this end that they all might be damned which believed not the Truth but had pleasure in Unrighteousness Whether the thoughts of Mens hearts be the dictates of God's Spirit they must prove by comparing them with what the Spirit of Truth writes in holy Scriptures And if the Spirit that speaks in thee contradicts the Spirit that writes in that 't is not of God neither are they his Servants that obey that his Servants hear his voyce that is the Master of the Feast And so from him now we come to them He said unto his Servants And they are mentioned before 3 Quibus to his Servants verse 3. the Men he sent out to call the Guests to the VVedding They ran not before they were sent as did the false Prophets but staid for their Mission and that was their Commission 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the verb the same from whence the name Apostle springs And again Luk. 10. Mat. 28. in the 9 verse he saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go a word of Authority wherewith Christ sent out his Apostles in other places Observation Without Letters of Orders to take the Ministerial Office upon us is in the Church but disorder None ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to call the Guests by preaching of the Word or wait on the Table of the Lord but whom he appoints to that Service And here the Servants are not to be taken in the common and largest sense for all that worship him and serve him as the People do but in a stricter and more peculiar way for them that officiate in his service as the Priests and Ministers do Kings make a difference in their Servants some wait more nearly upon their Persons some in Offices further off So doth God the King here who makes a distinction betwixt his Ministers and his People though all serve him together yet they in a nearer way Num. 16.9 God hath separated them to be near himself in the service of the Tabernacle and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto him They are his Stewards the People his Houshold they his Embassadours but those their Auditors they his Servitors those his Guests The Guests are sent for the Servants sent the Guests called the Servants call them Vers 3. He sent out his Servants to call them that were bidden A distinction then sure must be betwixt these two Vse 1. of Instruction Priest and People Clergy and Laity God hath ordained it so and gives no license to private men to take upon them the publick Ministring without a Lawfull yea and an External Calling To do so upon presumption of Gifts and Abilities is as great disorder in the Church as for the Common Souldier upon pretence of his skill and valour to usurp his Captains or chief Commanders place in the Camp or for the Common Lawyer upon pretence of his Learning and Judgement to set him down in the Judges place in the Court This to do without Commission brings all in all the three into confusion But for private men to officiate in the Priests room 2 Of Con◠So 〈◊〉 though a Heathen yet a Wise Man so abhorred that he counted it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deed deserving many deaths He it may be you will think was severe But God who is gentle and mercifull censured it worthy a foul Disease when he for offering Incense in the Priests office punished Vzziah the King with the Leprosie VVorthy of deprivation in King Saul 1 Sam. 13.11 12 13 14. who but once played the Sacrificer in case of necessity yet for this was cast out of the Throne both he and his Posterity Nay more than so worthy of death and that a strange death too Numb 16.40 in the 250 Princes of the Congregation that for offering Incense were consumed with strange Fire that came out from the Lord. And that for a memorandum That no Stranger which is not of the Seed of Aaron come near to offer Incense before the Lord that he be not as Corah and his Company And these all had the natural gift sufficient abilities to act those parts of the Priests Office they enterprised But God that was not therewithall pleased severely punished it as a prophanation for want of lawfull Calling and Consecration If private men for their practice of unlicensed preaching pretend there is more liberty under the Gospel to take on them the publick Ministry they are deceived there is no such warrant from the Word of God Not from the Prophecy of those times by Joel Ioel 2.28 which St. Peter saies was fulfilled in the Apostles speaking with Tongues those Magnalia Dei upon the day of Pentecost Act. 2.16 17. This is that saies he which was spoken by the Prophet Joel that in the last daies meaning the daies of the Gospel at the beginning of them not the last daies before the end of the World God will pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and Daughters shall prophecy as did the Daughters of Philip the Evangelist for this was a prediction of the holy Spirits emanation at the first plantation of the Gospel Act. 21.9 not of phanatique spirits eruption towards the end of the World when false Christs and false Prophets shall arise Mat. 24. and Mockers be in the last times which walk after their own lusts And these are they saies St. Jude which separate themselves Iude 18 19 and are sensual having not the Spirit Nor have they precept as they pretend for their practice That of St. Paul That all may prophecy one by one 1 Cor. 13.31 will not patronize them in it That is not to be understood of all the People private Men and Women which he forbids elswhere to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 but of all the Prophets or Preachers lawfully called to instruct the Church of God as appears by the Context 'T is great boldness then without an external Calling from Men to assume that high Calling under God and to be as St. Basil tearms it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mans self-ordainer Yea a madness Lib. 4. Instit cap. 3. sect 14. saies Calvin Vt ab hominibus designetur Episcopus omninò ex ordine legitimae vocationis esse nemo sobrius inficiabitur That a Bishop or Minister should be designed of Men none but a mad Man will deny to be a lawfull Ordination Heb. 5.4 Exod. 29.1 St. Paul saith No man assumed the honour of the Priesthood unless he was called of God as Aaron was who was consecrated by Moses with a great deal of Ceremony But that none should upon a conceit of an internal Calling or Gift of the Spirit go out to preach without the external Consecration by Imposition of Hands the Holy Ghost hath given us a plain direction Act. 13.3 saying Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Called they were to the work of the
by the name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is blood as ye see Pluta de adulat Amici discrimine no such humour flows from the immortal Gods Or else to secure his person and put him in safe custody as many better than they have beene and then tell him he is no God God is nusquam inclusus never kept within the walls of a Prison Cyclops that derided Ulysses for saying his wine in a Bottle was the God Bacchus would never take him for a God that should look out at a Grate No such condition is competible to our Sovereign God no corruption no restriction but rather the Majesty of a King upon his Throne And none of them dare challenge that I am sure None dare say he is King though more bold with God to say in these times he is God And our God is even so Rex quidam The certain King that made the marriage-Feast for his Son I have been somwhat long in the person of the King 2 The mo◠dus dicendi how he speakes his Rights now in question required it I will be brief in the next His Speech unto his servants He said unto his servants God speaks three maner of waies First verbis creantibus with creating words Secondly verbis vocalibus with vocall words Thirdly verbis mentalibus with mental words to the minds and understandings of men After the first maner he spake when he made the Worlds He spake the word and they were made saith the Psalmist 148 Psalm 5. 4 Deut. 15. He commanded and they were created Sayd after the second maner when he gave the Law The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire saith Moses and ye heard the Voice of the words And after the third way he sake to the Prophets informing their minds and understandings Prophecy came not of old time by the will of man saith St. Peter 2 Pet. 1.21 but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And this last way he speaks still to his servants under the Gospel not with words of his voice unto their eares but with words of his mind or Spirit to their hearts The Spirit testifieth to our spirit saith St. Paul 8 Rom. 16. that we are the Sons of God Dicuntur tibi quaedam verba arcana intrinsecus ut dubitare non possis quin juxta te sit Spiritus saith St. Cyprian There are certain words spoken to thee inwardly so that thou canst not choose but know the Spirit speaks unto thee These are the good motions of the Spirit that speaks to inform thee in the truth perform good duties reform ill maners 30 Esay 21. and admonish thee of dangers Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying This is the way walk in it when thou turnest to the Right hand or the left And after this way the King intimates his pleasure now concerning the Feast and the Guests when he saies to his servants The Wedding is ready but they that were bidden are not worthy And of this manner of speaking Application to two sorts I should now say no more but for those of our times that forge the Mandats of this great Monarch and wrest the words of his letters Patent and say Sic dicit Dominus thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not so spoken And they are of two sorts some publike Pastors and others privat Professors as they have used to stile themselves And first 1 To some Preachers 5 Ier. 30 31. some Pastors there are or Prophets that do so In the Jewish Church were such A wonderfull and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophesie falsly saith Jeremie and the People love to have it so And a Conspiracy of such Prophets Ezekiel speaks of 22 Ezek. 25. that destroyed Souls for love of Luore made many Widdows and dawbed the Princes with untempered morter 28. divining lies and seeing vanity and saying Thus saith the Lord when the Lord had not spoken But there are no such in our Church if every one may be heard speak for himself They will say every one with Saul to Samuel when God sent him against the Amalekites I have obeyed the voice of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. But what mean the bleating of the Sheep and the lowing of the Oxen which I hear in mine cares said Samuel So what mean the crying Sins and Blasphemous Heresies of the times which we hear in our eares God sends thee to cut down these as he sent Saul to slay them But they spare them as Saul did the Amalekites for favour or feare love of Lucre and Preferment whereby they spread and increase 22 Numb Oh that we had no such Balaams among us that will be hired with promotions to curse Israel and yet say they will not speak more or less than the word of the Lord for an house full of Silver and Gold But they are not to be trusted upon their word in a matter of that moment as is the everlasting estate of your Souls that will be drawn with the byass of by-respect from the scope and mark that they are chiefly to aim at Such as are the cause of Schisms and Sins contrary to the sound Doctrine ye have learned St. Paul bids Mark and avoyd Neither is this the fault of some publick Preachers onely 2 To some Professors but of some private Professours too who of late have learnt a way to counterfeit the King's Coyn and set his own stamp upon their own base adulterate Metal put a Verbum Domini or a Sic dicit Deus upon the thoughts and imaginations of their own hearts A conceit so full of deceit and delusion as nothing can be more Ger. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of Man's heart is evil continually said God Not the suggestions of Satan onely but what imagination proceeds from Man's heart is evil not some thoughts onely but every imagination of the thoughts not sometimes neither but so continually Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders Mat. 15.19 adulteries fornications false-witness blasphemies saith our Saviour No such ungodly motions can be of God unless they mean another God the God of this World an expression of St. Paul's wherewith he dignifies the Devil 2 Cor. 4.4 Prava cogitatio Sathanae seminatio Evil cogitation is the Devil's suggestion Mat. 16.23 who as he spake in Peter an Apostle to Christ to favour himself so may better be thought to speak in People apostate to prompt them on to errour and sin A strong delusion it is which God justly sends upon some of this Nation to their damnation for their wilfull descrtion of the Truth which was so plent fully preached among them And so St. Paul saies 2 Thess 2.11 12. That for this cause God shall send a strong delusion that they shall believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an untruth falshood or heresie or lye to
Ministry by the Holy Ghost it appears by the words whereto I have called them and yet he saies Separate them for the work which was done accordingly in the next verse 4. They fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them and so sent them away Where you see the orderly proceeding of the Holy Ghost in making the Ministers of the Gospel when he appoints them that were internally called by him to receive an external Calling by the hands of Men. For a Man then to run from his Shop and rush into the Pulpit to leave the Cart and leap into the Chair of Moses to live by the Sword of War and handle the Word the Gospel of Peace and that without Authority is such a presumption as was scarce heard of in the Primitive times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Laymen to preach saith a Bishop in Eusebius is a thing not heard of before and yet he spoke it of Origen a Man of extraordinary gifts and learning and some judge and that not without cause his many Errours to be Gods just judgement upon him for that his presumption No marvel then if illiterate Idiots Men and Women in our times become the Broachers of so many blasphemous Errours and Heresies usurping that holy Function in which without a lawfull Calling none can expect a blessing I have been long going through the entry of my Text The second partition of the Text. but you see what crouds of Opposites stood in my way which now having passed I shall bring you to the Dining-room the second Partition where are Nuptiae Paratio the Quality of the Feast a VVedding and the fitting and making it ready for the Guests He said unto his Servants The Wedding is ready And first of the Quality of the Feast The Quality of the Feast A Wedding which he intimates in the Wedding more plainly explicates in the fourth verse saying I have prepared my Dinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek the best thing that I have and that is the sacrifice of Christ's Body sometimes called the Paschal Lamb and the fatted Calf in the Parable of the Prodigal here figured by his Oxen and Fatlings that were made ready for in the sacrifice of these things was Christs death shadowed under the Law So that Christ crucified is all that is here understood and made a Feast for our Souls he being in the Sacrament both Sponsus Convivium Bridegroom and Feast as he was at his Death both Sacerdos Sacrificium both Sacrifice and Priest But before we come to the Dinner How the Bride and Bridegroom were coupled Eph. 5.12 Christus ex purissimis sanctissimis Virginis sanguinibus copulavit sibi carnem animatam anima rationali per Spiritum Sanctum creans Pet. Lomb. lib. 3. dis 3. c. 1. Hos 2.19 it is meet I speak first of the Marriage and shew how the Bride and Bridegroom were coupled together and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul saies a great Mysterie for I speak of Christ and his Church Jesus Christ the onely begotten and dearly beloved Son of God is the Son of the great King as you heard He came forth as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber of Heaven and took to VVife the Catholick Church here on Earth Of which mystical Match and matchless Union that Royal Preacher King Salomon made that Nuptial Song of the Canticles The sanctified VVomb of the Virgin was the Chappel where the Matrimonial Knot was tyed The Holy Ghost the Priest that joyned them together by uniting to the Son of God the Humane Nature This his Conception was the inception of the Wedding The Communion betwixt Christ and his Church the Continuation which lasts with his Spouse so long as the World endures I will marry thee to me in faithfulness saith he and in righteousness loving-kindness and mercy And at the end of the World shall be the Consummation of this Marriage when Christ shall come again and take his Bride home to his Fathers house to live with him for ever in Heaven And then it shall be said Let us be glad and rejoyce Rev. 19.7 for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready For this Wedding great feasting was made in Heaven and on Earth The Marriage feasts publick and private The Angels the Friends of the Bridegroom held a Festival of Joy and Gladness in Heaven when they saw this Match go forward Luk. 2. and sung that Nuptial Hymn Glory be to God on high on Earth peace and good will among Men. At the Conversion of a Sinner which to the Bridegroom is the uniting of a Member to his Church Luk. 15. Rev. 3.20 Salmeron tract 23. de parab hac Hic est sensus literalis hujus parabolae quae ad coenam Eucharistiae ad quam vocati sunt omnes pauci acccdunt extendi potest Orig. Euthym. Author imperfecti operis c. sec undum Terinum in Iocum Luk. 14.16 1 Cor. 11.10 1 Cor. 11.24 Do this in â—ememâ—rance of â—e â—ev 19.7.8 is merry chear in Heart and in Heaven Joy in Heaven among the Angels over one Sinner that repenteth and joy in the heart of the penitent Sinner which is that the Bridegroom meaneth when he saies He stands at the door of the heart and knocks by the Finger of his Spirit and if any will open to let him in he will sup with him bringing good chear with him even the comfort that comes of the free pardon of his sins In Heaven and in Heart this Chear is made but the Marriage-feast of my Text may best be applyed to the spiritual refreshing of Souls by means of the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments of the Gospel in the Temple And that chiefly of the Eucharist by the consent of many Interpreters the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood exhibited under the signs of Bread and Wine to nourish our Souls to Everlasting Life This is the Feast of Fat things full of Marrow and of VVine upon the Lees which the Lord promised to make to all People in the Mountain of the Lord of Hoasts which is his Church Isa 25.9 St. Luke calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Supper and St. Paul the Supper of the Lord because first instituted and administred by the Lord himself at Supper-time Of which he gave a special charge to his Apostles and their Successors to act over the mysterious rites thereof for a memorial of him till his coming again at the end of the World when he shall take his Bride and lead her in a Triumphant manner into the Bridechamber of Heaven where the marriage-feast of the Lamb shall be consummated To which the Bride shall dress her self with fine white Linnen which is the Righteousness of the Saints and all the Congregation of Heaven shall sing Allelujah and say Let us 〈…〉 of the Lamb is come and his VVife hath made her self ready But
now shall the Apostles Successors under a pretence of Reformation teach onely and not feed Understand all these pasce's of feeding Ore with the Doctrin of the mouth none of them opere with the example of the works or if that None re Sacramenti with the Sacrament of Christs body and blood which is the onely proper feeding indeed Such Pastors are Ministers of Gods word onely and not of the Sacrament at least not of the supper of the Lord. They have forgotten one part of their function these twelve years together whereby they starve the souls they have taken in Charge The Lord amend it that it be not laid to their charge in the day of judgment THE THIRD SERMON IN my last I made known the good pleasure of God the King to have the marriage feast of his son or the Sacrament of his body and bloud duly made ready for his people according to the practise of the Primitive Church in the purest times After which I made my address to those Ministers that neglect or refuse to make ready this feast and answered their plea on their peoples behalf Now I shall have the opportunity my beloved in Christ to make my application to you You have heard what the readiness of the wedding requires at the Ministers hands 2 Use to the Communicants Now more briefly say what will be expected from thence of you the Communicants And that is a readiness also in you that are called to come to the feast The King said unto his servants Tell them that are bidden I have prepared my dinner and all things are ready come to the marriage ver 4. A readiness there must be of mind to accept his kindness without running another way to the farm on Merchandice And more then that too There must be a Dressing and making of your selves ready answerable to the solemnity of the wedding The King overlooks the guests when they are come in and finding one there without his wedding Garment checks him for it How camest thou in hither not having made thy self ready 11. with thy wedding Garment 12. Nay more then checks condemns him to be manacled and fettered 13. and so cast into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The heaviest censure that can be pronounced to be excommunicated and cast out into that horrid place of hellish torments No porticipation no presentation ought to be at this feast without due and fitting preparation Gen. 41.14 Joseph changed his garments when he came out of prison to appear before Pharoah King of Egypt put of his sorded habit and put on sweeter So must they do that appear at this banket before the King of Glory They must deponere aponere put off and put on put off the forded habits of their sins and put on a resolution of reformation of life Ephes 4 22.24 or as St. Paul hath it put off the Old man with the deceiveable lusts and by faith put on the new man Christ Jesus which is after God created in righteousness and holiness Colos 3. 12. Put off all these sayes he anger wrath malice 13 and filthy Communication out of your mouths 14. and put on as the Elect of God the bowels of mercy tenderness humbleness of mind meekness long suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another but above all things put on Charity which is the bond of perfection Of which vertues and graces the wedding Garment of Sanctification is woven and wrought though some frame it of Charity and some of faith onely yet the most make it the ornament of the spirits vertues and graces in the conversation without joined with a good conscience cleansed from sin within When God was to come down uppon mount Sinai Exod. 19. to give the Law he commanded Moses to sanctifie the people two dayes before and charge them to wash their cloaths and to be ready on the third day So when the Lord comes to make us a feast of sat things and refined Wine in mount Sion his Evangelicall Church They that set in Moses chair are to teach the people to sanctifie themselves by prayer and examination and charge them to wash themselves by tears of repentance and contrition and so be ready against the time which if they do accordingly they shall not be Shent for coming without their wedding garment As guests thus must we all fit and prepare our selves and not only so but more precisely than ordinary guests Every soul is here at this wedding to present it self as a Bride ready trimmed to meet with her Bridgroom decked with the costly ornaments of Christs active and passive merits which he hath given it and with those pretious Jewels of the spirits gists and graces In a word adorned we must be with the righteousness of Justification and Sanctification But without these how disguised and disfigured do people appear in Gods sight when they come before him with ulcerous sores uppon their consciences and in the uncleanly raggs of their own unrighteousness And if they shall come as men go now adayes with the halting feet of Newtrality eyes blinded through errors and ignorauce ears dear to Gods truth tongues dumb in his prayses with the wry-neck of aversness black-mouths through blasphemy blew-teeth of envy hands full of bloud and bribery They must look for no better welcome than the five foolish Vergins to whom the Bridegroom said Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity I know you not Or the guest here that wanted his wedding garment whom the King commanded to be bound in chains and cast into utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth But I would be loath to tire out your Attension with a matter of such ordinary Observation you are not unacquainted with the danger of unworthy Receiving which there is no way to prevent but by preparation before you come not by Renegation when you are called They that do so and absent themselves to prevent the danger of unworthiness in Receiving fall into another as bad and incur the Kings censure of unworthiness for Refusing who said unto his Servants the wedding is ready but they that were bidden were not worthy Which leads to the third partition of the text where the King sits in Judicature upon the Recusants Of whom there is The third Partition Observation how dangerous it is to refuse the grace offered in the word preached Zach. 7. Querela Censura The Kings Complaint and his Censure His complaint is that they were biden intimating that they came not or else why should he complain that they were biden when God sends to call us he looks we should come is grieved if we come not The son of God sighed that the tender of his Grace was not accepted Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest and stonest the Prophets how oft would I have gathered thee as an hen doth her chickens under her wings and they would not come