feare thee O King of Nations for to thee doth it appertaine Jer. 10.5 6 7. And this is the summe of the triumphant Song of them that get victory over the Beast Rev. 15.3 4. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name Secondly Trust in him he is a sure foundation all the powers of Earth and Hell cannot move it He is a fit object for your faith seeing he is the LORD Mighty to save and to save to the uttermost out of the deepest dangers and troubles you can be brought into Heb 7.25 yea he hath redeemed the soules of his servants from deceit and violence heretofore and will for ever shew himselfe strong on the behalfe of those whose hearts are stay'd on him Psal 26.3 4. And therefore though ignorant worldlings slight and reject this Mighty One and place their confidence in Kings Princes Horses Chariots which do faile them often yet do you that know his great and glorious Name put your trust in him Psal 20.7 8. yea at what time you are afraid either of spirituall or temporall evils trust in him in whom is everlasting strength Psal 56.3 you shall finde him sufficient for you and faithfull to you He that beleeveth on him shall never be confounded 1 Pet. 2.6 Thirdly Prize him above all Prize him according to his excellent greatness This was Gods designe in making him mighty Joh. 5.22 23. Do you further it what in you lyeth by honouring the Son even as you honour the Father If the people prized David farre above themselves saying Thou art worth ten thousand of us 2 Sam. 18.3 how should we value Davids Lord our Lord who is the onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords above our selves and all things else 1 Tim 6.15 Fourthly Stand by him stand by his cause and interest all your dayes Worke and love righteousness evermore though you be persecuted for its sake yea though many should forsake him through the unbeliefe of their hearts as the Disciples did of old yet stand by him and his work of righteousness For he is Mighty to save you Isa 63.1 It was Shammah's commendation that he stood it out and defended the Field alone when all the people fled from the Philistines 2 Sam. 23.12 and the Lord wrought a great Victory Stand by this Mighty One though alone Though you that be faithfull be but few and weake and ingaged against mighty Adversarâ—â—s The Devil the World and the Flesh yet be bold and couragious and go on with confidence in your holy warre you March under the Banner of a Mighty One who is the Captaine of salvation Heb 2.10 who hath conquered mighty Enemies and will not rest till he hath destroyed every evil work worker 2 Tim. 4.16 18. Christ saith Luther hath destroyed many great Kings and laid them in the dust For my part I will hold with him and on his side rather than with the Turke with the Emperour and the whole universall world Let his Resolution be yours its rationall to be on the strongest side Fifthly Blesse God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who of his rich mercy and by his great power hath drawne you out of the world and separated you from your companions and brethren in iniquitie and brought you from under the Dominion of other Lords who were not able to save you to be under this great and Mighty One. Pauls heart was wonderfully taken with this grace as appeares by his words Col. 1.12 13. Giving thanks â—nto the Father c. Who hath delivered â—s from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdome of his deare Son Blesse God for this unspeakable grace Yea Blesse God for that great grace vouchsafed to thee that in thy unregenerate estate thou wert not confounded and destroyed for and in thy opposition against Christ for he is Mighty and could have done it Suppose a child should take a stick in its hand and go into the Lions den and there strike the Lion and the Lions whelpes the young Lions and continue beating them for some time with all its might and yet the Lion not teare this child nor meddle at all with it but the child returne without any hurt done to it what will this child say when it comes to mans estate It will be filled with amazement and astonishment when it shall be told what it did and how it escaped surely it will cry out with wonder what a mercy what a providence past finding out that I was not devoured I stroke the Lion which was wont to devoure others You that are Christs servants you have been the Enemies of Christ and his people you have as it were struck at the face of Christ by your opposition against him yea peradventure you have continued some time beating Christ and his servants provoking Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Judah against you and yet he did not teare you in pieces as he did others but you are escaped oh study what rich mercy and grace it is that such a bold rebellious wretch as you have been should be spared by this Mighty One Surely you cannot look back upon such delivering grace without wondring and being melted by it into love and submission to Christ who hath thus loved and saved you from perishing in and by your iniquities Sixthly Lastly If Christ be Mighty Labour to get much of Christ to be Christians indeed not by profession of the Name onely but by participation of the Spirit of Christ that so receiving the Anointing you may be Mighty also He was full of might by the Spirit of the Lord Isa 11.2 Let us seek to be mighty not by carnal might nor power nor sword but by the Spirit of the Lord. He was mighty in Faith let us be so a strong mighty faith in a mighty Christ is very sutable he was mighty in love to us let us be so to him let us love him with all the heart with all the soule with all our strength He was mighty in patience Let us get much of that grace also for we have need of patience that after we have done the will of God we may inherit the promise Heb 10.36 He was mighty in zeale let us be so even a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Doctr 2. God hath appointed This Mighty One Christ to be an help to his people This Doctrine hath two Branches 1. That Christ is an help to his people 2. That God hath appointed him thereunto First That CHRIST IS AN HELP appeares First In the TYPES of him both REALL as chiefly the Passeover Mannah the Rock the Brazen Serpent which were types of Christ and for the good and help of the people 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Ch. 10.3 Joh. 2.14 and PERSONALL as a Moses b Josuah c Act. 2.29 20. 13.34 35. David
onely called an High Priest frequently and once Heb 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Great Priest but he is also stiled A Great High Priest Heb 4.14 Though under the Law there was an High Priest yet never was any called Great High Priest but Christ and though the Pope assume to himselfe the Title of Pontifex Maximus the greatest High Priest yet it doth of right belong to Christ Thirdly In the perfection of his Nature an High Priest without sin without infirmity whereby he is by the Apostle distinguished from and exalted above all other Priests Heb 7.26 27 28. Such an High Priest became us who is holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the Heavens who needeth not daily as those High Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins then for the peoples the Law maketh men High Priests which have infirmity but the word of the Oath which was made since the Law the Son who is consecrated for evermore He is a merciful faithful tender sympathizing High Priest Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way and is able to succour them that are tempted Heb 2.17 18. Fourthly In the eminency of his order he is a Priest not after that common way that others were the order of Aaron and so but such an one as they but after a special and more excellent order peculiar to him alone the order of Melchisedec that great and mighty man King of Salem unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham that Mighty One gave the tenth of the spoil even he that met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him which speaks him greater than our father Abraham for as it is said Heb. 7.7 Without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the better or more excâ—llent this the Spirit of God advancing Christ above all others mentioneth both in that famous prophecy of his Kingdome and Power Psal 110.4 saying The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec As also six several times in the 5 6 7. Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews as it were delighting it self in the rehearsal of the exaltation and excellency of Christ in this respect Fifthly In the solemnity of his Ordination different from the Ordination of other Priests which was without so much ado for they were made without an Oath but he with an Oath and that of God himself according to that of the Psalmist Psal 110 4. Minded also by the Apostle Heb 7.21 The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melcbisedec and surely it is some great and weighty matter which causeth the Most High to swear Sixthly In the performance of his work which did consist chiefly in four things First To make satisfaction and reconciliation for the sins of the people and this Christ did and he so did this marvellous work as shewed his mightinesse therein First He did it to the uttermost and that in respect First Of the nature and measure of it in it selfe it was a full perfect satisfaction wanting nothing Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified So that there needs none of the works nor sufferings of any other to contribute any thing to it and if God at any time Visit the transgression of his children with the rod and their iniquity with stripes It is not in reference to any further satisfaction of his justice but in order to their Sanctification Secondly Of the extent and largeness of it as to the subjects that partake of this grace and they are not a few but many For he gave his life a Ransome for many Math. 20.28 Mark 10.45 Not the Jews only but the Gentiles also he reconciled both unto God in one body by the Cross and came and preached peace to them that were afar off and to them that were nigh Ephes 2.16 17. And thus the world partake of it according to that of Paul 2 Cor. 5.19 That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe yea The whole world 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world yea it extends unto All things for so it is written Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself By him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven Secondly He did at once not by many but by one offering and this speaks him a Mighty One upon this very account the Apostle prefers him and his sacrifice before all the Levitical Priests and their sacrifices of their sacrifices he saith The Law can never with those sacrifices which they offered yeer by yeer continually make the comers thereunto perfect but in those sacrifices there is a Remembrance again made of sins every yeer for it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin Heb. 10.1 3 4. And again vers 11. Every Priest standeth daily ministring and offeâ—ing oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin but of Christ he speaks otherwise not as of one weak but mighty a sufficient Priest and Sacrifice For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He offered but one offering and that was enough Thirdly He did it in no ordinary way not by killing of others but by dying himself by making and offering himself a sacrifice for sin according to that in Heb 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Other Priests to make attonement for sins offered other things in sacrifice he himself he was the Priest and sacrifice too he the just suffered for the unjust that he might bring us to God this is wonderful no more need to be added to manifest Christs mightiness in the performance of this part of his Priestly work Secondly To pray and intercede for the people and this Christ doth for he being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle did not by the blood of Bulls and Goats and Calves as other Priests did but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb 9.11 12 24. And this he doth to purpose and with eminent successe obtaining eternal redemption for his faithful ones for his blood being of such great merit and vertue and he having such great interest and favour in Heaven his prayers and intercessions are very prevalent as a Prince he hath power with God his Father always hearing him John 11.42 Neither is he so much a Petitioner to beg blessings for Believers upon the account of meer mercy but having merited and purchased them by his
and salvation is to walk contrary to their profession and that is a great evil also Vse III. From hence flow forth several streames of COMFORT to the people of the Lord in their various conditions and employments in this World It holds forth comfort to them First Against mightiest Adversaries They that hate the faithfull without a Cause are many they that would destroy them being their enemies wrongfully are mighty their persecutors are stronger than they Psal 142.6 But here is the Comfort of the Righteous they are not left alone to encounter with these Giants Christ the Captaine of salvation stands at their right hand to help them Psal 109.31 If the Devil stirre up Mighty Ones to hate and persecute Gods servants God answerable thereunto hath appointed a Mighty One yea a Mightier than they to be an help to his people When the Devil himselfe like a Roaring Lyon shall in any speciall manner seek to devoure them 1 Pet 1.8 Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah is at hand to help and deliver them Zac 3.1 2. Rev 5.5 It is the high priviledge of the Church of the living God that Christ the appointed helper thereof is mightier to save than the Devil and all enemies are to destroy Isa 63.1 Yea the very weakness of their Mighty helper and Saviour is stronger than their Adversaries 1 Cor 1.25 27. They may boldly say the Lord is our Helper we will not feare what man shall do unto us Heb 13.6 With this Luther comforted and encouraged himselfe against many and Mighty Adversaries saying Ego habeo qui causam defendat etiamsi totus mundus in me solum insaniat I have one that can defend my Cause although the Whole World should be in a rage against me alone Secondly Comfort against greatest difficulties When the people of God consider what great and hard things even impossible to flesh and blood the Lord hath required at their hands as to Deny themselves to forsake all for Christs sake to confesse him before men and so to walk even as he walked in this world And also compare their great work with their own little strength they are sometimes much discouraged and ready to faint in their work and to say almost despairing Who is sâ—fficient for these things Indeed the strongest are not sufficient of themselves as of themselves to performe the least part of the Lords will as they ought yet the least and weakest of the Saints through Christ that Mighty One helping are well able to overcome all difficulties According to this the Apostle Paul speaks Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Surely it must needs be matter of great joy and comfort to Gods fearing and trembling servants because of difficulties to heare of and experience such an alsufficiency of help as is in Christ for them Thirdly Comfort against deepest troubles Sometimes God shews his people hard things and make them to drinke the wine of Astonishment Psal 60.3 They are sometimes troubled on every side innumerable evils compassing them about Psal 40.12 so that they know not what to do nor how to escape But the Father of mercies will not leave his children to perish in the deep waters of Affliction but hath provided help for them in that estate a Saviour in time of trouble Jacob must have a time of trouble but he shall be saved out of it Jer 30.7 This was Davids faith in his low estate Psal 71.20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me againe and shalt bring me up againe from the depths of the Earth thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side And let all the faithfull servants of the Lord who are this day in the deep even overwhelmed with troubles lift up their heads and rejoyce in this grace of God in laying help upon one that is Mighty to redeeme Israel out of all his Troubles Psal 130.8 Fourthly Comfort against weakest Instruments of help He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength Isa 40. at the end If the Instruments he intend to use in his work be dull he can sharpen them He can make the Worm Jacob a new sharp threshing Instrument having teeth to thresh the Mountaines and beat them small Isa 41.14 15. And if the iron be blunt and he do whet the edge he hath so much strength to put to as he can make it do execution to cut asunder what he will have cut asunder It is nothing with him to help whether with many or with few or with them that have no power 2 Chron 14.11 Therefore let the servants of Christ be comforted and encouraged in the Mightiness of their Lord to help though they see nothing but foolish weak base and despised things in his hand to make use of for their deliverance It s the manner of Christ and he gets honour thereby to help by such things he hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised yea things which are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor 1.27 The Mightiness of the Agent is an encouragement against the weakness of the meanes Object But many put away from themselves this breast of consolation and object against this Doctrine First Some saying they are not worthy that Châ—ist should help them And though God hath appointed him to be an help to his people yet he will not arise to the help of such obstinate and rebellious ones as they have been and are Answ Christ is a free undeserved help and none of those whose help he hath been were ever worthy of it But he hath remembred his people in their low estate and redeemed them from many enemies and evils not because of their merits but because his mercy endureth for ever The children of Israel were a rebellious and stiffnecked people and yet the Lord saved and delivered them many a time And the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save nor his goodness abated that he should not still help his people notwithstanding their unworthiness Secondly Some say that they are of froward discontented and peevish spirits under troubles and Afflictions and Christ will not help such Answ Such a frame and carriage of any of the servants of Christ must needs be a griefe and trouble to his soule but yet their hope of help from him in time of need is not hereby cut off The children of Israel were a froward murmuring generation and yet the most high God was their help from time to time The tender-hearted mother is as ready to succour and help her froward discontented child that cryes night and day as the rest of her children And surely Christs succour and help extends as farre as any mothers on earth Thirdly Some say That Christ hath