Againe Dost thou repent unfeignedly of all thy sins and transgressions be of good comfort the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah will have mercy upon thee They say if the Lyonnesse defile her selfe and commit adultery with the Libbard the Lyon will not accompany with her suddenly but if she go and wash her in the water the Lyon will receive her again So the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Hast thou defiled thy self with sin look that Christ shall stand aloofe off till thou wash thy selfe in a bath of penitentiall teares and then he will receive thee to Communion again Wash you therefore and make you clean repent and be converted and your sins shall be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Act. 3. 19. Solomon tells us that a living Dog is better then a dead Lyon But I say unto you my Beloved that a dead Lyon is better then all the World besides Christ crucified is this dead Lyon unspeakable are the Consolations that spring out of the dead Tree of the Crosse Here is Sampsons Riddle declared Out of the Eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetnesse what is sweeter then honey and what is stronger then a Lyon Judic 14. 14. 18. Christ crucified is sweet Christ crucified is sweet Christ crucified is sweetest of all Thus have you heard the Trumpet sounded The rare Sight hath also been presented to your view And by this time verily you think it is high time that I should dismisse you I will have done by and by yet I must take a little liberty more As the Trumpet sounded when this glorious Shew was first brought in so now at the close I sound the Trumpet once more Behold behold behold I come to that which hath been my designe and which I have driven at all this while viz. To exhalt Jesus Christ Here in my Preaching I lift up an Ensigne to the people I lift up the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in this Standard And I if I be lifted up from the earth saith Christ will draw all men unto me I lift up the Lion of the Tribe of Judah before you that I may draw all your eyes and all your hearts to him Eye Christ know Christ gaze continually upon Christ and why for this end that you may be drawn to love admire and adore the Lord Jesus Christ My Beloved My heart is inditing of a good matter I will speak the things which I have made touching the King I will sound forth the Praises of the King of Christ the blessed King of his Church Thou art fairer oh King then the Children of men grace is powered into thy lips Thou art full of Majesty truth meeknesse and righteousnesse all thy Garments smell of Myrhe and Aloes and Cassia Jesus Christ is the chiefest among ten thousand He is the GOLDEN LYON His head is like the most fine Gold his Locks are bushy So is the Noblenesse generousnesse and statelinesse of the Lyon discovered by his shaggy haire covering his head neck and shoulders His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely The tongues of men and Angels cannot expresse the excellency of Jesus Christ in himselfe therefore love admire adore him Yet eye him a little further and behold what he is relatively in relation to us and then you will see much more to endeare you to him Behold he is not onely a Prophet but your Prophet not onely a Priest but your Priest Not onely a King but your King Behold your King And what is he to you what Rejoice oh daughter of Zion Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation He brings Salvation along with him for thee if thou beleive in him and receive him He is our Mediator our Redeemer our Saviour He hath called us with a holy calling out of the Kingdome of darknesse into his holy and heavenly Kingdome He hath given us divine Lawes and rules us with the Scepter of the Gospell and with his holy Spirit He is the Cloud and the defence of his Church A shelter to it against all Enemies spirituall and corporall He will utterly subdue all the Enemies of the Church of his people and he will certainly glorifie them and receive them into an everlasting Communion with himselfe and make them all Kings O then let Christ be precious to you all beleive in him love him honour and reverence him This is my aime the Lord give me the desire of my heart herein to kindle in all your hearts a greater flame of love to the Lord Jesus Christ Antoninus Caracalla Rom. Imp. had a Lyon to which he gave an honourable name he nourished it and doted on it He would not onely kisse his Lyon in publick but he did admit it to his Table and his Bed yet doubtlesse his Lyon was not without his stinking breath and deformities How much more should you set your hearts on the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah whose mouth is most sweet and who is altogether lovely I will do but one thing more The chiefe Magistrate hath had his Shield Now I will give to every one in the Assembly an Escoucheon a Coat of Armes That you may behold it afterwards and view it for ever Ever gaze upon it to engage your hearts more and more to Jesus Christ I will give you the Armes of Iudah The Beleiver must beare Mars that is red The charge must be a Lyon Sol that is Gold The Sun of Righteousnesse is the Golden Lyon in a red field a field of blood To speak plain English the Beleiver must ever beare in his heart the memory of Christ crucified But as for the posture of the Lyon in your Banner or Shield Let me tell you the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah hath gone through all postures for your sakes for your Salvation He was conceived in the Womb of the blessed Virgin Then he was a Lyon Latent She brought forth her first-born Son Christ in his Birth was a Lyon Issuant In his whole life he was a Lyon Salient Behold he cometh leaping upon the Mountaines skipping upon the Hils Cant. 2. 8. It was his meat and drink to do his Fathers will and to finish the work of our Salvation He was a man of sorrowes persecuted and pursued and when he was chased he was a Lyon Passant he went on and turned not his head a side for any In his Propheticall Office he is a Lyon Rugient he roares in the Preaching of the Gospell In his Priestly Office upon the Crosse he was a Lyon Combatant he encountred the Enemies of our Salvation He spoyled Principalities and Powers he made a shew openly triumphing over them in his Crosse He was laid in the Grave there he was a Lyon Dormant quiescent yea to speak properly in the Grave he was a Lyon Couchant when hee had conquered hee laid down and rested by the Prey
is sent out of the bosome of his Father unto men to open the Book Revel 5. 7. 9. to declare and make knowne the secret counsell and will of God concerning the great work of redemption what a new contract is drawne up between the Father and the Son what Jesus Christ hath done for man how he hath satisfied his debt which he was not able to pay and how God hath accepted of it for all those that do beleeve in him The summ of which negotiation you have John 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son i. e. beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 2. As a King To impute and apply that great benefit of Redemption to man and to make it effectuall And to accomplish this he must be a Lyon he must be a King and that for these causes 1. To gaine and gather his Kingdome To gaine them first into the Kingdome of grace and at last to gather them into the Kingdome of glory Now to effect this he must be a Lyon a potent King for he must conquer before he can raigne yea he must make a double conquest 1. Hee must conquer his subjects he finds them all Enemies at first all Rebels it is truely sayd of all the Children of Adam This people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart Now these rebellious hearts Christ must subdue and bring into subjection making them a beleeving a loving a willing people Christ cannot gaine a Subject into his Kingdome but he must first conquer 2. He also must conquer another Lyon the Enemy-Lyon he is described by Saint Peter Epist 1. chap. 5. Vers 8. Your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour In the pawes of this Lyon are all men and women in the World by nature The Prince of the power of the ayre that evill Spirit worketh in the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah must conquer that roaring Lyon the Devill before hee can gather a Kingdome and raigne Quest But how doth he conquer the Devill how doth he conquer his Subjects Answ Hee conquerd the Devill as he was God by force and might by his infinite power As man and Mediator hee conquered him by his blood by the merit and efficacy of his passion He took part of our flesh and blood that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. Hee spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly tryumphing over them in it that is in or upon his Crosse Col. 2. 15. Faith seeth Christ upon the Crosse as sitting in a tryumphall Chariot Duo saith Origen in cruce affixi intelliguntur Christus visibiliter sponte sua ad tempus Diabolus invisibiliter invitus in perpetuum Hee conquers the rebellious hearts of his Subjects and gathers together into one Kingdome the Children of God that were scattered abroad by his voice Scepter and Sword By his voice The Lyonesse as the learned write brings forth her Whelps dead and so they continue three dayes then the other Lyon doth set out his voice and roar over them and then they revive and live Christ is the Lyon his people are his Whelps They are all still-borne Dead in trespasses and sinnes Christ lifts up his voice and roares in the Preaching of the Gospel by which he recovers the life of his people Verily verily I say unto you saith our blessed Saviour Joh. 5. 25. The houre is coming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live By his Sceptor And that is the same even the Preaching of the Gospell Psal 110. 2. The Lord shall send the Rod or the Scepter of thy strength that is the Ministry of the Gospel out of Zion and by it thou shalt rule in the middest of thine Enemies Those that were enemies by that spirituall Scepter thou shalt make them loving Subjects and a willing people vers 3. By his Sword And that 's the same still the Preaching of the Gospell This is the sharpe two-edged Sword that went out of Christs mouth Revel 1. 16. this is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged Sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit joynts and marrow This is the two-edged Sword in the hand of the Saints which binds Heathen Kings in Chaines and Nobles in fetters of Iron That is the Gospel brings Heathen Princes and people into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ This is that Sword of the spirit even the Word of God spoken of by Saint Paul And there you have the consummation of the conquest Yes when the spirit seconds the Word when the holy Ghost carries it home to the heart Thus the Lyon the King the Lord Jesus Christ conquers thus he calls his subjects together into one Kingdome by the Word outwardly Preached to the eare and by the spirit effectually working upon the heart moving and sweetly perswading it to obey the calling of Christ 2. Christ must be a Lyon a King to governe his subjects his Church Without Government no Society can stand when there was no King in Israel every man did what seemed good in his owne eyes and all things went to wrack Christ must be a King to give Lawes So Christ There is one Lawgiver even this Lyon and to rule so Christ he rules in the hearts of his people and governs them by his spirit They are led by the spirit of God as many as are the sons of God Judah that is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah is his Lawgiver And he doth not onely give Lawes but that which no King nor Potentate else in the World can do he puts his Law in their inward parts and writes it in their hearts Jer. 31. 33. 3. Christ must of necessity be a Lyon a King to protect and defend his Church people subjects The Lyon will stand to the defence of his young ones even to the death and having the prey in his paw the more any offer to take it from him the faster he holds it So the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Kingdome of Christ is ever beset with Enemies The Heathen rage the people conspire the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed against his Christ They have not onely flesh and blood but Principalities and Powers also the Rulers of the darknesse of this World and spirituall wickednesse in high places to wrestle withall And therefore without a strong Protector this kingdome would soone be dissolved and layd desolate Now the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the Lord Jesus
28. 1. 6. There be three things which go well yea foure which are comely in going The Lyon is the first and chiefest of them The Lyon hath a stately gate majesticall orderly and resolute he turnes not aside his head for the greatest that he meets not for the vast Elephant he will dye before he will degenerat into a disorderly pace And herein give me leave to exhort you to walke as the Lyon walkes How is that First in regard of your whole Conversation let your going be stately not with proud phantasticall affectation but humbly an humble gate is a stately gate soberly holily with all Gravity walk as the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah be you holy as he is holy Only saith Saint Paul Let your Conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ Take heed that you do no uncomely thing that you set not a step awry Have a sutable carriage and deportment both to the profession of Christianity and also to your place of Eminency Will it become a chiefe Magistrate to walke with vaine Persons to walke to scandalous houses to walke on in any sinne When one profer'd unto Scipio a beautifull Harlot he said to him Vellem si non essem Imperator were I not a Governour I would Let all that are before me this day take forth this Lesson let your Conversation be such as becomes the Gospell of Christ move in a higher Sphere then the men of the World Let your Conversation be in Heaven Walk like Angels They went every one strait forward whether the Spirit was to go they went Remember you are Kings Christ hath made us so Then let your going be King-like A King may be known by his Majesticall gate and deportment What manner of men were they said Gideon to Zebah and Zalmunna whom yee slew at Tabor And they answered as thou art so were they each one resembled the Children of a King Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think of these things And as I call upon you to walk as the Lyon stately gravely and holily in your whole course of life So let me exhort you without offence more particularly to walk as Lyons even in regard of outward state and pomp The Lyon is the King of Beasts and is of a comely and stately presence adorned with shaggy locks bushy haire a golden and bright shining Mane which crownes his head and as Robes do cloath his neck back shoulders and legs and truely the Lyon would be a great deale more contemptible if he were barbe'rd and shaven I say be Lyons Keep your haire and skin maintain your power and state and the Ensignes of your Authority King Agrippa came to the Judgment Seat with great Pomp. And there is good use of these trappings to the common people Ad populum phaleras These procure some reverence awe and terrour in the people And I do the rather insist upon this because I see there is an Anabaptisticall Enthusiasticall levelling Generation start up who attempt very subtlely Leonem radere to barb and shave the Lyon to overthrow all Magistracy And they do not go about directly but slily and with wiles They would perswade you at first only to lay aside your Robes and your Solemnities as either being superstitious or else not agreeable to the simplicity of the Gospell Have you not lately been preached out of your Scarlet Gownes and have you not very obediently left them off many times Do they not inveigh against all manner of Solemnity upon this very day of Inauguration well what will the end be If they can but once shave off the Lyons majestick haire and flay of his skin it wil be a poor contemptible Carkass that is left I dare say though outward state and Pomp be but a Complement yet take that quite away and the very Magistracy will soone follow Maintain your State and Power It is observable in the Lyon that when he walkes upon stony rocky and rough places that he contracts and pulls up his Tallons to preserve them for if they should be broken he could never after seize upon his Prey Your Power and the Ensignes of your Authority are your Tallons be carefull to preserve them else evill doers will contemne you and you will never be able to give them so much as a scratch 7. Know where your strength lyeth The Lyons strength is in his head and in his breast chiefly And there lyeth your strength a good head and a good heart make a good Magistrate Labour therefore for a good head for knowledge and a good understanding Hearken to the word of the Lord This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayst observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good successe And above all labour to have a good heart an honest heart a sanctified heart an obedient heart Such a heart as David had even an heart according to Gods own heart Which that you may attain unto do as Solomon did pray pray Go unto the Lord and say And now oh Lord my God I thy Servant am in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen a great people Give therefore thy Servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad For who is able to judge this thy so great a people 1 Kin. 3. 8. 9. Beare away with you these few words of Exhortation and that you may the better remember them I shall present all before your eies in a little Embleme I am Gods Herauld and I wil give you a Coat of Armes an Escoucheon which if you will own you will shew your selfe a generous Lyon You shall beare not Or or argent No no you must not be carried away with Silver or Gold or such earthly and transitory things but you shall beare Azure blew caelestiall Have your Conversation in Heaven Let your charge be a Lyon Now as for the posture of your Lyon I have spent some serious thoughts It must not be a Lyon dormant I beseech you do not sleep neither at the Church nor on the Bench. It were a shame to have it either crouchant or fugient Never yet was seen such a Coat as a Lyon current To flee is a reproach do not flee away do not turn your back on Gods truth on Gods cause and Gods people and all for cowardly feare stand to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to the last drop of blood Neither should the Lyon be over rampant Rampant sheweth his gesture in seizing on the Prey The Prey that a Magistrate pursueth are evill doers Pursue this Prey be rampant but
of the holy And for this he weeps and laments But heare what the Elder saith Weep not behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open the Booke and to loose the seven Seales thereof The Lord Jesus Christ is appointed of God to reveale the decree the whole will and counsell of God concerning mans Salvation He is made unto us wisdome 1 Cor. 1 30. No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father hee hath declared him John 1. 18. There followed great joy Songs and Musick in Heaven when the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had taken the Book and undertaken to open it Consol 3. Against all our spirituall Enemies the Enemies of our Salvation Sin Death the Devill The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vicit hee hath overcome and prevailed He hath vanquished Death Hell and all the power of the Adversary The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah hath spoyled the roaring Lyon that walketh about seeking to devoure us He overcame in dying and so obtained high Dignity and became Lord of all Now he coucheth as a Lyon and none can drive him from his Prey which he caught out of the Dragons Pawes Saint Paul is Herauld to the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah proclaimes his Victory and declares him Conquerour with a word of triumph and solemnity Death is swallowed up in Victory Oh death where is thy Sting Oh Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us Victory through our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 54 55 56 57. All the strength of death and the Devill was from sin but Christ hath taken that quite away Here in this verse Iohn heares of Christ as a Lyon but in the next verse he seeth him as a Lamb slain sacrificed and he is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Ioh. 1. 29. He made peace by the blood of his Crosse Consol 4. Against Defects wants of righteousnesse Alas saith the poor Creature without holinesse no man shall see the Lord And I have no righteousnesse or at least very imperfect none that will justifie It is true Christian if thou speakst of thine own righteousnesse inherent and actuall it s at the best but as a short Garment and a spotted Cloath Woe be to them that have no other Robe to cover them But look up and behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah He hath a Golden Skin to cover thee withall I will tell you a peece of Herauldry There are used in Armes Colours and Furres Furres are the Skins of certain Beasts stripped from their bodies and artificially trimmed for adorning of Garments for Kings and great men The Lyon is Iudahs Armes The Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah is the Churches Ensigne and Shield Jesus Christ will give thee Colours and Furres Colours he will make the white by encreasing in the more and more the grace of Sanctification And he hath Furres for thee too his own Skin his own Righteousnesse to cover thee to justifie thee withall Jesus Christ is made unto us Righteousnesse and Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. Hast thou nothing in thy selfe there is enough in Christ Consol 5. Against all afflictions and troubles that the Children of God meet withall here Poverty Persecution and the like Art thou in great streights Yes perhaps thou will say but alas I cannot pray yet bee of good comfort Jesus Christ at the right hand of his Father doth pray and make continuall Intercession for thee He is of the Tribe of Judah And you know that Judah was an Intercessor for his Brother Iudah said oh do not slay our Brother And herein a Type of Christ The Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah making continuall intercession for his Brethren Art thou poore and knowest not where to get bread Jesus Christ is thy King and he is a Lyon and will teare in peeces enough for his whelps and distribute it to his hungry ones Do thy afflictions and troubles continue it is but for a time it can be no longer then this transitory life continueth and then Christ will glorifie thee he will give you the Kingdome Here you have had great consolation from Christs Kingly Office against the implacable Enemies of the Church against blindnesse and ignorance against all Spirituall Adversaries of our Salvation Sin Death the Devill against wanâ—s and defects of righteousnesse against all afflictions and miseries of this life Ob. But haply some will say is Christ able and willing to do all this for his people Answ To this I answer and that shall be Consol 6. He is able to do it for he is a Lyon The strongest The Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty He is also willing for this end he was sent and for this purpose he took our Nature and came into the World he is our bone and our flesh The Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah our Kinsman our Brother our Husband Ob. But alas will some poor Christians say all these things may belong to others but we are not qualified we are not prepared and therefore not capable of these great Prerogatives Answ To this I shall answer with a Caution with a limitation The Consolation doth not belong to all onely to the Lyons whelps onely to the Tribe of Judah onely to such are true and faithfull Subjects of the Lyon of the King Christ Jesus And who are they I will tell you shortly such as beleive and repent and this I shall add as a seventh Consolation Dost thou beleive in the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in Jesus Christ be of good comfort Sin and Satan shall never hurt thee To him to the Lord Jesus Christ give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleiveth in him shall receive remission of sins Act. 10. 43. Pliny writes that if any one be annointed with the blood of a Lyon or the fat the bitings of no venomous Creature can hurt him If thy Soule be annointed with the blood of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah sin cannot sting thee and the bitings of the old Serpent cannot harm thee Dost thou finde wants and defects in thine own righteousnesse yet dost thou beleive in the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Be of good comfort he hath Righteousness enough to justifie thee I read that Garments wrapt up in the Golden Skin of the Lyon are safe from Moths Art thou by faith wrapt up in the glorious Robe of Christs Righteousnesse Be of good comfort the Moths and defects of thy Sanctification shall not prejudice thy justification for thou shalt stand before the Judge of all the World Not having thine own Righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3. 9.