because the Lord hath anointed me to Preach glad tidings to the meek c. This was excellently held forth in the Person of Aaron the High Priest under the dark Dispensation of the ceremonial Administration an Eminent and Glorious Type and Shadow of Christ the Elects High Priest Psal 133.2 It is like the Precious Ointment upon the Head that ran down upon the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the Skirts of his Garment The material Oyl wherewith Aaron Christs Type was anointed did prefigure and type out the Effusion of the Spirits Gifts and Graces on the Human Nature of Christ to fit and qualifie him for the Work the Father hath sent him about this anointing was poured out on Christ without measure as witnesseth the Scripture Jo. 3 34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him This is further backt and confirm'd by Colos 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell And Colos 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Besides the personal Anointing of Christs Human Nature wherewith the Father anointed him above his fellows Psal 45.7 there was a Soul enriching Stock of Grace put into his Hands as Mediator in time to be communicated to all the Elect who are to be the Members of his Mystical Body Hence it is that Believers are said to receive of Christ's Fulness Jo. 1.16 And of his Fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace Ephes 4.7 But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ Christ as God is the Source and Fountain of all the Graces of Believers as God-man he is the Meriter and Purchaser of all Grace for them and Christ as Mediator he hath the dispencing Power committed to him by the Father to communicate to and bestow upon every Member of his Body what measure of Grace he pleaseth Secondly Christ far excels all Adam's Children on the account of the Work to which the Father design'd him in Eternity and whereto he in time call'd him This great Work is to reconcile God and elect Sinners together by the Interposition of his Mediatorial Righteousness to make up that Breach which the Sin and Apostacy of Adam had effected between God and the Elect and to keep and continue them in an everlasting Covenant of Love and Peace so as that there should never be any Possibility of their being at Enmity any more for ever 2 Cor. 5.19 to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses to them By World in this as in other places is intended the elect World for whom Christ was made Sin and a Curse and between whom and God his offended Father he stept in as a Mediator to make Peace by offering up himself in Sacrifice to God's Justice 1 Tim. 2.5 6. for there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Compare with this Jo. 10.15 and Jo. 17.9 and it will plainly appear that Christ became a Mediator of Redemption and Intercession for God's Elect and none else If what hath been said concerning what Christ is in himself and the great Work to which the Father hath design'd and call'd him be rightly considered it will appear beyond all Contradiction that he infinitely excels and transcends all the Children of Adam None of Adam's Posterity were ever qualified like him neither were any of them ever call'd to so great and glorious a Work as he was this in the general But more particularly to come to the Allegory or Metaphor by which his transcendent Excellency is allegorically set forth there are three things in the Apple-Tree which bespeaks the Lord Jesus a None-such to the Elect. First The Lowness and Comliness of the Apple-Tree above other Trees It grows lower and nearer the Ground than other Trees usually do The matchless Lowliness and Humility of Christ is hereby set forth none could ever compare with him herein Mat. 11.29 Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly This is anciently Predicted of him as appears Zach. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass Mat. 21.4 5. Six things wherein this will appear First His condescending to become his Father's Inferior first as a Son a Relation which imports Superiority and Inferiority Psal 2.7 I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee c. Jo. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. Jo. 14.28 For my Father is greater than I. Secondly As a Servant to do his Work Psal 89.20 I have found David my Servant with my Holy Oil have I anointed him Esa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth * This Inferiority of Christ to God is to be understood in respect of the Office he voluntarily took on him for the Elects sake not in respect of Nature or Essence as appears Zach. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the Man that is my Fellow Jo. 10.30 I and my Father are one Heb. 1.3 Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person c. Secondly His condescending to assume the Humane Nature Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch as the Children did partake of Flesh and Blood he also himself took part of the same Vers 16. For verily he took not upon him the Nature of Angels but he took upon him the Seed of Abraham There are two things which if considered will put a bright Lustre on this Act of Christ's Condescention First The Baseness of the Matter of that Body he assumed viz. A Clod of Earth and that the worst of Earth viz. Red Earth so the word Adam in Hebrew signifies Secondly The abject State and wretched Condition into which it fell by the Apostacy and Rebellion of Adam to which he knew he must become subject Hence it is he is stiled a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief Esa 53.3 4. Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh c. Thirdly In his being Born of mean Parents Christ as God did single out and choose the Womb in which his Humanity was to be Conceived which was not an Empress a Queen or some Lady of Rich and Noble Extraction according to the Flesh but a mean and despicable Maid of a mean and poor Family so poor that she was not able to compass a Lamb but must be trusting to a pair of Turtle Doves for a Sacrifice
Providence of God is to be seen and acknowledg'd in preserving the Bodies of Men from perishing by the former So his special Care and saving Providence is to be seen and thankfully acknowledg'd in preserving the Souls of the Elect from perishing by the latter And as the storms at Sea are occasion'd by the four Winds East West North and South Winds so the spiritual Storms which threaten and endanger the Soul they proceed from and are occasioned by a fourfold Party First The Devil who ever since his Apostacy is become an implacable and an irreconcileable Enemy as to the Majesty of God so also to the Souls of Men who hath on this very Account the names given him both in Hebrew and in Greek which signifie and import the same thing with his Nature viz. Destroyer So the Names of Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek signifie as the Learned know Rev. 9.11 Secondly the World I mean the wicked of the World which is not only at Enmity with God but a real Hater and Persecutor of all that love God and bear his Blessed Image These the Devil makes use of in his service The Devil makes use of these in his Service as they are his Children and Servants Jo. 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Gal. 4.29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Thirdly Corrupt Nature which i◠the worst Enemy a Man hath and which is that which gives the Devil the greatest Advantage against a Man's self of any thing in the World This Corruption of Nature lies in two things First The sad and wretched Aversion of the Heart to God and all things spiritually good Secondly The Devil◠like Propensity of the Heart and Soul to what is hateful to God and really Destructive to the Man 's own self Were it not for this Corruption o◠Nature the Devil and his other Auxiliary Forces could do nothing which would prove of any Avail to Ruin or undo a Soul but herein lies his great Advantage that he hath within a Man's self a Party or a Principle which i◠the Spirit and Grace of God prevent not he can by his serpentine Craft and Lyon-like Fury stir up and draw forth to such a degree as will cause the Man to cry out and say that his worst and most destructive Enemy is within himself and that were it not for that he need not value or fear all the Storms and overwhelming Hurricanes which all the Legions of Apostate Angels in Hell and all the Pollitick and Mallicious Persecutors in the World could possibly devise or raise against him Were it not for the Tinder of Heart Corruption the Devil would soon grow weary of throwing into the Soul the poysonous Sparks of his Infernal Temptations The Prince of this world cometh saith Christ and hath nothing in me Jo. 14.30 No Immorality in Practise whereof to accuse him neither any Pollution or Corruption in the assumed Nature on which his Temptations could possibly catch hold and herein lay Christ's and the Elects Advantage For had the Tempter found the least matter in Christ on which his Temptations could fasten the Elect for whom Christ undertook as Vademony and Surety would have been over and over miserable and wretched to endless Eternity The fourth Party who hath a Hand in those Storms wherewith Elect sinners do meet in this Life is God himself who by the Methods his wise Providence takes with the Elect seems t◠outward appearance to design thei◠utter Ruin this the Devil frequently 〈◊〉 suggests to the Soul and this the poo◠bewildred sinner is easily perswade◠to credit And when matters come t◠this pass that when the Poor sinner i◠surrounded with perplexing Trials o◠all hands the Billows and Waves o◠all kind of Temptations being read◠even to cover his Head and swallow him up He concludes that God himself is his Enemy it must needs be very dismal with the poor sinner in such 〈◊〉 Condition There are four things especially i◠respect whereof the poor sinner may be said to be in a Storm in each of which the four Parties above mention'd may have a hand First Extream Poverty and outward Streights which is a very sore Trial◠and a Burden so heavy especially to those who have sometimes enjoy'd Plenty and Fulness that many have sunk under its Weight some hanging themselves some drowning themselves and others cutting their own Throats not able to bear the Reproach of outward Poverty Secondly Black Reproach upon the Name and Reputation this is a Storm harder to go through than most Men think till they come to be try'd thereby Oh! how doth the Spirit that is in Adam's Children lust to Envy and Revenge when they meet with Affronts in their good Name and Reputation To be miscall'd and misrepresented among Men to be accounted not fit or worthy to live among Men Proud Nature cries out Flesh and Blood cannot bear it What! to be so and so abused to have my good Name taken away I 'll die before I 'll pocket or put up such an Affront such an Abuse Either Arrest the Person in an Action of Slander or Peg him to the Wall And in case any peaceable Friend disswade from such revengeful Practices What 's the Reply What! unman my self be accounted a Coward to be laugh'd at by every body this is the Language of the first Adams Nature Ja. 4.1.5 But where the work of Renovation hath past on a sinner his Note is changed His unman my self is turned into undog my self undevil my self Let but the Experience of the most mortified Believer be call'd in to speak to the Point and it will be readily acknowledged that Reproach and Slanders on the Name and Reputation are not easily gone through it is a sharp and a trying Storm Reproach and Contempt from Men especially from Inferiours was a part of Jobs Trials Job 30.1 And had he not been Blest with such an extraordinary stock of Patience he could never have born it as he did Reproach hath broken mine heart said Holy David Psal 69.20 And others had Trials of cruel Mockings c. Heb. 11.36 Thirdly To be smitten in the Body with Sickness and wasting Distempers when the sad Symptoms of Death and Mortality invade languishing Nature This goes close to the very Root it being a stroke at the very Being of Nature threatning its Dissolution this is a storm which will cause the Face of the strongest and stoutest of Adam's Children to gather Paleness and will put the Sons of Men into sorer Frights than any of the former Storms which were so uneasie when Death that all-conquering King of Terrours looks the dying Man full in the Face it is a difficult thing to go through the Pangs and Agonies of a dying Hour Fourthly Soul Desertion When the Clouds from above interpose between the sensible Manifestations of God's
and Comfort to poor fainting desponding Souls Esa 50.4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary c. The Spirit of God by Solomon tells us that a word fitly spoken is like Apples of gold in Pictures of silver Prov. 25.11 Here we are to understand that a word in due time and place and pertinent to the purpose As beyond all dispute it is Amiable and Ravishing to the Eye to behold so orient and dazling a sight as Apples of Gold drawn to the Life in Pictures of Silver So undoubtedly a word of Counsel and Comfort brought Home to the Conscience of a doubting wounded Sinner ravisheth and gladdeth the broken Heart As cold water to a thirsty Soul so is good news from a far Country Prov. 25 25. When the word suited to a poor tempted Souls Distress is brought home in the nick of time as we say Oh! how sweet is it then Thirdly A third thing which bespeaks the Word of Christ sweet to a real Believer is the Holy Ghost his Efficiency and quickening Power accompanying the same what we say of corporal Bread Rayment Physick Drink c. what can they avail to comfort and nourish the Body without the Spirit of God bless and sanctifie their use to the end for which they are appointed The same may be truly said of the Word and Sacraments c. what can they avail for the Souls good if the Efficiency and quickning Influence of the Spirit of God go not along with their use It is for want of this quickening Virtue of the Spirit of God that so many Sermons are Preached and so few sinners really Converted It is for want of this quickning Efficacy of the Spirit that so many Ordinances of Religion are attended and enjoy'd by thousands of Professors without any sensible or visible Growth in Grace The Word of God is like a well made Knife or Razor tho' never so keen and sharp yet without a living Agent they can neither Cut nor Shave So the Word of God neither the Law can awaken convince or wound the Conscience for sin Nor yet the Gospel Heal or Comfort a Soul in Distress without the Energy and quickening Efficacy of the Spirit of God There are two sorts of People who hereby appear to be in a woful Condition First such as frequently hear and read the Word Receive Sacraments and go the Round in all external Acts of Religious Duties and yet without any motion of spiritual Life from the Spirit of God in their Souls These are like blind Horses in a Mill going round all day long alway treading in the same Tract not seeing or considering where they are or what they are doing These keep to the Form in a Customary way but heed not the inward Power which is that which renders all Acts of Religious Worship both pleasing and acceptable to God and which proves the Soul to be in Reality a living Member of Christ's Mystical Body Esa 29.13 2 Tim. 3.5 Rev. 3.17 Secondly There be others who in pretence of internal Motion and Power in the Soul from the Spirit who to avoid the Damning Formality of the others now mention'd will not only neglect but even slight the Word and Ordinances reflecting on the Word as a dead Letter and the Holy Institutions of Christ in his Churches as carnal poor empty and beggarly Elements Some of these are Seekers in plain English Quakers who are always learning But never come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Tim. 3.6.7 Others are super-ordinanced who have gotten above all ordinary Means These in their own Conceits at least are so near Perfection that they need not the use of outward Ordinances These are gotten in outward Shew and Profession above Ordinances but never yet were they acquainted with true Piety Both these sorts are under the powerful working of an Infernal Spirit of Delusion which feeds their Souls with Chymerical Whimsies and Enthusiastical Dreams instead of the Doctrin which is according to Godliness These wretched Extreams are to be carefully shunn'd and avoided as the as the Paths which lead to Hell and Eternal Ruin The sure way hereto is to keep within sight and hearing of the Shepherds Tents Cant. 1.8 Beâ—are of false Teachers and avoid the Doctrin which hath not God's Word for its Foundation Esa 8.20 In hearing and reading and all other Ordinances of Religious Worship see that the outward Form and the inward Power be not separated Those things which God hath joyned together must not be put asunder Esa 59.21 Mat. 19.6 That great Man Augustin us'd to call the Word of God Creating Words Verba Divâ—na saith he sunt verba creativa And that on the account of the quickening Energy and Power that goes along with them This is a Truth which hath been acknowledged â—s well by Enemies as by Friends to the Truth Jo. 7.46 The Officers answered never Man spake like this Man Luke 24.32 And they said one to another did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures He that brags of the Word of God and is a Stranger to the Power thereof in his own Soul he is an hypocritical Formalist He who boasts of the Power of the Spirit within and holds not the Form of sound Words indited by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost to be a Rule of Faith and Holy Life he is a deluded Enthusiast From both these Extreams the Care and Faithfulness of the Great Shepherd will keep all who are given him by the Father Thirdly The Works of Christ are all sweet to the true Believer By Works here I intend the Works of his Mediatorial Undertaking Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy Works Psal 86.8 Besides the Works of Creation and Providence which are common to the whole Trinity there are Works which are Peculiar to Christ as Mediator I will reduce them to six Heads First His Work of Incarnation or his Assuming the Human Nature into Unity with his Sacred Godhead This is the Mystery of all other Mysteries and of this the Temple and Tabernacle of old were shadowy Types To this Mystery that in Prov 8.31 had reference even before Christ came in the Flesh yea before the Birth of Time it self if I may so speak rejoycing in the habitable Parts of his Earth c. The then intended Union between the Godhead and our Flesh is in that Scripture pointed at and this is chiefly intended by John Jo. 1.14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us c. And by Paul in 1 Tim. 3. last And without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh c. There are three things especially which bespeak the Incarnation of Christ to be sweet and delightful to the true Believer
taken you but such as is common to Man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear 1 Cor. 10.12 To which I will only add Wherefore he is able also to save them to the utmost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Heb. 7.25 And can any Fruit be sweeter than this to a poor Distressed Tempted and Despairing Soul Fourthly By the Intercession of Christ the Peace and Reconciliation procured by his Meritorions Sacrifice is kept up and conâ—inuâ—d for ever For unto us a Child is Born unto us a Son is Given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulders c Esa 9.6 The keeping up and continuing the Peace between God and the Elect as necessary as the first Procurement of it As by the Meritorious Virtue of his Sacrifice he hath procur'd Peace with God for the Elect so by the renewing Efficacy of his Spirit in the Souls of Believers and his prevailing Intercession in Heaven for them he continues and keeps up that Peace Psal 37.23 24. Jer. 32.40 Rev. 8.3 4. Fifthly The Intercession of Christ in Heaven is the cause of Application of all the Good spiritual and bodily which Believers receive at the Hands of God As the Procurement of all Good for the Elect depends on Christs Sacrifice so the Actual Application thereof to them depends on his Intercession And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be Glorified in the Son If ye ask any thing in my Name I will do it Jo. 14.13.14 In the sixth place to add no more The Intercession of Christ with his Father in Behalf of the Elect is not a matter of precarious Entreaty but of Justice and Equity wherein he cannot be put off He intercedes for no Favour or Mercy but what he first paid 〈◊〉 price for on the Behalf of his Elect and therefore it must not be thought a matter of meer Entreaty but of Equity and Justice for God to 〈◊〉 to Believers what they ask in Christ's Name To what hath been observ'd concerning those six several sorts of Works which are Peculiar to Christ as Mediator between God and Sinners I will add one more and it is his Providential Work of Gubernation or Ruling the World and that as all the rest of his Works is most sweet to the true Believer That the Government of the World is in a way of Recompence committed by the Father to Christ is plain by his own Declaration thereof to his Apostles All Power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth c. Mat. 28.18 The same witnesseth Paul And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.22 The same also Apostle to the Philippians saith Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name That in the name of Jesus every Knee should Bow both of things in Heaven and things on Earth and things under the Earth Phil. 2.10 That the Works of Providence are also sweet to the true Believer seven things will make it Appear First God's King who Rules the Providential Kingdom here on Earth he is also the Believers King That Christ is God the Fathers King is plain and evident from the Scriptures above-mentioned to which may be added Psal 2.6 Yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Zion From these Scriptures it is plain that God hath committed the Government of all things in his Providential Kingdom to Christ his Son to be improv'd for the Good and Advantage of God's Elect. The Prospect which Balaam had hereof put him on declaring the Victoriousness and Felicity of the People of God above all other People on Earth The Lord his God saith he of Israel is with him and the Shout of a King is among them Numb 23.21 That Christ is the Believers King is evident from the Scriptures following Esa 33.22 For the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Rev. 15.3 And they sang the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy Works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy Ways thou King of Saints Of Kings it is said Regum est parcere Subjectis debellare superbos It is the Part or Property of Kings to deal gently with these who submit readily to their Rightful Authority but to subdue and vanquish their Enemies who submit not to the Yoke of Duty This Property of a King will be found to be in God's and the Believers King above all the Crowned Heads that ever breath'd on Earth For as Christ is God the Father's King to Sway the Scepter of his pardoning Mercy and Gospel Grace in the Hearts and Lives of the Elect who in effectual Calling are made his willing Subjects He will by his Almighty Power defend and save them from all adverse Powers which seek to spoil and ruin them He will not only defend and protect them from all Enemies and Dangers but he will carry it gently and tenderly towards them under all their Weaknesses and Infirmities But towards the wicked who refuse and reject his Yoke he will vanquish and subdue them Not by the Scepter of his special Grace as he deals with God's Elect But wiht that Iron Rod which the Father hath put into his Hand for this very end He will break them to pieces Psal 2.9 But those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Luke 19.27 This is undoubtedly a high Priviledge and Mercy wherewith God's Chosen are Eternally Blest above the rest of the Race of Adam to be under the commanding Power and Everlasting successful Conduct of such a King The Damned in Hell would give ten thousand Worlds if they had them at command to be under the Conduct of this King But for their opposing and despising this precious and sweet Redeemer they are judicially given up to the Tyranny of such a King as knows no Mercy who instead of saving will continue to torment and destroy Rev. 9.11 This Lord Jesus He and He alone excluding all others is the Head and King over the Church of God's Elect. None will claim such a Priviledge but the Man of Sin and such as are akin to his Antichristian Hierarchy Christ is to the Church of the Living God a Head of saving Influence as well as a Head of Commanding and Protecting Power which none in Heaven or Earth can pretend to without borrid Blasphemy Were this very Point but rightly understood and by Faith apply'd as it should it would make the weakest Believer in England as bold as a Lyon in the ways of his Holy Profession But for want of this even Ministers themselves shamefully Cowardize when Christs Enemies appear Rampant Secondly There