but sit with thee eating and drinking at thy table in thy kingdome Hitherto ye haue heard Christs prerogatiue and the benefit therof The last point remaineth to whom this benefit belongs to euery one that beleeueth Why then say the Iesuites the promises of Christ are conditionall as well as the promises of the Law The law sayes Doe this and liue Christ sayes Beleeue only and all things are possible to him that beleeueth Heere is a condition in the one as well as in the other If time would giue me leaue I could shew that the promises of Christ are absolute and without condition but let vs now admit that they are conditionall as well as the promises of the law yet haue we many aduantages in this condition of Christ that are not in the law 1 Is it not much easilier to beleeue the promises of the one than to doe the workes of the other 2 Againe the law is stoicall and curious not content with our endeuours vnlesse wee haue done all and done it most exactly Christ is milde and gentle he striueth not lifteth not vp his voice quencheth not smoaking flax bruseth not a shaken reede but enterteineth euery true faith though it be as little as a graine of mustard seed though it be neuer so vnperfect 3 The law is solitarie teacheth vs what to doe but giueth vs no meanes to doe it whereupon the Apostle cals it a dead letter Christ is neuer solitarie but accompanied with the grace and influence of his holy spirit which hee sends into our hearts to illuminate to regenerate to giue vs faith to comprehend him And therefore when he giueth vs the condition which he requireth of vs his condition is most gracious and the condition of the Law is grieuous Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth If Christ bee the end of the law to euery one that beleeueth then did he not fulfill the law for himselfe but for those that doe beleeue As he was God he was not subiect to the law and as he was man also he was Lord of the law Duplici iure sayes Bernard filius Dei regnum possidet coelorum Semel quia filius 2. quia passus atque hoc secundo modo nihil illi fuit opus mihi autem dedit omnibus credentibus The sonne of God hath two titles and rights to the kingdome of heauen The first is by inheritance because he is sonne the second is by acquisition because he suffered of this second title he had no vse or need himselfe but hath giuen it to me and all that beleeue This will easily be yeelded that hee suffred for vs but the other point is controuerted that hee fulfilled the law for himselfe and for his owne righteousnesse As God he needed not and as man also hee was Lord of the Sabboth The sonne of man is Lord of the Sabboth and so consequently of the whole law Eadem est ratio partium totius If Lord of the law as man then needed hee not to be subiect but hee made himselfe So the Apostle writeth to the Galathians but he addeth the reason of Christ his subiection that hee might redeeme vs that were vnder the law When the humane nature in the very moment of conception thereof was vnited inseparably to the Godhead what felicitie did it want in that vnion which might be supplied by his actuall righteousnes fulfilling of the law What was not the law to be performed of euery man or was not Christ a man The law verily was enioined to euery humane person but Deus verbum as Augustine sayes non suscepit personam sed naturam hominis and this nature hauing no subsistance at any time of it selfe but assoone as it began to bee it was personated as they say in the schooles of the diuinitie could not bee brought into necessarie subiection of the law without manifest iniurie to that person that susteineth it Others write that Christ must fulfill the law to make himselfe a meet high Priest and they doe not consider his natiue innocencie that hee brought with him into the world which being neuer teâ—erated was sufficient to qualifie him to the office of Priesthood Was he not by that natiue integritie holy harmlesse vndefiled separated from sinners And these be all the qualities that the Apostle to the Hebrewes requireth in his highâ—Priesthood Seeing then hee had all these by the sacred conception which wee professe I may conclude that all which he did beside in fulfilling of the law was as the text noteth for righteousnesse to euery one that belleeueth and as it is in 8. Rom. that the exquisite righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in vs. So he sayes himselfe Eâ—o procis sanctifica meipsum It is for them and not for mine owne behoofe that I sanctifie my selfe As it is in a glasse that hath not his brightnesse and reflexions for himselfe but that others may haue the vse and benefit of it so is Christ the end of the law for righteousnesse not to himselfe or for his owne benefit but for the vse and commodity of euery one that beleeueth Thus I haue deliuered you Christ the end of the law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Hee is a high Priest according to the order of Melchâ—sedeth And wee read nothing of the exercise of that Priesthood but only that he blessed Abraham to giue vs to vnderstand that the whole Priesthood of Iesus Christ doth consist in blessing Hold him therefore and let him not goe vntill hee haue giuen you a blessing which hee hath already graciously begun heere in this world and will multiplie it aboue all that you can desire in the Kingdome of Heauen Whereunto wee doe all with heart and voice say Amen Euen so be it Lord Iesus who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liuest and raignest one God blessed for euer FINIS A SERMON PREAched before the Kings most excellent Maiestie in the Church of BEAVLY in Hampshire Iohn 1. chap. last verse Verily verily I say vnto you heereafter shall ye see heauen open and the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man WOrds of great asseueration and therefore of great importance What can more import vs that were exiled out of Paradise and beequeathed to the earth than to haue heauen open that were sequestred and retired from the societie of Angels than to haue their sweet haunts againe and their ministry too than to haue ingresse and egresse and familiar intercourse with God Placet cunctis sâ—curitas sed ei magis qui timuit lucunda omnibus lux est sed euadenit de potestate tenebrarum incundior Transisse demorte ad vitam vitae gratiam duplicat Safety is pleasing to all but more to him that was afraid Light is comfortable to euery man but more to him that is escaped out of the power of darknesse To haue pâ—sâ—ed from death to life makes
the way that carrieth vs to that high Country The Lion of the Tribe of Iuda is our Conuoy stronger than the armed man our guide hath the key of Dauid openeth and no man shutteth I haue enough sayes Iacob Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue I will goe see him ore I die We also haue enough and more than Iacob had therefore goe masters goe that we may see him too The spouse in the Canticles compareth him to a Roe or a yoong Hart Behold he commeth leaping by the mountains and skipping by the hils he is the sonne of God and thereby higher than the highest heauens that is beyond our reach For God dwelleth in light that none can come neere to Therefore because he would be low enough for vs he became man also and stood vpon the ground Hee tooke nor the Angels he came leaping by those mountaines and skipping by those hils but hee tooke the seed of Abraham and desired to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a louer of men rather than a louer of Angels He professeth it in the 8. of the Proverbs My delight was to bee amongst the sonnes of men I had thought O Lord that thy delight had beene amongst the Host of Angels but seeing that of thy pittifull clemencie and admirable be â—ignitie thou makest it thy delight to be amongst the sonnes of men I will not interrupt thy pleasure but pray for thy prosperitie Good lucke haue thou with thy delight O thou most mighty Now if you aske me why he tooke our nature and not the Angels that were fallen as well as wee Multum est à me abyssus est profundum Crucis est The Well is deepe and I haue not any thing to draw withall If it were lest Angels might so bee thought to restore themselues because of their excellencie wee must commend the wisdome of his prouidence If it were because man did not sinne of malice and without intisement as the Angels did but in a kinde of weaknesse and by their instigation we magnifie his iudgements that are examplerie vpon the principall and fauourable to vs poore seduced accessories Criminosius est decipere quà m decipi peccatum excogitare quam facere Iâ— it were because all mankinde was lost through Adams preuarication but not all the Angels in Lucifers Apostasie we praise his goodnesse that would not quench our sparke Let curious men discusse the causes it is fittest for vs to admire the worke Let them dispute and let vs cry O altitudo O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the height and depth of Gods iudgements O the loue of God towards mankinde Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Iacâ—bs ladder reached vp to heauen but it stood also vpon the ground Such must the mediators condition be The mediator betweene God and man must haue something like vnto God and something like vnto man lest if hee were altogether like vnto men he should be a stranger vnto God or if hee were like to God euery way he should then be farre from men and so no mediator The sonne of God appeared to Adam after his fall and the man ran away and hid himselfe in the trees of the garden Heere was nothing but the terrour of a Iudge no flesh taken no placabilitie of a mediator Hee appeared many times to the fathers in humane shape to giue them a taste of his future incarnation heere was great contentment if it might haue had continuance but hee layd downe that shape againe When the fulnesse of time came hee combined the godhead and our nature so firmly together with the glue of his person that man could neuer flie from God againe and God would neuer be seuered from man Opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito charitas sine modo A worke that cannot be exemplified grace that was neuer merited and loue vnstinted An admirable coniunction wherein God was made man sinners righteous and our Iudge becomes our aduocate So now I will deliuer him vnto you as the ladder that Iacob did see high enough because he was God low enough because he was man strong enough to carrie vs to God because of a Iudge hee is become an aduocate and of perpetuitie because the personall vnion cannot be dissolued Some doubt may bee of his bredth I am not sent he saith but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel That is too narrow for vs that be Gentiles But vnderstand it of order and not of election that hee was sent to the Iewes first that they might haue the precedence and first fruits of his ministerie and then you shall finde this narrownesse temporarie For after he had performed all things and was risen againe when the maturitie of time was come hee dilated his bosome to receiue vs Gentiles and made himselfe a passage broad enough for all the world It is a small thing that thou shouldest bee my seruant to raise vp the Tribes of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I will also giue thee a light to lighten the Gentiles that thou maist bee my saluation to the ends of the world Behold the bredth and height and length and depth loe all the dimensions of a perfect and accomplished ladder Search now and run thorow heauen and earth in your thoughts and you shall not finde any other nâ—me wherein all these properties doe concurie and meet together saue only in the person of Iesus Christ The other two persons that are in heauen the Father and the Holy Ghost could not be incarnate made low enough also for the office of a mediator without manifest solecismes and incongruitie How farre vnbeseeming had it beene the greatnesse of the Father if the Sonne or Holy Ghost had sent him Therefore as the first person in order and fountaine of all diuinitie he did abide in his maiestie and sent the Sonne And Father and Sonne both sent the Holy Ghost not to bee incarnate for so there must haue beene two Sonnes one Sonne of God in Heauen and another Sonne of mâ—n in earth and not one Sonne in both And then wee should confesse and worship not a trinitie but a quaternitie of persons which God keepe farre from the saith of Christians Why then doth Christ call the Holy Ghost an aduocate Alâ—um Paâ— mâ—daâ— vobis I will giue you another Aduocate And Paul doth second that translation when he saith The Spirit doth make intercession for vs with sighs and groan as that cannot be expressed Yet there be two differences that make the mediation of the Sonne of God eminent aboue all the groanes of the Holy Ghost the one for the time the other for the manner 1. The Sonne of God maketh intercession for vs before the wrath of God bee appeased the groanes of the Holy Ghost come after 2. The Sonne of God interposeth himselfe as a
Redeemer with a sufficient price in his hand In the daies of his flesh he offred vp praiers and supplications and himselfe too with strong crying teares and was heard because of his reuerence The Holy Ghost neuer offred vp any thing Hee comes only as a Comforter not as a Redeemer as a monitor to vs not as a mediator for vs. He comes to helpe our dulnesse to raise vs vp to giue heat to our affectâ—ons to indite our praiers and that also is the benefit of the Sonne that sâ—nds him Ye haue receiued the Spirit whereby yee crie Abba Father that when our praiers are conceiued by the spirit and offred by the Sonne they may euer bee auaileable and neuer take repulse with the Father O quench not this spirit grieue it not but cherish and entertaine euery motion thereof Is it not a faithfull remembrancer sent vs by the Sonne of God Come holy Spirit and let it bee thy good pleasure to remember vs in this thy fauourable influence take away stumbling blocks out of my soule which is the kingdome of Iesus Christ that he may raigne there alone as hee should doe Couetousnesse comes and challengeth gouernment pride would be a king lust sayes shee will raigne ambition backbiting enuie and wrath striue in mee which of them should haue the greatest sway I dull and heauy creature resist as I am able I withstand as farre as I am aided I claime Iesus to be my Lord I defend my selfe for him because I am his right I hold him for my God him for my Lord Come therefore holy Spirit and scatter these Vsurpers in thy power Draw vs all after him draw vs though wee be vnwilling and make vs willing draw vs that are slothfull and make vs cheerfull Shed out and powre foorth the oile of thy gladnesse vpon vs and we shall run in the sauour of thine ointments We are soone weary and changeable draw vs after him lest wee begin to take our vagaries after other louers After other louers Quem inuenirem qui me reconciâ—aret tiâ—i An â—undum mihi fuit ad Angelos Qua prece Quibus Sacramentis Whom should I finde that should reconcile mee vnto thee Should I make any way to Angels With what praiers With what mysteries Sure Angels are not strong enough to carrie vs to heauen and men are too weake yet there bee Giants now as were after the flood that hauing got such morter and bricke say Come let vs build a tower whose top may reach vp to heauen Videte quas scalas imo quae praecipitia ipsi sibi parauerint ad ruinam Marke what ladders yea rather what downfals they haue gotten themselues for their owne ruine for Angels are creatures not able to stand of themselues without the support and benefit of the sonne of God If their abilitie had beene sufficient the diuels would neuer haue lost their places The rest are called elect Angels and Christ is the ground of all election Verily Paul calleth him the head of principalities and powers in whom they doe all consist Qui dedit â—aâ—so homini vt surgeret dedit stanti Angelo ne caderet Hee gaue man that was fallen power to rise and Angels that stood grace that they should not fall and so he was beneficiall to both raising vp the one and confirming the other And if I should commit my cause to such an aduocate as hath need of a patron himselfe it were a right tower of Babel and no scale of heauen The holiest men in the world are too weake to carry vs to heauen by their intercessions Doth this appertaine vnto man O Lord God Adam was perfect both in body and soule yet of too too base a condition to stand in the presence of God without the interuention of a mediator The tree of life which was giuen him is a cleare testimony heereof What needed he any Sacrament of Christ if hee could haue stood of himselfe And then mee thinkes it is plaine enough that seeing Adam could not mediate his owne cause in his integritie no saint though in heauen is able to vndertake for vs in this common miserie Mary began to be a mediator for wine at the marriage in Cana but assoone as Christ repressed her boldâ—esse she desisted soberly and gaue a wholesome charge to the waiters which may well hold the nature of a rule amongst all posteritie to attend vpon Christ alone When the Saints themselues doe send vs vnto Christ shall wee leaue him and in our superstitious affections hang vpon Saints If you do looke for nothing but that which happened vnto Baals Priests They cried from the morning vntill the euening sacrifice and there was neither voice nor one to make answer not any that regarded Tell vs Paul what you did thinke when you were in such a strait that you knew not what to chuse whether to be dissolued and to be with Christ which was better for your owne particular or to abide in the flesh which was more profitable to the Philippians Were you not then verily perswaded that after your death the Church could make no vse of your praiers What then Is the saints loue diminished in heauen where all their graces be increased No sure loue falâ—eth not away But the loue of the saints in heauen is not alwaies in action It is there rather in Maries contemplation than in Marthaes exercise Or if it be in action it is like to Peters when hee had a taste of it in the transfiguration of Christ The loue of his brethren was not decaied but hee was so rauished and pleased with the sight of that which was present that he thought of nothing but the fruition thereof Bonum est nobis esse hic It is good being heere Hee thought not of his brethren that were absent he desired but three Tabernacles for those that were present Can the Saints that be in heauen heare our praiers from earth Haue they any dispensation of vbiquitie Haue they any indowment of omniâ—cienâ—iâ— Can they search our hearts Doe they see and foresee our wants For who will commit his body to such a Physician that knowes no more of the infirmities thereof than he himselfe doth tell him Can they open the gates of heauen for vs Can they conquer death for vs All this a mediator must doe Ego alium noui â—eminem qui hâ—c potuerit nisi Dominum meum Iesum Qui cerse in morte viuebat qâ—â—pâ—re fractus in cruce in diuinitate stabat â—m â—aâ—r◠〈◊〉 nâ—bisâ—um supplicans in altero cum patre propitiaâ—s homo manifestus Deus absconditus I know not any that can doe this but onely my Lord Iesus that liued in death who being brused vpon the Crosse in bodie stood in his diuinitie with the father suppliant with vs in the one and giuing a largesse to vs with the Father in the other a visible man and a hidden God Will you see how hee did liue in death Consider