miracles If Moses or Eliah or any of the Prophets had done any miracle upon the Sabbath the Pharisees had not so boldly condemned the Son of God for violating the Sabbath seeing he wrought miracles on that day and he had not failed in this point to have produced examples if there had been any but he indeed was the first that ever did any miracle on the Sabbath This then that seemed to serve as a pretext for their reproof of Christ was rather a means to oblige them to admire him so much the more for this was an extraordinary miracle and a marke of dignity far surpassing that of all the Prophets by making that to be seen which none of them ever did viz. To produce miracles on the Sabbath day In a word this was one of the prerogatives which God had reserved for his Son and one of the works by which God would have it known that he was Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12.8 To this I will add the ensuing observation Seven Sabbath daies which Christ honored by his miracles I will not speak of that which is known to all namely that without reckoning the Sabbath of every seventh day there were besides seven daies yearly in divers seasons on which all servile work was forbid by the Law these were the first and last of the feast of unleavened bread that of the first fruits that of the feast of Trumpets the first and eighth of the feast of Tabernacles and that of Expiation all these universary daies are mentioned in the 23. chapters of Leviticus we know also that in the feasts of Easter and Pentecost there were seven daies of rest But as the actions and sufferings of Christ are the perfection of all those things which are contained in the Old Testament this seems to me worthy of admiration that among the Sabbath daies which our Saviour honoured whilest he conversed in this world the History of the Gospel hath marked out seven which Christ made famous by miracles I will set them down according to the order of time in which they fell out The first of these seven daies of Sabbath was sanctified by the cure of a Demoniac of St. Peter's mother in law and of some other infirm persons Mat. 1.21 Luke 4.31 The second by a wonderful cure of the Paralitic who had been diseased thirty eight years Joh. 5. The third by the healing of him who had a whithered hand Luke 6.6 The fourth by the curing of divers sick persons notwithstanding the incredulity of the Galileans Mark 6.1 The sift by an unheard of miracle til then a man born blind who received his sight John 9. The sixth by another strange miracle of a woman that was bowed downward eighteen years and cured of this infirmity Luke 13.10 The seventh by the cure of an Hydropic Luke 14.1 So in Christ we have the accomplishment of the Sabbath sanctified by those actions which before were never seen upon that day In what things our Saviour is to be immitated God doth binde us to the observation of the Sabbath by his own example because he rested himself on that day but must we immitate God in all his actions there be vertues in him which we cannot immitate without sin or madness to immitate his power were not a vertue but an insufferable pride as that of Salmonius or the King of Tyre Ezek. 28.2 They that endeavour to fast forty daies after the example of the Son of God ought to consider that this fast was one of the effects of his power which we ought to admire for we cannot imitate it and here let us observe that among all the perfections in God there is not any one of them proposed for our imitation but his goodness he never commanded us to follow his example but in this one vertue Be ye holy as I am holy Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Be perfect to wit in goodness as your Father is perfect Lev. 11. Luke 6. Matth. 5. and 6. So the sanctification of the Sabbath consisteth chiefly in the action of goodness and holiness Whence it is that in the History of the New Testament we do not read that ever the Sadduces appeared on the Sabbath day There is nothing more frequent in the Gospel then the proceedings of the Pharisees chiefly on the Sabbath daies for on that day they are seen in the Temple in the Synagogues even in the fields Mat. 12.1.2 on that day they are heard to censure the works of the Son of God Iohn 9.14.15 Luke 6.7 On that day they visited and feasted each other Luke 14.1 c. But for the Sadduces that other famous sect the sacred History makes no mention of them when it speaks of any thing that past on the Sabbath day it relates what they spoke or did in many occurrences upon divers daies but it never speaks of any appearance they made that day so that although sometimes the Pharisees and Sadduces have been found together in the same place yet this was never on the Sabbath for we do not read that upon this day they ever met nor that then the Sadduces disputed with Christ or censured â—is actions or that they came iâ—to the fields to calumniate them as iâ—compatible with the Sabbath which the Pharisees were wont to do and which is strange in the whole History of the Gospel we do not â—â—nde that the Sadduces were ever â—ounâ— in the Temple or Synâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Now to know the reason hereof we must presuppose that wâ—â—â—â— some have gathered out of the Rabbins that the Sadduces held among other of their errors this that it was not lawful to go out of their houses on the Sabbath day into any place whatsoever this opinion was grounded on a false exposition of that passage in the Law which ordained that none should go out of his house on the seventh day Exod. 16.29 The Sadduces inferred upon this that if any did but step out from the door of his house on that day he broke the Sabbath The Pharisees on the other side proved that upon the 7th day they were bound to repair to the Temple and Synagogues because God commanded that on the Sabbath day the people should assemble together Levit. 23.3 Yet notwithstanding the Sadduces upon that day would not go out of their houses whence it is that in all the sacred Story we do not finde that ever they shewed themselves on the Sabbath day In brief under pretence of observing punctually the Sabbath they profaned it impudently in an irreligious idleness and impious Hypocrisie Why the Law useth such an excellent subject viz. God's Rest as a reason for the beasts to rest The same reason why God will have man to rest on the seventh day obligeth him to suffer his ox and his asse and all his cattle to rest then viz. because upon that day God rested but why will Almighty God bring his own example as a reason for the rest of beasts a subject so mean
them p. 35. Wherefore is Nathaneel called an Israelite or child of Israel rather then the child of Jacob Joh. 1.47 p. 36. God never works a Miracle to witness or prove that which a man may know naturally But why then did he cause so many miracles to intervene at the publication of the Law seeing it is naturally known to men p. 38. The I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have no other gods c. A consideration of the times wherein Athisme and Superstition have generally reigned p. 41. By the Example of the Pharisees and Sadduces is shewed that God rather pardons the superstitious then the profane p. 42. The true Religion the easiest The folly of the Pagans affecting plurality of Gods p. 43. A consideration upon the worship of Angels p. 44. Touching a kinde of Idolatry very subtil and usual p. 45. Wherefore is it that a man that hath false gods leaves them not so easily as another forsaketh the true p. 47. The II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image c. Who is more wicked he that adds to the Ordinances of God or he that detracts from them p. 49. Of the nature of painting that represents the History of the Bible p. 51. None ever made any image of God except God himself p. 52. VVhy was it that God who often appeared in a visible shape would not manifest himself after this manner when he published the Law p. 53. If we had the true pourtrait and very resemblance of our Saviour Christ taken from his own body what account ought we to make of it p. 55. A notable difference betwixt one of the figures which represented Christ and those that represented the Angels And a consideration upon the matter p. 56. VVhence is it that in the Apocalyps Iesus Christ being man is decypher'd only in parabolical Figures rather then in the natural form of his own body p. 57. VVhat 's the reason that amongst all the wonders that God hath wrought he never made an Image to speak p. 58. Two sorts of sinners at which God mocks p. 59. The admirable proportion that God holds in the despensation of his judgments p. 60. Of whom are descended those Nations that go naked p. 66. The number of Generations named in the Promise p. 67. Strange Examples of divers Subjects in which God hath manifested both his Mercy and Iustice p. 69. Why did God sometimes take such particular care of the Patriarchs and their children even of these that were wicked and at this day he makes no such addresses as he did then to them p. 71. Why God spent but six daies in Creating the World and empleyed seven to overthrow the walls of Jerico p. 73. The II. COMNANDMENT Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord c. Why God pronounceth the same word twice to the same purpose against idle oathes p. 75. Although in some things God hath dispensed with his law yet he hath never dispensed with faith also of the stability of Gods oathes p. 79. The IV. COMMANDMENT Remember the Sabbath day c. Why God never wrought any miracle on the Sabbath day before the coming of Christ p. 81. Seven Sabbath daies which Christ honored by his miracles p. 84. In what things our Saviour is to be immitated p. 86. Whence it is that in the History of the New Testament we do not read that ever the Sadduces appeared on the Sabbath day p. 87. Why the Law useth such an excellent subject viz. God's Rest as a reason for the beasts to rest p. 90. Why none of the dead have been raised on the Sabbath day p. 92. The V. COMMANDMENT Honour thy Father and Mother c. Whence comes it as they say commonly That Love and Affection useth to descend Difference between Faith Charity The words of Mal. 4.5 discussed p. 97. Why the Law expresseth the Childrens duty to Parents by the word Honour rather then by the word Love p. 99. Wherefore the Law commanded Children to fear those that brought them into the world namely the Mother before the Father p. 100. The Promise annexed to the fift Commandment Examples of that proportion which is found sometimes between good works and the recompence which they receive in this life p. 102. Why fifteen years were added to the life of Ezechias p. 104. The age of the Israelites when they passed out of the Wilderness into the Land of Promise p. 107. The measure and proportion of mans life from time to time since the first ages p. 109. None of the Kings of Juda exceeded the age of seventy years p. 111. Difference between the faithful of the Old Testament and those of the New concerning their desire of long life another difference about the reckoning of the yeas of their life p. 112. Three causes why men are loath to leave this life represented in him who died first p. 113. A moral observation upon the daies of Lazarus raised from the dead p. 114. The VI. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not kill Why God in his titles doeth rather call Himself our Buckler then our Sword p. 116. Since Moses there have been but three men who received power to kill any miraculously and the same who have miraculously inflicted death on the living have also given life to the dead Reasons of the one and the other p. 117. The plot of the Priests in consulting to put Lazarus to death John 12.10 p. 119. A question If the punishment of a criminal being interrupted by some extraordinary accident intervening after the execution is begun is it just to discharge him of the punishment to which he was condemmed p. 120. An allusion in the Apostles words who ordains that the Sun go not down upon our anger Ephes 4.26 p. 122. The VII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not commit Adultery Why God though he approves not Poligamy nor unlawful divorces which were freequent in the old Testament yet never forbad them but by the last of all the Prophets p. 124. VVhy men are more subject to be ashamed in the Act of any sin rather then in that of pride and why more in Luxury then in any other sin p. 127. What may be inferred upon this that the Holy Ghost describing under divers similitudes the spiritual beauty of the Church makes no mention of painting p. 128. A moral observation upon Sampson's loosing of his strength and sight and how he recovered the one but not the other p. 129. The VIII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not steal Why Christ used the example of theeves to induce us to search for the Kingdom of Heaven p. 132. An observation upon this that among Christ's Disciples there is but one noted for avarice but all are taxed for ambition p. 135. To one man onely God by divine means did shew the way to become rich p. 136. A conjecture upon the Jewish opinion touching the just price of things vendible p. 138. A Question if he that hath made restitution of the goods unjustly detained as
works Let us consider That at the day of judgement all will certainly crave mercy When all the kindreds of the earth shall lament before this Soveraign Judge what shall we hear men call for but mercy As then all men will crave that mercy may be shew'd them God will judge them according to the mercy they have shown or neglected Judgment that the wicked themselves shall be forced to approve For it is just that he should be denyed mercy that would use no mercy James 2.13 Saint Paul reckoning up the charitable offices Onesiphorus had done him in prison wisheth that he may finde mercy in that day 2 Tim. 1. that is to say he hath shewed mercy toward me the Lord shew it to him whereupon it is to be observed against the opinion of merit that even our mercy hath need of mercy Why God hath chosen Faith rather then any other Vertue to be the instrument of our Justification The difference between a miraculous Faith and a justifying There is no Vertue whereof man taketh not occasion to vant himself except Faith Man oftentimes boasteth of his Charity Patience Justice yea which is ridiculous many wax proud of their Humility But as touching justifying Faith none can brag of that Why This Fath hath for its object the mercy of God which presupposeth mans misery and his misery lies in that hee is culpable whereof it is impossible that he should ever vant himself On the contrary this Faith overthrows the pride of man There is indeed a sort of Faith from which men oftentimes have drawn matter of ostentation that is the faith of Miracles as they call it Divers have turn'd the gift of tongues to vanity as likewise the other miraculous effects which God wrought by their hands as is evident by the Apostles discourse 1 Cor. 13.14 We must mark here That the faith of miracles hath for its formall object the power of God which sometimes imployes man to be either the subject or instrument of his Marvels Now it may easily come to passe that man may abuse this honour But he cannot deal so by justifying Faith whose object is Gods mercy which excludes all mans vanting Rom. 3.26 Those that now adayes seek to be justified by works are more inexcusable then those that had this pretence before the death of Christ Although the doctrine that maintains that a sinner is justified by his works hath ever been vain and abusive yet is it become more odious since the bloud of Christ on which our justification is grounded was shed for our sins For as long as yet there was no payment made for the sin of men it was not so strange that many endeavored to give satisfaction therein every man for himself But after that Christ hath made actuall satisfaction therein we cannot undertake to pay without accusing him of insufficiency and charge our selves with an ingratitude more hainous then that of the old Pharisaisme Good WORKS the Effects of FAITH The strange reasons by which the Scripture inviteth us to good works with the method that it teacheth to make us capable of graces THe Vulgar think they are in the right whenas in stead of mysteries of Faith they cry out that Ministers ought to speak to the conscience preach good works and controll vice These people by prejudice that proceeds from common ignorance make void the first and chiefest part of Christianity and maintain many capitall errours An errour to imagine that good life consists not but in works as if to well living were not requisite right beleeving An errour to say that the hearing the mysterious points of Religion which are meerly speculative is of no force at all to make a man better So much say the Jews when they speak of the Gospel for they demand to what purpose 't is to be a good man to know that Jesus Christ hath suffered under Pontius Pilate that he was crucified dead and buried An errour to think that the conscience hath not need of matters that are directed onely to the understanding as well as of those that onely concern the affections as if a man should not have need of his eys as well as his hands An errour to beleeve that Vertues must be taught onely by their proper descriptions and expresse precepts after the fashion of Moralists for that is to plant the tree by tops of the boughs in stead of planting it by the root Let us hence consider the motives which God himself maketh use of when he preacheth us good works The Scripture inviteth us to the practice of Vertues and hate of sins Forasmuch saith it as ye have been baptized into the death of Christ and buried with him forasmuch as hee that is our passover is offered up forasmuch as Christ is raised forasmuch as death hath no more dominion over him c. 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Rom. 6.4 What kind of arguments are these to induce us to good works he invites us to them by the Articles of our faith by matters very wide from the subject There is more yet For he summoneth us to the doing them by reasons which even seem to perswade the clean contrary Is this a reason that may put a man in fear to turn him from sin when one tels him that he is not under the law but under grace and that God hath ordained to save him Rom. 6.14 1 Thess 5.8 9. This believing seems it not more fit as some falsly have thought to bring in Libertinisme then the fear of sin But we must consider that which is seen even in Nature it self the root and the fruit for the most part are not alike neither in shape colour nor taste yea many times the fruit comes of a root altogether contrary in quality Let Ignorance judge of it as it will let the mysteries by which Faith is planted and watered seem to them unprofitable This Faith is the root of graces through it our works are purified and without it it is impossible to bring forth good fruit Why the common people love rather to hear speak of Charity then Faith of the Law then the Gospel It is well enough known that the common people are more satisfied with an Exhortation or a Discourse upon Alms or brotherly friendship or Temperance or some other Morality then with any rare observation on a Point of the Gospel Now see the reason of it The things of the Law are naturally written in our hearts at least in part so that they are familiar and intelligible to us as domestick Besides they are conformable to naturall Reason which is the noblest faculty of man But the matters of Faith which Nature knows not and which come from far and which are transmitted by another way then that of humane Reason are strangers to our understandings so that they are not received with so much welcome Thence it comes to passe that so many souls are found out of their element when one speaks to them of some mystery on which they
revelation for we had never known how many dayes God bestowed in creating the whole Universe if himself had not revealed this secret which he expresseth in the fourth Commandment of the Decalogue Yea moreover what the Law carries in its very frontispiece I am the Lord thy God could not be known by any naturall means To clear this we must again remember that God never names himself the God of those he hates The revelation comprehended in these words I am thy God is an expression of benevolence and graciousnesse Now this his saving benevolence could not be known by any voyce of Nature We say further that here are two points to be distinguished one that there is a God the other that he is our God The first that there is a God is written naturally in our hearts which is the reason that never yet Angel descended from heaven to come and tell men that there is a God But to make them know that God is their God to ensure them of his loving-kindnesse to bring them injunctions from him and in brief to attest and confirm that which they could not learn from any naturall principle God hath wrought miracles hath caused Angels to speak yea hath spoke himself The I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have no other gods c. A consideration of the times wherein Atheisme and Superstition have generally reigned TWo crimes are forbidden in this first Commandment of the Law One not to have a God the other to have more then one These two sins are very ancient in the world yet it seems that Atheisme was the first or at least Profaneness which comes very neer to Atheisme We read not that before the Flood there was any Idolatry amongst men The holy History Gen. 6. marking out the cause of their destruction seems rather to accuse them for having had no God at all then for having had many After the Flood though Atheisme was on foot still in the world yet was Idolatry far more generall But as the corruption of mankinde began by Atheisme or Profaneness it makes as though it would return thither again The first Ages have been Atheists the following ages Idolaters and the last into which we are fallen is already wholly disposed unto Atheisme And when the Son of man comes he shall not finde faith upon the earth By the example of the Pharisees and Sadduces is shewed that God rather pardons the Superstitious then the Profane The Pharisee was superstitious but the Sadduce inclined to Atheism seeing that he beleeved not the immortality of the soul neither the resurrection of the body nor the life to come Now we finde that divers Pharisees notwithstanding the envie and ill will with which they were fore-stalled became capable of the Faith and received the Gospel One of the most eminent of this Sect viz. Nicodemus spent both his cost and his pains in the buriall of Christ But never read wee of any Sadduce that was converted to Christianity Not that God hath been wanting either in goodness or power to their conversion but as it seems he would have it seen that in disdaining to make them his Disciples he more detesteth the profane then the superstitious Such a Pharisee that had even persecuted the Church was promoted as high as unto an Apostleship But never any Sadduce came so much as to the quality of a Disciple The true Religion the easiest The folly of the Pagans affecting plurality of gods False Religions have a thousand objects a thousand troublesome windings and every of them trails the minde of man now into one danger by and by into another But true Religion hath but one God one Mediatour one Sacrifice expiatorie one justifying Faith one Baptisme one mysticall Body and one onely Spirit How much the more we multiply this Union so much the lesse have we of Religion But the poor Pagans took it clean contrary for they that had the greatest number of gods counted themselves most religious It was the wisdom of the Greeks and Romans to seek all the gods they heard tell of yea all they could imagine thinking that to have many gods was to have much Religion A consideration upon the Worship of Angels The most specious and fair seeming Idolatry was the adoration of Angels creatures so noble and so far above us These celestiall spirits have sometimes come and spoke to men but their communication was ever short they did as it were but passe by without ever permitting any to know them Now it seems that the Wisdom of God would that every of their apparitions should be but of small continuance not to give time to the curiosity and feebleness of man that inclines to Superstition to ask them questions from the matter or to idolatrize their presence Of all mortall men that the Angels have longest held in discourse at one time Saint John the Divine was He who suffered himself to be carried away with an excesse of submission toward them Apocalyps 19.22 And since that time Angels have forborn to speak and commune with men Touching a kinde of Idolatry very subtill and usuall Many common people say that they put their confidence in the true Religion in their prayers and in the justice of their cause which is the same with Gods own It will seem to them very strange if one tell them that they deceive themselves and that one must trust neither in Religion although true nor in any of its duties neither in our just right though God himself be concern'd in it But they ought to consider that we cannot nor ought not to put our confidence but in God alone Religion is not God Religion is the service that one renders to God but it is not God Even the very Ark of God that held the Tables of the Law is called the might of God and his glory and yet it sufficeth that it was taken and carried about in triumph by his enemies Psal 78.61 Our faith is not rested upon a quality that God giveth unto a Cause nor in the interest that he takes in it but it is fastened and stayed on God himself who is its proper object This distinction that many will judge unprofitable and of little solidity is notwithstanding necessary and for want of taking heed to it we fall into an imperceivable Idolatry and which is very common Wherefore is it that a man that hath false gods leaves them not so easily as another forsaketh the true The Israelites were sometimes less constant in the service of the true God then the Pagans in the worship of their Idols This is cast in their their teeth Jerem. chap. 2. Go thorow the Isles of Kittim and behold c. is there any Nation that hath changed their gods which notwithstanding are not gods But my people hath changed their glory into that which is nothing worth This is natural and an effect of the weaknesse of humane judgment Naturall men desire to have a god that may have some proportion with
themselves and who may not be too far above the reach of their understanding Thence it comes that if a man will make choice of a deity he will rather chuse any God then the true The true God is infinitely exalted above us and between his nature and ours there is an immeasurable distance But all other Deity that a man can imagine to himself is found fitted unto mans capacity and within some kenning which is the reason that he the more easily fasteneth upon it more willingly sets up his rest there and more hardly forgoes it And on the other side it is more difficult for him to adhere to a God that is so far both from our senses and understandings The II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image c. Who is more wicked he that adds to the Ordinances of God or he that detracts from them ALl the corruptions that happen in Religion come by one of these wayes viz. either of addition or substraction Both are noted and censured within the perclose of the Bible Apoc. 22.18 19. Notwithstanding it seems that one is more dangerous and abominable then the other One leads to Superstition the other to Atheisme Hee that adds to the rules God hath prescribed becomes superstitious and hee that takes thence becoms a Libertine One loads himself with superfluous burdens the other shakes off the necessary yoak that God had imposed upon him Now if a man takes away once one point of Religion and takes away yet another and continues always taking away at the end no Religion is left him So that we see that these cuttings off and diminutions end at length in Atheisme which is far worse then Superstition These two Sects so famous in the History of the New Testament viz. Pharisaisme and Saddueeisme lodged in these two extremities The Pharisee sewed his Traditions to the Scripture and annexed to it an infinite of ordinances The Sadduce supprest a main part of the Scripture yea all the Prophets except Moses he annull'd the Resurrection of the dead denyed the being of Angels and all Spirits and in divers manners mangled the Religion turning it almost into Atheisme Sometime it falls out that the Scripture is gelded in favour of Superstition the Church of Rome takes out of the Decalogue this second Commandment or confounds it with the first or withdraws it from the eys and ears of the people Of the nature of painting that represents the Historie of the Bible There are many things are more clearly set forth in a picture then in a discourse The fabrick of the Tabernacle the architecture of the Temple the dimensions stories and divers rooms of Noahs Ark are more perceptible by us in a painting to the eye then is the verbal description the Scripture gives us of it A man verily may behold the situation and length of the Land of Canaan better in a Chorographick Map then in the History of Josuah But that which is the more evident and easie is not neverthelesse the more excellent These paintings are not divine as are the words of the Scripture A visible representation of Solomon's Temple is meerly a humane figure but the verball representation of the same Temple exhibited in Scripture terms is a divine work The picture of a man crucified is it as divine as the words of the Scripture describing the passion of Christ or rather is it comparable to a Sermon in which Jesus Christ is drawn out before our eyes and crucified among us Gal. 3.1 Where is it authorized by God to plant Faith in our hearts In many narrations a picture verily may serve for an help to the understanding of the Historie but it can never be either instrument or object of our Faith None ever made any image of God except God himself There is none but God can make the image of God Only man among all the visible creatures is this Image but hee cannot shape it in another matter no not in another man A Father doth not so much as propagate it to his children for though they also bear this image yet they receive it not from him but immediatly from God who alone imprints in them his resemblance The Scripture marks out this distinction where it saith that God made man after the likenesse of God but that Adam begat Seth after his own likenesse Gen. 5.1 3. Man bringeth forth his children after the image of man but God onely fashions them to the image of God So the Soul in which properly consists the lines and lineaments of this divine Image is not the work of man Why was it that God who often appeared in a visible shape would not manifest himself after this manner when he published the Law He caused himself to be seen by the Ancients of Israel and under his feet there was as it were a paved work of Saphir stone Exod. 24.10 He appeared unto Daniel in the shape of an old man Dan. 7. He manifested himself yet other times in a visible shape But when hee came down to pronounce the Law although he gave many illustrious tokens of his presence yet would he not appear in the figure of man or do any other thing which might seem to represent him Why not then as well as in his other occurrences The Wisdome of God held it not fit to manifest himself under any resemblance then when he forbad to make any resemblance of himself For seeing he never permitted his representation no not in the shapes like to those he had appeared under it was not to the purpose to let one be seen then when he forbade himself to be represented under any If he had appeared in any visible form one might have thought that it was lawfull to represent him at least in the shape he shewed himself in then seeing that it was at the publishing of the Law which was given to learn men what they should do God himself tels us why in this action he forbore to be seen after the sort that he had manifested himself in other revelations Deut. 4.11 15 16. Ye heard a Voice speaking but ye saw not any likenesse c. Yee have not seen any likenesse in the day that the Lord spake unto thee in Horeb out of the middle of the fire for fear thou shouldest corrupt thy self and shouldst make thee any carved image or resemblance which may represent any thing unto thee c. If wee had the true pourtrait and very resemblance of our Saviour Christ taken from his own body what account ought we to make of it Had I such a picture I would keep it as most precious not onely above all other painting but as one of the most worthy objects of mans sight But I would ever make more account of the least Christian then of such a Picture For a Christian represents Christ a great deal better then any paint A true humane body animated not onely with a reasonable soul but also with the spirit of
Christ doth it not more resemble Christ then a dead Crucifix or a shape that expresseth nothing but some superficiall lineaments I say more That if one would abuse this Picture and idolatrize it I would do by it as Hezekiah did by the brazen Serpent 2 Kings 18.14 A notable difference betwixt one of the figures which represented Christ and those that represented the Angels And a consideration upon the matter In the Old Testament Christ was figured by the image of a Serpent set upon a pole without the Tabernacle in an open place But the Angels were figured by the faces of men having wings placed over the Ark it self in the most holy of Holies If we consider these figures and their placing that of Christs was greatly inferiour unto that of the Angels And if the true image of Christ did consist in outward lineaments an humane shape had been fitter there then that of a Serpent Whence is it that in the Apocalyps Jesus Christ being man is decyphered onely in parabolicall Figures rather then in the naturall form of his own body We see him appear with seven Stars in his right hand and a two-edged Sword going forth of his mouth We see him clad with a robe dipt in blood and mounted upon a white horse Wee see him in the shape of a Lamb slain having seven eyes and seven horns But we never see him there or in any other place of the holy History in the figure of his own naturall visage To teach us That we ought rather to seek him in the description of his graces then in the Idea of the feature of his visage What 's the reason that amongst all the wonders that God hath wrought he never made an Image to speak God hath shewed forth an infinite of Miracles of all sorts but never did he cause an Image to speak There were Cherubins within the Tabernacle and in the Temple and God caused his voice to be heard from under the mercy-seat over which these Statues were placed but wee read not that ever they spake word The Son of God likewise never wrought any such miracle nor his Disciples God without doubt would not that men should have this pretence to colour their Idolatry For if any image had spoken they had easily beleeved that there had been some divine vertue inclosed in such a statue And that 's the reason the Divel did that which God would not for he hath often spake in divers Idols the betto oblige men to consult with and serve them In the 13 of the Revelat. vers 15. this Mystery is counted amongst those that the second beast wrought that he made an Image speak Besides although God should have made any speak as many suppose yet should it be no more adorable then Balaams Ass if it were again in the world Two sorts of sinners at which God mocks All sinners are worthy of Gods anger but there are two are worthy of derision as well as his indignation One is the proud the other the Idolater and we read that God mocks at both At the proud Psalm 2. Hee that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh at them the Lord shall have them in derision Esa 14. he jears the King of Babylon whose pride began to be followed with ruine It seems also that God mock'd at the pretensions of our great Grand-father when he said See Man is become as one of us He mocks likewise at the Idolaters Superstitious and those that resort to Wizzards So said he to the Israelites whom he had chastened for their Idolatries Cry to the gods ye have chosen that they may deliver you Judg. 10.14 Jer. 2.28 So the Prophet Elijah laughing at the Prophets of Baal bid them cry very loud that that Idol might hear them The admirable proportions that God holds in the dispensation of his judgements Here is a point marvellous dark and a matter whose bottom it is impossible to sound Our understanding cannot conceive why God chasteneth one more then another why with such a kinde of punishment why sooner or later why in such measure why so long time or so short and other reasons of such diversities as therein are marked Yet this Soveraign Wisdom doth nothing that is not perfectly regular although his operations seem to us so out of order Sometime God looks to the nature and quality of the crime When we are in affliction it is not enough for us to know or say in generall that it is fallen upon us for our sins There are alwayes certain misdeeds amongst others that are the particular cause of such and such judgements So the Nations that God threatned by Amos Chapt. 1. 2. were guilty of many enormous sins but there was one amongst the rest in every of them for which they were condemned Damascus for having broken Galaad with harrows of iron Gaza and Tyre for having delivered over the Jews into Captivity Edom for having pursued his Brother with the sword Moah for having burned the bones of the King of Edom c. Sometimes God marks them that give the first example of evill and handles them more harshly So Jericho because it was the first Town that shut the gates against Israel was exposed unto unmercifulness So Amalek for being the first that made war upon the people of God was condemned to a finall destruction So Nadab and Abihu because they were the first breakers of the Ceremoniall Law after the establishment of Aarons Priesthood were devoured by fire So Ananias and Sapphira the first that belied God in the beginnings of the Christian Church were miraculously punished Sometimes God hath regard unto the number of sins seldome doth he punish a man or a people for one fault When he adjudged the Israelites from twenty yeers old and upward to die all in the wildernesse that was by reason of a tenth Nationall sin that they had committed for God already complained that they had tempted him ten times Numb 14. v. 22. Sometimes God looks to the continuance and measure of sins and forbears to punish them til they be come to a certain growth He would not put Abraham into the possession of the promised Land because that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet ful Gen. 15.16 Sometime God hath an eye to some circumstance that concerns the crime For the forty dayes that the Israelites had imployed to discover the Land of Canaan they were condemned to an exile of forty yeers in the Desert in detestation of their murmuring Numb 14.34 For having neglected the Sabbath of the Land which they ought to have let rest once every seven yeers they were captives out of their Land seventy yeers 2 Chron. 36.21 King Hozias for having presumed to enter into the holy place and there taking upon him to execute the Office which appertained not but to the Priests was stricken with a disease the judgment whereof belonged onely unto the Priests viz. a Leprosie and was driven not onely out of the Temple