unto him in heaven and in Earth The exercise of which power he would first have to be manifested in discipling whole Nations of the Gentiles Matt. 28.18 19. receiving them into Covenant by the Sacrament of Baptisme as the Jews were by the Sacrament of Circumcision Where the word Nation in order to the Gentiles must without controversie be taken in the same sense as it was with a reference unto the Jews for as the Nation of the Jews was made up of all sorts and sexes old and young so in like manner are the Nations of the Gentiles And because his commission which he then gave unto his Apostles was not formed according to the erroneous fancy of these deluded people who in effect render it thus Go and Disciple all men But thus Go and Disciple all Nations baptising them in the name c. And Children being a part of the Nations we may conclude without any hesitancy that the intent and purpose of the Lord in this commission to his Apostles was that they should wheresoever they came baptise the Children as well as the Parents And seeing he came to break down the wall of partition that was between Jews and Gentiles which was actually done in the execution of this Commission It is not to be imagined that he would by it set up a partition-wall between Parents and their Children so as that they should be at as great a distance the one from the other in point of eternal Salvation as Heaven is from Hell A thing he never did in all the Ages before and undoubtedly whatsoever these Dreamers may blasphemously prate against him He hath not done it now because he is still the Same I will not dwell any longer upon the Conviction of these obstinate people least the more reason be shewed unto them out of the Scripture to lead them into the way of truth they be thereby according to their usual wont the more hardened in their errour The Lord open their eyes that they may see betimes what dishonour they bring unto Jesus Christ in the diminution of his power by their frantick Opinions What disturbance they create unto his Church and consequently what hazard they run notwithstanding their conceited assurance of their own everlasting Salvation We have now done with this second particular viz. Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to day which he was yesterday that is The Same to his Church in the time of the gospel which he was in the time both before and under the Law CHAP. III. Sheweth how JESUS CHRIST shall continue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same for ever Vnto his Church WE should now according to our prescribed method come to speak of the third course or computation of time here mentioned in the Text and of that which is predicated of it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the Same or the onely He for ever But to avoid Prolixity which hath already spun out the former parts into a greater length then was intended we shall not distinguish this into several propositions as hath been done with those before Neither indeed can we be able to speak of what shall come upon the Church in the continuation of this day of the Gospel to the end of the world Onely this we can say because the Holy Ghost witnesseth it That persecutions and Afflictions do abide it but withall that Jesus Christ will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto it which he ever hath been Hereupon therefore shall we fix the short remainder of our discourse deriving some inferences from it for the further edification of those that take pleasure in beholding the immutability of the Lord Jesus Observe then In the midst of all the various changes and chances that may come upon the Church to the end of the world Jesus Christ will be unto it still The Same No variableness nor shadow of turning shall ever be found in him either in his Mediation with the Father or in the dispensation of his power among his people But he will be Semper idem Alwayes the Same Now herein we can but speak of the exercise of Christs Mediatory office as we have already done and therefore it will be needless to spend many words about it As he began so he will continue to be the Prophet Priest and King of his Church The same word of truth which he hath revealed he will still continue no addition unto it or diminution from it will he ever suffer his Gospel is an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 1 Pet. 1.25 His word abideth for ever And if an Angel from Heaven should come and preach any other we must therefore much more will he ho'd him accursed Gal. 1.8 He is a Priest for ever according to the oath of God not to be retracted saith the Prophet Hath an unchangeable Priest-hood saith the Apostle Ps 110.4 Heb. 7.24 A Priest established in his Dignity as master and Lord by virtue of his Son-ship not like unto the servants the Priests of Aaron's order Who when they entred into the most Holy place were not there to sit but otherwise to execute their office according to the order prescribed unto them by Moses Heb. 10 11 They stood as became servants saith the Apostle ministring before the Lord. But Jesus Christ when he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever and according to the Law entred into the holy place to finish the Atonement Sat down on the right hand of God noting the perpetuity of his office according to the dignity of his person and that he ever liveth which was not possible for any other to do to make intercession Dan. 7.14 Mach. 4.7 His Throne in like manner is for ever and ever His Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth throughout all Generations No Salvation then to be expected for ever Act 4.12 but onely by him No other Name under Heaven given among men from the beginning of the world to the end of it whereby we must be saved For before him as he saith of himself there was no God formed Es 43 10 or rather as it may be rendred nothing formed of God for any such purpose as to be a Saviour Ec. 2.12 Ps 145.11 12. neither shall there be after him What alas can the man do that cometh after the King What He may speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom But to imitate him in his power and his mighty Acts or to compare with him in the Majesty of his Kingdom would not onely be a contempt cast upon his Crown and Dignity but an utter impossibility and a meere vanity for men or angels to attempt it They poor Creatures being infinitely unfit and unworthy must let that alone for ever and they that will expect it of them will finde it to be folly
therefore hath God made choice not of the Object but the Act of faith to be imputed to us for our Justification There is indeed a lenitive cast in to qualifie the sharpness of this corroding and poisonous errour graunting faith not to be the meritorious cause of Justification But why then is the Lord Jesus Christ the Object of our faith so plainly shut out from having any part at all in this matter and why are we told that where it is said we are justified by faith it is not to be taken Tropically and Metonymically for the Object as many Orthodox Writers do interpret it whom I could set in opposition to those that are mustered up for the defense of this Errour if they have at least given that suffrage unto it as is pretended yea and why is such an inference derived from the Apostles frequent magnifying of faith Rom. 4. as to say the Holy Ghost had not bound himself so precisely to those words and syllables viz. of justification by faith if he had not meant to give this Honour unto faith it self but rather to some other thing as it is most uncomely called which faith laieth hold upon Alass alass that any who pretend to have a share in the merits of Christ should in this manner detract from his Glory did the Lord Jesus Christ himself Bear our sins in his own body on the Tree yea become sin for us that his righteousness might be imputed unto us and according to the appointment of his Father be made glorious in our justification and shall not the travel of his Soul be his peculiar satisfaction what is faith it self become false to the justling of Christ out of his Throne whose office it is and ever hath been to advance and promote his Crown and Dignity or rather is not the hand of Joab I meane the malice of the Devil as I said before evidently to be seen going along in this matter In vain it is for any man living to make a flourish and to boast of a constant adherency to the Protestant Profession notwithstanding the fury of late persecutions when there is such a manifest agreement avouched with Rome in this particular viz. of justification by works It seems by common report that the Authour of the Book called Theologia Veterum is of late deceased nevertheless what is here written may stand as an antidote to preserve others from the infection of these postilent errours which if there were nothing else to work in the hearts of those that are faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ a loathing of that Anti-christian Synagogue this alone were enough to cause an everlasting separation But I have done and do be think my self what I have done how I have raised up some spirits that may possibly be thought not to be easily laid again whereas my hope is they are rouzed to give Glory to God in consenting to what is written Nevertheless so long as I have Truth on our side I shall not be afraid though an Hoste of adversaries how Potent soever they may prove to be did rise up against mee It is not God knoweth out of any unbeseeming contempt or disrespect of any Person that I have medled in this controversy Learning I do reverence wheresoever it is as much as any shall onely I do wish that it may not be used as a Weapon to fight against Jesus Christ But floreat Veritas Ruat Coelum Let the World go which way it will with me I cannot I dare not betray the Truth by a sinful silence when so fair an opportunity of vindicating it is presented unto me I must confess there hath been in this particular some small digression for having an Errour in chase it hath made me go beyond my bounds But we shall return and take into consideration the second Period of Time here mentioned in the Text with a reference unto this third interpretation of it Consider what hath been said and let us pray that the Lord may give unto us a right understanding in all things CHAP. II. Sheweth the meaning of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to day as it is rendred in the Text according to our Third Interpretation and treateth also of Christ's Oeconomy therein Proposition JESUS CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same or the onely Hee to Day Now herein also two things are to be considered by us First The Denomination of Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly What is predicated of that Time viz. Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to Day First the Denomination of the Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. mansuetus ad differentiam noctis quae immitis â—orrida est to Day from whence we may collect The Time of the Gospel is a time of light The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying it which the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not The text we see calleth it a day and it is light we know that formeth the Day without which it vanisheth and cometh to nothing A Day then it is and a light-some day A day which the Lord hath made even the Lord our Light and our Righteousness the Path of that just one having from the beginning been as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day A glorious day wherein is concluded the light of Yesterday For as the light which for the three first dayes of the Creation was dispersed through the Heavens it pleased God to gather and unite into one body of the Sun so that Light of Yesterday which was diffused through so many shadowes and Legal Ceremonies was at last complicated and folded up in Christ the Son of Righteousness who is now in this day of his Power like a strong man running his Race displaying his Beames distilling his Influences filling the Earth with knowledge even as the Waters covers the Seas But let us more particularly behold and see the Glory of this Light First the Light of this Day is the true Light 1 Joh. 2.8 as the Evangelist Saint John calleth it 1 Joh. 2.8 Not like unto that of old which was darkned with the shadowes of the Mosaicall Oeconomy but clear and manifest Lumen illuminans Joh 1.9 A Light that inlightneth every man that cometh into the World non illuminatum not inlightned by Moses or any man in the World Secondly It is a great Light overspreading the whole World shining out into all Nations making a day of Salvation unto all People There were two great Lights which God Created in the beginning the greater Light to rule the Day Gen. 1.16 and the lesser Light to rule the Night Answerably hereunto hath God ordained two great Lights for his Church the lesser Light to rule the time of the Law and the greater to rule the time of the Gospel and as the Evening did precede the Morning in the ordering of the natural
Day so was the Law before the Gospel in Reference unto this Day When therefore the Night is spent and the Day come we may conclude that a great Light greater then what was before hath appeared in the World and as it was foretold so can we say It is fulfilled The People that walked in Darkness have seen a great Light Es 9.2 they that dwell in the Land of the shadow of death upon them hath the Light shined so then it is a great Light Thirdly It is likewise a marvellous Light as Saint Peter calleth it 1 Pet. 2.9 Leading its followers into a knowledge that passeth knowledge either Humane or Angelicall So Zanchy interprets the Place Eph. 3.19 Revealing such things which Eye never saw nor Eare ever heard 1 Cor. 29. nor could have entred into any heart to conceive Marvellous to the Blessed Angels whose Glory and Crown though it be to be Angels of Light alwayes beholding the face of God in Heaven yet perceiving a Light here also in this Day of the Gospel Mat. 18.10 whereby they might come to have more experience of the manifold Wisdome of God they are said with much greediness of Speculation to stoop down and to gaze upon it Marvellous to the Children of the Day who are on all sides filled with Admiration of the glorious appearance of that shining Light which they constantly behold in the dispensations of Grace and wherein they conceive themselves ten thousand times happier then if they had the Glory of the world laid at their feet Marvellous also to the Children of this World it being the Astonishment of Nations that all their Projects and Attempts to put out the Light of this Day have ever been frustrated and blown away like the Spiders web for loe the powers of the Earth and the Gates of Hell were Assembled they passed by together they saw it and so they marvelled they were troubled and hasted away Ps 48.4.5 Ps 48.4 5. Veniunt vident vanescunt they come and see and vanish together Yea fourthly so invincible is the light of this day that all the powers of darkness shall never be able to extinguish it To illustrate this particular let us take into consideration the invincible nature of that light whatsoever it is which God who is the Authour of Lights hath set up among the Creatures in this World And to this purpose give me leave to intersert a very pithy and pertinent Meditation of an Anonymous Authour that I have met with in a late Writer which may lead us farther into the knowledge of the Light of this day we see and prove saith he by dayly Experience how powerfull and dreadfull a thing the darkness of the Night is for when it falleth it covereth and muffleth up the face of the whole World it obscureth and hideth the hue and fashion of all Creatures it bindeth up all hands and breaketh off all employments it arresteth and keepeth Captive all living Wights Men and Beasts that they must be still and rest there where it arresteth them yea it maketh them fearfull and faint-hearted full of fancies and much subject to frights It is of all other such a powerful and unconquerable Tyrant as no man is able to withstand And yet nevertheless it is not of that Might that it is able to overwhelme or to quench the least Light in the World For we see that the darker the Night is the clearer the Stars shine yea the least Candles-light that is lighted withstandeth the whole Night and not only suffereth not the darkness to cover or to smother and oppress it but it giveth Light also even in the midst of the Darkness and beateâ—h it back for some space and distance on every side of it So that which way soever it is borne or wheresoever it cometh there must Darkness depart and give place unto Light all the power and dreadfulness of it cannot help or prevaile ought against it And though the Light be so weake that it cannot cast Light far about or drive the Darkness far from it as in the sparkle of an hot Coale yet cannot the the Darkness cover or conceale and much less quench it but it giveth light to it self alone at least so that it may be seen afar off in the darke and it remaineth unconquered of the dark though it cannot help other things nor give light unto them Yea that that is yet more wonderful a rotten shining piece of wood which hath the faintest light that can be found yet remaineth invincible of all the power of darkness and the more it is compassed about with darkness the clearer light it giveth so little is darkness able to overcome or keep down any light but that it ruleth and vanquisheth and expelleth the darkness which else overwhelmeth and snareth and fettereth and putteth all things in fear Now if this natural light be so powerful and so able to prevail against the darkness of the night why should not the glorious light which now shineth in this day of the Gospel continue still in its Brightness notwithstanding all the attempts that are made by the Prince of Darkness and his Adherents to put it out Continue doubtless it shall and remain invincible to the end of the World Yea according to that measure and proportion of the darkness of errour which in sundry Generations is raised up to obscure and deface it It shall certainly encrease into a greater Glory And though this may carry with it the sound of a paradox in the ears of some people unacquainted with the ways of God yet it will be found to be a most certain truth because this day of the Gospel is not a day of small things of things to be despised of things easy to be reduced to a non-entity as if they never had been such as the designes of Men oftentimes to their shame prove to be but excellent things they are surpassing the comprehensions of Angels which are the fruit and ofspring of this day even the Arcana Coeli Magnalia Dei The secrets of Heaven and the great things of God things which many Prophets and righteous men in the generations of old have desired to see but could not are now clearly made known to the Church in this day which is therefore called the Day of the Lord's power Ps 110.3 Ps 10 3. Dies exercitus dies successus dies victoriae A day of assembling his armies that is his Apostles and Ministers to subdue the World A day wherein his mighty acts have appeared unto men and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom ruling in the midst of his enemies and making himself known to his Church not onely by the name of God Almighty but to be the faithful Jehovah giving such a being to all his promises as never could be the like in the Generations that were before and therefore whensoever any adverse power shall now rise up against him to hinder or interrupt him in the