Christ and the pardon of his sinnes and assurance of his salvation he cannot be at rest The second propertie is That they bee constant and setled desires They give not over till they have the things they desire many have desires but they bee floating and unsetled they give over before they have the thing that they desire where there are such desires there is not weake Faith but no Faith The third propertie is That they bee lively and actuall they bee contented to take any paines and labour for to have the things that they desire In the Proverbes it is said The sluggard hee lusteth and yet he hath not what wants hee hee hath desires but he is loth to take any paines or labour to come by that which hee desireth and therefore he goeth without But the desires of a Christian bee lively will put them upon any paines and labor they will not sticke at any thing so that they may have the things that they desire The second signe whereby we may know that wee have weake Faith from no Faith is That it worketh according to the measure of weaknesse as Matt. 8. when the Disciples were in the ship and in danger of drowning they goe to Christ and cry unto him Helpe Master wee perish Christ doth not reprove them because they had no Faith but because they had but little Faith it was but weake and yet this weake Faith did worke in them and drove them to Christ to cry to him for helpe this was true Faith though weake so if wee cry to Christ in extremity and seeke to him for helpe there is true Faith but when men seeke to witches as Saul did and sorcerers for helpe there is not weake Faith but no Faith The third thing whereby we may know weake Faith from no Faith is That it doth desire to encrease and to get strength by the use of good meanes Even as a tree being set into the ground it sends downe its rootes and spreads them this way and that way to get strength and nourishment unto it selfe that it may grow so weake Faith it doth desire to encrease by all good meanes by prayer preaching the use of the Sacraments reading and such like things So wee see the Disciples came to Christ and say Lord encrease our Faith And the man in the Gospell I beleeve Lord helpe my unbeleefe So wee see weake Faith that desires to encrease and therefore if we doe not desire to encrease our Faith there is not weake Faith but no Faith The fourth thing whereby we may know weake Faith from no Faith is That it is ready to lay hold upon every little helpe even as the vine is ready to catch hold of every post and every wall and every sticke and sprig with her windes about it to rest upon it even so true Faith laies hold on every little helpe and every little word as Iohn 2. It was but a little word and a sowre word that Christ spake to Marie Woman my houre is not yet come and yet the Faith of Marie laid hold upon it for shee did beleeve that hee had his houre for she saith after to the the servants whatsoever hee biddeth you doe that doe yee And so in Matth. 15. It was but a word that Christ spake to the woman of Canaan and a sowre word it was too It is not lawfull to take the childrens bread and to give it unto dogs and yet her Faith laid hold of it and therefore what shal we say of the Faith of the world Doe they profit by the meanes God giveth them hath not God sent his mercies and his judgements amongst us wee have preaching and teaching and yet wee doe not lay hold of it profit by it be not brought to walke conscionablie before God shall wee say there is weake Faith in us Nay there is no Faith for weake Faith will grow and encrease and lay hold upon every little meanes of helpe SERMON III. ROM 1. 17. For thereby is the righteousnesse of God revealed from Faith to Faith AS it was in the Temple so it is in Faith in it there was certaine steps and staires whereby as men ascended higher and higher the neerer they came to the presence of God so there be certaine steps and staires in Faith that the higher wee mount therein the neerer wee come to Gods presence and a view of his love in Christ even as a man ascending up some steepe high hill The first step he sees somewhat when he is higher he sees more but when he is at the top of the hill then he sees the whole Countrie round about him flatnesse length breadth Latitude both of Sea and Land So when wee have weake Faith we see somewhat when strong Faith we see more but when wee come to the full assurance of Faith to the top of the hill as it were then wee see the length and breadth of Gods love in Christ Hauing spoken of weake Faith and how it may bee discerned wee are now come in the next place to speake of strong Faith which is another degree of Faith but first by your patience I desire to shew you some trialls and markes how a man shall discover his weakenesse of Faith for every man that would know this weakenesse must doe these two things he must labour 1. To finde it out 2. To helpe it as soone as may be First one shall finde and know weakenesse of Faith in himselfe when hee doubteth of the favour of God that hee cannot rejoyce nor have his heart made glad with it and standeth in doubt of his own salvation this doth shew weaknesse of Faith as Peter Mat. 14. 30. When he saw the wind arise hee was afraid of drowning which did shew weaknesse of Faith in him so Iames 1. 6. saith hee But let him aske in Faith and waver not so then if a man aske any thing at Gods hand and standeth in doubt of it here is weake Faith The second thing whereby wee may know weake Faith in our selves is when wee trust God for one thing and not for another when wee trust God for the saving of our soules but not for the feeding and cloathing of our bodies and of the saving of them So Abraham he beleeved God in one thing doubted in another he beleeved God for the saving of his soule but doubted of a child as wee see Gen. 15. And Matth. 8. the disciples were afraid that their bodies should perish and therefore when wee trust God for one thing and will not for another this doth shew weaknesse of Faith in us or if wee trust him in one trouble and when another is comming faint this is weaknesse of Faith The third thing whereby wee may know weaknesse of Faith in our selves is When we are comfortable to our selves in time of peace but faint hearted in the time of trouble as it is Proverbs 24. 10. If thou faint in the
day of adversity thy strength is but small If a man come to a tree and shake it with his finger this way and that way it doth shew that the tree is not well rooted even so when the least trouble that comes unjoynts vexes and shakes us on euery side it shewes that we are not well rooted and grounded in Faith The fourth thing whereby wee may discerne weaknesse of saith in our selves is When wee beleeve God can helpe us but it must bee by such and such meanes So Iarus beleeved Christ would helpe his daughter but it must bee by touching and laying on his hands as wee see Matth. 5. this was weake faith to beleeve that Christ can helpe but it must bee by such and such meanes And so in Iohn 6. The disciples beleeved that Christ could feed five thousand but they must have two hundred pennie worth of bread for to doe it withall So likewise Moses beleeved that God could give him water enough for the children of Israel but not out of a rocke but it must bee out of the river this then is weaknesse of faith to beleeve that God can helpe us but it must bee by such and such meanes The fift thing whereby wee may know weaknesse of faith is By the effects of faith when they bee weake in us as in the booke of Iudges wee see how Sampson did know he was growne weak and that his strength was departed from him it was by the weaknes of his actions not being able to resist the Philistimes as formerly so may we know weaknesse of faith in our selves when wee bee weake in our actions in our prayers and in the performance of other holy duties therefore howsoever men talke of strong faith if they bee weake in the performance of holy duties and are not strong to stand against the temptations of the divell and to resist them it is but weake faith The use of this is that if we finde weake faith in our selves we must take accompt of it labour to bee humbled for it and to say with David Psal 6. I am weake but Lord helpe my weaknesse and as the man in the Gospell said Lord I beleeve but helpe thou mine unbeleefe Lord I have weaknesse of faith but Lord helpe this weaknesse of faith in me The second use is that if wee find weaknesse of faith in our selves we should labour to strengthen it by the use of good meanes by praier reading preaching and by such like meanes Wee know if a poore man dwell in a rotten house if the wind arise hee will get props and shoares to underprop it that so hee may keepe it from falling so seeing wee dwell in rotten houses if the winds of temptations arise we should labour to prop up our faith by the use of good meanes by preaching prayer the use of the Sacraments and such like that so wee may bee able to stand in the time of temptation for as we have heard before faith is compared to a seed and not to a stone because a seed will grow to be a tree but a stone groweth not and therfore if we use good means and doe not grow by it it is to be suspected it is not weake but no faith for where true faith is although it be weake yet it growes to bee stronger by the use of good meanes strong faith never doubteth of salvation and the pardon of sinnes unlesse it bee in the time of temptation and doth assure it selfe of salvation and of the pardon of sinnes by a sylogisticall reason the ground whereof is laid in the word of God thus it may be framed God hath said in his word that whosoever repenteth and beleeveth shall undoubtedly be saved this is the great ground and maxime whereon strong faith doth stay it selfe which is built on the word of God then the true beleeving heart saith Lord but I upon the search of my conscience doe find that I doe truly repent and beleeve and then the conclusion ariseth therefore I shall undoubtedly and certainely be saved The papists say that we cannot be assured of the padon of our sinnes and of the salvation of our soules here in this life but I would have them to answer me these two reasons the first is That whatsoever God hath spoken in his word wee are bound to beleeve it under the conduct and certainty of faith but God hath said in his word that whosoever repenteth and beleeveth is bound by the certainty of his word and of his faith to beleeve his salvation and the pardon of his sinnes The second is That whatsoever we are bound to pray for that we are bound to beleeve but wee are bound to pray for the pardon of our sinnes and for our salvation as wee may see in the fifth petition of the Lords Prayer therefore wee are bound to beleeve it Now strong faith is not so strong but that it may bee shrewdly shaken in the time of temptation as Davids faith was hee saith I am cast out of thy presence and so Peter was shaken for the time and yet Christ had prayed that his faith might not faile him therefore wee see that strong faith may bee shaken and weakned of which there bee these occasions or reasons First Because we have given way to some sinne and have not been watchfull to keepe the doores of our hearts shut against it but given way unto it this will weaken strong faith a man that is strong may catch a cold or a surfeit and be made so weake that hee cannot bee able to goe with a staffe so a man may catch a cold that is hee may commit some sinne that hee may make his faith so weake that hee shall not bee able to stirre or feele any comfort in respect of his offence that hee hath done Secondly By the neglecting of the use of good meanes as preaching prayer reading and such like so it may become weake Mark 3. wee read there was a man that had a withered hand the reason whereof was because there were obstructions in the veines that it could not carry downe nourishment to that hand which withered so when there be obstructions that doe hinder us that we cannot draw downe nourishment to our hearts by the use of good meanes our faith will bee weakned our assurance withered and drie Thirdly The malice of the divell for hee will doe as the Philistimes did with Sampson knowing his strength lay in his haire they cut it off and hee became weake so the divell doth knowing that all the strength of a Christian lyeth in his faith therefore hee labours to weaken it as much as may be Fourthly The wise providence of God to humble us to make us take the faster hold for all that the Lord doth is but to settle us that wee should bee the deeper rooted As a man when hee goeth to plant a tree when he hath set into the ground and put
faith will not faile us when wee come to die Now that wee may live in faith two things are to bee required 1. All that we doe we must doe in Faith 2. All that wee suffer wee must suffer in Faith we must still looke to the promises when we doe any thing or suffer any thing Now that we must doe all that wee doe in Faith we have these two Scriptures The first is Rom. 14. 23. For hee that eateth is condemned if hee eate because hee eateth not of Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne so then if we doe any thing and hath not a warrant for it we cannot doe it of Faith and if it be not of Faith it is sinne So wee read Heb. 11. 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please God so then if we have not Faith we cannot please God and therefore all that we do wee must do in Faith It is the opinion of the world that some of our actions we should doe in Faith but not all but a man must do all his actions in faith because he is not at his owne disposing but at the Lords and therefore we are to bee ruled and governed by him and not to doe as we thinke good The Lawyers have a saying For our masters and not for our selves all must be at the masters disposing and not of the servants even so we are the servants and He is the Lord and therefore wee must bee at his disposing and not at our own and therfore Heb. 11. All the holy men are commended because all that they did was in faith so it is said of Noah that by faith being warned of God he went and made the Arke and so for this Rahab and Iacob and all the holy men there are recorded All which examples are to teach us that that which we doe we should doe in faith How must wee doe all in faith I answere in the faith of these three things First in the Faith of reconciliation that we are perswaded that God is our Father by the meanes of Christ and whereas hee was our enemy that now hee is our friend and loveth us as notwithstanding all our labours and paines we shall be blessed one day so we see it is said Iob. 14. 14. If a man die shall hee live againe all the dates of my appointed time will I waite untill my change shall be and Psalm 27. 10. saith David Though my father and my mother forsake mee yet the Lord will gather mee up So 1 Iohn 3. 2. Dearely beloved now are wee the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what wee shall bee there was two kinds of labour which the children of Israel indured the labors of Egypt and the labours of the desart the labours of Egypt was penall labour which tended to no profit but the labour of the desart was fruitfull labour it tended to Canaan and even so all the labours of the wicked are like the labours of Egypt a penall labour no fruite or benefit comes by it but the labours of the godly are like the labours of the desart which tends to heaven The true Christian sustaineth himselfe with this comfort although he labour and take paines and endure much trouble yet that one day he shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven a number of people labour and take great paines and have but little comfort by it because it is not done in faith of our reconciliation to be perswaded that God is our friend and father by meanes of Iesus Christ and loveth us and therefore if we would have comfort in our labours and paines we must doe them in the faith of our reconcilement Secondly that we doe wee must do out of a ground of Faith which is the word of God where there is no word we must not do it we must have a ground for all our actions out of the word of God a warrant a command from God as Psal 119. 4 When David did understand that God had commanded to keepe his commandements diligently Oh saith hee that my heart were directed to keepe thy statutes Deuter. chapter 12. verse 32. saith Moses That whatsoever I command you take heede yee doe it thou shalt put nothing there-to nor take ought there-from And so likewise the prophet Esay sayes To the Law and to the Testimony there is the Rule of a Christian to directall his actions by when a ship goes to sea the Marriner sets his Carde and his Compasse how to direct him when he hath done so howsoever the skies may lowre and the windes blow hee is not affraid hee hath his rule and directions to sayle by even so a Christian must doe when hee doth any thing he must set his Compasse he must have a ground from Gods word for the doing of it and when hee hath done so howsoever the skies lowre and the winde blowe howsoever things seeme to make against him yet hee is safe because hee hath a Rule and a direction to walke by for howsoever a man may doe good things that are good in themselves as the labours of our callings and releeving of the poore cloathing of the naked feeding of the hungrie and such like if hee doe it not of Faith if he have not a ground and command from God the Lord doth not accept it we must doe it as a part of our duty commanded from God and then two Comforts doe ensue The first is that God doth like and allow and is well pleased with it because we have his word and warrant for the doing of it a Christian this is his comfort when hee doth any thing that he knoweth that God is well pleased with it when he hath a warrant and command from Gods word then he is sure that he shall please God then he may say as the Angell said in Ezek. the 9. that had the writers Inkhorne by his side I have done as thou hast commanded me The second is that seeing we doe that which God hath commanded us that God will sustaine and assist us in the same by his power as wee read Matth. 28. 19. our Saviour Christ sendeth his disciples to teach all nations baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever hee had commanded and loe saith hee I am with you unto the end of the world so in Exod. 3. 12. saith the Lord to Moses I will be with thee I will be with thy mouth to assist thee and to direct thee and so likewise in Esai 41. 10. Saith God Feare not for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God I wil strengthen thee and helpe thee and will sustaine thee with the right hand of my Righteousnesse and therefore it is a comfort to a Christian that if he hath a command or warrant from God for the doing of his actions that hee shall have the power of God to assist
an Atheist is the most wicked creature that is because hee takes away God from us By the law of the land if a man bee condemned by twelve men hee must die the death but worthily may hee die that is not onely condemned of twelve men but of twelve thousand creatures If a man doubt there is a God let him step but one step out of this life and hee shall feele there is a God Chrysostome saith if thou doest not beleeve there is a God what doest thou O man in the house of God saith hee pay thine hire and get thee out of his house tread not on his ground feede not of his creatures but get thee another place Secondly seeing there is a God why doe a number of men live as if there were no God at all men cry out of the Atheists that say there is no God and thou saist there is a God and yet doest not serve and obey him here is the difference betwixt thee and him thou art an Atheist in practice and hee is an Atheist in judgement so although thou doest acknowledge in judgement there is a God yet in thy practice thou doest deny him The Apostle Paul saith Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but by their workes they deny him being abhominable and disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate Thirdly seeing their is a God it is a sure thing that every man should looke after God and labour to serve and worship him to give him that glory which is due for he is the fountaine of all our comfort It was the condemnation of the world Rom. 1. when men knew there was a God yet did not worship and give him that glory which was due unto him so this is the condemnation of the world still that when men know there is a God they doe not worship him and give him that glory which is due If a man dwell in the Kings house and yet will not come at the kings Leetes to doe him service hee shall bee turned out of the kings house and service so if wee dwell here as in Gods house he being our Land-lord if wee doe not performe our service and duty to him giving him his due it were just with God to turne us out of his house and home Wee see the creatures obey God and doe that they were made for even those that have not that sense reason or knowledge that wee have being guided by the instinct of nature onely whereas wee having knowledge sense and faith doe not obey God and give him that honour that is his due but neglect and despise him from day to day It is a laudable custome among us that before wee beginne the harvest wee beginne in the Temple and that for two causes 1. To acknowledge the Soveraignty of God 2. That wee may shew wee desire to enjoy these blessings but with his love and leave Esai 38. 12. The life of man is compared to a Weavers Warpe which the beame windes up and so is filled which if they doe not fill it is found full of flawes bancks bracks and gaules when it is cut off so our life is the warpe and every day is as the beame to winde up somewhat of the life wee live Wherefore every day wee must bee doing somewhat to fill our warpe lest when wee bee cut off wee should not bee found filled but full of bracks gaules and flawes Now to helpe you this way wee have spent a great deale of time in the doctrine of faith and repentance which bee the fillings of our lives therefore let us not passe a day without renewing of repentance and faith Secondly wee beleeve that there is but one God as it is Deut. 4. 39. Vnderstand therefore and consider in thine heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is none other And 1 Cor. 8. 4. Wee know that an Idoll is nothing in the world and that there is no other God but one So 1 Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Iesus thus wee see there is but one God The heathen had a number of Gods the Romans had great Gods and little Gods the Grecians had heavenly Gods and earthly Gods Gods for the sea and Gods for the land but wee beleeve there is but one God Athanasius hath a pretty saying an instrument that hath many strings take many men to strike the strings and they have no order consent or sweet harmony betweene but take a man that hath cunning and skill to strike upon the strings then there appeares a sweet order consent and harmony so saith hee this world and the creatures bee as it were an instrument with a number of strings take men to strike upon the strings of the creatures then there is no order nor consent amongst them but let one God strike upon the strings of the creatures and then there is a sweet consent and agreement betweene them Now if a man should say why is there not more Gods than one This were a frivolous question we acknowledge divers persons and but one God in substance essence and power wee read 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There bee three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one A good Divine doth thus illustrate it water is but one thing in nature and yet hath divers beings as it is in the fountaine as it runnes into the river as it is conveied home to the house in pipes payles or buckets so the three persons are one in nature and essence but it is in the Father as the Fountaine in Christ as the River in the holy Ghost as a pipe or a payle to convey and bring it into our hearts So it is in a diverse manner but all one in essence substance nature and power The uses are first seeing there is but one God wee must take heed wee make not many Gods that wee make not a God of our pleasures of our goods of our bellies or of our sinnes as the Apostle complaines Phil. 3. 19. Whose belly is their God and whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things I but some man may say is there any man so bad to make his pleasure his belly his sinnes and his goods his god I answer it may be proved by these two Evidences First whatsoever he loveth above God that he maketh his god but it is evident that many a man loveth his pleasures more than God or his goods or his belly or his sinnes and therefore hee maketh them his gods If a man should set a Childe betweene two men let them both call the childe and looke which the childe loveth unto him will the childe runne so let a man be set betweene God and his pleasures God and his mony God and his sinnes which now a man runnes unto that he loveth
Law there were divers Saviours as wee may see Iud. 2. 16. it is said that the Lord raised up Iudges to deliver or to save them out of their oppressors hands but all these Saviours were but petty Saviours in regard of Iesus for they could not save their bodies or their goods but Iesus saveth our soules as Psal 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him and upon them that trust in his mercy to deliver their soules from death and to preserve them in famine Secondly these Saviours can but save us from tyrants and worldly misery but Iesus saveth us from hell the divell and damnation As Luk. 1. 74. That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies should serve him without feare all the daies of our life Thirdly they could but save them for a time for when they were dead straight way they were oppressed againe but Christ hath wrought eternall redemption for us so it is said Heb. 5. 9. And being consecrated he was made the Author of eternall Salvation unto all them that obey him Fourthly these Saviours can save but for one age they could not save them that were before them nor them that come after them but Iesus saveth men in all ages from the beginning of the world to the latter end of it Fifthly although they saved others yet they could not save themselves as Ioshua was discomfited when hee went to Aye and Sampson had his eyes plucked out therefore all these Saviours were but petty Saviours in respect of Iesus and beside Iesus there is no Saviour in the matters of salvation and redemption The use is first that seeing there is no Iesus can save us but this Iesus wee may see the horriblenesse of our sinnes and the grievousnesse of them for when wee have sinned no Angell could save us no Saint nor all the powers in heaven or earth but it must cast the blood of the Sonne of God it must be hee that must make atonement for us therefore as Augustine saith O man by the greatnesse of the price that was paid for thee thou maiest consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes for it was not a small matter that made God to kill his owne Sonne and therefore by the greatnesse of the price consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes Secondly seeing there is no Iesus can save us but this Iesus we should be carefull to avoide every sinne and to decline from it for when wee have sinned there is no power in heaven and earth whereby we can bee saved but it must cost the blood of Christ If a man should for every lye hee told or every sinne committed lose but a drop of his owne blood how affraid would he be of sinning Now there is never a sinne that we doe commit but it hath cost blood either it will cost our blood or the blood of the Sonne of God and therefore how affraid should we be of sinning against God lest we should be more lavish of the blood of Christ than we would be of our owne Thirdly we beleeve that as he is Iesus in generall so he will bee our Iesus and will save us at the day of death and judgement This is our comfort when wee are perswaded that Iesus is not onely a Saviour to others but hee is a Saviour to us Thomas could have no true comfort till he could say My God and my Lord and this it was that comforted Iob I know my Redeemer liveth c. This also was a comfort to David saith he I should have fainted but that I beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the Land of the living here then is the comfort of a Christian when he can apply and appropriate Christ to himselfe A man can have but little comfort of a house or land when hee is shewed it unlesse it bee his owne so we can have but little comfort by Christ unlesse we can say that Christ is as truly ours as this house or land wee enjoy is ours and as truely may a Christian say that all Christs merits is his as a man may say his coate on his backe is his But how shall we come to know that Christ is ours I answere if wee bee his people if we be contented to be guided and governed by him if we will obey his voyce then we be his people but if we will not be gathered home unto him to live under his government be guided by him and obey his voyce we are none of his neither can we rightly apply him to our comfort The second thing we beleeve of Iesus is that this Iesus that was the Sonne of Mary and borne at Bethlem is the Christ as Peter shewes Therefore let all the house of Israel for a surely know that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this is also the confession the Disciples made of him Ioh. 6. 69. And we beleeve and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the living God and Act. 9. 22. But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Iewes that dwelt at Damascus proving that this was the Christ and so the Angels proclaime him Luk. 2. 10. Be not afraid saith the Angell unto them for behold I bring you tydings of great joy that shall be to all people That is That unto you this day is borne in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord so the Angell proclaimed that Iesus was the Sonne of Mary and borne at Bethlem the devils also confesse him to be Christ Luk. 4 41. so then there can be no question of this but that Iesus is the Christ Now Christ is a Greeke word and doth signifie Anointed as Psal 103. 15. Touch not mine Anointed c. Anointed is as much as to say Christ Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same in the Old as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the new Testament as Ioh. 1. 41. We have found the Messias which is by interpretation the Christ and the Samaritans make this confession of him Ioh. 4 42. For we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeede the Christ the Saviour of the world so that Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Anointed and the Messias hee that was set apart for the great worke of redemption From hence that Christ is the Messias or the Anointed five things are to be considered 1. What is meant by Anointing 2. With what he was Anointed 3. By whom he was Anointed 4. To what he was Anointed 5. What benefit we haue by his Anointing First what is meant by Anointing In the Law were three things implied in Anointing 1. That the Party Anointed was designated or appointed to that worke or calling by God 2. A declaration that God had enabled him with graces to discharge or execute fitly that worke or calling that was assigned him 3. That the Party anointed was
as Christ speakes Matth. 12. 40. As Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so the sonne of Man shall be three dayes and three nights in the body of the earth therefore the body of Christ was no lower than the grave it descended no further And this may be a sweet comfort to us that the bodies of Christians descend no lower than the grave therefore when we see a Christian laid into his grave he is in the worst estate wee shall see him in but the wicked descend lower and lower til they come at hell though their bodies doe not descend when they be buried yet when they shall rise againe at the last Iudgement then not onely their soules but also their bodies shall goe to hell as Psal 9. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God but when a Christian is buried and laid in his grave here is the worst estate shal befal them for where the body of Christ rested there the bodies of Christians shall rest after death to wit in the grave The second is That Christ went downe in his Spirit into hell or descended thither to preach to the damned to convert them This opinion seemes more unreasonable than the former but Bellarmine confutes it for hee saith that life is the time of grace there is no repentance nor converting unto God after death according as Christ saith Iohn 9. Worke while it is called today for the night commeth on when no man can worke And 2 Cor. 5. We shall all appeare before the judgement seat of God to answer for that we have done in the body whether it be good or bad So there is no repentance after death but then we must come to judgement to answer for that we have done in our flesh And Galath 6. Whiles we have time doe good here in this life-time is the doing of good and therefore it is a sure thing that if we doe not repent and turne unto God while wee live here wee shall not repent after death because this life-time is the time of grace and of repentance therefore it must be the wisdome of men to repent of their sins to turne unto God lay hold on life and salvation while they live here for if they be dead and laid in the grave it is impossible that they should repent because this life time is the time of repentance S. Chrysostome saith there be two kindes of Repentance fruitfull and unfruitfull or penall repentance Fruitfull repentance is in this life Penall repentance after this life in hell for it is true saith he the damned in hell shall repent them of their sins the whoremaster of his whoring the drunkard of his drunkennesse the swearer of his swearing but this repentance shall be unfruitfull though it be an afflictive repentance therefore if wee would have fruit and benefit by our conversion we must repent whiles we live here The third is That Christ descended into hell to suffer the paines and torments of hell in his soule where we should have suffered I answer the Scripture is plaine for this that Christ did not suffer for us in hell for hee suffered on the crosse where all was finished therefore hee did not need to descend into hell to suffer paines and torments there as Hebr. 2. 14. Forsomuch as the children were partakers of the flesh and bloud he also himselfe having tooke part with them that by death hee might destroy him that had power ever death that is the Devill so Christ did overcome the Devill by dying But it may be objected and said that we deserved to have suffered the paines of hell for ever and therefore Christ descended into hell for us To this I answer that if this reason were good then he in soule should not onely have suffered the torments of hell but his body too for wee deserve not onely to have our soules tormented but our bodies also therefore this cannot stand us in stead Christ suffered the paines of hell but not in the place of hell but partly in the Garden and partly on the Crosse which was sufficient for mans offence as a man that hath a summe of money to pay if he pay it though it be not in the same place all is well it cannot be required againe so Christ hath paid and satisfied God for our sinnes though not in the same place where we should have suffered but partly in the Garden when he was in the bloudy sweat and partly on the Crosse when he made that bitter complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And therefore this may give us comfort that God is satisfied and will not require any more at our hands if wee be in Christ The Fourth is That Christ went not downe to hell but hee went to the upper skirts and brims of hell where the Fathers were floting so to fetch them thence This is the opinion of the Papists and is more unreasonable than any of the former for the Fathers were not in the upper skirts and brims of hel but were saved by the same faith we be as we see Act. 15. 11. But wee beleeve through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ to be saved as they doe so the Fathers were saved by the same meanes we are for the same means were in the Old Testament that is in the New but that there was a veile before it To this effect we have Psal 102. 24. I said take mee not away in the midst of my dayes but there is a plainer place than this Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God that gave it So the soules of good men we see went not to the border of hell but to God as Luke 16. when Lazarus was dead his soule was carried into Abrahams bosome and Dives into hell Now there be two evidences that Lazarus was not in the border and skirts of hell First because his soule was carried by the Angels who doe not carry mens soules into hell but into heaven Secondly because that he was in a place of comfort and joy but there is poore comfort in hell therefore we may see that the Papists opinion is very erroneous and false But there is another Scripture to be answered where it is said Heb. 9. 12. that the way to the holiest of holy was not made by the bloud of Goats and Calves but by the bloud of Christ and then it followes there was no way to heaven but by the death of Christ To this I answer first that there was no way to heaven by the legal sacrifices only the vertue and power of Christs sacrifice laid the way open to us Secondly all that came to heaven must come by the vertue and power of Christ for his death was as vertuall and effectuall to save men from the beginning as
so Paul 2 Tim. 3. But continue thou in the thing thou hast learned a Christian must excell and goe before others in all things Secondly he was mighty in word and deed there is many an one mighty in word but not in deed but a Christian must labour to bee mighty in both Thirdly Before God and man so it is not sufficient to approve our selves to God but to men also as 2 Cor. 9. the Apostle saith we must procure things honest in the sight of men also so that a Christian must approve himselfe to God first and then to men Secondly The weakenesse of their faith was in these words But wee trusted it had beene he that should have delivered Israel and as touching all these things to day is the third day since they were done wee were of good hope that it was hee that should have delivered the Church but now wee doe not hope all our comfort is gone he is now crucified and killed and laid into the grave indeed we had good hope and we looked for great matters but now we doe not so that their faith was shrewdly shaken and it may teach us that a man may have true faith and yet bee shrewdly shaken the truth is it cannot bee wholly lost because as Saint Iohn saith there is a seede remaines yet it may come to such a stand as that hee may have little comfort of it as a man may have a little cole of fire by him and yet may sit till he be a cold till he rub his hands and knock his feet and heeles together so a man may have true faith and yet as little joy and comfort by it as though he had no faith as David did Psal 30. I said in my prosperitie I shall never bee mooved yet in the next Psalme hee saith I am cleane cast out of thy sight so Iob 20. saith hee I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am a burthen to my selfe so Matth. 14. 30. Peter walked upon the water at first but when hee saw the waves rise then his faith began to be at a stand so a good man may be at a stand in his faith therefore though a man feele weakenesse of faith in him yet he ought not to be discouraged but must labour to helpe the weakenesse thereof is the man in the Gospell cried out and said Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe so wee must say Lord I have faith helpe the weakenesse of my faith I but what was it that did weaken the faith of these two Disciples and why did not they trust still in him I answere there were three things that did hinder their faith The first was Scandalum crucis the scandall of the crosse for as long as they saw Christ in his power walking on the sea casting out of devils giving sight to the blinde clensing of the Lepers raysing up of the dead so long they had faith in him but when they saw him hang on the crosse crucified and killed and laid into the grave then they began to stagger this it was that did weaken their faith and I would to God it were not so still for it is the scandall of the crosse that doth weaken out faith now adaies for as long as all things goe well with us that wee bee in health peace and want nothing wee are the beloved of the Lord I but let the crosse come and then wee begin to sincke and bee as men out of heart as the people of Israel when they came out of Aegypt by a strong hand with signes and wonders then they rejoyced but when they came into the wildernesse and wanted bread and water then they said would to God wee had died in Aegypt Exod. 17. so Iudg. 6. 18. this it was that did stagger the faith of Gideon saith the Angell God is with thee thou valiant man he replyes O my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this come upon us so Eliphaz saith to Iob 4. 3. Behold thou hast taught many and hast strengthened the weake hands but now it is come upon thee and thou art grieved it toucheth thee and thou art troubled the hand of God is upon thee and thou art out of heart and therefore it must be the wisedome of a Christian to strengthen his faith by the crosse and not to weaken it for it was the triumphant chariot to carry Christ to glory lest that for want of wisedome that which should bee a meanes to strengthen our faith become a meanes to weaken it for indeed this might strengthen our faith because the way to heaven is through many afflictions and tribulations as Paul saith Act. 14. 22. The second is The consideration of the time for they say this is the third day as if they should have said the scandall of the crosse we could have passed by but the consideration of the time that this is the third day and yet wee have not seene him how can wee chuse but doubt why though it was the third day yet it was not expired but they were too hasty and too nimble Esai 28. 10. it is said That he which beleeveth shall not make haste I but these were too quicke and too nimble for thogh the third day was come yet it was not expired and therefore they cast away their confidence and so this it was that did weaken their saith this is that which doth weaken the faith of many because they have not the thing that straight they desire they have not comfort by and by therefore they cast away the confidence they have in God good Moses was overtaken that way when hee complaines Exod. 5. 23. For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name he hath vexed this people and yet thou hast not delivered thy people there Moses was too nimble with God therefore it must bee every mans wisedome to waite on God till the time come of his comfort and deliverance they must not be too hasty and too quicke with God Galath 4. 4. it is said When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman c. there was great expecting and looking for of Christ when great men Kings and Queenes Patriarches and Prophets came into the world but Christ came not till the fulnesse of time was come and when that was come Christ came so when we looke for ease comfort and for deliverance out of trouble yet wee cannot have it till the fulnesse of time be come that God hath appointed and therefore wee must not be too hasty and quicke with God The third thing that did weaken their faith was that although the Angels had told the women that Christ was risen and the women had told the Disciples and there was great evidence that it was so yet they did not see him this it was
as deepe in infidelity as hee but they being met together when Christ came were cured of it and it is very likely if Thomas had beene there hee would have beene also therefore wee may see what a losse he had by being absent from holy meetings Now when the Disciples met Thomas they told him that they had seene the Lord they had seene him that had triumphed over death and the grave and you have not so Christians may say when they have beene at holy meetings wee have seene Christ in the face of the Gospell we have had motions of faith and of repentance wee have beene brought to the sight of our sinnes and you have not therefore little doe men know what a losse they have by being absent from holy meetings though it bee but once for Luk. 8. 9. the Word is compared to seede and why because although the land be good yet it is hardened and beareth nothing till it be plowed and sowne so the increase comes of the seede if a man should steale but a pecke of seede from one he doth him more hurt than if he should steale a bushell of corne out of his barne because hee steales away his increase so our hearts being barren till the Word of God be sowne in them when the devill steales away but a little of this seede of the Word hee doth us more hurt than the world can doe otherwise and that by keeping us away From these holy meetings because hee steales away out increase of grace Wee read Act. 10. 6. That the Angell saith to Cornelius send for Peter and he shall speake words unto thee whereby thou shall be saved and all thine house so a man may chance to bee absent at that time when hee might heare words that hee might bee saved by for who knowes whether that time might not bee the time of his conversion and the time of his repentance and therefore little doth a man know what hee may lose by being absent but one time from holy meetings Thomas was away but once when Christ came and wee see how grievously hee fell in infidelity and this was the first reason why he remained an unbeleever Secondly Thomas prescribed a law of beleeving to himselfe and put on a condition upon Christ Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side I will 〈◊〉 beleeve so this law that Thomas made unto himselfe was another reason why hee remained in unbeleefe and yet there was matter enough to make him beleeve though he had not seene him for Christ told him before that he should rise the third day and he had seene Christ raise Lazaâ—â— out of the grave a little before besides the Disciples told him that Christ was risen and hee had the Testimonies both of the Angels and women notwithstanding all which Thomas makes this Law to himselfe which may teach us that wee must take â—eed how wee prescribe a law unto our selves that we will not beleeve nor repent except God doe so and so for us Iob. 4. 48. our Saviour saith unto a certaine Ruler Yee will not beleeve unlesse ye see signes and wonders so Matth. 27. 42. the Iewes say to Christ Let him come downe from the crosse and wee will beleeve him and 2 King 5. 11. it is said of Naaman But Naaman was wroth and went may and said Behold I thought with my selfe he will surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and put his hands on the place and heale the Leyer and if his servant had not beene wiser than himselfe he had gone away a Leper as he came therefore every man must take heede how hee prescribes a law of beleeving unto himselfe But what law was this that Thomas made I answere a strange unjust and unequall law for saith he Except I see in his hands the print of nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side I will not beleeve Now there is nothing more contrary to true faith than this because as Saint Paul saith Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene in naturall things we have first experience and after wee beleeve as feeling fire to be hot when we have experience of it then wee beleeve it to be hot and feeling water to bee cold we beleeve it to be cold so experience goeth before and faith followes after but in divinity faith goeth before and experience followes after for wee must beleeve though wee have no experience so then this law that Thomas makes is contrary to true faith I dare say wee are all ready to condemne Thomas but there be a number of us whose cases be like this they will beleeve no longer than they see with their eyes and feele with their hand the goodnesse of the Lord to them and when sense and feeling failes them then their faith failes them so Iudg. 6. 13. the Angell saith to Gideon God be with thee thou valiant man saith he O my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this come upon us because hee could not see Gods goodnesse and feele it with his fingers therefore he did not beleeve but we must take heed we doe not tye our faith to the sense sight or feeling but to relye upon God and to beleeve in him against sense and reason and to shut up our eyes and rest in the bare promises of God as that holy man Iob 13. 15. saith Though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee hee relied upon God against sense and reason so Christ when he did hang on the crosse he rested himselfe by faith on his fathers good will and therefore cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me so also David Psal 73. 26. My flesh faileth and mine heart also but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever therefore Thomas's law is unjust unequall and contrary to faith The second thing is the Time when Christ appeared eight daies after so long Thomas lay in his sinnes and longer would have lyen if Christ had not come here wee are to take notice of our corruption how prone we are to fall into any sinne and how difficult and hard a matter it is to recover againe for being once plunged in of our selves wee have no minde to recover or to come out of our sinnes till Christ bring us backe againe an example hereof wee have in David who after hee had committed the great sinnes of adultery and murther lay in sinne a whole yeare and longer would have lyen in it if the Prophet Nathan had not come and told him of his sinne So the people of Israel Amos 4. 11. when the Lord brought a number of judgements upon them Yet have yee not returned unto me saith the
to comfort and the other to paine Thirdly besides these both particular judgements that befall particular and speciall men and the private judgement that is at the day of death there shall also a generall judgement and a solemne arraignment of this whole World where every person shall be judged and arraigned as we beleeve in our Christian profession From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead that is hee shall judge all sorts of people even every Man and Woman that hath lived in this World or shall live Now if any man demand what is the reason why there shall be a generall judgement seeing there is particular iudgements that light on particular men and the private judgement at the day of death I answere there be three reasons thereof First Because the Bodies must be judged as well as the Soules for seeing men sinne against God as well in their Bodies as in their Soules therefore both shall be judged as Revel 20. 12. the Evangelist saith And I saw the Dead both great and small stand before God they did not onely stand with bodies but with soules also for saith he The Sea gave up the dead in her and Death and Hell delivered up their Dead that were in them So we see the bodies rise againe to be judged as well as the Soules Secondly That there may be a declaration of the just judgement of God that all the World may see the judgements of God are just upon men for their sins as Rom. 2. 5. But thou after thy hardnesse of heart that cannot repent heapest upon thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the just judgement of God therefore besides the private and close judgement there must bee a generall and solemne arraignement in the view of the whole world that so there may be a declaration of the just judgement of God Thirdly Because they shall not be judged as private persons but as publike in the same body that they lived in either in the body of the Saints or in the body of the wicked for they shall be judged as they be members of the same body they rise in and as they are found to have done good or bad accordingly shal the division be made as appears Mat. 25. 31. where it is said And before him shall bee gathered all Nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a sheapheard doth separate his Sheepe from the Goats and he shall set the one at his right hand and the other at his left hand c. Now because this point is a great and a very waighty one and to be considered before others in a Christians life being like the great wheel of a clocke it turnes all the inferior wheeles so if a man be once perswaded of this that he must give an account to God for all his actions and must stand before God in judgement it will make him to passe his daies holily and vertuously while he lives here and therefore let us see briefly what bee the proofes and grounds that there shall bee a judgement which are chiefly these foure following The first is taken From the Truth of God because hee hath said it and therefore it shall come to passe for God is not as Man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of Man that he should repent He hath said it and shall hee in doe it and hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it As it is Num. 23. 19. Therefore whatsoever he hath said it shall come to passe in the time that he hath appointed Now that Christ hath said there shall be a judgement day there bee many Scriptures for it As Matth. 10. 15. Truely I say unto you it shall bee easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgement than for that Citie So also Matth. 12. 36. But I say unto you That of every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account at the day of judgement And verse 41. The men of Ninevie shall rise up in judgement with this Generation and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas We see the Testimony of the Lord is plaine for this that there shall bee a judgement day Augustine saith God hath made us many promises and hath performed them and shall wee not thinke that the judgement day shall come according as hee hath foretold us It is said Psal 144. The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes If the Lord hath promised any thing it shall come to passe for the Lord hath left his Scripture which is his hand-writing to assure us of the truth of it And therefore dost thou not beleeve that there shall bee a day of judgement The Lord himselfe shall answere thee thou hast the hand-writing of GOD and what must thou doe Looke into that and see what a company of things hee hath promised in his Word as unlikely as this which are all come to passe he hath promised that He would send his Sonne into the World to worke thy Redemption Looke into his Word thou hast his hand-writing hath he performed this promise Then assure thy selfe likewise that one day he will come to iudgement Hee hath promised that Hee will send downe his spirit that should lead them in all truth thou hast his hand writing see if this promise be come to passe then assure thy selfe withall he will come to judge this World hath he promised He will preach the Gospell to all Nation looke into the Scriptures hath hee performed it Why then never doubt but that thy body also shall rise because he hath foretold it The second is because it is the nature of Gods Iustice to give to every man according to his due desert good things to good men and evill things to evill men but it is not so here in this life but the best men bee in the worst estate for the most part and evill men in the best for as Salomon saith Eccles 9. 2. All things come alike to all there is one event to the just and to the wicked to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that sweareth not or feareth an oath so the worst be in the best estate and the good be in the worst estate hereof Habakkuk complaines Chap. 1. 13. Thou art of pure eyes and canst not behold wickednesse wherefore dost thou looke on the transgressors and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than be here in this life there be many aberrations and swervings from the right rule of justice therefore there must bee a judgement to bring that which deflects from the rule to rectitude and straightnesse Againe Augustine speaking out of Pssalm 101. saith God hath
thing at his hand it is the doctrine of their owne Schoole-men that a sinner cannot merit but we bee all sinners against God therefore we cannot merit any thing Now that we bee all sinners it is plaine by the Scriptures Iob 9. 3. If be would dispute with him hee could not answer him one of a thousand So Lament 3. 22. It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed c. Saint Ierome saith Who is it that hath not sinned and if a man hath broken but one of the Commandements hee is guilty of the whole Law therefore no man can merit any thing at Gods hands The fourth ground is a disproportion betweene our workes and Gods justice For merits are grounded on Commutative justice as they say and Aristotle saith That commutative justice is equally to give weight for weight so much for so much but there is no proportion betweene our works and Gods justice for Saint Paul saith that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be shewed to us Rom. 8. 18. One saith well if a man should suffer all the sufferings that the people of God had done from Adam till this present time having all the vertues of the holy men yet he were not worthy of the glory of heaven if a man should live a thousand yeeres and spend them all religiously hee did not deserve to be in heaven halfe an houre To this the Papists have devised a subtill answer say they It is in justice that God should give heaven to the best men not by a proportion so much for so much but because God will bestow heaven on some body therefore it stands with the justice of God rather to bestow it on the godly than on the wicked I answer this is sophisticall that tels us it is justice that God should give heaven to some body but what justice is it it is not to give so much for so much weight for weight It is not commutative but distributive justice and therefore there is a disproportion betweene our workes and Gods justice Againe the Papists are overthrowne in their owne argument for they say it was commutative justice not by an Arithmeticall but a Geometricall proportion I answer commutative justice to give weight for weight so much for so much is not that but it is according to distributive justice not by Arithmeticall but by a Geometricall proportion seeing he must give heaven to give it to the best men So the answer of the Papist is sophisticall Now in these words are foure things to bee observed 1. That the Iudgement at the last day shall passe according to workes 2. That good workes shall be reported and rewarded 3. That they shall workes of mercy 4. That they shall bee such workes of Mercy as are done to Christians because they are Christians First The Iudgement at the last day shall be according to works Therefore looke what our workes be such shall be the judgement that shall passe on us So Rom. 2. 6. saith the Apostle Who will reward every man according to his workes So also Revel 20. 18. it is said And they were judged every man according to their workes And Matth. 12. 36. saith Christ But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of Iudgement So then the judgement shall passe according to works but mistake me not I doe not say according to the merit of our workes for we deserve nothing but according to the qualitie of our workes Saint Gregory shewes out of Psal 7. It is one thing that God should render for a mans workes and another thing to render according to mans workes If God render according to a mans workes then it will bee well for good workes and evill for evill workes I but here a question may be made seeing wee shall be judged according iâ— workes what shall faith doe then I answere Faith is all in all for Faith is proposed as the price of our Redemption to the Iustice of God because we are saved by Faith And Acts 18. 31. it is said Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saved and thy houshold and Ephes 2. 6. the Apostle saith by Grace are ye saved through Faith not of your selves And so 1 Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the Salvation of your soules So then we are saved by Faith In summe there bee two speciall properties in Faith First It makes us the sheepe of Christ it gathers us to him and sets us at his right hand and moreover it makes us of the Sonnes of Adam the Sonnes of God this is the power of Faith Secondly It makes our worke acceptable before God as Heb. 11. it is said By Faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice than Caine so Faith makes our workes acceptable before God I but seeing wee are saved by Faith why is there no mention of it then I answere because there shall bee a declaration of the just judgement of God Now Faith is secret in the heart of a Man and workes bee open therefore a man shall not bee judged by the secret and hidden graces that is in his heart but by the Effects and Fruits which are open and manifest to the World The use is that seeing wee shall bee judged according to the fruites and not to the secret graces that are in us therefore wee must joyne to our faith good workes for looke what our workes be such shall bee the verdict that shall passe upon at that day therefore Iames 2. saith he O man shew me thy faith by thy workes Thou sayest thou hast faith and thou talkest of faith but let mee see it let it appeare in thy life and conversation joyne good life to it and so Luke 5. 20. it is said that Christ saw their faith and he healed them Hee did not onely see with the eyes of his Divinitie but hee saw their faith by the effects and fruits of it for they laid the sicke man on a bed and did breake through the roofe of the house and let him downe to Christ Therefore as one saies well it is faith that is seene and visible that saveth us not that which is secret and close in the heart but it must bee visible shewed by workes Gen. 27. Isaac would not blesse Iaakob by the voyce or by his speech but hee feeles and handles him and when hee found they were Esaus hands he blessed him so Christ will not blesse Christians by the voyce when they shall say I am a Christian I am a professor but he will handle them and feele them If hee finde their hands to be Esaus hands that is his beloveds hands that they have done good and have beene open to the poore Saints and ready to minister to their necessities then the Lord will blesse them and entertaine them into his
Spirit then all we did would savour of the Spirit but because there is flesh therefore all that wee doe will have a tang and a tast of the flesh Cyrill doth observe that there is no rocke or stone so hard but it hath some seames in it whereby weeds may spring up and grow in it so there is no mans heart so filled with grace but there will some sinne or corruption appeare by one occasion or other as matter to humble us and yet to comfort us in that wee see and hate it The second conclusion is that it is but a small portion of the Spirit and measure of grace that God giveth at the first to his servants for all the great workes of God begin in weakenesse all the glory of this world was but a confused heape man was made of a lumpe of earth and Christ which is God over all blessed for ever Amen he was a little childe for as it is in the life of Nature so it is in the life of Grace in the life of Nature at the first when a childe is borne it hath all the parts of a man a face eyes hands and feete which though they bee but little at the beginning yet after in time they grow to the full growth that God hath appointed in him at first there are the true parts of a man though they are not come to the full perfection so it is in the life of Grace there is in a Christian at his first conversion Faith and Repentance Love Zeale and all the graces of the Spirit though but in weake measure yet truely and really which afterwards will grow up to a greater degree of strength till they come to full perfection and therefore as the man said Mark 9. I beleeve Lord but helpe mine unbeleefe so may every weake Christian say Lord I have faith but helpe the weakenesse of my faith I have repentance but helpe the weakenesse of my repentance I have love but helpe the weakenesse of my love so then all the graces of God begin in weakenesse But here some man may say what is the least measure of Grace that God giveth to any man that he saveth I answer there are two degrees of it First a desire to beleeve to repent and obey for generally Divines say that the desire of faith is faith it selfe the desire of repentance is repentance it self and the desire that we have to obey God is obedience it self not in deed and in act but in Gods acceptance because it pleaseth him to accept the will for the deede according to that which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not so if there bee but a desire to beleeve repent and obey if they be constant setled and fleeting without doubt it shall be accepted and this is the least measure of grace that he giveth to any that he saveth Secondly the least measure of saving grace is to mourne and to grieve that wee cannot repent and beleeve in this case one mourneth and grieveth that hee findeth such hardnesse of heart in himselfe whereof the Church of God complaineth Esai 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare when a man findes this there is surely a beginning of grace in him wee see a little Childe though it want power and strength to goe to the mother yet it will cry and moane it selfe to her so although a Christian wants power and strength to goe to God yet if they can cry to God and bemoane themselves to him they may have comfort and these be the least measures of grace that he giveth to any man that he saveth Now come we to make use of this point First that seeing God giveth but a small measure of grace at the first therefore no man ought to be discouraged for the small and weake beginnings of grace he finds in himselfe for Matth. 13. 31. the graces of God are likened to Seede now seeds are not trees by and by but they grow by little and little till they come to perfection so the graces of God are small at the beginning come not to perfection at the first but grow by little and little and therefore no man is to be discouraged though he feele but small and weake beginnings of grace Secondly seeing God giveth but a small portion of grace at the first no man must despise any for the smal and weake beginnings that he sees in his brethren Zech. 4. 10. saith the Prophet Who hath despised the day of small things but they shall rejoyce c. so Rom. 14. 1 we are enjoyned to the contrary him that is weake in faith receive unto thee doe not despise him because God is able to increase and to effect grace in him and therefore no man must despise the small and weake beginnings in any of his brethrn Thirdly seeing God giveth but a small portion or measure of grace at first therefore it must be every mans care to husband his graces well he that had but one Talent given him should have beene the best husband and ought to have beene so but indeed he was the worst so we contrary to his practice seeing wee have but a small measure of grace should labour therefore to increase it and to bee the better husbands Wee see young men that have but a little stocke when they begin the world will omit no time for their owne good if any man shall say to them why doe you labour thus and take so great paines they reply presently Alas I had but a small stocke and therefore I had need to take the more paines in like manner wee because wee have but a small beginning of grace should labour to increase it The third conclusion is that although God give but a small measure of grace yet it doth grow and increase in a Christian as I told you even now the graces of God are compared to Seed Matth. 13. 31. and not to a stone because a stone groweth not but seed if it bee sowne will grow and increase so if a man have the graces of God in him they will grow and increase if they be nourished by the use of good meanes therefore if thou finde not an increase and a growth of grace thou may'st doubt whether thou hast the graces of God or no we see when a man sowes seed in his garden if he water them and they grow not he saith Sure the seed was naught in like manner if we finde not a growth and increase of grace in us but are as ignorant and no more forward now than we were seven yeares agoe in the practise of knowledge and duties of faith and repentance wee justly may say the seed was not good and truly
he had seene that in time to come they would have beene therefore this practise of Christ the Prophets and Apostles in sending them to the Scriptures shewes that they were not corrupted nor depraved The fourth reason is drawne from the circumstance of time which both Saint Ierome and Bellarmine doe approve of that if the Scriptures were corrupted by the Iewes it was either before Christs time or soone after his time if it had beene corrupted before his time as hee did reproove other corruptions hee would have reprooved this also but he did not reproove this and therefore it was not corrupted before his time againe it was not after his time for as Augustine saith the Iewish Church indured but a while after his time and then it did diffuse it selfe into all the world then though the Iewes might have corrupted the bookes that were in their owne hands yet they could not corrupt all the bookes that were in so many sundry hands scattered all the world over and therefore it was impossible for the Iewes to corrupt any Philo and Iosephus report that the Iewes lived two thousand yeeres under the Law when there was not one word corrupted nay they say that the the Iewes would suffer a hundred deaths before they would have corrupted any one word So then this reason stands good that it was not corrupted before Christs time nor after his time and therefore it is not corrupted in the Originall The fifth reason is taken from the Iudgement of the learned saith Saint Ierome if wee make any doubt of any question in our Bibles we straight runne to bee resolved of it in the Originall tongue if it bee in the new Testament we goe to the Greeke if it be in the Old Testament we goe to the Hebrew likewise Saint Augustine saith if any man make any doubt or question of this or that in the Scripture by and by wee goe to the Hebrew Bible to cleere our controversie as to the Canon law Hence we conclude by these reasons that the Church hath preserved the letter of the Scripture without any corruption Whereof we should make that use that Paul teacheth 2 Cor 6. 1. Wee as workers together with him beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vaine so then it is a grace and a great grace that the Lord hath preserved the Scripture without any corruption in the Hebrew text therefore I beseech you that you would not receive this grace of God in vaine but labour to grow in knowledge and to nourish thy faith to increase the graces of his Spirit to the weakening of thy sinnes and corruptions Now here may a question be made indeed the Lord hath preserved the Scripture in the Originall tongue without any corruption but in the Latine and other tongues they have beene corrupted and therefore what is this to us we cannot understand Hebrew Againe there was a Popish priests who said that wee have no faith because wee have not the Word of God for faith is grounded on the Word of God but the Word of God saith he was written in Hebrew and in Greeke which translated into an other tongue is not the Word of God how then shall we in this case know it to be the Word of God To this I answer that the Lord doth by us as Ioseph did by his brethren Gen. 42. 12. first hee spake unto them by an interpreter and afterwards by his owne mouth so the Lord doth speake unto us by the mouth of his servants and afterwards by his owne as we know the king makes a proclamation of his will to his subjects in English which when it commeth into Wales where they cannot understand it by one of the kings subjects is taken and translated into Welch wherein it differeth not a haire from the other so it pleased God to proclaime his will to his servants in the Hebrew and the Greeke tongue at first after which they were translated into all tongues by his servants so that there is not a haire difference betweene them in substance I but how shall wee know they bee rightly translated Hereto I answer first out of Chrysostome that we need not doubt but whatsoever is needfull to salvation is set downe plainely and cleerely in the Scriptures and Augustine adds that all those places in the Scriptures which speake of Faith and good manners bee plaine and easie therefore in plaine and easie places the interpreters could not be deceived Secondly a man may know it is the Word of God in our tongue by the same meanes they may know it in Hebrew and that is by the purity sincerity majestie and the power thereof to worke on the soules and consciences of men Therefore when a Christian shall feele and see the power of it worke on mens consciences and soules with the same purity and majesty they may safely say It is God speakes and not man It is the voyce of my welbeloved that speaketh as it is in the Canticles if one put pretious water into a glasse and after put it into an earthen vessell by the taste and vertue of it he may know it to be the same water that it was in the glasse so we may know the Word of God which is in Hebrew and Greeke to be the same in our tongue by the vertue purity sincerity and power thereof therefore the Popish priests opinion is but a tricke of wit and scant that I but there are some differences in the translations I answer first they differ not in sense but in words and termes for the Scripture containes such high wisedome as no one man is able to expresse it therefore the divers translators goe as neere as they can to expresse it some in one thing and some in an other and all to make knowne the wisedome of God to us so that it cannot be denied but that the difference of translations is a great helpe to expound the Scriptures Secondly I answer that where there is any difference it is not in the substance or any materiall point but it is in genealogies and yeares and where any doe finde these differences they may bee satisfied in it by the helpe of their pastours and teachers to instance a few Matth. 1. 11. in the ordinary Bibles there is next unto Iosias Iakim which in the new translation is left out now if any man would know which of these are the better let him looke into the 17. vers where hee may see that all the Generations from Abraham to David are fourteene all betweene David and the captivitie fourteene and from the captivitie to Christs time are fourteene now looke into your ordinary Bibles where are fifteene generations betweene David and the captivitie therefore the new translation is the better so Exod. 3. 19. in the ordinary Bibles it is thus read And I know that the king of Egypt will not
AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED OR AN EXPLANATION OF THE ARTICLES OF OVR CHRISTIAN FAITH Delivered in many afternoone Sermons by that Reverend and worthy Divine Master Iohn Smith late Preacher of the Word at Clavering in Essex and sometime Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Oxford Now published for the benefit and behoofe of all good Christians together with an exact Table of all the chiefest Doctrines and Vses throughout the whole Booke Vprightnesse hath boldnesse HEB. 11. 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please Him for hee that commeth unto God must beleeve that Hee is and that Hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Robert Allot and are to bee sold at his shop at the signe of the blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND NOBLE LORD EDWARD LORD MOVNTAGVE OF BOVGHTON Right Honorable THere hath beene both in former Ages of the Church and also in these latter times that zealous desire and endevour in many worthy Divines to advance true Religion and to benefit the church of God that they have not onely by their assiduous preaching in their life time wonne many soules to God but also have left divers monuments in writing whereby they being dead doe yet speake and the holy Doctrine by them taught is transmitted and propagated to posterity after them Amongst whom Mr. John Smith late Minister of Clavering in the Countie of Essex a man much reverenced for his Religion Learning Humilitie and Holinesse of life whilst he lived whose memorie is also very pretious with good men since his departure out of this life besides his indefatigable paines which he tooke in dispensing faithfully the Word of life did leave behinde him certaine Treatises in writing which in the judgement of some godly men were like to prove profitable to the Church but because they were left by him not perfectly digested into order as having no intention to present them to the publike view such was his Modestie and Humility therefore some of his friends at the intreatie of me and my wife the Relict of the said M. Iohn Smith her former deare husband having direction from us have taken great paines to gather them together to make them readie for the light which their industrie as it was very acceptable to us so we were very desirous that the fruit thereof might redound unto many and therefore did cause commit them to the Presse knowing that any good the more it is communicated the better it is And this Treatise containing the Summe of Faith being as it were a Christians free-hold for which he ought to contend â— anquam pro aris focis We thought it not unworthy to present unto your Honorable Patronage being an Orphan deprived of its owne Father hoping that by your Honours countenance and approbation it shall the better bee accepted of all true hearted Christians and I was the more imboldned hereunto because of your Honours zeale to true Religion Reverence the Word of God Love and bountie to the faithfull and deserving Preachers thereof Goodnesse towards all men Iustice and Equitie in the Common-wealths affaires and great Care of the good of your Countrie which is not onely experimentally knowne to me who am by many speciall Interests obliged to your Honor but also to all other in these parts who are so happy as to have continuall proofe thereof And though this poore Posthume is permitted to venter abroad naked as it were without those rich Robes Ornaments and quotations wherewith the Father if he had lived might plentifully have inriched it Yet I most humbly crave your Noble Protection for it and favorable censure of both the Worke and Publisher so shall your Lordships Noble favor herein yet further binde me Your Honors truely devoted and much obliged ANTHONY PALMER To the Christian Reader IT is availeable for the better entertainment of this worke to know something concerning the Author concerning the worke it selfe and concerning the Argument for the Author my acquaintance with him was especially towards the declining part of his yeeres at what time as they speake of the Sunne towards setting the light and influence which comes from worthy men is most mild and comfortable The gifts of men then perhaps are not so flourishing as in their younger time but yet more mature and what commeth from them is better digested In the prime of his yeares hee was trained up in S. Iohns Colledge in Oxford being there fellow of the House and for Piety and Parts esteemed highly in the University of those that excelled in both Afterwards he grew to that note that he was chosen to reade the lecture in Pauls succeeding therein that great lâ—â—ned man Doctor Andrewes late Lord Bishop of Winchester which he discharged not onely to the satisfaction but to the applause of the most judicious and learned hearers witnessed by their frequency and attention Not long after he was removed to a pastorall charge in Clavering in Essex where being fixed till his death hee shined as a starre in his proper spheare This good mans aime was to convey himselfe by all manner of wayes into the heart which made him willingly heard of all sorts for witty things onely as they are spoken to the braine so they rest in the braine and sinke no deeper but the heart which vaine and obnoxious men love not to bee touched that 's the marke a faithfull teacher aimes to hit But because the way to come to the heart is often to passe through the fancy therefore this godly man studied by lively representations to helpe mens faith by the fancy It was our Saviour Christs manner of teaching to expresse heavenly things in an earthly manner And it was the study of the wise man Salomon becomming a Preacher to finde out Pleasant words or words of delight but when all paines is taken by the man of God people will relish what is spoken according as their taste is It falleth out here as it doth in a garden wherein some walke for present delight some carry flowers away with them to refresh them for a time some as Bees gather honey which they feede on long afterwards some spider-like come to sucke that which may feede that malignant and venemous disposition that they bring with them There cannot be a better Character of a man than to observe what hee relisheth most in hearing for as men are so they taste so they judge so they speake Ezekiel besides Propheticall gifts fit for so high a calling had no doubt a delightfull manner of expression of himselfe whereupon the wickeder sort of Iewes engaged in sinfull courses came to heare him but as a Musitian to please their eares neglecting the authoritie of his Person and the weight of his message it s no wonder therefore if in these dayes people sticke in the barke and neglect the pith though sometimes it falleth out with some as with Augustine hearing
speaketh it will beleeve The common faith of the world is not so for they beleeve God in one thing and not in another they beleeve God in his promises and not in his threatnings in his mercy but not in his judgement they beleeve God in one commandement and not in another therefore this is not the true faith that the Scripture speakes of for all the parts of true faith be so joyned and knit together that if wee take away one wee destroy all even as it is in a stone wall take away one part and the rest falls and even so take away one part of true faith and yee destroy all and as one cracke in a bell spoyles the sound of a bell even so one part of our faith being taken away destroyes our faith To this effect Gal. 1. 6. The Apostle saith I marvell yee are so soone turned to another Gospell they missing one point of faith he shewes they destroyed all If any man object and say How can that be that a man failing in one point of faith should faile in all Wee see Abraham beleeved God in one thing and not in another I answere wee are to consider two things First what he beleeved and what hee beleeved not all points be not of one consequence some bee of greater moment and some of lesse for as Aquinas saith some points bee the grounds of faith and those bee of greatest weight and moment and there bee some that bee in relation to others so many things in the story of the Bible bee most directed to faith as grounds and some be in relation to others to helpe and further it now Abraham doubted not of any maine point of faith but hee doubts of the lesse hee beleeves God for saving of his soule that God for Christs sake would save that but hee doubts of this that God would not give him a child so hee doubts not of the maine matter but of the lesser a man may beleeve God in the maine beleeve God for the saving of his soule and doubt of the lesser this doth not destroy true faith Even as a man comming to a shelfe where be a number of dishes a man may take away one and the rest may stand but if hee take away the shelfe all the dishes fall downe even so it is in faith take away one point which is in relation to another all the rest will stand but take away that which is the ground and beareth up all of them and then all the rest fall Now the causes of this defect are First because they beleeve it not not out of any distrussfulnesse of God as the children of Israel said in the Psal Can God prepare a table c. And as the Prince wee read of in the second booke of the Kings that doubted of the power of God but it ariseth for want of light that they doe not see it to bee so or because they have not beene as yet taught it out of the word of God The second defect is for want of strength for although hee sees it to bee a truth yet hee cannot beleeve it but is carried away with the sway and swinge of Nature against his judgement that hee is faint to strive and struggle against it This is the maine difference betweene the people of God and the world for although they beleeve not some particular thing yet they strive to beleeve even as the man in the Gospell said Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe But the world doth not so for they doubt and doe not beleeve many particular things and yet they doe not strive against their unbeleefe and therefore if we doe not find it so in ourselves that there is not a striving to beleeve it is no true faith for true faith doth beleeve God in the maine matters it doth beleeve that God will give them Christ and yet many times they doubt of health it beleeves Christ will give them heaven and through weaknesse doubts that God will not give them seasonable weather and yet there is a striving to beleeve all The second thing that wee are to observe in saving faith is That it makes use unto it selfe of the word of God and not in generall but it applieth every promise of God made for our good As Eliphas saith to Iob take this and take to thy selfe so true faith beleeve this and beleeve it for thy selfe so that it doth not beleeve in generall but it makes use and applies every promise of God made home and to say with David I have respect unto all thy Commandements Herein true faith differeth from the faith of the world whosoever beleeveth the word of God in generall and yet cannot apply it to themselves may bee compared to the Apothecary which giveth others Physicke but doth not take it himselfe whereas true faith applies the promises of God for its owne good this is a justifying faith The third thing in true saving faith is that as it applies all the promises of God to it selfe so espicially it applies and takes hold of the great promises made unto us in Christ wherein wee stand perswaded of our redemption by the blood of Christ Even as a man being carried away in a great streame looketh up and espying a great tree hang over him takes hold of it and saveth himselfe from drowning so when a man is carried away in the streame of corruption and lookes up by the eye of faith hee espieth Christ like a tree hang over him takes hold of him and by this meanes hee saveth himselfe when thousands of others perish It is true indeed that true faith looketh to the whole word of God it beleeveth the threatnings and the promises of God as in Heb. 11. That by the same faith that Noah beleeved God for the saving of his soule by the same hee beleeved God for the saving of his bodie by an Arke and so likewise Abraham by the same faith hee beleeved that God would give him heaven by the same faith hee beleeved that God would keepe him in a strange countrey so Moses by the same faith that hee beleeved that God would preserve him from hell by the sanie faith hee beleeved that God would preserve him from the wrath of Pharaoh Yet in the matters of our salvation true faith lookes at Christ onely and at the promises made unto us in him even as the people of Israel that were stung with the firie serpents with the same eye wherewith they looked on Moses Aaron on the people and on their tents with the same eye they looked on the brasen serpent which was it that hoâ—pe them so it is in true saith it lookes to all the promises of God made unto us and yet in the matters of salvation it must bee the great promise made unto us in Christ that must save us which true faith lookes at All the hope we have of heaven hangs on faith and lest we should be
espie a leake in the ship how affraid would hee bee to adventure his goods this were but to hazard goods but if a man hath a fault in his Faith hee doth not adventure his goods and hazard them but hee doth hazard his soule And therefore take heed thou bee not deceived with a false Faith a poore man may dwell in his house all Summer and may thinke hee is as well as they that dwell in a better house but when Winter comes and it raines into his house in twenty places so as hee cannot bee at rest in it then hee seeth his error so a man thinkes himselfe as well that hath but a counterfeit as he that hath a true Faith all the summer time of his life but when the winter death and the judgement day comes then hee shall see his error and therefore let us labour that wee may have true Faith whiles wee live heere lest wee be condemned then Now the next thing we are to handle by order course is the degrees of Faith There is not only one measure and degree but there be diverse degrees of it the two Cherubines in the temple were all of one size and measure but there be diverse degrees thereof according to the severall growths of Faith now there are three degrees of it first Weake Faith Secondly strong Faith Thirdly full assurance of Faith So the Apostle 1 Ioh. 2. 12. shews the three degrees of it according to the three ages of men by babes young men and by old men by babes weake Faith by young men strong Faith by old men the full assurance of Faith Now weake Faith is accompanied with much wandering and doubting and yet there must bee in it an apprehension of the promise made unto us in Christ but it is so accompanied with wandering and doubting that sometimes it cannot tell whether it doe or no even like the smoaking flaxe that lieth smoaking and paddering that it cannot bee discerned whether there bee any fire or no but by the smoaking so there may be such weake apprehension of the promises of God made unto us in Christ that wee can hardly discerne whether there bee any Faith or no. I but there is weaknesse in all even in the strongest I answer there is great difference betweene a strong man weakened by sicknesse and the weakenesse of a child so there is a great difference betweene the Faith of a strong Christian weakened by sinne and the weakenesse of Faith in a new beginner a childe in religion and of this weaknesse there bee two reasons first weaknesse of judgement Secondly weaknesse of apprehension First weaknesse in judgement so wee see the disciples of Christ how weake their judgement was in regard of knowledge that they did not beleeve one of the articles of Faith they did not beleeve the resurrection of the dead the Evangelist Marke shewes and so likewise in Iohn 4. how weake the Faith of the Samaritane in regard of her knowledge and so of Rahab her faith was weake in judgement for she had heard of the wonders that were done in Egypt and had a desire to bee joyned to the people of God and this is the weake Faith that is here spoken of Rom. 14. 10. The second is weaknesse in apprehension of the promises of God that it is not able to apply Christ unto it selfe one would doe it but hee cannot hee beleeves there is a pardon for his sinnes if hee could apply Christ and yet he cannot doe it so we see Iohn 20. what a long time it was ere Thomas could apply Christ to him and say hee was his Lord and his God so it is long ere a Christian can apply the promises of Christ unto himselfe Now this is weake Faith and this weaknesse of Faith is in all beleevers beginnes in weaknesse and therefore none ought to bee discouraged although they cannot apply Christ to themselves because weaknesse of Faith is in all and if thou be stronger in Faith than thy brother doe not exclude or discourage him but labour by all meanes to nourish and to strengthen it so the Apostle saith him that is weake in the Faith receive unto thee and so likewise Zecharie 4. 10. For who hath despised the day of small things and therefore if it be but the smallest and the least that may bee labour to nourish and encrease it the reason is because the least measure of true Faith is able to save us for if a man hath but as much true Faith as a graine of mustard seede it is able to worke wonders to remove mountaines as wee see Luk. 17. We see in experience that the hand of a little child is able to lay hold of a bagge of gold when the father giveth it indeed the hand of a strong man is able to take it out of the hand of the father but yet the hand of a child can lay hold of it Even so weake Faith may lay hold of the promises of God as well as strong faith although it doth not so strongly apply Christ as Num. 21 when the people were bitten with the fiery serpents there was a brasen serpent set upon a pole that so many as being bitten looked upon it should be healed which did not only help the strongest but the weakest sighted also if they were able but to cast up their eyes to it and not onely so but those that lay on their sicke beds in the tents if they were able but to espy him at a litle chinke or crevise they were healed So not only they that have the strongest Faith are saved but even those that have but a weake also yea although they lye on their death-beds yet if they can but espie Christ by the eye of Faith at a little chinke or crevise they shall be saved But how may wee know weake Faith from no Faith I answer it may be knowne foure waies First When it is attended with good desires That a man hath a desire to beleeve to repent to doe the will of God but cannot as David saith I desire to doe thy will O God although I cannot so wee see weake Faith is attended with good desires therefore where there be not these good desires there is not weake Faith but no Faith I but are there not good desires in some that have not true Faith I answer Balaam hee had good desires hee desired to die the death of the righteous so then there be desires in both but the desires of weake Faith have these three properties first they bee earnest and servent secondly constant and setled thirdly actuall and lively First they bee earnest they cannot bee at rest till they have the thing they desire Even as a child that is hungry nothing will content him till hee have meate give him this and that thing yet will hee not bee quiet till hee hath foode so it is with a Christian nothing will content him till hee hath
thou hast delivered my soule from death and â—lso my feet from falling that I may walke before God in the light of the liuing Micha 4. 5. For all people will walke every one in the name of his God and wee will walke in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever therefore if men bee not carefull to walke with God to leave their corrupt courses they have no faith And because every man will bee ready to catch hold on this and to say they walke with God then I answere If thou walkest with God thou must leave some markes and prints behinde so if we walke with God we must leave behinde us markes and prints we read 2 King 7. 15. That when the Israelites went after the Syrians unto Iordan loe all the way was full of cloathes and vessells which the Syrians had cast behind them so if we walke with God all the way that we goe shall leave markes behind us of patience of faith of holinesse of life till we come at Iordan viz. till wee come to die where men have not walked with God there is not any prints or markes left behind them The third effect and fruit of faith is That it will let all goe in the matters of this life and provide for saving of thy soule this is set forth unto us by the example of Noah Gen. 6. that builded an Arke for the saving of himselfe and his houshold when others were busie about their pleasures sports and following their worldly profits hee applyed himselfe to make an Arke what was the reason of it because he had the faith of these two things 1 That God would bring a floud 2 That he would save him by this meanes by the Arke First hee did beleeve that God would send a floud for the drowning of the world for as there was a time of mercy a time that God did patiently forbeare them so hee did beleeve that there would be a time of judgement when the Lord would punish the wicked and the ungodly Secondly he was perswaded that when others did perish he should bee saved nor by carrying him above the clouds nor by inclosing him in the waters or to make him walke in the dry land as the children of Israel did but hee did beleeve that God would save him in the Arke so a Christian must bee perswaded and settled in the assurance of these two things first that God will send a floud of destruction a floud of fire upon the world and that as there is a time of mercie so also there will bee a time and a day of judgement a time to call them to an accompt for all their sinnes Secondly wee must bee perswaded that there is no other meanes to bee saved but onely by Iesus Christ and when a man is setled in the faith of this it will make him let goe all and lay hold on Christ that he may bee saved in the day of judgement The Apostle saith Phil. 3 8. Hee accounteth all things but to bee dung and drosse that he may be found in Christ as if he should say Let the world goe take it with all the pleasures and profits I accompt it but dung and drosse that I may winne Christ and be found in him So Acts 26. 7. he sayes Whereunto our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come to the resurrection and so stand with joy and comfort before God So if once this be settled in our hearts that there is no other meanes to bee saved but onely by Christ then a man will bee contented to let all goe and lay hold on Him that so hee may be saved and stand with joy and comfort before God we see in Genesis that when Lot went out of Sodome the Angels did haste him that he might not looke backe againe to his pleasures and profits and goods that hee had left behind him what was the reason of it that seeing God had given him the meanes of saving of himselfe he would apply himselfe to it where there is not this affection it comes not into ones heart nor his thoughts all his life long to consider how he shall be saved and be contented to let all goe and apply himselfe to the meanes The fourth effect is to obey the calling of God whatsoever it cost this is shewed unto us in Abrahams example when the Lord called him out of his countrey and from his kindred he did not hang upon them but he lost all and obeyed Gods Commandement so if a man hath faith in God call him to any service or dutie call him out of his sinnes or call him out of the world he will be contented to let all go and obey God whatsoever it cost him and what troubles soever he endureth So wee see Matthew when Christ called him left all his profits and followed him and so in Matthew 4. when Christ called his other disciples they left their fishes nets and followed him so if there be faith in us we wil obey God whatsoever it cost us therefore when men will not come out of their sinnes but sticke in them still there is not this effect of true faith in them howsoever the divell may perswade them to have it The fifth effect of true faith is That it will make us live like Pilgrimes herein this world to dwell in our houses like strangers ready to depart and leave all as the Patriarkes did who accounted themselves as Pilgrims and strangers here and heaven to be their home this is a great worke of faith Now in foure respects wee must live like strangers and Pilgrimes here in this world First a Pilgrime hath not his heart as you know settled upon the kingdomes and countries that he passeth through but his minde is set at home and if he comes where men be dauncing and taking their pleasure hee doth not attend it his minde is of his journey if he come where men be at play either in fencing or any other sporting he doth not minde it but his desire is bent only on his journey so we should be like Pilgrims and strangers in this respect our hearts should not bee set on the kingdomes and countries we passe through they must not bee set on this world If a man come where pleasures be hee must not have his heart intangled with them or attend on them he must not minde them but his bent must be set on his journey and his home I have shewed you heretofore a pretty story of a man travelling to Ierusalem the holy city who as he travelled came to a city where hee saw mustering of men trayning of souldiers and running of horses and hee being delighted therewith thought to have tarried there but this came into his minde this is not the holy land nor the holy city so away he went Then hee came to another city and there he law dauncing and sporting and many delights
best so it is evident that men make these things their god Secondly whatsoever a man takes most paines for that he makes his god But it is evident that men take more paines about their pleasures and money than they doe about God and therefore they doe make that their god Chrysostome saith Aske not thy tongue whether thou lovest God or no or takest more paines about thy pleasures money belly or thy sinnes than for him But aske thy life and conversation and that will tell thee that thou lovest thy pleasures more than thy God therefore he that saith he loveth God and yet loveth his pleasure more than God he lyeth hereby we must take heede that we doe not set our profits and our pleasures in the roome of God Secondly seeing there is but One God wee must labour to bee one as he is One For Gods labour is to bring all the decaied Creatures to be one as hee is One It is the Devill that brought in division and set man against God and one man against another but God laboureth to bring all to one though we cannot be all one in substance yet let us labour to be one in affection as it is said that the number of them that beleeved were of one heart and of one mind so we must labour to be of one heart and of one minde Ephes 4. 5. It is said There is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all so Mal. 2. 10. It is said Have we not all one Father hath not one God made us why doe we transgresse every one against his brother and breake the covenant of our Father Therefore seeing God is one we must labour to be one as he is one Ezek. 37. wee read how the Prophet saw a number of bones lye scattered here and there but when once the Word of God came amongst them they ran bone to his bone sinewes grew upon them and flesh on the sinewes so howsoever we be scattered in our affections yet if the Word of God come amongst us we bee one as God is one straight way we runne together and be made one though not in substance one yet in affection heart and minde The fourth use is that seeing God is one therefore there is but one meanes of life and salvation as Rom. 3. 30. For it is one God who shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through faith There is but one meanes whereby he gathereth all men unto him so that the best and holiest men that ever were are saved by the same meanes that the meanest and poorest are and the greatest sinner is saved by It is an opinion of some that they shall be saved in what Religion soever they professe but this cannot be because there is but one meanes of the saving of all men There was but one Tree of life one Doore in the Arke one high Priest one Mediator betweene God and man and therefore there is but one way to life and salvation if we be out of that way wee are in the way to damnation Therefore we must doe as a man in a journey O Sir saith he I am in a way but whither doth this way lead if he be told it leadeth to the kings court where he shall have great favour shewed or to a garden of pleasure or a place of Comfort then he will goe on cheerefully but if he be told that it leadeth to a prison a dungeon or to a place of torment he will stay and goe no further so should we say O sir we are in a way but whither doth it lead If to heaven to Gods favour to joy and comfort unspeakeable then we may with comfort go on but if we be told that the way we walke in leadeth to hell destruction and to torment we should make a stand and go no further therefore seeing there is but one way to life every one should labour to walke in that way Thirdly we professe that we beleeve he is a true God True first in regard of his Nature secondly in regard of his properties First he is a true God in regard of his Nature for he is of a spirituall no bodily substance there is no extention of his parts he doth not consist of parts as we doe but he is of a spirituall substance as Ioh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit Secondly he is infinite in time and in place there is no bounds nor limitations of him he cannot be comprehended as it is Psal 145. 3. Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible so that his wisedome power justice and mercy no man can comprehend Thirdly he is the fountaine of all good things so that whatsoever good things the Creature hath it is from God For by him we live move and have our being and breathing as it is in Acts 17. 28. God doth give a being to us he hath a being of himselfe and therefore he hath no need of us he is not the better for our prayers nor the service wee doe him but we be the better for it and therefore every one when he conceiveth of God must see he hath a right apprehension of him hee must so conceive him as he hath revealed himselfe in his Word or else hee setteth up an idoll of his owne in his heart The heathen did deride Christians asking them where their God was and bidding them shew their God for they could shew theirs in such a Church and such a place Saith the Christian I cannot shew thee my God for he is a Spirit and cannot bee seene and therefore he is the true God yours may bee seene therefore he is not the true God but saith he if you would see my God get you the eyes of faith and I will shew you my God Men that have weake eyes get them eyes of a Chrystall glasse and then they see a number of things that they could not see before so when we cannot see God we should get Chrystall eyes the eyes of Faith and then wee shall see that we never saw before A number of people in the world cannot see God in the fields in their publike meetings in their houses but let them get the eyes of Faith and they shall see him very comfortably Secondly as we beleeve God to be true in Nature so we beleeve God to be true in his Properties He is a powerfull a wise a just a mercifull a loving God And therefore if wee beleeve that God is powerfull why then doe wee not trust in him If hee bee wise why be we not guided and governed by him If he bee just why doe wee not beleeve him in his promises And why are wee not affraid of offending him If hee be mercifull why should we despaire But a number of men take away the power of God for as the children of Israel in the wildernesse said Can God
God so we should returne all to him againe by publike thankefulnesse for them as Paul saith in this place that we should turne from these vaine idols to the living God that made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is because he made them therefore we should goe backe againe in the consideration of it and returne thankes to him Thirdly seeing God made all things wee should not looke upon his workes without great consideration of them as his workes of mercy or judgement If a workeman make an excellent worke it is a great indignity and injury offered to the workeman to passe by it slight it not to looke on it or regard it so seeing the Lord hath hanged as it were the chamber of this world with many goodly workes of his mercy and judgements it is a great injury and indignity offered unto God for men to passe by them and never to looke upon them so God complaines Psal 28. 5. Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operations of his hands therefore hee shall breake them downe and not build them up so it is a great sinne to passe by his wonderous workes and not to looke upon them and consider of them The third point is how hee made them By no instrument but by his word as Psal 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens and all the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth Now wee are not to thinke it was a vocall word of God but it was his commandement Psal 33. 9. For he spake and it was done hee commanded and it stood or was created So Psal 148. 5. Hee commanded and they were created Solomon when hee builded the Temple had thousands of workmen to doe it but God when hee made the world made it with his word therefore we may see the excellent power of the word of God that let him but speake and there is a new heaven and an earth and a sea and skie and beasts and birds for the use of man Therefore the Centurion saith well Matthew 8. Doe but speake the word and thy servant shall be whole So we must learne to acknowledge the excellent power of the word of God that if hee say to sicknesse depart it shall depart if to health come it shall come looke what God speaketh shall be done as it is said in the Psalme he sent out his word and healed them Secondly seeing God made the world with a word wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that there is never a creature save man but doth yeeld to the Word of God the Lord hath spoken ten words in his Law nay many more in the gospell unto us and yet what adoe is there an almighty power must ioyne with the word to bring a sinner to repentance therefore wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that the creatures yeeld to the word of God and yet sinfull man cannot submit to a thousand words of God to bring him to repentance The fourth point is what hee made the world of and that was of nothing Hebrewes 11. 3. Through faith wee understand that the world was made by the Word of God so that the things wee see were made of things that did not appeare Philosophers say of nothing nothing can hee made It is true in Nature but not in regard of Gods power In Nature indeede there is no Artificer that can make any thing unlesse he hath matter to make it of as a Smith cannot worke without Iron and a Mason must have stone and a Carpenter must have timber but God is able to make all things of nothing The use is first that seeing God did make the world of nothing hee is able to make a man somewhat when he is nothing he is able to give grace where there is none to create faith where there is no faith and to worke repentance where there is none so saith Paul 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And therefore if God be able to make the world of nothing he is able to make a man something that is nothing in himselfe Secondly seeing God is able to make the world of nothing he is able when we are nothing in our worldly estates to raise us up of nothing and to make us great men in the world so faith Hanna 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. The Lord killeth maketh alive bringing downe to the grave and raising up the Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalieth he raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill to set them amongst Princes Thirdly seeing God made the world of nothing so let us know the world would dissolve and come to nothing againe if God should not uphold it for naturally all things dissolve into that they were made of as a man made of dust so naturally turnes and comes to dust againe so Ice being made of water it turnes to water againe and Snow being made of raine it dissolves to it againe so the world being made of nothing would come to nothing if God should not uphold it Therefore how much are wee bound to God for every houres continuance of this world which Heb. 1. 3. is said to be upheld by his mighty power and word Fourthly seeing he made the world of nothing wee may see the meanes of our beginning that it was of nothing and therefore howsoever some swell with greatnesse of their Ancestors and of their Nobility yet we see the meannesse of our beginning wee came of nothing therefore this may serve to humble us how great soever we be Abraham hee confessed he was but dust this did humble him and were know the dust was made of nothing which should serve to humble us in that all our greatnesse came of nothing The fifth point is â— what estate God made this world in in exceeding good estate Genesis 1. 25. therefore if there be any creature that is not good or hath any defect in it we are to thanke our selves and our owne sinnes as we see in a clocke if there be any alteration or stop in the little wheeles it is because there was first a stop in the great wheeles for the little ones doe depend on the greater wheele so that if there bee a stand in that there is a stand in the little wheeles in like manner if there be any defect in the creatures or if there be any that be not good it is because there is a defect and a failing in us for man is as the great wheele of the Clocke therefore if hee bee out of order no marvell though the creatures be so also Hence we may learne that if there be any which be not good or have defect in them wee may
the Deitie did flow into the Person of the Sonne then our faith goes with it and whithersoever the Deity goes thither goeth the faith of a Christian Now the faith that wee have in the Sonne of God is to be considered three wayes 1. In his Titles 2. In his Incarnation 3. In his twofold Estate of 1. Humiliation 2. Exaltation Concerning his Titles we beleeve 1. That he is Iesus 2. That he is Christ 3. That he is the onely Sonne 4. That he is our Lord according as the Angel saith here in this place And thou shalt call his name Iesus Now in the faith we have in this title Iesus there bee three things implyed 1. That he is a Saviour 2. That in the matter of our Salvation there is no other Iesus but this Iesus 3. That as he is Iesus so he is our Iesus and will save us in the day of death and Iudgement First Iesus as the Angell tels us and as wee all know it signifieth A Saviour wee beleeve that Iesus is a Saviour and will save us at the day of death and at the day of judgement As Matth. 18. For the Sonne of man is come to save that which was lost And 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a true saying saith the Apostle and by all meanes worthy to bee received that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners c. So Ioh. 4. 14. And wee have seene and doe testifie that the Father sent his Sonne to bee the Saviour of the world So that if hee bee the true Saviour of the world all that will be saved must seeke to bee saved by him for God saveth not but by the meanes which hee himselfe hath appointed therefore wee must seeke to that It is a rule in Divinity That such meanes as God hath appointed for the saving of us such wee must applie our selves to as God appointed an Arke for saving of Noab and his family from drowning so that all that would bee saved must flie to the Arke so likewise if any were stung with the firy serpents hee had appointed a brasen serpent that if any bitten with the firy serpent looked up they should bee holpen and if any were stung and did not looke up and cast up their eyes there on the brasen serpent they were not helped Even so God hath appointed Iesus to bee the meanes of salvation therefore all that will bee saved must seeke to Iesus to bee saved Ioh. 1. 37. Iohn as soone as hee pointed at Iesus and said Behold the Lambe of God the two Disciples left all and followed him so wee should doe when wee heare it is Iesus that must save us at the day of death and judgement we should bee contented to leave all pleasures and profits and our sinnes and whatsoever is deare to us to bee saved by Iesus But it is a pittifull thing that men desire to bee saved at the day of judgement and after death to bee blessed and yet never seeke to Christ Christ complaineth of this in Ioh. 5. 40. But yee will not come unto me that ye might have life As if he should say yee desire to be blessed and to bee saved but yee will not come to me to have life and to bee saved It is the sinne of the world that they intend matters of pleasure and profit and never seeke to Christ to bee saved if a strange Chirurgion or Physition should come into the countrey if wee conceive him to bee good or heare hee is O how men will seeke to him that they may be holpen of their disease or of their wounds but here is the fault that men do not seeke to Iesus who is able to bring light out of darkenesse health out of sickenesse life out of death Secondly seeing Iesus is the Saviour therefore wee must bring our wives and children our servants friends and them wee wish well to Christ Iesus to bee saved Mark 2. 3. There was a man sicke of the Palsey who because hee was not able to come himselfe was brought by foure men and presented before Christ and so was healed so wee should doe present our children and friends at the feet of Christ by prayer and them wee wish well to that hee may save and blesse them As Mark. 10. 14. They brought little children to him that hee might touch them A learned man saith well hee is the Saviour of little children therefore we must bring them to Christ and present them by prayer to him that he may save and blesse them Thirdly seeing Iesus is the Saviour it shewes naturally wee are all lost in our selves under the curse of God and out of the estate of Salvation and therefore must seeke to Christ to be saved as Matth. 18. 11. The Sonne of man is come to seeke and to save that which is lost as a lost sheepe is not at rest but runnes here and there and cryes to the shepheard and is not at rest till hee bee in the fould againe so wee should doe wee should cry to the shepheard and never be at rest till wee bee brought home to God againe In the words of the Angell wee may observe three things 1. Whom he shall save his owne people 2. By what meanes not by strong hand or fighting for them but by dying and suffering for them 3. From what he shall save them from their sinnes First whom hee shall save he shall save his owne people so that if we bee not the people of Christ we cannot bee saved A number of men thinke that seeing all bee sinners and Christ dyed for sinners therefore all shall bee saved but this is an error in the world for hee shall save none but his owne people and therefore if wee will be saved we must labour to bee the people of Christ obedient to his commandements to live under his government and to bee guided and governed by him in all our actions for if wee bee not gathered home unto him obey him and live under his government we are none of his people and then we cannot looke to bee saved It is said Psal 18. 27. Hee will save the humble and will cast downe the proud Now who bee the humble people even such as bee brought low upon the consideration of their sinnes and sit under the burthen of them at the feet of Christ these bee the people that shall be saved Secondly how hee shall save them not by strong hand nor by fighting for them but by suffering for them as it is said Ioh. 1. Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world even as the lambe in the Law typified the taking away of sinne so Iesus tooke away our sinne In the Law when they brought a Lambe to offer the man made confession of his sinnes on the head of the Lambe and put them vpon the Lambe the Lambe was killed and the man went free so all our sinnes
Lord raigneth surely the earth shall be stable and not mooved he shall judge the people in righteousnesse And therefore seeing Christ raigneth let every man and woman rejoyce and bee glad it shall bee well with Christs servants as long as Christ is their Lord for the divell cannot take a pinne from their sleeves nor a leafe from a tree nor touch a pigge in thy yard without Christ permit him it was a comfort to Iosephs brethren to heare he was the Lord of Egypt so it is a comfort to a Christian to know that Christ our elder brother is Lord of the world Secondly seeing Christ is the Lord of the world we must take heede we doe not resist him for seeing he is a Lord so powerfull it is in vaine to resist him Psal 110. 2. it is written Bee thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies therefore let us take heede we doe not resist or strive against him lest wee bee overmatched we read 2 King 10. 3. Iehu said to the Samaritans Consider therefore which of your Masters sonnes be best and most fit and meete set him on his fathers throne and fight for your masters house but they were exceedingly afraid and said Behold two kings could not stand before him how then shall we stand so we may say two kings could not stand against him nay all the powers that rose up against him could not stand before him how then shall I be able to stand And therefore every one should submit himselfe unto him Thirdly seeing Christ is the Lord we must be contented that Christ dispose of us and of our estates whether it bee by sicknesse or health death or life prosperity or adversity he is the Lord hee may dispose of us therefore we must learne to be contented with his good pleasure so David Psal 39. 9. I was dumb and said nothing because thou diddest it so Eli 2 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him doe with me as it pleaseth him best or good in his owne eyes we finde Matth. 21. when Christ sent for the Asse to Ierusalem he saith If any one aske you what yee doe with him tell him The Lord hath neede of him and hee will let him goe so if the Lord neede any thing for his honour or for the good of our brethren we should be content to let it goe it is his owne no body must check or grudge against him none must controule him Fourthly seeing Christ is the Lord it shewes that all the powers in the world stand under a greater government and power therefore we must take heede we doe no injury or wrong to any for there is no power so great but he stands under a greater power so Col. 4. 1. the Apostle exhorteth them Ye masters doe to your servants that which is just and equall knowing yee have a Master in Heaven and Iob saith I durst not doe so and so because Gods judgements were fearefull to me and I could not bee delivered Secondly wee beleeve Hee is our Lord Hee is a Lord indeed to all the world but we must beleeve he is our Lord we can have no true comfort till we can lay hold on Christ and say as Thomas said My Lord and my God Origen hath a pretty saying What am I the better saith hee to know that Christ possesseth the city or the country unlesse hee possesse my heart and my soule and set up his Lawes and subdue my flesh so wee may say what am I the better to know Christ hath subdued the world and yet hath not subdued my heart and set up his Lawes therein and subdued my flesh therefore as wee beleeve in generall hee is our Lord so we must beleeve in particular he is my Lord Now foure waies Christ may bee said to be the Lord of the Church 1. By right of Creation 2. By right of redemption 3. By right of donation or free gift 4. By voluntary service First Christ is our Lord by right of Creation for it is he that hath made us and not we our selves Psal 100. 3. therefore seeing he hath made us we must doe him service If wee had made our selves wee might have served our selves but seeing Christ made us we must serve him he is our Lord. Secondly hee is our Lord by right of Redemption so Zacharie in his song Luk. 1. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people hee hath redeemed us with his precious blood therefore he is our Lord by right of Redemption And as one saith he hath not onely bought us with his money but he hath bought us with his owne blood c. Therefore we are his servants he is our Lord. Thirdly he is our Lord by free gift because we are given of God to him as Psal 2. 8. saith God Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possessions Fourthly he is a Lord by voluntary service Paul when hee was converted Acts. 9. saith Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe he was ready to doe any service that Christ required so are other Converts at least in resolution and desire The uses are Three First seeing Christ is our Lord wee must live in obedience to him servants must be obedient to their masters and therfore as the Samaritans said to Iehu King 10. Wee are thy servants so wee should to Christ We are thy servants thou hast made us of nothing thou hast redeemed us when we were lost by our sins we will therefore do whatsoever thou command us It is a fearefull thing and a high sinne when men professe themselves to bee servants to Christ to take him for their Lord and yet live in no obedience unto him but in uncleanesse prophanesse and in knowne sinnes still for if Christ bee our Lord let us live in obedience Secondly seeing Christ is our Lord where his presence is wee must labour to be we see that servants will be with their master where he is thither will they flocke even so where we know there is a presence of Christ thither we must flocke Ioh. 21. 7. the Disciples that were a fishing came swimming over to Christ when they heard where Christ was and left all so when we know there is a presence of Christ in the house of preaching wee must leave all and goe thither Mark 1. 33. when Christ was in Peters house all the city flocked and thronged about the doore because Christs presence was there and yet it was but a poorefisher mans cabbin so when wee heare there is a presence of Christ or know it in the place of preaching we must flocke and throng thither whatsoever the place and howsoever meane it be Thirdly seeing Christ is our Lord know that wee must give up our accounts to him as servants must give up theirs to their masters therefore we must not
labour to please men but wee must please Christ for he is our Lord we must give up our accounts to him If we should give up our accounts to men to kings or to great men wee should seeke to please them as 2 Cor. 5. 9. 10. Wherefore we labour that both dwelling at home and remooving from home we may be acceptable to him for wee shall all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ c. therefore wee must labour to approve our selves to him Saint Augustine saies servants will labour to please their masters whom if they can please they care not whether it please others or no so wee should labour to please Christ and care not though all the world were displeased with us so he bee pleased for we must not give an account to the world but to him If a man hold his lands and livings from any man he will be afraid to displease him or to fell a tree off his ground lest he make a forfeiture of his coppihold so seeing we hold all from God we must take heede we doe not make forfeiture and displease him lest he turne us out of all Fourthly seeing Christ is our Lord it was not a servant that died for us but it was the Lord If it had been a servant that had died wee had beene bound in duty and in love to him But seeing it was Christ our Lord that died how are we bound in love and duty unto him Iohn 13. when Christwashed his Disciples feete Peter saith inadmiration Lord wilt thou wash my seete so wee may say Lord wilt thou shead thy blood for me what shall I render unto thee or what duty shall I performe unto thee for so many surpassing mercies Fifthly seeing Christ is our Lord we must bee carefull to render our soules c. backe againe unto him in as good estate as he gave them to us If a man borrow any thing it is a shame it hee carry it not home againe in as good estate as hee had it so seeing wee have received our soules from him and they are but borrowed wee must take heed wee doe not marre them by our sinnes and so returne them worse home than we had them wee see in experience if a man should send his servant to the Indies to fetch gold give him a ship to fill and bee at great costs and charges twenty or thirty yeeres together and when the servant comes there he does not gather in gold and pearles into his ship but gravell and sand muck and moulde if this servant comes home will his master take it well may hee not looke for a cold welcome home so as it were the Lord hath sent us to the Indies for gold and pearles with a ship and is at great cost with us many a yeere together Now the ship is our soule and the graces of his spirit are the gold and pearles the world is the Indies and heere we may have the same gold the graces of his Spirit if therefore wee doe not fill our ships with gold and pearles but with gravell and sand muck and mould God will not take it well at our hands we may looke for a cold welcome home when wee come to deliver our ship againe Sixthly seeing Christ is our Lord we must leave all and be ready to depart this life when Christ will have us for servants bee at the command of their masters if a master send his servant to trade and to traffique beyond the Sea as long as his master will have him to traffique and trade so long he must but when his master will have him to come home and leave all he must then be ready to doe so so seeing we bee servants to God and he sends us to traffique and trade as long as he will have us stay here we must be contented but when hee will have us leave all and come home we should be ready to doe so Seventhly seeing Christ is our Lord then beleeve of all men Christians are the most happy all the glory of this life is not comparable to that which the Lord presents upon a Christian as Canticles 5. when the Church was making such inquiry after Christ there is a question demanded What is thy beloved more than another beloved that wee may seeke Him with thee all the happinesse of this world is not like to it first because Christ is their Protector other protectors drop away they dye and so leave us but Christ is with us continually Secondly because Christ hath the bread of sufficiency as Luke 15. saith the prodigall sonne How many hired servants hath my father who have bread enough and I dye for hunger And therefore this is a comfort to them that when other starve for hunger they have bread enough enough of all comforts and contentments Thirdly in regard of their reward other kings and Lords give meane things to their servants and reserve the chiefest to themselves but Christ hee bestowes great things upon his servants and makes them partakers of the same glory with himselfe therefore Paul saith Thankes be to our God which hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ when things bee at the worst then Christ will bring them unto victory and therefore it must bee our care to bee servants unto him SERMON IX PHILIP 2. 7. But made Himselfe of no Reputation and tooke upon Him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men TWo wayes Christ is described to us in the Creed 1. By His Properties or Titles 2. By His twofold estate The Titles are foure in number whereof two of them shew His Offices two of them His Dignity Of His Offices and Dignity we have already spoken and now in order are come to speake of His twofold estate 1. Of His Hamiliation 2. Of His Exaltation In his estate of Humiliation there bee divers steppes and degrees Even as a king when hee commeth from his Royall throne commeth down step by step til he come at the last or lowest step so the Son of God comming downe from His Royall throne to the estate of Humiliation descended by certaine steppes and degrees till hee came at the lowest step as the Apostle sheweth in this place that he tooke upon him the nature of man was like a servant and humbled himselfe to the death for us and so came to the lowest step of Humiliation The first degree of His Humiliation was that he became a man for us for howsoever wee thinke of the dignity of Christ yet it was a great abasement for the sonne of God to take upon him the nature of man what would wee thinke if a king should for the good of his subjects be made a toad or a frog or the meanest creature this were a great abasement but it is a greater matter for the sonne of God to take our nature upon him for betweene the meanest of the creatures
made more carefull to please God how justly may this lye upon a mans conscience at the day of death The second effect was They come in hast for all this do you consider how many lets they had to hinder them first the darke night might have hindered them secondly their flockes were in danger subject to be devoured of wilde beasts there being no body to looke to them thirdly there was no body that knew of it but they fourthly when they were entred into the city there was no body could tell them of Christ and yet their faith made them breake through all these lets Which may teach us that true faith will breake through all lets there is never a man that heares me this day but hee shall meete with lets yet wee must not bee dishartned but strive to breake through all as Mark 2. 4. when they brought the man that was sicke of the palsie they brake through the rooffe and let him downe to Christ so true faith will breake through a thousand lets we see in nature that a spring will breake through an heape of stones or a rocke so if there be a spring of grace in us we shall breake through all lets unto Christ therefore it must be our wisedome to breake through profits and pleasures and whatsoever is deare unto us to come to Christ But why did they come in hast to teach us that men can never make too much hast to come to Christ It is a great error in the world that men may make too much hast to repent to beleeve c Ioh. 11. 29. when Lazarus was dead and Christ was come to the grave as soone as Mary heard that she arose in hast and came unto Him so Ioh. 21. the Disciples being a fishing when Peter heard it was the Lord he leaped over the Boate to come to Christ The third effect was that They published all things abroad that they had seen and heard of Christ they did not keepe it but they did make Christ knowne to the world Which may teach us when wee know any good thing that wee should labour to make it knowne to others that they might see Iesus and he blessed by him as Ioh. 1. 41. saith Andrew we have found the Messiah which is by Interpretation the Christ so Iohn 4. when the woman of Samaria had talked with Christ she went into the city and told all those things she had heard and seene so Matth. 28. when the Angels had shewed Mary that Christ was risen shee told the Disciples in like manner when wee know any thing wee should tell it to others to draw them to Christ As in a shipwrack when some bee got to the shore or to the haven they get into the toppes of trees to hang out lights that so others might be directed into the haven or harbour so wee should doe when it pleaseth God to draw any of us home to Christ wee should by all meanes labour to draw others and to bring them home to the haven or harbour to bring them home to Christ And what did this worke why did the common sort wonder and marvell at it yet let all goe because they were not inlightned but of good Mary it is said she did ponder all those things in her heart when men heare of the great and glorious things in the Gospell they wonder and marvell at them as the people did Act. 2. 6. Now when this was noised abroad the multitude came together and were astonied because every man did heare them speake in his owne language and they were all amazed and marvelled saying one to another Behold are not all these which speake Galileans and so let the matter dye But good Mary with the people of God ponder these things in their hearts therefore howsoever others doe wonder and are moved for a time only yet we should gather them home to our hearts and ponder them in our soules that so we may have comfort by them in life and death The fourth effect was that they did returne againe to their callings and to their flocks they did not give over their callings when they had seene Christ but they did returne againe But with what caution did they returne againe the text saith praysing and lauding God for all that they had seene and heard This must teach us that when we go to the place of Gods worship and see Iesus we must returne againe to our callings but with this caution praising lauding God that he hath made his birth known unto us his life his death his paines and his passions and wee have our parts in them when yet he hath passed by many kings and queenes and great gentlemen of this world and hath looked upon us that bee but poore husbandmen and tradesmen therefore let us praise God for it and although we go againe to our labours yet let us never forget this little Iesus the light that shone about them did vanish and they saw it no more but the inward joy that tarried within in their inner houses their hearts and was a comfort to them in sicknesse and troubles and at their deaths so wee cannot heare these glorious things nor have Sermons every day yet let us get Christ home to our houses and into our hearts then wee shall have comfort in all our troubles and at the time of death then whensoever thou shalt shut up thine eyes in this world thou shalt open them in Gods kingdome And therefore I pray God wee may so shut our eyes up in this world that so wee may open them in the light of his blessed kingdome One would wonder seeing Christ was so obscurely borne how his Birth should breake out into the world and be knowne There were three waies of it 1. By the Angels to the Shepheards of this spoken already 2. By a starre to the Wisemen 3. By a secret motion of the Spirit to Simeon and Anna. In the manifestation of Christ to the Wisemen wee observe two things 1. The inquiry they made for Christ 2. The effects of their inquiry In the inquiry for Christ observe 1. The persons that made inquiry The Wisemen 2. The place from whence they came Out of the East 3. The place whither they went To Ierusalem 4. The end To seeke Christ 5. The cause that mooved them It was a Starre First the persons that made inquiry the Wisemen or as the Originall hath it the Magi that is learned wisemen men of great learning and knowledge the shepheards were poore and simple men and the Magi great learned rich men as it may appeare by their gifts they offered to Christ Of which there are two reasons why Christ appeared to the Shepheards and the to Wisemen first to shew that the grace of the Gospell appertaineth equally to poore men as well as rich it draweth all sorts of men to it even as the Vine that beginneth low at the bottome of the tree
offer their treasures Gold Frankincense and Myrrh so this must teach us not onely to worship Christ but we must be contented to part with our wealth to give unto him as the Woman in the Gospell brought her boxe of oyntment powred it upon Christ 〈◊〉 contented to part with it so must we be contented to part with 〈◊〉 wealth to the members of Christ it is a great corruption that many a man can bee contented to worship Christ but cannot endure to part with any goods wealth or to open their treasures to Christ but we must not onely worship him but also offer to him and be contented to part with our wealth for his sake I but some man may say that hee would bee contented to offer to Christ but hee hath no gold no frankincense to offer I answere thee though thou hast no gold to offer yet thou hast thy sinnes and a soule and body to offer first thou hast thy sinnes kill and crucifie them and thy vile lusts offer them to God this will be an acceptable sacrifice to God The Iewes did offer their cattle for sacrifices but offer thou thy sinnes slay them and it will bee pleasing to God Secondly although thou hast no gold to offer yet thou hast a body and soule to offer to Gods service as Roman 12. 1. I beseech you brethren by the mercy of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God therefore all our members wherewith we have served sinne wee should now turne them to the service of God so the Apostle saith as you have given your members as weapons of unrighteousnesse to serve sinne so now give your members as weapons of righteousnesse to serve God Thirdly the Wisemen were warned of God in a dreame that when they had seene Christ they should not returne and goe backe to Herod againe so we have the same charge still that when we have seene Christ wee should not returne againe to Herod that is to our vile lusts againe There is a strange ceremony in the Law spoken of Ezech. 46. 9. that when the people went into the Temple at one doore they were commanded to goe out at the other doore if they went in at the South they must goe out at the North doore and if they came in at the North they must goe out at the South doore the meaning whereof is this that they must not goe out as they came in but they must bee altered and changed if they came covetous persons they must goe away liberall if swearers they must goe away sober and reverent speakers if unchast persons they must depart chast if bad livers they might goe away good and so they must be altered and changed from their sins to the contrary vertues in like manner let us doe when wee come to the ministery of the Word and then wee shall be blessed both in life and death Hitherto we have heard how the birth of Christ was made manifest seeing Hee was so obscurely borne and that first by Angels to the Shepheards secondly to the Wisemen by a starre adding in the third place how Ierusalem was affected with the brute and fame of it Now when Christ was five weekes old his parents brought him into the temple to doe for him according to the law then Simeon came into the Temple by a motion of the Spirit and tooke him into his armes and embraced him and thus it was made more manifest at Ierusalem In this manifestation of the birth of Christ to Simeon we are to observe three things 1. The specification of the Person 2. The manner 3. The effects In the specification of the person we are to observe three things First his Name hee was called Simeon which was a name famous amongst the Iewes and therefore so much the fitter was hee to make Christ knowne in Ierusalem Secondly the place he dwelt in it was at Ierusalem he was not a stranger but one that dwelt amongst them Thirdly his qualitie and vertues and they are three 1. He was a just man 2. A devout religious man 3. That he waited for the consolation of Israel First for his Name it was Simeon famous amongst the people of Ierusalem and therefore the more fit was he for the manifestation of Christ amongst them in his time Secondly the place where he dwelt at Ierusalem he was not a stranger unknowne amongst them but such an one as dwelt amongst them and was of great account with them therefore the more fitter to make Christ knowne unto them Here we may see the wise dispensation of God to appoint one so fit for it for if he had appointed the Shepheards to have done it they might have beene despised because they were poore men if the Wisemen should have done it because they were strangers they would not have beene beleeved therefore the Lord makes choise of a man amongst them one that was not a stranger but a dweller in Ierusalem for home examples are most fit to moove and therefore the Apostle Paul to Titus because he would adde weight to his speech saith One of your owne Poets saith so Hence wee are to consider the goodnesse of God to us that hath not onely sent strangers to incite and to stirre us up but home examples to moove and provoke us as Iohn 4. the Woman of Samaria that talked with Christ shee reported the matter to the men of the city and many of them beleeved because of the Womans words and so to the Romans the Apostle shewes that their zeale provoked many so our Saviour laieth it as a heavy burthen on the Scribes and Pharises that they were not mooved to repentance by the home examples they daily saw One saith well that home examples are like to little forkes and staies that beare up the young plants till they get ripenesse Heb. 11. the whole world was condemned by Noahs example in that he made an Arke for the saving of himselfe and his family and yet they were not mooved thereby so the painefulnesse of one shall condemne the idlenesse of another the good life of one shall condemne the ignorance or bad life of another therefore it is good to profit by the home examples that be amongst us Thirdly his qualities and vertues which are three first he is said be a just man not a contentious man or a bad liver but an innocent and a just man a good dealer in the world this is the first title that is given him which should teach us that if ever we desire to see Christ and depart in peace we must labour to be just men and good dealers in the world This is much commended in the Scriptures Gen. 6. Noah is said to be a just man in his generation and Iob 1. God saith to the devill Hast thou not considered my servant Iob that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man fearing God and eschewing evill so Psal 37.
before him clothed with our sinnes this made him afraid Secondly He was afraid of death which was neere at hand Now he was not afraid of death as it was a dissolution of nature a separation of the soule from the body but as it was joyned with the curse of God But let us consider these two causes of his feare a little better and we shall finde good matter of instruction in them First he was afraid to stand before God in judgement clothed and apparelled with our sinnes this was a strange thing that he which was the Sonne of God and the brightnesse of the glory of God should now be afraid to stand before God Now if he were afraid how much more may we be to stand before God in judgement to come before him in prayer to appeare in his holy presence If the Sonne of God was afraid then much more may we Indeed if we have repented for our sinnes carried them over unto Christ and doe beleeve in him then we may boldly stand before God in judgement and come before him in prayer and approch into his holy presence when we may say as David doth Psalm 26. Prove me O Lord and trie my wayes but if we have not repented of our sins nor carried them unto the shoulders of Christ if we doe not beleeve in him then we have just cause to be afraid Gen. 3. When Adam had committed but one sinne he was afraid to come before God in judgement and therefore hid himselfe If Adam was so afraid when he had committed but one sinne how much more should we be to come before him having committed many great and grievous sinnes therefore howsoever we may carry away the matter closely and be quiet in our consciences for a time yet if God should but bring his judgements upon us or death so that we come to appeare before God then we shall quake and tremble as Dan. 5. we see Belshazzar did who whilest he was making himselfe merry drinking and abusing the holy vessels of God and the hand-writing did but appeare on the wall quaked exceedingly so that his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled the joynts of his loynes were loosed his knees smote one against another Even so howsoever the wicked may be at peace and quiet a little while yet if God set up a throne of judgement then they will quake and be afraid to come before him In the Revelation we may see how the brave fellowes and gallant lads of this world and the great captaines howsoever they could carry away the matter and be at quiet for a little time when God sets up a tribunall seat to judge them they runne into caves and dens and desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon them to hide them from the presence of God So howsoever we may be at quiet for a time if we have not repented for our sinnes If God come to judge us we shall quake and tremble and desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon us and to hide us from the presence of God Secondly Christ was afraid of death which was neere at hand So Heb. 5. 7. Christ is said in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death It appeares he was afraid of death in that he prayed against it I but was Christ afraid of death we see that in the Revelation many of the Saints of God loved not their lives but did willingly embrace death And Act. 20. the Apostle Paul was not onely readie to bee bound for the name of God but to die for it And therefore wee see many of the people of God were not afraid of death how then was Christ afraid of it I answer that death may be considered two ways 1. As it is a dissolution of nature and a separation of the soule from the bodie 2. As it is joyned with the curse and wrath of God Now Christ was not afraid of death as it was a separation of the soule from the bodie but as it was joyned with the wrath and curse of God thus as it is a curse every man hath cause to be afraid of it but if it be joyned with the favour and love of God then we have no cause of feare Iohn 8. Christs threatens the Iewes that they should die in their sins Oh it is a fearful thing when men die in their sinnes under the wrath and curse of God unrepentant for them There is a great cause why such should be afraid of death a number of people there be that are contented to die and yet they are covetous persons vile livers swearers and drunkards but I tell thee if thou hast not repented for thy sinnes hast not caried them unto Christ and applied his righteousnesse unto thee thou hast great cause to be afraid of death Pull the sting out of the serpent and thou mayst put him into thy bosome but if thou let his sting alone be will sting thee So death hath a sting as 1 Cor. 15. 55. which is sinne therefore let this sting be taken away and then we have no cause to be afraid of death But Revel 20. 14. Death is said to goe before and Hell to follow after so that Hell is the tayle of Death and therefore wee have good cause to bee afraid thereof Bernard saith If thou hast put away all shame which appertaineth to so noble a a creature as thou art if thou feele no sorrow as carnall men doe not yet cast not away feare which is found in every beast Wee offer to load an Asse yet hee cares not for it though wee weary him out because he is an Asse but if thou wouldst thrust him into the fire or into a ditch he would avoid it as much as hee could for that hee loveth life and feareth death feare thou then and be not more insensible than a beast feare death feare judgement feare hell The second Affliction that wrought in Christ was heavinesse and sorrow and this not a common or an ordinary but a dreadfull sorrow Now what was the cause that Christ was thus sorrowfull I answer there were three causes of it First because he saw the face of God discomfortably to looke upon him which was wont to shine upon him with an amiable and loving countenance he that was wont to looke so sweetly upon him now to see him as an angry Iudge and not as a loving Father This was it that made him sorrowfull and heavie The Scribes and Pharisees looked upon him angerly yet he was never moved at it but when hee seeth Gods angry countenance towards him this did more touch him than all the bodily paines that hee felt for hee never complained of the spickes and nailes that were thrust into his hands and feet nor of his whipping or buffetting but when he saw Gods angry
which this is all that hee desires at our hands to make mention of his Name to the world that wee should speake in his cause and for religion this we see the Apostles did Act. 4. when they were rated and rebuked for speaking in the Name of Christ they made answer That they could not but speake of the things that they had both seene and heard so Hester 4. when the Iewes were in distresse saith Hester If I perish I perish as if shee should say Should I forsake the cause no whatsoever befall me I will venture my selfe if I perish I perish to this purpose Exod. 4. saith the Lord to Moses Goe thy way I will be with thy month from which words Augustine collects That if a man speake for the Gospell and in a cause of justice then God opens his mouth but if a man open his mouth to sweare lye deceive slander his neighbour or open his mouth against the Gospell then it is the Devill that doth open his mouth therefore it is a pitifull thing that Christ Religion and the Gospell is condemned and yet men will bee silent at it but doe not thou wonder in this case if Christ bee silent for thee at the day of Iudgement The second meanes that Pilate used was Mittendo by sending Christ to Herod for he hoped that the Iewes would not have followed him at all to accuse him or if they did hee should have found some favour and friendship from Herod seeing he was desirous of a long time to see him not out of any love to Christ to be saved by him draw any grace from him or take good by his presence but out of an humour and conceit he had touching him having heard of the strangenesse of his miracles that hee did that hee was a Iugler oâ— some cunning man that would have done seats this it was that made him desirous to see Christ So there be a number of men desirous to see Christ but they have divers ends some because they would be fed some because of his miracles some to get credit and favour amongst men to bee well accounted of but few seeke him to a right end to get grace and strength against sinne to bee quickened up in their affections as Iohn 1. 38. Iesus turned about when hee saw them that did follow him and said unto them What seeke yee So the Spirit of Christ askes us when wee come to the ministery of his Word what seeke yee if ye seeke for worldly ease preferment or credit amongst men then ye come to a wrong end but if ye seeke to Christ to have your graces encreased and to be strengthened against sinne then yee shall be blessed in your comming therefore when we come to the Word we must see that we come to a right end Now when Herod had not that that he looked for that Christ did not follow his humour hee fals a mocking of him puts on a white garment on him in derision and so sends him away this is a strange thing that Herod had a desire a long time to see Christ and now when he seeth him hee makes a mock of him and puts a white garment upon him though hee had done so much at Iohns preaching that he did many things wel heard Iohn gladly yet now he makes a mock of Christ here we may see what a dangerous thing it is to nourish sinne for if a man harbor some secret sinne though hee hath good affections and good graces it will eate out the heart of them so Herod harbord one sinne the taking his brother Philips wife and the nourishing of this one eate out the heart of all his good affections This was the case of Herod and is the case of thousands in the world though they be hearers of the Word and have reformed many a thing yet because they nourish some secret sinne they fall to bee mockers of Religion which eats out the heart of all their graces and of good affections as Matth. 3. our Saviour shewes that some seede fell in stony ground and sprang up and when the Sunne arose it parched withered and came to nothing because there were stones in the bottome so if a man have good affections if hee nourish one secret sinne all will come to nothing it will eate out all the heart of his graces The third meanes hee used to deliver Christ was jungendo by joyning Christ and Barabbas together for it was a custome at their feasts to let loose a prisoner now Christ was matched with a notable theefe that was in the prison one that was a traytor and a murtherer therefore Pilate thought they would not have chosen him that was so vile but would rather have chosen Christ but the Priests through envie stirred up the people who did chuse Barabbas and refused Christ this was a notable policie in Pilate and must teach them that have fine wits and politike pates to use them for Christ and not against him as Levit. 2. The Lord commands that they should offer fine flowre so if men have fine wits and fine policies God must have a handfull of them Psalm 22. David desires to be kept from the horne of the Vnicornes why was this though is were a good and sufficient horne yet it was a naughty head that did beare it so learning wit and policie is a good thing when it is in a good heart but if it be in a bad heart then we had need to pray to God as David did to keepe us from the horne of the Vnicorne keepe me from his policie his wit and learning a man that hath a good wit must use it for Christ and not against Him for if he doe God will destroy his wit and him In all the histories of the Heathen wee finde not the like example to that in the Bible of Achitophel whose counsell was as the Oracle of God and yet because he used policie and wit against God and not for God it was overthrowne by a plaine man so the Papists and Iesuits beyond sea are great Polititians have fine wits and goe far beyond us in their policies yet they have been often overthrowne in their deepe fetches and subtile plots and it hath pleased God to blesse us in our simplicity and weakenesse the reason whereof is because their policie is against Christ and the Gospell and ours is for it Thus much for Pilate Now for the people we see that they preferred Barabbas before Christ who was a traytor and a murtherer Christ being an innocent man and yet by the instigation of the Priests they chose Barabbas and refused Christ Now I dare say there is not any here but will be ready to condemne the Iewes that they preferred Barabbas before Christ but what doe we not as ill who preferre our vile lusts and sinnes before Christ For as Divines say in every choise and election there is a practicall discourse in the courâ— of a
for them much more will hee love and pray for his friends servants and people But how doe wee prove that Because he loved his enemies and prayed for them The chiefe Butler forgot Ioseph when he was lifted up and restored to his Office againe But Christ will not forget his servants and his people but even as good Ioseph when he was exalted in Aegypt his father and brethren being in distresse he goeth to Pharaoh and said Sir I have a poore father in the Land of Canaan and eleven brethren there is a famine in the Land and they are like to starve Sir you have bread and corne enough I pray you let me send for them and let them dwell in thy countrey and kingdome even in the Land of Goshen So Christ saith to his Father Father I have a great many of poore distressed servants in the world afflicted and troubled with the temptations of the Devil and their owne corruptions and with wicked and bad men Father let us send for them let them be in thy countrey and come into thy kingdome let them be in joy and in all that glory which thou hast prepared for them therefore labour thou to bee one of Gods servants and friends and then thou mayest assure thy selfe that Christ loveth and prayeth for thee every day and houre when thou art dead-hearted and heavie and canst not pray then Christ prayeth for thee this may give thee comfort Secondly What he prayeth for for the pardon of their sinnes that God would not lay them to their charge at the day of judgement Now the pardon of our sins is the greatest blessing that we can have in this world this it was that Christ prayed for Thirdly When he prayed for his enemies even in the very act when they drove the nailes into his hands and feet when the bloud did trickle downe when his shoulders were rent and torne with whipping when his face was swelled with buffetting even when all his paines were upon him In which observe two things First that it was in the heat of sin when admonition and good counsell would doe no good to them then he prayed for them which must teach us when we should pray for our enemies when admonition and good counsell can doe them no good When a clocke runs ryot what will a man goe and pull downe the plummets No then it may be he may have his load even to lay all on his head but they will goe to the great master-wheele that stirres all So we should doe when we see men goe head-long to sinne that nothing will stay them we must not runne to the plummets to stay them to the men but we must goe to the great master-wheele of the clocke to him that carries all things and ordereth all things that is to God as 1 Sam. we see in the example of Abigail Secondly in the very act of his crucifying when they were in the very heat of their malice when the bloud did trickle downe from his hands and feet then he prayed for them It may be some can pray for their enemies when the heat is over and there is a calme but see Christ prayeth in the very act of their malice so Act. 7. Steven did in the very act when a showre of stones came about his eares hee kneeled downe and said Lord lay not their sinnes to their charge Fourthly the reason why Christ prayed for his enemies because they did they knew not what Now the words were 1. Words of Compassion 2. Words of Extenuation First of Compassion as if he should have said Lord they know not what they doe for if they knew what an high sinne and great offence it were to kill the Sonne of God they would not doe it so wee may say when we see men runne into all kinde of sinnes of drunkennesse breaking the Sabbaths swearers and whoremongers c. Alas they know not how highly they sinne against God for if they did they would not doe so they doe not know that it is the Devill that blindeth them and leadeth them downe to hell by these meanes therefore good Lord spare them good Lord forgive them Secondly words of Extenuation Lord what they doe is not or knowledge but of ignorance therefore good Lord spare them which may teach us That sinne of ignorance be lesse than sinnes of knowledge therefore when men sweare and know it is a sinne to sweare it is a greater sinne than if they did it ignorantly for there is no kinde of ignorances worâ—e than sinnes of knowledge SERMON XXI IOHN 19. 26 27. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the Disciple standing by whom he loved he saith unto his mo-mother Woman behold thy Sonne Then saith hee to the Disciple Behold thy mother And from that houre that Disciple tooke her unto his owne home WE began to speake the last day of the holy carriage of Christ on the Crosse many testimonies hee shewed in his life time of faith humility patience and of pietie but especially when he came to die and was upon the Crosse then all his graces did shine forth most cleerely which carriage of his I shewed must teach us to looke to our behaviour when we are under the crosse in any affliction and trouble for howsoever the speeches actions and carriage of a Christian should be seemely and holy at other times yet especially when he is under the crosse in trouble and in affliction then he must shew all his Christian graces and vertues as Iob did Iob 1. 22. when hee was on the racke it is said In all these did not Iob sinne nor charge God foolishly So the holy people Psal 44. 19. say they Thou hast smitten us in the dens of Dragons and covered us in the shadow of death yet have we not forgotten the Name of our God c. Thence we came to speake of the first words of Christ on the Crosse and divers other things which wee will not now repeat but come to that which followes The second words of Christ on the Crosse wherein we observe three things 1. The occasion of the speech 2. The speech it selfe 3. The effect of the speech First The occasion of the speech was that hee being on the Crosse saw his Mother and Iohn the Disciple whom hee loved for when others fled away from Christ these tarries with him and followed him to the Crosse to see what would become of him and got as neere it as possibly they could this was the occasion of which there be two Vses 1. A morall and 2. A spirituall Vse First the Morall use that as Mary and Iohn gathered to the crosse of Christ when he came to suffer So we should gather to our good friends when they be in any trouble or affliction especially when they be in their last extremitie ready to die that we be there to helpe and to comfort them
soule for this is the last charge that Christ gave to us to feed and to nourish our soules but if we neglect starve and famish them how shall we be able to looke on him at the day of judgement Now we come to the third speech of Christ on the crosse which was to the Theefe that was crucified with him wherein two things are to bee observed 1. The occasion of the speech 2. The speech it selfe First the occasion of the speech it was concerning the conversion of the Theefe for there were two theeves crucified with him of whom the one blasphemed and rayled on Christ because hee would not save his body nor asswage or mitigate his paines the other applied himselfe to Christ for the saving of his soule and did not care what became of his body so his soule were saved hee did not pray Christ to pull out they spickes out of his hands and feet nor to asswage his paines but his prayer was for the saving of his soule In which two are figured out all men when the come to die some desire to have their body saved and to have paines mitigated to be restored againe to their health and because they be not some of them murmure against God the other sort desire to have their soules saved and care not what become of their bodies so their soules may bee saved they desire not so much to have health and ease but let all goe so they may have their sinnes pardoned and have the salvation of their soules to come into Gods kingdome Now in the occasion of the speech which was the conversion of the theefe we may observe three things 1. The Party that was converted 2. The time when he was converted 3. The fruits and effects of his conversion First the party that was converted it was a Theefe a notorious offender and a bad liver and a naughty man all his life time yet now he is converted unto God and saved therefore let no man despaire of Gods mercies whatsoever thy sinnes be it may be thou hast been a vile liver all thy life time haply thou hast lived a whooremaster a drunkard haply thou hast been a scoffer of Religion a hater of good things a covetous person a coozener of thy neighbours doe not despaire of Gods mercy if thou canst repent and turne to God thou shalt be saved so Paul saith that it is a worthy saying and worthy of all men to be embraced that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the cheife therefore seeing Christ came into the world to save sinners no man must exclude himselfe from Gods mercy so likewise Ier. 3. 1. saith the Lord If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne againe unto her shall not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord In like manner 1 Sam. 12. 20. The Prophet speaketh unto the people Feare not yee have done all this wickednesse yet depart not from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your hearts c. So howsoever men have lived wickedly and done badly yet let them not turne away from serving the Lord but let them be desirous to please him to repent of their sinnes and they shall finde mercy with God when Caine had killed Abel he cryes out My punishment is greater than I can beare upon which words Augustine Thou lyest Caine the Lords mercy is greater than any mans sinnes if he can repent Bernard saith well We know right well O Lord thou dost not reject the Theefe that confessed the sinfull woman that wept unto thee nor the Canaanitish woman that did humble herselfe before thee nor the wicked Adultresse brought unto thee nor the Toller or Tribute gatherer that did follow thee nor the Publicane that repaired unto thee nor the Disciple that denied thee nor Saul that did persecute thee nor thy Tormentors that did nayle thy sacred body to the crosse O Lord all these are fragrant fruits of thy most sweete mercy and by the sent of these sweet ointments we runne unto thee and doe follow thee And from hence wee conclude that no man must wilfully exclude himselfe from Gods mercy Secondly The time when he was converted which is to be considered in three circumstances first it was when others did scoffe and scorne Christ and when the Iewes did mocke raile and revile at him with his fellow theefe then at that time hee was converted This should teach us that we be not carried away with the bad examples that be amongst us that although others set not a flye by Christ nor care for his precious blood which hee hath shed for us but rather despise it yet wee must regard it and set it at a high price and desire to have our parts in him as Gen. 6. the Lord said unto Noah Make thee an Arke when the world attended their pleasures and profits and did what they would hee provided an Arke so doe thou make thee an Arke labour to repent thee of thy sinnes and to turne unto God and to get faith in Christ that thou maist be saved though all the world does otherwise wee see by experience when a flood comes loose things and such as are not rooted and unsetled or light things are carried away with the streame but such as are rooted and setled these remaine the poore theefe was then converted when others did mocke at Christ railing at him and reviling him Secondly when Christ was on the crosse in his greatest humility and abasement not when he was walking on the sea or on the water or working of miracles giving sight to the blind making the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare cleansing of Lepers casting out devils raising the dead not when hee was giving life to others but when others were taking life from him even then the theefe was converted Hereupon Augustine saith well Moses beleeved God but when was it when he spake out of the firy Mount and Abraham was obedient to God to goe out of his countrey and from his kindred into a strange land when God spake from heaven the Patriarches beleeved when he spake in dreames and visions the Disciples and Mary saw the wonderous miracles the Centurion he was converted and beleeved when the veile of the Temple rent when the rockes did flye asunder and when the graves did open but the poore Theefe hee was converted when hee saw none of these wonders but when Christ was in the greatest abasement that might be now if the Theefe was converted to God when Christ was on the crosse in his humility and abasement how shall wee answer to God at the day of judgement that we are not converted to him now he is in his glory As Matth. 12. 41. our Saviour saith That the Ninivites shall rise up in judgement and
extremitie as theirs was that we are readie to die presently yet because sentence is passed upon us for as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. The body is dead because of sinne let us though death hath not already taken the castle and tower of our hearts yet seeing hee is entered within the walls and suburbs of the citie let us I say therefore be carefull to feare God and to walke conscionably before him for we know not how soone death will take the tower and the castle of our hearts and then we must come to judgement This use Isaak made of this uncertaintie of life I am old saith hee and I know not the day of my death come and let my soule blesse thee before I die so because wee know not the time of our deaths how soone we must come to judgement therefore before we stirre or move a foot let us labour to repent us of our sinnes and convert and turne to God Thirdly Out of what affection he did it out of love to doe good to him for this is the nature of one that is truely converted to draw others to Christ So we see Iohn 1. 41. Andrew said to Simon We have found the Messias which is by interpretation the Christ And Iohn 4. 28. The woman of Samaria when she had beene talking with Christ goeth into the Citie and sayth to the men Come see a man which tould me all things that I ever did Is not this the Christ and so many came to be beleevers In nature we see all naturall things desire to make other things like themselves as fire doth desire to make all thigns that comes neere it fire so water and other living things when they be come to strength of nature then they beget things like unto themselves as a man to beget a man a beast a beast like to himselfe even so it is with a Christian he will labour to make others like to himselfe when he comes to his strength and ripenesse indeed in his weaknesse he doth not but when he commeth to his strength he labours to make others like to himselfe Secondly The confession of his sinne and the punishment due thereunto for first he doth not say thou art here justly to receive things worthy of that thou hast done but hee brings or takes in himselfe Wee are indeed righteously here for we receive the due reward of our deeds This is a note of a man truely converted to God to confesse his sinnes to shame himselfe and give glory to God So if men be converted to God they will not talke of other mens sinnes but they will inclose themselves with others and make confession of their owne sins also therefore when men cloake and hide their sinnes it is a shrewd signe that they are not soundly converted Secondly he confesses that all these punishments and judgements of God are justly upon them this is a good signe of a man that is truly converted to God to cleere the justice of God as the Church Micha 7. 9. I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he pâ—â—d my cause c. So Ezek. 20 43. saith the Prophet speaking of sound conversion And there shall ye remember your wayes and your workes wherin ye have bin defiled and you shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all thâ— evils which ye have committed So we must labour to cleere the justice of God in all our punishments that befall us therefore when men will wrangle and dispute with God and doe not labour to beare with patience the judgements of God that doe befall them it is a signe that such an one is not rightly converted unto God Thirdly His apologie and defence for Christ But this man saith he hath done nothing misse when every man was against him the Governour souldiers and Iewes this poore Theefe could not be silent This is a signe of true conversion when men can beare any thing concerning themselves with patience and silence but if it be against God and his honour they cannot beare it this affection was in Moses for it is said that hee was the meekest man on earth when things concerned himselfe but when the people committed idolatry hee brake the Calfe in peeces and stamped it and made them to drinke of it and he commanded every man to put his sword by his side and to kill his brother Which must teach us that every man in his owne quarrell must bee silent But when the cause concernes God then silence is dangerous and a very great sinne against God Fourthly The prayer that hee made was Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome The other theefe desires to have his body saved to have his paines asswaged and mitigated of which because hee was not eased hee railed on Christ but this Theefe did not desire to have his body saved or his paines mitigated or to have the nailes and spickes pulled out of his hands and feet but he was contented to suffer any paine he cares not what become of his body so his soule may be saved and he may come into Gods kingdome Which must teach us that when we come to die wee should not take care of our bodies but for our soules Lord remember my soule I beseech thee give mee the truth of thy faith give me patience let my body feele and suffer what it may yet let my soule be saved and bring it into thy kingdome and then no matter what become of my body any thing shall content me SERMON XXII LVKE 23. 39 40 41 42 43. And one of the evill doers which were hanged railed on him saying If thou bee the Christ save thy selfe and us But the other answering rebuked him saying Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation And we indeed righteously for wee receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse And he said Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome And Jesus said unto him Verely I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise IN these words wee proposed two things to bee considered first the occasion of the speech secondly the speech it selfe the occasion of the speech was upon the conversion of the theefe at the time of his death Now in the conversion of the theefe wee consider three things first the party that was converted secondly the time when hee was converted thirdly the effects and fruits of his conversion from whence we then spake of many things we will not now repeate but come directly unto that which followes The fourth thing wee began to speake of was his prayer hee made unto Christ in that extremity wherein two things are to be considered 1. The ground of his prayer 2. The prayer it selfe The ground of his prayer is threefold first that hee was perswaded he had a kingdome prepared for him howsoever hee
18. 32. saith the lord I forgave thee thy debts because thou didst pray me And David Psal 120. 1. I called upon the Lord in the time of my trouble and hee heard me so Psal 11. I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce c. This is a great incouragement for a Christian man to pray unto God because prayer shall not want his due fruit but the Lord will heare him and make a supplie of his wants as shall be meet for his glory and our good Secondly to whom he made his promise to a poore penitent Theefe one that was a vile liver This is a sweet comfort and incouragement that Christ will promise heaven to a poore penitent sinner upon his repentance and put him in possession of it All the comforts and commodities in this life all pleasures and delights cannot doe it let the wantons set their minions before them the worldly man his goods the covetous man his money the hatefull man his reuenge and the proud man his fine apparell all these cannot doe it but upon repentance Christ promises heaven and puts us in possession of it nay the kings favour cannot doe it hee may put us in possession of lands and goods while we live here after death he cannot but repentance will put one in possession after death Thirdly what he promised he promised two things 1 Paradise 2 His owne companie First hee promised Paradise there were two Paradises spoken of in Scripture an earthly and an heavenly Paradise now it was not the earthly paradise for that was laid waste many thousands yeeres before Christ was borne but it was the heavenly Paradise of which Paul speaketh 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ above foureteene yeeres 〈◊〉 whither in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth which was taken up into the third heavens Hence arise two points of instruction First wee may see what a goodly change a Christian makes at the time of death for all the while he liveth here he hangeth on the crosse as the theefe did in trouble and affliction in paines and in sicknesse but when death comes it sets an end of all it takes a man off the crosse it enters a man into heaven therefore a Christian hath no cause to bee afraid of death for if a man be prophane and live in his sinnes he hath cause to be afraid of death because it is an ugly gate to let him into hell but if hee be a man of repentance then death is onely a gate to let him into heaven therefore a Christian hath no cause to bee afraid of it If a King should promise one that if he would come unto him hee would bestow some great office or place upon him if there should bee at the palace gate an ugly and grisly Porter to let him in he would not cast his eye on the ugly porter but upon the Kings palace even so death is as this ugly and grisly porter to let a man into heaven let us not therefore looke upon the ugly face of death but upon heaven the place we are going to We see when Elias was taken up into heaven there came a firy chariot and horses of fire to fetch him and yet he was not afraid because it was the chariot and horses that should carry him to heaven So death though it came like a firy chariot and bring horses of fire with it yet let us not be afraid of it because it is the chariot and horses which shall carry us to heaven The second instruction is That a Christians estate is better than Adams was in the time of his innocencie for he had an earthly Paradise but a Christian shal have an heavenly Paradise therefore seeing we would be contented to take any paines to be put into possession of the earthly Paradise if it were possible how much more then should wee labour and take paines to be put into possession of the heavenly Paradise Secondly He promises him his company that he shall fare no worse than he fares and shall goe where he goes And this is a sweet comfort to a Christian that Christ hath made such a promise that he shall have his company as Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that they which thou hast given mee be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory So Ioh. 14. 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there you may be also Therefore let a man labour to be joyned to Christ here in the use of good meanes in the kingdome of grace and he shall be joyned to him in the kingdome of glory he shall goe where Christ goes shall fare as Christ fares and shall bee where Christ is Fourthly The time when he promiseth Paradise and his company This day he would not deferre it for moneths and for yeares but This day Which may teach us that the soules of the faithfull when they die goe into heaven immediately the Papists say that there is a middle place that their soules must go to where they must stay a time til they be throughly purged from their sinnes but this errour is refuted in the example of the Theefe for when he died his soule went into Paradise immediately I but some object and say that this was a speciall priviledge of the theefe and to none other To this I answer that the same priviledge is to every faithfull man as we may see Luke 16. 22. when Lazarus was dead hee was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome into a place of rest and joy And the Rich-man when hee died was carried into hell a place of torment there are but these two places to goe to when a man is dead that the Scripture makes mention of there is no middle place when men die they goe either to Heaven or to Hell for we know that all men that die in the state of repentance goe to heaven they which die impenitent to hell and therefore it is a vaine thing to pray for them for their estates cannot be altered I but is there any hurt to pray for our dead friends I answer if thou knowest not I will tell thee what hurt there is by it it shewes thy infidelity and unbeleefe that thou doest not beleeve the Scriptures I but may I not speake of my dead friends would you have me say nothing of them If thou doest not know what to say of them say as Paul saith of the godly that they are asleepe in the Lord so we see what we may say of our friends that they be now asleepe in the Lord Or as Salomon saith that the remembrance of the just are blessed such an one is of holy remembrance such an one was an holy man The use of this point is seeing after death the godly goe
of Israel through the red sea and had drowned their enemies then they sung a song of thankes-giving for their deliverance Exod. 15. And so likewise Deborah and Barak Iudges 3. 1. when they had overcome Sisera sang a song of thankes-giving so also the holy people Revel 15. when they had passed through the glassy sea mingled with fire and were delivered out of trouble then they sang a song of thankes-giving to the Lord in like maner here Christ when he had conquered all our spirituall enemies death hell sinne and the devill sung this song on the crosse to the joy of the world It is finished Now is mans salvation accomplished and perfected As if he should say All this while it hath beene but a working out For this cause was I nine moneths in the wombe of the Virgin borne in a stable laid in a â—anger fasted forty dayes together prayed on the mount swet in the garden and did hang three houres together on the crosse in paines and torments but now I have finished and perfected mans salvation now it is at an end sinne is abolished death is destroyed hell is conquered the devill is subdued heaven is opened God is pacified and pleased this is that hee uttered in these words Now for the better understanding of them we are to consider three things 1. What he meant when he saith It is finished 2. The time when he saith It is finished 3. By what actions it was finished First what he meant when he saith It is finished The full meaning is not expressed in this place but it was some secret and close action that was in the minde and thought of Christ that he had an eye to the perfecting and fulfilling of Now what was that all these Scriptures shew us Luk 19. 10. The Sonne of man is come to seâ—ke and to save that which was lost Mat. 20. 28. The Sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for the râ—nsome of many and Hebr. 9. 12. Neither by the blood of Goats and â—alves but by his owne blood entered he once into the holy place and obtained eternall salvation and redemption for us these were in the heart and minde of Christ therefore it is out of question that Christ by saying It is finished meant the finishing and perfecting of the great worke of mans Redemption which the Apostle intimates Hebr. 10. 14. With one oblation and offering hath bee consecrated for ever them that are sanctified Alluding to this very action of Christ so that by this saying of Christ It is finished is to bee understood the finishing and perfecting of mans salvation and redemption Now besides this consummation or finishing there is another consummation that is spoken of Gen. 2. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the â—ost of them which finishing is of the worke of Creation but what comfort could a manhave that God hath made the heavens to cover us and the earth to beare us sea and land to feede us the sunne and moone and the starres to give us light if Christ also had not finished and perfected mans salvation and redemption on the crosse There is also another consummation and finishing which is spoken of Revel 10. 7. That the mysterie of God shall be finished as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets Now what is this mysterie of God It is the end of the world But alas what availes it us for the world to have an end if this redemption and salvation be not finished and perfected by Christ therefore all other consummation is nothing without this for what is it to finish a great building or to finish ones estate in greatnesse or to finish all his dayes in joy and delights unlesse hee have finished his salvation and applied Christ unto himselfe This is the happiest consummation that is this is the joy and content of a Christian when he lyeth on his death-bed he can say Lord I thanke thee I know my salvation is finished in Christ I have applied him unto my selfe and I finde by the merit of his death and passion my salvation to be perfected Therefore into thy hands will I commend my spirit stedfastly beleeving that at the latter resurrection I shall enjoy the blessed presence of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Happie yea thrice happy is the estate of such a man that shall thus depart in the Lord. The uses to be made hereof are these following First seeing our salvation and redemption is perfected and finished in Christ as the Apostle concludes Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to those that be in Christ Iesus Why because Christ hath answered the justice of God and hath beene condemned already therefore hee that is in Christ shall not be condemned As Esay 53. 5. It is said the chastisements of our peace is upon him and with his stripes we are healed and vers 6. All wee like sheepe have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquitie of us all Wee see Iohn 18. when the souldiers came to take Christ saith he If yee seeke for me let these goe let me suffer and let these goe free So Christ doth interpose himselfe to the Iustice of God and saith Father let my people goe free let me suffer that which they should suffer and beare that which they should beare Thus we see our salvation is made sure in the holy Person of Christ and there is no condemnation belongs to them who are in him therefore let us labor to be in Christ that wee may say with the Apostle The life which I live now in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God c. and then there is no condemnation belongs to us but life and salvation is sure because all is finished in the holy person of Christ Secondly seeing our salvation is perfected and finished in Christ all our care must be to apply and to lay hold on Christ for though hee hath purchased salvation for us yet if wee doe not apply him and lay hold on him we are never the better for it If a man should stand in the cold starke naked and one come by and see him who should show compassion to him and get clothes and put it to make for him how would this man carry his eye all the while to the workeman and when hee saw it all was finished would lay hold of it with both his hands and put it on his backe to cover his nakednesse so we ought to carrâ—e our eyes on Christ seeing salvation is wrought in the midst of us as the Psalmist saith therefore we ought to put forth both our hands and to lay hold on this salvation finished and perfected by Christ It is a strange corruption that many know it and heare of it that it is finished but they so attend their pleasures profits and
so that the greatest part of the devils bee in this world therefore hee needed not to descend into hell to subdue the devils the most of which might be subdued here Lastly all the articles of our Christian faith are confirmed by plaine places of Scripture but there is no plaine place of Scripture to confirme this that Christ went downe into hell to subdue him in his owne house and Augustine saith that all those points of faith that are fit for a Christian to beleeve are confirmed by plaine places of Scripture but this is not so confirmed therefore not to be beleeved Now against this there bee three Scriptures alleaged the first is taken out of Psal 16. Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave or in hell neither wilt thou let thy holy One see corruption where by soule is meant life and by hell is meant the grave for the sense is thou wilt not leave my life in the grave Now that this is the true sense it may appeare by these two reasons First out of Psal 88. where the like phrase of Scripture is My soule draweth neere to hell that is my life draweth neere to the grave as appeares plainely by the words following I am counted amongst them that goe downe into the pit free among the dead like the slaine lying in the grave Secondly it may appeare by the same words that Peter brings in to proove the resurrection of Christ Act. 2. the Apostle there makes an opposition betweene Christ and David that Christ is ascended up into Heaven but David was not his body remaining in the grave so Christ was where David was not therefore wee cannot proove by this that Christs soule was in hell The second Scripture is out of Rom. 10. 7. Who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead Now by the deepe is not meant the deepe of hell but of the grave the depth of the grave where the dead lye The third is out of Ephes. 4. 9. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest parts of the earth Chrysostome expounds the place and saith it is the very grave for in the Hebrew tongue there be two parts of the earth there is the face of the earth which is the place where we be and the lower part and that is the grave so that the lowest part of the earth that Christ did ascend to is the grave The second more probable opinion is that Christ descended into hell when hee left the paines of hell in the garden and on the crosse this is a true ground but it doth not agree with the order of the Creed for his descension into hell was a thing that was done after he was buryed and his sufferings in the garden and on the crosse was before now it was not repeated againe for in so short a confession men use not to repeat therefore it was something that was after his death and buriall Now that which I take to be the truth in my judgment is that Christ lay in the grave three daies together trampled and troden downe of death so that the descension of Christ into hell is nothing else but the captivating of Christ under death for a time For our instruction there bee two uses to bee made of this point first that as Christ descended lower and lower till he came to the lowest step of abasement before he ascended into glory so every one must labour to be contented to descend lower and lower till he come at the lowest step of humiliation before hee ascend into glory to this effect Paul saith of Christ he that descended is the same that ascended farre above all heavens so that a Christian must descend first before he can ascend Now there be two descents of a Christian the one is in his soule and the other is in his body the first is in soule to descend low into our selves and to sinke downe as low as Hell in the sense and feeling of our sinnes and vilenesse before God that God may advance and lift us up so the Prophet David did and other holy Saints recorded in the sacred Scripture and therefore Origen saith that those which God doth purpose to advance hee doth first make them descend low into themselves to become as no body that so they may be lifted up to glory secondly they must descend in their bodies they must be contented to descend into the grave and to lye in the dust many yeeres together kept under of death and then afterward they shall be raised to glory Secondly that as Christ descended lower and lower so wee should bee contented to come downe to the lowest degree that God shall assigne us there be many that be contented to come downe somewhat but to lose all and to part with all our goods there is not one of a thousand that will be contented when David daunced before the Arke Michal despised him for it unto whom he makes this answere that if it bee a vile thing to doe so he would be more vile so should we doe bee contented to become more vile in our owne eyes to come to any estate that it shall please God to bring upon us that so he may advance us as Iob 19. 25. when he was despised of his servants and all his goods lost yet hee was contented with it and cheareth up himselfe by faith saying I know my Redeemer liveth and in my flesh I shall see God so if wee be contented to be humbled here in the kingdome of grace we shall be advanced in the kingdome of glory SERMON XXX 1 CORINTHIANS 15. 4. And that hee was buried and that he rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures HAving spoken of the degrees of Christ Humiliaation now we are to speake of the degrees of his Exaltation but before wee speake of this the consideration of both of them together will not be unprofitable for us because from thence wee may learne this good instruction that as there was a time of humiliation and a time of exaltation unto Christ so all the people of God in severall ages have had these two times a time of humiliation and a time of exaltation so saith the Prophet Ierem. 30. Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Iaakobs trouble yet he shall be delivered out of it there is a time of trouble and a time of deliverance from trouble as Psal 105. 18 19. Ioseph had his feet in the stockes and was laid in Irons till his appointed time came and the Lords word had tryed him so there was a time of his trouble and a time of his deliverance out of his troubles This may be the comfort of all the people of God that as there is a time of humiliation so there is a time of exaltation which they may
though a great deale of sorrow and misery befall him yet one day hee shall see God with his eyes so also David saith Psal 16. 9. Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also resteth in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in the grave neither wilt thou let thy holy one to see corruption and more over this was that comfort that Christ gave to his Disciples Matth. 20. 19. when hee told them of his passion And they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mocke and to scourge and to crucifie him but the third day he shall rise againe Now that which comforted Iob David and Christ must comfort us for as Christ did rise so all his members shall rise and therefore let us conjoyne our selves to Christ whilest wee live here that so wee may dye with Christ and let us lay our selves under him in the grave I meane our lusts and sinnes and then as Christ rose so we shall rise but if thou doe not conjoyne thy selfe with Christ in his death and lye under him in the grave then Christ shall rise and thou shalt lie still in the grave nay it were well if it might bee so for thou shalt rise againe but Christ shall rise to glory and thou to shame Christ shall rise to possesse eternall life and thou eternall death Secondly we shall not onely rise out of the grave but we shall also rise out of trouble for as there is a power of Christ to pull us out of the grave so there is a power of Christ to raise us out of trouble It is an opinion in the World that there is a power of Christ to raise them out of the grave yet they doe not know that there is also a power of Christ to raise them out of their troubles but howsoever this is unknowne to the world yet it should be knowne to a Christian To which effect the Apostle speakes 2 Corinth 4. 10. We alwaies beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall bodies And vers 14. saith he knowing that he which raised up the Lord Iesus shall raise us up also by Iesus and shall present us with you These words are to be understood of raising them out of trouble to comfort them in this world And so 2 Tim. 2. 9. Remember saith he that Iesus Christ made of the seede of David was raised againe from the dead Remember this you that suffer for good causes that as Christ was raised so you shall be raised to comfort and joy out of your troubles so these be the reasons why it was needefull Christ should rise First To assure us that our sinnes are expiated and pardoned Secondly To apply Salvation Thirdly To be an undoubted evidence to us that we shall rise out of the grave and out of our troubles in this world Secondly The time when hee did rise againe and that is exactly set downe the third day according as Christ foretold in the 2 of Iohn I will destroy this Temple and in three daies I will build it againe and Matth. 20 19. the place before mentioned and they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mocke and to scourge and to crucifie him but the third day he shall rise againe and so in this place which I read unto you that he was buried and that hee rose the third day according to the Scriptures Now there is reason why hee rose no sooner and there is reason why he rose no later as that being the fittest time for him to rise in of which I will speake at this time First Because that it might he an evidence to the Iewes that he was truely dead for if he had risen the first day or the second then they would have thought he had beene in a trance or in a sound onely and therefore to cleare this point he did not rise till the third day because all the hope of the pardon of our sinnes hangs on the death of Christ and all the hope of Gods favor and therefore he would have this point sealed to the World and this was the first reason why Christ rose no sooner Secondly That the Disciples might have an evidence of the power of the death of Christ for there was a greater power in Christ to rise againe when he had beene possessed and vanquished of death three dayes than if he had rose the first day And Augustine saith that Christ did more shew his power in rising from death when they had killed him than hee should have done if he had come downe from the Crosse when they â—ad him so there was a greater power of Christ seene in rising the third day than if he should have risen the first day or the second it was a greater matter that hee should recover when all hope was passed the widdowes sonne in the Gospell was raised when he lay upon the Beere to bee carried to burying Entichus when he fell out of the window and the dead man assoone as he did touch the dead bones of Elisha but Christ recovered when hee had beene three dayes together vanquished of death and this doth shew the great power of Christ Thirdly To teach us Christians patience that if wee doe not arise out of trouble the first day or the second yet still to waite with christian patience till the third day that is many dayes together till the time that God hath appointed Therefore if wee be not raised out of trouble so soone as wee desire let us not murmure or grudge against God and be impatient but quiet our selves with the good will of God and waite with patience till the time he hath appointed for our deliverance It is the manner of the world if they be in their troubles but a day or two they say how long Lord how long as if they tarried too long but the patience of Christ must teach us patience and to quiet our selves with the good will of God so David did Psal 123. As the eyes of a servant looke to his master and the eyes of a Mayden to her Mistris so our eyes wait on thee till thou shew mercie and though it be not to day nor to morrow yet we waite on thee till thou shew mercie yee remember that Christ Iesus said to Marie when there wanted wine My houre is not yet come There be two houres God hath his houre and wee have our houre our houre is as soone as wee stand in neede but Christs houre is to helpe when all meanes faile there be many that desire ease and peace and comfort but we must tarrie Christs houre wee must waite with Christian patience till the third day come So much for the reasons why Christ rose no sooner now wee are come to speake why hee arose no later The first reason is To shâ—w that if he had deferred it any longer the Iewes might have
that did weaken their faith so men must take care of this that they doe not tye their faith to their eyes and fingers that they will beleeve God no longer than they see with their eyes and feele with their fingers for a Christian must beleeve God against sense and reason It is the manner of the world as long as they see with their eyes and feele with their hands as long as they have peace and ease and wealth so long they doe beleeve God but when this failes then their faith failes them I but Christ saith to Thomas Blessed are they which beleeve and see not Thomas did beleeve when he saw but it is a more blessed thing to beleeve and see not and therefore we must rest in the promises of God against sense and reason Now finding this weakenesse of faith in them hee doth labour to re-establish and strengthen them loe here we may see the goodnesse of God that by the weakenesse of their faith hee doth take occasion to strengthen the same It is the great mercy of God that all things shall worke together for the good of them that love him there be a number of things in the world that seeme to work against the people of God but God turnes all of them to the good of his people and of them that love him as we see in a Clocke that some wheeles turne one way and some another yet all serve to make the Clocke go so there be many crosses and contrary things in this world but all serve to one end even to worke for the good of them that love him This may bring comfort to Christians that the weakenesse of their faith the Lord can turne to their good wee see in experience if a man set yong Trees he will pull and shake the Tree as if he would pull it up and all that hee doth is but to settle the Tree the faster even so the Lord doth many times as if hee would overthrow a Christian and yet all is to settle his faith and to make him cleave the faster to God Now Christ doth strengthen the faith of his disciples two wayes 1. By reproving and rebuking of them 2. By informing them First hee reproves and rebukes them that they were slow of heart to beleeve the scriptures which may teach us that if there be a presence of God among us hee will bee reprooving of us whereas many thinke they may goe away with any sinne closely yet if there bee a presence of Christ among us hee will reprove us for our sinnes and for the weakenesse of our faith This is that which Christ speakes in the Gospell of Saint Iohn That when the Spirit of Christ is come into the world he shall reprove the world of sinne c. so if the spirit of Christ be come into our harts he will reprove us for misspending the time for our ignorance for every thing that is amisse but if it bee not so with thee but thou art at peace and securely sleepest in thy sinne then the spirit of Christ is not come into thee for if the spirit of Christ bee come into thee he will reprove thee of thy sinnes and make thee say as the Lâ—pers said We doe not well to tarry here c. O we doe not well to breake the Sabbath to be drunken to speake filthily wee doe not well to lye or to sweare Now what was that he reproves them for That they were slow of heart to beleeve the Scriptures and here wee are to take notice of a corruption that is in us that we are slow to beleeve the Scriptures and the Gospel but quicke to beleeve a foolish tale or a lye or a false report of our neighbours from this the Lord hath much adoe to stay us although hee hath strictly charged us to enquire the truth of it Deut. 17. 4. where hee saith If it bee told thee and thou hast heard it then shalt thou enquire diligently if it bee true and the thing certain before we speake of it If there be a false report of a good Minister or of a good Christian that wee can beleeve presently but we are slow to beleeve the Scripture or any good thing we are tardy here is our fault and this corruption hath beene in our nature ever since the fall of Man for we see Genes 3. The Lord told Adam That in the day that he did eate of the fruit he should dye the death but the divell came and told him Ye shall not dye at all cleane contrary and yet we see that they were more ready to beleeve the divell than God Will yee see a comparison to explaine it the better If an earthly king should say to us If yee will bee contented to doe mee some service a few dayes and to attend mee I will afterwards advance you and bestow great honour upon you what man is there that would not rest himselfe upon the kings promise In like manner God hath said unto us Attend me in the duties of holinesse and doe mee service a few dayes whilest thou livest heere and afterward I will make you an Heire of the Kingdome of Heaven and thou shalt bee neere unto mee and yet wee will not beleeve God Now there bee two uses to bee made of this Doctrine which shall bee declared unto you God assisting the next time of our meeting SERMON XXXIIII LVKE 24. 26 27. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe WEe heard the last day how Christ did labour to strengthen the weake faith of his Disciples when they were going to Emmaus and therefore let us travell with them and over-heare them that so that which did serve to strengthen them in their faith may serve to strengthen us in ours If a man have a legge or an arme out of joynt he cannot bee at rest untill it be set againe even so when we feele weakenesse of faith let us not bee at rest till wee have gotten the same strength of faith that wee had before therefore let us creepe into the company of Christ and goe as farre as Emmaus with him If a man hang on the top of an high Tower by the hand and there bee a number of sharpe stones under him that if hee fall it will burst him in pieces how carefull will he be to strengthen that hand lest he fall downe so faith is the hand we lay hold on God by and wee hang as it were at the top of an high Tower whence if wee fall wee are like to fall to hell how carefull therefore should we bee to strengthen that hand Now two wayes I told you Christ doth labour to strengthen their faith 1. By reproving of them 2. By informing of them Of the first wee spake the last day and therefore are
to us and wee will be one people Genesis 34. 16. Even so God saith to us if ye will be circumcised and cut off your lusts and your sinnes and be a sanctified and holy people then ye shall be one with me but if ye will not bee circumcised and cut off your lusts and your sins then yee will cause mee to depart away from you And this is the second thing whereby we may know when Christ makes a proffer to be gone Thirdly When we feele a decay of Gods graces in us when we have lost our zeale care and love as when the King removes from a place wee may know it by his carriage going before so the graces of Gods Spirit bee as it were the carriage therefore when this goes away know then Christ will remoove then he makes a proffer to be gone But why did Christ make a proffer to be gone It was not that hee had any purpose to depart but to trie their affections and to see what account they would make of him so the Lord doth still make a proffer to bee gone from us and to take away the Gospell and many times the comfortable feeling of his favour which hee doth to trie our faith and our affection and to trie what account wee will make of him So we see Matth. 15. 22. Christ deales with the woman of Canaan makes a proffer to bee gone as may appeare by conferring this with other places for it is said in Marke 17. 24. Christ went into an house and would have no man know it as if he would have beene gone from her yet shee followes him he goes into the fields and yet she followes him this was not that he had any purpose to be gone from her but to trie her faith and her affection As 1 Sam. 7. 2. the Arke was in the borders of Israel twentie yeeres together and all the people lamented after the Lord He kept the Arke twenty yeeres together aloofe of them to see how they would long for his presence So God deales with us hee withdrawes the comfortable feeling of his presence to see how wee will long after it and what account wee make of it as a loving mother sometimes hides her selfe from her childe not because she meanes to go from it quite but because shee would trie the love of her childe and how it longs after her so Christ doth shrinke away from us and hide his presence to trie our love our faith and our affection Therefore when Christ makes a proffer to be gone wee must doe as the people did Marke 1. 45. follow him not being at rest till they had found him though hee went into never so secret a place If hee be departed away from us wee should not bee at rest but follow him and labour to recover him againe by prayer meditation and the use of good meanes Now when Christ made a proffer to be gone these two Disciples would not let him goe but one hanged on the one arme as it were and the other on the other till they constrained him to tarry with them Hence wee must learne that if Christ makes a proffer to be gone we must not let him goe and doe as the World does If hee will goe let him goe and say wee cannot hold him but wee must importune him and constraine him to tarry with us as it is said of the good people Luke 4. 42. And when it was day he departed and went into a desart place and the people sought him and came to him and stayed him that he should not depart from them So when wee feele Christ to depart from us wee must constraine him to tarrie with us as Iacob did Genes 32. 26. When hee and the Angell wrestled together Iacob laid hold on him and would not let him goe till he had blessed him Now the Angell that did wrestle with Iacob was Christ So also Exodus 32. 15. When the Lord told Moses that hee would not goe with them but an Angell should goe with them Lord saith hee Carry us not away from this place unlesse thy presence goe with us Lord let me die here and goe no further unlesse thy presence goe with us so wee should pray to God not to carry us away from our houses that we may not stirre from the places where wee be unles the presence of God goe with us and when we feele the presence of God to be going from us we must pray him to tarrie with us and constraine him too But why doe they desire Christ to tarry with them because they had tasted of the goodnesse power sweet graces and excellency of Christ this was the reason of it therefore no marvell though the world let Christ goe and doe not desire him to tarry with them because they never felt the power of God neither tasted of the sweet and excellent graces that be in Christ but such as have tasted hereof will be contented to take any paines and labour to enjoy Christ therefore the Apostle Peter gives us this exhortation 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow therby as who should say If so be ye have tasted how good the Lord is you that bee Christians and have tasted of the Gospell and the sweetnesse of it even as a childe desires the milke of the breast and it is not at quiet till it hath it so desire yee the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby and as Abraham said Gen. 18. Lord depart not from thy servant so wee should desire Christ to be with us and to say Lord depart not away from mee till the day of my death Now there are two especiall times wherein every Christian should pray that Christ may be with him 1. In the time of Trouble 2. At the time of Death First In the time of trouble when there is misery and extremity upon us then we had need to have a great deale of grace to sustaine us wee see ships in a great storme if they have not good Anchors and good Cables they may quickly miscarry and dash against some rockes and so make shipwracke in like manner if trouble and danger bee upon us if Christ be not with us we are like to miscarry therefore as the two Disciples said to Christ The day is farre spent and the night drawes on tarry with us so wee should say The day of prosperity is farre spent and there is a night of affliction drawing on therefore Oh Lord tarry with us and give us a good issue out of troubles so David prayeth Psal 22. 11. Be not farre from me O Lord because trouble is neere for there is none to helpe me this is a speciall time to have Christ with us Secondly At the day of death when wee come to end this life this is a speciall time to have Christ with us as the disciples
Lord. This then we see is a fearefull and lamentable corruption of our natures that wee soone fall into sinne but when we be fallen wee have no minde to recover nor turne backe againe till Christ bring us backe as appeares plainely Luk. 22. 60. When Peter had denied Christ his Master hee ranne further into sinne till Christ cast a gratious eye on him even so when wee sinne against God we shall goe further and further till hee cast a gratious eye on us Now the reason why Christ came not till the eighth day are chiefly these two following First to sanctifie this day as the Christian Sabbath and to dedicate it here wee may observe they had not a word of Christ all the dayes of the weeke besides but when the eight day came then Christ did appeare to them which may teach us to walke in the strength of that we get one Sabbath till the next for it may bee wee shall not heare a word of Christ till the next Sabboth therefore it must bee our wisedome to get so much at one baite as may serve to carrie us to another even as Travellers will so refresh themselves at one time as that it may carry them to the next baiting place so seeing we have a long journey to goe wee must so refresh our selves on the Sabbath as that it may comfortably carry us to the next Lords day Secondly to teach us that although wee cannot keepe our Easter with Christ and his Disciples the first day yet we should labour to keepe it with Thomas the eighth day that is if we cannot be of the first ranke of beleevers yet let us labour to be of the second ranke as Numb 9. 6. There were certain men that were defiled with a dead man so as they might not eate of the Passeover the same day therefore they came to Moses for resolution he referres the matter to God and the Lord answeres them that he that could not take it the first moneth in the season must take it the second Moneth so if we cannot bee of the first ranke of beleevers Let us labour to bee of the second ranke if not of the second then let us labour to bee of the third ranke if not of the third rather than to be of none let us labour to be of the last as Math. 20. the laborers that were sent into the vineyard some came in at the first houre some at the fourth and some at the eleventh houre so if wee cannot bee of the first ranke of those that beleeve and repent them of their sinnes yet let us labour to bee of the second sort nay to come into an estate of grace though it be in the last houre The third thing is The manner that he appeared in it was in the same sort as he did appeare before for he came in When the Doores were shut and stood â—â—ngst them and said Peace bee unto you and shewed them his hands and feete But why did Christ appeare in this manner There were two reasons of it First To confirme the faith of the Disciples for no doubt they had told to Thomas before how Christ was risen and had appeared to them before and therefore Christ comes in the same manner to confirme their faith Secondly Because Thomas had said in a private meeting that hee would not beleeve unlesse he did see therefore Christ answered him in his owne words and speeches which may teach us that Christ overheares us every word we speake in our private houses in our chambers when wee speake of this friend and that of this body and that and will relate them at the day of judgement even the same words we speake therefore every man must be carefull of his speech and of his words that he doe not speake filthy or idle words for at the day of judgement Christ will repeat them all againe as Hosea 7. 2. saith the Lord And they considered not in their hearts that I remembred all their wickednesse this is the reason why men run into sinne and wickednesse because they doe not consider that God remembers it for if they did then they would not doe as they doe they would not speake a word or thinke a thought contrary to Gods will Thomas indeede was much too blame to prescribe such a law to Christ and yet notwithstanding such was the goodnesse and mercy of Christ that he yeelds to his weaknesse And why doth Christ yeeld to him Because he did see there was a desire in him to beleeve and repent therefore Christ yeelds to him and his weaknesse Hence we may learne that such is the goodnesse and mercie of Christ to sinnefull men that notwithstanding they prescribe unjust and unequall lawes as Thomas did yet he will yeeld to their weaknesse if they have a true desire to beleeve So Marke 5. 23. It is said The Ruler of the Synagogue came unto Christ and besought him that hee would come and lay his hands upon his daughter and heale her where hee prescribed a kinde of law in thinking that unlesse hee would come to her he could not helpe her and if shee were dead hee could not give her life againe yet notwithstanding Christ condescends and yeelds to his weaknesse and goeth and helpeth his daughter This is the goodnesse and mercy of Christ to yeeld to our weaknesse Now here are two questions to bee answered First Whether there bee any wounds in a glorified body or no seeing Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. 43. That it is sowne in dishonour it riseth againe in honour it is sowne in weaknesse and it riseth in power I answer that commonly and ordinarily there is no wounds nor scars in a glorified body for as there is glory in one part so there is glory in all the parts as Tertullian saith of death that it is not in one part but in all so saith he there is not glory in one part but there is glory in every part and therefore commonly and ordinarily a glorified body hath no wounds but that Christs body had wounds in it it was by speciall dispensation for our good and benefit that wee might have faith in the resurrection of Christ for hee was contented for our good and benefit to abate of his glory this should teach us that wee should be content to abate of our glory for the good of our brethren and it is not mine but the lesson which S. Paul teacheth us Phil. 2. 5. Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ who humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death of the crosse for our good therefore wee should bee contented to humble our selves and to doe good to our brethren The second question is why hee would have his Disciples to looke on his wounds I answer to shew them where the comfort of a Christian was not in Christs walking on the water or raising of the dead or casting out of devils or
anger so God is angry with us many times and would kill us but the true Ionathan Iesus Christ doth interpose himselfe and labour to mitigate his anger by presenting his wounds and body before God therefore when wee cannot lift up our voyce to God nor our hearts as wee should yet Christ makes intercession his body speakes when we cannot speake and his blood crieth when we cannot cry Now I shall not need to shew you the manner how Christ makes intercession for us having spoken of it but a little before and therfore I will now proceed without any repetition to the second end why Christ ascended Secondly That hee might more powerfully and more mightily administer and governe his Church for therefore God hath exalted him that he may rule the whole world for the good of the Church as the people rejoyced exceedingly at the crowning of Salomon so wee may much more rejoyce that Christ is all in all and that hee sits at the right hand of God for the good of the Church Now by foure actions Christ doth governe in his Church 1 He drawes people to himselfe 2 He doth guide and governe them 3 He doth exercise them with crosses and troubles 4 He doth protect and defend them against all their enemies First He doth draw and pull people unto himselfe and brings them to Faith and Repentance and an estate of grace that they may be saved so Christ saith to Ierusalem Matth. 23. 37. How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and yee would not to the same effect also Ioh. 11. 52. It was said of him That hee dyed not for that nation onely but that hee should gather together in one the children of God which were scattered abroad so then it is Christ that doth gather and draw us there is not any man living that is able to draw himselfe out of the kingdome of the devill and pit of hell into the kingdome of grace and state of blessednesse it must be Christ onely that must draw him therefore it is said in the Acts that There were added to the Church daily such as should be saved so it was not they themselves that drew themselves out but it was Christ by his Word and by his Spirit that did draw them and pull them out of their sinnes and brought them to an estate of grace Now is there any man thus drawne out of his sinnes into an estate of grace let him know it is the hand of Christ that did draw and gather him for Christs sitting in heaven is as powerfull to draw and pull men out of their sinnes as the Adamant is to draw Iron to it Wherefore when men see themselves thus drawne out of their sinnes and pulled out of the kingdome of the devill and pit of hell they may say as Iudas did Ioh. 14. 22. What is the cause thou shewest thy selfe to us and not unto the world even so we must admire the goodnesse of Christ and say Lord what is the cause thou hast pulled us out of the kingdome of the devill and pit of hell and hast brought us to an estate of grace to Faith and to Repentance there was nothing in us Lord but it was thy good pleasure and meere mercy to doe it Now the meanes wherby he drawes and puls men unto himselfe is especially by the Preaching of the word and Gospell therefore Saint Paul saith Eph. 4. 12. he gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints and for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ c. so Esai 53. 1. the Word of God is called the Arme of God because that even as men doe draw and gather with their armes things to themselves so the Lord doth draw and gather men to himselfe by the preaching of the Gospell so it is the Arme of God to draw men out of the estate of damnation into an estate of salvation and out of the kingdome of the devill into the kingdome of Christ Hereof wee may make these profitable Vses following First seeing the preaching of the Gospell is the Arme of God to draw men unto himselfe therefore faithfull Ministers must remember that they bee the hand of Christ to draw and to pull men out of their sinnes Chrysostome compares Preachers to a number of servants in a great shop of whom some bee in one place and some in another yet all comes to the common boxe and is for the advantage of the master so saith hee this world may bee compared to a shop wherein some of the Preachers are in one place and some in another imployed in preaching and yet all must come to the common boxe all must turne to the advantage of our Lord and Master they must not turne it to themselves and to their owne advantage but they must labour to draw and to pull men to God because this is the ordinary meanes to draw them by Secondly seeing the preaching of the Word is the Arme of God to draw and pull men to God therefore wee must hold us to the meanes and keep close to them that so we may be brought to an estate of grace to faith and repentance and so to be saved It may be objected All come to the means but all are not drawne and gathered to God a number hang in their sinnes still I answere though thou doe not finde thy selfe to be drawne to God presently yet doe not neglect but come still for if thou dost despise it and come not at it then it is not possible that ever thou shouldst bee gathered and brought into the state of grace but if wee come to the meanes then wee may have hope that one day God will draw us unto himselfe though not at the first houre of the day yet hee may at the second and if not at the second yet at the sixth and if not at the sixth yet at the last houre of the day Therefore we must wait on the meanes and attend that till God give his blessing unto it Iohn 5. we see a lame man came to the poole to bee helped of his diseases and lay there a long time for he was intercepted by one or other that did step in before him yet hee continued still because there was meanes of his helpe and at last Christ came and did help him so when we come to the meanes to the preaching of the Word and come a long time and we see others catch away the blessing others are drawne to faith and to repentance and to an estate of grace and we are not yet let us not tarry at home for then wee may die in our sinnes but let us come to the meanes and waite and attend on it and then at last we shall finde Gods blessing upon us
there bee a number of men that overdrive their wits and bring them into an high straine and so make them die therefore a learned man saith well It is better not to judge of things secret and hidden than to strive and contend about them There be a number of Papists that do determine the place where it shall be though the best Divines hold it uncertaine and they bring Scripture for it too Some say that the place is the valley of Iehosaphat Ioel 3. 12. Let the World be wakened and come up to the valley of Iehosaphat for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about which words are spoken not of the last judgement but the meaning is that the Lord would judge the Amorits and the Ammonites wich were the enemies of the people of God in those times there the Lord would overthrow and destroy them and to prove it is not intended of the last judgement there be divers reasons First because he speakes by way of Allusion It is a Metaphor and a borrowed speech as wee may see by other places of the same Chapter as verse 18. And in that day shall the Mountaines droppe downe new wine and the hils shall flow with milke and all the Rivers of Iuda shall flow with waters and a Fountaine shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim Now as those words cannot stand in their literall sense but be Metaphoricall and are spoken by allusion onely so likewise is it in this place and therefore it cannot bee meant of the last judgement Secondly because bodies must have distance and place as Augustine saith Take away distance and place and then bodies are no bodies therefore it is not probable that the valley of Iehosaphat should hold all the bodies of all the men that have lived from the beginning of the World to the latter end of all ages in all the Countries and kingdomes of the world It is not possible they can stand all there to bee judged at the same time Thirdly the Schoolemen say it is probable that it should bee on Mount Olivet because Christ did ascend to Heaven from thence Now if it should be on the Mount Olivet it could not he in the valley of Iehosaphat because they bee a great distance one from the other as 2 Chron. 20. 20. we may see when Iehosaphat went out to warre he went to Tekoa which was sixe miles from Bethlehem and Bethlehem was sixe miles from Ierusalem and then the valley of Iehosaphat must needs many miles bee distant from Ierusalem so this opinion overthrowes the other But they say the valley of Iehosaphat was neere Ierusalem betweene the Mount of Olives and that but it cannot bee so because it is said 2 Chron. 20. 27. that Iehosaphat and the men of Ierusalem and Iuda returned home to Ierusalem from the valley So that it was many miles distant from Ierusalem whereas the Mount of Olives was neere for Christ sate on that Mount and did see men cast into the Treasury therefore the valley of Iehosaphat cannot be the place where the last judgement shall be Fourthly because the dsciples Luk. 17. when they heard Christ speake of the fearefull separation that shall be at the last day of judgement that there shall be two in the bed of whom the one shall be taken and the other refused two in the fields one refused and the other taken said unto him where Lord and he said unto them whersoever the dead Carkas is thither shall the Eagles resort Now if it had been set downe in the Scripture Christ would never have left it as uncertaine to his disciples when they did aske him of it So then it is manifest the particular place where Christ shall judge the World is uncertaine Now if men will not be contented with this but say there must bee a determined place where he shall judge the World which is like to be where he was borne planted the Gospell did preach and worke most of his miracles I must say for mine owne part I doe incline that way But whether it shall bee in Bethlehem where Christ was borne or upon Mount Olivet from whence Christ ascended or whether it shall bee on Mount Calvery where Christ was crucified or on Mount Tabor where Christ was transfigured I dare not determine for that is left uncertaine to us Now the Vse be made of it is that seeing the particular place is uncertaine therefore let us labour to bee joyned with Christ to lie with him in the Manger pray with him on the Mount fall downe by him in the Garden to goe with him to the Crosse to bee killed and crucified with him to descend into the Grave with him and to lay our bodies by him and our bones by his bones and to bee joyned with him and then as hee did rise himselfe our of the grave so hee will raise thee out of thy grave and thou shalt be gathered unto him by the hand of an Angell and brought unto him wheresover the place be Fourthly The time of the judgement For when we heare there shall be a judgement day then we make enquiry when it shall be It is a desire in nature to looke after it if once beleeved therefore not onely the wicked say where is the promise of his comming but his Disciples also Matth. 24. came unto him and asked him when the end of the world should be Augustine saith well All men that labour desire to know or to have an end of their labour Therefore as the husbandman casts with himselfe how many weeks it will be to Harvest The Merchant man how many daies to Returne The Traveller what time hee shall get to his Inne So a Christian that hath tooke paines to get Heaven cannot chuse but bee desirous to know when the end of the world shall be that he may have amend of his labour Now concerning the time of the last judgement I will lay downe these three conclusions 1. That the Time is certaine to God 2. That the Time is uncertaine to us 3. Although it hee uncertaine to us yet hee hath given us certaine Signes and Tokens of it First The Time is certaine to God which I will prove by Scripture and by Reason First by Scripture Matth. 24. 36. But of that time and houre cometh no man No not the Angels in heaven but my Father onely So Acts 17. 30. But now hee doth admonish all men every where to repent Because bee hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world so Revel 14. 7. the Angell saith Feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his judgement is come Therefore although we doe not know the certaine time yet God knoweth the day and houre when it shall be Secondly we will prove it by reason for looke what God hath done in any special and particular judgement that
Christ doth defer the judgement day seeing all Creatures groane and long for the comming of it as Paul saith Rom. 8. the creatures they groane by the instinct of Nature and the people of God by the instinct of Grace therefore we may marvell that God doth deferre the judgement day I answere there be three causes or reasons of this delay 1. Gods patience in waiting for mans repentance 2. His goodnesse to his Creature 3. His care of the Elect. First it ariseth out of the patience of God in that he waits for our repentance as Peter sheweth 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering towards us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance so Gen. 6. the Lord gave the old world an hundred and twentie yeeres to repent in this S. Peter cals the patience of God in his first Epistle Chap. 3. verse 20. Because the Lord doth give us time to repent and doth deferre his judgements and waits with patience from yeere to yeere and from day to day to see when we will returne to him So then this delation of the judgement day ariseth out of the patience of God Revel 2. 21. it is said of the woman Iezabel that God gave her time to repent her of her fornications and when she did not the Lord did threaten to cast her into a bed of sicknesse so all the time that God gives us here is that we may repent and turne to him but if we doe not but despise the patience and kindnesse of God he will not onely cast us into a bed of sicknesse but he will cast us into hell Secondly it ariseth out of the goodnesse of God to his creature which hee extendeth to the reprobate so farre forth as it doth not impeach his justice for seeing it is a long time to lye in hell for ever and ever in torments where there shall bee no mitigation or intermission of paines but all the wicked shall be tormented day and night they shall have no Sabbath of rest nay they shall not have the least moment of ease therefore the Lord out of his goodnesse doth deferre the judgement day Mat. 8. the devils desired to be kept from hell and the Lord shewes his goodnesse to them Now if the Lord shewed his goodnesse to Divels much more to men Thirdly this delay ariseth out of the care and love that God hath of his Elect. There bee a number of men that bee yet unborne and a number now living unconverted therefore it pleaseth Christ to deferre the judgement day till the number of them bee accomplished It is said Revel 6. 9 10. The soules of them that lie under the Altar did crie unto the Lord saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them which dwell on the Earth and answer was made that they should rest for a season untill their brethren and fellow-servants should be killed as they were so there be a number of them that bee yet unborne and not yet converted that the patience of God stayes for and therefore the judgement is delayed as Gen. 19. the Angell could doe nothing to Sodome till Lot was in Zoar set in safety so the Lord Iesus will doe nothing till hee hath set his Elect people in safetie Wee see a Ship that takes in passengers lies at Anchor till the last passenger be come in then they hoist up saile and away they goe so the Lord Iesus lies as it were at Anchor here in this world to take in passengers for the number of his Elect and when the last man is come then the judgement day shall be But some man will say if the judgement day be not yet then it will make men secure To this I answere that although the judgement bee not yet yet we know not how soone the day of death may come therefore we should prepare our selves for it repent us of our sinnes get faith in Christ for As the day of death leaves us so the judgement day shall finde us It is almost sixteene hundred yeeres since Iudas dyed and yet he shall stand before God in the same condition he dyed in an unrepentant man and in the same condition and estate hee shall stand before God in judgement Augustine saith well on Psal 36. Suppose that the day of judgement cannot bee yet yet the day of death cannot bee farre off therefore O man prepare for it for looke in what estate death leaves us in the â—ame estate shall judgement finde us I but yee will say though the judgement day be not yet yet it is good to keepe men in feare of it To this I answer that Christ would not have his Disciples build on a false ground and Paul saith 2 Thes 2. 1. Now wee beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling unto him that you be not soone shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as though the day of the Lord were at hand Let no man deceive you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that man of sin be disclosed so he would not have their feare grounded on a false ground and I accordingly excite every Christian man or woman to be quickned hereby that as death leaves him so judgement shall finde him therefore we should so shut up our eyes here in this world as that they may be opened againe in the kingdome of God Fifthly The persons that shall be judged be the quicke and the dead that is all the men and women that are dead and all them that are alive at his comming for all men shall stand before him of what estate and condition soever they be rich and poore high and low we which are present and they which are absent as S. Paul saith We shall all appear before the judgement seat of Christ no man can be absent from it there were many exempted from the marriage but there is no man that can bee exempted from this the mountaines cannot hide us hell cannot hold us but we must all appeare before Christ in judgement and I would to God this were written in our hearts with the point of a Diamond that it might not be forgotten There be many wayes to shift mens Courts and Tribunals they may flie the countrey or bribe the Iudge or compound and agree with their adversary or if this doe it not they may be prevented by death O but we cannot shifts Gods judgement barre wee cannot fly the countrey for whither shall wee goe but hee will finde us out hell cannot hide us from his presence we cannot bribe the Iudge because he is an heavenly and a righteous Iudge and will give to every man according to his workes neither can we
kingdome Secondly All our good workes shall bee remembred and rewarded at the day of judgement and Christ will make rehearsall of them there is never a good deed we have done but it shall be remembred and rewarded so that our labour shall not bee in vaine as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. ult so Revel 20. 12. it is said And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of Life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes So the Lord hath all the good deeds of his servants written in a booke which shall bee remembred reported and rewarded therefore what a comfort is this to a poor Christian that in the hearing of all the world all his good deeds shall be reported how many painefull Iourneyes they have taken to heare the Word how many houres they have spent in prayer how many teares they have wept for sinne that they have entertained the Saints that they have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sicke what a great inticement this is to doe good to thinke what honor it is that all their good deeds shall be remembred and rewarded Matth. 26. 15. Christ saith of the woman when she had powred the ointment on him that this which shee had done should bee spoken of her wheresoever this Gospell shall bee preached for a memoriall of her But what is the speech of men to the speech of Christ the praise of men to the praise of Christ when hee shall stand out and make a report of all our good deeds wee have done therefore what a comfort will this be I but have not the people of God sinne I answer they have their sinnes and their great sinnes too even the best men that be but here is the comfort when the day of judgment commeth they shall not bee remembred but pardoned and carried on the shoulders and necke of Christ and our good deeds onely shall be remembred As Esay 33. ult it is said The people that dwell therein shall have their iniquity forgiven So Ieremie 31. 33 34. saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with them and I will write my lawes in their hearts and I will bee their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know mee from the greatest to the least saith the Lord and I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Here is the comfort of Christians that all their sinnes shall be forgotten onely their vertues shall be remembred Exodus 34. Moses put a veile on his face that the children of Israel should not see the glory of it but Christ hath hanged a veile over our sinnes that they should not be seene even his holinesse and sanctifie that the world should not see nor behold them for they are all pardoned remitted and covered with the Robe of his righteousnesse Thirdly the judgement which shall passe upon us shall bee according to the workes of mercie and not only workes of mercie but all other good workes shall have a reward as Malach. 3. 16. it is said Then spake they that feared God every one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared God and thought upon his Name So there was a booke written of all the good deeds of them that did feare God and so Matth. 5. 11 12. saith our Saviour Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Names sake falsly Rejoyce and bee glad for great is your reward in Heaven as also Matth. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my Father which is in Heaven So then wee see all our good workes shall be rewarded But why doth Christ mention onely workes of mercie I answere there be two reasons of it First because the Lord doth not accept of any worke we doe of hearing of the Word of praying nor of any other good dutie we doe if wee doe not shew mercie and compassion to our brethren As 1 Cor. 13. 3. And though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I give my body that it bee burnt and have not love it profiteth me nothing and Esay 1. 14. saith God My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed Feasts they are a burthen to me I am wearie of bearing them and the reason was because they did not shew compassion to their brethren as may be gathered out of the 15. verse In like manner the Prophet bringeth in the people expostulating with God and he answering them Esay 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seeft not wherefore have we punished our selves and thou regardest is not c Is not this the fasting that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heavie burthens is let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke verse 6 7. Is it not to breake thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander unto thy house and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh and therefore wee may assure our selves the Lord will accept of none of our workes without we be mercifull to our brethren Secondly because as it is Hos 6. 6. The Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice when both may stand together then God will have both But if they cannot he will have mercy shewed hee had rather lose his owne part than a poore man should lose his So the command is Heb. 13. 16. But to doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Such is the tendernesse of God that hee is contented to abate of his owne service rather than man should want of his comfort As Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Hence we see though it be a great dutie that we owe to God yet for mans good hee will bee contented to stay for his owne service Philosophers say that the fire which is farthest remooved is the hottest and most vehement so it is in love that love which is furthest remooved from God is the hottest and the most vehement love of all other It is an easie matter to love God in himselfe O but for a man to love God in his poore distressed members to love him in his poore Saints and People this is the hottest
thing to have Gods curse on them it is not two Beares that shall devoure them but they shall be devoured in hell with the devill and his angels if it were to passe thorow fire and water a man might have comfort if hee were in Gods favour or if hee did live in a cave a dungeon or a prison for we see the three Children went into the fire with comfort and God was with them and there was not the least smell of fire on them So Daniel he was throwne into the Lions den and was not afraid because hee was in favour with God and Ieremie was cast into the dungeon Paul and Silas into prison with their feet in the stockes yet they sung salmes at midnight and rejoyced if the blessing of Christ be upon a man with a perswasion of Gods love this will allay all extremities but the wicked shall goe to hell and shall have Gods curse upon them therefore what a fearefull thing will it be at that day Now there is good use to be made of this point first seeing all the wicked shall goe away with Gods curse therefore it must bee every mans care to rid himslfe of his sins because it is they that bring Gods curse upon us many a man is not afraid of this we see Iudg. 17. when Micha had stollen his mothers money and heard her curse him though he had the money in his hands which was sweet betweene his fingers he was so afraid of his mothers curse that he durst not keepe it now if Micha were thus afraid of his mothers curse much more should we be afraid of Gods curse seeing we heare that our sinnes will bring it upon us how afraid should we be to sinne though it be sweet and delightfull yet to rid our hands of it and expell it assoone as may be that so we may be free of Gods curse we sinde Iosh 7. that Achan had committed an execrable thing he had stollen a Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold and had hid them in the earth yet the judgement of God seized on him and never left him till it found him out so we may have sinnes secret and close in our hearts that no body knowes of them if wee be not wise to rid our selves of them the judgement of God will seize upon us and it will never leave us till it hath destroyed soule and body and therefore seeing our sinnes will bring Gods curse let us labour to avoid them Secondly seeing all the wicked shall goe away with Gods curse we any see what fooles the Papists be that are afraid of the Popes curse yet are not afraid of Gods curse Dâ—â—t 27. 15. the Lord saith Cursed is the man that maketh any carved or moulten image and putteth it in a secret place now the Pope contraries the voice and word of God and saith in the Councell of Trent Whosoever holds not that Images are profitable to teach and that they be Lay-mens bookes let them be accused they feare the Popes curse which is the lesse and doe not feare Gods curse which is the greater Thirdly seeing all the wicked shall goe away with Gods curse therefore every man must labour to be one of Gods servants and people as Psal 85. 6. saith David I will hearken what God saith for he will speake peace to his people howsoever he will deale with the wicked and ungodly to afflict and trouble them yet he will speake peaceably and comfortably to his people therefore it must be every mans care to repent him of his snnes labour to please God and to spend his time well and then hee shall have comfort in life and death therefore labour to be one of Gods servants and people beleeve in Christ labour to be found in him and then thou shalt be blessed and freed from Gods curse Thirdly the estate that all the wicked shall passe into they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God and have Gods curse upon them but shall bee cast into fire and everlasting fire Now by fire as I shewed you the last day is meant he greatnesse and extremity of paines that the wicked shall bee in because of all Elements fire is most afflictive and workes most furiously on our bodies making the greatest impression on them therefore the torment of hell is termed fire in the Scripture as Matth. 3. 12. it is said and he will burne the chaffe with unquenchable fire so Heb. 10. 27. For if wee sinne willingly after wee have received the knowledge of Goâ—s truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of Iudgement and firy indignation which shall devoure the adverssaries and Revel 14. 9 10. If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of Gods wrath and shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the lambe here wee see because of all other Elements fire is most afflictive therefore the punishment of the wicked is said to be in fire The Schoolemen make question whether it be bodily fire or whether it be metaphorically spoken to this Augustine shall answer saith he this fire of hell of what sort it is and in what place or part of the world it is no man knoweth but him who shall make it knowne the Papists are so bold as to make no question though it be not a point of faith for a man to beleeve or know what a kinde of fire it is whether it bee bodily and materiall fire such as wee have here or whether it be metaphoricall for say they it is most agreeable to the Scripture and most probable that it is bodily and materiall fire But I will produce foure Reasons to shew that this fire cannot bee bodily fire First because hell fire is prepared for the devill and his angels to torment them in now they bee spirits therefore it must bee spirituall fire that must torment them bodily fire will doe them no hurt as we see Matth. 17. 15. how the devill cast himselfe into the fire and yet was not burned therefore it is not bodily but spirituall fire that must torment them and Damascene saith that the great devils and the petty divels shall be tormented with fire but that fire shall not be such fire as wee have but such as God knowes of Secondly looke what the brimstone the wood the lake the smoake and the worme is the same is the fire but the wood the brimstone the lake the smoke and the worme are metaphorically and spiritually to be taken therefore so is this fire so we see Esai 30. ult Topheth is prepared for the king hee hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it now this cannot be taken for bodily fire
it but for the unbeleevers sake if any should be here I will give foure reasons to prove it First because it is proper to none but God to be in all places at one time as Ierem. 23. 24. Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord This is the propertie onely of God on bodily substance can because they cannot be but in one place at one time and must be bounded in their owne essence but the Holy Ghost is in all places he is in heaven and earth and in the hearts of the faithfull all the world over therefore the Holy Ghost is God I but some man may say the light of the Sunne is all the world over To this I answer although the light of the Sunne be all the world over yet there are divers parts of it But the Holy Ghost is all one and the same and is not divided but he fils heaven and earth and hee is in the hearts of the godly all the world over and therefore the holy Ghost is God Secondly Because none but God can create and make things of nothing none but God knoweth all things none but God can give gifts of grace to his servants but the Holy Ghost doth all this and therefore the Holy Ghost is God First we may see the Holy Ghost creates as well as the Father and the Sonne as Iob 33. 4. The Spirit of the Lord hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life So Psal. 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the heaven and the earth made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Secondly no man knoweth the things of God but God the Holy Ghost knoweth all and therefore he is God as 1 Cor. 2. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Thirdly none but God gives gifts of grace to men but the Holy Ghost doth therefore the Holy Ghost is God Now that the Holy Ghost doth give gifts and graces it is plaine 1 Cor. 12. 6. There are diversities of operations but God is the same that worketh all seeing then it is the Holy Ghost that doth create that knoweth the things of God and that gives gifts of grace into the hearts of men therefore the holy Ghost is God Thirdly No man is to be baptised into the name of any creature but into Gods only but wee are commanded to be baptised into the name of the Holy Ghost therefore the Holy Ghost Now that no man is to be baptised into the name of any creature it is plaine by the Apostles words 1 Cor. 1. 13. where he demands Were yee baptised into the name of Paul I baptised I thanke God name of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any man should say that I baptised into mine owne name Againe We that be baptised are grafted into another stocke and so draw spirituall grace into our selves but if a man be baptised into any other name he cannot draw spirituall grace and therefore wee are to be baptised into none other name but into Gods Name besides there is an expresse charge and command to baptise in no other name but in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is God Now I spend the more time in this that yee might have your Christian faith grounded for Matth. 13. wee see that the seed that was sowen in the stony ground withered and came to nothing because it wanted a root of judgement so if our knowledge be not rooted and grounded it will come to nothing every temptation will shake it and therefore we must labour to have our knowledge grounded Let us come to make use of it First seeing the holy Ghost is God therefore we must take heed we doe not grieve him with our sins and our corruptions this is the use Saint Paul makes of it Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption It is a great fault to grieve man but it is a greater to grieve God it is said in the Law that the people grieved God and Moses his servant and Esay 7. 10. the question is asked Is it a small thing to grieve man but ye will also grieve my God Now there is never a sinne we commit but wee grieve God every oath wee sweare every lye we tell c. and therefore we must take heed we doe not sin to grieve the holy Spirit and to cause him to depart from us as Heb. 3. 10. God complaines Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation c. so it is our sinnes that grieve the holy Ghost If a man hath a guest that commeth to his house to tarry but a night he will be wary lest hee offend him much more wee should be loth to offend the holy Ghost seeing he commeth to dwell with us not a night but for ever consider with thy selfe O man if thou have a friend that will helpe thee in all times of extremitie and releeve thee wilt thou offend him nay thou wouldst labour to please him So the holy Ghost is a friend to us and will speake comfortably and kindly to us at the day of death and in our troubles therefore if we grieve him what comfort can we looke for at the day of death and in the time of trouble Secondly seeing the holy Ghost is God we must take heed that we doe not destroy the temple of the holy Ghost now our bodies be the temples of the holy Ghost therefore we must take heed we doe not destroy the So 1 Cor. 3. 16. saith the Apostle Know ye not that yee are the temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and if any man destroy this temple God will destroy him which is done first by pulling downe the wals and then by defacing of it which bloudy tyrants doe when they kill good people and deface them If a Noble-man have his house pulled downe over his head he will not take it well at their hands but he will labour to destroy them who did it so if tyrants pull downe Gods Temple he will not take it well at their hands but will destroy them Secondly we may destroy this temple by polluting it for though they let the wals stand yet they may destroy Gods temple by destroying the sanctitie and the holinesse of it by their bad lusts and vile sinnes that they doe commit and then God will destroy them as Iohn 2. you see how angry Christ was that hee made a whip and did scourge them out of the Temple that brought oxen and sheepe and doves to sell there now if Christ were angry with them that defiled the materiall Temple with their oxen sheepe and
doves much more will he be angry with them that pollute his spirituall Temple with their sinnes and corruptions and vile lusts The second thing that we are to beleeve concerning God the holy Ghost is That he is person really subsisting and distinct from the Father and the Sonne And here we are to observe two things First That the holy Ghost is a Person or a reall subsistence and not a quality or motion in God as certaine heretikes hold but hee is a Person that hath reall subsistence by himselfe which we may see by divers acts that he doth as to send the Prophets and Apostles and give spirituall gifts and graces Esay 48. 16. it is said The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me therefore because the holy Ghost is said to send he is not a quality or a motion but a person So also Acts 13. 2. The holy Ghost said Separate me Paul and Barnabas for the worke whereunto I have called them So then it is plaine by the Scripture that the holy Ghost is person and not a qualitie or a motion in God Now two wayes the holy Ghost is taken in the Scripture for the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost as Matth. 12. Christ shewes He that sinnes against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world not in the world to come A man may sinne against the Person of the holy Ghost and yet may be forgiven but the sinne that is here spoken of is the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost and in other places of the Scripture it is taken for the person of the holy Ghost Secondly the holy Ghost is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne Matth. 28. 19. Christ saith to his Disciples Goe teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and so also 1 Iohn 5. 7. he shewes there are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one furthermore Matth. 3. when Christ was baptised there was the voice of the Father saying This is my welbeloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and the holy Ghost descending on Christ in the likenesse of a Dove so it is plaine by the Scripture that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the Father and the Sonne Now the use hereof is briefly that as we feele the power of God the Father in our creation and the mercy of the Sonne in our redemption so also we must labour to feele the worke of the holy Ghost in sanctifying of our hearts and quickning of us to all holy duties there were some as wee may reade of in the Acts that did not know there was a Holy Ghost but if we feele our hearts to be sanctified and the power of the holy Ghost to quicken us this is an argument to us against all heretikes to prove there is a holy Ghost The third point that we are to beleeve is that the holy Ghost is holy in himselfe and that he is the causer and effecter of holinesse in others So Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost that is no man is able to doe any thing that is pleasing to God but by the holy Ghost and vers 11. saith he All these things worketh even the selfe-some Spirit distributing to every one severally as he will So the holy Ghost is not onely holy in himselfe but he is the cause of holinesse in all the people of God The uses are first seeing the holy Ghost makes men holy there is never a man that hath one deep or dram of holinesse in himselfe but the holy Ghost must worke it in him as Ezek. 37. we see the dead bones were scattered all the field over till the Spirit of God came into them then there was a noise a clattering and running together of the bones so we be scattered all the field over and lye like dead bones till the Spirit of God come into our heart then there is a noise and a clattering together of the bones then men begin to stirre in the life of holinesse therefore doth any man desire spirituall graces and is often in prayer doth any man find in himselfe holy motions to good let him comfort himselfe for such desires are of and by the Spirit of God it is the holy Ghost that workes them in him for no man hath a dram or a drop of holinesse in himselfe but it is the holy Ghost workes it in him Secondly seeing it is the holy Ghost that makes men holy as often as we feele any good motions or good desires we may know from whence they come that it is the holy Ghost which is the beginner and worker of them If a man lye in a trance and neither moves nor stirres if one layes his eare to the man and heares him breath he may say there is life in the man even so although a man be not able to stirre in the life of holinesse yet if he doe but breath that there be good thoughts and good motions and good desires this is a token that there is the life of grace in him and that the holy Ghost hath begun to worke in him there is the beginning of grace in him SERMON LIV. IOHN 14. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name hee shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you FOure points yee heard wee are to beleeve concerning the holy Ghost first That the holy Ghost is God secondly That he is a person and not a motion or a qualitie in God but hath a reall subsistence and that hee is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne thirdly That he is not onely holy in himselfe but he is the Effecter and Causer of holinesse in others and that no man hath one dram or drop of holinesse in him but it is wrought by the holy Ghost The fourth point which we are at this present to handle is that He is not onely the causer of holinesse in others but I must beleeve that he will particularly make me holy and give me such a measure of sanctitie as shall be meet and fit for me This is properly the faith of a Christian which herein goeth beyond the faith of all others the devils doe beleeve that the holy Ghost is God and that hee is a Person that hath reall subsistence and that he is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne and they doe beleeve that the holy Ghost is the causer of holinesse in all the faithfull people of God but they doe not beleeve that he will worke holinesse in them But here is the faith of a Christian to appropriate the holy Ghost to himselfe so they have not faith onely
will be operations and motions of the Spirit it will not be idle A ship on the Sea lies still when there is no body in it but put marriners therein then they will weigh up their anchors hoist up their sailes and away they goe so men lye idle in the wayes of God but if the Spirit of God be in them it will stirre and moove them to performe good duties to prayer to repent of their sinnes to duties of love and such like therefore when wee be idle and doe not feele this stirring and moving unto good things the holy Ghost is not in us because hee would be sure to stirre and moove us as Ezek. 1. 21. it is said of the wheeles that when the beasts went the wheeles went with them and when they stood they stood and when they were lifted up from the earth the wheeles were lifted up besides them for the spirit of the beasts were in the wheeles they had all one spirit so if the Spirit of God be in a man if Christ moves he will move and when Christ makes a stand he will stand and when Christ lifts up himselfe hee will lite up himselfe Hence we may be taught his sure marke that when a man feeles nothing is not stirred up to the duties of repentance prayer holinesse and love feeles no operation nor working of the Spirit in him let not that man wilfully put out his owne eyes for then of a truth he may see and there is no work of grace yet wrought the holy Ghost is not in him And thus much of the generall Now for the particular there be divers degrees for all have not one measure of the Spirit but some more some lesse therefore every one is to consider of his estate whether he be a beginner in religion or a strong Christian or whether he be weakned by sinne and temptations the weaker Christian hath weaker motions actions and operations the stronger hath stronger motions actions and operations of the Spirit we see in the life of nature that God gives divers degrees of life to his creatures there is not that degree of life in a little childe that is in a man who is come to his full growth therefore the actions and operations of a man are stronger than a childes Againe there is no man so strong but he may be weakened by sicknesse and distemperature so it is in the life of grace there be divers degrees of the Spirit in a weake Christian the actions and operations of the Spirit be weake in a strong Christian they be stronger and yet a strong Christian may be weakned by sinne therefore if a Christian would give a right judgement of himselfe whether he have the Spirit or no he must consider in what ranke hee is and in what estate whether a beginner in religion or a strong Christian or whether he be weakened by some sinnes If hee be a beginner in religion then he may looke to two things 1. Whether there be a right worke of the Spirit 2. Whether there be a right use of the worke First he must looke for a right worke of the Spirit and that we may consider in foure things First whether they have beene truly humbled for their sinnes and cast downe in the sense and feeling of them seeing that they were in an estate of damnation and under Gods curse till they be brought home to Christ as Act. 9. 6. we see Paul was first humbled and cast downe before God did raise him and give him comfort and so Act. 2. 37. the converts were first pricked in their hearts and cried out Men and brethren what shall we doe to bee saved before they were raised up by the ministery of the Apostles I have shewed you heretofore when a man appoints a tree to build with he first takes an Axe and cuts it downe by the root and layes it flat on the ground then he cuts off the boughes and branches and leaves it naked before he takes it into his building even so the Lord doth when he doth purpose to take us into his building he first comes with the axe of his Law cuts us downe and layes us on the ground then he cuts off the boughes and branches and leaves us naked without any hope of our owne merits or deserts before hee pluckes us into this same heavenly building And this is first worke of the Spirit Secondly the worke of the Spirit is an earnest desire to be reconciled to God to bee at one with him The hungry man doth not more desire his meat nor the thirsty man his drinke than he longs and desires in this estate to be in the covenant of grace as Act. 9. 22. Paul eat no meat for three dayes together but prayed and cried unto the throne of grace and could not be quiet till hee was certified by Ananias that his sinnes were pardoned A poore prisoner when he is condemned to die all he doth is for a pardon say what you will and doe what you will hee regards nothing else so it is with a Christian when he sees he is condemned by the Law of God and guiltie of eternall death say and doe what ye will all his mind is for a pardon which till he hath obtained nothing will quiet him nothing will content him till hee hath his discharge from God Thirdly It stirres up a man truly to lay hold on the sweet promises that God hath made to him in Christ So as he labours to be found in him and to renounce himselfe saying Lord I am a sinner but Christ hath satisfied thee for my sinnes I am uncleane but Christ hath washed me in his bloud I come short of that which thou requirest but Christ hath satisfied the Law for me so Act. 15. 11. Peter was bold to stand up and say We beleeve through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ to be saved even as they doe so also Luke 1. 69. Zachariah blesseth and praiseth God because he hath raised up a horne of salvation unto us and Matth. 8. there was Leper that came to Christ and said unto him Lord I am an uncleane person but if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane in like manner the Spirit of God drives a man to Christ and makes him to say Lord though I am a Leper though I am an uncleane person and polluted yet if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane and therefore Lord wash me in thy most precious bloud that I may be found unblameable before thee Fourthly It workes a setled course to walke with God so farre forth as frailtie will permit so Psal 119. 106. David saith I have sworne and I will performe it to keepe thy righteous judgements and Act. 9. 6. Paul newly called saith What wilt thou that I doe before Saint Paul was stubborne and would not bend nor buckle to the will of God but now he is readie to yeeld to
the cry in the eares of the parents so it is with a Christian if hee bee strong hee makes the stronger crye in the eares of God Thirdly A strong Christian is bold to confesse Christ in the time of trouble as the Apostle did Acts 5. so it is said of the Saints Revel 12. That they loved not their lives to the death Fourthly A strong Christian is contented with any thing that God sends as Phil. 4. saith the Apostle I have learned in all estates therewith to be contented to want and to abound to be full and to be emptie so old Eli said 1 Sam. 3. It is the Lord let him doe as it pleaseth him Now these are in a Christian either stronger or weaker according as he is weakned with temptations And therefore let us labour to feele these workes of the Spirit for the Spirit is all the evidence we have of Heaven and happinesse therefore let us looke to have the spirit that we be not deceived A man that hath house and land would be loth to have his deeds and his evidences to prove naught and so to lose his house and land much more should we be loth to have our evidence that we have of Heaven and happinesse to prove naught Here it will be worthy our inquiry How a Christian that was strong and is weakned by sinne may know that the Holy Ghost is in him In all the declinings and fallings of the faithfull there is a roote of grace left although the Diuell cut off the Boughes and the Branches yet the root is safe as Daniel 4. Nabuchadnezzar is compared to a tree which the Angell is sent to cut downe the body and the branches but to let the stumpe of it remaine and bee bound with iron so though the Divell cut downe the boughes and branches yet the roote is fast which is a comfort to the Church that in all their falls there is a roote of grace remaining But how may a man know this I answere three wayes First If ever he had the workes of grace in him at any time though hee see or feele nothing yet there is a roote of grace remaining I have shewed you if God give his Spirit hee will never quite take it away therefore if hee can finde this that there hath beene a worke of grace in him it is certaine there is a roote left if he can finde but a few live-coales raked up in the dead ashes there is hope of fire and some comfort though he see nothing for the present therefore we must looke backe to see whether ever we have felt the worke of grace or no if wee can finde wee have we may assure our selves that the spirit of God is in us and that there is a roote of grace left in us This was Davids comfort Psal 77. saith hee I thought on the time past and my soule received comfort If a man put fish into a Pond and comes thither againe and sees them not yet he is perswaded that they are there though covered with water so if a man be once stored with the graces of God though hee sees and feeles them not yet must he be perswaded that he hath them still it is a corruption in the estate of weaknesse to thinke the Divell hath deceived them and that all was nothing that was in them but wee must take heed of this that we doe not bely God We read Malach. 1. How the Lord saith That he hath loved the people and they say wherein hast thou loved us Therefore it is a good thing when the Lord shall love us in our conversion and in our repentance that we doe acknowledge it Secondly A man may know it by the desires of grace that there is a roote left which are foure in number First to grieve that wee cannot grieve for sinne and to mourne that we cannot mourne If we desire to weepe as others doe this is a desire of grace nature will not doe this So Esay 63. 17. The Church of God complaines of this saying O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare Secondly to desire the reconciliation and love and favour of God above all things which though he feeles not yet hee longs for it and desires it above all worldly things whatsoever and would give a world to have the sense and feeling of Gods favour Thus we see the Church Cant. 3. when she had lost Christ she seekes after him and she runnes here and there to find him so when we have lost Christ we long for him and our desire is after him this of a suretie is a desire of grace so Matth. 5. saith Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse though they have it not yet they shall be satisfied A man in the time of his weakenesse thinkes his case to bee but miserable and yet the Spirit of God pronounceth him a happy man Thirdly a desire to beleeve though a man doe not beleeve for the present yet he desireth to beleeve and striveth against infidelity this is a desire of grace if a man feeles this hee may assure himselfe there is a roote of grace left in him Mark 9. saith Christ unto the man canst thou beleeve Lord saith he I beleeve but helpe my unbeleefe Fourthly a desire to please God in all our courses though wee have some sinnes and corruptions yet wee desire to bee rid of them and to walke with God these desires of new obedience doe shew there is a roote of grace left As Psal 119. saith David O that my heart were directed to keepe thy Law and Psal 40. I desire to doe thy will O Lord indeed Lord I confesse I doe not thy will but I desire to doe it by these desires wee may know that there is a roote of grace left But here may be an Objection made Had not Herod good desires and Balaam yet these had no roote of Grace in them To this I answere Balaam had good desires hee desired the end but not the meanes that tends to the end he desired to be happy but he did not desire to be holy The wicked desire grace but they doe not use the meanes to come to it A carnall man may deceive himselfe in this therefore if men desire grace Heaven and happinesse they must vse the meanes to come by it which is by Prayer and hearing the Word preached receiving the Sacraments reading of the Word and such like duties The third meanes whereby a man may know that there is a roote of grace left in him is If he can finde some working of the Spirit in this estate the roote is fast As a man may know the Sunne is up though hee see not the Sunne but a little glimpse of it so by some little workings of the Spirit he may
these be two things whereon the faith of a Christian turnes concerning our faith in God wee beleeve that there is one God in substance and yet three distinct persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost The Father who created us by his Power the Son who redeemed us by his blood and the holy Ghost who is the inlightner and sanctifier of all the faithfull therefore after our faith in God Christian faith informs us to beleeve there is a Church of God because it is a rich store-house of all his grace and goodnesse and his true Temple as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 9. 10. Know ye not that your bodie is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you c Augustine saith well the right order of beleeving is first to beleeve in the blessed Trinitie and then in the true Church first to the Maker and then to the House first to the Builder and then to the Citie So our faith must be first in God and then by and by turne to the Church of God Now herein are two things to be observed 1. Vnder what forme we must beleeve 2. What it is we must beleeve First under what forme wee must beleeve The Papists say wee must beleeve in the Church and the Romish Testament is for it upon 1 Tim. 3. and Bellarmine is not farre behinde he saith after a sort and after a certaine kinde we are to beleeve in the Church sundry Divines are contrary to this and they say that a Christian is to beleeve in none but God not in Angell nor Archangell nor in any creature but in God as Iohn 14. Christ saith Yee beleeve in God beleeve also in me marke the ground why we must beleeve in Christ because he is God so 1 Pet. 1. 21. saith the Apostle Which by his meanes doe beleeve in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your Faith and hope might be in him not in the Church in Angell or Archangell but in God onely And an ancient father saith we beleeve there is an holy Church but wee doe not beleeve in the Holy Church wee must beleeve in none but God and the reason is because the Church is not God but the house of God Eusebius saith wee must beleeve Paul and Peter but wee must not beleeve in Paul nor in Peter the reason is because it is a transferring of the honour that is due to God to the creature and Chrysostome saith it is one thing to beleeve a Party and it is another thing to beleeve in a partie but it is proper to the divinity to bee beleeved in Hence wee see the light is so cleere in this point as no man neede doubt of it and Thomas Aquinas one of their owne Doctors saith it is better for a man to beleeve there is a Church than for a man to beleeve in the Church wherein hee grounded himselfe on Pope Leo in whose power the Church was to rest themselves Since that time they have refused this and say that a man must beleeve in the Church affirming that there bee three ancient fathers Saint Ierome Epiphanius and Cyrill that takes it in the same sense as they doe As for one of these which is Saint Ierome there was a chiefe bishop of Rome that brings his argument for us and inferres that this particle in is to bee remooved because in his best workes we doe not so read it Now for the two other their credit is the lesse because Arrius was the first that brought it into his Creed and Cyrill followes him as for Epiphanius though at first he might be carried with the streame of the times yet afterwards hee was overswayed by a number of ancient fathers at Alexandria who expound and take it as we doe Therefore it is out of question and without controulment that wee are not to beleeve in the Church but the right forme of beleeving is to beleeve that God hath a Church a holy people a holy company that he will blesse and save eternally Secondly what it is we must beleeve there are three speciall things we must beleeve 1. We beleeve that God hath a Church 2. We beleeve it is a holy Church 3. Wee beleeve it is an universall or Catholicke that it was from the beginning it hath beene in all ages and it is all the World over First that God hath a Church People and Family here in this world his number of saved ones as I may say though we cannot see nor designe them out Paul tells us Heb. 11. 1. that Faith is the evidence of things that are not seene therefore though we doe not alwayes see the Church of God yet by Faith we must beleeve that God hath his people family and his number of saved ones for the same Saint Paul shewes us in the generall apostacie of the Iewes Rom. 11. That there is a seede and a little remnant left this he resolves us of from an Oracle of God that there were seven thousand left thou had not bowed their knees to Baal which were hid and secret therefore though wee cannot see or designe them out yee wee must beleeve that God hath his Church and company of holy people and his number of saved ones The Vs es are first to answere to a demand that the papists make Where was your Churches before Luthers time I answer I beleeve the Church of God hath beene in all ages and from the beginning and shall continue to the end of the World therefore although wee cannot see nor designe it out yet we beleeve there is a Church of God as Gen. 1. the Lord made two great lights the one to rule the day and the other to rule the night Now although wee cannot alwayes see these lights because there is some clouds that doe cover them or some thicke mist yet faith doth assure us that those lights be still so it is with the Church of God though it be not patent and visible at all times yet Faith doth assure us that there is a Church of God still Secondly seeing that God hath his Church in all ages and his number of saved people Therefore every man must labour to bee one of that number for though God hath his Church and number of saved ones if we doe not appertaine to this Church and be of this number what are wee the better We see when Noah made his Arke all that did not get into it did perish in the waters so though God hath his Church and number of saved ones yet if wee doe not labour to bee of his Church and people we must perish Now for the better clearing of this point wee will shew 1. What the Nature of the Church of God is 2. What be the divers parts of it 3. The diverse estates of the Church of God here in this world 4. What be the true markes and notes of the true Church 5.
elect Angells are pure and Holy and cannot lye Now for the Booke of Iudith that is a storie devised for the Credit of the Iewes for there was never such a King as is there spoken of amongst the Iewes nor such a high Priest nor so long a time of tranquillitie and peace for so many yeeres together as is spoken of Chap. 6. 7 8. And for Ecclesiasticus Chap. 24. 12. there the eternall wisedome is said to bee a creature Therefore hereby it may appeare that although there bee some good things in them yet they rast of the vessell of earth whence they came and shew that they came not from heaven as the Canonicall did therefore the Church had good reason and ground not to receive these Bookes as the Scripture and also to preserve the true Canon of the Scripture without addition or subtraction and indeed it is well when the two Testaments may meet together without parting that their lippes may kisse each other to joine Moses and Christ the Law and the Gospell together seeing that the last words of the Old Testament ends with a Curse and the New beginneth with a blessing this is the generation of Iesus Christ the Sonne of David the Sonne of Abraham The uses are Seeing it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the true rule and Canon of the Scripture without addition or distraction wee should blesse God and bee thankfull that hee hath not left us without a rule in so many worldly distractions where Kingdome is set against Kingdome one learned man against another in such varietie of opinions yet hee hath not left us without a guide to direct both our lives and consciences in the right way if wee will obey it as it is Esai 8. 29. To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so Iohn 5. 39. saith Christ search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee to the same purpose also 2 Pet. 1. 19. saith hee Wee have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which yee doe well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Therefore we see that God hath given us a rule to direct us by in the time of distraction and danger If one should have a long jorney to goe and one should put into his hand a glasse that would shew him every step hee should take that hee might not step one step awry how thankfull would this man bee such a glasse is the Scripture for wee have a long journey to goe from earth to Heaven wherefore the Lord hath put this glasse into our hands that is hee hath given us the Scripture to shew us every step which wee should take that if wee set but one foot awry wee may see it Therefore how thankfull should wee bee to God for it Act. 17. 11. when Paul had preached the word there being opposition amongst them they got to the Bible and searched out the truth of the matter whether it were so or no whereupon it is said many of them beleeved So when the learned men and preachers have oppositions there being distraction and diversities of opinions amongst them the Lord hath given us a rule Wee must to the Scriptures Therefore thankes bee to God hee hath not left us to erre and wander but hath given us a direction to guide us Augustin saith well concerning this point if there bee any distraction or opposition about this thing or that thing let Christ bee the Iudge for hee speaketh in the Scripture therefore this is an excellent blessing which we are to bee thankfull for that God hath given us a Rule to walke by The second use is seeing God hath given us a rule to walk by therefore no man can excuse himselfe and say I would have done it if I had knowen it or if some body had told it mee or if I had a rule to goe by Now there is no man can excuse himselfe and say hee hath not a Rule for God hath left him one in his word which makes all unexcusable as Iohn 15. 22. Christ speakes If I had not come and spoken to them they should not have had sinne but now their sinne abideth so if God had not left us a rule and a direction to guide our selves by in the Bible wee should have had no sinne but because God hath given us such a rule to walke by therefore if wee walke not according to it wee have no cloake for our sinne Seeing God hath left us a rule to walke by It must bee our wisedome to make use of this rule in our thoughts speeches and actions Wee see a man is much the better that hath a rule to worke by for hee will stick it at his backe worke by aime and not by ghesse so Psal 119. 33. saith David Teach mee O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end As if hee should say let mee but know thy will and I am contented to doe it If once wee know Gods will wee must direct all our speeches and actions to bee ruled by it It is a great infamy to any man to come into an order and not to hold him to his order as to bee a Soldier or a Scholler but much more to bee a Christian and yet not to humble ones self to the rules of Christianitie how just shall our condemnation bee the Rule of Gods Word teacheth a man to bee temperate and not to bee overtaken with surfeting and drunkennesse to bee mercifull to deale conscionably in our wayes and not to mispend our time to repent of our sinnes and therefore when men will not hold them to their rule to live temperatly walk holily and to make conscience of their wayes to deale truly and justly with men to take heede they doe not mispend their time to repent them of their sinnes if they doe not these things they are fallen from their rule and shamed in that they hold not to it Augustin saith there bee a number of things that seeme to bee straight but bring them to the rule and then wee may see their obliquities so there bee a number of things that seeme to be straight and good but lay them to the Rule bring them to the Scriptures and to the Law of God then wee may see a number of obliquities in them and how short they come of the Rule as 1 King 17. when Elias applied himselfe to the Child 's dead bodie his face to the Childs and his hands to the Childs hands then did appeare the dissimilitude between them and how short the Child came of him So when we shall compare our actions with the Law of God then wee shall see the dissimilitude and disproportions betweene them and when wee see how short
evill that wee may be dismayed and behold it together So none but God can tell future things that are meerely contingent A man may foretell future things that depend on naturall causes but to foretell things that are meerely contingent none can doe but God But the Scriptures have foretold divers things which have come to passe in the times appointed and were meerely contingent therefore the scripture is from God As Gen. 49. 10. there Iaakob foretold of Christs comming in the flesh saith he The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Lawgiver from betweene his feete till Shiloh come this was very unlike that ever it should bee and yet the governement continued in the Tribe of Iuda till Herod came who killed the Sanâ—edrin in whose dayes Christ was borne so likewise David prophecied Psal 72. 8. that the Gospell should goe through the World and all Nations should yeeld obedience to it This hath beene performed and so of all the prophecies foretold they should come to passe in the time appointed We see the Iewes killed the Prophets and when they had laid them in the dust yet they reverenced the writings and kept them safe what was the reason of it they say that that which they spake was true and that came to passe therefore though they could not abide the Prophets but killed them yet they regarded their writings and reverenced them Fifthly by the sincerity of the Writers that therein have not concealed their owne faults If Men must write of themselves they will bee sure to write the best and not the worst But those holy Writers have not spared their owne faults Moses writes of his own faults when he strucke the Rocke and tels us that this was the cause why hee could not enter into the land of promise and David writes the 51. Psalme which is a Psalme of repentance bewailing that horrible sinne which he committed with Bathsheba and hath left it to all succeeding ages nay there be some of them that no man could have ever knowne their faults if themselves had not disclosed them as the Prophet Ezekiel in his third Chapter I went saith he but it was in the bitternesse and indignation of my spirit this shewes it came from God Naturally men labour to cover their owne faults to hide them and speake well of themselves to gaine credit but the Spirit of God takes away all from man and giveth it to God Therefore because these holy writers take away all from themselves and give the honour to God this doth shew it came from God It is a prettie consideration of a Heathen Man Hee brings a Man and a Lion reasoning which was the strongest whether the Lion or the Man the one said the Lion and the other the Man who brings the Lion to a picture where the Man was tearing and rending the Lion so saith he Man is the strongest Nay saith the Lion the reason hereof is because Man made the picture himselfe for said he if the Lion had made the picture then he would have made the Lion tearing the Man for every Man will be favourable to himselfe In like manner to apply this if Man had made the Scripture he would have set up his own glory but because they take away all their own glory and give it God it is an evidence that it is of God Sixthly By the wonderfull consent of those which were the writers of it both in regard of the matter and manner First for the matter that it was writ by so many severall Men and at sundry times and in divers Countries and Kingdomes and upon severall Occasions and yet that they all consented in one thing what doth this shew us but that they were all guided by one God in this wonderfull consent Therefore the Scriptures came from God Secondly in regard of the manner they agree for Amos being but a shepheard and taken from following the sheepe yet writes as Divinely Holily and Excellently as Esay that was of the Kings seede and brought up at the Court for hee writes against the sinnes that were then used at the Court especially against pride as we may see Amos 3. so likewise Iohn and Peter were poore fishermen and unlearned and yet they write as Divinely Heavenly and Excellently as Paul did that was brought up at the feete of Gamaliel Let any man shew mee any other reason why Amos that was but a shepheard did write as Holily and Divinely as Esay that was brought up at the kings Court and why Iohn and Peter which were but poore fishermen should write as Heavenly and excellently as Paul that was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and I will yeeld to him but I thinke there can bee no other reason than this that the same GOD that did assist the one did assist the other Seventhly by naturall reason for reason teacheth us that God must be worshipped then every Mans heart telleth him that he must not bee worshipped as we will but as he will for the servant must not prescribe the Master but the Master the servant but God hath not prescribed his worship in any place but in the Scriptures therefore this reason stands good That the Scripture is not the word of Man but the Word of God The Uses are First seeing the Scriptures are the word of God therefore there is nothing more certaine and sure in this world than the saith of a Christian all arts and sciences are grounded on truth that is the truth of the creature which wee call created truth but the faith of a Christian is grounded on an uncreated truth for there is no comparison betweene created and uncreated truth therefore there is nothing more certaine and sure in this world than the faith of a Christian as 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. saith the Apostle Paul neither stood my words and preaching in the inticing speeches of mans wisedome but in plaine evidence of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not bee in the wisedome of men but in the power of God so the faith of a Christian is most sure sense and reason may deceive but faith cannot because it is grounded on an uncreated truth therefore in holy reverence as one saith we may say Lord Lord if we be deceived in the hope of glory and in the hope of life everlasting thou hast deceived us if we have but the word of a man we will build rest and relye on it but we have a word and warrant from God and yet we doe not rest and relye on that through corruption of mans heart and his nature although the word of God is an uncreated truth and the other a created Secondly seeing the Scripture is the Word of God therefore it is the highest Iudge where all questions and controversies may bee decided the Prince and his letters are all one in law so God and his Word is all one therefore
first propertie The second propertie is that the Church of God is Catholike that is it is generally diffused and spread all the world over This word Catholike is not found in all the Bible yet as long as the sense is there we may retaine and keepe it seeing it is not against any point of our Christian profession As for the signification of it the word is the same both in Latine and Greeke and signifieth generall whence wee inferre the Church of God seemeth to take his name from our Lord Iesus himselfe where hee saith Act. 1. 8. And yee shall bee witnesses unto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth Here the observation may bee this that if wee finde new words as long as the sense is not new nor the Doctrine wee may receive them but if both the words and the sense and Doctrine bee new that is if it bee not found in the Scripture then they are to bee rejected and refused therefore because transubstantiation is a new word and the Doctrine is new the sense not being to be found in the Scripture we are to reject it for before the Lateran Councell there was no such thing heard of which brought in both the word and Doctrine and made that a point of faith which before was never dreamt of Now the Church is said to bee Catholike in three regards 1. In regard of Place 2. In regard of Person 3. In regard of Time First the Church of God is Catholike in regard of place for it is not tied to one certaine place countrie or Kingdome but God himselfe hath inlarged and spread it over all the world farre and neere there was a time when it did belong to the Iewes and to those that did joine with them but now Christ hath broken downe the partition wall and hath laid all the world common now hee hath enlarged the Church and spread it all the world over This is that Peter speakes of Of a truth saith hee I perceive that God is no accepter of persons but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him so Christ Matth. 8. saith That many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham Isaak Iacob in the Kingdome of God so Eph. 2. 13 14. but now in Christ Iesus yee which were once a farre off are made members by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us and it is said Revel 7. 9. And after these things I beheld and lâ—e a great multitude of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe cloathed with long Robes and palmes in their hands So then it is plaine by the Scriptures that the Church is Catholike in regard of place and is not abridged to no one countrey or Kingdome but is spread all the world over Augustine saith well We are not to thinke it was enough for Christ to shed out his most precious bloud for one countrey or Kingdome but it was to win the whole world to himselfe and againe hee saith By that which Christ gave for the redemption of man they may perceive the great price and payment which was his death and bloudshed a thing of so great value or price that it was not for any one country or Kingdome but for all and therefore it is called the Catholike Church The use is first seeing that the Church is Catholike or universall and consists of all countries and Kingdomes therefore we should bee thankfull to God that hath reserved us till this time for wee might have beene born when the light of the Gospell shined onely amongst the Iewes and then wee might have perished in unbeleefe therefore thankes bee unto God in that hee hath brought us forth in a time when the Gospell is preached And seeing it hath pleased God to doe so let us bee wise to lay hold on the good meanes that is layd before us come out of our sinnes and corruptions that so wee may bee saved from them if fish in a pond should bee nigh poisoned with stinking mud and water and one should come and cut a sluce through into fresh water what would they doe but goe out into the fresh water This is our case wee are like to fish in a pond that bee poisoned in the mud and stinking water of our sinnes and corruptions therefore seeing it hath pleased God to cut a sluce and trench through and to open the bosome of the true Church to us where the fresh water is the waters of life and salvation it must bee our wisedome to come out of our sinnes and to lay hold of the good meanes that are set before us Secondly seeing the Church of God is Catholike wherein there is the meanes of grace therefore it must be our consideration to apply our selves to lay hold on it in our life time while wee live heere It is S. Pauls exhortation 2 Cor. 6. 5. I beseech you brethren that you receive not the graces of God in vaine It is a great mercie that God doth offer in the true Church where the meanes of grace are used preaching prayer the use of the Sacraments therefore let us apply our selves to lay hold on it and to get good by it You your selves know that if earthly Paradise were to bee recovered and the Cherubins with the shaking sword removed so that wee might goe in without any danger would you lye down and sleepe would you idle out the time no I dare bee bold to say that you would flye to the trees gather of the fruit and eate of them especially of the tree of life that you might live for ever This is the grace that God doth offer to us for the militant Church is the Paradise of God where there are trees of all sorts therefore what should wee doe not lye down in the dust and idle out the time but apply our selves to eate of the fruit especially of the tree of life to feed on Christ by faith to draw out all his graces that so wee may live for ever Secondly the Church of God is Catholike in regard of the persons for it includeth all sorts of persons rich and poore high and low noble and ignoble wise and foolish bond and free and excludeth none To this purpose saith S. Paul Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus and S. Peter Act. 10. saith I saw a vision of all sorts of birds and beasts and there came a voice too that bad him kill eate by which vision he did understand that God had then sanctified all sorts of men in the bloud of Christ there was
pardon from God for us O that we could consider this great goodnesse of God! It is true indeede that wee have pardon and forgivenesse free to us but it is due to Christ Let the use be first to exhort us to take heed how wee sinne against God If a man had a curious glasse and it should fall and get a cracek which no man in the world save one could make whole againe who would not be hired for any thing in this world to mend all that shold breake though he did some few out of his love and good will how affraid would a man be to let it fall such a curious glasse is the soule of man that if it fall if it sinne against God it will catch a cracke and then there is not one in all the world that can make it or repaire it againe but God onely and he will not be hired to doe it for silver or gold or for any thing in this world but all hee doth is out of his love and of meere mercy and good will to some few therefore how should men take heede that they do not fall into sinnes and corruptions so to crake their soules and deface them Secondly seeing there is no way to have release and pardon for our sinnes but by forgivenesse therefore we must labor to keepe God our friend and to take heed that wee doe not offend nor grieve him with our sinnes If our life should depend upon any man in such sort as that he might take it away at his pleasure how carefull would wee bee to please him we would not speake a word nor doe any thing that should offend him the salvation of our soules depends on the Will of God to save or condemne us it is his mercy to save us and his justice to condemne us therefore we should bee carefull to keepe God our friend howsoever the world doe little regard it now yet when we shall come before him every man would bee glad at that time to have him his friend when he shall bee our Iudge and then wee shall stand or fall all according to his sentence Thirdly we beleeve there is forgivenesse of sinnes if men will seeke it It is true indeed that all mens sinnes are not pardoned yet wee beleeve if men will seeke forgivenesse they may have it So David saith Psal 32. 5. I confessed my sinnes and thou forgavest the punishment of them so Esay 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his waies and the unrighteous his owne imaginations and returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercie upon them and to our God for he will abundantly pardon So also Micah 7. saith the Prophet Who is a God like unto thee that takest away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his Heritage c. So then it is cleare by the Scripture there is forgivenesse of sins if men will seeke it The uses are First seeing there is forgivenesse of sinnes if men seeke it therefore it must be our wisedome to seeke it and not rest till wee have found it as Esay 55. 6. saith he Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found call yee upon him while he is neere and the Lord will have mercy and forgive therefore doe not live in thy sinnes for then thou shalt perish but seeke unto God and then they shall bee forgiven thee If a man bee in danger of the kings writ if he be wise he will labour to compound the matter as soone as may be so if wee are in Gods danger and stand not in cleere termes Gods writs comming out against us from day to day if we be wise we will seeke to God to compound the matter so soone as may be as 1 King 20. 31. when Benhadad was shut up his servants said unto him We have heard that the kings of Israel are mercifull kings wee pray thee lâ—t us put sackecloth about our loynes and ropes about our neckes and goe unto the king of Israel it may be he will save thy life in like manner when we heare that God is mercifull and ready to forgive why doe wee not seeke to him and humble our selves that so wee may finde mercy and favour with God Secondly seeing there is forgivenesse of sinnes if men will seeke it therefore we must take heed we fall not into the same sinne againe the Prophet David saith There is mercy with thee O Lord that thou mayest bee feared it is a strong conclusion that David gathereth because God is mercifull therefore David is loth to offend God and affraid to do evill hee hath found such mercie and goodnesse at his hands but the world frameth another conclusion cleane contrary to this because the Lord is mercifull therefore they will sinne the more Blessed therefore are the People of God who the more mercifull God is and the more hee loveth them the more they labour to please him and are affraid to offend him If a man did lie in prison many a cold winter and a friend should come to him and knocke off his fetters open the Prison doore for him and let him out and if any should lay hold on him after that to carry him to the Prison againe O how would he crie out and be affraid to come there any more So wee were locked up here in the prison-house of sinne and have beene a long time the Lord hath knocked off our bolts and fetters unlocked the prison doore and let us out therefore if sinne should lay hold on us to carry us backe againe O how should we cry out for mercy and favour at Gods hands and be grieved that we have offended so good a God Thirdly seeing that there is forgivenesse of sinnes if wee seeke it therefore as God is ready to forgive us so we should bee to forgive one another the injuries and wrongs that are done us This is Saint Pauls admonition Col. 3. 15. saith he Forgiving one another if any man have a quarrell to another even as God forgave you so doe ye Matth. 18. wee read that there was one that ought a thousand talents whose master forgave him but his fellow owing him but an hundred pence He tooke him by the throat and said to him Pay me that which thou owest me to whom he said Appease thine anger towards me and I will pay thee all yet hee would not but cast him into prison but when his master heard of it hee was wroth with him and cast him into prison also Now there is no man offends us so much as wee doe God therefore as God is ready to forgive us so we should bee to forgive one another Fourthly We beleeve there is forgivenesse of sinnes without limitation of the number or greatnesse of them so that let the number bee never so many or never so great if we can repent of them they shall bee forgiven us So 1 Iohn 2. 5. These
That of a lothsome prison house Christ hath made the grave to be a storehouse to keepe all the bodies of his servants till the day of resurrection hath made the grave as a sweet bed to rest on so we see Esai 57. 2. it is said Peace shall come upon them they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before me One saith well that Christ hath made the grave a beaten and a plaine way to heaven for he himselfe went no other way thither but through the grave and dennes of death therefore wee must looke to goe no other way than this seeing wee may finde in this way the footsteps markes and prints of our Lord Iesus Christ and our deare friends and therefore also wee may be bold to venture the Children of Israel went through the wildernesse a place of stinging Serpents and endured much hardship yet because this was the way to Canaan this made them bold to venture so though the grave be a dreadfull place yet Christians know that it is the way to the Heavenly Canaan and in which Christ hath gone before us therefore we should be bold to venter this same way The fourth comfort is That although we lie a long time in the Grave yet we have assured hope that one day we shall rise againe This was Davids comfort Psal 16. 9. saith he Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also rests in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in the Grave neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption This is not onely true of Christ that he would not suffer himselfe to lie in the grave for ever but it is true also of all his members that God will not suffer them for ever to dwell in the Grave but will one day raise them up againe We see when Ionas was cast into the Sea there was a Whale that did swallow him up one would have thought that there had beene an end of him and that he had beene utterly consumed and no man should have heard any more of him yet the Lord did but speake a word to the Whale and he cast him up on the drie land so when a man is put into the Grave some thinke there is an end of him we shall never heare more of him yet let the Lord speake but a word and the grave shall give up his dead This is comfort to a Christian that although one may lie a long time in the grave yet he may have assured hope that he shall one day be raised up The use is seeing that there be these comforts notwithstanding that a man may lie a long time in the grave why then should a Christian be affraid to die for when the world thinkes that hee is at the worst then he is a blessed and happy man because the Lord will never leave him nor forsake him but hee will bee present in the grave with him and though his body be in the place of rottennesse yet his soule shall be blessed and happy for that is an estate of blessednesse and the Grave that was a lothsome prison house is made as a store house to keepe the bodies of Gods People in and as a beaten way to Heaven Indeed life is an excellent blessing because the time of life is the time of Grace and of Repentance Therefore we should labour to preserve this candle of our life but when the time commeth that God hath appointed and death approacheth neere why should we be affraid to die seeing that we may have such comfort that notwithstanding all our enemies wee shall rise againe Christ when he drew neere his death said he thirsted and the cruell souldiers presently gave him vinegar to drinke but Christ doth not so by us hee hath tempered us a cup of comfort Hee sayes to us as he said to the Theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise this day shall be a blessed day to thee therefore our care must bee to repent our sinnes to get faith in Christ and to live holily here and then when death commeth our soules shall goe to Heaven and though our bodies lie in the grave a long time yet one day they shall rise at the time appointed The fourth point is By whose power we shall rise the Scripture shewes by the Power of Christ no man can rise by his owne power it cannot bee done by the power of nature So Iob. 14. 14. saith he If a man die shall he live againe meaning that if a man die hee cannot rise of himselfe the power of nature cannot put life into him againe no man can raise himselfe nor no body else can doe it it must be by the power of Christ onely So saith David Psal 49. 7. None of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give to God a ransome for him and the Scripture elsewhere makes it plaine unto us that it must be by the power of Christ that wee shall be raised for he is said to be the resurrection and the life and further 1 Cor. 15. 22. saith the Apostle For as in Adam all died even so in Christ shall we all be made alive so Psal 49. 15. But God shall deliver my soule from the power of the grave for hee will receive mee so then all shall rise by the power of Christ but there is great difference in their risings for hee will raise the godly as a mercifull Saviour and Redeemer as a Head to give life to his Members and quicken them Thus all the People of God shall be infinitly made glad of the power of Christ but the wicked of the world and such as have despised God and goodnesse they shall rise with feare and astonishment and shall wish that the Sea or the Grave might have retained and kept them yea they shall desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon them to cover them The use is first seeing all shall rise by the power of Christ we must learne to magnifie this power that shall raise us from the power of the Grave and out of the belly of rottennesse In the story of Ioseph Gen. 40. 13. when hee lay in the prison house hee said unto Pharoahs butler Remember me to Pharoah that thou mayest bring mee out of his house for I was taken out of my Countrie and sold c. So the body should say to the soule remember me to Iesus Christ that he may bring mee from this prison house and place of rottennesse that he may raise me out of the dust and bring me to Heaven Secondly seeing all shall rise by the power of Christ therefore let all labour to feele the power of Christ here in this life to their conversion or else they shall feele the power of Christ to their terrour at the day of judgement Therefore labour thou here whosoever thou art to feele the power of Christ to raise thee out of thy sinnes and
be all in all Fifthly we shall be freed from all society with the wicked as Psalm 9. 17. David saith The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God so Matth. 13. 41. saith Christ The Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend it and theâ— which doe iniquity here the wicked do trouble annoy and vex Gods people with their sinnes and uncleannesses as it is said of Lot That his righteous soule was vexed with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites but at the day of judgement there shall not be left one wicked man to grieve or offend them of which time I may say as Moses did of the Egyptians Exod. 15. 13. to the Children of Israel Feare ye not but stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord which he will shew you this day for the Egyptians whom ye have seene this day yee shall never see any more so the Lord will say to us stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord which hee will shew you this day for these your enemies who pursue you you shall never see againe so that all the wicked shall bee turned into hell and there shall not be one left to grieve or offend Gods people Sixthly wee shall bee freed from all paines sicknesses and diseases as it is Revel 21. 4. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there bee any more paine Now we are subject to the head-ach back-ach tooth-ach gout stone and to a number of diseases but in the Life to come wee shall bee freed from all We see how men can bee contented to endure any paines to be freed from these diseases and other charges much more should wee be contented to have the Law of God to search our consciences and to trie us so that we may be freed then from all paines and sicknesses these be the things we shall be freed from Here therefore thinke what a life it is that God hath called a Christian to and it must bee our care to make all things light unto us in comparison of those things wee shall enjoy hereafter and be contented to let goe all our pleasures and profits to lay hold on eternall life whereunto wee are called Let us part with all things which may hinder us as our lusts sinnes corruptions with all our pleasures and profits to lay hold on eternall life As Chrysostome saith if a man should be called to the honour of the kings court how lightly would hee passe by all things that may hinder him from thence the pleasant Meadowes Towers Castles and all the faire houses to hasten to the kings Court So thou that art a Christian saith he art called to a farre greater honor to the Court of Heaven therefore how lightly should such an one passe by all things that may hinder him from this honour where wee shall live with God for ever and ever So much for the things we shall be freed from we proceed Secondly The things we shall enjoy may be drawne into five heads First We shall have immediate societie with God himselfe as it is 1 Iohn 3. 2. Dearly beloved now are we Sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what we shall be and we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as he is so Psal 36. 9. saith David In thy light shall we see light c. So Revel 22. 4. it is said And they shall see his face and his Name shall bee in their foreheads Divines say that the essentiall happinesse of the Saints consists in the beholding of God as in nature the more excellent and of the more higher nature any object is the more affected a man is with it and the more delight hee takes in the beholding of it as a pleasant Meadow and goodly Fountaine a heape of gold and silver c. But what is the bounty of the Creatures to that which is in God And therefore if a man delights in any of the Creatures much more hee shall delight in the beholding of God so the comfort that wee shall have by the beholding of God is like the light of the Sun that dimmes the light of the candle for our comfort in God shall bee so great that all the comfort of the Creatures is nothing to it as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. 28. That God shall be all in all In this life I dare boldly speake it God is not all in all to the best of his servants Indeed he is somewhat and a good somewhat to them in this life to a comfortable portion as Ieremie saith Lament 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him and Psal 63. 5. David saith For thy loving kindnesse is better than life So then God is somewhat to his servants but not all in all to them here but in the life to come he shall be all in all to them Manna to their taste Musicke to their eares Light to their eyes Ioy to their hearts and Rest to their loynes because the perfection of all creatures are in God for if there be any creature that giveth contentment to any man it is a thousand times more in God In this life God giveth out his goodnesse by parts and peece-meale as it were in his Creatures but then wee shall have immediate society with God himselfe Now hee doth reveale himselfe to us in his Word and Sacraments but in the life to come he shall be all in all Revel 21. 22. it is said that Iohn saw no Temple in Heaven for the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe are the Temple and the citie hath no neede of the light of the Sunne nor of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it and the Lambe is the light of it Moses wee know put a veile on his face because the Children of Israel could not behold the glory of it so the Lord puts a veile before him in his Word and Sacraments but in the life to come he will plucke away the veile and reveale Himselfe as Hee is Therefore let us labour to cleare our eyes and to cleanse them from all sinne that so wee may looke on him to our comfort Wee see Esay 6. 5. when the Prophet saw the Lord in a vision how hee cryeth out and saith I am undone I am undone for I have seene the Lord of Hosts I am a man of polluted lippes and I dwell amongst a People of polluted lippes Now if Esay cried out thus when hee saw but a glimpse of him how shall all the sinners of this world cry out when they shall looke upon him and behold him in terrour and wrath Secondly We shall enjoy the eternall presence of Christ which next
prepared for thee thus every Christian must comfort himselfe with the hope of Heaven Secondly it is no meane kingdome because it is prepared for his chosen and Elect. The kingdome of this World God hath prepared for the good and the bad both together therefore sometimes wicked kings doe raigne but this kingdome he hath prepared for sanctified and holy people onely as Christ saith Iohn 3. Except a man be borne againe aâ—new â—e cannot enter into the Kingdome of God So this kingdome he hath prepared for the Elect onely Davidâ—aith â—aith Psal 111. 5. He hath given a portion to them that feare him We see this World that God hath made it for good and bad how it is walled in with the sea and covered with the Heavens and the Sunne and Moone and Starres to give us light Birds Fishes and Beasts to feede us with Trees and Plants for the use of us O but it is a speciall portion that hee will bestow on them that feare him therefore when we looke on the kingdomes of this World we may say this is not the kingdome that God hath prepared for his Elect and chosen onely but together with them for his enemies also but there is a glorious Kingdome that God hath prepared onely for his Elect and chosen and therefore why doe we not gather up our hearts and labour for it It is the madnesse of the World to spend all their strength in labouring after toyes and trifles Naboth would not part with his possessions God forbid saith he that I should part with the inheritance of my father or the Lord keepe me from giving the inheritance of my father so we should say when wee meete with temptations in the world to draw us out of this way Lord keepe me from giving the inheritance of my father Esau is condemned by the mouth of all men for that he sold his birthright for a messe of pottage so how worthily shall many a one bee condemned that will sell heaven for a little pleasure and profit for a penny or a halfepenny matter for a little beere or for a draught of strong drinke even for toyes and trifles Thirdly it was prepared for the Elect before the foundation of the world for before we were God loved us and prepared this kingdome for us before we looked on the Sunne he did regard us therefore it was not our merits that was the cause why God did bestow this kingdome on us but his free love in Christ which makes the gift the greater 1 Sam. 25. saith Nabal Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men whom I know not I but heere is the love of God that when wee were strangers and enemies unto him then he prepared heaven for us it is a good saying that a learned man hath when I had no beginning thou thoughtest on mee and when I was nothing thou did'st prepare for mee and therefore it was nothing in my selfe that was the cause of it but it was thy mercy and goodnesse to me Secondly in the Assignation wee considered the title to his Kingdome it is a title of Inheritance therefore it is the best title and tenure and the surest that any man can hold by for so long as a man liveth so long his inheritance holds good if hee could live for ever and ever therefore seeing we shall have it by such a tenure wee may assure our selves we shall have it for ever and ever And here wee may with holy admiration admire Gods mercies to us as 2 Sam. 7. 18. David doth admire Gods kindenesse to him Who am I Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought mee hitherto and yet was this a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servants house for a long time to come so wee may much more admire the goodnesse and the kindnesse of God to us in that he hath prepared such a kingdome for us we may say as David said Lord God who am I and what is my fathers house I am but a poore sinfull man and thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while and wee must stirre up our selves to looke after it and to take heede we be not carried away with the streame of corruption therefore Augustine saith well Lord I am contented to endure any torture or any paine to indure imprisonment or the racke or whipping or burning so that I might bee but in heaven one day in like manner should wee bee contented to endure trouble and paine a little while heere that wee may bee in heaven for ever and ever SERMON L. MATTH 25. 35. For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirstie and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke me in c. I Shewed the last day of the blessed and happie estate that all the people of God are called to at the day of Iudgement that they shall have no lesse matters than a kingdome and a kingdome prepared for the elect and that as a peculiar portion from the beginning of the world which should greatly set on foot the desires of a Christian to heare the blessed and the sweet voice of Christ calling them to come and possesse this kingdome Matth. 21. 12. it is said The kingdome of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force So none but violent people can get heaven it is a metaphore taken from a souldier that breakes into a Towne who although he be beaten backe and on the ground yet up againe he gets and never leaves till he enter the towne so they must be valiant men that must enter into heaven though they be driven backe and laid on the ground yet they must up againe and at it and never leave till they have gotten heaven yea although hell lay in our way we should breake thorow it and goe to heaven such a royall kingdome it is furnished with all good things Saint Ierome saith It is a great labour to goe to heaven but the reward is greater for they shall be where all the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Christ himselfe is and where the joy shall bee unspeakable so it is no lesse matter that God will bestow on his people than a kingdome Now we come to the fourth thing observed in the sentence of remuneration the Reason of it For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I thirsted and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged me I was naked and yee clothed me I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto me Then shall the righteous answer saying Lord when saw wee thee an hungred and athirst or naked and so forth The answer is Insomuch as you have done it to my servants and to my members you have done it to
me So this is the Reason of the Assignement The Popish Church lay hold on these words and would prove thereby that their workes merit at the hands of God because Christ gives heaven to those that doe good to his servants and because they shall be judged by their workes To which I answer although this be the reason why the Lord assignes heaven to them that they did workes of mercy and although we shall be judged by our workes yet workes are not the meritorious cause of it why he gives us heaven but the signes and tokens who be the persons so qualified that shall have heaven such as love Christ and shew mercy to his needy members and doe good to them I will cleere it you by an example The King of England makes a promise to bestow on his subjects a great reward out of his bountie and there came before him his subjects and his enemies and he saith to his subjects I will bestow this gift on you for when I was in France ye did attend on me and shewed your love to mee â—ow this gift shewes who be the subjects of the King and who be the enemies So at the last day when the good and bad shall be before Christ and Christ shall tell them this is the reason why I bestow heaven on you because I was hungry and yee gave mee meat this is not the cause of it but it shewes onely who be the persons that God hath assigned heaven to to those that love him and regard him in his members therefore one sayes well Christ shewes not for what he bestowes heaven in this place but on what kinde of persons he will bestow it And Chrysostome saith though the Saints doe a thousand such things as these yet they deserve nothing at the hands of God it is his bountie to bestow heaven on them for so small and meane things as these So then we see workes are not the cause why Christ assignes heaven to us And there be foure grounds for it The first groundâ— is from the estate and condition we be in all are servants Therefore whatsoever we doe is but our dutie and if it be our duty we cannot merit any thing at the hand of God So saith Christ Luke 17. 10. When yee have done all these things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our dutie to doe Therefore the very estate and condition that wee are in doth shâ—w that wee cannot merit any thing at the hands of God And Chrysostome saith No man is able to shew such an holy conversation of life to deserve any thing at the hands of God but when he hath done all he is but an unprofitable servant The Papists reply against this and say That although a man cannot merit any thing being in the estate of a servant yet if of a servant hee become a friend hee may merit Now that hee may bee a friend it is plaine by the words of Christ Iohn 15. 15. Hence call I you no servants for the servant knoweth not what his master doth but I have called you friends and in the verse before Yee are my friends To this I answer we are servants still though it please God to accept of us as his friends we are only made friends by acceptance in the merit of Iesus Christ which alters not the former condition of duty and service as may be proved by these places Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sinne yee are made the servants of righteousnesse and in the 1 Pet. 2. 16. he exhorteth them As free and not using the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God And Christ saith Ioh. 15. 19. Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you therefore because we be servants still and remaine in the same estate and condition wee cannot merit any thing but when wee have done all wee doe but our dutie The second ground is our owne impotencie that we are not able to doe any good thing of our selves much lesse can wee merit anything Now that we can doe no good thing it is plaine by the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am And 2 Cor. 3. 5. saith he Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God So Phil. 2. 13. For it is God that worketh in you both the will and the dead even of his good pleasure Now then if all we doe is by the power of grace and if it is God onely which worketh both the will and the deed then we are beholding to God for it and God is not beholding to us Origen saith well No workes of man can deserve any thing at Gods hand because they cannot thinke any good or doe any good but it must be from God The Papists reply and say that God may give a man grace which he may so husband as that hee may deserve any thing at Gods hand and they make it plaine by this similitude A father gives a farme to his son and gives him a stocke now the sonne may so raise the stocke and play the good husband as he may purchase any thing that the father hath in like manner say they God may give a man grace and hee may so husband it as he may purchase any thing at Gods hand To this I answer If a father should give his sonne a farme and a stock to use and when he had done so his childe could not earne a penny but it must be the father and the son could not stirre a foot or a hand without the father then the father is not beholding to the sonne but the son to the father This is the case betweene God and us for when he gives us any grace he must give us a second grace to use and to imploy it wel and therefore it is manifest we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands it is the doctrine of the Schoole-men and Aquinas makes it plaine hee puts the question and resolves it saith he A man may receive a benefit from another and may deserve it at his hands as a man may give one an house which he may deserve but if a man when he hath given another an house must give him also power to use the house and wisdome to governe the same that man cannot be beholding to him that receives but the receiver must needs be beholding to him that gave it so although God give a man grace which he cannot use well unlesse he also give him power to use it Therefore God is not beholding to us for any thing but we are to God and therefore we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands The third ground is our imperfection that in every thing we doe we sinne against God and if we sinne against him then we cannot merit any