and therefore when we have the greatest joyes we should also have the greatest sacrifices For the analogie or proportion is not only historical but also causal which we find set forth betwixt the joy of Gods people and their Sacrifices Nehem. 12. 43. Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoyced for God hath made them rejoyce with great joy Because their joy was great their sacrifice also was great God had made them rejoyce with great joy on that day and therefore also on that day they offered great sacrifices And this is the reason why the Church of Christ recommendeth to us solemn Festivals as daies wherein the Lord hath made us rejoyce with great joy and as solemn sacrifices for those festivals particularly the receiving the holy Eucharist and the giving of alms the two proper sacrifices of Christians that our sacrifices may be in some sort answerable to our joy For all the sacrifices we can offer unto God cannot be answerable to the joy we have in him and from him and much less answerable to the joy which we hope to have with him And will you see the reason of this joy it is by reason of the comfort and consolation that good men have in and from God when they cannot have it in or from the world They have comfort from the Comforter and may well have joy with their comfort This made Saint Paul bless God for all the troubles and tribulations he had from men because the more they troubled him the more his God comforted him and enabled him to comfort others 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God that is with internal and spiritual comfort which proceedeth from the Spirit of God q. d. I will not repine for mens cruelties but bless God the Father of mercies whiles the more man is my Persecutor the more God is my Comforter enabling me to comfort both my self and others with such comforts as this world is not able to give and therefore sure is not able to take away And the same way doth God please to comfort the soul as the Prophet describes him comforting of Zion for what is Zion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but an illuminated or enlightened soul For the Lord shall comfort Zion He will comfort all her wast places and he will make her wilderness like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord joy and gladness shall be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Isa 51. 3. What an immense an immortal comfort is this that the wast places of the soul are comforted and that her wilderness is made like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord for the waste place of the soul that needs be comforted is the conscience which is wasted by sin the wilderness or desart of the soul is the same conscience overgrown with cares as a wilderness is with thorns and over-awed with fears and terrours as with so many wild beasts and overcome with drouth and barrenness like the desarts of those hot Countries that starve their inhabitants This wast place this wilderness this desart must be quite changed before it can be comforted The Lord makes this wilderness like Eden a place of pleasure this desart like a garden of the Lord a place of fruitfulness before joy and gladness can be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Till the conscience is purged from dead works it is like a wilderness unlovely and unfruitful unlovely it makes the man out of love with himself and much more his God out of love with him unfruitful it brings forth no fruits either of righteousness or of repentance But after it is purged from sin then it is like an Eden or a Paradise a place of pleasure and of plenty of loveliness and of fruitfulness Saint Paul joyns them both together That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work Col. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all pleasing of God of your neighbours and of your selves there 's the pleasure and the loveliness for no man truly pleaseth himself whiles he displeaseth his God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing forth fruit in every good work or bringing forth the fruit of every good work there 's the plenty and the fruitfulness for no man walketh worthy of God but he that is fruitful in every good work that is to say fruitful in the works of piety of temperance and of charity of piety towards God of temperance towards himself of charity towards his neighbour He that thus walks worthy of God cannot but exceedingly rejoyce in God For he cannot but say with the Psalmist And now shall he list up mine head above mine enemies round about me Psalm 27. 6. Hoc erit lentum est nimis He shall lift up mine head would make him stay too long for his joy He may therefore say He hath already lifted up mine head even my blessed Saviour above all mine and above all his enemies that I should not fear them and he is daily lifting me up to my head that I should not fear my self Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness I will sing and speak praises unto the Lord ver 7. Hoc erit lentum est nimis I will sing keeps him too long from his duty he therefore doth sing and say Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voice of my humble petitions The Lord is my strength and my shield my strength to support me when I am not assaulted my shield to defend me when I am my heart hath trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart danceth for joy and in my song will I praise him Psal 28. 7 8. All this and much more then this is set down to express the joy of the Holy Ghost and it is nothing but Abba Father in the language of those under the Law who though they did not see God in his Son and in his Spirit so clearly as we do under the Gospel yet they praised him as loud both for his Son and for his Spirit as we can praise him for though in some sort they came short of us in the Object of Faith because the Son and the Holy Ghost were not so fully revealed unto them yet they came not short of us in the Act of faith whether exercised in prayers or in praises for they prayed in the mediation of the Son and they praised in the joy of the Holy Ghost SECT V. Fâ—lly and Filiation are together in Gods best adopted children whiles they are in this world The three priviledges of the Saints of Gods not of their own making because of the Spirit of Adoption First
teach and redeem us The title of the chief corner stone blasphemously applyed to the Pope Christ was not an Apostle one sent from God but an Exapostle one sent out of God I must needs confess that being in this Eden of God in this Paradise contemplating the tree of life I am unwilling to divert my eyes from that tree and much more my heart from that contemplation but am desious to perswade my self that I see the Prophet Isaiahs vision turned into action and God acting it in heaven no less then the Prophet acting it on earth Isa 6. 8. Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send or who will go for us then I said here am I send me For God the Father did as it were consult with himself saying whom shall I send and God the Son did forthwith answer him Here am I send me For as there was faciamus hominem Gen. 1. 26. God consulting and deliberating with his Son his eternal wisdom and with his Spirit his eternal power about our creation so there was redimamus hominem God consulting and deliberating with his Son his eternal righteousness and with his spirit his eternal love about our redemption For Gods goodness is as infinite as himself and that hath made him impart to man not only his goodness but also himself Hence that saying of the sublime Areopagite quod ipse Deus propter amorem est exstasin passus That love made God as it were go out of himself For great love is never without some kind of exstasie and therefore as it makes man go out of himself and be not where he lives but where he loves so it also made God the Son as it were go out of himself and come and be in man whom he had loved with an eternal love Thus hath love brought God from God to be in man and thus should it also bring man from man to be in God For this is the end of that blessed Mysterie and more blessed mercy which we commemorate when we celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God he was made of us that we might be new made by him he made one flesh with us that we should be one spirit with him Saint Peter accounted it a great mercy that God had sent his Angel to deliver him from the hand of Herod Act. 12. 11. How much more ought we to account it a great mercy that he hath sent his only Son to deliver us from the power of sin and Satan which persued us much more fiercely and would have wounded us much more desperately He considers his deliverance ver 12. and shall not we especially since the Apostle hath shewed us the way how to enlarge this consideration Heb. 1. 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers maaners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son It was a great mercy that he spake to the Fathers by holy men a greater that he spake to them by the holy Angels for that was one of the divers manners of his speaking But the greatest mercy of all was that he hath spoken to us by his son and the reason is intimated in the following words for in time past was the beginning the inchoation of his love when he spake by his Prophets and Angels but in these last dayes hath been the accomplishment and consummation of it when he spake to us by his Son Before he had made the world and upheld all things by the word of his power but now he hath redeemed the world and having purged our sins upholds it by the hand of his mercy For till our sins were purged it was only the power of God upheld the world that he might purge it But now our sins are purged t is the mercy of God upholds the world that he may save it This is the only reason Saint Peter gives us why the last day that shall destroy all things by fire is so long in coming 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slack but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance The same mercy that made him hasten his first coming makes him delay his second And was it not a mercy not only beyond our expression but also beyond our admiration that the Son of God who was the brightness of his glory should become the brightness of his enemies and the glory of his people Yet so saith Saint Luke 2. 32. to be a light to lighten the Gentiles there he was the Bridegroom of his enemies and to be the glory of thy people Israel there he was the glory of his own people It was a mercy that we could never deserve and therefore must ever acknowledge that God was pleased to send his Apostles to teach us his saving truth and to shew the way of salvation for they were the pillars of the Church Gal. 2. 9. But infinitely greater was the mercy that he pleased to send his own Son to teach the Apostles for he is the cheif corner stone 1 Pet. 2. 5. For it is observable that Saint Peter himself was content to be accounted a pillar of the Church and leaves it only for Christ to be called the chief corner stone And therefore that Preface of Bellarmine which he once made in the Roman Schools Praefatio habita in gymnasio Romano and hath since prefixed before the third general controversie of his first Tome which is de summo Pontifice had need of all the waters of Tiber to wash it from gross flattery if not from detestable blasphemy since he is pleased therein to wrest those words of the Prophet Isaiah Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation and to apply them to Saint Peters Successor which Saint Peter durst not apply unto himself but leaves them only for Christ the eternal Son of God We cannot too much prize the voice of the Apostles as for example Saint Pauls Epistles cannot be in too great esteem which saith Saint Hierom bring him every day more glory as Christ more converts But the voice of the eternal word calling to Saint Paul from heaven Act. 9. 4 5. and in him to us who can ever hear with sufficient care and attention who can embrace with sufficient reverence and estimation who can follow with sufficient alacrity and devotion Saint Paul was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one sent from God and yet how greatly doth he magnifie that office in every one of his Epistles but our Saviour Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one sent out of God to man for so saith Paul Gal. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God sent forth his son that is God sent him not only from himself as he sent the Apostles but also out of himself as he sent none but only his beloved Son SECT VIII The Mother of Christ so
grace in us and which is all one of his favour towards us that the fear of Gods judgement may humble us that the presumption of our own secure state and condition may not ruine us and that the desire of Gods grace may daily more and more increase in us All these three reasons are intimated by Saint Peter If ye callon the Father there 's the desire of the increase of grace who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans works there 's the fear of Gods judgement pass the time of your sojourning here in fear there 's against the presumption of our own secure state and condition As then I desire to be humbled as I desire not to be eternally ruined and as I would increase in my soul more and more such holy desires so I must take heed that I be not puffed up with the conceit of my adoption for he that hath given me that inestimable grace when I did not deserve it hath not promised to continue his gift if I will needs abuse it SECT V. Our adoption in Christ not spoken of by Saint John without a double Preface one practical another speculative and is here according to the likeness of his grace shall be hereafter according to the likeness of his glory The threefold Image of God in man ADoption is the assumption of a stranger into a son Adoptio est personae extraneae in filium assumptio saith the Civilian so that our adoption implies three things 1. An assuming or taking of a man from his own kindred into Gods family 2. An assuming or taking such a man as was a stranger into that family 3. An assuming or taking that stranger to be one of the best of Gods family to be a Son A most blessed assumption which gives to the true Christian soul not an imaginary but a real not an anniversary but an everlasting Holy day Hence it is that Saint John cannot speak of this infinite mercy without a double Preface 1 John 3. 1. Behold what manner of the love of the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! Behold there is one Preface a practical Preface that concerns the person to fix his attention to raise his affection and to confirm his devotion what manner of love the Father hath bestowed there is another Preface a Doctrinal Preface that concerns the thing shewing in it that sublimity which challengeth the best of our attention that excellency which challengeth the purest of our affection that immortality which challengeth the firmest of our devotion There can be no Preface appositely made but is either practical to exite and move the reader or didactical to make way for the explication of the work the end and scope of the first is to shew that the thing taught is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beloved of us the end and scope of the second is to shew that the thing taught is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovely in it self for so is Aristotles distinction 20. Magn. Moral c. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle joins these two several ends and scopes of Prefaces both together before he treats of our adoption saying Behold to shew this lovely and amiable to us richly worth our looking after and what manner of love to shew it is most lovely and amiable in it self And we may easily see by the ensuing words that it is such a good as is not to be valued by the judgement of the flesh for the world knows it not nor sufficiently to be valued by the judgement of the spirit for we our selves yet scarce know it it doth not appear what we shall be It doth not appear to the world what we are nor to our selves what we shall be only this we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him ver 2. as if he had said there are at least two degrees if not two parts of this filiation or adoption of sons one in this life when we are regenerated into the hope of everlasting glory the other in the next life when we shall be admitted into the possession of it When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 4. The first degree of our adoption the world knows not of us the second we do not cannot in this life fully know of our selves Of the first degree of adoption speaks the same Saint John in his Gospel John 1. 12 13. As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God Of the second degree speaks Saint Paul Rom. 8. 23. We our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body as if the adoption were not to be obtained here but to be expected hereafter wherein however he speaks as it were out of Christs own mouth as well as by his spirit for our blessed Saviour himself useth these words Luke 20. 36. They are the children of God being the children of the resurrection not that they were not the children of God before but only that they were not compleatly and perfectly children till they were admitted to their inheritance and were come to a full similitude and likewise with their Father For as a natural son of man is partaker of his humane nature or else he cannot be his son so also is an adopted Son of God partaker of his Divine Nature though not Originally because he is adopted yet sure derivatively because else he cannot be a Son for on the participation or communication of the Divine nature is founded our adoption or being the Sons of God according to that of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 4. That by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinae consortes naturae consorts or companions of the Divine Nature that is communicants in it as well as partakers of it And upon this ground it is we do assert that as the participation of the Divine nature to us is different in degrees so also is our adoption different in degrees as inchoate in this life and consummate only in the next For in this life we are made partakers of the Divine Nature but inchoately and imperfectly that is as it is resembled in grace but in the next life we shall be made partakers of it consummately or perfectly that is as it will be revealed in glory For there is in man a threefold Image of God Imago creationis Imago recreationis Imago similitudinis as saith the angelical Doctor 1 2ae qu. 93. ar 4. The first Image is by likeness of Nature the Image of creation the second is by likeness of grace the Image of regeneration the third Image is by likeness of glory the Image of perfection Tbe first Image hath been so defaced and blotted and slurred by our sin that we are all by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. So that in and from this Image of God
use of Christ nay concerning adoption it selfe Saint Paul seems to speake as if it were in some kind a potential and not all together an actual blessing or mercy when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut adoptionem acciperemus that we might receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 5. thereby intimating that many more might be adopted Sons then are were it not for their own default and those that are adopted might if they had made a timely and full use of Gods grace in their Redemption much sooner have received their Adoption Nay yet more if the Greek Orators Criticism be justifiable for Libanius is loth to ascribe the Oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Demosthenes That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be to take or receive what we never had before but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly to receive that which we had lost then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle will tell us that the gift of Adoption was once ours before to wit by the innocency of our nature till we lost it and is ours so now by the Sanctification of our persons that if we should lose it in our selves we may again recover and receive it in our Saviour it was once ours by nature and so we lost it and do now receive it by grace the second time And we now so receive it by grace that if we should lose it we may yet hope to receive it again Which consideration ought to fill our souls not with carelesness but with comfort that as by our own weakness and unworthiness we daily fall and deserve to be put out of the number of Gods servants so by our blessed Saviours Merits and Mercies we daily rise again and are still accepted and continued as his sons SECT VIII Christs most holy prayer a very comfortable Testimony and Assurance of our Adoption in him How nearly it concerns us to say Our Father not our Brother which art in heaven The conclusion of the Lords Prayer answerable to this beginning and not to be questioned It is ill quarrelling with that prayer and much worse discountenancing and deserting it AS there is no greater comfort then the comfort of Adoption so there is not a more comfortable if there be a more evident testimony to assure us thereof then that most holy prayer which our blessed Saviour hath sanctified by his lips no less then he hath commanded and commended in his Word For this prayer teacheth us to say to God Our Father which cannot be true and right in the Invocation if it be not true and right in the Doctrine for if it be not an undoubted truth that God in Christ is Our Father then can we not truly in our worship call him so Wherefore since we are taught by Truth himself to call God Father in our worship we are sure it must be true in our Doctrine That God is our Father in Christ and consequently we his adopted Sons or we must assert the same Thing to be a Truth and not a Truth a Truth in our Prayer and not a Truth in our Belief and moreover say That we pray in Faith when we do not pray in Truth For if we pray not in faith we sin and we cannot pray in Faith if there be an untruth in our Prayers Wherefore this expression Our Father being recommended to us by our Saviours own mouth as it teacheth us to pray in his Communion in and through whom we are adopted so it affordeth us an undoubted testimony and proof of our Adoption for under what pretence can we say to God Our Father if we be not his sons and how are we his sons so as to expect any blessing from him but only by the grace of Adoption Accordingly as we cannot but say with Saint Augustine that all other prayers are reducible to the matter of this short prayer so we may likewise say with him for he alledgeth not one precedent or petition which is not immediatly directed unto God that all other prayers are reducible to this form of saying Our Father and by this rule those prayers which rather say Our Brother then Our Father which art in heaven cannot be said in Faith and do not proceed from the Spirit of Adoption and they that so pray do not communicate with Christ in their prayers who neither prayed himself nor taught us to pray to any but only to his Father And it is not sapient nor safe for us to pray out out of Christs communion since we are sure our prayers will not be heard but through his Intercession Yet in all probability that humour of praying to petty Deities if it did not at first help to thrust out the conclusion of this prayer yet it hath since helped to keep it out because we cannot with any colour of truth say to any but to God alone for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever For this Doxologie is without doubt the conclusion of the Lords prayer in Saint Matthews Gospel as it hath been generally received both by the Greek and the Latine Church neither of which hath set down that prayer in Saint Matthews Gospel in Greek without the addition of these words at the end of it and for that allegation that it is not so in Saint Luke it is of no force since it is against that common maxime Argumentum ab authoritate non valet negativè An Argument from authority is worth nothing in the negative but only in the affirmative and we should lose very much of the Gospel if we should expunge and blot that out of one Evangelist which we cannot find in another Yet some Criticks have gone so far as to perswade the world That this heavenly conclusion did not at all belong to the Lords prayer but is both an unnecessary and an unwarrantable addition One is pleased to call it a foppery non veriti sunt tà m divinae precationi suas nugas assuere If this Doxologie be a foppery then what is true wisdom but if it be indeed true wisdom then what is this censure of it but plain blasphemy And is not that true wisdom which proceeded immediately from the mouth of the eternal wisdom Yet the learned Grotius complieth so far with those that have opposed this Doxologie as to perswade himself it came at first out of the Greek Liturgies into the Bible not considering that there cannot be allowed such chopping and changing of the Text but we must reproach the Catholick Church of Christ first as uncareful in suffering such changes then as unfaithful in obtruding them for Text First as uncareful in suffering men to make havock of Gods Word which was committed to her charge to keep then as unfaithful in obtruding the Word of man upon us instead of the Word of God and what authority or repute will be left to the Church if we suppose her to want both care and trust for God intrusted his Church with his
earth Such are the words of God in themselves but to us blessed be his condescention and goodness they are the words of Grace Mercy and Peace The words of Grace by instructing of Mercy by promising of Peace by blessing And this word of blessing is so much his delight that he chose it for his very last word here on earth and whiles he was speaking this word he was parted from them and carried up to heaven Luke 24. 51. The word of blessing is certainly the word of Peace There being no Peace in any condition or kind of life but meerly from Gods blessing Therefore in every thing we go about we should first look after Gods blessing then after our own peace and contentment for he doth justly punish us with the loss both of his blessing and our own peace when we look for the peace either before or without his blessing expecting contentment and satisfaction in such a thing as he will not or in such a way as he cannot bless Whiles he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven The last word in his mouth was blessing and must be the last in ours if we hope to part from earth as he did and be carried up into heaven Therefore let every word that comes from us be blessing for fear it should be our last word He that went up to heaven with blessing will not take us up thither without it Saint Peter could not forget that Christ parted from him and the rest of the Apostles blessing them and takes what care he can that cursing and railing should not make one man and much less one Church part from another and both part from the eternal Son of God Love as Brethren saith he to those of the despersion that is to several Nations much more to those of the same Church and Nation be pittiful be courteous not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3. 8. 9. Where we see that railing is opposed to blessing which opposition must teach us that not only blasphemies against God but also revilings and reproaches against men especially those who have a peculiar stamp of God upon them as our Teachers and our Governors are in the guilt and consequently under the condemnation of cursings And though this sin be now the common road of men upon earth who blazen their own righteousness chiefly by others pretended sins yet it can never be the right way to heaven And we must forsake it as we will stick to our calling and to our inheritance knowing that we are thereunto called that we should inherit a blessing So that if we part not with this sin of rayling it will either part us from our calling or part both us and our calling from our inheritance it will either make us to be no Christians or such Christians as not to inherit a blessing But what was this blessing which our Saviour at parting bestowed upon his Apostles for we have yet only spoken of that which was on the very day of his Resurrection Joh. 20. 19. May we not give a fair guess at it from that curse or malediction since commonly used by his pretended Vicar General Indignationem omnipotentis Dei Apostolorum ejus Petri Pauli sentiat in aeternum May we not here put Indulgentiam for Indignationem and avow that it came from our Saviours own mouth by unwritten Tradition If ever Tradition will help out the Text let it be now that we may not lose our Saviours last word and his best word both together But Tradition cannot help us and sure we are from the Text That our Saviour never taught his Apostles to join themselves in Commission with his Father creatures with their Creator either to bless or curse although not only they but also their Successors can rightly do both in his name and by his power We have here only a probable conjecture That the benediction which Christ gave to his Apostles was the same in effect which the Apostles afterwards gave unto the Church in his name as having received it from his own mouth Grace unto you and peace be multiplyed saith Saint Peter Grace be with you mercy and peace saith Saint John It seems grace and mercy were reserved till Christs ascention for we find only Peace be unto you after his Resurrection and Saint John hints a reason of it for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified John 7. 39. upon which ground we may not unreasonably build this Position That Grace and mercy were reserved for Benedictions after his Ascention or till the giving of the Holy Ghost But seeing we cannot tell certainly the exact word of Benediction which Christ left to his Apostles when he parted from them we shall do well to lay hold on that which we are sure came from his own mouth whiles he was yet with them even that recorded Luke 11. 28. Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it that is keep it in their memories and in their consciences and in their conversations Keep it in their memories that it may sink into their consciences and keep it in their consciences that it may break forth into their lives and conversations Let us be sure to lay hold on this and we shall be sure not to want his last blessing though perchance we may not know it till we come to enjoy both it and him CAP. II. Christ considered whiles he was Ascending SECT I. That the words used to express Christs Ascension did manifest his twofold claim or title to heaven the one by Inheritance as God the other by merit or purchase as man And that Christ in his Ascension wrought a twofold Miracle one in the conquest of earth the other in the conquest of heaven And what comfort and benefit redounds to us Christians from these titles and these miracles THE considerations that are most remarkable in our blessed Saviours Ascension are best discovered from the words that are used to express it In the Apostles Creed the word for He Ascended is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went up borrowed from Saint Paul Ephes 4. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he ascended up on high But the word used by Saint Luke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was carried up Luke 24. 51. He was carried up into heaven But Saint Mark yet useth a third word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was received up Mark 16. 19. He was received up into heaven This twofold expression he went up and He was carried or received up shews our Saviours twofold title or claim to heaven if we consider Christ in his two several natures For as God he claimed heaven for his Inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went up as unto his own As man he claimed it as his reward and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was carried up
have applied unto Christ proving he was that Prophet to whom Moses had bid them hearken Act. 3. 22. Act. 7 37. so that the Jews themselves were no longer to hearken to Moses by Moses his own appointment then till the comming of Christ 2. That the Jews who would not believe Moses his writings concerning Christ were not like to believe any other Prophets words concerning him which is still a good proof that no man can possibly reject the authority of the Scripture and yet truly beleive in Christ from the authority of the Church for if the writings of Moses or of the Old Testament then much more the writings of the Apostles or of the New Testament must needs be above any other Prophets words since these writings as well as those are looked upon as the undoubted word of God And therefore if the Church hath not found Christ in the Scriptures how shall we hope to find Christ in the Church and by consequent if we will be good Christians we must above all things take heed of cavilling or rather blaspheming against the word of Christ for that is in effect to say that we will have a state of Christianity not of Gods but of our own making we question not but the Christian Religion as it hath an excellency above all other religions so it hath a certainty agreeable to its excellency And this Certainty is grounded meerly on the written word in the judgement of Saint Peter who tels us indeed that there came such a voice from the most excellent glory This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and that he and some others heard this voice when they were with Christ in the holy mount but yet that the Scriptures were a more certain ground of the Christian Faith then was this Voice for so he saith after all We have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a lâ—ght that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19. The voice from heaven was sure but yet the word of Prophecy was more sure for notwithstanding that voice did say Hear ye him Mat. 17. 5. yet they would have suspended their hearing but for the word of Prophecy which had said before Vnto him ye shall hearken Deut. 18. 15. So that the voice from heaven had in effect all its certainty from the word of Prophecy Therefore he said we have also a more sure word of Prophecy His full intent was to make us seek after Christ in the Old Testament much more in the New He saith we shall do well to take heed unto that much more unto this that will guide us unto Christ as a light that shineth in a dark place but this will guide us to him as a morning Star that ushereth in the day And this is no more then our Saviour himself had said before Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Luke 10. 23 24. The comparison is betwixt those under the Law and those under the Gospel and they under the Gospel are declared the more blessed For they under the Law had but a dim light which made them see Christ so imperfectly as if they had not seen him But we that are under the Gospel have a clear shining light clearly and perfectly to see our Saviour Christ and therefore are much more blessed then they if we can but see our own blessedness and will be heartily thankfull for it therefore saith Saint John The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. whereby he excludes the Law both from Grace and Truth from Grace absolutely but from Truth only comparatively The Law did neither teach Grace nor give Grace it only gave a rule of righteousness but not grace to keep it and therefore only shewed our want of a Redeemer but shewed not the way of our redemption Thus the Law was opposed to grace absolutely and left that to come wholly and entirely by Christ and it was also opposed to Truth comparatively for many truths were but obscurely and figuratively propounded in the Law which are plainly and substantially revealed in the Gospel as the doctrine of the blessed Trinity of the incarnation passion resurrection and ascension of the Son of God and indeed all the other articles of our Christian faith So that Truth substantially or compleatly that is in its full revelation and accomplishment came only by Jesus Christ Wherefore if our Saviour Christ himself who without doubt best understood the state of true Christianity sent the Jews to the Law of Moses to be assured of the truth of the Christian Religion much more doth he send us Christians to his own holy Gospel to be assured of the same truth And as Moses his writings were then so the Apostles writings are now a greater ground of assurance to us then any Prophets words can be for as Moses wished That all the Lords People were Prophets so am I willing to believe that his Church is to be accounted as a Prophet so that it commonly fareth with Christians in their coming unto Christ as it did with the Samaritans John 4. who first believed on our blessed Saviour for the saying of the woman but afterwards believed because of his own word So do we generally first believe in Christ by the testimony of the Church which he hath in mercy appointed to lead us to his Word for else it were impossible we should ever come neer it But when once we come to see and understand his Word then we believe in Christ not for his Church but for himself and may justly say to the Church as the Samaritans said to the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world John 4. 42. This may we justly say not to the undervaluing of the Church to which we are so much obliged for bringing us to the knowledge of the Word for had not she preserved and translated it we could never have known it but rather to the overvaluing of the word above the Church to shew we are infinitely more obliged to God for giving his word then we can be to his Church either for preserving or for expounding it Therefore we cannot but prefer the word above the Church and we know this may be done without either undutifulness or unthankfulness since God hath appointed that his Church should wholly rely upon his word and prove her self to be his Church from the Testimony of his Word as appears plainly in the case of the Bereans who are commended for searching the Scriptures and believing the Word
yet he will not forsake us for ever The Psalmist that asks the question Will the Lord absent himself for ever and will he be no more intreated Is his mercy clean gone for ever and is his promise come utterly to an end for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious and will he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure Answers it negatively in that he checks himself for asking it saying It is mine own infirmity Psalm 77. 8 9 10. And agreeable to this Doctrine is that distinction of the Schools desertio explorationis Poenae There is a twofold spiritual desertion a Desertion of tryal and of punishment by the first God may and often doth withdraw his presence from his best servants to prove them but not by the second to punish them taking punishment properly not as the chastisement of a loving Father but as the vengeance of an angry Judge Thus saith the Evangelist Jesus having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end John 13. 1. If he had not loved them he would never have come to them and loving them to the end how shall he depart from them And lest we should think this peculiarly spoken of the Apostles contrary to that rule of Rom. 4. 23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed where we may plainly see that the Scripture though it often is but particular in the occasion yet is alwayes universal in the instruction I say lest we should think this occasionally spoken of the Apostles Saint Paul saith it also Doctrinally of all others whom God hath been pleased to call to his communion Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 8. And he gives the reason of his Doctrine in the next verse God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord as if he had said he hath converted you and he will confirm you not for a while but unto the end and the reason is because he is faithful He hath called you to the fellowship or the communion of his Son Jesus Christ and he will keep and confirm you in it unto the end He forsakes not the fellowship which himself hath ordained for he is faithful He hath ordained that you should have fellowship with him in his Son and he is so faithful to his own ordination that he gives his Holy Spirit to call you to and keep you in that fellowship to the intent you may be joyned with him in the communion of grace till he bring you to the communion of glory So that the fault is wholly our own if God make not his perpetual abode with us after once he is come unto us T is because either we do not stick to our Saviour the Son of his love or because we do stick to our sins which he cannot love For he will not constantly abide either with an unfaithful or with an unfruitful soul The unfaithfull soul forsakes his communion the unfrui tfll soul forgets it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle Children are the bond of Wedlock Nay God saith so too Now this time will my husband be joyned unto me because I have born him three sons Gen. 29. 34. Therefore was his name called Levi The Levite had his name from conjunction for shame let him not be the author of separation And again yet more fully God hath endued me with a good dowry now will my husband dwell with me because I have born him six sons and she called his name Zebulon Gen. 30. 20. Zebulon id est donum cohabitationis saith Tremelius Donatum filium ad conciliandam cohabitationem viri a pledge or pawn of the husbands dwelling with his wife and delighting in her society So is it also in the Spiritual Matrimony in the Marriage of the soul with Christ That he may betroth us unto himself for ever he doth betroth us in righteousness and judgement in loving-kindness and in mercies and in faithfulness Hos 2. There is righteousness and faithfulness as well as there is loving-kindness and mercy in this blessed wedlock Righteousness and faithfulness required on our parts as well as loving-kindness and mercies on his part and we must take heed of losing the righteousness and the faithfulness for fear we should lose the loving-kindness and the mercies Gratia est habitus mentis totius vit◠ordinativus Grace is a habit of the mind ordering the whole life saith Alensis par 3. qu. 61. m. 2. In what but in righteousness Grace ordereth the whole life in righteousness will not suffer any part of it to be spent in unrighteousness so likewise saith Saint Paul Grace reigneth through righteousness to eternal life Rom. 5. 21. Take away the righteousness take away the reign of grace take away the reign of grace and farewell to the reign of glory unless you will look for glory without eternal life O blessed Jesus who art the only guest and joy of religious souls I confess that I am not worthy thou shouldest once come under my roof yet I beseech thee to make me fit for thine everlasting abode That I being faithfull and fruitfull in all righteousness unto the death may receive of thee a Crown of life who didst dye for my sins and rise again for my Justification and now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me Thou hast been the Mediator of this blessed communion betwixt God and my soul O be thou also the preserver of it that in it and for it I may bless and praise thee with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen Christ reteined in the true Christian Communion Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17 18. Nec Haereticus pertinet ad Ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit Deum Nec Schismaticus quoniam diligit Proximum Aug. de fide Symbolo cap. 10. Neither doth a Heretick belong to the Catholick Church because she loves God nor a Schismatick because she loves her neighbour The Prooem Christian Communion is to be considered in its Authority in its Excellency and in its Sincerity GReat are the divisions of wicked and ungodly men whilst at first they run away from God and as great are their distractions when at last they run away from one another It is their sin that they will needs be at enmity with God it is their punishment that they cannot but be at enmity among themselves This small Treatise endeavours either to keep us from this great misery or to recover us out of
particular charge that so the burden might be the less but the care might be the greater the Ministers might have the lesser trouble but the people might have the greater benefit from whence it may be collected that the Bishops were Gods principal Trustees and that the inferior Ministers were only taken into part of their Trust And this is suitable with that saying of Theodorete recited by Oecumenius in the argument of the Epistle to Timothy That though Saint Paul had other Scholars or Disciples as Silas and Luke yet he writ Epistles only to Timothy and Titus because he had then entrusted them two with several Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the others he yet detained with himself And it is Conradus Vorstius his observation that Saint Paul makes it his business in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus to draw the exact picture of a true Christian Bishop and that he useth singular skill and industry in elaborating that draught Et sane in his Epistolis ac nominatim in illa priore ad Timotheum singularis quaedam Apostoli industria solicitudo elucet quippe collegam ac filium suum subinde studiose obsecrantis imo obtestantis per omnia sacra adiurantis nunc blandis promissionibus allicientis nunc minaciter territantis nunc suo nunc Christi exemplo provocantis ut modis omnibus tostatum faciat quà m sit ardua res inculpatum agere Episcopum quantaque pernicies humanae vitae sit parum sincerus Dominici gregis Custos Vorst Arg. Ep. ad Tim. Sometimes he earnestly entreateth Timothy for his own sake sometimes he humbly beseecheth him for Gods sake sometimes he adjureth sometimes he promiseth sometimes he threatneth sometimes he perswadeth and even provoketh him by his own and by Christs example that so he might testifie to all the world how great was the charge which a Bishop had from God to be faithfull in his vocation and that if he proved unfaithfull how great was the mischief he might do unto Gods Church And Oecumenius gathereth as much meerly from those three words used by Saint Paul in his benediction to Titus Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus-Christ our Saviour Tit. 1. 3. for saith he Saint Paul very fitly wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace to Titus being the Teacher and Governour of that Church for unless he was resolved to steer by these he was sure to endanger the sinking of the ship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God have mercy upon those covetous ambitious and contentious Ministers whose covetousness ambition and contentiousness hath made them expell Grace Mercy and Peace that they might pull down Gods and set up their own Government How can it be hoped that such men should approve themselves Gratious Mercifull or peaceable Governours For how can covetousness consist with Grace Ambition with Mercy Contention with Peace and how miserable are those people like to be who are like to be governed without Grace Mercy and Peace Thus I have shewed the Trust of the two particular Churches of Ephesus and of Crete whose first governours immediately after the Apostles are nominated licensed and instructed by the Text and these two are precedents sufficient for all particular Churches to the worlds end happily more sufficient precedents then are left in all the new Testament concerning any other external adjunct of Religion For if all Scripture be profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good Works 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. then surely much more that the Church of God may be perfect For if Saint Pauls proof be undeniable that because God took care of an Oxe he much more took care of a Minister 1 Cor. 9. 10. then can we not deny but the proof is as undeniable that because he took care of one particular minister he much more took care of all Ministers if he were so carefull to instruct one man of God as Timothy or Titus then much more was he carefull to instruct all the men of God that is to say his whole Church which is doubtless accordingly to be guided by these Instructions unless we can prove that since that time she hath received any other or that God hath repented of these and is willing to let his word as we are to let our Oaths grow out of date And indeed what can we desire to know concerning Gods Trustees in behalf of our souls which we may not easily know from either of these two Epistles For we know that God the Father hath said All souls are mine Ezek. 18. 4. and therefore we are sure that none can claim and consequently none should take the care of any soul but by commission from him This commission he immediately gave to his only Son with a promise that it should conduce to the Salvation of those souls which should hear his voice I am the good shephard my sheep hear my voice and I give unto them eternal life saith Christ John 10. 14 27 29. but this was by power given him from his Father as t is said All power is given unto me Mat. 28. and therefore when he was not yet pleased to own or at least not to exercise this power he said to the mother of Zebedees children It is not mine to give Mat. 20. 23. But however the promise concerning this power is no where so clearly signified as in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus so we find 2 Tim. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus He derives his own commission for taking the care of souls from Christ Christs commission from God Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God And he shews the end of that commission was the salvation of those souls According to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus Again Tit. 1. 1 2. Paul a Servant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ there 's the proof of his commission in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began there ' s the end of his commission God promised eternal life before the world began to whom could he promise it but to his Son coaeternal with himself and for whom did he promise it but for those who should be his hearkening to him believing in him relying on him and supported by him This was the comfortable end of Saint Pauls commission and therefore we have great reason to look after the sure proof of it And that we find particularly in these Epistles First as it was given from Christ to him and Secondly as it was to be derived from him to others even to the worlds end For although there is great Truth in that rule Delegatus non potest Delegare He that hath a Trust or power himself only by Delegation cannot orderly delegate the same to another and greater
Religion if all Churches would agree in the sense as they do agree in the Letter of Gods holy Word To let pass the Old Testament wherein all Protestant Churches are as willing to be tryed by the King of Spains as by Buxtorses Hebrew Bibles I know Bezaes Greek Testament is censured by some as a most bold piece of Scripture but upon comparing his Text with that of Pope Sixtus Quintus I find very little ground for that censure and less Truth in it Because both Texts generally agree in the very same words and that even in those very places wherein both disagree from the Vulgar Latine And I believe the same may be said concerning the Greek Text that is received in all other Churches That they all agree in the same Original Texts evinceth they have been faithful in their Trust of keeping the Holy Scriptures That many of them disagree in their glosses upon and translations of that Text only sheweth that each particular Church is willing to discharge its own particular Trust in expounding the Holy Scriptures That they all labour not to continue and increase their disagreement but to end or to diminish it for so the Churches do though the men do not is also a good sign that no one of them is willing to be faulty in their Trust of observing and obeying the holy Scriptures And therefore though it must be confessed that the Church like Queen Vasthi hath not performed the commandment of her King so readily and so entirely as she ought yet may not any rigid Memucan suppose that there shall ever go forth a royal commandment that she come no more before the King Ahasuerus for though she may unhappily have been peccant in her obedience she hath not been peccant in her faith though she may have failed in her behaviour she hath not failed in her Trust though she hath been undutiful yet she hath not been false she hath not been unfaithful to her King that he should seek a divorce and give her royall estate unto another that is better then she Let no man think that our blessed Saviour the Prince of peace the King of Saints will so easily part with his Spouse concerning whom he hath said I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord Hos 2. 19 20. And since Christ will not so easily be parted from his Church how is it that we do so easily part and depart from her If we did rightly distinguish betwixt the Church and the Men we would soon all bless God for the Truth and Faith of his Church though we should blame one another for our own falseness and unfaithfulness we would find that the Church hath been true to her trust in keeping in expounding in obeying Gods word and that only the Men have been faulty Thus Saint Paul blamed the Men not the Church at Corinth for their factions and schisms It hath been declared to me of you my brethren that there are contentions among you 1 Cor. 1. 11. He said they were contentious he said not the Church was so For as they were a Church so they were sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints and calling upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord ver 2. The men were sinners the Church were Saints the men were contentious the Church was Religious Truth and peace were in the Church whilst errours and schisms were in the men The treasure was heavenly though the vessels which held it were earthly We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God not of us 2 Cor. 4. 7. Will you reject the Treasure because of the Vessel you were as good to say you would have the excellency of the power in converting and saving souls to be of men not of God The Vessel is certainly brittle and may possibly be foul but the treasure is neither brittle nor foul that 's a lasting treasure for Truth is so that 's a pure Treasure for holiness is so As a Treasure it will enrich your soul as a pure Treasure it will purge your soul as a pure and lasting Treasure it will purge and enrich your soul not for a moment but for ever T is confessed that this Treasure was at first in much better Vessels then now it is when neither perversness sought to sophisticate the truth nor prophaneness to corrupt the holiness of the Christian Religion but the Treasure it self is still the same it first was For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. The wickedness of man hath not destroyed cannot destroy the goodness of God He hath still his communion of Saints amongst these great divisions of sinners he hath still one Catholick and Apostolical Church amongst our many divided and distracted Churches And blessed be his name he first provided against our divisions and distractions before he suffered us to make them For it was from his singular providence that the Romans Emperours should keep entire their dominion over all the Christian world till they had called those general Councils wherein was the confutation of the grand heresies and the establishment of the true Christian Faith in the first ages of the Church whilst the greatest part of the Ministry in all Churches rightly understood and zealously maintained the Faith of the Catholick Church For else it is much to be feared that these after-ages of Christians which have been so much wedded to State Policy and so resolved on self-interest would have been much to seek for the truly antient Catholick and Apostolick Faith now briefly summed up in those Creeds which as they are undeniable proofs of the Apostles assertion that the Church is the ground and pillar of truth so they are also the infallible guides of particular Churches to retain and follow that Truth to the worlds end Wherefore God having left us his own undoubted word and such incomparable summs of the saving Truths therein contained as is the Apostles Creed and those other antient Creeds of the Church there is now no particular Church in the world which hath these helps and will carefully and conscionably make use of them but may be sure of believing the Catholick Faith and consequently of professing the true Christian Religion whereby to know Christ and of persisting in the true Christian Communion whereby to enjoy him though perchance the factions of men may be so great and the Judgement of God because of those factions may be so just as never again to let the Church enjoy the happiness of a true general Council And without doubt every particular Church which professeth the Christian Faith according to the Scriptures and those Creeds and hath a practice agreeable to her profession may justly be called the ground and pillar of truth and may