in all marriages ubi tu Caius ego Caia the Honour Credit Esteeme Name Interest Priviledges Riches and whatsoever else good is is derived from the Husband to the Wife and on the contrary the debts duties dangers and hazards to which the Wife was liable are charged upon the Husband So was it here most truly in the highest kind The debts which the Church stood charged with were discharged by Christ and the merits worth and benefits of Christ were imputed to His Church He was made sinne for us which knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of GOD in Him 2 Cor. 5.21 2 Cor. 5. Hee was made a * Gal. 3.13 14 curse for us that on us might come the blessing of Abraham that wee might bee called the blessed of the Father * Esa 53.5 He bare our infirmities and by His stripes wee are healed Thus as betweene man and wife so of Christ and His Church the workes are accounted the same His righteousnesse peace and justice are accounted the Churches His workes and merits are deemed as done by us And our sinnes misdeeds and demerits are deemed as done by Him are layd to His score and this was the cause of His Taking away And as there are Duties of marriage Protection and direction from the Man to the Wife Obedience and Reverence from the Wife to the Husband So this marriage for all these is a paterne and president to all married men and women whatsoever For Protection Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved his Church and gave himselfe for it even to death to save it from death For Direction I will pray the Father Iohn 14.16 and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever He shall teach you all things c. 26. For Protection he is a King in power to defend his Church For Direction he is a Priest and Prophet in knowledge to instruct his Church For both we have his promise Behold Mat. 28.21 I am with you to the end of the world But that he may continue with us to the end we must alway to the end continue with his Spouse we must performe those duties that are commanded her The first is Obedience Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soule with all thy heart with all thy might Matth. 22.37 Mat. 22.37 Iohn 14.15 If yee love me keepe my Commandements Ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoever I command you Iohn 15.14 Iohn 15.14.10 If ye keepe my Commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love If ye doe marke I pray if ye doe as long as ye doe if ye keepe c. Otherwise unlesse yee do so except ye still keepe if ye do or dare otherwise ye are none of his friends none of his followers none of the Bride-chamber none of his Spouses none of his Sheepe that heare not his voice that keepe not his Commandements And This is one one of Them that when the Bridegroome is taken away then ye should fast in those dayes But of this anon What our obedience is I question not it may be as people pretend it is inward But this I am sure of that if it bee true obedience we shall see some signes of it in the outward man some fruits at least in the outward reverence This if not at other times yet then at least when we come into the professed service of the Bridegroome when we Enter into the House of prayer when we come into his presence to serve him I could by infinite testimonies of Scripture Reason and Nature prove this duty if either the time or the Text would give me leave But I keepe my selfe to my Text to the Metaphor of a Spouse There is honour due from the Wife to the Husband 1 Pet. 3.6 not only in word with Sara to call him Lord but to do it with reverence Let the Wife saith the Apostle see that she reverence her Husband Ephes 5.33 And This is chiefly he telleth us spoken of Christ and his Church 32. If we will have him to protect us as his Spouse we must honour him as the Bridegroome and that with a two-fold reverence 1 Of bended knee 2 Of bared head 1 It is the custome of men in these times if they reade in Scripture that Christ calleth us Friends or Brethren or Guests or Co-heires they presently carry themselves aloft We may not nay now it is come so far it is argued we must not kneele We disparage our selves too much to kneele what kneele Do Guests use to kneele at the Table Do Wives use to kneele to their Husbands Alas poore silly men that understand not how by such appellations duties are rather commanded than any relaxation granted When Christ calleth us Friends he enjoyneth us love when Servants feare when Guests confidence when Children reverence when Heires hope for none of these would he have himselfe neglected or our duties not respected But where doe we reade for now Scriptum est is altogether stood upon where do we finde that wives must kneele to their Husbands Metaphors Beloved are not to be urged beyond their compasse if not within the compasse of this Metaphor is it therefore not due I hope there is none here that dare deny this Reverence unto God and yet if we do not deny it why do we not yeeld it Why doe we deny it in our lives and conversations But did you ever heare that Wives did kneele to their Husbands Yes beloved we finde so wee reade so of those that had Kings to their Husbands Did not Esther a Queene kneele to her Husband Ahasuerus Esther 8.3 Yet what was Ahasuerus to the * Rev. 19.16 King of Kings What are we in the eye of the World to Esther so great a Queene Nay what is Esther or the greatest but wretched Wormes to CHRIST IESUS And doe we thinke much to kneele I am sure if we be of the Spouses followers we will doe what she is commanded and she is commanded thus David in that very Psalme which he penned for the Churches Wedding in the Spouses phrase Psal 45. thus bespeakes the Church Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine eare Psal 45.11 12 forget thine owne people and thy Fathers House So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty for hee is thy Lord God and worship thou him Nay hath not GOD sworne it As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God Esay 45.23 Rom. 14.11 Hath he not given this very honour to the Bridegroome for this very taking away Wherefore saith the Apostle God hath given Him a name above every name Phil. 2.10 that at the name of IESVS every knee might bow both of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the earth Sure
prayer we kill the Sacrifice we crucifie the old man we slay the body of sinne we turne from sinne returne to God and seeke His face Esa 55.6 Esa 55.6 this is that first degree of our comming neare By the second wee come nearer by workes of mercy and almesdeeds imitating in doing good the Authour of all good being made like unto our heavenly Father Matth. 5.48 Mat. 5. By the third our thankfull and faithfull obedience we come close up to offer being conformed to Christ following His example walking in His steps and by an obedient tendring of our selves unto God in the blessed Eucharist receiving His body and bloud 2 Pet. 1.4 He living in us and we in Him we are made partakers of the Divine Nature And truely obedience is the end of all the end of all to feare God and keepe His Commandements Eccles 12.13 Eccles 12. It is the principall thing in our duty the chiefe in the Text It is our perfect hearing our perfect offering our comming neare So some expound it Offer ut audias making this offering to bee all in all For this wee heare that wee may know to doe our duty For this we pray for Grace alwaies that wee may be able alwayes at all times to doe our duty This is that which God accepts in Abel Gen. 4. Gen. 4. which He commends in David Psa 40.6 Psal 40. which Hee command's in Saul 1 Sam. 15.22 1 Sam. 15.22 which He requireth of every one A true Sacrifice indeed where we offer not strange flesh 1 Cor. 16.20 but as Saint Austin Gregorie c. our own will unto God A true Sacrifice where we offer not onely nostra that which is our's but nos ipsos our bodies and soules a true Sacrifice where we offer not the dead bodies of unreasonable beasts but a Spirituall reasonable living and holy Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 Rom. 12.1 And indeed this is that for which we are all made an holy Priesthood to offer up Spirituall Sacrifice Pet. 2.5 acceptable to God by Iesus Christ and thus in Him wee truely and indeed come neare to offer Our Prayers are offered in His Name by faith in His Name they begin and end in Him He is our Mediatour to present these unto God 1 Iohn 2.2 1 Iohn 2.2 Our Almes if we look they should do us good must be in His Name also Mat. 10.42 Matth. 10.42 at least He accepts them so Mat. 25.40 25.40 Our obedience must be tendered in our thankesgiving for Him Whatsoever you do in word or deed Colloss 3.17 do all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giving thankes to God and the Father of Him By Him saith the Apostle let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thankes to His Name Heb. 13.15 Heb. 13.15 And now beloved having passed over many things which I should have shewed in the duty of our comming neare to heare I have onely contented my selfe in declaring the order and manner to be observed in Gods divine worship An order truly as appointed by God so truely and fully observed by our holy Mother this famous Church of England An order truely it is so the Church alwaies called it And orders you know are to be obeyed to order us and to keepe us in order and obedience Let all things be done decently 1 Cor. 14.40.33 and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 For God is not the authour of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints And indeed the ancient Fathers as they were nearest those times and therefore might best tell us So they are bold upon it that this order was appointed by the Apostles and by them together with the Christian faith propagated in all Christian Churches It is fit therefore we all stoope to this order And truely in my Text which is the more remarkeable the very same words that expresse Gods will for this order do also peremptorily set down Gods command for our obedience So the word to heare with the Text is by the marginall citations referred to that of 1 Sam. 15.22 To obey c. 2 So the word to offer is extended to obey seeing that obedience is the end of all our offering Psal 40. Psal 4. 3 The word Charob is so by some rendred Offer ut audias making this offering all in all And indeed as the Prayer and Sacrifice of fooles that is sinfull and wicked men is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 Prov. 15 8.21.27 as the cutting off a dogs neck and the offering of swines bloud Esa 66.3 Esa 66.3 So likewise our hearing prayers and offerings are but types and meanes for obedience Obedience as S. Austin calleth it is the mother the guardian and keeper of all vertues The sons of Ionadab how are they praised even by God Himselfe Ier. 35.2 Ier. 35.2 because they obeyed their Father in a temporall obedience in abstinence from things lawfull and though indifferent yet in some sort necessary How far more glorious is it to obey God our Father Christ Iesus our Lord the Church our Mother in and for spirituall obedience God that hath set His Church over us requires obedience to His Church from us Heb. 13.17 Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Soules as they that must give account for you c. And indeed as in hearing if we heare not him that stands next us there is little hope we should heare those that are a far off So if we heare not the Church of God whereby God commeth neare to us there is little hope we will obey and heare God As it is in love If we love not our brother c. 1 Ioh. 4.20 So it is in obedience a duty of love If wee obey not the Church which we have seen how shall we love God whom we have not seen Divines are wont to compare Obedience to Iacob's ladder the lower part of obedience to the Church stand's on Earth but as Iacob's ladder it end 's in Heaven And as there so here God stand's at the top of it And as in Iacob's ladder no ascending to the highest but by the lower steps So no obedience to God unlesse we obey His Church He that heareth you heareth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth Him that sent me c. Luke 10.16 Luke 10.16 So Ezek. 3.7 Ezek. 3.7 God tells His Prophet that the Children of Israel will not heare thee because they will not heare me And Christ bids us that he that will not heare the Church should be as an heathen and a publican Mat. 18.17 No hope of such wilfull fooles And therefore my Text as out of hope though it speake of them yet it speakes not to them as out of all hope to do any good upon them It onely and boldly speakes of
this is it this is that that He hath done so much for us who have so little grace as scarce to doe any thing for Him Dost not thou whosoever thou art dost not thou feare God as if he should say If not pity common pity for His so great unspeakable sorrow paine and punishment in being thus cruelly thus wrongfully taken away yet let love to his person love of His person who thus for thy sake became a Bridegroome Let that move thee If not Love His Love or thy love yet let His Bounty who thus willingly thus readily gave Himselfe even by death for thy sake to be taken away Let that move thee If not His Bounty yet let thy Duty His Command who hath so strictly commanded who hath so precisely enjoyned thee to mourne and to fast this time and in these dayes Let that move thee If not thy Duty to his Command if not that yet let Remorse for thy sinnes let sorrow for thy haynous and bloudy crimes which so wrongfully so despightfully did and still doe yet continually take him away Let that move thee If not Remorse sorrow for thy sinne What shall I say If not that then nothing Yes then let Feare dreadfull Feare I say of that never ending punishment due to the Crucifiers and all remorselesse sinners that worse than the Crucifiers cannot mourne with them for Him Let that move thee And indeed when all cannot this shall move them that cannot now bee moved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall the time will come will they nill they whether they will or no They shall fast They that will not now then shall They that will not owne it here for their duty then shall owne it for their punishment Iejunabunt They shall fast It is our SAVIOURS sentence Luk. 6. Luke 5.25 Woe unto you that are full for yee shall hunger woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall weepe Ye shall mourne ye shall hunger They that will not Now then shall that will not at this time in this Now in these Dayes The Dayes are comming and will come ere they are aware then no remedy They shall fast and hunger and mourne and weepe Then and in Those dayes On the contrary Blessing and peace to them which on the right hand with that good Thiefe mourne here which Fast and Pray now in These dayes which make it their duty which minde His Command Luke 6.21 Blessed saith the Bridegroome are ye that hunger now for ye shall be filled Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh Blessed are ye that fast and mourne now with Him for ye shall be comforted with Him by Him God of His mercy grant us all grace so to mourne and fast here that we may be filled with comfort hereafter and blessed for ever FINIS THE SIXTH OF THE MANNER AND QVALITY OF CHURCH-FASTS A SERMON or MEDITATION in LENT Anno Dom. 1633. DANIEL 10.2 3. 2 In those dayes I Daniel was mourning three full weekes 3 I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth neither did I anoint my selfe at all till three whole weekes were fulfilled WHen I thinke of this Time me thinkes this Text is fittest for this Time so much the rather also because this time is the time of this Text. For what if Those Dayes here be these dayes now So truly they are For the Three full weekes in the second verse began the third and ended the twenty fourth day of the first moneth as the following words shew vers 4. Now the first moneth amongst the Iewes answered to this present moneth of March fell in with this very time So that to speake of these words at this time is I hope a word in due time 2 But bare time alone is but the empty measure of our actions which fill it up and therefore an idle circumstance without some life from them The Action therefore is here to be considered and that is Fasting In those dayes I Daniel was mourning that is as the words that follow shew Fasting And so it is now with us a time no lesse of Fasting As Daniel began this moneth then so have we now with fasting and mourning for our sinnes 3 But yet againe this Fast here was a lasting fast 1 Sam. 7.6 Esth 4.16 1 Chron. 10.12 not onely as the Fast of the Israelites in Mizpah for a Day or as Esthers for three dayes onely or as the Gileadites Fast for Saul for a weeke But for a longer time even three full weekes And such is ours now no lesse like to hold if we hold it as we should even for twice three full weekes For so much have we more need of the longer fast by how much we now under greater grace are in respect of holy Daniel farre greater sinners We may not well be lesse then twice his time and that is our full Lent I saith hee Daniel was mourning three full weekes 4. But yet moreover a fourth thing here is even Daniels very Fast a Fast from flesh and wine and all desirable meats and drinks Though he now in blisse cannot any longer fast with us yet we that wee may attaine that blisse must now even fast with him We also to fast Daniels fast as at that time of the yeare when hee fasted so his very fast I ate no pleasant bread nor came flesh c. 5 But yet againe a fift thing here is As Daniel fasted at this time this our very fast so likewise for the same cause for the same end with us with like reference to mourne for Christs death as doe we For if wee looke but three verses forward before my Text we shall see the time and manner of His death presented in a vision to Daniels eyes This as it should from ours drew teares from his and that hee might mourne for this enough he makes himselfe mourne by Fasting Thus with the fitnesse of the time and Text The Division we have the Nature and Parts of it First For the generall Nature of it it is Exemplary and that as done so propounded by himselfe in his owne person I Daniel Then secondly Here 's the Action wherein this Example consists and that is Fasting even such a fast which is attended with many necessary and most considerable observations The first is The End of it in this word Mourning His fasting was for mourning I was mourning Secondly The time of it In those Dayes that is from the third of the first moneth to the foure and twentieth Thirdly The manner and Quality of it I ate no pleasant c Fourthly The Continuance of it For three full weekes And againe Till three whole weekes were fulfilled In all which wee have a view of his many most excellent vertues shining in this his Fasting First besides his Temperance his obedient willingnesse promptnesse and readinesse to this holy Dutie in his voluntary undertaking it of his owne choice intimated in these words I Daniel