who at every turne called in Astrologers Chaldeans Magicians Dream-mongers to advise with was turned out of his Kingdom yea turned out of Man after all these dismal consultations with those of Satans Cabinet Councell Nay the greatest Artists in this black Art have not onely wilfully plunged their souls into eternal perdition but notwithstanding all their Star skill and their Covenants with Hell to prevent it the dreadful judgments of God have fallen most remarkably on their own heads Their great Grandfather Balaam slain by the sword Jezabel their Grandmother torn in pieces by dogs the like befel Asclaterion a famous Mathematician who took upon him to foretel Domitian the Emperour both his and his own death What became of Dr. Lamb in our remembrance Stories are full of examples Why did not these foresee those ends if they did foresee why did they not by all their Art prevent them Yet what a reproach is it to Christian Religion that such a generation of men should be suffered Not only Christian Emperours by their Edicts have punished but even Heathen States Augustus banished them Rome Tiberius and Claudius out of Italy Vitellius put them to death Domitian made two Acts to banish them out of City and Countrey The Primitive Heathens left these Arts and became Christians we set up these Arts and become Heathens They burnt those curious Art Books and took up the Bible do thou burne the Bible if thou resolve to meddle in these Books full of nothing but Vanity Uncertainty Lying Falsehood and Impiety 1. Of Lying Said Tully How many things did these Astrologers say to Pompey Crassus and to Caeâ—ar in my remembrance that each of them should â—y in Peace Age Honour that I wonder saith hee that any will yet believe them whose former Predictions all prove false It is a notable story of Galeacius Prince of Millain an Astrologer told him he should dye suddenly and himselfe live long the Duke commanded him to be presently hanged to prove him a Lyar and himselfe lived long after 2. Of Impiety To give you the relation of a Papist and a famous Jesuite of the Practices of Rome and the doleful effects thereof In those few yeares saith hee I was at Rome I saw many great men undone by these Astrologers who promised one should dye a Cardinal another a Pope who were all deceived not onely of their hope but of their salvation For when saith hee they dreamt not of dying till they came to these promotions they never prepared for it yea being stricken by death and admonished by their Physicians they yet regarded not which saith the Learned Jesuite is the onely Fraud of the Divel who by these baites â—ayeth wait for poore souls as a wolf for the sheep that he may devour them CHAP. XV. The Suns Activity and Motion the last Property WE are now come to the last Property of the Sun his Activity and Motion herein a further Resemblance of Christ. The Motion of boâ—h is 1. Restlesse and perpetual The Sun never stands still what ever the other Creatures do it is not an idle spectator of humane affairs but is it selfe most active When drest in his glory sits not as our Ladies to be looked on or as the Persian Emperours in a Chair of State to be worshipped But as Job in his splendor who led others in their way and sate chief as the King in the Army The Sun alwayes is in motion Christ alwaies in action vigilant sleeps not The Sun makes night to others by withdrawing it self never had yet one night of Rest or one day of Sabbath 1. Then behold the great care and pains of Christ who travels as a Gyant His life was nothing but labour he went about doing good The Sun walketh to day and to morrow The Father worketh hitherto and still worketh and I work saith the Son The Sons work in his Humiliation was hard work in his Exaltation he worketh still not so hard but higher work Who knoweth the care of a Master of a Family of a General in an Army of a Publick Magistrate Moses was tired out with the encumbrance of his weighty Office and of the oversight of Israel all day from morning to night 2. Be like these two great Lights stand not still The Sun hath but an imaginary solstice twice per annum let not thy whole year be a Solstice or pingue Otium Heavens are always in motion Earth only stands still let heavenly minds be moving Tempus est mensura motus motus Temporis Let not time be the measure of thy life but motion and action Let it not be said he lived so many years but did so many memorable actions he saw so many dayes but the dayes saw him doing so many good acts that there may bee Latitude in our lives as well as longitude 1. In Gods work be not negligent To do Gods work negligently and the worlds over diligently both are accursed Not slothful in business fervent in prayer serving the Lord. The Oxen and Farm have A must in the Worlds sense the Christian saith no must for the world Must is only for Gods work I must work the works of him that sent me Again Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business Take heed of being early in the shop late in the closet busie at the Farm idle in the Vineyard awake at the Exchange asleep at Church That the Christian be not drowned in the good Husband 2. In thy honest Calling All things are full of labour and man born to it Heavens alwayes moving winds blowing sea flowing springs running earth moves not yet rests not neither is alwayes bearing fruits trees seeds in Winter if it bears not yet onely lyes in after hard labor to get strength for new births No Creatures made to be idle the mighty Elephant Warlike horse paineful Oxe yea the little Ant and Bee The Christian is not exempted when the Talent of Grace is given it is with this charge Occupy till I come Angels have their charge Adam in his Innocency had his Imployment the second Adam all whose life was a state of Innocency yet had his work If the Master be up at work a shame for the Servant to be in bed If Caesar say Eamus the soldier marches after The Sun looks into thy Chamber and saith up sluggard I rested not all night wilt thou rest all day The little Ant to work sluggard or to begging I have no Master to compel me to labour but I hate idleness The idle person is a Monster in nature a bryar in the field a weed in the Garden a Drone in the hive a thief in the candle What wretches they whose life is but a long vacation whose work is to eat drink play they rise dress dine halfe their dayes work is done they play sup undress and there is the other half The soul in such Drones is but as salt to keep the body
branch which through the two Golden Pipes of his Spirit and his Ordinances empties his oyl of grace into the hearts his people 2. Extraordinary and Anniversary if the Sun see thee not every day as the remoter parts yet wil it ere the yeare go about if it hath ever shined in that clime So if Christ gives thee not a daily visit stay thou at the appointed time the Vision wil speak The Redeemer wil return out of Sion If thou hast ever tasted that the Lord is gracious or canst say thou hast feared the name of the Lord then though thou walkest in darkness and hast no light yet trust in the name of the Lord and stay thy self on thy God Say with the Church in hope of his coming when I fal I shal rise againe though I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me and with the Prophet I wil wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I wil look for him CHAP. XVI The fourth thing wherein there is a likenesse between Christ and the Sun is their effects AMong the many like effects I shall content my self to name a few Having among the Properties touched on divers already and finding this discourse begin to swel beyond my first intention 1. The Suns appearance makes the day puts an end to night not all the staâ—s conjoyned so it is Christ his appearance which makes the Christians day when he appeared to Saul and Silas at midnight in the dungeon they could see to sing praise God and when to Paul before at mid-day his eyes were dazeled not with the Suns but with that light of Christ appearing far above the brightness of the Sun 2. The Suns first appearance bringeth day his neerer approach the spring his hotter beams the Summer his longer continuance brings on the harvest So is it with the Soul to whom after the first day of grace caused by Christ his first appearance the neerer approach of his Vernal rising with his Healing-wings-embrace causeth the growth or spring The walking in the light of his countenance all the day long makes the long summers day and his abiding with us makes ouâ— harvest and our joy to be full 3. The Sun departing night comes on his longer absence brings on winter in the one so much darknesse in the other so much of cold wet and dirt as if it been never had either day or Summer What a night of darknesse came upon Lot and Peter Christs back once turned but what a longer winter for cold and mire and dirty waies on David upon that sad dereliction The actings of Saints in such cases differing little from the most vile actings of gracelesse men if they were to be judged by such single exorbitances But Sunne ariseth and returneth those then awake by repentance and come to themselves again 4. It is the Sun which makes that difference in climes and countries makes one more sweet and delightful another more sad and not inhabitable those neer both Poles makes one more fertile others more barren And what is it but Christs presence which makes the Church differ from the rest of the world he makes it a Goshen whereas they have a perpetual night and winter What was it wherein Israel might glory above all other nations but this they had God so neer to them in all which they called to him for His cloud and pillar was continually among them 5. The Sun is the great Restorer of the world Redintegrates the Universe once in the yeare at the Spring as some conceive at Autumn as others puts the world into the same condition wherein it was created Herein a great Resemblance of Christ who is the worlds great Restorer and Renewer who hath put lost mankind into the same condition of happiness wherein hee was at first created as if he had never fallen or sinned Behold I make all things new saith Christ. 6. I might further also speak of the Productive and as it were the Creating effects of the Sun in bringing forth new Creatures yearly as well as of his reductive reviving and redeeming the plants and herbs before dead and gone as also of his nutritive and augmentative effects on all Vegetables his admirable Alterative vertue and operation on Metals and Minerals his Conservative Maturative and Consummative Vertue and Effects on the Fruits and living Creatures but I have touched on them already Herein is Christ his vigorous operations fully represented who besides his redeeming lost man maketh the new Creature createth grace de novo where none was recovereth what was lost reviveth what was decayed nourisheth what is weak increaseth what is small conserveth what is wrought hath a more admirable alterative force in an earthly or stony heart then the Sun in causing Gold and Silver to grow in the earth making flesh to grow where stone was spirit where flesh was grace where sin Heaven where Hell was turning a Swine-sty into an holy Temple and besides he ripeneth perfecteth consummateth whatever work of grace he hath wrought already 7. Sun rising man goes forth cheerfully to his labour but setting man comes home and gives over work What may not a weak man undertake Christ present and assisting I can do all things through Christ strengthening me said the Apostle but what caâ— the strongest do withour him Without me saith the Lord they shal bow down under the Prisoners and fall under the slaine The Chariot though it have four wheels and they all oyled yet moves not a step till drawne Our Wil though very active naturally and oyled with all the skill Art can use or with all the force Arguments can make stâ—rs not in any gracious manner till assisted by Grace and acted by Christ Draw me wee will run after thee and my soul shall be as the Chariots of Aminadib 8. The Sun present we see our way the Traveller stumbles not but when withdrawn hee loseth his way stumbles or falls into a pit gropeth as if blind is full of perplexed doubts and sadnesse of heart While Christ was with his Disciples he kept them though they were as sheep among wolves not one of them was lost but when he was seized on their light was taken away the same night they were all scandalâ—zed and fell Judas while he kept Christs company stumbled not Christ departed he fell into a pit and broke his neck Peter stumbled and got a foule fall When we follow the light of Christ his holy example or have the light of his Grace following us wee never fall but when wee leave his example or his spirit leaves us wee presently miscarry 9. Let me add one more We see all the Creatures how they are delighted with the presence of the Sun When the Sun approacheth the Elements change their habit and temper the Air growes more mild warm and pleasant and all those numerous tenants those daughters of Musick
his own Righteousnesse all his Righteousness shall not be remembred Better no Righteousnesse at all then so much as to trust in Be not righteous overmuch Wee pity the ignorance of such as make the Creed a Prayer they are as much to blame who make the Decalogue a Creed Our best Righteousness makes but a bad Saviour It may be an evidence of Sanctification not an Advocate for Justification not the Surety for our Satisfaction but our Security for our Sanctification When the Moon full of her owne light goes from the Sun she loseth all and when in her wain she approacheth the Sun and keepeth following him she reneweth and increaseth her light againe to a fulness 2. There is a good Righteousness whereof there be four kinds or degrees 1. The Philosophical 2. Pharisaical 3. Evangelical 4 Divine or Righteousness of God Two of these are External two Internal all of them together make perfectly righteous before God and men 1 The first and lowest Righteousness is that we call Civil Moral or Philosophical The Righteousness of Nations taught in their Schools and practised in their Polities This alone is enough to make one to become bonus Civis but is the lowest ingredient which joyned with the other three makes also the bonus Christianus This is not to be spoken against the world is not so full of it The Prophet complaineth that God had a Controversie with his people for want of moral honesty There is neither Mercy nor Truth nor knowledg of God in the Land but swearing â—ying killing stealing and committing Adultery and bloud touching bloud Say not this is Heathenish Divinity it is Christian too but is their highest point in Divinity and our lowest where theirs ends ours is to begin It is not to be neglected then but outstripped neither to be rested in nor laid aside The Heathen shall sooner be saved with this then the Christian without it 2. of Duties Matth. 5 20. That Philosophical this Pharisaical that good this better that the effect of the Law unwritten unless on the stony Table of Mans heart this of the Law written in Tables of stone This we call legal Righteousness or Righteousness of Works which is not to be spoken against neither but countenanced Religion teacheth not to lay aside Holy Duties but perform them better not to fail in one but abound in all not to call any Duty or Commandment little This was the Righteousness of Zachary and Elizabeth who walked in all the Ordinances of God blamelesse Of this the Apostle speaketh He that doth Righteousness is righteous 3. The third Righteousness is of Graces This an inward Righteousnesse better then both the former and that which commends them This the Evangelical Righteousness made up of Evangelical Graces Faith Love Repentance Obedience good Conscience c. This the Righteousness of the Gospel or Law of Faith This exceeds the Righteousness of Philosophers and of Scribes and Pharisees They had the outward works of the Law without an inward work of Grace But this Righteousness Grace advanceth and urgeth The grace of God which bringeth Salvation teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil world And Rom. 5. ult Grace doth raign by righteousness to eternal life Yield your members servants to Righteousness unto Holiness 4. The fourth and best of all is the Righteeusness of faith or the Righteousness of Christ which commendeth all the former and exceeds them This is called the Righteousness of God for three Reasons 1 Wrought by the Son of God 2. Accepted by the Father 3. Applyed by the Spirit of God The Christians garment is made up of these four the three first insufficient without this We must not as the Souldiers make four of one but one of four dividing these and take each one of us a part the Heathen Civility Pharisees duty the Professors Piety and the Believers imputed Righteousnesse but make up a whole garment of these four quarters as the Israelites garment was to be and bound about with one border or fringe of sincerity Christ and all his followers are cloathed alike he in white sitting on a white horse Revel 19. 11. They so ver 14 And the Lambs wife hath the same garment also all in white this difference only that Christ his Garments are white as snow or wool native undied the purest white ours of linnen not white naturally but made so by washing These have washed their garments in the bloud of the Lamb and made them white CHAP. XX All the godly are such as fear the name of God BUt to you that fear my name Here we come to the third thing from the dedescription of Christ to the description of the Christian. 1. When they are at worst Such as fear his name 2. When at the best Such as grow as Calves in the Stall From the former our Observation is That it is the constant disposition of every true Christian the least of the flock the meanest in the Kingdom of Heaven to fear God and to fear his name Mal. 3. 16. There they are described to be such as fear the Lord and thought on his name Wicked men may fear man they God wicked fear death those sin they fear Gods wrath these his name The highest of the Godly can trust in his name these can but think on it sometimes The highest Saint can glory in the name of God and praise it In God we boast all the day and praise thy name for ever All that these poor Saints can do is to fear hardly say they trust in never yet could say they glory in the name of God Death is to the natural man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all terribles most terrible The Lord is to the Spiritual man timendorum maximè timendus stiled He that is to be feared And the name of God is to the gracious heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of all dreadfulls the most dreadfull That glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God The Godly are alway men of fear subject to three sorts of fear 1. To a natural fear This a good at least a lawful fear Thus Jacob professed he feared Esau and Jehoshaphat had much of this fear upon him when he understood of the many enemies that combined against him this comes from the apprehension of apparent danger when danger is great and our help little Thus may all the godly safely fear death pain poverty shame prisonment and fly sin the cause and all other evil occasions of them the Wise feareth and departeth from evil Grace destroyes not nature but reformes the evil of it 2 There is an evil fear inordinate and immoderate fear which sometimes a Godly man is incident to and overtaken with for which they are to be chidden and reproved Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Too much fear and too little faith alway go
are subject to Relapses and new fits of Stone and of the Plague subject to many stoppings haltings and that which the Prophets câ—l backslidings These wil Christ heal as well as the former These are the five ordinary Diseases of the Godly but there are three extraordinary which befal some not all but Christ wil cure them too 1. To be sick of love A sad Disease if I may call it a Disease but a safe Disease Morbus vitalis as Luther called a Godly Ministers sicknesse Many complain of it none dye of it There be two sicknesses that are the sicknesses only of Saints 1. To be sick of love to Christ. This is no Disease but the best Constitution 2 To be sick of sin that sin revives and we dye Such are safe they shal find Gods savour sweeter then life who find sin to them more bitter then death But there are two Diseases opposite to these which are killing 1 To be Love sick to the Creature Amnons sickness cost him his life love of the world earths sickness kills all to be carnal minded is death 2 To be sin sick not of it but for it Ahabs Amnons Absaloms Hamans Disease This Hells sicknesse and the Damned have no worse 2. There is a worse Disease then that former to be Serpent stung Satan-bitten Hellbeaten buffeted wounded with fiery darts terrified with Satans rage and fowle accusations and more vexed with his ugly and odious representations accusing God to us as he did to our Parents solliciting to the perpetrating of most abhorred acts as he did our Saviour injecting blasphemous thoughts disputing and arguing thee into distrust darknesse disuse of means solitarinesse despondency yea to utter despair Yet thus are the Israel of God stung with fiery Serpents and by the brasen Serpent cured Christ came to dissolve the works of Satan and healeth those who were oppressed by the divel 3 A worse Disease then both those is to be stricken of God to have his face hid from us and his indigration lying on the soul his fierce wrath going over us and his â—errâ—rs cutting us off How doth the soul take on when this scorching Sun and scalding East wind beats upon the naked soul The poyson of these arrowes drink up the spirits Who knoweth the terror of the Lord or the Power of his wrath None can expresse it not the Damned that feel it none can conceive it but they who have lyen under it The rack Stone Gout Child birth paines nothing to this The wounded spirit who can bear Iob speaking of this said if his grief were weighed and put in the ballances it would be heavier then the sands of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up he had not words to express it for the arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit The terrors of God set themselves in aray against me Iob had patience to bear much Job had not patience enough to bear this but cryed out This is the saddest Disease in the world and is next door to hell yet Christ recovereth these also These three last Diseases are Opprobria Medicorum Theologorum not opprobria Christi Christ giveth ease and cureth all these Reas. 1. He is the great Physician whose curing vertue and Office is set out by those many Resemblances in Scripture 1. He is the Brasen Serpent upon which they that were stung with fiery Serpents were to look and were cured 2. He the Samaritan who when the Priest Aaron with all his Sacrfices and the Levite Moses with all Legal works of Righteousnesse passed by and looked upon unable to help took pity on the wounded Traveller bound up his wounds and took care for his cure and undertaketh to defray all charges 3. He the Tree of Life whose fruit is our meat to feed to everlasting life whose leaves our Medicine to prevent everlasting death 4. He the good Shepheard who taketh care of the whole flock of God Seeking that which was lost bringing again that which was driven away binding up that which was broken and strengthening that which was sick And lastly He the Sun Phoebus God of Physick The Sun is the universal Physician of the inferior world curing the Diseases and Distempers of the year earth aire and creatures The vernal Sun dryeth up the Ayrie Distillations driveth away the earths cold healeth barrenness cureth Rheumes Catarrhs Agues and other cold diseases in mans body How many graves doth our Autumn Sun departing dig And how many new births and resurrections doth the March and May Sun produce Christ is this Sun to the soul. Reas. 2. The Commission given him by the Father upon this his undertaking enableth and obligeth him to this Charge The Commission was sealed Isa. 61. 1 2. and openly read Luke 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised As therefore the Disciples substituted and subcommissioned by him to do some part of this work Ministerially were enabled and assisted to heal all Diseases cleanse Lepers raise dead cast out Divels much more Christ who received the Original commission from the hands of his Father Reas. 3. His own disposition inclines him as much as his Office or Commission betrusts him He is the compassionate Samaritan the merciful High Priest How often is it said in the Gospel He was moved with compassion and healed the sick Hee took our sicknesses and bare our infirmities Bare them in his body by his Passion bare them in his soul by compassion Bajulavit Bare them as a Porter the burden which was too heavy for us to bear Christ is in his Office and Element when among languishing souls where should the Physician be but among the sick Christs Church is the Pool the proper Receptacle and Rendezvous of impotent persons Christs Church is an Hospital Nosocomion the Spittle or Colledg for the Diseased Moses Law excluded the Leprous out of the Camp Gehazi went out from Elisha's presence Uzziah was driven out of the Temple when the Leprosie appeared but Christ bringeth them into the Camp into the Church David banished the blind and lame out of his City Christ sendeth for the lame blind and halt and setteth them at his table Quest. What doth this healing imply Resp. 1. That Christ will ease the grief heal the sore as Physicians or Chiturgians do in bodily Diseases 2. Purge out the peccant humors and draw out the corruption 3 When one is healed the decumbent is revived cheered raised up so those whom Christ doth heal shall say now I am not sick the Lord hath forgiven my iniquity 4 When one is healed he hath strength in the weak part and use of the disabled part he can labor