both Martial and Civil putting both into new forms and models and all this to be done without the loss and destruction of both is to considering men strange and wonderful As also to behold what mighty Armies have been subdued what impregnable Forts gained what deep and desperate Plots discovered what eminent Victories atchieved in England Scotland Ireland as scarce any Age can report the like All these laid together may cause us with astonishment to cry out as it is in Balaams Prophesie What hath God wrought Who can look upon Num. 23. 23. these things with an unprejudiced spirit and not stand still and wonder And to you that are Saints experienced in the love of God and the life of Christ and the divine methods of grace in your salvation look hither and wonder First wonder at that mercy that hath pardoned thee considering what a kind of thing sin is how it strikes at the very Authority Dignity Life and Being of God how it robs him of his glory seeks to undermine him in the great designs he is carrying on in the world makes Him a shadow a meer nothing setting up it self or some poor creature in his Throne I say that God should pardon such a thing as this yea thousand thousands even an infinite number of sins and that freely above the desert and against the desert of the 〈◊〉 speaks out his mercy wonderful And wonder again at that grace which hath accepted thee in thy rags embraced thee in thy blood followed after thee when thou wast running from it laid hold on thee and overcame thee when thou wast fighting against it And so look upon his patience and wonder at it that did so long wait upon thee bear and strive with thee whiles thou wast desperately fighting against heaven and wilfully barring up thine heart against the most high And then look upon that transcendent happiness those unutterable delights dignities prerogatives and perfections which God hath provided for thee and bestowed upon thee in Jesus Christ look on them till thou art amazed before them And further look within thine own breast and wonder at the goings and workings of God in thine own heart what strange innovations he hath made within thee what glorious deliverances he hath accomplisht for thee When Christ was upon the Earth he opened the eys of the blind unstopped the ears of the deaf raised the dead dispossessed the devils rebuked the wind calmed the seas stopped issues of blood cleansed the Leapers c. which the people beholding in one place we read they wondred greatly in another they were astonisht with a great astonishment in a third saying What manner of man is this So canst thou look within thee and see all these works and miracles wrought in thine own heart let that glorious power that hath done these things be wonderful to thee And from what I have now said there are three sorts of persons justly to be reproved 1. Those who in stead of wondring do condemn and deride those things that are wonderful and which they cannot comprehend as the Papists Lutherans Arminians do the high and secret work of divine Vid. Calv. Instit lib. 3. ca. 23 Predestination The Celestines and Manichees the Doctrine of Gods particular Providence And some in our days have exploded the deep mystery of the Trinity as a chaffy and absurd Opinion and so the high mysteries of the Gospel were laughed at as ridiculous and foolish Melior est sidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia Aug. de verb. Apost Ser. 20. things when they were preached by the Apostles to the world men measuring divine things by carnal reason comprehend them not and so turn from them with offence or derision Not but that all the truths of heaven and all the wayes of Godliness are built upon the purest and sublimest reason in the world and when reason in man is elevated and renewed into its primitive state and is not byassed or seduced by fleshly lusts it suggests nothing that is repugnant to the Oracles of God or inconsistent with true Christianity but Reason considered as in its present situation in the midst of fleshly lusts and debased and degraded by the Fall so it discerns not the things of the Spirit nor is it subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 2. Secondly This serves also to reprove the Curious who dive into things above their reach and have an ear to hear where God hath not had a tongue to speak will venture to pry even into the secrets of heaven and beat their brains about unattainable if not unprofitable knowledge Things above us we are rather to admire then too busily inquire into As Paul doth modestly leave that deep mystery of the breaking off the Jews and grafting in of the Gentiles with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we read Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! and Dionysius Areop reading the Book of the Revelation left it thus Non reprobo quod non intelligo sed eò magis admiror quo minus assequor I do not reject what I do not understand but the less I comprehend the more I wonder And here I might though perhaps not without a little digression acquaint you with the frothy fancies and vain disquisitions of some of the Schoolmen and other modern Writers As One will undertake to tell us what was our Saviours dispute among the Doctors Another what he wrote with his finger upon the ground a third what became of Moses his body and where is locall hell and what language Saints shall speak in heaven and who shall sit highest in heaven and when is the day of Judgement and in what place the world shall be judged When Peter asked our Saviour somewhat a curious question concerning John Joh. 21. 21. And what shall this man do Christs takes him up somewhat roundly in the next verse If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me And so the disciples propounding a question of the like import Act. 1. 6. Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel Jesus Christ gives them a check for it in the following words It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power so far as we can find footing it is safe to wade and so far as is revealed to search and leave secret things unto him to whom they do properly belong 3. Thirdly and especially This reproves sottish people among us who though the Lord Jesus is thus every way wonderful in his Person Offices and Works and though God hath in such an admirable way discovered himself through him unto the world yet pass him by look not upon him as if there was nothing in him worthy their thoughts or to be wondred at Some are Ignorant of Jesus Christ have never seriously set themselves to inquire into the deep
erst-while to shine forth upon the Earth And this day is represented by the day of their deliverance from the Babylonish Captivity as the shadow of it in the beginning of this Chapter that their joy might be the more enlarged and this deliverance more welcome when they should receive it not alone as a temporal deliverance but as a type and pledge of that spiritual salvation which the Lord Jesus was to administer at his coming This day of Christ is presented by the Prophet as approaching in this Chapter with these several goodly attendants Light Ioy. Victory 1. First is Light as in ver 2. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light All light hath its pleasure the lowest light that which is sensible and visible is pleasant Eccles 11. 7. but the higher the light is the more sutable to man and so the more pleasant This light that shines from Christ is intellectual spiritual breaking out from the highest sphear and the first fountain of light 2. Second is Ioy as in ver 3. They joy before thee Which is exprest by two of the highest joys in nature the one is of harvest when the Husbandman reaps the fruit of his long toyl and travels The other is of dividing the spoils when after the enemy is routed the battle won the danger and difficulty of the service over the Soldiour makes his triumph and divides the spoil 3. Third is Victory which you read in ver 4. which is described in the Parts of it Manner of it Author of it 1. The several parts of it ver 4. Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staffe of his shoulder the rod of his oppressor First The yoke of his burthen or burthensom yoke which is the Law which Christ hath broken off from the necks of Saints Second is The staffe of his shoulder which is the tyranny and guilt of sin wherewith the Conscience is afflicted and beaten and the spirit in man enslaved Third is The rod or the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scepter of his oppressor which is the dominion and reign of the devil 2. Next we have the manner of it expressed by a two-fold parallel First is that Victory of Gideon over the Midianites As in the day of Midian ver 4. recorded Judg. 7. and an eminent type of this First in the Conquerour Gideon * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Exscidit which signifies one that doth cut off or destroy as he did cut off the enemies of Israel and bring in their deliverance so doth Jesus Christ for his people Secondly in the person Conquered the Midianites * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Causam egi◠Midian signifies Contention or pleading in Judgement against another This Midian CHRIST doth overthrow and silence whatever Sin the Law Satan or Conscience could plead against us Christ hath put to silence and overcome as the Apostle asserts by a word very significant to this purpose Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or who shall call them into judgement Thirdly in the assistance he used in the Conquest which was from Abiezer signifying the help of my father Judg. 6. 34. so Christ prevailed in the power and assistance of his Father Fourthly in the paucity of his men whereby he conquered his Army of thirty two thousand being reduced to three hundred none of those that were fearfull or bowed down upon their knees to drink engaging with him in the battle So fares it with Jesus Christ in those spiritual battles he is fighting in the world some desponding by carnal fear others bowed down by earthly engagements and interests do basely fall off going back to self and the world But lastly and especially in the strangeness of it Gideon prevailed not by might nor strength not by wonted policy or warlike stratagems but by Lamps and Pitchers and the sound of Trumpets So our Lord Iesus by Lamps and Pitchers by the light of Truth in Earthen vessels and by the sounding of the Gospel doth destroy the powers of darkness the Kingdom of Sathan confounds and scatters all the enemies of our salvation This is the first Parallel Next it is paralleld with other ordinary battles and victories ver 5. Every battle of the Warriour is with confused noise and with garments rolled in blood but this shall be or as we may better read it and it is or will be with burning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fuel of fire So in Christs spiritual battles you have all these Concomitants here is a confused noise when he comes and sets up his standard within us and is subduing us to himself how do carnal reason the wisdom and lusts of the flesh make a noise within us contradicting and opposing Christ in his word works and wayes within us Two irreconcileable parties clashing and fighting against each other do bring forth this confused noise and tumult in the soul And in other victories we may see garments rolled in blood so neither is this spiritual victory without blood Christ overcame by his blood so do Saints overcome by the blood of the Lamb and their garments are made white being dipped and rolled in this blood Rev. 7. 14. Lastly other victories are attended with burnings firing of Gates Houses Cities and other fuel of fire So this spiritual battle and victory is not without fire the fire of the Spirit is burning within us whatever is fleshly and carnal whatever is hay and stubble is the fuel of this fire and the day of the Lord when he comes to conquer will consume and devour it Thus we have seen this Victory in the manner of it 3. Lastly it is set forth in the Author of it who is now the warriour that fights these battles the Conqueror that subdues these enemies here are great Victories atchieved brave exploits acted strong and puissant adversaries broken do you not long to see the person brought forth in view whose atchievements ye have heard the high reports of and before you see him are speaking within your selves as they in the Gospel What manner of man is this Lo the verse I have read presents him to you It is no other then a Child For unto us a Child is born and unto us a Son is given c. The Child is the same which was spoken of Chap. 7. 14. that was to be born of a Virgin and whose name is called Immanuel The same with that child born of the Prophetess called Maher-Shalal-hash baz not Hezekiah as the Jews would fain understand the Text but our Lord Jesus himself who is presented in this 6. verse under such a description as cannot agree to any creature 1. He is described in his twofold nature a child born a son given the child of the Virgin in respect of his humanity the Son of God in respect of his Divinity 2. In his Dedication to his people in both natures he
but Christs Scepter is the word of his mouth by this he slays the wicked destroys the Man of sin subdues the hearts of men to himself other Scepters only reach the outward man but this puts forth its authority in the soul by it he writes his Law in the heart which no other King can do This Scepter not only kils but makes alive not only wounds but heales not only lays commands on men but gives heart and power to obey those Commands which no other Scepter can do Again He is a strange King if ye look upon the nature of his Kingdom which consists not in outward pompe magnificence and state worldly honors riches and delights as the Kingdoms of this world but in righteousness Rom. 14. 17. peace and joy in the holy Ghost Its Power Majesty and Glory is set up and appears in the hearts of men Neither is it carried on in a way visible to sense for it comes not with observation but secretly and silently without noise or tumult insinuates its self into the spirits of men and is subduing the world before it This Kingdom in times of want suffering and persecution when the Kingdoms of this world are whithering and falling is then usually in the most rising and florishing State neither is it upheld by the power of sword weapons of war the Authority and Laws of Princes but by the power of the Eternal Spirit by the word of Christs mouth and that when the powers of this world have generally ingaged against it 2. Secondly If you look upon his Priesthood He is a wonderful Priest He is so a Priest as that he is also the Altar and the Sacrifice the Sacrifice is the Humanity the Altar is the Divinity the Priest is both these in their union for he himself as God-man offers up himself as man upon himself as God It is said Judges 3. 19. that in the Sacrifice which Manoah offered up to the Lord The Angel of God did wonderously The Angel ascended in the flame of the Altar which did represent Christ offering up himself as a Sacrifice in the flame of his own love and the fire of his Fathers wrath In which Sacrifice he did indeed do wonderously made an end of sin brought in everlasting righteousness reconciled man and the whole Creation unto his Father and for ever perfected them that are sanctified Other Priests had an outward consecration anointing washing outward ornaments and attire as a Mitre Breastplate Vrim and Thummim an embroidered coat an Ephod and Girdle c. but Christ had none of these and yet had all these in a spiritual and transcendent way 3. Thirdly as a Prophet he was wonderful also such a Prophet as hath his chair in the hearts of men A Prophet that not alone presents divine truth to us but gives light and understanding for the receiving of the truth he doth present A Prophet that not only speaks out truth but brings the soul under the power and obedience of what he speaks that unites truth and the soul together Christus est qui docet docetur and transforms it into the very nature of it Yea he is both the Teacher and Truth taught This is the excellency of Theology above all other Sciences That the person teaching and the thing taught are both one and the same Thus we have shewed him wonderful in his Offices Lastly He is also wonderful in his works If you speak first of the works of Creation his wonderfulness shines forth here There is not the least creature but speaks out this Name of his And here I might lead you into the hidden secrets of Nature and read you a large Lecture of Natural Philosophy were it a work sutable to this place and Auditory And further I might carry you along through the works of Providence and shew you the wonderful administration of the things of this world with what admirable Wisdom Truth Justice and Goodness they are all managed every Providence though never so strange uncouth and improbable yet by Jesus Christ made to centre in his Fathers glory and his Churches good And so we might pass to the work of Redemption and shew you how wonderfully he hath raised up salvation to his people How wonderfully Satan is conquered sin done away righteousness brought in Justice satisfied all the designs of God and the necessities of man fully answered in this glorious work Would you see the Mystery of it in one word it is this God coming down into Communion with man in his sin shame weakness and misery and then drawing up man into Communion with himself in his own Righteousness Power Blessedness and Glory God departing for a season out of his Glory and then rising up into it again and carrying man into the same glory with himself as Athanasius boldly expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was made man that man might be deified in himself And when he comes actually to bring forth this redemption within us and to accomplish the work of salvation in the souls of men here he is wonderful again when he comes and sets up a glorious light in the midst of that thick darkness that before did cover us when he comes and opens the door of mans heart that was fast shut up against him turns the will and the affections into quite contrary channels yea turns upside down the very frame and foundation of corrupt nature throws down the powers of darkness dissolves all the works of the devil and sets up a new Creation purely upon a new bottom erecteth a beautiful structure of righteousness and holiness and a spiritual Temple to the Lord in the midst of that rubbish of confusion desolation and disorder that was there before and all this by the meer power of his word He that doth these things his name is and shall be called wonderful These things I briefly pass over that I might not be too much straitned in the Application where I shall speak something further of them Application Vse 1. This may first serve for Invitation to draw in souls to Jesus Christ First you that are strangers me thinks your hearts should be powerfully drawn to Christ by that discovery we have now made of him Things wonderful every man hath a secret natural itch and appetite to be prying into and inquiring after Things common and ordinary we slight and pass by but what is wonderful that we are apt to gaze upon When the Sun is eclipsed though then it hath lesser glory yet because there is some strangeness in that appearance every mans eye is turned upon it So although when we tell you of the glorious beauty of Christ and endeavour to set this before you your souls are not moved towards him yet because we tell you there is a wonderfulness in him let this draw your eys and your hearts to him Many men are of contemplative spirits who delight to enquire into the knowledge of things hidden and secret here in