the soule being the most excellent thing in the world it is fit it should be set on the excellentest duty man being in such an excellent condition being heire of heaven and having an understanding soule it is fit the most excellent part of the most excellent creature should be set upon the most excellent object Now the most excellent part of the soule is the understanding it kindles all the affections and leades all the rest therefore let us take some time to meditate and thinke of these things What we are by nature and the misery we are exposed to by sinne that whatsoever we have more then hell is more then we deserve and then withall thinke what we are advanced to in Christ what we are freed from that cursed condition and what we shall be freed from the sting of death and all that wee feare for the time to come thinke of what we are freed from and what we are advanced to and by whom by God becomming man a mysterie that might nay that doth ravish the very Angels themselves God-man now in heaven making good what he did on earth by his Intercession and then the ground of all the infinite love and mercy and bounty of God to poore distressed man The thought of these things will inflame the heart now they never worke upon the heart thorowly till they end in admiration and indeed the Scripture sets it downe in termes of admiration So God loved the world So how So as I cannot tell how I cannot expresse it and What love hath God shewed us that we should be called the sonnes of God And then the fruits that we have by this Incarnation of Christ and by his death they are admirable Peace that passeth understanding joy unspeakable and glorious so that the mysterie is wonderfull and the dignity wonderfull and the fruits the comfort and peace and joy wonderfull every thing is an object of admiration therefore when wee thinke and meditate of these things let us never end till our soules be wound up to admiration of the excellent love of God Wee wonder at things that are new and rare and great is there any thing more new and rare then that that never was the like for God to become man Is there any thing more excellent then the benefits wee have by Christ becomming man to free us from so great misery and to advance us to so great happinesse If any thing be an object of admiration surely it must be this Therfore the Apostle doth well to give all the dimensions to the love of God in Christ height and breadth and depth and length it is a love passing knowledge Eph. 3. What good will come by this When the soule is thus exercised then it will be fit to glorifie God when it is in this frame it will thinke it selfe too good for any base service of sinne Eagles will not catch at flies when the soule is lift up to consider Gods love and mercy in Christ will it be catching at every base thing in this world No it will not the soule never sinnes but when it looseth this frame to have a judgement sutable to things when our judgement and affections are lost of the best things then comes in a judgement and affection to other things as better so losing that frame the soule should be in we fall to the creature to commit spirituall fornication with that Let us labour to keepe our soules in this temper begin every day with this meditation to thinke what we were what we are now in Christ what we shall be and by what glorious meanes all this was wrought that so the soule may be warmed with the love of God in Christ this frame of spirit will not suffer the soule to sinne to stoope to base sinfull lusts Now to helpe this in the next place begge of God the spirit of revelation to discover to us these things in their owne proper light for they are spiritually discerned Now the Spirit knowes the brest of God what the love of God is to every one in particular and he knowes our hearts too Therefore the Apostle desires of God the Spirit of wisedome and revelation to discover these things to us not onely that they are truths but that they are truths to us for unlesse we know these things belong to us in particular wee cannot glorifie God as wee should they are in themselves glorious things to heare of Gods mercy in Christ of God becomming man to heare of Kingdomes and Crownes oh but when there is a spirit of appropriation to make these our owne that God in Christ loves us Who loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. then the soule cannot but breake forth with the Angels here Glory to God on high therefore begge the Spirit to reveale to us our part and portion that he would shew his face to us that he is to us a Father in Christ surely in hearing meditation and prayer c. wee shall finde a secret whispering and report from heaven that God is our Saviour and that our sinnes are forgiven especially when wee stand in most need of this comfort let us therefore begge of God to take away the vayles of Ignorance and Unbeleefe and openly to reveale his Fatherly bowels and tender mercy to us in Christ to discover to us in particular more and more our interest in the same by his Spirit that onely knowes the secret of our hearts and being above our hearts can settle our doubts onely the Spirit can doe it for as God onely works salvation so the Spirit only can seale to our soules our salvation this is one excellent way to helpe us to glorifie God And adde this as motive as a plea not to move God so much as to move and to satisfie our hearts and to strengthen our faith that it is the end of our lives and the pitch of our desires to glorifie God therefore we desire God to reveale himselfe so farre to us to be our Father in Christ that we may glorifie him surely it is a forcible plea God will doe that that is suteable to his end He hath made all things for his owne glory especially the worke of Redemption in Christ is for the glory of his rich mercy and we desire the sense of his mercy and love for this end that we may be fitter to glorifie God it is a prevailing argument fetched from Gods owne end And let us labour daily more and more to see the vanity of all things in the world put the case we have honours and large possessions in the world that we wanted nothing if this were severed from Gods love in Christ for life everlasting what comfort could wee have in this especially at the houre of death let us see therefore the vanity and emptinesse of all things else out of Christ and the good we have by Christ what all will be ere long the daily
the radicall grace in a Christians soule is this beleeving this trusting in God reconciled in Christ this relying upon Christ a convincing perswasion that God and Christ are mine this is the radicall grace of all other let us water and cherish this by all meanes whatsover And to this end let us labour to encrease in knowledge I know whom I have beleeved sayth the Apostle for all grace comes into the soule by the light of knowledge whatsoever is good is conveyed by light into the heart Faith especially is the bent of the will to Christ receiving him but this comes by a supernaturall light discovering Christ. Therefore let us desire to heare much of Christ of his Priviledges and Promises the more of Christ we know the more we shall beleeve and say with the Apostle I know whom I have beleeved It is a fond and wicked Tenent of the Papists to say That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion and Bellarmines Tenent is That Faith is better defined by Ignorance then by any thing else a fond and unlearned conceit For how soever the reason and depth of the things of Faith cannot be searched yet we may know the things that are revealed in the Scriptures The more I know the things that are revealed concerning Christ and know that they are Gods Truths the more I know the more I shall beleeve Faith of necessity requires knowledge therefore knowledge is put for all other graces This is eternall life to know thee and whom thou hast sent because it is an ingredient in all graces it is a maine ingredient in Faith the more we know the more we shall beleeve They that know thy Name will trust in thee It is not so in mens matters the more we know a man to be able and loving and faithfull of his word the more we shall trust him Is it not so in divine things the more we know of Christ and of his Riches and Truth the more experimentall knowledge we have of him that we find him to be so the more we shall trust him Therefore by the knowledge that is gotten by the meanes let us labour for an experimentall knowledge that so we may trust and beleeve in him more and more Let us looke to the passages of our lives in former times how gracious God hath been towards us and take in trust the time to come that he will be so to the end He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith And let us search into the depth of our owne wants and weaknesses and this will force us to grow in Faith more and more this will be a meanes to encrease our Faith the more we see of our owne nothingnesse and inabilitie without Christ that we are nothing nay that we are miserable without him the more we shall cleave to him and cast our selves upon him Those that have the deepest apprehensions of their owne wants and weakenesse usually they have the deepest apprehensions of Christ and grow more and more rooted in him The searching of our owne corruptions every day is a notable meanes to grow in Faith to consider what we are if it were not for Gods mercy in Christ and this will make us to make out of our selves to Christ it will make us flye to the Citie of Refuge Ioab when he was pursued he fled to the Hornes of the Altar when conscience pursues us it will make us flye to the Hornes of the Altar to the Citie of Refuge a search into our owne conscience and wayes will force us to live by Faith and to exercise Faith every day in Christ Iesus And this is to feed on Christ daily to flye to Christ when we are stung with sinne and hunger in the want of grace and strength to flye to him for supply and so to keepe and encrease Faith by this excellent meanes Christ is all in all to those that hope to be saved by him Christ is the ground of our life and comfort and our happinesse Therefore we should make out to him upon all occasions to cleave to him in life and death We cannot presse this point of Faith too much Why are Christians called beleevers because beleeving is all if we can prove the Truth of our Faith and beleefe we prove all if we be faulty in that all is rotten Whatsoever is without faith is sinne All mens naturall morality and civility it is as it were but Copper graces but counterfeits they are but for the outwarp appearance and not in truth they are not enlivened and quickned by Faith in Christ. But I leave this and come to the last Clause Received up in glory This is the last Branch of this Divine Mysterie of Godlinesse but it is none of the least Christ ascended if we respect himselfe he was received if we looke to his Father himselfe ascended his Father received him the Scripture hath both words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he ascended up that is for himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was received up that is he was assumpted there is no difficulty in the words he ascendâ—d up as well as he was received up positively as well as passively In his death he was â—ot onely crucified by others and delivered by his Father but he gave himselfe to death so he was not onely received up in glory but he ascended up into glory This shewes the exaltation of Christ. The Apostle begins with God manifest in the flesh there is the descent a great Mysterie for the great God to descend into the Wombe of a Vigin to descend to the lowest parts of the Earth and then he ends with this Received up in Glory The ascent is from whence the descent was Christ ascended and was received as high as the place was whence he came downe God manifest in the flesh that is the beginning of all Received up in Glory that is the consumutation and shutting up of all It implyes all his Exaltation his Resurrection his Ascension his sitting at the right hand of God and his comming to judge the quick and the dead especially is meant his Glory after his Resurrection his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God yet supposing his Resurrection Received up to Glory Glory implyes three things It is an exemption from that which is opposite and a conquering over the contrarie base condition It implyes some great eminencie and excellencie as the foundation of it and then a manifestation of that excellencie and it implyes victorie over all opposition Though there be excellency if there be not a manifestation of that excellencie it is not glory Christ was inwardly glorious while he was on Earth in the state of abasement he had true glory as he was God and man but there was not a manifestation of it and therefore it is not properly called glory there was not a victorie and subduing of all that was contrarie to his glory for he was abased and suffered in the Garden and
come without repentance What saith the Apostle For this cause because you come unreverently to the things of God some are sicke and some weake and some sleepe God strucke them with death for it And it is a great cause why many are hardned in their sinnes and goe on still because God executes these spirituall judgements for prophaning these holy things thinking to daube with God and to complement with him in an easie performance I know those that belong to God are suffered sometimes to doe things amisse and to fall into errours and miscarriages that they may know themselves better And indeed much of our spirituall wisedome is gotten by the sight of our owne errours we grow more stablished after against the like temptations for the time to come and we can say by experience it is good that I know the foolishnes of my own heart c. but hee that God hath no delight in he swells and rages against any admonition though it be in love to his soule I hope there are none such here therefore those that have made their peace with God let them come to these holy mysteries with comfort notwithstanding any thing before for God hath prepared these things not for Angels but for weake men whose faith stands in need to be strengthned And let us not thinke that Christianity is a matter of complement that because we are baptised and come to heare the Word and receive the Sacrament all is well for wee may doe all this and yet be greater sinners then Turkes or Jewes or Pagans for the most horrible sins are committed in the Church Where is the sinne against the Holy-Ghost committed sins against light and against conscience but where the conscience and understanding is most enlightned there be the horrible provoking sinnes where there is more light and direction to live in another way When the grace of God and the riches of Christ are opened and yet men live in their sinnes against conscience and the light of the Gospell so farre is the outward performance from excusing in sickenesse and at the houre of death that it aggravates our guilt and damnation when we make not a right use of the holy things of God That which I shall next stand upon shall be to shew How we may know whether we glorifie God for Christ or no. And then the hindrances that keepe us from glorifying God for this excellent good And the meanes how we may come to glorifie God For the first of glorifying God in generall I will not speake much it would be large and the point of glorifying God is most sweetly considered as invested in such a benefit as this when we thinke of it not as an Idea onely but thinke of it in Christ for whom we have cause to glorifie God and for all the good wee have by him First then we hold tune with the blessed Angels in giving glory to God when we exalt God in our soules above all creatures and things in the world when we lift him up in his own place and let him be in our soules as he is in himselfe in the most holy God is glorious especially in his mercy and goodnesse let him be so in our hearts in these sweet Attributes above all our unworthinesse and sinne for God hath not glory from us till we give him the highest place in our love and joy and delight and all those affections that are set upon good when they are set upon him as the chiefe good then we give him his due place in our soules wee ascribe to him that Divinity and excellency and eminency that is due to him And this especially appeares in competition and opposition of other things when we will not offend God for any creature when we can say as the Psalmist Whom have I in heaven but thee and what is there in earth in comparison of thee Therefore let us aske our owne thoughts often what that is that our affections of delight and joy and love and all the sweetnes and marrow of our soules is spent on and runs after is it the sweet love of God in Christ the excellent state we have in Christ it is an excellent signe Surely the blessed Saints in heaven and those that are in earth that looke for heaven are thus disposed for the most part especially when they set themselves in their devotions before God Let us examine what is highest in our soules The loving kindnesse of the Lord is better then life it selfe saith the Psalmist Then we give God glory when we set light by life it selfe as holy Saint Paul could say What doe you tell me of suffering at Ierusalem I am not onely ready to doe that but to die for the name of Christ and in Philip. 1. So God may be magnified by my life or death I am at a point so if the question be whether we shall sacrifice this blood and life of ours or dishonour God and wrong the Gospell or be any way prejudiciall to the truth knowne when wee are ready to part with all with father and mother and houses and lands and all for Christ then with the Angels we say Glory be to God on high therefore in a state of opposition when we cannot enjoy both let us leave the creature and cleave to God Then againe we give glory to God for Christ when we take all the favours wee have from God in Christ when we see Christ in every thing All things are ours because we are Christs It is by Christ that wee are heires that we have any comfortable interest therefore when wee accept all in Christ and give God in Christ the glory of all we practice this that the Angels doe here we give glory to God Then againe we give glory to God when we stirre up others all the Angels consent there was no discord in this harmony of the Angels When we all joyne together and stirre up one another and labour to promote the knowledge of God in Christ all the wayes we can every one in our place and calling Magistrates and Ministers and every one in our families labour that Christ may rule there that God in Christ may be knowne In Psal. 103. there the Psalmist stirres up himselfe to glorifie God and he stirres up the Angels and here the Angels stirre up men Glory to God on high c. Where there is a zeale of Gods glory and a disposition fit to glorifie God there will be a stirring up one of another Angels men and men Angels and a wishing that God may have glory in heaven and earth Therefore those that labour not in their places that the truth may be made known that for base and worldly ends are opposers of the publishing of the Gospell any way as it is the fashion now they will not appeare openly but cunningly undermine the Gospell under pretences they beare no tune with these blessed Angels for those
us consider there is peace made betweene God and us and put up our requests in the Name of Christ and wee shall finde that peace that passeth understanding Againe if we would maintaine thâ—s peace let us be alway doing some-what that is good and pleasing to God in the same Chapter Phil. 4.8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure c. Think of these things and what then The God of peace shall be with you The peace of God and the God of peace shall be with you there must be a thinking of whatsoever is good the thoughts must be exercised that way and there must be a practice of that we thinke of this is one meanes to maintaine this peace with God The very Heathen had this reward of God I meane in this life that when they did good to their Country and one to onother they had content of conscience they had a peace sutable For in this world there is a sutable pleasure of conscience contentment upon every thing that is good God rewards it in this world for as the heat followeth the fire alway naturally it cannot be without heat so the thinking and practising of that which is good especially when it is joyned with some opposition of corrupt nature when the light of nature is above the corruption of nature If a man be a Pagan he shall have this reward in this world a kind of inward peace for we see how comfortably they speake sometimes upon some notable performance for then Country Now the God of peace will be with us much more when we have laid the foundation of our peace aright in the mercy of God in Christ besides what is reserved heaven and happines in this world we shall find the peace of God in the doing that which is good As for those that live in the Church and are not yet in the state of grace that have lived wicked lives let them consider that yet the day of grace continues as yet the Scepter of mercy is held forth in the Ministery there is a day of Jubily for them to returne from their former captivity let them not abuse the patience of God and thinke to doe it afterward for that is the way to harden the heart more and more And this Scripture puts an effectuall argument into the hearts of all that are in ill termes with God that have not made their peace or that have had peace and have broken it here is an effectuall way of pleading with God Glory to God on high c. If the soule can say I consider my folly and madnesse in running into sinne thou mightest justly damne me if thoâ— wouldst it is thy mercy I am not sent to hell oh but thou shalt have the greater glory if I find mercy therefore that I may say Glory to God on high let me finde peace on earth speake peace by thy Spirit to my soule say I am thy salvation â— This was the end of thy sending of Christ the end of Creation the end of Providence all to bring thee glory thou mightest have the glory of thy Justice to damne me oh but it will be the glory of thy mercy to save me that as my sins have abounded so thy glory shall more abound Oh Lord extend the bowels of thy mercy will not the Lord be jealous of his glory when you alleage it certainely he will you see the Angels here crie Glory to God on high peace on earth the way to bring peace is to alleadge the glory of Gods mercy in Christ it is a prevailing way Now to stirre us up more and more to search the grounds of our peaceâ— I beseech you let us consider the fearefull estate of a man that hath not made his peace with God how-ever Christ have dyed that will not serve the turne but if Christ be food if he be not eaten if he be a garment and not be put on if Christ be a foundation if we doe not build on him what benefit is it to us Therefore those that have not been brought by the Spirit of God to communion with Christ alas they are under the wrath of God however God doth use them as Princes doe Traytors in the Tower he gives them the liberty of the prison yet the sentence of death is not revoked all the delights of a Prisoner in the Tower doth not content him he knowes he is in ill tearmes with his Prince so till wee have made our peace with God by hearty confession of our sinnes by shaming of our selves by a particular faith beleeving the forgivenesse of our sinnes and a resolution against all sinne for the time to come alas wee have not sued out our pardon all our delights are but as those of a prisoner in the Tower Therefore aske thy soule hast thou sued out thy pardon is there reconciliation wrought betweene God and thee and accounts made even If we confesse and forsake our sinnes we shall find mercy it is the Word of the God of heaven who is truth it selfe he hath pawned his fidelity and truth on it to forgive us if wee confesse hee is content to be thought unjust and unfaithfull if he doe not forgive if wee ingenuously without all guile of spirit lay open our sinnes and take shame to our selves If wee doe not make our peace with God what a case are we in God himselfe ere long will appeare our enemy Christ whom we thinke will save us will be our Judge and a terrible Judge the Lambe will be angry Who shall cover us from the wrath of the Lambe we thinke of Christ as an innocent meeke Lambe onely that will not be angrie The rebellious Kings and Potentates that â—ight against Christ and his Church they thinke to trample on Christ and his Gospell but the time will come when they shall desire the mountaines to cover them and if his wrath be kindled Psal. 2. Who shall abide it hee speakes there of Christ Happy are they that trust in him As for the Holy-Ghost how can they looke for comfort from him they have grieved him therefore hee will grieve their conscience The Holy-Ghost as he is the God of all comfort and consolation so he is the ground of all terrour to wicked men when he hath knocked at their hearts by the ministery of his Word to open and to let him in but they would not And the Angels are ready executioners of Gods vengeance upon any occasion and others creatures wayte but for a command from God to execute his wrath upon sinners the heavens are ready to raine upon them as in the flood and the earth is ready to swallow them as it did Corah the beasts that carry us the creatures wee use waite for a command from God to destroy us our meate to choake us the ayre to infect us the water to drowne us they are all
at the birth of Christ Good will to men All these agree very well Châ—â—sts free grace and faith For what wee have by grace wee have onely by Christ because he hath given satisfaction to Gods Justice that so grace may be conveyed and derived unto us without prejudice to any other Attribute in God and then the imbraceing power and grace in us is faith so these three agree I say whatsoever wee have from Gods free love now wee have it in Christ the free love of God is grounded in Christ wee in our selves especially considered in the corrupt masse cannot bee the object of Gods love God cannot looke upon us but in him the best beloved first therefore all is Christ in the carriage of it wee are elected in Christ called in Christ justified by Christ sanctified by the Spirit of Christ glorified in Christ We are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ. This is my beloved Sonne I am well pleased in him it is the same word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom I delight Isay 42. Out of which the Father takes his speech This is the Sonne I delight in Now all Gods delight is first fixed in his Sonne and in us because we must have communion with the Sonne so the first object of Gods free love is Christ and then he lookes upon us in him The Trinity have a wondrous complacencie in looking upon mankind now in Christ God loves us as redeemed by Christ Christ loves us as electeâ— by the Father and given by the Fathers choyce to him to redeeme the Holy Ghost hath a speciall liking to us as seeing the love of the Father in chusing us and of the Son in redeeming us And surely if wee would see likewise those sweet interviewes of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost it should be our maine delight too to see how God hath chosen us and given us to Christ to save how Christ hath redeemed us from this very respect that the Father hath chosen us and given us to him as it is in Iohn 17. Thine thâ—y were thou gavest them me and how the Holy Ghost is a spirit of communion the Communion of the Holy Ghost that hath communion with the Father and the Son and issueâ— and proceedes from them both how he witnesseth this love to our soules and applies it to us the Holy Ghost applies all the Father decreed and ordained all the Sonne workes and dispenseth all the consideration of the point is wondrous comfortable Whatsoever good will the Father hath to us it is as we are in Christ. And why in Christ Because Christ is the first thing that God can love hee is the onely begotten Sonne of God whosoever is loved to glory in a spirituall order is loved in the first beloved Christ is loved of God as the character of his owne image the Sonne represents the Father he is loved of God as Mediator by office so God lookes upon us in Christ as the Sonne of his love so he is called by Saint Paul Coloss. 1. Then if we consider our selves this must bee so alas we are not objects of Gods love in our selves nor cannot be but in some other that is loved first for what are we and what is the glory to which God loves us To love such as wee to such glory and to free us from such misery due it must be by another foundation then our selves therefore Gods good pleasure is founded upon his Son Christ this is a cleare point the Scripture beates much upon it hee is our elder brother and wee must bee conformed to him To make some use of it First of all then we see here that all that are not in Christ lye open to the vengeance and wrath of God his good wil towards men is only in Christ. Againe if all Gods good will and pleasure be in Christ as our high Priest without whom we can offer no sacrifice as wee know whatsoever was not offered by the high Priest it was abhominable Therefore wee should looke to God in Christ love God in Christ performe service to God in Christ pray to God in Christ give thanks to God in Christ desire God in Christ to to make all things acceptable for Christs sake because it is in Christ that God hath any good will and pleasure to us It is a point of marvellous comfort that Gods love and good pleasure is so well founded as in Christ he loves Christ eternally and sweetly and strongly is not Gods love to us the same doth he not love us with the same love that hee loves his Son he loves his mysticall body with one love that is Christ head and members Iohn 17. That the love thou bearest to me may bee in them what a sweet comfort is this God loves Christ and me with one love he loves me strongly and sweetly and constantly as hee doth his owne Sonne his love to me is eternall because the foundation of it is eternall it is founded upon Christ. The love of a Prince if it be founded on a Favourite he loves dearely must needs be firme and strong Now Gods love to Christ is ardent and strong and sweet as possibly can be conceived therefore it is so to us his good will to us being founded on Christ. Why should a believer feare that God will cast him away he will as soone leave his love to his owne Sonne as to us if we continue members of his Sonne it is an undefeasable love it is a point of wondrous comfort What shall separate us saith the Apostle Rom. 8. from the love of God founded in Christ neither things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any thing many things may sever the soule and body but there is nothing in the world but sinne that shall sever either soule or body from the love of God in Christ because both body and soule are members of Christ therefore let us treasure it up as a point wondrous comfortable To come to an use of tryall how shall wee know wither Gods good will be to us in Christ or no how shall I know that he loves my person that I am in the state of grace and love with him The Holy Ghost must ascertaine this for as the worke of salvation was so great that onely God could satisfie God so the doubts of mans heart and the guilt of his conscience when it is upon him and the feare of Gods wrath upon just guilt is such that God must assure him that God is reconciled to him God the Sonne must reconcile God the Father and God the holy Ghost must seale and ascertaine this to the soule The soule will never bee quiet before it see and know in particular God reconciled in Christ the Spirit that is God that is above conscience must seale it to the Soule being above conscience he can set downe and quiet our conscience Now
when he became man hee was not cast into these inferiour parts of the world to punish him as if hee had beene an usurper but it was a voluntary taking of our nature on him being rich he became poore and being in the forme of God he made himselfe of no reputation If hee had usurped his Divinity his abasement had beene violent against his will you see then that Christ was rich as God Therefore before hee tooke our nature upon him hee was Mediator from the beginning hee was yesterday to day and to morrow and the same for ever as the Apostle saith Hee was and is and is to come hee was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world For howsoever hee tooke our nature upon him and paid the debt yet hee undertooke the payment before the beginning of the world A man may let a prisoner loose now upon a promise to pay the debt a yeare after so Christ undertooke to take our nature and to pay our debt in the fulnesse of time by vertue therefore of his future incarnation hee was an effectuall Mediator from the beginning of the world As we have now the fruit of his mediation though his death bee past the act is past but the fruit remaines so that hee was a Mediator before hee came in the flesh because hee undertooke to his Father to discharge the office But Christ being God was it needfull that he should become poore might not an Angell or some other creature have served for the worke No God being rich must become poore or else hee had not beene able to bring us backe againe to God It is an act of Divine power to bring us backe againe to God and hee that shall settle us in a firmer state then we had in Adam must bee God To stablish us stronger and to convey grace to us to make our state firme onely God can doe it There are some things in the mediation of Christ that belongs to ministery and some things to authority those that belong to Ministery are to be a servant and to die and that he must be man for but there are some things belong to authority and power as to bring us backe to God to convey his Spirit to preserve us from Sathan our great enemy for these workes of authority it was requisite he should be God In a word the greatnesse of the ill we were in required it who could deliver us from the bondage of Sathan but God he must bee stronger then the strong man that must drive him out who could know our spirituall wants the terrours of our conscience and heale and comfort them but God by his Spirit Who could free us from the wrath of the great God but he that was equall with God And then in regard of the great good wee have by him to restore us to freindship with God and to preserve us in that state to convey all necessary grace here and to bring us to glory after it was necessary he should bee God therefore he was rich and became poore It is rather to bee admired then exprest the infinite comfort that springs hence that hee that hath undertaken to reconcile us to make our peace to bring us to heaven is God the second person in Trinity All the three persons had a hand in this worke God the father sent him and the Holy Ghost sanctified that masse that his body was made of but hee himselfe wore the body The father gives his sonne in marriage the Sonne married our nature and the Holy Ghost brings them both together hee sanctified our nature and fitted it for Christ to take so though all three persons had a worke in it yet God the second person of rich became poore And indeed who was fitter to bring us to the love of God then he that was his beloved Son who was fitter to restore us to the Image of God then he that was the Image of God himselfe and to make us wise then he that was the wisedome of God himselfe there was infinite wisdome in this I will not be larger in that poynt Christ was rich The next thing I observe is this that Christ became poore The poverty of Christ reacheth from his incarnation to his resurrection all the state of his humiliation it goes under the name of his poverty the resurrection was the first step or degree of his exaltation he wrought our salvation in the state of humiliation but he applies it in the state of exaltation The incarnation of Christ it was an exaltation to our nature to be united to God to the second Person in Trinity It was a humiliation of God for the divine nature so stoope so low as to be vayled under our poore nature so that God could stoope no lower then to become man and man could bee advanced no higher then to bee united to God so that in regard of God the very taking upon him of our nature it was the first degree and passage of his humiliation But when did he take upon him our nature He tooke it upon him after it was fallen when it was passible obnoxious to suffering not as it was in innocency free from all misery and calamity but when it was at the worst And he not onely tooke our nature but our condition hee tooke upon him the forme of a servant hee was not onely a servant in regard of God but in regard of us for hee came into the world not to be ministered unto but to minister he tooke upon him our nature when it was most beggerly and w th our nature he tooke our base condition Nay that is not all he tooke upon him our miseries all that are naturall not personall he tooke not the Leprosie and the Gout c. but hee tooke all the infirmities that are common to the nature of man as hunger and thirst and wearinesse he was sensible of griefe He tooke upon him likewise our sinnes so farre as there is any thing penall in sin in respect of punishment You know there is two things in guilt there is the demerit and desert of it and there is an obligation to punishment now the obligation to punishment hee tooke on him though the merit and desert hee tooke not hee became sinne that is by sinne he becâ—me bound to the punishment for sinne he tooke not the demerit for in respect of himselfe he deserved no such death as he underwent To cleare this a little further hee tooke upon him our nature that he might become sinne for us he tooke upon him the guilt as farre as guilt is an obligation to punishment The sonne of a Traytor he looseth his fathers lands not by any communion of fault put by communion of nature because hee is part of his father so Christ tooke the communion of our nature that hee might take the communion of our punishment not of our fault as
the sonne is no Traytor but because hee is part of his father that was a Traytor by his nearenesse and communion with his father he is wrapped in the same punishment In a City that is obnoxious to the Kings displeasure perhaps there are some that are not guilty of the offence that the body of the City is yet being all Citizens they are all punished by reason of their communion so in this respect CHRIST became poore hee tooke upon him our nature and by communioâ— with that nature hee tooke upon him whatsoever was penall that belonged to sinne though he tooke not nor could take the demerit of sin Hie was made sinne for us wee cannot have a greater argument of Christs poverty then to bee made sinne for vs sinne is the poorest thing in the world and the cause of all beggery and poverty and misery hee was made under the law and so became a curse for us hee was made sinne a sacrifice for our sinne In particular hee was borne of a poore Virgin and instead of a better place hee was laid in an Inne and in the basest place in the Inne in the manger As soone as hee was borne his birth was revealed to poore Shepheards not to Emperours and Kings not to Câ—sar at Rome Then presently after his birth hee was banished together with his mother into Aegypt When hee came home againe hee was faine to be beholding to a poore woman for a cup of water Ioh. 4. when hee was thirsty Againe when he was to pay tribute he had not wherewith to pay it but was faine as it were to be heholding to a fish for it And though he made heaven and earth yet he had no habitation of his owne The Foxes had holes and the Birds of the ayre had nests but the Sonne of man had not where to lay his head When hee was to ride in pompe to Ierusalem he had not a beast of his owne hee was faine to send for and ride upon another mans Asse all his life it was a state of poverty He was poore in death especially for when life is gone all is gone he gave himselfe to death for us in death he was poore every way they stripped him of all his cloathes he had not so much as a garment to cover him he was poore and destitute in regard of friends they all for sooke him when hee had need of them most of all as he foretold that they all should leave him And as he was thus poore in respect of his body and condition so he was poore in soule in some respects and indeed the greatest poverty was there for the greatest riches that Christ estemed it was the blessed communion that hee had with his father which was sweeter to him then all things in heaven and earth when his father hid his face from him that he felt his displeasure becomming our surety in the garden before his death the sense of Gods displeasure against sin affected him so deeply that he sweate water and blood he was so poore wanting the comfort of his fathers love that an Angell his owne creature was faine to come and comfort him And at his death when he hung upon the Crosse besides the want of all earthly comforts wanting the sense of that sweet love that he alway enjoyed before it made him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me not that indeed God had forsaken him in regard of protection and support or in regard of love and favour but in regard of solace and comfort that he felt before in regard of the sense of divine justice being then upon him that stood surety for sinne When he was dead he had no Tombe of his own to lie in hee was faine to lie in another mans Tombe and then he was held under the captivity of the grave three dayes so that from his birth to his death there is nothing but a race of poverty And which adds to this abasement of Christ it was from an excellent condition to so low a state as we say It is a miserable thing for a man to have beene happy it makes him more sensible of his misery then in other men for Christ who was alway in the presence and favour of heaven to come into the Virgins wombe for him to stand in neede of the necessities of this life for life to die for riches to become poore for the glory of heaven and earth to be abased for the Lord of all to become a servant to his owne servants it must needs been great abasement to him that was so highly advanced to become so poore But though Christ became thus poore yet hee ceased not then to be rich but that his riches was vayled with our flesh The Sunne though he bee kept from our sight by clouds he is the Sunne still and hath his owne proper lustre still hee is as glorious in himselfe as ever he was though he be not so to us so Christ vayled his divinity under our humane nature and vnder our misery hee became man and a curse therefore though hee were the Sonne of righteousnesse glorious in himselfe yet to appearance he was otherwise he became poore The Papists would have him a begger Bellarmine to countenance begging Frâ—eâ—s would have Christ to bee so it is a disgracefull false conceit If wee divide his life before hee was thirty yeares old that hee was invested into his office he lived with his parents in that calling and submitted to them he was no begger afterward he lived by ministring the Word of God and this was not Eleemozinarie but honour it is not Charity that is given to Governours especially Ministers it is not aimes to receive temporall things for spirituall but it is due Besides he had somewhat of his owne hee had a bagge and Iudas was good enough to carry it hee gave to the poore therefore he was not a begger for he that came to fullfill the law would not breake the Law The law forbids beggers it was one of Moses Lawes There shall not be a begger among you so much breifly for that Christ was rich and became poore The next point is the parties for whom this was For your sakes Why doth not the Apostle say for our sakes and so take himselfe in the number He applies it to serve the Argument in hand being to stirre up the Corinthians to bounty hee tells them Christ was poore for their sakes that they might bee assured of their salvation by Christ that his example might be more effectuall the example of those whom wee have interest in is effectuall therefore he saith for your sakes hee became poore This should teach us when we speak of Christ to labour for a spirit of application to appropriate Christ unto our selves or else his example will not move us as without application wee can have no good by him so we can have no comfort by