earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked which Calvin and divers others understand of the Word of Christ. Virga or is tantundem valet ac sceptrum verbale The rod of his mouth is the scepter of his word the breath of his life which a word is Herewith doth Jesus Christ not onely smite hut also slay his enemies doing Spiritual executions upon them In this way and by this means it is foretold that Christ shall destroy that Arch enemy of his the great Antichrist 2 Thes. 2. 8. And then shall that wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lawlesse one a terme fitly agreeing to that Antichrist of Rome who by himself and his party is voted to be solutus omni lege humana not subject to any humane law daring also to dispence with the divine Law be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth that is by his word the pure and powerful preaching of the Gospel thereby giving him a deadly and incurable wound Such use doth Jesus make of his word he useth it as his sword to destroy his enemies with With this sword it is that he goeth forth against those grand enemies of his Kingdome Sin and Satan as also against all other his adversaries This is the Bow wherewith he that sate upon the white horse went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6. 2. even the powerful preaching of the Gospel which is elsewhere called his Arrows Psal. 45. 5. as both those places are by many expounded And this is the axe and sword wherewith he heweth and slayeth obstinate sinners as the Prophet Hosea hath it Hos. 6. 5. Therefore have I hewed them by my Prophets and slain them by the word of my mouth Hewed them by sharpe reprehensions which are as the stroakes of the Axe to a crookd or knotty peece of timber And slain them by terrible denountiations of judgement and vengeance threatning them with death Temporal and Eternal Thus doth Jesus Christ slay his enemies first by the sword of his mouth before he do it by the sword of his hand first threatning and denouncing judgement before he execute it Thus is the word a sword And secondly a sharpe sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such are those Arrowes before spoken of by the Psalmist Thine arrows are sharpe in the heart of the Kings enemies His word penetrating and percing into the souls and consciences of men And such is this sword a sharpe sword So the ProPhet Esay describeth it Isai. 49. 2. where speaking in the person of Christ and of his being sent by his Father he saith He hath made my mouth like a sharpe sword i. e. By the powerful operation of his Spirit he hath made my word effectual And such is the efficacy of the word when it is thus accompanied now it is like a sharpe sword That is the Apostles comparison Heb. 4. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then a two edged sword And wherein so The next words explain it Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow c. This doth the Word of God not onely Christ himself who is sometimes so called Ioh. 1. 1. his essential word to whom that properly agreeth which there followeth in the next verses Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do But also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word written and preached This is also of such a penetrating nature like a sharpe sword it goeth thorow a man pierceth the heart entreth into the soul discovering a man to himself shewing him what before lay hid So the Apostle saith of it in that known place 1 Cor. 14. 25. where speaking of prophecying preaching and the efficacy thereof he saith that thereby the unbeleever cometh to be convinced judged so as the secrets of his heart are made manifest Those wicked lusts and false perswasions which before lodged and lurked in the secrets of his heart unespyed of others and undiscerned of himself by this means they come to be discovered Thus doth this sword likewise as the souldiers speare did to our Saviour it enters the pericardium the Call of the heart nay the heart it self piercing it thorow As Simon told the blessed Virgin in another sense that a sword should pierce thorow her soul meaning that sharpe sorrow and heart grief which she should suffer for her Sons sufferings Luk. 2. 35. Even so may it be said of this sword the word being accompanied by the Spirit now it pierceth thorow the soul working compunction and contrition in the hearts of poor penitent sinners Such effect it had upon those converts of whom the story tels that at Peters Sermon they were Pricked at their hearts Act. 2. 37. This doth the word Which also it doth with great facility and ease Even as a sharpe sword though there be but a weak hand to manage it it enters with ease So doth this word though it be dispenced by the hands of weak instruments which are the Ministers of the Gospel yet through the power of the Spirit it setting an edge upon it it now becometh mighty through God as the Apostle saith of it 2 Cor. 10. 4. mighty to do great and wonderful executions Thus it is a sharpe sword And thirdly A sharpe two edged sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such a sword is looked upon as the sharpest sword penetrating more easily then a Back-sword will And in this respect the word is fitly represented by it So the Apostle formeth the comparison in the place even now named Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is sharper then a two edged sword But besides there may be conceived yet to be a further Mystery in the frame and fashion of this sword First A two edged sword Such is the Word which consisteth of Law and Gospel being as the two edges of this sword and both going out of the mouth of Christ as I shall shew you anon Secondly A two edged sword in regard of the double execution which it doth Not onely upon the Bodies but also upon the Souls of men Therein doth the Spiritual differ from the Secular Temporal sword The one reacheth onely to the Body Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the soul saith our Saviour speaking of tyrants Matth. 10. 28. But the other as the Prophet Ieremy in a borrowed sense saith of the sword of war Ier 4. 10. it reacheth unto the soul denouncing judgement against both both body and soul. Both which are as it were slain by this sword Thirdly A two edged sword as our juditious Perkins goeth before me in regard of the two-fold operation of it A two edged sword cutteth two wayes yea two contrary wayes And so doth this sword going forth
the height of Summer when it is in his greatest vigour and strength Such a difference here is betwixt the head aud members of the mystical body The Saints they shall shine yea shine gloriously shine as the Sun but not so as Iesus Christ doth he shineth as the Sun in his strength Such is the transcendent glory and excellency of the Head above the members as Pareus observes it from this word in the Text. He being as before I said the Head of the Church and the first-born it is meet that he should have a double portion as he had of grace so of glory having the preeminence in all things Here is his Personal property Besides which we may yet conceive some other operations of his hereby insinuated I shall touch upon two or three and that briefly 1. The Sun in his strength dissipates and dispels all mists and fogs which were before upon the earth hiding the face of it And so will the Lord Iesus this Sun of righteousness when he shall shew himself in his strength he shall dissipate and dispel all those mists and fogs of Heresies and Errours which do infect the Church and darken the truth of God So the Apostle tells us concerning Anti-Christianisme in that known Text 2 Thes. 2. 8. Where speaking of that Mystery of Iniquity which began to work as he saith in his time there being then some Errours and Superstitious doctrines held forth which served as materials for the building of mystical Babel he saith Then shall that wicked one meaning that man of sin the Romish Anti-Christ be revealed whom the Lord shall answer with the spirit or breath of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming He shall consume him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wasting him by little and little till he come to nothing as that word doth properly signifie Thus doth the Sun arising on the earth by little and little it consumes and wasts the fogs and mists which were upon it till at length they disappear and come to nothing And thus shall the Lord Iesus do to that man of sin and all those Antichristian mists which have in so great a measure overspread the face of the Church he shall consume them by little and little by the preaching of his Gospel till at length by the brightness of his coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a powerful manifestation of his presence he shall utterly destroy both him and them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abolish and bring them to nothing as that word signifieth And so shall it be with all other erroneous doctrines It may be for a time they overspread the face of the Church and darken the truth of God but in his time the Lord Iesus shall dissipate them all being unto his Church as the Sun shining in his strength 2. Again the Sun shining in his strength resolveth and melteth what was before congealed and frozen The Summers Sun resolves the Winters Frosts loosing those bands of Orion wherewith the Earth and Waters before were bound And such operation hath the Lord Iesus upon the hearts of poor sinners Though frozen as it were and congealed in sin yet he arising and coming upon them by the powerfull work of his Spirit he thaweth melteth resolveth them bringing them into a relenting temper Such operation had the eye of Christ upon the heart of Peter After he had denied his Master and was grown stiff in his denial standing to it though pressed again and again like the water which being hard frozen bears whoever treads upon it adding Abjuration to his Abnegation forswearing to his denying yet no sooner doth his Master turn and look upon him but presently his heart forgave So Saint Luke expresly notes it Luke 22. 61. 62. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter c. looked upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a benigne aspect a gracious eye even as the Sun looketh upon the frozen earth and Peter went out and wept bitterly Such a suddain thaw there was upon the appearing of this Sun his heart melted And so did the heart of that Mary whom the same Evangelist denominates a sinner Luke 7. 37. a sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a notorious lewd woman a trumpet upon her appearing and coming nigh unto Christ vertue also going out of him as it did for the healing of the Bodies of those that touched him Lu. 6. 19. her heart also melted melted into tears wherwith she washed her Saviours feet Such operation hath the spirit of Christ upon the most obdurate and obstinate sinners Though before through long custome and continuance in sin their hearts were hardned even frozen in their wickedness yet he coming to them in the power and strength of his spirit meleth and softneth them making them pliable and tractable fit and ready to receive the impressions of his grace so setting them at liberty from those bonds of sin wherein before they were bound This is the proper office of Iesus Christ as the Prophet sets it forth Isaiah 61. 1. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me c. he hath sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to set them free both from the Guilt and Power of sin which he doth by the Application of his Merit and the communication of his Spâ—rit unto them 3. Againe the Sun in his strength not only looseth softeneth the earth but also warms it heats it whereby it cometh to steame upwards exhaling and sending forth a warm vapour out of the bottom of it towards the Sun from which it hath received that warmth And the like operation hath the Lord Iesus upon the hearts of his people shining upon them giving them some cleare and comfortable euidences of his love and favour some sence and feeling of it there with he Warmeth their hearts So it was with those Disciples forenamed whome our Saviour fell with as they were going to Eâ—â—maus while he talked with them opening to them the Scriptures their hearts as they say burned within them They felt a holy fervour in their spirits kindled there by that Spirit of Christ which accompanied his word And such effect hath the Spirit of Christ where he is pleased gratiously to communicate himself to the souls of his people he causeth a holy fervour in thier hearts Warming them with inward Ioy which is the immediate fruit and effect of the face of Iesus Christ shining upon the soule Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us saith the Psalmist adding Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their corne and their mine increased Psal. 4 6 7. No warmth so kindly as the warmth of the Sun No joy like that which is caused by the light of Gods countenance the shining of the face of Iesus Christ upon the soul. And breeding Joy it also produceth Love and Zeale Love to
that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Like him in Glory When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory Col. 3. 4. Thus is Iesus Christ fitly resembled by the Sun in regard of his illuminating property being fons luminis the fountaine of all light inlightning all that are inlightned in what kind so ever 2 And inlightning hee also enliveneth quickneth This doth the Sun in a naturall way it quickneth vegetables hearbs and plantes and trees and some other creatures which seeme dead in the winter yet by the returne of the Sun they are quickned in the spring And the like doth Iesus Christ in a supernaturall way Hee quickneth men Thence called their life in that place last mentioned When Christ who is our life shall appeare Col. 3. 4. Quickning them and that both in their soules and Bodies Their soules The Son quickneth whome he will Ioh. 5. 21. This doth he here to the soules of men Finding them dead in trespasses and sins Chap. 2. 1. hee quickneth them Which he doth by sending his spirit into their hearts as the Sun quickneth the hearbs and plants by sending his warme beames into the bosome of the earth And as the soules so the Bodies of men Having quickned the soules of his elect here he shall quicken their Bodies hereafter This is the Fathers will who hath sent me saith our Saviour that of all that he hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day Ioh 6. 39. And this shall he doe by the same spirit So the Apostle tels his Romanes C. 8. 11. If the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodyes by his spirit that dwelleth in you That spirit of Christ which here quickneth the souls of his elect in the first resurrection shall by the like power also quicken their bodies in the second Upon which double account he is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Quickning spirit 1. Cor. 15. 45. The last Adam was made a quickning spirit The last Adam Iesus Christ who is the head and roote of all his elect as the first Adam was of all mankind he is ordained by God to be the fountaine and Author both of a spirituall and Eternall life unto them quickning them by the Communication of his spirit unto them quickning their Souls here and Bodyes hereafter Thus is he as the Sun vivifiying quickning 3. Quickning he also cheareth and comforteth This doth the Sun which is as it were the Ioy and comfort of the world without which there is nothing but melancholie darkness and sadness Such is Iesus Christ the joy and comfort of his Church The Consolation of Israel as he is stiled Luk. 2. 25. refreshing chearing comforting the hearts of his people Even as the Sun by the warm beams of it cheereth and refresheth the herbes and plants making them lift up the head which drooped before Even thus doth this Sun of righteousnes arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. Comforting the hearts of his people chearing up their drooping and dejected spirits comforting them I even I am he that comforteth you saith the Lord Christ to his people Isai. 51. 1. This is the proper office of Iesus Christ as the same Prophet sets it forth Isai. 91. 1. 2. The spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for asshes and the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of gladness for the spirit of heavines Even as the Sun arising upon the earth putteth a new garment upon it instead of that sable mantle of darkness wherewith it was covered it put on it a robe of â—ight and so alters the habit of it making all things chearfull and comfortable So doth Iesus Christ coming to a dejected soule he causeth light to shine forth into it even the light of spirituall joy and comfort so changing and altering the state of it Which also he doth by his spirit Even as the sun whilst the body of it is in heaven yet by sending downe its beames it cheareth and comforteth those creatures which are here below Thus doth the Lord Iesus though he be in person in heaven yet by sending his spirit he comforteth the hearts of his people That is the Promise which he maketh unto his Apostles when he was to take his leave of them as to his bodily presence yet he would not leave them comfortles Ioh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you viz. by his spirit Even as the Sun though at a vast distance from the earth yet daily cometh to it viâ—iteth it by sending down his beams upon it Thus â—he Lord Iesus though keeping his residence in heaven yet he cometh to his people upon earth by sending his Spirit to them which is their Comforter When the Comforter is come whom I wil send unto you even the spirit of truth c. Ioh. 15. 26. 4. Againe Thus chearing the hearts of his people he also maketh them to fructifie So doth the Sun to the earth to trees and plants by â—hining upon them it maketh them beare fruit which otherwise standing in the shade would be barren What ever fruites the earth bringeth forth it may thanke the Sun for it And thus the Lord Iesus by sending his spirit into the hearts of his people he maketh them fruitful who otherwise without him would be barren as he himself setteth it forth fully Ioh. 15. 4 c. By this meanes they who of themselves are not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 3. 9. come to abound in good workes and to be filled with the fruites of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ to the Praise and Glory of God as the same Apostle prayeth for his Philippians Phil. 1. 11. Which fruits are the fruites of the spirit so called Gal. 5. 22. 5. To which I might yet add As he causeth them to fructifie so also he purifieth them Thiâ— doth the Sun rising upon the earth it clarifieth purifieth the ayre freeing it from those annoyances which in the night season had fallen upon it And this doth the Lord Iesus rising upon the heart of his people by his spirit he purifieth them Thence compared to a refiners fire Mat. 3. 2 3. But I shall not give way to further inlargments Thus you see how Iesus Christ is as the Sun to his Church performing the like office to his people that the Sun doth to the world I might yet goe on and shew you how he is
the people of the Iews Isaiah 5. ver 6. I will also command the cloudes that they rain no rain upon it That is as some safely if not somewhat too curiously expound it the means of grace and salvation should not bee continued unto that people as formerly He would beâ—eave them of their Prophets take away their Teachers Which accordingly he did as may be collected from that Promise which the same Prophet maketh to the Church Isaiah 30. 20. Though the Lord give you the bread of adversitie and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers So it had been with that people Prophets had been very scarce among them So much we may take notice of from that of the Psalmist Psal. 74. 9. where the Church lying under a sad desolation is brought in complaining We see not our signes there is no more any Prophet neither is there a-mong us any that knoweth how long They wanted their Seers as the Prophets sometimes are called And by this meanes were the things which belonged to their peace hid from their eyes And by a like means came they here to be hid from Ierusalems by withdrawing those means of grace from them which formerly they had injoied Christ himself being taken away he also ordered his Apostles after a while to withdraw from them So much is insinuated in that Parable of the Mariage feast where the first guests that were invited though sollicited by messenger after messenger refusing to come the servants are then ordered by the Master of the Feast to go into the High-waies and Hedges and By-lanes and to bid new guests as the Evangelists have it Mat. 22. 9. Luke 14. 21. 23. The meaning of the Parable seems to be obvious This Marriage is the marriage betwixt Christ and his Church The first invited guests were the Iews to whom God sends his servants one after another first the Prophets then Iohn the Baptist with the Apostles and Disciples of CHRIST who perswaded them to come and receive Iesus Christ and to have Communion with him but they refusing the Apostles with their Successors are afterwards sent to the Gentiles Which accordingly sometimes after our Saviours Ascension came to passe For however at the first according to their Masters direction they applied themselves onely to the Jewes yet afterwards finding them unworthie and being rejected by them they shook off the dust of their feet against them turning to the Gentiles So Paul and Barnabas expresly tell them Act. 13. 46. When they heard the Jewes contradicting them and blaspheming their doctrine Then they waxed bold saith the Text and said It was necessarie that the Word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthie of eternal life lo wee turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us Thus when men do abuse the light of the Gospel Christ often removeth the Candlestick as hee threatens the Church of Ephesus Revel 2. 5. taketh away that light taketh away his Ministers and Ordinances and so leaveth them in the darke by which meanes the things belonging to their peace are hid from their eies and that through the want of means 2. But Secondly sometimes the means are injoyed but the Spirit is withheld not accompanying not going along with the meanes Even as the Church complaineth Psal. 44. 9. that God did not go forth with her Armies Her Armies went forth but God did not go forth with them as formerly to direct assist blesse and prosper them to make them victorious Thus God sometimes sends forth his Ministers but hee doth not go forth with them hee doth not accompany his Ordinances with his Spirit This is that which the Prophet Isaiah complaineth of hee lift up his voice like a trumpet hee spared not to his dutie But who hath believed our report to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Isaiah 53. 1. His Ministerie was for the most part ineffectual few there were that were wrought upon by it Hee had as elswhere hee bemoans it Isaiah 49. 4. even laboured in vain and spent his strength for nought Now whence was this Why God did not concurr with him by the efficacious work of his Spirit hee did not put forth his power reveal his Arme hence was it that his indeavours became so ineffectual to the greatest part And thus God is pleased sometimes to enervate his Ordinances by withdrawing his presence from them Even as it was in Ezekiels Vision hee saw the Glorie of the God of Israel going up from the Cherub to the threshold of the house Ezekiel 9. Verse 3. The Cherub stood still in his place but the glorie was departed God had withdrawn his presence from it Thus Ordinances may bee continued and yet the Spirit withdrawn whereby they become ineffectual So as though the light shine forth unto men yet wanting that Spirit of Illumination which should open their eies and let that light into their hearts they still remain in the dark So fared it with the Scribes and Pharisees though the mysterie of Salvation was as clearly held forth unto them as unto others yet whilest others saw it it was hid from them How so Why this was God's work to put a differencee betwixt the one and the other So much our Saviour taketh notice of and acknowledgeth Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee Father Lord of heaven and earth or I confesse unto thee or acknowledge before thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because or that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes The same Word was preached by the same persons unto both but it had not the same effect in both To the simpler sort of persons men and women of weak apprehensions altogether unlearned and ignorant very children in understanding the mysteries of eternall Salvation were clearly revealed by the Ministerie of Christ and his Apostles but not so to the wise and prudent great and learned Clerks men wise in their own and others opinions as the Scribes and Pharisees were To them were these things hid Now whence was this Why God did not co-operate with the Word as to them hee did not work upon their mindes by his Spirit by which means the Word became ineffectual unto them Again in the Third place God coucurreth in hiding these things from the eies of men not onely in Negative or Privative but also after a sort in a Positive way Not onely by not opening their eies and hearts but by blinding and hardning them So it was with this people the people of the Iewes as our Saviour also taketh notice of it giving this as a reason why they did not believe Iohn 12. 39 40. Therefore they could not believe saith hee because Isaias said again He hath blinded their eies and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eies