no further is the Mercy-seat of Jesus Christ set up amongst us for they are made and beaten out of it and of no other matter both the one and the other of the same pure gold beaten so with the hammer as to leave neither excellencie of a creature nor misery of a creature to be found in them nor can the lively Oracle or that word of life be uttered so as to give life but only from between them r Exod. 25. 21 22. that is from between the life and death or from within the Priestly Kingdome Numb 7. 89. and the Kingly Priesthood of our Lord Jesus the one consuming all the glory of the creature by the brightnesse and splendent glory of that pure word of God descending into it the other destroying all the misery and frailty of the creature by taking it into the dignity and blessing of that word of God and out of that infirmity to magnifie its power and Princely authority for ever And this honour have all his Saints Praise yee the Lord s Psal 149. whole Psalm Therefore it is That the Rod is sent out of Zion the Hebrew word Shebet signifies Rod Staffe Scepter or Tribe The signification of the word Zion is in this place to be noted also which is by interpretation Dust or Drinesse noting the infirmity of mans nature and impossibility in respect of any thing that is in man to be fruitfull multiply or increase in the things of God yet even out of that doth our Lord spring and exercise his Scepter and power of his Kingdome t Isa 53. 2. so that when the Kingdome and Dominion of Christ is prosiphesied of u Isa 11. 10. he is said to be a Root of Jesse not mentioning the House of David a King but the Family of Jesse out of which it was so unlike that ever a King should come when as he of whom he came was but a follower of the Ewes in it x Psa 78. 70 71. yea the Ewes great with young whereby hee is subjected to such Offices in their bringing forth which are below the spirit of a man from such a condition is he raised up to be the feeder of his people Israel yea to be the head of the Heathen and Lord of all the earth y Psal 18. 43 44. Psa 2. 8 9. Ier. 10. 7. And in the exaltation of his Kingdome when the songs of Salvation are heard in all the earth it is said Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee z Isa 12. 6. The word Inhabitant there used is in the Feminine Gender Inhabitresse as being in regard of our nature but a weak and fraile woman even then when the Lord appeares so mighty in it and dwelles in the midst of her even as a man when he is at home in his own dwelling-place manifests all his power wisdome and authority which he doth not amongst strangers The Rod or Scepter therefore of Gods Princely power authority springs only out of mans weaknesse and insufficiency yea this Staffe or Rod that buddeth a Num. 17. 8. and this Stock or Tribe that multiplies it selfe as fishes mulitiply without diminution b Gen. 49. 22. hath no other predecessor or progenitor but onely mans basenesse and infirmity to bring him forth insomuch that the Honour Riches Gen. 48. 16. or Power of Man shall never bring it forth But arising out of mans debility and infirmity so it becomes a sent Rod being there is no power nor ability in the creature to produce it God must needs be the Authour of it And it is sent from as great a distance as is between heaven and earth c Isa 55. 8. to 13. So as God is the Author of it onely and doth authorize it in its work therefore it is said to be Thy Rod implying that he is the owner of it and will acknowledge it in its work to be of and from him alone yea it is said to bee The Rod or Government of his Power And therefore though many may strive against it yet none can be able to prevaile yea though many Archers shoot at him yet shall his Bow abide in strength and the Armes of his hands are made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Iacob And thence is the Feeder or Shepheard the Stone of Israel d Gen. 49. 23 24. Therefore he saith in adding the next words Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies What then are the onely enemies of the Throne Dominion Dignity and Glory of a King But weaknesse being void of strength shame being yeid of honour and respect poverty being void of wealth and riches and folly being void of wisdome and Councell and in the midst of these or as the word signifies in the heart of these doth our Lord and King Christ Rule and Reigne for he becomes or makes himselfe powerfull and able to save to the uttermost through our weaknesse e Heb. 7. 25 in which we come unto God else can never be joyned to the Lord to be one spirit with him f 1 Cor. 6. 17. for he being a God that heareth Prayer that is hath all sufficiencie in himself to supply therefore all flesh comes unto him the meaning is we bring nothing but weaknesse to him that he may be all in all g Psal 65. 2 1 Cor. 15. 28. yea he is made honourable and renowned through our shame and nakednesse he is rich in Salvation through our poverty and is made wisdome and Councel through our ignorance and folly yea he is made puts on immortality through our mortality h 1 Cor. 15. 53. 54. becomes incorruptible through our Corruptible condition for whatsoever the Sonne of God is he is made to be such a one i 1 Cor. 1. 30. which cannot bee Gal. 4. 4. but with respect unto man and that onely as he in himselfe is miserable and wretched in all points whasoever otherwise Christ should be made excellent by the glory of a Creature which the Sonne of God cannot admit that the Creature should ad unto his Excellency in the least degree k Iob. 22. 2. 3. 4. The Creature therefore in this way of Christ onely gives demention unto emencities which otherwise could not appeare yea it seemes height depth length and breadth unto that which without it cannot admit of any such thing and so could not be knowne admired or worshipped by the creature at all l Rom. 11. 32. to 36. Ephes 3. 16 17 18 19. and hence he is made manifest to be the Sonne of God by being life from death becoming the Lord our righteous m Ier. 23. 6. by being made sin in us n 2 Cor. 5. 21. yea the blessednesse of the Father to us by being made a curse in us or wee the blessed of God in him by his becoming a curse in us
Leviathan is broken then is Israel Gods first-borne even his onely son called out of Egypt c Hos 11. 1. for then Herod is dead d Mat. 2. 19 20. who gloriously and victoriously cometh up out of the red Sea or as the word is rightly rendred according to the Hebrew phrase out of Edomes Sea that is out of all blood and wrathfull displeasure or Esau that first-borne after the flesh whatsoever e Exod. 15. 4 22. who then appeared and plaid his part in Pharoah and after had the same name given unto him that is given to this raging Sea * Gen. 25. 30. Gen. 36. 1. which swallowed up Pharoah and all his host but delivered Israel Selah Yea when the curse appeares signified by those customes of the Law when Christ was brought into the Temple to have them performed upon him f Luke 2. 27 to 32. shewing thereby that he was made a curse for us even then doth the promised seed the child Jesus appear also and then sing old Simeon and Hanna the Prophetesse with great satisfaction and consolation g Luk. 2. 34 to 38. yea the Angells and all those heavenly Armies sing and rejoyce exceedingly when the curse and the blessing sin and righteousnesse meet and are brought together in that Child Jesus that only begotten of God in the world h Luke 2. 13 14. Iohn 3. 16. for then is sin devoured and swallowed up i 1 Cor. 15. 54 55 56 57. and righteousnesse sheweth forth her pleasant face from on high k Psal 85. 10 11 12 13 yea then is the curse turned into blessednesse it selfe which looseth and setteth at liberty all hearts and tongues to rejoyce and sing l Luke 4. 18 19. but the wisdome of man not reaching the nature and extent of the curse can never finde out nor tast of the blessing not knowing the way of sin he can never know the way of righteousnesse these two then namely the wisdome of the flesh and the wisdome of the spirit are those two great roots from which all the severall branches of life as also of death do spring even those two great parents that bring forth all the world divided into two sorts namely the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent m Gen. 3. 15 and yet neither produceth his generation but with respect unto both for the wisdome of God bringing sin and righteousnesse together there is nothing but righteousnesse and peace kissing each other n Psal 85. 10. Rom. 2. 10. rejoycing the heart of him in whom they are o Psal 32. 11. but the wisdome of man bringing sinne and righteousnesse together there is nothing but sin and death at an utter variance troubling and tormenting the heart of him in whom they are p Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 2. 8 9. Gen. 4. 6 13 14. and according to these two roots and generations is the act of our Lord in his way of Judgement and Government exercised in that it is said that he fills up with ruines for there is a fulnesse of sin in that man of sin q Gen. 15. 16. who is composed of nothing else which filling up is by nothing else but by the ruine and destruction of the Son of God in that man in whom no life nor spirit nor power of Christ appeareth for his filling up is the desolation and laying of himselfe wast of all heavenly vertues and excellencies that come from God and are of him r Heb. 6. 6. Gen. 6. 5. there is also a filling up or fulnesse of righteousnesse in that Son of God which is by the ruine and destruction of all sinne and wickednesse in that man of God or righteous man Jesus Christ Å¿ Col. 1. 19. Col. 2. 9. Eph. 2. 15. 16. who cleanseth and purifieth himselfe of all guilt stain pollution or filthinesse of the flesh whatsoever that is and cometh of the Devill in whom Satan finds nothing of himselfe t Heb. 9. 14 1 Pet. 1. 19. Ioh. 14. 30. and therefore can lay no claime nor title to him at all for he never found any thing in him nor ever shall so that here is a fulnesse also or filling up by an utter ruine and desolation of the Devill the world sin the workes of the flesh and all carnall Commandements whatsoever u Col. 2. 14 15 16. Col. 2. 20 21 22 23. Observe here therefore that sinne and righteousnesse are manifested in their fulnesse no other way but in the utter ruin and destruction of each other in whomsoever the one or the other dwelleth and that out of that one act or great worke of God in the creation of mankind the one in that way of the fall made manifest in that first man the other in the way of the resurrection declared and made manifest in Jesus Christ we are to consider therefore that sinne and righteousnesse are neither of them any created thing yet both of them made manifest by generation in which generation that which is eternal in it selfe becomes temporary through or in another and that which is temporary in it selfe becomes eternall in or by another sin is no created thing for God made all things good yea vehemently good as the word is and even so was that workmanship of mankind created in Adam in whom was both the wisdome of a creature being made of the earth x Gen. 2. 7. as also the wisdome of God in whose Image he was likewise made y Gen 1. 27. Now this worke of God in the wisdome and understanding of a creature was able to judge of and find out the nature of any creature over whom hee was set as Lord z Gen. 2. 19 20 23. and therefore their names were as the man called them who knew the nature of them and for whom they were created a Gen. 1. 29 30. but amonst them all he finds not a help proportionable unto himselfe b Gen. 2. 20. and therefore consulting with God in this temporary and created wisdome and measuring himselfe with God as he had done with all the workes of Gods hand besides that workmanship of himselfe in whom the woman was c Gen. 2. 21. 22. Gen. 5. 1 2. falls infinitely short of holding proportion with God even as the rest of the creatures fell short of holding proportion with himselfe and hereby degenerating from God propagates and begets sin wrath death and hell in his soule and thereby becomes a sonne of death and perdition d Ioh. 17. 12 1 Tim. 6. 9. 2 Thes 2 3. made and filled up by the ruine and destruction of that Image of God in himselfe in which he was so happily made and generates and begets sinne in himselfe as he is a creature no other way but through that righteousnesse and holinesse that is in his Creator that being the occasion as hath been said but no proper cause at all no not in the least so that
wee are it in him and not in our selves So that the doctrine and profession of the world in this point takes away and destroyes unto men the very vertue authoritie and extent of the royall Priesthood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Yea all things of this nature are the onely enemies of this Royalty dignity that is in the Priesthood of Christ and therefore must all be made the footstoole of his feet otherwise he hath not the honour of the right hand of God given unto him For so far as we lift up these as helps and furtherances in the House of God as beautifull and comely in the House of God considered either in our selves or among a multitude so farre we pull this Kingly Priest from the Majesty of his Throne For he were not a Priest if he were on the earth q Heb. 8. 4. that is in that way of the order of Aaron For no Priest suiting with the wisdome of men in their administrations can exercise the authority of this Lord for so they cannot be Priests but by maintaining the workes and wisdome of the flesh so they are enemies to this sacred order and ordinance of God For every such Priest though he should not so far carnalize the Cospel as to uphold the civill Magistrate to be the defence of his Ministery in the Church by the civill Sword as the hypocrites ever doe for they will take up no Tabernacle but the Tabernacle of Moloch and beare the Booth of the Kings r Acts 7 yet he must of necessity maintain his own place to be a condition and state separate and divers from the place office and state of the rest of his brethren which is to maintaine the flesh in upholding the dignity of one man above or beyond another in the House of God which the Kingdome of God admits not of for they are either all Kings and Priests unto God s Rev. 1. 18 and all heires coheires and first born in Christ t Rom. 8. 16 17 Or else not at all of that Kingly Priesthood for if Jesus Christ had made himselfe a person or subsistence separate or divers in any respect from the rest of his brethren u Hebr. 2. 11. 14. v. 17. 18. Heb. 4. 15. we had never been saved for to retain in or to himselfe any part of his excellency in to retain and keep back all even as if we should retain any part of our sin that Christ tooke not upon him it were enough to lay the whole displeasure of God upon us for ever for his seamlesse Coat cannot be divided x Joh. 19. 23 24. And he that is guilty of the breach of one of the Commandements he is guilty of the breach of all y James 2. 9 10 11 12. No that single simplicity of his divine Being cannot be given or kept back in part Therefore the more curiously man worketh to adorn himself before God with ny temporary thing whatsoever the more diligently he labours to draw the veile over the Holy Place that neither himselfe not others can enter z 2 Cor. 3. 14 11. Whither the fore-runner is gone and is already entred for us a Heb. 6. 9. 10. And so long as he holds the place into which he is entred and keeps that Throne of Majesty whereon he is said to sit to note unto us the duration of it b Heb. 1. 3. So long shall all mans abilities and excellencies be made the footstoole of his feet that is the basest things that are therefore never to be presented before him in any way of his worship c Isa 66. or in any submission or obedience unto him For all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloath d Isa 64. 6. And as the â—arly dew that passeth away e Hos 6. 4. therefore is that word untill brought in to denote the everlasting condition of mans abasement in respect of any excellencies of his owne before God Vntill That is alwayes or for ever as it was said of Micol that the should not have a child untill the day of her death 2 Sam. 6. 23. that is should be childlesse for everf. Or as the word will beare so long that is to say so long as Christ sits upon the throne of Majesty so long shall mans abilities and excellencies be debased and brought to nought before him The dignity and Lordship therefore of our High Priest can in no case admit of any humane ordinance brought in as appertaining to his administration and service Col. 2. 20 1 22 23. in the things of God g For that were to diminish the glory and compleat acceptation of the Son of God what ever it were or is that is brought in that consists not in faith h 1 Rom. 14. 23. which never fades but is of the race generation confirmation and dignity of that Melchisedec that abides a Priest for everi Heb. 7. 21. Man therefore is poore miserable and naked stripped of all manner of created excellencies if hee hold and maintain the vertue and dignity of our high Priest who is on the right hand of God having subdued consumed and brought under the exaltation of the creature in its own excellencies and vertues in all things And thence it is that our Prophet addeth The Lord will send out of Sion the Red of thy Strength vers 2. As in the former verse is declared how Christ as a Priest by offering up himselfe unto death for our sinnes rules and reignes as high Priest over all things that are properly the death and sin of man before God For as it was in the beginning even so it is nowk Gal. 4. 29. the creature going about to exalt it selfe by some excellency in it selfe Apostatizeth and falleth away from his Creater l Gen. 2. 6. 7 and becommeth most wretched and miserable So in this verse he declares how Christ as King reignes and rules in righteousnesse m Isa 32. 1. having over come and subdued in us n Rom. 8. 4. all that basenesse wretched and miserable estate and condition that naturally all flesh is captivated in and lies under o Isa 61. 1 2 3. Heb. 2. 15. and in these two doth the life and death of the Son of God appeare yea his Kingly Priesthood and his Priestly Kingdome And so the Lord saith to my Lord Sit thou as a victor at my right hand interchangeably In these two doth consist that twofold Lordship as it is said The Lord said to my Lord interchangeably Sit thou on my right hand And these are the two Cherubims of glory p Heb. 9. 5. raised up and standing on each end of the Mercy-seat q Exod. 25. 18 19 20. covering it and reaching each other with their wings and are both alike glorious of which we say with our Apostle we cannot now particularly speake only this no further then these are set up and maintained amongst us
with their fore-warned or forestalled opinion t Mat. 3. 7. Luke 3. 7. that such a dipping or washing should save them from wrath to come as hee performed it being that all that he did was but to shew what a turbulent Jordan and Deluge of wrath the Son of God descended into which was already in their hearts and for no other end but that we might in him ascend into that fountaine and overflowing streame of Gods grace compassion and tender mercy for ever in the vertuous and glorious actions of the Son of God for Johns Ministry and dipping sheweth what Christ hath in our nature and the Ministry of Christ in his coming up or ascending out of the waters with the Spirit of God lighting residing or abiding upon him declares what we are in that divine nature of the Word or Son of God Now these Jewes would be playing the part and presuming to performe the Office of the Son of God who descends downe into the depth of the wrath of his Father hoping thereby to escape wrath even as our first Parents entred into the way of death in hope to escape it and to attaine life thereby and in the meane time neglect contemne and despise that glory of the Son which he in that dipping or descention of his doth so freely tender and offer unto them for it is onely his part to descend and be dipped in the waters of our weaknesse that have by nature no life nor Spirit of God in us at all or into that troubled Jordan of Gods wrath which naturally burneth in every mans soule and it is onely our priviledge to ascend and come out of that wrath and weaknesse in that descending and residing of that life and Dove-like Spirit of God upon us for ever u Mat. 3. 16 the first of these is naturall and incident unto all men to dip to dive to sprinckle and wash with materiall water or to plunge themselves into some infirmity or weaknesse of the flesh as fasting mourning afflicting of themselves or the like hoping thereby to please God for the appeasing of his wrath and so do undertake the Office of the Son of God to undergoe the Crosse in themselves which is the very spirit of Antichrist and in the meane time neglect and contemne the other namely that glorious resurrection of our nature through that residency of the Spirit upon it whereby we are made able to give Satan the foyle in all his temptations even as our Lord did by the power of his might x Mat. 4. 1. 11. Col. 1. 11. Phil. 4. 13. Rev. 2. 26 27. Therefore in all Baptisms and Washings practised in the holy Scripture we must know that there is not any two performed alike all circumstances considered therefore that Church which takes up the way of any particular of them alone and of it selfe cannot practise nor performe the true Baptisme when the whole Administration thereof which the Holy Ghost hath beene pleased to declare the right of it in so many differing waies is not brought in therefore if wee will professe and practise the perfect Baptisme unto which our Apostle leads us when he saith let us goe on unto perfection y Heb. 6. 1. then we must unite and contract them all into one and so shall we finde the Ordinance of Baptisme to bee found faulty in all Churches under heaven unlesse they have learned to center them all in one and if they doe so it will not be found in any but onely in the Son of God whose dipping or washing comprehends them all and so hath in it all spirituall and holy dippings and washings whatsoever therefore if we set up another besides that which is perfected in him we make an Idoll of it and so subject our selves unto wrath z 1 Cor. 10. 1 to 7. for it is in this point of Baptisme as it is in the death of Christ if we professe another death that is spirituall besides that which Christ hath undergone we make an Idoll of it and subject our selves thereby to the undergoing of that eternall death to come by usurping and arrogating unto our selves the death of Christ which he at once for ever perfected a Heb. 7. 27 Heb. 10. 10. for the water of that Baptisme that now is saveth us even as Noah was saved in the Arke by waters b 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. that he perished not with the rest of the world even so doth the Baptisme of Christ which is his Crosse save us and lift us up from perishing in those waters or in that wrath that naturally ingenders breeds and breakes forth in every mans heart both from things below and also from things above as those waters of Noah did c Gal. 4. 24 25. Gen. 7. 11 12. for he appearing in the similitude of sinfull flesh by sin or by becoming sin in us condemned sin in the flesh d Rom. 8. 3. passed sentence upon it that it should never live in us nor have dominion over us any more e Rom. 6. 14 for he made a plaister of our sins to heal us of and save us from our sins for ever and so by death overcame him that had the power of death f Heb. 2. 14. even as the Arke by the waters overcame the waters and yet the same waters stifled and choaked the world so by being made sin Christ overcomes sin and yet the same sin destroyes and condemns the world g Psal 34. 21. For as the waters of Noah lifted up the Arke to heaven out of all danger that otherwise might have befallen it and the very same waters also drowned and destroyed the rest of the world so doth the Baptisme of Christ which is his Crosse save us and lift us up unto God and yet the very same thing which is his Crosse or Death doth also destroy and overthrow the wicked for the Son of God taking our nature into unity with himselfe is that which is properly his Crosse or Death he thereby sustaining our infirmities h Isa 53. 4. and so in one act for ever perfecteth our salvation i Heb. 10. 14 and all those things that Jesus Christ suffered upon the earth in so many acts places and by so many persons and waies is his Crosse Doctrinally and all those things doe set forth and declare what that one intire act of the Son of God is in taking our nature into unity with the Word which act indeed is the proper Baptisme Crosse or Death of Christ that saves us k 1 Pet. 3. 21. and all other Baptismes performed in the holy Scriptures at all times amongst the Saints are onely the teaching and setting forth of that one unto which they all look with an equall and indifferent eye so that if we take up one of them more or lesse then another we wrong both it and all the rest and doe nothing else but make an Idoll of it for if we goe about to