Errours and Heresies some of them even denying the Lord that bought them as Saint Peter foretelleth it of some 2 Pet. 2. 1. Besides these how many fallen from their purity and how many from their zeal being with the Laodicean Angel grown remiss Luke-warme having lost their first love as the spirit chargeth it upon the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 4. 4. To these I might yet add many more Among other I take notice of one star which being fallen from heaven was a bitter star Of this you read Rev. 8. 10. 11. There fel a great Star from heaven and his name was called Wormewood Of whome that is there meant I shall not now stand to enquire which if I should I should finde it verie mysterious Verely I wish there were but one such a star to be found in this our Horizon But alass how many of this kind such as being fallen from their principles do now justly deserve that name to be called Wormwood as it is for the most part with Apostates having their spirits imbittered against the truthes of God and the wayes of God and the servants of God sometimes their fellow Brethren against whome they shoote their Arrowes even bitter words as David saith his Enemies did against him Psal. 64. 3. upon all occasions letting flye bitter Invectives against them And others there are who though they be not so fallen but may be looked upon as stars still yet they have too much of this Wormwood in them too much of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle speaketh of Iames. 3. 14. Bitter Zeale Which upon all occasions they are readie to express against their Brethren who differ from them though it be but in matters of lesser concernment Now surely this doth not favour of a truly Ministeriall spirit which should be as I have showne a spirit of gentleness and meekness Not a bitter spirit But I will not wearie you and my selfe in following of this Chase any further I shall rather now come to that which may be more usefull unto you And that shall be to shew you what your duty is in reference to these starres in reference to the true Ministers of Jesus Christ. Which take in three or foure particulars 1. Take notice of them as set over you by God So are the Stars and so are these Stars both set over you by the same hand And that both to a like end viz. to overlook you and to guide you To these ends are the Stars set over this inferiour world as Ouerseers and Guides to overlooke it and Governe it which in some sense they do Astra regunt homines And to a like end are the Ministers of God set over the Church as Overseers as Guides Overseers so Saint Paul calleth
to the estate of his soul. But the commandment coming the Law being brought home to his conscience now he died he felt this word as a sword wounding him to the heart giving a deadly wound to that his fals perswasion and making him to see himself a dead man in a state of sinne and death And such operation the Word hath upon all those whom God intendeth to manifest his grace upon They are in this sense first killed And then again the Body of sin is killed in them So as whilest they are dead as to themselves so they are also dead unto sinne as both Paul and Peter say of all regenerate persons Rom. 6. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. the Body of sinne having received a deadly wound in them which is also done by the Word which Iesus Christ maketh use of as his Sword to slay this old man with as his instrument in the mortifying of sinfull corruption And so again in quickning them in making them alive unto God and unto righteousnesse This is the able work of Jesus Christ who is the principall efficient in it The Sonne quickneth whom he will saith he of himself John 5. 21 But how doth he doe it why by his Voyce his Word So he explaineth himself verse 25. Verily I say unto you the houre is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that hear it shall live Thus did Christ quicken Lazarus body by his Voyce by his Word He cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth Iohn 11. 43 And thus shall he quicken the dead bodies of all men at the last day The houre is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his Voyce and shall come forth Iohn 5 28 His voice not the voyce of Christ himself immediately but of his Angel sounding the Trumpet at his command so the Apostle explains it 1 Thes 4 16 The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of an Arch-angel and the Trumpe of God The Archangel having received the watch word from Christ so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Grotius observes upon it is there rendred by Tertullian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in jussu he soundeth the Trumpet whereby they dead shall be raised from their graves And by alike means it is that dead souls are raised from the grave of sin by the voyce of Christ the trumpet of his word at his command sounded by the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Gospel Thus hath the word different and contrary operations as upon different so in and upon the same persons And upon this account it may fitly be represented as here it is by a two edged sword Thus you have seen the three first particulars moralized and opened unto you There is yet one behind which is no lesse considerable then any of the former And that is the sheathe from whence this sword is drawn which is here said to be the mouth of this Son of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword And so doth the word out of the mouth of Iesus Christ And that both Law and Gospel which are as I told you â—like the two edges of this sword Both these we shall find going out of the same mouth the mouth of Iesus Christ. So did the Law at Mount Sina He it was who there spake if not immediately by himself yet by his Angel This is he saith Stephen speaking of Moses who was with the Angel which spake to him in Mount Sina Act. 7 38. What Angel Why as it commonly looked upon the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Christ. This is he who then spake on earth as the Apostle hath it Heb. 12. 25. Whose voyce then shoke the earth as it followeth viz. at the giving of the Law Thus the Law came out of the mouth of Christ. And so doth the Gospel He it was that spake and by his Prophets under the Old Testament As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began saith Zacharias in his song Luk. 1. 70. It was not so much they as the Spirit of Christ in them which signified to them and by them what they foresaw and foretold as Saint Peter hath it 1 Pet. l. 11. And he it was that spake to and in and by his Apostles under the New Testament Paul blameth his Corinthians some of them for questioning seeking a proof of Christ speaking in him 2 Cor. 13. 3. And so he still speaketh in and by his Ministers who speaking in his name and delivering his mind are as it were his mouth Thou shalt be as my mouth saith the Lord to the Prophet Ieremy Jer. 15. 19. And thereupon it was that what the Prophets promised or threatned from God they tell the people the mouth of the Lord had spoken it Isai. 1. 26. 40. 5. c. viz. by them And as the Ministers of Christ are his mouth so the word spoken by them is his word the word of Christ. Let the word of Christ dwell in you saith the Apostle to his Collossians Col. 3. 16. And thus is this two edged sword said to go forth of the mouth of Iesus Christ. That which now remains is Application Which let it still be directed as the former first to Ministers then to People For the former Ministers Let them here see what sword it is that they are to make use of First But one sword It is looked upon as an impertinent Reply which some of the Apostles returned to their Lord and Master when notwithstanding what wars and weapons he had spoke to them of they tell him Ecce duo gladii Lord behold here are two swords Luk. 22. 38. And so much their masters reply imports who said unto them It is enough Thereby giving them to take notice that it was not bodily arms which he meant for so considering the enemies which they should have to encounter with many thousand swords had been too few But it was a wider Inference which that Bishop of Rome made from hence who laid this as a ground of that change which he made a double sword the Secular and Spiritual both to be welded by his hand This Son of man whose vicar that man of sin stiles himself shewing himself to Saint Iohn as the great Protector of the Churches appears but with one single sword Though a two edged sword yet but one sword Giving the Angels of the Churches his Ministers to take notice that they are to lay claime to no more But one sword And Secondly Let that be Gladius oris the sword of the mouth not of the hand not the secular sword leave that to the Magistrate into whose hand God hath put it But Spiritual Such are the weapons of their warfare as the Apostle will tell them 2 Cor. 10. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Take the Answere Affirmatively 1. Would wee see the face of Christ looke into the glass of the Gospel Here may we behold it both safely and clearly So may we behold the Sun which shining in his strength being excellens sensibile cannot be looked upon without indangering of the eye yet in a glass we may see it and that as I said both clearely and safely And thus behold we this Mysticall Sun the face of Iesus Christ in this glass the glass of the Gospel Here it was that Paul saith of himself and other beleevers of his time that they beheld this face 2 Cor. 3. last But we all with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord. And what Glass was this why the glass of the Gospell wherin Christians doe or may behold the glory of God shining in the face of Iesus Christ the glory of his mercy Iustice power goodness all manifested in by and through Christ And that with open face far more clearly then the Iewes did under the Lawe where this Mysterie of Christ was hid under the veile of Types and figures as the Arke was under its divers coverings And in this Glass behold we this Sun Here behold we the Mysterie of Iesus Christ as it is held forth unto us in the doctrine of the Gospel which acquaints us with his one Person two Natures three Offices His Incarnation Conception Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension sitting at the right hand of his father As also with the many and great benefits which he hath obtained for us as Redemtion Iustification Adoption Sanctification Glorification And withall shewing us the way and meanes whereby we may come to be made partakers of them so setting before us the whole mysterie of Christ which it doth most clearly and fully Insomuch that there is not a line as I may say in this face which is not here drawn forth to the life All of us then if we would have a view of the face of this Son of man looke into this Glass studie the doctrine of the Gospell the Hystorie the mysterie of it 2 Waite upon Christ in his ordinances When the Parents of our Saviour had sought him three dayes at length they found him in the Temple Luk. 2. 46. And here this Son of man sheweth his face in the midest of the Candlesticks Would we see the face of Iesus Christ seek him in his Ordinances in his publike worship and service Here is the face of Christ to be seene as I shewed you Seeke his face saith the Psalmist in that forecited Text Psal. 105. 4. Speaking of the Arke of the Covenant where God manifested his presence The like doth the Lord Iesus now in the midst of his Ordinances his Word his Sacraments There doth Christ shew his face unto his people communicating himselfe to them that seeke him in a gratious manner Here then seek we his face and that as the Psalmist there hath it Evermore Being constant in this our attendance upon the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. That so we may see him see him in his Sanctuary as David saith he did Psal. 63. 1 2. O God thou aâ—t my God early will I seeke thee My soule thirsteth for thee c. To see thy power and thy glorie so as I have seene thee in the Sanctuarie Here had David seene more of God then elswhere in his Sanctuary in his Ordinances And would we have a sight of Iesus Christ so as to see his face seeke it in his Sanctuarie in his Ordinances Where content not our selves to heare of him but labour to see him with our owne eyes Yea to feele him 2. That is the second Particular So seeke the face of Jesus Christ that we may feele it or feele of it Not contenting our selves with a bare simple intuition a mere speculative knowledg of Iesus Christ but labour also for an Experimentall knowledg of him This is that superexcellent knowledg which the Apostle speaketh of Phil. 3. 8. I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus Tò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that knowledg of Christ which is most excellent And what knowledg was that why not meerly a Contemplative but an Experimentall knowledg So he explains himselfe in the tenth verse That I may know him and the power of his resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not onely to know by what power it was that Christ was raised from the dead as Grotius there so dilately expounds it but to know it in an experimentall way to feele the power and vertue of Christs Resurrection working the like effect in and upon himselfe in raising up him from the death of sin to the life of Grace here and Glory hereafter This is the Excellent knowledg of Iesus Christ. And this let every of us looke after Not contenting our selves with the bare beholding of this Sun to see the glare and shine of it but labour to feele that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that strength that vertue wherewith it shineth To finde and feele Iesus Christ unto us unto our soules as the Sun is to the Earth To finde and feele his gratious and efficacious presence with us putting forth his power and vertue in us exercising the like Operations upon us that the Sun doth upon the Earth What those operations are I have alreadie showen you Let me now reflect upon them minding you of them againe Exhorting you to endeavour to find and feele every of them in and upon your own soules 1. The first is Illummination Inlightning This was the Alpha the first worke in the first Creation God said let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. 3. And so it is in the second the new Creation New creatures must have a new light Upon the account whereof they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons or Children of light Luk 16. 8. 1. Thes. 5. 5. Having beene somtimes darkness now they are light in the Lord. Eph. 58. Being called out of darkness into a marveilous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. And see that every of you be such Being coâ—vinced what by nature you are not onely darke but even darkeness it selfe wholy in the darke as to what concerneth your eternall happiness seeke after a new light that you may be inlightned that you may see a light shine forth unto you This was the preparative to Peters inlargment The Angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison Act. 12. 7. And so it was to Paules Conversion There shinned round about him a light from heaven Act. 9. 3. And the like course God taketh with all those whom he hath a gratious purpose towards to set them at libertie from the Captivity of Sin and Satan and to bring them home unto himselfe he causeth a light to shine forth unto them a light from heaven I meane a supernaturall light revealing and making known to them that which