Nature of Holinesse it must needs be very Beautifull In generall it consists in a Relation of conformitie as all Goodnesse save that of God doth for no Creature is so absolute as to have its being from it selfe and therefore its Goodnesse cannot consist in any thing which hath its originall in it selfe It is the Rule and End which denominateth the Goodnesse of any created thing that therefore which ought not to worke for its owne end ought not to worke by its owne Rule for he who is Lord of an end must needs be Lord of the meanes and directions which lead unto that end And this is indeed the ground of all sinne when men make themselves their owne will wit reason or resolutions to bee the spring and fountaine of all their actions Therefore sinne is called our owne wayes and the lusts of our owne hearts and our owne counsels because it is absolutely from our selves and hath no constituted rule to moderate or direct it Impossible it is for any Creature as it comes out of Gods hands to bee without a Law or to be an originall law unto it selfe for as hee who hath none over him cannot possibly be subject unto any Law in as much as a Law is but the declaration of a Superiours will what he requires to bee done and what he threatneth on default thereof to inflict so hee that is under the wisedome and ends of another must needs likewise bee subject to the Lawes which his will prescribes for advancing and compassing his owne ends who if he bee in his owne nature and ends most holy must needs be holy in the Lawes which he enacts By all which we may observe that Holinesse consisteth in conformity so that according to the excellencie of the patterne whereunto it referres so is the measure of its beautie to be conjectured And the patterne of our Holinesse is God himselfe Be you holy as your father which is in heaven is Holy Other Creatures have some prints and paths of God in them and so are all beautifull in their time but man had the image of God created in him his will was set up in our heart as a Law of nature most pure right holy good wise and perfect and that Law did beare the same relation to mans life as his soule doth unto his members to animate forme and organize every motion of the heart every word of the mouth every action of the soule and bodie according unto the will of God When after this man threw away this Image and God was pleased in mercy again to renue Holinesse in him he did it againe by another patterne or rather the same exhibited in another maner He made him then conformable to the Image of his Son the heavenly Adam who is himselfe the Image of the invisible God the expresse Character of his Fathers brightnesse a Sunne of righteousnesse a morning starre the light of the world the fairest of ten thousand so that compare Holinesse with the first originall draught thereof in Paradise the nature of Adam as it came new out of Gods fashioning or that with the Law of God written in his heart or that with the Holinesse of God of which it was a ray shining into the soule or that Image of God with it selfe in Christ the second Adam and every way Holinesse in its nature consists in a Conformity and Commensuration to the most beautifull things Thirdly if we consider some of the chiefe Properties of Holinesse wee shall finde it in that regard likewise very Beautifull First Rectitude and Vprightnesse sinceritie and simplicitie of heart God made man upright but they have found out many inventions that is have sought up and downe through many turnings and by-wayes to satisfie crooked affections It was Davids Prayer Make thy way strait before my face and it is the Apostles instruction Make strait paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way True Holinesse is a plaine and an even thing without falsehood guile perversenesse of Spirit deceitfulnesse of heart or starting aside It hath one end one rule one way one heart whereas hypocrites are in the Scripture called Double minded men because they pretend to God and follow the world And crooked men like the swelling of a wall whose parts are not perpendicular nor levell to their foundation Now rectitude sincerity and singlenesse of heart is ever both in the eyes of God and man a beautifull thing Secondly Harmonie and Vniformity within it selfe The Philosopher saith of a Iust man that he is like a Dye which is every way even and like it selfe turne it how you will it fals upon an equall bottome And so Holilinesse keepes the heart like its selfe in all conditions as a watch though all together it may bee tossed up and downe with the agitation of him that carrieth it about him yet that motion doth no way perturbe the frame or disorder the workings of the spring and wheeles within so though the man may bee many wayes tempted and disquieted yet the frame of his heart the order of his affections the governement of the spirit within him is not thereby stopped but holdeth on in the same tenour We know in the body if any part doe exceed the due proportion it destroies the beautie and acceptablenesse of the rest Symmetrie and fitnesse of the parts unto one another is that which commends a body Now Holinesse consisteth in this proportion there is in it an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exactnesse of obedience an equall respect unto all Gods Commandements an hatred of every false way an universall worke upon the whole spirit soule and body a supply made unto every joynt a measure dispenced unto every part not a grace due unto Christian integritie which is not in some proportion fashioned in a man Christ hath no Monsters begotten by his spirituall seed for Monsters are ever caused either by an excesse or by a defect of seed in the one case nature being overcharged is forc'd to labour that which remaines and will not be laid aside into some superfluous members and in the other for want of materials to leave her worke unfinished and destitute of some necessary parts But now first wee are to note that a man can have no superfluitie of Grace we can never have too much of that the fulnesse whereof we should labour to get and for the other danger wee know Christ hath a Residue of spirit to supply any defect and to make up whatsoever is away for the fashioning of Christ in us so then Holinesse fashioneth the whole man Hee that leaves any one faculty of his soule neglected or any one part of the Service or Law of God disobeyed I speake of a totall and constant neglect is undoubtedly an Hypocrite and disobeyes all Iam. 2.10 11. As David with a little stone slew Goliah because his forehead was open so can our enemie easily deale with us
AN EXPLICATION OF THE HVNDRETH AND TENTH PSALME WHEREIN The severall Heads of CHRISTIAN Religion therein contained touching the Exaltation of Christ the Scepter of his Kingdome the Character of his Subjects His Priesthood Victories Sufferings and Resurrection are largely explained and applied Being the Substance of severall Sermons preached at LINCOLNS INNE By EDWARD REYNOLDES sometimes Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford late Preacher to the foresaid Honorable Society and Rector of the Church of Braunston in Northhampton-shire LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Robert Bostocke and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Kings Head 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THOMAS LORD COVENTRY Baron of Ailsborough and Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England c. Most Noble Lord IT was the devout profession which Saint Austin once made of himselfe when speaking of the great delight which hee tooke in Ciceroes Hortensius as containing a most liberall exhortation to the love of wisdome without any bias or partiality towards sects he affirmeth that the heate of this his delight was by this onely reason abated because there was not in that booke to bee found the Name of Christ without which Name nothing though otherwise never so polite and elaborate could wholly possesse those affections which had beene trained to a nobler studie And Gregory Nazianzen that famous Divine setteth no other price upon all his Athenian learning wherein hee greatly excelled but onely this that hee had something of worth to esteeme as nothing in comparison of Christ herein imitating the example of S. Paul who though hee profited in the Iewish Religion above many others yet when the Sonne of God was revealed in him laid it all aside as losse and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus his Lord. The consideration of which sacred affections in those holy men together with the many experiences of your Lordships abundant favor hath put into mee a boldnesse beyond my naturall disposition to prefix so great a name before these poore pieces of my labours in Gods Church Other argument in this booke there is none to procure either your Lordships view or patronage than this one which that good Father could not finde in all the writings of Plato or Cicero that it hath that High and holy Person for the Subject thereof the knowledge of whom is not onely our greatest learning but our Eternall Life In this confidence I have presumed to present unto your Lordship this publike Testimony of my most humble duty and deep obligations for your many thoughts of favour and bounty towards me not in my selfe onely but in others unto whom your Lordships goodnesse hath vouchsafed under that respect to overflow The Lord Iesus our eternall Melchisedek meet your Lordship in al those honorable affaires which hee hath called you unto with the constant refreshment and benediction of his holy Spirit and long preserve you a faithfull Patrone of the Church which hee hath purchased with his owne blood and a worthy instrument of the justice honour and tranquilitie of this kingdome Your Lordships most humbly devoted Ed. Reynolds To the Reader CHristian Reader when I was first perswaded to communicate some of my poore labours to the publike my purpose was to have added unto those Treatises which were extant before so much of these which I now present unto thy view as concerneth the Elogies of the Gospell of Christ the instrument of begetting the life of Christ in us for little reason had I considering mine owne weakenesse the frequent returnes of that service wherein these pieces were delivered and the groning of the presse of late under writings of this nature to trouble the world a second time with any more of my slender provisions towards the worke of the Sanctuary in this abundance which is on every side brought in But finding that worke grow up under mine hand into a just volume and conceiving that it might bee both more acceptable and usefull to handle a whole Scripture together especially being both of so noble a nature and at first view of so difficult a sense as this Psalme is than to single out some verse and fragment by it selfe I therefore resolved once more to put in my Mite into the Treasurie of the Temple which though for no other reason may yet I hope be for this cause accepted because it beareth the Image and Inscription of Christ upon it Some passages therein are inserted which were delivered in another order and on other Scriptures and some likewise which were delivered in other places and on other occasions which yet being pertinent to the series of the discourse I thought might justly seeme as naturall parts and not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incoherent and unsuteable pieces Such errors as have escaped in the presse and the unfitnesse of some of the Titles of the Pages which in my farre absence from the presse while most of the booke was under it were ordered by others who attended upon it I shall desire thee courteously to passe by those greater slips which may haply perturbe the sense I have noted together So submitting my poore labours to thy favourable Censure and commending thee to the Blessing of God I rest E. R. A Table of the Contents CHrist Iesus the summe of Holy Scriptures Pag. 1 The Ordination of Christ unto his Kingdome 6 The Qualifications of Christ for his Kingdome 7 The Qualitie of Christs Kingdome 9 How the will is drawen unto Christ. 11 Subjection unto the Kingdome of Christ. 12 How Christ is a Lord to his people and to his fore-fathers 17 The right hand of God 22 Christs sitting at Gods right hand noteth 1 His glorious Exaltation 23 All strength from his exciting and assisting grace 25 2 His accomplishing all his workes on earth 29 3 The actuall Administration of his Kingdome 33 4 The giving of gifts unto men 34 The Arke how a Type of Christ. 35 How the Spirit was given before Christ and how after 37 The difference was in the Manner of his mission pag. 39. The difference was in the Subjects to whom hee was sent pag. 39. The difference was in the Measure of his grace in regard of knowledg p. 42 The difference was in the Measure of his grace in regard of strength p. 42 The Reason of the Spirits Mission How the Spirit is a comforter to the Church 43 1 By being our Advocate and how 44 2 By representing Christ absent to the soule 47 3 By a sweete and fruitfull illumination  4 By unspeakable and glorious joy 48 How the Spirit worketh this joy in the heart 49 By his Acts of Humbling By his Acts of Healing By his Acts of Renewing By his Acts of Preserving By his Acts of Fructifying By his Acts of Sealing Enmitie against Christ in all his Offices 56 Grounds of misperswasion touching our love to Christ 1 The countenance of Princes and publick Laws 59 2 The
glory or the glorious Gospell Christ the prince of life yea the Word of life and the Gospell the Word of life too Christ a Iudge and the Word of Christ a Iudge too The word which I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day Christ a Saviour and Salvation unto men Mine eyes have seene thy Salvation And the Gospell of Christ a Salvation too wee know saith Christ to the woman of Samaria what we worship for salvation is of the Iewes The force of the reason leads us to understand by Salvation the Oracles of God which were committed unto that people for out of them only it is that we know what and how to worship and this is not unusuall in holy Scriptures If the Word saith the Apostle spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord c Where we finde Salvation set in opposition to the Word spoken by Angels which was the Law of God or the ministerie of condemnation and therefore it must needes signifie the Gospell of Christ. Be it knowne unto you saith the Apostle to the unbeleeving Iewes that the salvation of God that is the Gospell of God as appeareth plainely by the like paralell speech in another place is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will heare it So the Apostle saith that the engraffed Word is able to save the soules of men All which and many other the like particulars note unto us That as Christ is the Power and Image of his Father so the Gospell is in some sort of Christ For which reason the Apostle as I conceive calleth the Gospel the Face of Iesus Christ God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Where is it that wee behold the glorie of God but in a glasse and what is that glasse but the word of God as S. Iames cals it Iam. 1.23 Christ is not pleased any other wayes ordinarily to exercise his power or to reveale his glory but in these ordinances of his which wee dispense Therefore hee walketh in his Church with a sword is his mouth and with a Rod in his mouth to note that hee giveth no greater testification of his strength than in the Ministery of his Gospell which is therefore sometimes called a sword a hammer a fire sometimes onely a savor of life and death to note the mighty working thereof that can kill as well by a sent as by a wound as well by a breath as by a blow To consider this point a little more distinctly This Power of the Gospell of Christ appeares in both those regards as it is a savor of life unto life and as it is a savor of death unto death Towards his Church who shall bee saved and towards his enemies who shall perish Many wayes is the Gospell of Christ and his Spirit a Rod of strength unto his Church First in their Calling and conversion from the power of Satan unto God Satan is a strong man and hee is armed hath a whole panoply and full provision of militarie instruments and which is a great advantage hath both the first possession and the full love of the hearts of men before Christ attempts any thing upon them And therefore that which pulleth a man from under the paw of such a Lion and forceth him away from his owne palace must needs bee much stronger than hee And therefore the Apostle commendeth the power of the word by this argument that it is a sword fit to overcome principalities and powers and rulers of the darknesse of this world and spirituall wickednesses in heavenly places Againe the old Man in our nature is a strong man too a Raigning King which setteth himselfe mightily against the word and will of Christ and cherisheth the disease against the remedie And by that likewise the Apostle commendeth the power of the Gospell that it is mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds and imaginations or fleshly reasonings When Christ still'd the windes and the Sea with but two words Peace bee still they were exceedingly amazed at his power and said one to another what manner of man is this that even the windes and the Sea obey him The conversion of a man is a farre greater worke than the stilling of the Sea that will bee sometimes calme of it selfe when the furie of the winde ceaseth The wicked indeed are like the Sea but not at any time but like a troubled Sea when it cannot rest The Sea wee know is subject unto severall motions An inward boyling and unquietnesse from it selfe its ordinary fluxes and refluxes from the influence of the moone many casuall agitations from the violence of the windes and from its owne waves one wave precipitating impelling and repelling another So are the hearts of wicked men by the foaming estuations and excesses of naturall concupiscence by the provisions and materials of sinfull pleasures by the courses of the world by the solicitations and impulsions of Satan by a world of hourely casualties and provocations so tempestuous that they alwayes cast out upon the words and actions of men mire and dirt Now in the dispensation of the word by the ministery of a weake man Christ stilleth the raging of this Sea quels the lusts correcteth the distempeâ—s scattereth the temptations worketh a smoothnesse and tranquillity of Spirit in the soule of a man Surely when this is done the soule cannot but stand amazed at its owne recovery and admire that wonderfull and invisible power which could so suddenly rebuke such raging affections and reduce them unto calmenesse and beauty againe What ailed thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest and thou Iordan that thou wert driven back yee mountaines that yee skipped like Rams and yee little hils like Lambes It is an expression of Gods power towards his people in their triumphall entrance into the Land of Canaan Wee may apply it to the conquest and possession which the word takes of the soules of men What ailed a man that hee was driven back from his owne channell and made suddenly to forget his wonted course what ailed those strong and mountainous lusts which were as immoveably setled upon the soule as a hill upon his base to fly away at the voice of a man like a frighted sheepe what ailed those smaller corruptions and intemperancies which haply had before lost their names and were rather customes and infirmities than sinnes to flie away like lambes from the word of Christ A man went into the Church with a full tide and streame of lusts every thicket in his heart every reasoning and imagination of his
dispensation toward one and other the giving of saving knowledge to one people and with-holding it from others was not grounded upon any preceding differences and dispositions thereunto in the people but onely in the Love of God The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to bee a speciall people unto himselfe above all people that are upon the face of the earth The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because yee were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you c. The Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse for you art a stiffe-necked people Your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood mold time and they served other gods There was no difference betweene them and the Gentiles from whom I gathered them Fiftly that the Gospell was hidden from others in God his owne will and counsell was the cause of it Hee forbad men to goe into the cities of the Gentiles neither were they to goe unto them without a speciall gift and commission The same Beneplacitum was the reason of revealing it to some and of hiding it from others Even so ô father for so it seemed good in thy sight If all these particulars bee true needs must we both admire the inscrutablenesse of Gods judgments towards the Gentiles of old for no humane presumptions are a fit measure of the wayes and severities of God towards sinners And also everlastingly adore his Compassions towards us whom hee hath reserved for these times of light and out of the alone unsearchable riches of his grace hath together with principalities and powers in heavenly places made us to see what is the fellowship of that great mysterie which from the beginning of the world was hidden in himselfe Thirdly in that the Lord doth send forth the Gospell of Christ out of Sion into the world wee may further observe that the Gospell is a Message and an invitation from heaven unto men For for that end was it sent that thereby men might bee invited and perswaded to salvation The Lord sendeth his Sonne up and down carrieth him from place to place he is set forth before mens eyes he comes and stands and calls knocks at their doores and beseecheth them to bee reconciled Hee setteth his word before us at our doores and in our mouths and eares He hath not erected any standing sanctuary or city of refuge for men to fly for their salvations unto but hath appointed Ambassadors to carry this treasure unto mens houses where hee inviteth them and intreateth them and requireth them and commandeth them and compelleth them to come into his feast of mercy And this must needs bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unsearchable riches of grace for mercy pardon preferment life salvation to goe a begging and sue for acceptance and very unsearchable likewise must needs bee the love of sinne and madnesse of folly in wicked men to trample upon such pearles and to neglect so great salvation when it is tendered unto them O what a heavy charge will it bee for men at the last day to have the mercy of God the humility of Christ the entreaties of his Spirit the proclamations of pardon the approches of salvation the dayes the years the ages of peace the ministers of the word the booke of God the great Mysterie of Godlinesse to rise up in judgement and to testifie against their soules Lastly in that the Gospell is sent from God the Dispencers thereof must looke unto their mission and not intrude upon so sacred a businesse before they are thereunto called by God Now this call is twofold Extraordinary by immediate instinct and revelation from God which is ever accompanied with immediate and infused gifts of this wee doe not now speake And Ordinary by imposition of hands and Ecclesiasticall designation Whereunto there are to concurre three things First an Act of Gods providence casting a man upon such a course of studies and fashioning his minde unto such affections towards learning and disposing of him in such Schooles and Colleges of the Prophets as are congruons preparations and were appointed for nurseries and seminaries of Gods Church It is true many things fall under Gods providence which are not within his allowance and therefore it is no sufficient argument to conclude Gods consent or commission in this office because his wisedome hath cast mee upon a collegiate education But when therewithall hee in whose hands the hearts of all men are as clay or wax to bee moulded into such shapes as the counsell of his will shall order hath bended the desires of my heart to serve him in his Church and hath set the strongest delight of my minde upon those kindes of learning which are unto that service most proper and conducent when measuring either the good will of my heart or the appliablenesse of my parts by this and other professions of learning I can cleerly conclude that that measure and proportion which the Lord hath given mee is more suteable unto this than other learned callings I suppose other qualifications herewith concurring a man may safely from thence conclude that God who will have every man live in some profitable calling doth not onely by his providence permit but by his secret direction lead him unto that service whereunto the measure of gifts which he hath conferred upon him are most suteable and proper And therefore secondly there is to bee respected in this Ordinary mission the meet qualification of the person who shall bee ordained unto this ministerie For if no Prince will send a mechanick from his loome or his sheers in an honorable Embassage to some other forraigne Prince shall wee thinke that the Lord will send forth stupid and unprepared instruments about so great a worke as the perfecting of the Saints and Edification of the Church It is registred for the perpetuall dishonor of that wicked King Ieroboam who made no other use of any Religion but as a secondary bye thing to bee the supplement of policie that he made of the Lowest of the People those who were really such as the Apostles were falsly esteemed to be the scumme and offscouring of men to bee Priests unto the Lord. Now the Qualities more directly and essentially belonging unto this office are these two Fidelitie and Abilitie The things saith the Apostle which thou hast heard of amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to Faithfull men who shall bee able to teach others also Wee are stewards of no meaner a gift than the Grace of God and the Wisedome of God that grace which by S. Peter is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold Grace and that wisedome which by S. Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifold wisedome of God Wee are the depositaries and dispencers of the most pretious treasures which were ever opened unto the
and to compose those differences thereabouts which doe so much perplex the world Secondly for those places which in their meaning are easie to be understood but in their excellent and high nature hard to be beleeved as all Articles of faith and things of absolute necessitie are in their termes perspicuous but in their heavenly nature unevident unto humane reason the office of the Church is not to binde mens consciences to beleeve these truths upon her authoritie for wee have not dominion over the faith of men neither are we lords in Christs flock and how shal any scrupulous minde which is desirous to boult things to the bran be secure of the power which the Church in this case arrogates or have any certaintie that this society of men must be beleeved in their religion who will allow the same honor to no society of men but thēselves But in this case the office of the Church is both to labour by al good means to evidence the credibility of the things which are to be beleeved to discover unto men those essentiall and intimate beauties of the Gospel which to spirituall mindes and hearts raised to such a proportionable pitch of capacitie as are suteable to the excellency of their natures are apt to evidence and notifie themselves and also to labour to take men off from dependance on their owne reason or corrupted judgement to worke in their heart an experience of the Spirit of grace and an obedience to those holy truths which they already assent unto with which preparations and perswasions the heart being possessed will in due time come to observe more cleerely by that spirituall eye the evidence of those things which were at first so difficult so then the Act of the Church is in matters of faith an act of introduction and guidance but that which begetteth the infallible and unquestionable assent of faith is that spirituall taste relish and experience of the heavenly sweetnesse of divine doctrine which by the ministery of the Church accompanied with the speciall concurrence of almighty God therewithall is wrought in the heart for it is only the Spirit of God which writeth the Law in mens hearts which searcheth the things of God and which maketh us to know them Thirdly for those places which are difficult rather to be obeyed than to be understood The worke of the Church is to enforce upon the conscience the necessitie of them to perswade rebuke exhort encourage with all authority Which should teach us all to love the Church of Christ and to pray for the peace and prosperity of the walls of Sion for the purity spiritualnesse power and countenance of the Word therein which is able to hold up its owne honour in the minds of men if it be but faithfully published we should therefore studie to maintaine to credit to promote the Gospell to encourage truth discountenance errour to stand in the gap against all the stratagems and advantages of the enemies thereof and to hold the candlestick fast amongst us to buy the truth and sell it not betray it not forsake it not temper it not misguize it not This is to be a pillar to put the shoulder under the Gospell of Christ. And surely though the Papists boast of the word and name of the Church as none more apt to justifie and brag of their sobrietie than those whom the wine hath overtaken yet the plaine truth is they have farre lesse of the nature thereof than any other Churches because farre lesse of the pure service and ministration thereof for in stead of holding forth the Word of life they pull it downe denying unto the people of Christ the use of his Gospell dimidiating the use of his Sacrament breeding them up in an ignorant worship to begge they know not what in all points disgracing the Word of truth and robbing it of its certaintie sufficiencie perspicuitie authoritie purity energie in the minds of men And this is certain the more any set themselves against the light and generall knowledge of the Word of truth the lesse of the nature of the Church they have in them what-ever ostentations they may make of the name thereof The last thing observed in this second verse amongst the regalities of Christ was Imperium his rule and government in his Church by his holy Word maugre all the attempts and machinations of the enemies thereof against it Rule thou in the middest of thine enemies that is Thou shalt rule safely securely undisturbedly without danger feare or hazard from the enemies round about their counsels shall be infatuated their purposes shall vanish their decrees shall not stand their persecutions shall but sow the bloud of Christ and the ashes of Christians the thicker they shall see it and gnash with their teeth and gnaw their tongues and be horribly amazed at the emulation and triumph of a Christians sufferings over the malice and wrath of men The kingdome of Christ is two-fold His kingdome of glory of which there shall be no end when hee shall rule over his enemies and tread them under his feet and his kingdome of grace whereby hee ruleth amongst his enemies by the scepter of his Word And this is the kingdome here spoken of noting unto us that Christ will have a Church and people gathered unto him by the preaching of his Gospell on the earth maugre all the malice power or policie of all his enemies Never was Satan so loose never heresie and darknesse so thicke never persecution so prevalent never the taile of the Dragon so long as to sweepe away all the Starres of heaven or to devoure the remnant of the womans seed The gates of hell all the policie power and machinations of the kingdome of darknesse shall never root out the Vine which the Father hath planted nor prevaile against the body of Christ. His Gospell must be preached till the worlds end and till then he will be with it to give it successe Though the Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers gather together against the Lord and his Christ yet they imagine but a vaine thing and hee that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorne The grounds of the certainetie and perpetuitie of Christs Evangelicall Kingdome is not the nature of the Church in it selfe consider'd either in the whole or parts for Adam and Evah were a Church at first a people that were under the law of obedience and worship of God and yet they fell away from that excellent condition And the Prophet tels us that except the Lord had left a very small remnant the Church had beene all as Sodom and like to Gomorrah But the grounds hereof are First The Decree ordination and appointment of God Psal. 2.7 Acts 10.42 Hebr. 3.2 and wee know what ever men project the counsell of the Lord must stand Secondly Gods Gift unto Christ Aske of mee and I wil give thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. Ps. 2.8
temptation and infirmitie and so may be either in part the sin of another that tempteth us or at least not the sinne of our whole selves but of those remainders of corruption which dwel within us But our love is all our owne Satan can but offer a temptation the heart it selfe must love it and love is strong as death it worketh by the strength of the whole man and therefore ever such as the will is which is the seat of love such is the service too And the reason is First because the will is the first mover and the master-wheele in spirituall workes that which regulateth all the rest and keepeth them right and constant that which holdeth together all the faculties of the soule and bodie in the execution of Gods will In which sense amongst others I understand that of the Apostle That love is the bond of perfection because when love resideth in the heart it will put together every facultie to doe that worke of God perfectly which it goes about And therefore by a like expression it is called The fulfilling of the Law because love aimes still at the highest and at the best in that thing which it loves it is ever an enemie to defects He that loves learning will never stop and say I have enough in this likewise love is as death And he that loves grace will be still Ambitious to abound in the worke of the Lord and to presse forward unto perfection to make up that which is wanting to his faith to be sanctified throughout to bring forth more fruit to walke in all pleasing to be holy and unblameable and unreproveable without spot or wrinkle It is an absurd thing in religion to dote upon mediocrities of grace in eo non potest esse nimium quod esse maximum debet Hee that with all the exactnesse and rigour of his heart can never gather together all grace can surely never have too much In false religions no man so much magnified as he that is strictest that Papist which is most cruel to his flesh most assiduous at his beads most canonicall in his houres most macerated with superstitious penance most frequently prostrated before his idols is of all other most admired for the greatest Saint O why should not an holy strictnesse be as much honoured as a superstitious why should not exactnesse purity and a contending unto perfection be as much pursued in a true as in a false religion Why should not every man strive to be filled with grace since he can never have enough till hee have it all till he is brimme-full Hee that truely loves wealth would be the richest and he that loves honour would be the highest of any other certainly grace is in it selfe more lovely than any of these things Why then should not every man strive to be most unlike the evill world and to be more excellent than his neighbour to be holy as God is holy to be as Christ himselfe was in this world to grow up in unity of faith and in the knowledge of him unto a perfect man Certainely if a man once set his will and his heart upon grace he will never rest in mediocrities he will labour to abound more and more he will never think himselfe to have apprehended but forgetting the things which are behinde hee will reach forth to those things which are before him for all the desires of the heart are strong and will over-rule any other naturall desire The griefe of Davids heart made him forget to eat his bread The desire of Christs heart to convert the Samaritan woman made him carelesse of his owne hunger It is my meate to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke A true heart will goe on to finish the worke which it hath begunne The wicked sâ—eepe not saith Salomon except they have done mischiefe And the enemies of Saint Paul provided to to stop the clamors and demands of an empty stomack with a solemne vow that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had slaine Paul Lust never gives over till it finish sin and therefore the Love of Christ should never give over till it finish Grace Secondly because God is more honoured in the obedience of the will than of the outward man Humane restraints may rule this but nothing but Grace can rule the other for herein we acknowledge God to bee the searcher of hearts the discerner of secret thoughts the Iudge and Lord over our consciences Whatsoever ye doe saith the Apostle doe it heartily as to the Lord and not to men Noting unto us that a man doth never respect the Lord in any service which commeth not willingly and from the inner man Now he worketh in vaine and loseth all that he hath wrought who doth not worke for him who is master of the businesse he goes about and who onely doth reward it Therefore saith the Apostle Doe it heartily as to the Lord knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the Reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ. He onely is the pay-master of such kinde of worke and therefore doe it onely as to him so that he may approve and reward it Before I leave this point touching the willingnesse of Christs people here is a great case and of frequent occurrence to be resolved Whether those who are truely of Christs people may not have feares torments uncomfortablenesse wearinesse unwillingnesse in the wayes of God Saint Iohn in generall states the case There is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare Because feare hath torment 1 Ioh. 4.18 so that it seemes where there is torment and wearinesse there is no love for the cleering of this case I shall set downe some few positions First in generall where there is true obedience there is ever a willing and a free spirit in this degree at the least a most deepe desire of the heart and serious endevour of the spirit of a man to walke in all well-pleasing towards God a longing for such fulnesse of Grace and enlargement of soule as may make a man fit to runne the way of Gods Commandements Secondly where there is this will yet there may upon other reasons be such a feare as hath paine and torment in it and that in two respects First there may be a feare of Gods wrath the soule of a righteous man may be surpriz'd with some glimpses and apprehensions of his most heavie displeasure he may conceive himselfe set up as Gods mark to shoot at Iob 7.20 that the poisoned arrowes and terrors of the wrath of God doe sticke fast upon him Iob 6.4 that his transgressions are sealed up and reserv'd against him Iob 14.17 The hot displeasure of the Lord may even vexe his bones and make his soule sore within him Psal. 6.1 2 3. Hee may conceive himselfe forgotten and cast out by God surprized with fearefulnesse trembling and the horrour of death Psal. 13.1 Psal. 55.4 5.
to the wayes of grace as there is in any The consideration whereof may justly humble us in our reflexion upon our selves whom neither the promises of heaven can allure nor the bloud and passions of Christ perswade nor the flames of hell affright from our sinnes till the Lord by the sweet and gracious power of his holy â—â—irit subdue and conquer the soule unto himselfe If a man should rise from the dead and truly relate unto the conscience the woefull and everlasting horrors of hell if a mans naturall capacity were made as wide to apprehend the wrath fury and vengeance of a provoked God the foulenesse guilt and venome of a soule fuller of sins than the heavens of stars as the most intelligent divels of hell doe conceive them If an Archangell or Seraphim should be sent from heaven to reveale unto the soule of a naturall man the infinite glory of Gods presence the full pleasures of his right hand the admirable beauty of his wayes the intimate conformity and resemblance between his divine nature in himselfe the Image of his holinesse in the creature the unsearchable and bottomlesse love of Christ in his Incarnation and sufferings the endlesse incomprehensible vertue pretiousnesse of his bloud and prayers yet so desperately evill is the heart of man that if after all this God should not afford the blessed operation and concurrence of his owne gratious Spirit the revelation of his own arme and power upon the soule to set on those instrumentall causes it would be invincible by any evidence which all the cries and flames of hell which all the armies and hosts of heaven were able to beget There is no might or power able to snatch a man out of the hands of his sin but onely Gods Spirit Notable are the expressions which the holy Ghost every where useth to set forth this wretched condition of the heart by nature wilfulnesse and selfe-willednesse We will not hearken we will not have this man to raigne over us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many wils in one Rebellion and stubbornenesse stoutnesse of heart contestation with God and gain-saying his Word Impudence stiffenesse and hard-heartednesse mischievous profoundnes and deepe reasonings against the Law of God pertinacie resolvednesse and abiding in mischiefe they hold fast deceit obstinacie and selfe-obduration They have hardned their neckes that they might not heare Impotencie immoveablenesse and undocilenesse their heart is uncircumcised they cannot heare there is none that understandeth or seeketh after God scorne and slighting of the messages of the Lord where is his Word Where is the promise of his comming Incredulity and belying the Lord in his Word saying it is not he Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Wrestling resisting and fighting with the Word rejecting the counsell of God vexing and striving with his holy Spirit ye have alwayes resisted the holy Ghost Rage and fiercenesse of disordred affections despising of goodnesse trayterous heady and high-minded thoughts Brutishnes of immoderate lust the untamed madnesse of an enraged beast without any restraint of reason or moderation In one word a hell and gulfe of unsearchable mischiefe which is never satisfied It is impossible that any reasonable man duly considering all these difficulties should conceive such an heart as this to be overcome with meere morall perswasions or by any thing lesse than the mightie power of Gods owne grace To him therefore we should willingly acknowledge all our conversion and salvation So extremely impotent are we O Lord unto any good so utterly unprofitable and unmeet for our Masters use and yet so strongly hurried by the impulsion of our owne lust towards hell that no precipice nor danger no hope nor reward no man or Angell is able to stop us without thine owne immediate power and therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name onely be attributed the glory of our conversion Againe by this consideration we should be provoked to stirre up and call together all our strength in the Lords service to recover our mispent time to use the more contention and violence for the kingdome of heaven when wee consider how abundant wee have beene in the workes of sinne in the pursuing of vast desires which had neither end nor hope in them O how happie a thing would it be if men could serve God with the same proportion of vigour and willingnesse of mind as they served Satan and themselves before I was never tired in that way I went on indefatigably towards hell like a swift Dromedary or an untamed heifer I pursued those evill desires which had vanity for their object and misery for their end no fruit but shame and no wages but death But in the service of Christ I have a price before mee an abiding Citie an enduring substance an immarcescible crowne to fix the highest of my thoughts upon I have the promises of Christ to strengthen me his Angels to guard his Spirit to lead his Word to illighten me In one word I have a soule to save and a God to honour And why should not I apply my power to serve him who did reach forth his owne power to convert me A long way I have to goe and I must doe it in a spanne of time so many temptations to overcome so many corruptions to shake off so many promises to beleeve so many precepts to obey so many mysteries to study so many workes to finish and so little time for all my weaknesses on one side my businesses on another mine enemies and my sinnes round about me take away so much that I have scarce any left to give to God And yet alas if I could serve God on earth as he is served in heaven if I had the strength of Angels and glorified Saints to doe his will it would come infinitely short of that good will of God in my redemption or of his power in my conversion If God should have said to all the Angels in heaven there is such a poore wretch posting with full strength towards hell goe stand in his way and drive him back againe all those glorious armies would have beene too few to blocke up the passageâ— betweene sin and heâ— without the concurrence of Gods owne Spirit and power they could have returned none other answer but this we have done all we can to perswade and turne him but he will not be turned If then the Lord did put to his owne power to save me great reason there is that I should set my weake and impotent faculties to honour him especially since hee hath beene pleased both to mingle with his service great joy liberty and tranquillity here and also to set before it a full a sure and a great reward for my further animation and encouragement thereunto The fourth thing observed in this Verse was the attire wherein Christs people should attend
of sinnes for making compensation to the justice of God which had beene in sinne violated and to propitiate him againe So that in this regard a Priest was to be a middle person by Gods appointment to stand and to minister betweene him and men in their behalfe to be impartiall and faithfull towards the justice and truth of God and not to be over-ruled by his love to men to injure him and to be compassionate and merciful towards the errours of men and not to be over-ruled by his zeale to Gods justice to give over the care or service of them And such an High Priest was Christ zealous of his Fathers righteousnesse and glory for hee was set forth to declare the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.25 and he did glorifie him on earth by finishing the things which he had given him to doe Ioh. 17.4 Compassionate towards the errours and miseries of his Church for hee was appointed to expiate and to remove them out of the way Col. 2.14 Touching this Priest-hood wee will thus proceed First to enquire into the Necessitie we have of such a Priest Secondly what kinde of Qualifications are requisite in him who must be unto us such a Priest Thirdly wherein the Acts or Offices of such a Priest-hood doe principally consist Fourthly what is the Vertue fruits ends events of such a Priest-hood Fifthly what are the Duties which the execution of that office doth enforce upon us or what uses wee should make of it In these five particulars I conceive will the substance of most things which pertain unto the Priesthood of Christ be absolved For the first of these wee must premise this generall rule there can be no necessitie of a Priest in that sense which is most proper and here intended but betweene a guiltie creature and a righteous God for if man were innocent in his relations towards God hee would stand in no need of an Expiation and if God were unrighteous in the passages of mans sin there would not be due unto him any just debt of satisfaction This being premised I shall through many steps and gradations bring you to this necessitie of Christs Priest-hood which wee inquire into First every creature is unavoidably subject to the Creator for he made all things for himselfe and all is to returne that glory to him for which he made them Pro. 16.4 Rom. 9.21 And this subjection of the creature to the Creator doth suppose a debt of service to the will of the Creator Impossible it is and utterly repugnant to the quality of a creature not to be subject to some Law and indebted in some obedience or other to him that made it Omne esse is propter operari it is a certaine rule in creatures that God giveth every creature a Being to this end that it might put forth that being in some such operations as hee hath fitted it for and prescribed it to observe The most excellent of all creatures that excell in strength are Ministers to doe his pleasure and to heare his voice Psal. 103.20 21. and all the rest have their severall lawes and rules of working by his wisdome set them in the which they wait upon him and according unto which they move like Ezekiels wheeles by the conduct of an invisible Spirit and by the command of a voyce that is above them as if they understood the Law of their Creator and knew the precepts which they doe obey Ezek. 1.25 26. Psal. 104.19 No creature is for its selfe onely or its owne end for that which hath not its being of its selfe cannot be an end unto it selfe in as much as the end of every thing which is made is antecedent to the being of it in the minde and intention of him that made it The end of things is as a marke fixed and unmoveable in the purpose of the supreme cause the creatures as the arrow ordered by a most wife and efficacious providence some through naturall and necessary others voluntary and contingent motions unto one and the same generall end the glory and service of the Creator Secondly no creature is in its being or in any those operations and services which to God it owes intrinsecally and of it selfe immutable It is Gods owne peculiar honour to bee without variablenesse or shadow of changing Iam. 1.17 Mal. 3.6 There was a time when the Sunne stood still and moved backward and was filled with darknesse as with an internall cloud when the Lions have forgotten to devoure and the fire to consume and the Whales to concoct God can as he will alter the courses of nature let goe the reines and dispence with the rules which himselfe had secretly imposed upon the creatures to observe which shewes that they are not in themselves immutable That constancie which in their motions they observe is from the regular government of that most wise providence which carries them to their end without any turning Ezek. 1.17 but when his glory requires and his will commands it the mountaines tremble the sea cleaves asunder the rivers runne backe the earth opens the Lawes of nature stand still for a while without any execution as if they were suspended or repeal'd by him that made them and therefore in that place things are said to move by a voice which is above them namely by the command of the supreme cause Ezek. 1.24 25. Thirdly man being in his nature and formall constitution a reasonable creature was appointed by God to serve him after a reasonable manner out of judgement discretion and election to make choice of his way above all others as being most excellent and beautifull in it selfe and most convenient and advantageous unto man therefore our service is called a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 and David is said to have chosen the way of truth and the precepts of the Lord Psal. 119.30 and Moses to have chosen the afflictions of Gods people and the reproches of Christ before the pleasures of sinne or the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. And hence it is that Holinesse in the phrase of Scripture is called Iudgement he shall convince the world of judgement Ioh. 16.11 and he shall bring forth judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Noting that the Spirit of holinesse ruleth and worketh in the children of obedience by a way of reason and conviction therefore hee is called a Spirit of Iudgement Esay 4.4 And for this cause God did not set any over-ruling law or determinating vertue over the operations of man as of other creatures that so he might truely worke out of the conduct of judgement and election of will Fourthly there is no deviation from a reasonable service or true active obedience properly so called for the obedience of brutes and inanimate creatures is rather passive than active which hath not some intrinsecall pravity in it and by consequence some fundamentall demerit or obligation unto punishment for Guilt is the proper passion of sinne resultant out of it and therefore inseparable from
for executing condemnation upon the contumacious adversaries of the Gospell of Christ amongst the Gentiles as in the great victory of Gog and Magog Ezek. 39. Some by Gentiles understand all Enemies both spirituall and earthly Hee shall fill the places with dead Bodies That notes both the swiftnesse of the victory and the greatnesse of the victory That it shall bee so generall and so speedy that the enemie shall have either none left or they that are left shall not bee able nor have leasure to bury their dead Bodies Ezek. 39.11 He shall wound the head over divers Countries That is either the principall of his enemies every where or Satan who is the God of the World that ruleth as Head over the Children of disobedience in all places Or Antichrist the Head of nations the chiefe of Gods enemies Revel 13.7 8.14.8.17.15.18 The Lord at thy right hand According to the two-fold Apostrophe before mentioned here are two observations which I will but touch First that God the Father is worthy to have all the power Majesty and judgement which hee hath given to his Sonne our Mediator for our protection salvation and defence most thankfully and triumphantly acknowledged to him We finde our Savior himselfe praising God in this behalfe that hee had delivered all things into his hand even power to make Babes beleeve on him Matth. 11.25.27 And this S. Paul is frequent in namely in praising and glorifying God for Christ. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee c. I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.25 1 Tim. 1.16 17. All the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen to the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.19 20. Hee gave himselfe for our sinnes that hee might deliver us from this present evill world according to the will of God and our Father to whom bee glory for ever and ever Amen Gal. 1.4 5. Every tongue must confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Phil. 2.11 And reason there is that it should thus bee acknowledged to the Father because hee hath all his Kingdome and power in the Church from the Father All power is given unto mee Hee hath given him a name above every name and this the Sonne hath revealed to us that so hee might manifest the name that is get glory to his Father thereby Ioh. 17.6 7. For in Christ it was God that reconciled the world to himselfe Secondly hee hath it all given unto him in our nature in our behalfe and as our head so that wee in the gifts of God to him were onely respected and therefore wee have reason to praise God for them It was not indeed given to him strictly for it was not to him Beneficium but Onus an office but not a benefit but to him for us or to us in and by him In all the victories deliverances refreshments experiences of Gods power and goodnesse wee must ever remember to praise God in and through his Sonne to acknowledge the power of his right hand which is not now against his Church but against the enemies of his Church For therefore the deliverance of his Church is ascribed to Gods Right hand because hee hath there one to plead to intreat to move his right hand in our behalfe Therefore in all our distresses in all conflicts and temptations wee must by faith looke up unto Gods right hand put him in remembrance of that faithfulnesse righteousnesse atonement and intercession which is there made in our behalfe There wee shall have matter enough to fill our mouths and hearts with praises and triumph and rejoicing in him It is Christ who is at the right hand of God who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Rom. 8.34 35. Here are two arguments of the Churches safety and triumph The Love of Christ and the Honor of Christ. Hee loveth all his to the end But what good can love doe without power Therefore hee that loveth us is exalted by God and hath all power given him for this purpose that his love may doe us good In the conflicts of my corruptions which are an adversary too wise too subtile too numberlesse for mee to vanquish I may yet when I am driven to Pauls extremity rest in his thanksgiving and looking up to Iesus who will be the finisher of every good worke which hee beginnes and seeing him at Gods right hand may triumph in the power and office which God hath given to his Sonne there which is to subdue our iniquities and to sanctifie us by his Truth and by that residue of Spirit which he keepeth for the Church Ioh. 17.17 19. for that Prayer is a Modell as it were and counterpane of Christs Intercession for saith he I come to thee and speake these things in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in them ver 13. that is that they having a specimen and forme of that Intercession which with thee I shall make for them left upon publike record for them to looke on and there finding that their sanctification is the businesse of my sitting at thy right hand may in the midst of the discomforts and conflicts of their corruption have a full joy and triumph in the honour which thou hast given me I am beset with the temptations of mine enemies and persecutions for the Name of Christ In this case I may give God praise for the power which hee hath given to his Sonne I may from mine enemies appeale unto Gods right hand I may like Stephen when the stones and buffets are about my soule looke up by faith see there my Captain standing up in my defence Act. 7.55 I may acknowledge unto God the power given unto his Sonne that though nothing of all this fall upon me without his provision and permission yet sure I am that he hath power and mercy in his right hand that though mine enemies were as strong as a combination and armie of kings yet the Lord at his right hand hath from him in my behalfe received power enough to strike through kings when the day of his wrath is come Note secondly Christ is at the right hand of his people present with them and prepared to defend them from all their enemies present by his Spirit to strengthen comfort and uphold them enabling them to glory and rejoyce in all their sufferings as knowing that they are but for a moment and that which is needfull to purge their faith and to make them beare their shame 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Iam. 1.2 3. Esai 27.8 9. and to glorifie the consequent power of Christ which shall bee revealed to their joy 1 Pet. 4.13 when hee will recompence double to us in mercy and to our enemies in severity Esai 54.7 8.61.7 present by his mighty power and by his Angels to rescue deliver and protect them to bee as a wall of fire as a shield a buckler a rocke a Captaine to his people