Christ weepeth and bee buried when Christ is buried when Christ rejoyceth and riseth againe wee cannot lie rotting in the grave A great Calme Matthew 8. 26. so calleth it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This is the other Character of God in this miracle that it is a great calme There is nothing in God not any judgement or worke of God but greatnesse is printed on it for the effect smelleth of the cause Job 36. 26. God is great Christ is great as the Churches danger in this Sea-voyage is great so is the calme great great buildings have great foundations great ships great sailes great Sea-ebbings have great flowings 2 Cor. 1. 10. God delivered us from so great a death some death is but an infant death and weake there is another death called by Bildad Job 18. 13. The first borne of death The Lord sheweth his people Psal. 71. 20. great and sore troubles and gives them teares to drinke in great measure Psal. 80. 5. and the people is in great distresse Nehem. 9. 37. and for that the Lord doth great things for them Psal. 126. 2. and worketh a great salvation for his people 1 Sam. 14. 45. and giveth great deliverances to David Psal. 18. 80. and to Davids seed the Israel of God Secondly there is greatnesse written upon all the workes of God Psal. 92. 5. O Lord how great are thy workes Psal. 111. Vers 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all those that have pleasure therein Thirdly there is greatnesse written on his judgements against his enemies for Zach. 7. 12. there is a great wrath from the Lord of hosts on those that pull away the shoulders and makes their heart as an Adamant stone hee fighteth against the rebellious Ier. 21. 5. in anger and in fury and in great wrath and the great day of his wrath shall come upon his enemies so that they shall not bee able to stand Fourthly and there is a great reward for the righteous Psal. 19. 11. a great reward in heaven for them Matth. 5. Vers 12. A farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. Then great vengeance is appointed for the enemies of God Ezek. 25. 17. and great desolation on Pharoah the great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his Rivers Ezek. 29. 3. and when these kingdomes have committed great whoredomes what wonder that great judgements bee on us and many more hundreth thousands bee slaine in the three kingdomes then histories can in our ages parallel but if Babylon bee a great whore great must bee her fall all the Kings of the earth and her Merchants shall wonder and weepe and waile at her desolation Our King saith hee will repeale Lawes made against Papists in England But it is a worke above his strength to hold up the cursed throane of the beast which God hath said hee will crush if all the Kings of the earth should make their bones pillars to hold up that throne there is such a weight of vengeance lying on that throne that their bones shall bee bruised in powder Reformation is a worke of God also Zach. 13. 23. and then it is a great worke and though there bee great mountaines in the way God doth rebuke and remove such mountaines Zach. 4. 7. faint not then bee strong in the Lord No marvell wee are to sell all and buy Christ that pearle of great price Matth. 13. 46. for none hath so neare a relation to God as hee wee seeke great things seeke great Christ Luke 8. 25. And they being afraid wondered saying one to another What manner of man is this for hee commandeth even the winds and waters and they obey him This is all the fruit wee read this miracle produced in the Seamen they fall a wondring being astonished to see a man command Sea and winds First the miracles of Christ and all the workes of God are so farre inferiour to his word that they can teach us nothing of the Trinitie nor of two natures in the one person and of our mediator Iesus Christ Secondly O how little of God doe wee see especially being voyd of his owne light even Iob saith though God bee at our elbow wee know not it is hee Chap. 23. 8. Behold I goe forward and hee is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him But is this because God was neither behind Iob nor before him no God goeth round about us every man may as it were put forth his hand and grope the Almightie Act. 17. 27. therefore Iob addeth Vers 9. he is on the left hand where hee doth worke but I cannot behold him hee hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him wee cannot trace the footsteps of his unsearchable wayes alas wee but sport our selves to behold the superfice the outside and as it were the brim of divine providence men or Angels cannot dive to the bottome of the wayes of our Lord Esay 55. hee saith himselfe Vers 9. for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Thirdly wee come but that neare Christ that wee goe at the farthest three or foure steppes to him some are convinced and wonder they say this must bee God as Luke 4. 22. when Christ preaches as Christ and like himselfe they all beare him witnesse and wonder at the gratious words that proceed out of his mouth yet they are not a step nearer to him they despise him and say Is not this Josephs sonne Some know a Prophet hath beene amongst them Ezek. 3. 5. but they are Scorpions and briars and thornes and will not heare Secondly some ate inlightned and beleeve for an houre Matth. 13. 21. a faith that liveth for an houre is a sickly dying faith Thirdly some are a step nearer they have joy in Christ Matth. 13. 20. and the word of the Prophet is Ezek. 33. 32. to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voyce and can play well on an Instrument the Gospel is sweet to many but they come not nearer they will not heare nor obey Fourthly some tast of the good Word of God and of the powers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the manifold powers of the life to come Heb. 6. 5. yet come never nearer to Christ but fall off as if they were afraid to bee converted they goe not a fift step farther on to give themselves up wholly to Jesus Christ It is not the Seamens way onely but 1. Malignants and Prelats and Papists see God in this worke they wonder and yet they resist Esay 26. 11. Lord thy hand is exalted they see not they shall see and bee ashamed for their envy at the people in this worke that the Lord is working in the three kingdomes there bee sundry notes of divinitie and footsteps of God and Malignants doe but wonder as 1. when Prelats
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE RIGHT HONORABLE House of LORDS In the Abbey Church at Westminster Wednesday the 25. day of Iune 1645. Being the day appointed for solemne and publique Humiliation By SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinitie at St. Andrews Esay 8. 17. And I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him London Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crook and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Greene Dragon in Pauls Churchyard 1645. Die Iovis 26. Iunii 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled That Mr. Rutherfurd who preached yesterday before the Lords in Parliament in the Abbey Church Westminster is hereby thanked for the great paines he tooke in his said Sermon And is desired to print and publish the same which is to bee printed onely by authority under his owne hand To the Gentleman Usher or his Deputie to be delivered to the said Mr. Rutherfurd Iohn Brown Cler. Parliamentorum I appoint Andrew Crooke to print this Sermon Samuel Rutherfurd Errata PAge 17. line 27. for stope read slops p. 18. li. 4. for it read at p. 23. l. ult for feeleth r. fleeth p. 28. l. 19. for Emphesis r. Emphasis p. 29. l. 30. for end r. send p. 48. l. 15. for Chap. 4. r. Chap 24. p. 50. l. 20. for same r. sonne p. 54. l. 9. for 22 r. 42. p. 55. l. 1. for it r. unbeleefe To the godly and ingenuous READER AS the Text of the booke of divine providence worthy Reader is the Church and Spouse of Jesus Christ for every line word and letter thereof hath a necessary relation to that body whereof Christ Jesus is head so the draughts and passages of providence towards all creatures yea to devils and the haters of Zion seeme to bee but Annotations in the Margin of this great volume There bee many wonders and depths in the book and the Lord doth even before our eyes in this old age of the world create new things and miracles in Britaine 1. It is most congruous to divine wisedome to time fitly the laughing and the weeping of the children of men the triumphing of the wicked and their prosperitie The Sackcloth and teares of the prisoners of hope seeme darke and mysterious Chapters of the booke especially because wee trade by the senses and colour of things for wee see not how God hath set his enemies in slippery places and that the throne that mysticall Babylon sitteth on is made of Crystall glasse and the pillars thereof nothing but Saffes of ever-guilded earth the Sonnes of God would not exchange their teares with the joy of the wicked O that wee had grace to read to a full period and with the sense of a godhead every section of the treatisc of providence wee doe halfe both the word and the workes of God wrong reading of God in his wayes doth spoyle the true sense and scope of God in his acting The light of faith maketh legible to us that The vision at the end shall speak and not lie and that light is sowen to the righteous then the harvest must be hoped for and wee erre not a little if wee comment any otherwise on the short triumphing of the wicked and the joy of the hypocrite for a moment even when his excellency mounteth up to heaven and his head reacheth unto the clouds then that his golden heaven is not onely lined with silken troubles and woes but also that hee goeth downe to the grave and the Chambers of hell in a moment 2. This seemeth darke to us that all the heires of one inheritance do not mind and speak the same thing yet in the Apostolick Church there hath been some discord 1 Cor. 1. 10. Phil. 1. 2. Rom. 15. 5. Gal. 5. 10. more love lesse pride of opinion and judgement must either bee in these kingdomes or then wee are to feare that God must worke us to an union by the sword of the common enemy wee might have union at an easier rate 3. It is a mystery but it is also from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsell that truth must bee trailed through floods of blood 4. That a Church is greene and flowring and smelling out beautie glory and life in the flaming fire that the crueltie policie wisedome counsels of nations round about Britaine and so many bloody men within our bowels in the three kingdomes doe kill us and behold wee live troubleand us wee are not distressed perplex us and wee despaire not persecute us and we are not forsaken cast us downe and wee are not destroyed What a living death what a breathing and triumphing grave is this what a shining darkenesse what a rejoycing sorrow is here 5. Wee wonder that our warres are not at an end But Gods thoughts are not like our thoughts when God hath by the sword taken away his Jewels and his pretious ones out of these Kingdomes it is rather like the continued burning of the house then any apparent end of our miseries 6. Yet after the Lord hath made the glory of Jacob thinne and the fatnesse of his flesh to wax leane are wee not in silence and hope to beleeve that a remnant must bee saved and that yet gleaning Grapes shall bee left in the kingdomes as the shaking of an Olive tree two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough foure or five in the outmost fruitfull branches thereof saith the Lord God of Israel Lord hasten his worke and ripen us by humiliation and turning to him who hath smitten us for the day that the Lord is bringing forth out of the wombe of his decree of peace when the light of the Moone shall bee as the light of the Snnne and the light of the Sunne shall bee seven fold as the light of seven dayes Farewell A SERMON PREACHED before the Right Honorable the House of LORDS at their Monethly Fast June 25. 1645. in the Abbey Church at Westminster Luke 8. 22. Now it came to passe on a certaine day that he went into a ship with his Disciples and he said unto them let us goe over into the other side of the Lake and they lanced forth 23. But as they sailed he fel asleep there came down a storme of wind on the lake and they were filled with water and were in jeopardie 24. And they came to him and awoke him saying Master master we perish then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased and there was a calme 25. And he said unto them where is your faith and they being afraid wondered saying one to another What manner of man is this for he commandeth even the windes and the water and they obey him Marke 4. 38. And hee was in the hinder part of the ship asleepe on a pillow and they awake him and say unto him Master carest thou not that wee perish
people with a stretched out arme Moses his word of deliverance and Gods decree of bringing out the people is upon the extreame banke and margin of perishing Israel hath an hoast of cruell enemies behind them and the raging Sea before them and mountaines on every side here bee many deaths in a circle round about the Church this is like to God sleeping and the wheeles of providence at a stand there is no place for helpe from a creature except immediate omnipotency break a gap in the circle and divide the red Sea the Church of God is a field of dry and dead bones so as it is said Ezek. 37. 2. Behold the bones were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} very or exceeding dry and they say Vers 11. our hope is losed and wee are cut off yet wee know God made his owne word good Vers 12. Behold O my people I will open your graves and bring you to the land of Israel Deut. 32. 36. The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants But when shall that be Omnipotency is good at a dead lift when hee seeth their strength is gone Heb. that their hand is gone and there is none shut up and left when the Saints have neither hands nor feet the Lord ariseth for Christ can saile with halfe wind and play about and fetch a compasse yea hee can sayle against tide and wind and with no wind hee never sincks his bark nor breaks his helme nor loses a passenger nor misseth his harbour so how hopelesse was the condition of the Church when loving Jesus Christ is couched under a cold stone in the grave the onely hope of Davids throane he who was to restore the kingdome to Israel is gone and what shall the people of God now do utter desolation is so neare that God is put to it and the poore Churches coale so cold that they are at Lord either now or never either within three dayes restore the head of the Church or never Then the Lord Act. 5. 31. exalted buried Christ with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes 1. Reason Omnipotencie can walke in the extreame and out most margin and most pendulous banke hanging over hell and not fall Christ can drive his Chariot over mountaines and rocks and not breake one pin or wedge of it poore nothing to omnipotency is as good as Speare and Shield 2. Reas. This declares the depth of the wisedome of Gods unsearchable dispensation he suffereth malignants to ride over his people that hee may perfume the worke of hell in the enemies who are as it were skullions to purge the vessells of mercy and to humble them and may instampe their Acts with supernaturall events of faith and patience malignants plow the Church and sow blood in the three kingdomes the father of Christ the good husband man comes in to breake the clods and the fallow ground and reape the crop of the quiet fruits of righteousnesse and it is depth of wisdome to consider how God maketh use of mens sinfull ingagements having chainzed men to his cause and carries his owne holy and cleane worke of reformation through many foule hands and durtie intentions so when men thwart and crosse Gods will of precept they serve Gods will of providence a passenger walkes on the hatches of the ship toward the west Sea and tide and winde doe carry both him his motion and ship to the east the wisedome of God the Pilot of his Church overpowereth mens intentions which are set on gaine honour factions their owne by-ends ease and pleasure It is not unlike that when this worke now under the Lords wheeles in Britaine is come to a height of extreame desolation that wee are at this Lord either now or never and the Sea is come in at the broad side of the ship that the Lord will deliver by some immediate way and wee see feavours come to a height and then decrease and coole and when doth the Sea turne to an ebbing not while it flow to the utmost score of the coast and then be fullest seldome doth ever the Lord deliver his Church while their hope be gone and what if it bee so here that Parliaments Assemblies armies of and in both kingdomes navies shippings treaties victories can doe no more and then the Lord arise and by some immediate omnipotency wee never dreamed of calme our Sea and bring his owne ship to land First you never saw creatures doe any great worke but something was left to omnipotency and to God onely to bee done Moses led the people out of Aegypt but hee could not divide the red Sea and that was their way Secondly in Gods greatest workes immediate providence hath had hand The victory over Midian had more of Gods immediate worke then of Gideons Sword in it this truely to me is one continued miracle that these 1600. yeares God hath carried his ship and kept the passengers alive when persecuting Emperours when bloody Babylon when Hereticks Kings the hornes of the beast that rose out of the Sea fire faggots sword torments have torne the sailes of Christs Ship broken the Mast drowned the passengers yet wee live Joseph is blessed but when hee is separated from his brethren then blessings come upon the head of Joseph He was fast asleepe This is the saddest circumstance in their suffering What is death and the drowning of them all so they have Christ with them But Oh! Christ to their sense is as good as absent for hee is fast alseepe and as they complaine hee careth not for them Christ walking and working for a soule in the saddest affliction of the world is a blessed visitation To bee in heaven if Christ sleepe and bee not with you is a hell and to bee in hell and want his presence is two hells to bee sicke and the onely Physitian Christ will not come at mee is two hells Gods watching presence first bringeth the courage of faith To bee in the midst of devils the beleever having God with him walketh without feare even cold death that king of terrours walking with him at his right side hee hath a passe-port that will take him safe through the grave as these places prove Psal. 16. 8 9 10. Psal. 23. 4. Psal. 46. 2. 3. Mic. 7. 8. Secondly God is not present with his owne in trouble as the picture of a friend who hath much love in his heart while hee stands at your bed side seeing you goe to a great hell through a little hell of sicknesse and paine and cannot take off you one graine weight of sorrow and paine But God is in a farre other manner present Psal. 91. 15. I will bee with him in trouble but this is not all I will deliver him Esay 43. 2. when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou
and Malignants were on the top of their wheeles God from despised and contemned beginnings raised the worke to a great height 2. our adversaries were agents and would not rest but did cooperate to their owne destruction They would move the King to change Religion in Scotland against all Lawes 2. They would stirre him up to raise Armies by Sea and Land against Scotland 3. They moved the King to break the articles of peace and the word of a Prince to his Subjects after an accommodation and set him on bloody warres againe 4. After his Army was defeated and a Parliament granted in England they moved him first to come and yeeld to all that is just and right in a Parliament of Scotland but against their mind with no purpose to keepe their faith and then to raise Tragicall and bloody warres in England and in all these they were coagents and workers with a judiciall and secret providence to their owne destruction 3. They have beene searching to find out that our intentions were not to establish Religion in power and puritie and to bee freed of the bondage of arbitrary and tyrannicall domination over Church and State but to change monarchy and set up another government this they could never yet find 4. They see God against them prophanitie and wickednesse on their side and with them Papists Idolaters Irish murtherers the cruellest of men the scumme and refuse of the Churchmen yet they will not see God in this 5. They find and see their treachery popery tyranny discovered by many plots come to light by letters under the Kings hand their intentions to bring in a forraigne nation ere popery and arbitrary government bee not established and that all Treaties have beene intended not for a just peace but for this end that a peace being once patched and sowed up all things shall returne to their ancient Channels as the King speakes in his instructions to his Commissioners at Vxbridge yet they will not see God in all these passages of his deepe providence If naturall men wonder at the power and excellency of Christ in that hee with a word commands Sea and winds and they obey him should not Christ bee to us a worlds wonder should hee not bee to us altogether lovely were it possible to lay in the counter-scale of the ballance to Christ a world of Angels put in yet millions of worlds of Angels adde to them a world of Solomons with tripled wisedome put in all the delights of the sonnes of men put in yet the flowre and Rose of ten thousand possible worlds perfections they should bee under-weight to him the ballance should never downe Oh! wee glory in good armies wee rejoyce in victories and successe in a good Parliliament in godly Commanders in a good reformation all is excellent to us that hath any lustre or glimpse of created goodnesse but why doe wee not rather wonder admire and extoll excellent Jesus Christ who setteth him on high above the skies who lifts up his throne and his glory Consider but what is said of him Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature Vers 16. For by him were all things created c. 17. And hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18. And hee is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things hee might have the preheminence see what wonders are there in Christ as first hee is Gods equall every way as high as God being the substantiall Image of God begotten of the Father and without all beginning Secondly as man the eldest of the creation of God and as God the Creator of the new world Thirdly no lesse the Creator of all then the Father wee have a head who can make and unmake all the glorious Angels in heaven the royallest of the house of heaven these principalities and powers these little Gods the eldest and supreme Courtiers the higher house of the Peeres of heaven are but peeces of dependent shadowes that fell from the fingers of our highest King when hee framed this great all and the rich Palace-Royall of this greatest body of heaven and earth and all the furniture within the bosome of the great world Fourthly the Lord Jesus hath all the created world so in the hollow of his hand as a man that holdeth a bowle of glasse in his hand in the aire should hee take his arme from under it it should fall to the earth and breake in a hundred peeces and doe no more good if Christ in whom all things consist some say as the notes of an excellent musick in a song draw in his armes of conserving providence the world should go all out of tune and the Globe of Crystall glasse should fall to a thousand meere nothings and as a man betweene his fingers may crush an Egge so hath Christ the huge created Lump of the whole creation in his hand if hee but thrust his two fingers together with a little crush all the world is dissolved like a broken Egge Fiftly hee is the head of the Church and such a head as is deaths eldest sonne and heire hee lay in deaths wombe and as the doubly blessed first-borne had the key of death with him in the inner side and opened the wombe and tooke away the ports and gates of death on his backe that now all the younger brethren might come out at the same passage also yea hee came a bridegroome from heaven to suite in marriage a bride his Church was sicke and died of love for a Princes daughter his lovely Church rose the third day from death and married her Sixtly he hath so the absolute preheminence in all things that the highest of the Angels are but his vassals and servants is now in such incomparable eminency of Glory above all creatures that when the beloved-disciple John who came that neare to him in the dayes of his flesh that hee leaned on his bosome saw him in his glory hee fell downe at his feet dead Revel. 1. 17. yea there was more of heaven in Christ then his eyes of flesh could behold FINIS Iob. 20. 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Esay 17. 6. Esay 30. 26. Six parts of the Text The words opened Part I. Preachers are to converse much with Christ why {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} How carefully Christ husbanded time How both kingdomes faile in improving of opportunities of mercy A generall faile of all in the care lesse improvement of time Part II. Christ and his Ship have more then ordinary stormes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Reason why the afflictions of the people of God are so extreame Evangelick legall anger in God Vse 1. Wrath untolerable to the ungodly Vse 2. We love a soft and a chosen providence of our owne carving Eight particulars considerable in the ship in which Christ and his Church is carried The Church a moveable thing as a ship {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Great change of the spirituall condition of the Church of particular Saints The Ship sayleth in a Sea of glasse mingled with fire Hope the Anchor of the Church The wares of the ship Seven sorts of passengers in the ship Why Christ took on our nature and infirmities Christ God and man and why The influence of the Godhead in Christs sufferings was active not passive Vse 1. Vse 2. It were sacriledge in the Roman Empire and Senate to give out decrees to the Churches as the Apostles and Elders did Acts 15. Innocency can sleepe sound amidst the greatest calamities How God is said to sleepe God will have his Church cause within a haires breadth of losing except he arise and helpe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Why God saveth not while the Church be betweene the sinking and the swimming The presence of God in trouble how comfortable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Part III. The unitie and harmony of Christs Disciples in their trouble Reasons for Christian unitie Doct. Wee put unkindnesse on Christ because wee are not presently delivered and the reasons thereof {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Et non addet bene velle ultra â— Iudgements of themselves are the occasion rather then the cause of praying Some signes that sinne not afflictions put us to fasting and praying How the rod of God must work us to humiliation ere we be delivered Grace doth not extirpate but regulate feare and other affections The faults of the Disciples feare It were good to inquire the causes of the judgement Vse 2. The causes of misapprehending of Christ What is a small or weake faith Faith and fainting may consist together in one Reasons why wee know our grace so hardly The grounds of a faith weak in action Faith and sense compared together Simile Faith from instinct of grace sometime rather then from light of discourse The speciall cause of all sinnes of infirmitie From {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis mucio and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} captivus or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis hastae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. How God really rebuketh the creature Gods omnipotency in creating and ruling the earth and Sea Vse This sword in Brittaine not the sword of men but of the Lord It is proper onely to omnipotency to make peace Part V. Two Characters of God in this miracle 1 That it is done in an instant and irresistibly 2 That it is great Things necessary to the Creature to the Creator have a may not be Things contingent to the Creature may have a must bee to the Creator Vse It is enough that our sea be calme when Christs is calme Greatnesse is printed on all the works of God Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Part VI Wee see little of God in his wayes Vse 1. God most visible in that hee now doth in Brittaine but Malignants will not see him Vse 2. The Lord Jesus a wonder to all
manhead might have added actively strength to a man to endure and suffer all that Christ suffered Answ It is true the Godhead was no formall passive subject of either infirmities or sufferings in Christ and God might have added to one who is only man possibly strength to suffer the terrours of the second death without despairing but then it could not bee said that in that case these sufferings should have beene the sufferings and blood of God and so of infinite worth and merit But here all strength and which is more all worth and merit of suffering came from the Godhead which may bee illustrate from two comparisons First suppose there were a faire rose in the southest part of the earth nearest the Sunne growing in great beautie but in danger to bee burnt up with the extreame heate of the Sunne yet if wee should imagine there were at the root of this same rose a cold refreshing Fountaine and Spring of water sending up an oily and lively sope of life to the rose so that how much the parching heate of the Sunne consumed and wasted of the life and greenenesse of the Rose the fountaine eternally furnished as much of new vigour and life to it wee may thinke if the fountaine were eternall so to act upon the Rose the Rose must bee eternally greene and never wither So the flower of Issai Jesus Christ the faire Rose of Sharon that Lilly of the field never planted with hands that blessed man who was a sonne without a father though the parching Sunne of the infinite wrath of God for our sinnes did burne him and looke upon him to consume him as hee complained Psal. 22. 15. My strength is dried up like a Potsheard 17. I may tell all my bones yet the blessed Godhead in a personall union was like an oily fountaine at his root that contributed the active influence of life courage vigour and strength so as this rose could not but grow in death and the excellency of his person makes the sufferings of infinite worth And even as the Scarlet and purple Curtaines in the Tabernacle cast a glaunce and lustre on the golden Mercy-seate when the Arke was within the Tabernacle so the purple wounds and blood of Jesus Christ and all his infirmities received an excellent sweet lustre worth and beautie from the glorious and more then golden Godhead of our true and living Arke the Sonne of God It may also bee thus cleared the Iron wedges of Noahs Arke separated from the Arke and cast into the waters should sinke to the bottome but being fastned in the Arke they fleet above the water the manhead separated from the Godhead should sinke under the wrath that Christ did sustaine but being wedged and united to the Godhead in a personall union could not but ride out against all the stormes O blessed bee our sure Ark Now though suffering could not touch the Godhead passively yet could the Godhead actively contribute to the strengthning of the Manhood for suffering Hence wee are to conceive if Christ the Redeemer Christ personall was a Standard-bearer that could not faint under all his sufferings and infirmities Christ mysticall is more then men I meane the Church of Christ must have also strength against all the persecutions of men there is a bone in the head of the Church that is strength in Christ that cannot bee broken malignants shall fight against Mount Zion but shall not prevaile there was never any victory that the seed of the Serpent or Satan could obtaine against Christ but the bruising of his heele that is a poore victory a wound in the heele or a bleeding heele is farre from the heart Malignants are but drawing blood of Christs heele in these bloody warres But they doe but thresh the waters Christ hath indured more then the wrath of the King of Britaine and beleeve it hee shall bee victorious and shall prevaile If Christ be such a wonderfull one that is God no lesse then man it is neither pietie nor good policy to take any thing from him that is his due if Caesar had stepped in and usurped a headship over the Assembly convened in the name of Christ Act. 15. and had said it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us the Roman Emperour and Senate of Rome to injoyne such Lawes to the Churches of Christ and should put the name of the Emperours and Parliaments decrees on these which are called the decrees of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem as they are called Act. 16. 4. I conceive the Apostles would have called it a wronging of Christ the King of the Church in his prerogative Royall and an abridging of the freedome of his Court nor was it ever in our heart to teach that the Christian Magistrate is with blind obedience to execute the decrees of the Church for this poore argument if it have any nerves as it would cast upon us the doctrine of Papists and Jesuits to make the wayes of Christ odious it hath as great strength against the preaching of the Gospel for if Paul or any faithfull Pastor preach to the Magistrates of Berea that Christ whom the Jewes crucified is the onely Redeemer and Saviour of the world and that therefore they are as nurse-fathers to give libertie to the Servants of God to preach this doctrine and to hinder any to persecute such as shall preach this doctrine yet by their civill authoritie and ex officio they are not for that with blind obedience to receive it and not to search the Scriptures to try whether that which is preached bee agreeable to the Scriptures nor to take it upon the bare authoritie of the Preacher but they are to search the Scriptures and obliged to beleeve the preached Gospell But not as Magistrates either to preach themselves or to judge authoritatively by vertue of their office whether the Preachers doctrine bee the Gospel of Christ or no so if a Synod by the holy Ghost and the light of Scriptures determine any thing for discipline or censure the Magistrate as hee may as a Christian try the word preached so may hee the same way try the decrees and determinations of the Church and not take them upon blind trust and accordingly punish the contraveners as a magistrate and as hee is the Minister of God that beareth his sword but yet hee can no more as a Magistrate and by his office prescribe such ecclesiastick Lawes as wee have Acts 15. v. 28 Act. 16. 4. unto the Churches of God or as a Magistrate and by his office judge them unlawfull and forbid them then hee can preach the word or say it seemed good to the holy Ghost and to me who beares the Sword to command that the Churches observe such and such Lawes But wee shall hardly beleeve that the honorable Houses will take on them supreme authoritie above the Assemblies and courts of the Lord Jesus or that they will give occasion to all the Protestant
Churches in the world who prayeth for them to write against their proceedings And he was fast asleepe What should Christ sleepe now as Lonab did when God seemeth to bee angry with all in the ship Nay but Christ holdeth forth to us by his sleeping that innocency and a good conscience can sleepe securely amidst the greatest calamities and stormes and not bee afraid This is made good by these grounds of Scripture as first God hath a chamber and a pavilion to save his owne people in so are they spoken to Esay 26. 20. Come my people enter into thy Chambers and shut thy doores about thee hide thy selfe for a little moment untill the indignation bee overpast Secondly God not onely saveth his owne from trouble but also from the feare of trouble Psal. 3. 5. I laid mee downe and slept 6. I will not bee afraid of ten thousand of the people that have set themselves against mee round about Psal. 23. 4. Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill Thirdly there is yet a higher degree to which a good conscience can ascend for Eliphaz saith Iob 5. 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh faith is so above death that it maketh a holy sporting at death 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory It is much to looke death on the face and to laugh beleeve and triumph It is true the Godly are fittest to bee souldiers and faith hath more true courage for the warre then thousands of men yet are not meanes to bee despised God will not have us to worke miracles on the warrant of our owne private spirit though God worke miracles himselfe David saith Psal. 141. 7. that the Lord covered his head in the day of battell yet hee putteth on a helmet on his head himselfe in the day of battell and was a man of warre 2 Sam 17. 10. There is reason why the Saints are secure in God in the greatest calamitie because peace with God maketh peace with bullets and swords and speares and these goe well together Psal. 149. 6. Let the high prayses of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hand and faith knoweth nothing of base feare when there are stormes without to the beleever there is faire weather within faith is a grace above time as there is neither raine nor winds above the second region of the ayre therefore the Campe should bee purged of Achans Secondly unbeleefe hath a wide apprehension and is full of jealosies and feares and beleeveth every bush to bee an armed man Prov. 28. 1. The wicked feeleth when none pursueth but the righteous {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is confident as a Lion or as a young Lion courage and animositie is vigorous and greene in the young Lion for when the beleever hath closed a covenant with death not such a one as is Esay 28. 15. but such a covenant as taketh in Christ as a party with the beleever in which hee is in Covenant with the wild beasts of the field Hos. 2. 18. and with the stones of the fields then is hee secure for if death bee the Saints servant 1 Cor. 3. 22. why but wee should have Law-suretie in Christ with our servant that death shall not hurt us 1 Cor. 15. 55. and if the grave bee our bed of rest why should not the sick man bee at peace with his owne Couch and with his owne post that conveyeth him over the water to heaven the beleevers death is a sleepe 1 Cor. 15. 6. 51. 1 Cor. 4. 14. then it must bee a sweet and sound sleepe as is the sleep of the godly whereas such as sleepe wrapped in such a winding-sheet as the sinnes of their youth Job 20. 11. cannot have a sound sleepe but as an ill conscience prophecyeth vengeance as wee see in Hamans wife Esth. 8. 13. and in Cain Gen. 4. 14. so the bones of a reprobate in the grave must in a manner prophecie hell and wrath to him Hee was fast asleepe Christ-man did but sleepe for otherwayes Psal. 121. 4. Behold hee that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Yet in our trouble God is said to sleepe not that spirits farre lesse the Creator of spirits doth sleepe onely hee seemeth to sleepe i. when wee dreame that God letteth things goe at six and seven and when hee seemeth to cocke the wheeles of his providence and worketh not for us his arme seemeth to sleepe Esay 51. 9. Awake awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old now the sleeping of his arme is the sleeping of his power and hee saith Vers 5. My righteousnesse is neare my salvation is gone forth and mine armes shall judge the people his arme is his power to judge betweene his Church and his enemies Psal. 44. 23. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord Psal. 7. 6. Awake O Lord for the judgement that thou hast commanded But why should Christ sleepe when his cause requireth hee should wake Ans. Beside that this was a proofe of his humane nature united personally with his Godhead that a sleeping man was God who could command the Sea and the winds it was expedient that this storme should rise when Christ was sleeping for it might seeme to arise against his will if hee had beene waking or rather God of purpose will have extreame dangers to come on his Church and hee will seeme to sleepe and to bee farre off to waken up our sleeping faith Hence the doctrine is God will have his Church and cause to bee brought within a haire breadth of losing except the Lord arise and bee onely be a present helpe in trouble Consider that Christ-man if wee lay aside the decree of God was capable of drowning stoning or any death as well as crucifying and in this ship was carried Christ the hope of heaven and all the ends of the earth and the eleven Disciples were in the same danger they had a word of promise that they should bee his witnesses to carry the Chariot of the Gospel to all the world and to subdue the nations to Christ by the preaching of the word and were to be brought before Kings and rulers for a testimony to all nations and to bee scourged killed persecuted of all men for Christs sake here be both a promise and prophecies and all seemes to bee losed as fallen in the bottome of the Sea Christ and Apostles and the ship are within lesse then two or three fingers breadth of death The Church was at a low ebbe in Aegypt the male children must bee drowned in the River the life of the aged is toyled and worne out of them Omnipotency with nine heavy plagues cannot get the people of God freed out of the hands of a Tyrant God must step in with immediate omnipotence in the tenth plague to pull out his