that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Like him in Glory When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory Col. 3. 4. Thus is Iesus Christ fitly resembled by the Sun in regard of his illuminating property being fons luminis the fountaine of all light inlightning all that are inlightned in what kind so ever 2 And inlightning hee also enliveneth quickneth This doth the Sun in a naturall way it quickneth vegetables hearbs and plantes and trees and some other creatures which seeme dead in the winter yet by the returne of the Sun they are quickned in the spring And the like doth Iesus Christ in a supernaturall way Hee quickneth men Thence called their life in that place last mentioned When Christ who is our life shall appeare Col. 3. 4. Quickning them and that both in their soules and Bodies Their soules The Son quickneth whome he will Ioh. 5. 21. This doth he here to the soules of men Finding them dead in trespasses and sins Chap. 2. 1. hee quickneth them Which he doth by sending his spirit into their hearts as the Sun quickneth the hearbs and plants by sending his warme beames into the bosome of the earth And as the soules so the Bodies of men Having quickned the soules of his elect here he shall quicken their Bodies hereafter This is the Fathers will who hath sent me saith our Saviour that of all that he hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day Ioh 6. 39. And this shall he doe by the same spirit So the Apostle tels his Romanes C. 8. 11. If the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodyes by his spirit that dwelleth in you That spirit of Christ which here quickneth the souls of his elect in the first resurrection shall by the like power also quicken their bodies in the second Upon which double account he is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Quickning spirit 1. Cor. 15. 45. The last Adam was made a quickning spirit The last Adam Iesus Christ who is the head and roote of all his elect as the first Adam was of all mankind he is ordained by God to be the fountaine and Author both of a spirituall and Eternall life unto them quickning them by the Communication of his spirit unto them quickning their Souls here and Bodyes hereafter Thus is he as the Sun vivifiying quickning 3. Quickning he also cheareth and comforteth This doth the Sun which is as it were the Ioy and comfort of the world without which there is nothing but melancholie darkness and sadness Such is Iesus Christ the joy and comfort of his Church The Consolation of Israel as he is stiled Luk. 2. 25. refreshing chearing comforting the hearts of his people Even as the Sun by the warm beams of it cheereth and refresheth the herbes and plants making them lift up the head which drooped before Even thus doth this Sun of righteousnes arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. Comforting the hearts of his people chearing up their drooping and dejected spirits comforting them I even I am he that comforteth you saith the Lord Christ to his people Isai. 51. 1. This is the proper office of Iesus Christ as the same Prophet sets it forth Isai. 91. 1. 2. The spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for asshes and the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of gladness for the spirit of heavines Even as the Sun arising upon the earth putteth a new garment upon it instead of that sable mantle of darkness wherewith it was covered it put on it a robe of â—ight and so alters the habit of it making all things chearfull and comfortable So doth Iesus Christ coming to a dejected soule he causeth light to shine forth into it even the light of spirituall joy and comfort so changing and altering the state of it Which also he doth by his spirit Even as the sun whilst the body of it is in heaven yet by sending downe its beames it cheareth and comforteth those creatures which are here below Thus doth the Lord Iesus though he be in person in heaven yet by sending his spirit he comforteth the hearts of his people That is the Promise which he maketh unto his Apostles when he was to take his leave of them as to his bodily presence yet he would not leave them comfortles Ioh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you viz. by his spirit Even as the Sun though at a vast distance from the earth yet daily cometh to it viâ—iteth it by sending down his beams upon it Thus â—he Lord Iesus though keeping his residence in heaven yet he cometh to his people upon earth by sending his Spirit to them which is their Comforter When the Comforter is come whom I wil send unto you even the spirit of truth c. Ioh. 15. 26. 4. Againe Thus chearing the hearts of his people he also maketh them to fructifie So doth the Sun to the earth to trees and plants by â—hining upon them it maketh them beare fruit which otherwise standing in the shade would be barren What ever fruites the earth bringeth forth it may thanke the Sun for it And thus the Lord Iesus by sending his spirit into the hearts of his people he maketh them fruitful who otherwise without him would be barren as he himself setteth it forth fully Ioh. 15. 4 c. By this meanes they who of themselves are not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 3. 9. come to abound in good workes and to be filled with the fruites of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ to the Praise and Glory of God as the same Apostle prayeth for his Philippians Phil. 1. 11. Which fruits are the fruites of the spirit so called Gal. 5. 22. 5. To which I might yet add As he causeth them to fructifie so also he purifieth them Thiâ— doth the Sun rising upon the earth it clarifieth purifieth the ayre freeing it from those annoyances which in the night season had fallen upon it And this doth the Lord Iesus rising upon the heart of his people by his spirit he purifieth them Thence compared to a refiners fire Mat. 3. 2 3. But I shall not give way to further inlargments Thus you see how Iesus Christ is as the Sun to his Church performing the like office to his people that the Sun doth to the world I might yet goe on and shew you how he is
with him Being made one with him they come to participate of what is in him Now this Union is by and through faith Hereby Christ cometh to dwell in the soule That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. And dwelling there he communicates and giveth forth this quickning spirit to beleevers whereby they come to live Thence saith the Apostle of his newe life The life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely in the faith that is in the hope and assurance of obtaining eternall life which Christ hath promised as Grotius expounds it but by the faith this being the instrumentall cause of that life which he then lived Being by faith United unto Christ he came to be made partaker of that new life whereof Christ was the roote and spring even the life of grace And in this way seeke you this life Being convinced that by nature you are dead dead in trespasses and sins and so unable to doe any thing as of your selves towards your quickning come unto Iesus Christ that you may have life from him never giving rest unto your soules untill you finde this newe life begun in them that you can say with the Apostle Now we live And having received a Principle of Spiritual life from Iesus Christ then looke unto him both for the preserving and increasing of it Both these doth the Sun to the plant having quickned the seede it maintaineth that life and increaseth it untill it come to full maturitie and perfection And for both these looke we unto this Sun of righteousness the Lord Iesus that having received such a principle of Spiritual life from him we may through the continued efflux of that Spirit of his have that life preserved and maintained in us which otherwise of it self is ready to dye And not only maintained but increased I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly saith our Saviour speaking of his Elect all true beleevers Ioh. 10. 10. that is that that spiritual life which they have received from me may alwayes increase in them untill it come to its perfection till grace be swallowed up of glory This benefit have beleevers by Christ. He being the Authour he is also the finisher of their faith as the Apostle describeth him Heb. 12. 2. And so of all other graces And therefore looke we up unto him for this every day as it were fetching new life from Iesus Christ. This doth the plant Drooping in the evening in the morning it receiveth a new life from the Sun to which lifting up the head it looketh And thus doe we feele any decaying or weakness of grace looke we up unto the Lord Iesus who is full of grace as Saint Iohn saith of him Ioh. 1. 14. As full of grace as the Sun is of light To him lift we up our heads looking unto him by faith that so of that his fulness we may receive grace for grace which the same Apostle there saith all true beleevers do verse 16. One grace after another and one degree of grace after another until we shal have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces answerable and in some measure proportionable to those graces that are in Christ and in the end for the grace of free Iustification receive the grace of Eternal Glorification as that Text is by some expounded Here is the second of these Operations 3. The third is Chearing Refreshing This operation hath the Sun upon hearbes and flowers And the like hath Iesus Christ upon the hearts of his people He is their Comforter And here seeke we our Consolations Not from Creatures which what ever they be are but like the Stars which though they be many yet they give but a dim light Such and no better is the Comfort which the Creatures are able to yield Though a man be surrounded with never so great a conflvence of them yet is it but a poore comfort which they are able to afford him If the Sun be absent it is night for all the Stars And so is it with the soule what ever other comforts it enjoyeth without Christ it is but in a sad condition And so it will be found when God cometh to open the eye of it so as to make a man truly apprehensive of it Now for all those sparkes he seeth himselfe in the darke And therefore thinke not to derive true comfort from them Nor yet from any thing in our selves our owne Righteousness our owne graces or works what ever we have done or can doe The Lord speaking by the prophet Isaiah to the Jews concerning their false-confidences Isai. 50. last Behold saith he all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparkes walke ye in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that ye have kindled This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye downe in sorrow They hearing the Iudgements of God denounced against them by the Prophets comforted themselves with their vaine apprehensions that they should escape those evils by their own wit and policie their Artes and Inventions These were the sparkes which they compassed themselves about with seeking comfort from them Even as men in a cold wet winter season gather sticks and make a fire of them to warme themselves with But what saith the Lord This shall ye have at my hand ye shall lye down in sorrow What ever they fondly flattered themselves with they should find this in the end that notwithstanding all those false fires they should wander in the darke meeting with nothing but perplexity and confusion in the end And no better may they expect and looke for who seeke for comfort from any thing in themselves from their own good workes workes of righteousness or holiness which they have done trusting in them and resting upon them let them looke to lye down in sorrow in the end They who shall make a fire of these sticks to warme themselves by may well expect the like event to that which happened to Paul from that fire which he having gathered a bundle of sticks made to warme himselfe withall after his shipwrack out of which there came a Viper and seazed upon him Act. 28. 3. Such will be the issue of those false confidences which men place in and comfortes which they take up from their owne workes without Christ they will prove dangerous and if not shaken off deadly to them And therefore renouncing our selves with all sublunary comfortes as to any trust and confidence in them seeke we the warmth of comfort from this Sun from the face of Iesus Christ. Here is the fountaine of all true Consolation If there be any consolation in Christ saith Paul to his Philippians Phil. 2. 1. Supposing that to be the choicest cheefest consolation And so it is Even as the warmth of the Sun excelleth the warmth of
of the mouth of Jesus Christ his word it hath a double yea a contrary operation being both a killing and a qâ—ickning word Both these doth the Lord in a literal sense The Lord killeth and maketh alive saith Hannah in her song 1 Sam. 2. 6. And both these doth the Lord Jesus in a Spiritual sense and that by his word So the Apostle setteth forth the two-fold property of it 2 Cor. 3. 6. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life The letter The letter of the Law which is litera occidens a killing letter in as much as it requireth part from man which in his now corrupted estate he is no wayes able to perform and so is a sword at his heart giving him a deadly wound Whence it is that is called in the verses following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministerie or Ministration of death vers 7. and in the 9 th verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministration of condemnation Because it layeth men under the sentence of eternal condemnation Such is the Ministery of the Law But now the Spirit and the Ministery thereof in the preaching of the Gospel that giveth life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it quickneth maketh alive First putting a new life into a dead soul raising it up from the death of sin to the life of holinesse to the life of grace here and glory hereafter Whence it is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of life Phil. 2. 16. And then reviving and chearing it with the sweet promises thereof Thy word hath quickned me saith David Psal. 119. 50. Thus hath the Word like a two edged sword a double and contrary operation upon the soul. And so it hath to prosecute this point yet a a little further both upon different subjects and upon the same First In different subjects or persons it hath a different opperation So it hath upon beleevers and unbeleevers Elect ones and Reprobates Working upon both but in different yea contrary waies This the same Apostle setteth forth most clearly in the chapter there foregoing 2 Cor. 2. 15 16 For we saith he speaking of himself and other Gospel Ministers are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Their service in preaching of the word is acceptable unto God through Christ though it do not produce the same effect in those that hear them but have a contrary work according as it needeth with different subjects So it followeth To the one we are a savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life Such contrary smels and savours there are in nature as Grotius notes upon it some poysonous and deadly as of those Lakes Avernus and Asphalties others again so recreating and refreshing that being put to the nose they will revive the spirits of a fainting person And of such a contrary operation is the sword in the preaching of it Meeting with persons of different dispositions it is to the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the one a sweet savour a savour of life So is it to Gods Elect to whom believing it it is made the power of God to their salvation as the same Apostle elsewhere saith of it Rom. 1. 16. A savour of life unto life quickening them up as I said before to the life of grace here and glory hereafter But on the other hand to unbelivers it becometh a savour of death unto death A deadly savour Not that the Gospel is so of it self being in its own nature as I said even now the word of life but accidentally it becometh so to them through their rejecting of it Now it is to them not onely an occasion but a cause of their just and greater condemnation Even as it is with the Proclamation of a Prince which he maketh to his rebellious subjects wherein he maketh offer not onely of pardon but of grace and favour to those that will lay down their armes and forthwith come in shewing themselves loyal and obedient but on the other hand threatneth extremity of punishment to those that shall yet stand out This Proclamation with the same breath breatheth both life and death Life to those which will hearken to it which is the proper end and intent of proclaiming it but death to those that oppose themselves against it Even so it is with the Evangelicall Proclamation the Doctrine of the Gospel it preacheth life and death after the same manner Life to penitent believers who readily accept the offers of grace and mercy there tendered Death to obstinate and rebellious sinners who reject them Thus is Iesus Christ who is the proper subject of the Gospel according to Simeons Prophesie at his Birth Luk. 2. 34. Behold saith he this childe is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Even as the same Star as our new Annotators glosseth upon it is at the same time both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both morning Star and evening Star To some the morning Star bringing the light and day to them To others the evening Star bringing darknesse and night Thus is the Lord Iesus that Star of Jacob being held forth in the Gospell to some those that believe on him he is what he calls himsel Rev. 22. 16. The bright morning Star bringing to them the light and day of Grace here and Glorie hereafter But to others such as reject him will not receive him as their Saviour and Lord as the evening Star bringing to them a night of everlasting darknesse Such is the different and contrary operation of the word upon different persons 2. And in the second place such is the operation of it in and upon the same Persons A different nay a contrary operation So it hath in and upon Gods Elect upon all true believers of whom it may be said not onely that they were dead and are alive This my sonne was dead and is alive again saith the Father of his Prodigall sonne being returned home Luke 15. 24. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins saith Paul of his believing Ephesians Eph. 2. 1. But also that they are dead and alive both at the same time So that the Apostle tels his Romanes Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God And both these they are the effects of the word Which first killeth them which it may be said to do two wayes First by showing them their naturall state which is a state of death Such effect it had in and upon the Apostle as he sets it forth Rom. 7. 9. I was alive without the Law once but when the â—ommandment came sin revived I died Whil'st he was a Pharisee he thought well and highly of himself that he was in a happy condition he apprehended himself to be in perfect health as
He will fight against them with the sword of his mouth executing upon them those judgements which he hath threatned in his word Temporal or Eternal It may be temporal Thus is he said to slay the Isralites with the words of his mouth in that place forecited Hos. 6. 5. And thus shall he go forth against Antichrist and his party as you have it set forth Revel 19. 15. Out of his mouth goeth a sharpe sword that with it he should smite the Nations Thus shall the Lord Jesus execute upon that grand enemy of his that man of sin and his adherents the judgements denounced and threatned in his Word And thus let all obstinate and rebellious sinners fear lest Jesus Christ whose Word they now contemn should thus come forth against them here thus fighting against them with the sword of his mouth executing upon them Temporal judgements But if not so yet let them know there is a judgement to come which they shall not escape even that last and Eternal judgement And then shall they both see and feel this sword coming out of the mouth of Iesus Christ when they shall hear that terrible sentence put out of his mouth As for those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me as you have it Luk. 19. 27. O how will this sword then pierce through their soul Now thus knowing the terrour of the Lord as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5. 11. taking notice of this sharpe two edged sword going out of the mouth of Jesus Christ the refore we perswade men and that it might take place with all you that hear it that they would stand in awe fearing before him Fourthly And thus standing in awe of his Person now hear and receive his word Receiving it from the mouth of his Ministers The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth saith the Prophet Malachy Mal. 2. 7. And this let the people do seek the Law of Christ at the mouth of his Ministers Receiving it as his word Though spoken by man yet so have and receive it as coming from the mouth of Iesus Christ. So did those believing Thessalonians receive the word which came from Pauls mouth as he giveth testimony of them 1 Thes. 2. 13. When ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God And thus let the word which is spoken to you by the Ministers of Christ in his Name be heard and received not as their word but as his word as coming out of his mouth Fifthly And being so looked upon let it be heard and received with holy fear and trembling To this man will I look saith the Lord even to him that trembleth at my Word Isai. 66. 2. letting it into the heart labouring to find and feel effectual working of it upon your souls to find it there as it is here represented and set forth as a sharpe two edged sword First Pricking your hearts with Godly communication and contrition for sin Which who so have not in measure felt they may conclude they have not yet heard Iesus Christ speaking to them His word is a sword Secondly And thus pricking suffer it to pierce further even to the dividing a sunder of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and morrow making a full and thorow discovety of the frame and temper of your hearts and souls so as the secrets of your hearts may thereby be made manifest to your selves that you may be thorowly convinced of the corruption of your natures the lusts of your hearts and errour of your lives Thirdly Thus piercing labour also to find and feel the killing and mortifying property of it as in making you to see your selves dead men by reason of sin so in killing the body of sin mortifying all sinful and inordinate lusts in your souls Fourthly And thus feeling the killing labour also to find the quickning power of it This is the two fold operation of this two edged sword as I told you it both killeth and maketh alive Labour to feel this efficacy of it that whilest you are dead unto sin you may be alive unto God through Iesus Christ. Thus feeling the power of this sword of Jesus Christ the sword of his Word here yea shall then feel of that other sword of his the sword of judgement and vengeance which he is said to whet against all obstinate sinners Psal. 7. 12. and wherewith he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of every such a one as goeth on in his trespasses Psal. 68. 21. FINIS THE Mystical Sun In the Face of JESUS CHRIST And his Countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength HEre have we the last branch of this Description which our Evangelist and Apostle giveth of this Sun of Man which appeared unto him in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Iesus Christ in the midst of the Churches Wherein he giveth us an account of the most noble and principal part of his Body his Face his Countenance That ordinarily sheweth what the the man is And so it here did what this Son of man was No ordinarie person but one far surpassing all other of the Sons of men His face had a radiant Majestie in it such as never was seene in the Face of any mere man It was as the Sun as the Sun shining as the Sun shining in his strength Quest. And what was hereby represented and signified Ans. Here againe I finde different apprehensions among expositors 1. Some looking upon this as a representation of the glorie of the mysticall body of Iesus Christ his Church which is and shall bee Glorious here Thence are called the Glorie Isai. 4. 5. upon all the Glorie shall be a defence saith the Prophet speaking of Gods protection and his Church under the Gospell which is called the Glorie in as much as it is the habitation of the God of glorie as the Arke upon the same account also was called The glorie is departed 1 Sam. 4. 22. where he manifesteth his presence in the midest of his ordinances The Church glorious here much more hereafter As glorious in the Kingdome of grace so much more in the Kingdome of glorie where all the members of the misticall Bodie shall be made conformable to their glorious head when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glorie Col. 3. 4. And this glorious condition of theirs some looke upon as represented here by this glory in the face of Iesus Christ. 2. One and but one I meete with who in this glass fancies a representation of the splendor and glorie of the Roman Church which in regard of externall pomp and state must be acknowledged to be paramount for
to the estate of his soul. But the commandment coming the Law being brought home to his conscience now he died he felt this word as a sword wounding him to the heart giving a deadly wound to that his fals perswasion and making him to see himself a dead man in a state of sinne and death And such operation the Word hath upon all those whom God intendeth to manifest his grace upon They are in this sense first killed And then again the Body of sin is killed in them So as whilest they are dead as to themselves so they are also dead unto sinne as both Paul and Peter say of all regenerate persons Rom. 6. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. the Body of sinne having received a deadly wound in them which is also done by the Word which Iesus Christ maketh use of as his Sword to slay this old man with as his instrument in the mortifying of sinfull corruption And so again in quickning them in making them alive unto God and unto righteousnesse This is the able work of Jesus Christ who is the principall efficient in it The Sonne quickneth whom he will saith he of himself John 5. 21 But how doth he doe it why by his Voyce his Word So he explaineth himself verse 25. Verily I say unto you the houre is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that hear it shall live Thus did Christ quicken Lazarus body by his Voyce by his Word He cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth Iohn 11. 43 And thus shall he quicken the dead bodies of all men at the last day The houre is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his Voyce and shall come forth Iohn 5 28 His voice not the voyce of Christ himself immediately but of his Angel sounding the Trumpet at his command so the Apostle explains it 1 Thes 4 16 The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of an Arch-angel and the Trumpe of God The Archangel having received the watch word from Christ so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Grotius observes upon it is there rendred by Tertullian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in jussu he soundeth the Trumpet whereby they dead shall be raised from their graves And by alike means it is that dead souls are raised from the grave of sin by the voyce of Christ the trumpet of his word at his command sounded by the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Gospel Thus hath the word different and contrary operations as upon different so in and upon the same persons And upon this account it may fitly be represented as here it is by a two edged sword Thus you have seen the three first particulars moralized and opened unto you There is yet one behind which is no lesse considerable then any of the former And that is the sheathe from whence this sword is drawn which is here said to be the mouth of this Son of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword And so doth the word out of the mouth of Iesus Christ And that both Law and Gospel which are as I told you â—like the two edges of this sword Both these we shall find going out of the same mouth the mouth of Iesus Christ. So did the Law at Mount Sina He it was who there spake if not immediately by himself yet by his Angel This is he saith Stephen speaking of Moses who was with the Angel which spake to him in Mount Sina Act. 7 38. What Angel Why as it commonly looked upon the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Christ. This is he who then spake on earth as the Apostle hath it Heb. 12. 25. Whose voyce then shoke the earth as it followeth viz. at the giving of the Law Thus the Law came out of the mouth of Christ. And so doth the Gospel He it was that spake and by his Prophets under the Old Testament As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began saith Zacharias in his song Luk. 1. 70. It was not so much they as the Spirit of Christ in them which signified to them and by them what they foresaw and foretold as Saint Peter hath it 1 Pet. l. 11. And he it was that spake to and in and by his Apostles under the New Testament Paul blameth his Corinthians some of them for questioning seeking a proof of Christ speaking in him 2 Cor. 13. 3. And so he still speaketh in and by his Ministers who speaking in his name and delivering his mind are as it were his mouth Thou shalt be as my mouth saith the Lord to the Prophet Ieremy Jer. 15. 19. And thereupon it was that what the Prophets promised or threatned from God they tell the people the mouth of the Lord had spoken it Isai. 1. 26. 40. 5. c. viz. by them And as the Ministers of Christ are his mouth so the word spoken by them is his word the word of Christ. Let the word of Christ dwell in you saith the Apostle to his Collossians Col. 3. 16. And thus is this two edged sword said to go forth of the mouth of Iesus Christ. That which now remains is Application Which let it still be directed as the former first to Ministers then to People For the former Ministers Let them here see what sword it is that they are to make use of First But one sword It is looked upon as an impertinent Reply which some of the Apostles returned to their Lord and Master when notwithstanding what wars and weapons he had spoke to them of they tell him Ecce duo gladii Lord behold here are two swords Luk. 22. 38. And so much their masters reply imports who said unto them It is enough Thereby giving them to take notice that it was not bodily arms which he meant for so considering the enemies which they should have to encounter with many thousand swords had been too few But it was a wider Inference which that Bishop of Rome made from hence who laid this as a ground of that change which he made a double sword the Secular and Spiritual both to be welded by his hand This Son of man whose vicar that man of sin stiles himself shewing himself to Saint Iohn as the great Protector of the Churches appears but with one single sword Though a two edged sword yet but one sword Giving the Angels of the Churches his Ministers to take notice that they are to lay claime to no more But one sword And Secondly Let that be Gladius oris the sword of the mouth not of the hand not the secular sword leave that to the Magistrate into whose hand God hath put it But Spiritual Such are the weapons of their warfare as the Apostle will tell them 2 Cor. 10. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Take the Answere Affirmatively 1. Would wee see the face of Christ looke into the glass of the Gospel Here may we behold it both safely and clearly So may we behold the Sun which shining in his strength being excellens sensibile cannot be looked upon without indangering of the eye yet in a glass we may see it and that as I said both clearely and safely And thus behold we this Mysticall Sun the face of Iesus Christ in this glass the glass of the Gospel Here it was that Paul saith of himself and other beleevers of his time that they beheld this face 2 Cor. 3. last But we all with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord. And what Glass was this why the glass of the Gospell wherin Christians doe or may behold the glory of God shining in the face of Iesus Christ the glory of his mercy Iustice power goodness all manifested in by and through Christ And that with open face far more clearly then the Iewes did under the Lawe where this Mysterie of Christ was hid under the veile of Types and figures as the Arke was under its divers coverings And in this Glass behold we this Sun Here behold we the Mysterie of Iesus Christ as it is held forth unto us in the doctrine of the Gospel which acquaints us with his one Person two Natures three Offices His Incarnation Conception Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension sitting at the right hand of his father As also with the many and great benefits which he hath obtained for us as Redemtion Iustification Adoption Sanctification Glorification And withall shewing us the way and meanes whereby we may come to be made partakers of them so setting before us the whole mysterie of Christ which it doth most clearly and fully Insomuch that there is not a line as I may say in this face which is not here drawn forth to the life All of us then if we would have a view of the face of this Son of man looke into this Glass studie the doctrine of the Gospell the Hystorie the mysterie of it 2 Waite upon Christ in his ordinances When the Parents of our Saviour had sought him three dayes at length they found him in the Temple Luk. 2. 46. And here this Son of man sheweth his face in the midest of the Candlesticks Would we see the face of Iesus Christ seek him in his Ordinances in his publike worship and service Here is the face of Christ to be seene as I shewed you Seeke his face saith the Psalmist in that forecited Text Psal. 105. 4. Speaking of the Arke of the Covenant where God manifested his presence The like doth the Lord Iesus now in the midst of his Ordinances his Word his Sacraments There doth Christ shew his face unto his people communicating himselfe to them that seeke him in a gratious manner Here then seek we his face and that as the Psalmist there hath it Evermore Being constant in this our attendance upon the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. That so we may see him see him in his Sanctuary as David saith he did Psal. 63. 1 2. O God thou aâ—t my God early will I seeke thee My soule thirsteth for thee c. To see thy power and thy glorie so as I have seene thee in the Sanctuarie Here had David seene more of God then elswhere in his Sanctuary in his Ordinances And would we have a sight of Iesus Christ so as to see his face seeke it in his Sanctuarie in his Ordinances Where content not our selves to heare of him but labour to see him with our owne eyes Yea to feele him 2. That is the second Particular So seeke the face of Jesus Christ that we may feele it or feele of it Not contenting our selves with a bare simple intuition a mere speculative knowledg of Iesus Christ but labour also for an Experimentall knowledg of him This is that superexcellent knowledg which the Apostle speaketh of Phil. 3. 8. I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus Tò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that knowledg of Christ which is most excellent And what knowledg was that why not meerly a Contemplative but an Experimentall knowledg So he explains himselfe in the tenth verse That I may know him and the power of his resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not onely to know by what power it was that Christ was raised from the dead as Grotius there so dilately expounds it but to know it in an experimentall way to feele the power and vertue of Christs Resurrection working the like effect in and upon himselfe in raising up him from the death of sin to the life of Grace here and Glory hereafter This is the Excellent knowledg of Iesus Christ. And this let every of us looke after Not contenting our selves with the bare beholding of this Sun to see the glare and shine of it but labour to feele that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that strength that vertue wherewith it shineth To finde and feele Iesus Christ unto us unto our soules as the Sun is to the Earth To finde and feele his gratious and efficacious presence with us putting forth his power and vertue in us exercising the like Operations upon us that the Sun doth upon the Earth What those operations are I have alreadie showen you Let me now reflect upon them minding you of them againe Exhorting you to endeavour to find and feele every of them in and upon your own soules 1. The first is Illummination Inlightning This was the Alpha the first worke in the first Creation God said let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. 3. And so it is in the second the new Creation New creatures must have a new light Upon the account whereof they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons or Children of light Luk 16. 8. 1. Thes. 5. 5. Having beene somtimes darkness now they are light in the Lord. Eph. 58. Being called out of darkness into a marveilous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. And see that every of you be such Being coâ—vinced what by nature you are not onely darke but even darkeness it selfe wholy in the darke as to what concerneth your eternall happiness seeke after a new light that you may be inlightned that you may see a light shine forth unto you This was the preparative to Peters inlargment The Angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison Act. 12. 7. And so it was to Paules Conversion There shinned round about him a light from heaven Act. 9. 3. And the like course God taketh with all those whom he hath a gratious purpose towards to set them at libertie from the Captivity of Sin and Satan and to bring them home unto himselfe he causeth a light to shine forth unto them a light from heaven I meane a supernaturall light revealing and making known to them that which
is hid to nature as viz. the Miserie of their naturall Condition by reason of sin and the punishment due thereunto together with the meanes of deliverance by and through Jesus Christ as also shewing them the way wherein they are to walke so as they may please God Now is it so that any of you are as yet strangers to this light which it is to be feared too many among us are poore ignorant Creatures whose soules are like dungeons into which the Sun never yet looked as darke as midnight they know nothing of God of Christ of themselves nothing of the mysterie of salvation be you awakened to looke up and to looke out for it This is the watchword which the Apostle Saint Paul having received it from some of the prophets the prophet Isaiah as it is conceved giveth to such as were in that dead sleep of sin Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall shine upon thee inlighten thee And let me hand it to every of you who are thus asleepe Awake you and stand up from the dead that Christ may give you light Be you awakened and roused out of that bed of sinfull securitie wherein you have beene sleeping and beeing convinced of your owne ignorance and blindness looke out for that light of knowledg without which the heart cannot be good That the soule be without knowledge it is not good saith the wiseman Prov. 19. 2. Or as the former Translation not without the consent of the Originall readeth it without knowledg the minde is not good Of what use is a dungeon fit for nothing but to make a prison of And such is a soule without knowledg And therefore in the fear of God now awake open your eys Behold the Sun is up the Sun of righteousness is risen the Lord Jesus sheweth himselfe to you in the preaching of the Gospel doe not now shut your eyes against the light Men will not doe so by the light of the Sun When that ariseth they will not shut their doores and windowes against it to keepe it out but rather set them open to let it in that they may receive the comfort and benefit of it And so doe you by that light the light of the Gospell which now shineth forth to you Let it not be said of you what our Saviour chargeth upon the Jewes Ioh. 3. 19. That Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light This if you shall doe it will be unto you as our Saviour there saith it was unto them a just Condemnation This is the Condemnation Were it for heathens who never heard of the name of Christ to be ignorant and blinde as to what concerneth their eternal happines and salvation this would be some extenuation as of their sin so of their punishment But for Christians such as are borne in times and places of light having the Sun as it were standing over their heads for them to love darkness rather then light still to continue in their naturall blindnes and ignorance so shutting out the light they are here in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned and were there nothing else to be layed to their charg this is to them a matter and ground of a just Condemnation That it may not be so to any of you be you perswaded to set open the doores and windowes of your soules and to let in the beames of this Sun of righteousness into your hearts Be you inlightened by the light of the Gospell which as yet shineth forth unto you And being thus inlightened now reflect that light So doe the Stars Having received light from the Sun they reflect it upon the earth And the like doe you Having received light from Iesus Christ shew forth that light and that by walking as children of light That is the Apostles Exhortation to his Epehsians Eph. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord walke as children of the light And let it be mine to you All of you to whome Christ hath beene as a Sun inlightning of you walke you as children of light Hath Christ shined upon you doe you shine Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee saith the Prophet to Ierusalem Isai. 60. 1. And let me in his words though happily in somewhat a different sense speake unto you Arise you and shine for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you The Lord Iesus who is the true light the Sun of righteousness he is risen upon you in the preaching of the Gospel And therefore doe you arise and shine shine as lights That is Pauls Commendation of or Exhortation to his Philippians for it is read both ways Phil. 2. 15. Ye doe shine or shine ye as lights in the world And this be you also exhorted to doe The night being spent and the day come unto you doe you cast off the workes of darkness and put on the armour of light as the same Apostle exhorts his Romanes Romans 13. 12. Those sinful ways and courses which heretofore you have walked in which may fitly be tearmed workes of darkness in as much as they both proceede from darkness and tend to darkness proceede from the darkness of ignorance and tend to the darkness of Hell whither they will bring them that go on in them lay them a side cast them away Putting on the Armour of light that bright shining Armour Even the graces of the Spirit within shining forth in an answerable Conversation without Thus Let your light shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heaven as our Saviour presseth it Math. 5. 16. Here is the first of these Operations Inlightning 2. The second is Enliuening This also doth Iesus Christ as I have shewen you Being like the Sun the fountaine as of Light so of Life In him was life Ioh. 1. 4. As Naturall so Supernaturall life both Originally in him as in the fountaine Having then received the former seeke also the later from him That living the life of nature in him In him we live Act. 17. 28. So we may live the life of grace by and through him finding and feeling him living in us Now I live saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. Thus the Sun liveth in the plant vertually by causing it to live And O that Iesus Christ may thus live in every of us by communicating unto us his quickning Spirit whereby being raised from the grave of sin we may live unto God living the life of grace Which that we may be made partakers of be we united unto him All Communion is from union And such is the Communion which the members of the mysticall Body have with their Head it floweth from that Union which they have