balm and wine Parchment perfume apparel cord and line His wood for fire his harder leaves are fit For thousand uses of invencive wit Sometimes thereon they grave their holy things Laws Lauds of Idols and the gifts of Kings Sometimes conjoyned by a cunning hand Upon their roofs for rowes of tiles they stand Sometimes they twine them into equal threds Smal ends makes needles greater arrow heads His upper sap the sting of serpents cures His new sprung bud a rare Conserve endures And they extract from liquor of his feet Sharp vinegar pure hony sugar sweet 2 No mans sin or misery can make his case desperate where Christ is Physician The Leprosie dead Palsie Stone in the heart Bloudy Issue heart Ruptures Plague in the heart the stinging of Serpents strokes of divine vengeance or whatsoever else is incurable by men or Angels Christ doth perfectly cure without difficulty or danger 3 Oh how then are we bound to God for sending such a Doctor from heaven when mans case was desperate How much to Christ Jesus who voluntarily undertook such a low Imployment to be master of the society of Crâ—pples lame blind impotent persons When Charles the Great had perswaded Aygâ—â—andus an Affrican King â— Mahometan upon his voluntary promise to become a Chri stian to receive Baptism he entertained him at his Court placed there a company of poor and lame people at whom the barbarous King wondring the Emperor told him they were the servants of our Master Jesus Christ at which he grew offended and refused to be a Christian because he saw Christs servants to be in so mean condition But it is the glory of Christ to have the greatest respect to such What a speech is that Heaven is my throne and earth my footstool but to this man will I look who is of a contrite spirit and poor God will leave heaven and earth to look after a poor distressed soul. As a mother that hath other children whom she leaveth her maâ—ds to look after but one is sickly whom she saith I le look to this my self I 'l trust none of you'all I 'l sit up with it stay by it I 'l not stir from it So Christ chargeth the Angels to look after other of his Servants but him that is poor and contrite in heart saith Christ I 'l look to that poor soul all you Angels have not skil nor care nor compassion enough I 'l not from him but look to him and he is wel looked to whom Christ looks to 4. Here is then a singular encouragement for all distressed souls to go to Christ. To whom did he ever say Thy case is past cure Whom did he ever cast out and reject with repulses and denyals And now he is not absent though invisibly present His passion he hath put off but not his compassion Therefore wouldst thou bee made whole observe these five Directions 1 Before all other means used come to Christ Aâ—a was never cured because he only used meanes The Haemorrâ—oesse never mended while she used means and came not to Christ. But it must be 1. A coming with Faith The Centurions and the Lepers coming Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee clean 2 With Prayer importunate Prayer as that father who besought Christ for his son and put Omnipotency upon it If thou canst do any such thing as ever thou didst help poor Creature as ever thou wilt have compassion on us and help us This was the coming of the Canaanitesse who when she had begg'd and waited for an answer and at length was called dog or little better shee retorts the terme Lord I am a dog But as ever kind Master threw crumb to dog or as ever thou scatteredst the least crumb of mercy to poor unworthy creature think upon mee Her faith and importunity prevailed 3 With Repentance This Mary Magdalens coming and thus came the penitent Thief at the last hour and was saved but the impenitent Thief dyed at the foot of Christ. Impenitency damnes while Christ looks on and is trodden downe while it looks on the plenty that it self never tastes of Were Christ to dye a thousand times he would not save one Impenitent person 2. Direction After coming to Christ then use of means not before Then must we go and wash in five waters 1. In the water of Repentance This was Magdalens wash and wash seven times in this Jordan with Naaman David washt seven times making so many Penitentiall Psalmes upon his Penitential washings and was cleansed In this sense we must be all Anabaptists yea Hemerobaptists God commanded divers Baptisms or washings Heb. 9. 10. So oft as any touched a dead body or any thing unclean he was to wash againe so we so oft as we are defiled by any dead works as they are called In which respect we may say with Tertullian I am born to dayly repentance 2. In the water of Baptisme a more sacred laver which we may not despise or neglect it is a Gospel fountaine of Christs own opening This our Poole of Siloam to which all Christs are sent Arise why tarâ—yest thou and be baptized and wash away thy sins This washing is but once there is one Lord and one Baptism 3. In the water of the Word This is the Churches wash wherewith Christ hath after Baptism further cleansed his Church That he may sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of water with the word The Word is as the water of the Sanctuary Healing water Wherewith shal the young man cleanse his way By thy Word This is the Churches Holy water 4. In the Bloud of Christ. This the most precious Bath above all the rest the Kings Bath Herein those sealed Saints had washed their long robes and made them so white in the Bloud of the Lamb. 5. After all these the last washing is in the Sanctifying water of the Spirit Christs Bloud fetcheth out the guilt the Spirit the staine This the Apostle calls the Laver of Regeneration and Renovation of the Holy Ghost Christ Jesus comes with water and bloud This was shadowed ouâ— in the Ceremonious cleansing of the Leper where there was the bloud of a slain bird applyed with another living bird and running water and the person was pronounced clean Besides the blood of a dead Saviour there must be the application of running water and a living spirit Therefore beg after all the former washings another dipping of the spirit Lord wash me throughly from mine Iniquities and cleanse me from my sin If we be not thus Anabaptized our first baptisme is null as to salvation Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the Kingdome of God 3. Direction Then to Duties here is their proper place not before take up thy bed and walk expect not Christ to say thy sins are forgiven goe in peace be whole And that he should carry thy bed after
of the Divine Essence in three Persons I and my Father are one John 10. 30. There are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one 2. So in Christ visible for his humanity invisible for his Divinity Unity is the perfection of his person Only in the former Unity of Essence there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alius not aliud here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliud not alius in this unity of Person As in the Creature Sun there is a conjunction and union of two different qualities light and heat Light such as is in heaven among the Stars none such on earth Heat such as is in living creatures on earth none such in the Stars So in Christ there is an union of an heavenly and earthly nature 1. Of a Deity which the other persons have without humanity 2. Of Humanity which we have without a Deity In this one High Priest alone the Thummim and the Urim the perfections of God and the light of men conjoyn'd 1. Then give unto Christ the glory of this Singular attribute of Unity in a double Unity 1. The Unity of faith 2. Unity of Love 1. By an Unity of faith eye Christ only eye him with a single eye look up to no other Mediator go not to glean in any other field as was said to Ruth one Sun gives light to all the world there needs no more He were a mad man should say set me up another Sun or light me a Candle at noon day to help out the Sun He more irrational who saith give me somewhat besides Christ another Mediator It is looked upon as prodigious in nature to see two or three Suns or Parelii together There is no such thing they are but imaginary Suns in a cloud having a little light no heat or vigorous Influence There is but one Sun which gives light to these so to set up Saints merits the Virgin Maries Intercession or our own duties were prodigious all have what they have from Christ and contribute nothing to him And these Parelii are never seen but when the Sun is low at morning or evening never at noone This flying to the Saints with Papists or imagined Righteousnesse with some carnal Protestants is only a sign of a dim knowledg and of a weak faith never of a sound judgment and a wel-informed mind How unhandsome is a new piece on an old garment or the garment part wollen part linnen Christ will be Solus or nullus Look to me and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Isa. 45. 22. Each man puts out his candle and opens his window to let in heaven light when the Sun is up do so for your souls tread out your sparks they may burn thee they cannot lighten thee Isa. 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compasse your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lye down in sorrow 2. Next look after the other great Unity The Unity of love the Unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace Faith and love are the two great uniting graces faith to the head love to the members As there are two great unions in heaven the first of three in one Trinity in Unity the other of two in one two natures in one person So next to these two most glorious Unions there are two mysterial Unions in earth of faith to Christ where two are one of love to the Church where all are one And as this is Gods perfection so the Churches according to Christs last Prayer John 17. 17. That they may be all one as Thou Father art in me and I in thee That they may be made perfect in one It was the glory and beauty of the Wheels that they were so Artificially joyned one within another that though divers they seemed one wheel and they had all one motion for one Spirit animated them All those innumerable fixed Stars keep their proper and certain station are therefore never eclipsed nor do they eclipse others but move together uniformly one motion is common to all The Planets move in several Orbs no two together and they are all eclipsed one by another Christians should as Stars in the Firmament not thwart cloud censure slight eclipse each other disparaging this mans Ministry question that mans sincerity Oh that the Trumpet might not make an uncertain or different sound but bee all as one as when the Temple was dedicated and when Jericho was besieged all the Priests blew together all the people gave one shout thereby should Babylons walls be finally ruined and Jerusalems fully repaired Then would it be said Who is this that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun terrible as an Army with banners This Unity of the Spirit would become the bond and cement of our Peace our bands and beauty the staff of the Church in her now old age and bring in those Primitive times again when after stormes The Churches regained rest and were edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied Why should there not bee as one God one Church as one Lord one Baptism as one Spirit one Faith as one Father one Family as one Christ one Hope as one way one Heart as one Bread one Body as one Cup one Lip Cor unum via una Dominus unus Nomen unum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 12. 12. All should be one How delightful is it to see ten thousand beams streaming from the same Center of the Sun in heaven meet and re-center in the same punctulum on earth What a resplendent light and piercing heat do they give So when all the Graces coming from the same head do unite and con-center together what beauty light and heat is there The Beams dispersed are weakned united are more burning as in a Burning glass where all the Sun seems contracted in so narrow compass Where is most of Unity there is most of Christ. And now thou glorious Sun of Righteousness and blessed Peace maker who art all Union and the Fountain of it in whose Person the Father and Holy Ghost was from eternity united in whose Incarnation the Humane Nature was united to the Divine in whose Mediation the Divine was again united to the Humane In the strength of these two great Unions produce a third that union of our Nature with it self that there may be no more Schismes in the body Thou that didst slay the enmity between Jew and Gentile slay that between Christian and Christian and as thou art the foundation stone of our faith be also the corner the coupling stone of our Love and the
take away thy sight and God shall blind thine eyes For this great judgment came I into the world that they who see not may see and that they who wil not see when they see should be made blind The case of none so sad as those who go to hel with Balaam after their eyes are opened and wilfully perish as did that obstinate thiefe in the presence of a Saviour 4. Though Christ be the great light and Sun yet remember that Ministers Scriptures and Ordinances are not to be cast aside God created the Stars and placed them in their orbs as wel as the Sun they have their measure of light and place for use though all of them united equal not the Suns light and he present they of little use Christ holds the Stars in his right hand both to present and preserve them the Church takes them as from Christs hand and sets them on her head to honour them They are Christs charge and the Churches Crowne in vain is the Arrow shot against the Sun or Stars it may recoile and wound the shooter it cannot reach those lights of heaven Wicked men may be used as Gods snuffers to top and overtop his lights the Ministers but shall not extinguish them God hath set them up to give light to his house he wil not suffer them to be buried under a Bushel It is our duty therefore stil to attend to the Scriptures and to the Ministry of the Word 1. To attend to the Scriptures we have also a more sure word of Prophecie said the Apostle whereunto ye do wel that you take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place Here the Apostle cals Scripture-Light our most sure rule to walk by The most extraordinary Revelations are not to be equalled to them The most solemn clear and infallible Revelations are lesse then Scripture We saith the Apostle were with Christ on the Mount and were eye witnesses of the glorious transfiguration and were ear witnesses of that Divine testimony Thou art my beloved Son Yet you that have none of these Revelations have that which is as sure more sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Scriptures whereto ye do well to attend c. Obj. But the Antiscripturist objects that we must attend to this light of the written word till the day star arise and the day dawn in our hearts but when we have once the spirits teaching we neede no more the Letter of the Scripture Answ. Here this Scripture is mis-applyed upon a double mistake 1. Of what is the meaning of the day dawning and day star arising in your hearts which is to be understood of the state of glory when we shall no more see in a glasse darkly but while we are here we are in the dark and in comparison of clear and perfect vision we may say now it is night and then day This is the first mistake 2. If you understand it of the Revelation of Christ here who is the day-star whose discovery of himself by his spirit to the believers soul is the day dawning then is there another mistake in the word Til it is not a til of termination but of provocation rather and so of continuation stil Til I come give attendance to Reading Did Paul mean Timothy should read no more after his coming to him The leaven is put into the Meale and it sowres the Dough til all is leavened but doth the woman take it out or doth the sowrnesse cease when all is leavened It stil continues Attend to the Scripture searching til the day star arise and then you wil see much more of the use and excellency of the Seripture then you now imagine And very observable it is that our Saviour at his departure after his Resurrection having breathed on his Apostles and given them his spirit bids them not be above Scripture and lay it by But he opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures 2. To attend on the Ministry of the Word for Christ hath given not only Apostles Prophets and Evangelists extraordinary officers but Pastors and Teachers to perfect the Saints to work in the Ministry to build up the body of Christ til we come to a state of perfection and the whole Church be compleatly gathered and made one perfect man or body in Jesus Christ viz. to the end of the world Ob. Is it not said they shal not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother therefore there is an end of the calling of the Ministry Answ. 1. Therefore there is a bar to the teaching of the uncalled Artificer They shal not teach every man his neighbour that have no more cal then any of his neighbors It is no where said that the Minister shall not teach his neighbours 2. This is meant there shall be so much of heavenly knowledge by means of the Scripture Ministers and Ordinances when the spirit of God goes along that they shall not need every man to teach his neighbour not so much need his meaning is Not teach at all he means not for he bids them in this Epistle to Exhort one another Provoke one another and suffer the words of exhortation All which he would not have done if there needed not one man to teach his neighbour at all The Particle not is in many places not to be taken absolutely but comparatively not negatively but diminutively we wrestle not against flesh and bloud saith the Apostle not only not so much he meaneth labour not for the meat that perisheth He means not we should not labour at all but not only or not so much as for that which endureth to eternal lise To conclude This place of Heb. 8. 11. is best opened by considering such a place as that of Christ. At that day ye shall ask in my Name and I say not unto yo◠that I wil pray the Father for you for the Father loveth you He meaneth not that he wil forbear his Intercession but besides it they shal find the Father bearing a particular propensity of good wil to them So here they shal not need to teach one another as if that was all but God wil give in his spirit so that it shal become more effectual they shal all know me from the least to the greatest Obj. 3. Against Scripture and Ministry both 1 John 2. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. Ans. The same answer to this that to the former You may with comfort attend on Scriptures and Ministry of the word because you have the spirit to anoint your eyes with eye-salve and lead you into all truth and to teach you all things not all things simply or all things by inspiration without use of means but all written things all necessary things But he meaneth not they
thee and bear thy yoake There is some duty required after cure when strength is given thee from recovering and assisting grace grace assisting must be sin resisting grace Israel was delivered from the Egyptians while they struck not a stroake God fought for them they must not expect they should alway stand still and see the salvation of God and that the Canaanites should be overcome without battel God will fight for them they must go before the Lord armed and fight under him Justification and first conversion is Gods work not ours Christ fights for us dyed for us we stand still and see that salvation Sanctification must be carried on by our Endeavours also 4. Direction Then take heed of relapses Remember that Item Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse evil come unto thee Thou mayst sin thy self into a worse condition then before thou mayest sinne away thy peace pardon comforts If thou return againe to folly Great care must be had of taking cold in Physick taking and of relapses after a begun recovery 5. Direction Then wait after all for the Appearing of Christ. The rising of this Sun with his neerer approaches be still fearing his name and ly at the Pool in use of means His appearance will make thee whole and grow up giving both strength and growth All the Godly waite for the appearing of Christ. A twofold appearance thou maist waitfor 1. Here for a more full discovery of his favour and a more sensible manifestation of his presence which will cheer thy heart and chase away all former feares and troubles 2. A perfect manifestation of him selfe to thee at death saying Lord Iesus come come quickly this wipes away all tears from the eyes of Gods people CHAP. XXIII Of the Admirable growth promised to the Saints ANd ye shal grow up as Calves of the stal Observe Christ was compared to one creature the Christian to another the gracious heart can read Christ and himselfe in every creature When he sees the Sun he thinks on Christ when the Sun Rising he thinks of the Rising of Christ in the soul when the Physician healing of Christs healing when the Bird with her wings cherishing her brood of Christs wings and when he sees the Calves or other creatures grow he thinks how svveet a sight it vvere to see himselfe grow in grace This is the contemplative Divinity every spiritual and gracious heart studieth and practiseth There is a threefold use to be made of the creatures 1. A natural which is the lowest wherein men and beasts good and bad men share alike We use the sun and other creatures for food and Physick This is a lawfull but the lowest use we should make of them and in this we should remember God the Creator Lord and Donor of them and when we have eaten and are full praise his name not being like the swine who gathers up the Acorns fills his belly then tumbles in the mire but as the Chicken which every sip of water it takes so oft looks up to heaven 2. There is a moral use to be made of them which wisdome and natural reason extracteth When a wise man sees the Ant and Bee at work in the Summer he saith what a shame it is for man to be idle when he looks on the idle mans back and sees it covered with râ—gs on the sluggards field and sees the hedg broken Thistles growing he nedes no other Lecture against sloth when he sees the Drunkards eyes red face clawed countenauce disfigured he Items himselfe and others from the Taverne and Alehouse 3. There is a Gracious and Divine use the Christian makes vvhen vve have our hearts raised to a consideration of Gods goodnesse and our own duty upon the sight of every creature And this is one of the chiefe wayes we have besides the word for the knowing of God 1. God is described and known Negatively He is not a creature the Sun a Man an Angel not mutable weake finite passionate c. 2. Comparatively when I compare him to the creatures and extract al â—â—ose excellencies that are sparsed â—â—ngly in hem and ascribe them all to God to â—et out his pâ—rfections when I consider the glory and power of a King God is a King and more when I behold the light of the Sun God is light and Sun but more when the bowels of a Father or Mother God is a Father but far more Tam Pius nemo tam Pater nemo Tâ—rtul de poenitent So when in creatures I behold somewhat that minds me of duty or of grace the leaven mustardseed fishers net seed field talents oxen farm every thing may teach us somevvhat to contemplate God or selfe in It is said of Pythagoras as I remember that he brought Philosophy down from heaven what a far higher Art was that which our Saviour hath taught us who hath brought up Divinity from the earth Study this contemplative Divinity in the Book of the creatures There is a fourth use of the creature which some make but God never intended which hath neither Nature Reason nor Religion to defend it a Superstitious heathenish and brutish use When I see the Sun or Constellation of Stars to raise such a conclusion when the salt is spilt or a Hare crosseh the way then there is some ill luck followes What a beast is man to ask counsel of his staff as the Prophet saith This is to idolize or make Deities of the Creature and to resolve God into an Idol And it is as great a folly in Christians to ascribe any thing to such contingencies as for the Egyptians of old to worship their Leeks and their Garden Gods They shall grow up as Calvs of the stall or fatted Calves Doct. All the Godly in whom there is already wrought a work of Grace shall ere Christ hath done with them come to a manifest and excellent growth As the Caâ—f His growth is great speedy sightly comely in stature strength to be more tractable gentle to be afterward useful for the plough or paile Hosea 14. 5 6 7. There is a like Promise I will be as the Dew to Israel he shall grow as the Lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon They that dwell under his shade shall returne they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine the sent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon Here is a notable discription of the Christians growth 1. For the Nature of it set forth by four comparisons the Lily Corn Vine Olive whose growth is great and excellent 2. The kinds all kinds 1. Downward in roots cast forth ver 5. 2. Upward his branches spread ver 6. 3 In beauty as the Olive 4. In smell as Lebanon 5. In taste as the wine of Lebanon 3. The order of this growth