is the author of the word he deliuereth Moses could teach but the eare this Prophet teacheth the heart Moses was a Minister of the outward circumcision this circūciseth or rather baptiseth with the holy Ghost and with fire let not vs therefore dispise him that speaketh from heauen for if they escaped not which refused Moses that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from heauen And can we want reason 1. In his anointing we are commanded by a voice from heauen heare him Matth. 17.5 2. he deliuereth the whole will of his Father we shall therefore be perfectly taught if we heare him 3. we may safely rest in his doctrine because with him are the treasures of wisedome 4. In a word he hath onely the words of life euerlasting and whither should we goe Secondly hence we learne that seeing euerie beleeuer is anointed with Christ and in Christ we must all be carefull to finde this holy oyle running downe from the head vpon vs the members 1. Ioh. 2.27 The anointing which yee receiue of him dwelleth in you And indeede our verie name of Christians putteth vs in minde that we must haue our measure of that oyle of grace which was powred on Christ without measure so as if we carrie the name and title of Christ we must see that the nature and gifts of Christians appeare in our liues Rev. 1.6 he hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God And it was long before prophesied of the Church of the newe testament that the sonnes and daughters of it shall prophesie and all this by vertue of this anointing Adde hereunto that Christ is not perfectly anointed til his Church be for Christ may be said to be anointed two wayes either properly in his owne person as considered in himselfe or figuratiuely by the vse of Scripture as he is the head of his Church which ioyned vnto him maketh vp whole Christ as the fathers call him or mysticall Christ. Thus Paul calleth Christ vnited with the Church by the name of Christ 1. Cor. 12.12 we must therefore helpe on the perfection of this latter seeing he is alreadie perfect in the former To this purpose euery man must become a King for so he is if he partake of Christs anointing in beeing euer in the field in combate against sinne in taking vp armes against Satans hellish power in getting daily dominion ouer his owne rebellious flesh and wicked lusts For if thou beest a Christian thou hast ten thousand rebells to encounter and as many strong temptations and lusts against which thou must stand out to victorie and here faith must be thy victorie which grace is attained by this anointing But Oh the miserie of infinite numbers euery where meere bondmen and captiue caytifes to Satans suggestions and held down vnder the power and tyrannie of their owne lusts in whome there is no resistance no fight neuer a stroake they strike against their owne sinnes the strong man is gone away with all verie cowards against the deuill nay couragious champions for him and yet will be called Christians no no there is neuer a droppe of Christian blood in such this anointing as yet neuer came neere them here is no spirit no power but such as ruleth in the world Againe thou that wilt be a Christian must be a Priest to offer vp thy selfe soule and bodie an acceptable sacrifice of sweet smell vnto the Lord to offer vp thy prayers and prayses the calues of thy lippes these are the odours of the Saints to offer vp thy sinnes to be sacrificed and slaine by the knife and sword of the spirit in the Ministerie of the word to offer the sacrifices of almes and mercie with which sacrifices God is well pleased to offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which the Lord despiseth not and lastly to offer if neede require thy life and dearest blood for Christ and his profession But how many titular Christians be there who indeede are no better then Belzebubs Priests who offer their soules their bodies their sences themselues wholly to the seruice of the deuill in sinne and vnrighteousnesse for praier and praise they curse sweare and blaspheme most remorselesly feirce and hard hearted in themselues and vnto others and so farre from this anointing as many of the Heathens who neuer heard of Christ would be ashamed of them and wonder what kind of God that Christ should be by whome they will be called Lastly thou must be a Prophet thou must haue the knowledge of God in thy selfe thou must hold it out and impart it vnto others within thy family and without for to this thou art anointed as also to hold out Christ in a constant profession which tyeth euery man to know and acknowledge the truth of God that he may be able to propagate it to others but especially Ministers Magistrates Parents and Masters whose speciall calling besides the generall fastneth this dutie vpon them These are the cheife things to which others might be added wherein euery Christian ought to testifie himselfe anointed by Christs anointing that hee communicateth as well in his graces as in his name and that he hath receiued some good measure of that oyle of grace which was powred out vpon him without measure for as in the head the Godhead dwelleth bodily so in euerie member though not the Godhead it selfe yet a diuine natrue is apparant 2. Pet. 1.4 Now this godly nature is nothing else but those excellent renewed qualities and precious gifts which the holy Ghost bestoweth vpon the regenerate by meanes of this anointing and is opposed to naturall lust and corruption in the same vers Who went about doing good Now we come to Christs execution of his office according to his former calling and furnishing For no sooner receiueth he gifts and calling from his father but he manifesteth and putteth forth the same in most painefull preaching and most powerfull working of miracles which hee did not for a brunt or by starts and fitts but he went about doing good By which words is noted his diligence in absoluing and finishing his course within his vocation and calling not seeking herein himselfe nor the praise or applause of men nor the kingdomes of this world but denying himselfe and glorie spent his whole life in doing good vnto others suffering himselfe to be subdued vnder a most shamefull and cursed death that hee might bring others to life who were as yet his enemies and lying in the shadowe of death Wherein he propounded himselfe a worthy patterne and example of imitation vnto all such as haue receiued gifts and calling to any office in Church or common wealth who are not to hide in a napkin those talents but bring them forth and traficke with them and that not for their priuate as seeking themselues but for the common good and not for a start or brunt but thus
they are and therefore will honour the Gospel and bringers with their mouthes whereas in their hearts they cannot abide that the doctrine of it should be in sincerity either published or practised the name of Christianitie and of the Gospel pleaseth them well enough so as the power and fruit of it come not neere them But as the deuill had no sooner praysed the seruants of God but presently he changed his coppie and neuer left persecuting them till he had cast them into prison got them soundly beaten set fast in the stocks and after sent out of the citie euen so many who now commend the person and doctrine of the seruants of God presently shewing what spirit guideth them can accuse â—hem to be mutinous and seditious troublers of their citie and state and raise vp the whole citie and stirre vp the wrath of the Magistrates against them that so vnder pretence of the word or lawe or peace or order the true Ministers of God shall bee wrongfully condemned and cast out Thirdly who would thinke that he could be haunted with a wicked spirit that can see his sinne confesse it with teares and indignation against himselfe openly iustifie the righteousnes of Gods children and yet in the example of Saul we see that a soule possessed of Satan may doe all this For as it is in bodily possession though the deuils desire is incessantly to hurt and vex the poore creatures yet by Gods ouerruling power hee is forced to giue them some respite and though hardly yet sometimes departeth from them and not alwaies but sometimes casts them into the fire and sometimes into the water So is it in spirituall possession the Lord for the common good bridleth often the rage of the deuil in his instruments that they cannot alwaies exercise it as they would but they haue their fits sometimes that is some strong lusts which Satan watcheth and putteth himselfe into as Iudas his coueâ—ousnesse invited the deuill to enter into him and also sometimes againe they haue their good moodes and seeme to be come to themselues but long stay they not here but in a moment are changed and cast into their sits againe Thus in a good mood Saul could confesse his wickednesse and Dauids innocencie and lift vp his voice and weepe and Dauid was now his good Sonne and who but hee but presently the good spirit went and the euill spirit came vpon him and he became more tyrannous and furious then euer before euen so some there are who seeme to haue remorse of conscience for sinne they will confesse their wickednesse with teares pray for pardon promise amendment begge prayers of others as Pharaoh one would thinke them very penitent themselues thinke they are so also but the moone changeth not so often as these spirituall lunatiks who hence may knowe that the euill spirit hath taken possession of them because they are neuer long in a good mind These few notes in stead of many I thought good to set downe to helpe men that are desirous to see how secretly Satan worketh in their soules and how hee can cunningly most forceably keep possession when he seemeth most to disclaime it that thus they comming to perceiue the disease may run out of themselues to seeke for remedie Which what it is we are now in the next point to declare The third point in the words to be considered is the mightie power of Iesus Christ who only could heale those that were thus oppressed and enthralled by the deuill and here consider 1. the ground 2. the proofe or manifestation of it The ground was because God was with him It will be obiected that God is said to haue beene with many of his seruants who yet had not this power as with Ioseph Ioshuah Moses and others Answ. God was indeed with them onely by manifesting his presence in some powerfull or louing effect which he wrought in by or for them But neuer was God present with any of his Saints as he was with his Sonne who had not the vertue only and power of the Godhead effectually and energetically working with him which was all they had but the godhead it selfe was after a sort bodily with him yea the fulnesse of the godhead was not only with him but in him bodily Col. 2.9 as elsewhere God is said not only to be with Christ but in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 So as hee of himselfe performed the workes which proceeded from him which they did not and his actions as from himselfe were divine Quest. Why then doth not the Apostle more shortly and plainely say that Christ was God as that God was with him Answ. Hee might indeed haue so said as truly but for the time spareth the weaknesse of his hearers contenting himselfe to deliuer doctrine as they were able to receiue it in great wisedome by little and little instilling into their minds the knowledge of Christ and by degrees laying such grounds and foundations as whereby themselues might more easily rise to that high point of diuinitie which the Apostle calleth a great mysterie namely God manifested in the flesh Secondly for the proofe or manifestation of this diuine power of Christ in ouerthrowing the power of Satan and treading him vnder his feet is euident in the Scripture The first promise that euer was made to man fallen that this seede of the woman should bruise the serpents head According to which prophecie hee not only put Satan to flight in his owne person Matth. 4. but tooke also his strongest holds where he had strongly fortified himselfe in the persons of others as euery where the Historie of the Gospel recordeth Hee rebuked the vncleane spirits and made them crie for greefe and anger Hee forced them to silence and would not suffer them to confesse him By his verie word hee cheyned and bound them whom no bolts could hold nor any other meanes subdue such was his power and glorie though men saw little of it that the deuils could neither flie from him nor yet abide his presence A whole legion of them ranne to meete him a farre off and worshipped him most submissly intreated him that hee would not torment them and earnestly sued vnto him that seeing they could no longer inhabit the man they might haue power ouer the swine By all which examples and many moe that might be added appeareth what command Iesus Christ hath ouer the deuils and that by his only word hee healed all those that were oppressed by them Quest. It is true that Christ hath this power and glorie in himselfe because God is with him but how commeth this power to be so sauing and soueraigne vnto miserable creatures who are held vnder the power of the deuil and that most iustly Answ. In healing all our diseases among which this cure is numbred we must knit and combine those two things which in Christ were inseperable namely his glorie and
of God casting out the strong man not onely out of his but of our possessions that he might take vs vp for his owne vse spoyling him of his kingdome and weapons for vs yea and in vs. And hence as out of a well of consolation we shall drawe this comfort to our selues that looke as the gates of hel could not preuaile against him our head no more shall they euer bee able to preuaile against vs his members although they neuer so fiercely and forcibly assayle vs. And if spirituall enmities shall not be able to cut vs short of our saluation much lesse shall temporall dangers for by vertue of this resurrection also euen in the most troublesome deepes when the waues of sorrowes ouertake one another and goe ouer our soules when with Ionas we are readie to say we are cast from the face of the Lord euen then wee haue hope to rise out of such euills and because our head is aboue in short time comfortably to swimme out Adde hereunto that death it selfe nor the graue shall stand betweene vs and home for this rising of Christ is both the cause and confirmation that we shall rise againe If the head be risen so shal also the members if Christ the first fruits of them that sleepe be raised so shall also the whole bulke and bodie of beleeuers if we beleeue that Christ is risen from the dead euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him and if the same spirit which raised Iesus from the dead dwell in vs then he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies for Christ hath not redeemed the soule alone from death but the body also els had this second Adam bin inferiour to the first if not able to saue by his rising al that which was lost by the fall of the former Oh how would this meditation well digested sweeten the remembrance of death and the graue when a Christian shall consider that looke how it was with Christ when his soule and bodie were separated yet both of them were vnited to the dietie which brought them together againe euen so I am taught by the Scriptures that when my soule and bodie shall be separated yet shall neither of them be sundred from Christ my head but he will reunite them like louing friends that they may participate in his own glory How would this meditation bring the soule not only to be content but to desire to be dissolued be with Christ accounting that the best of all The third benefit befalling vs by the resurrection of Christ is that because Christ is risen we know it shall not only goe well with vs but with all the Church of God the prosperitie of which so many as would prosper must reioyce in for hence it is that Christ calleth a church out of the world which after a sort riseth euen out of his owne graue hence is it that beeing ascended on high hee gaue gifts to men for the gathering and preseruing of his Church hence is it that the church shall alwaies haue the light of the Gospel Pastors Teachers and the Ministrie till we all meete to a perfect man hence is it that this Church shall be defended from Wolues and Tyrants seeing none is stronger then hee nor able to plucke any of his sheepe out of his hands Let the Church be pressed it shall neuer be oppressed Let the Kings of the earth band themselues and forces against it the Lord hath set his Sonne vpon his holy mountaine and hee shall crush them like a potters vessel Let Heretikes and Antechrist send armies of Locusts Iesuites and seducing vagrants to wast the Church and bereaue it of the truth and light leading to life they shall only seduce such as whose names are not written in the booke of life and of the Lamb for seeing Christ is risen so long as â—e who can die no more liueth hee will preserue his darling hee will send out the starres that are in his right hand for her releefe who like Dauids worthies shall break through the hosts of the enemie and bring the pure waters of the well of life as we are for euer thankfully to acknowledge in those worthy restorers of our religion Lastly let floods of persecution rise and swell so as this doue of Christ cannot find rest for the sole of her foot one meanes or other Christ will vse for her helpe for hee will either send her into the wildernesse or the earth shall helpe the woman and drinke in the waters that they shall not hurt her or hee will prouide for her one of the chambers of his prouidence as hee did for Ioash against the rage of Athaliah wherein shee shall be safe till the storme be blowne ouer These are the principall benefits procured vs by Christs resurrection which belong not vnto all but only to such as are risen with him Quest. How shall wee know that we are risen with Christ that they may assuredly belong vnto vs Answ. The Apostle setteth himselfe to resolue this question Coloss. 3.1 where he maketh the seeking of things aboue where Christ is an infallible marke of our rising with him for as when Christ was risen he minded not things below any more but all his course was a preparation to his ascention to which all things tended so now if thou be risen with him heauen will be in thine eye and thine affections are ascended thither where Christ is if Christ were on earth thou mightest fix thy soule and senses here on earth and yet be a Christian but seeing he who is thy head is in heauen thou that art a member of him must be there also And as Christ while he continued vpon earth after his resurrection liued a kind of supernaturall and heauenly life so if thou be risen with him thou liuest not the life of nature but hast begunne the life of grace and an heauenly conuersation Quest. But how shall I know whether I liue by this heauenly life or no Answ. There be two speciall notes to discerne this truth by the former is the dissimilitude and opposition which it hath with the life of sinnefull naturall men vpon earth the latter is the similitude and agreement it hath with the life of Saints and glorified men in heauen Concerning the former the naturall man will follow and pursue things which tend to a sensuall and naturall life he will beate his braines for gold and siluer meate and cloath goods and lands for himselfe and his as for heauen he will haue nothing to doe there till he be dead and for the way thither he careth not to know it till he be dying at the soonest But the spirituall man he coueteth after spirituall things the power of Christs spirit where it is present will lift vp his heart be it neuer so heauie to seeke the kingdome and the righteousnesse of it and he seeketh after the wisedome
action hath passed from thee for which thou cansts not bring thy ground thence the same will cast thee in iudgement This is that our Sauiour telleth the Iewes the word that I speake shall iudge you at the last day Thirdly this iudgement of Christ shall be most strict and accurate 1. In regard of the persons that shall be iudged who shall bee enquired into and brought to giue accounts of themselues not only generally as men or Christians but in special according to the particular places and courses of life wherein they were set in this world For exampleâ— publike persons must giue account for theÌ„selues and others that haue been committed vnto them magistrates for their people ministers for their flockes both of them how they entred how they ruled how they walked in out before their people what faithfulnes they vsed in discouering and discountenancing sinne and vngodlynes how diligent they haue beene to drawe and force men to the keeping of the two tables how they haue acquitted themselues from communicating in other mens sinnes and whether they haue faithfully in their places denounced and executed the iudgements of God whilest both of them haue stood in the roome of God In like manner priuate men must be counteable noâ— onely for themselues but for all those that are vnder their charge as Fathers for the education of their children masters for the instructing and gouerning of their seruants and family tutors for their care or negligence towards such as are committed vnto them for the rule of the Law is generall and will take fast hold vpon many a soule that thinke it enough to looke to themselues that whosoeuer hindreth not that sinne which he can hinder by good meanes committeth it Be now thine owne iudge whether thou hast well looked to one when thou hast neglected to reforme the disorders of such as God hath put vnder thy power Thou hast not a person in thy house but if it any way perish vnder thy hands thou must giue account of the life of it to the parents of it or to the Magistrate the parent of the country in like manner there is not the meanest soule in thy family but if it perish by thy default for want of instruction correction or wise gouernment of it thou shalt be called before the God of the spirits of all flesh and shalt be arraigned and condemned for the blood of that soule And this is not to beare the burden of that soule which beareth the waight of it owne sinne but to beare thine owne sinne in not preuenting that euil from him which by thy negligence came vpon him Secondly it shall bee strict in regard of the things either receiued of vs or done by vs. Account must be made what goods of our Masters we haue receiued both for the kinds and measure What number of talents were committed to our trust If one or moe how we haue laid them out what we haue gained whether we haue faithfully returned this gaine to our master as hauing sought his aduantage and not our owne how we haue husbanded our opportunities and redeemed our times how we haue employed the gifts of our minds vnderstanding iudgement wisedome learning memorie how we haue vsed or abused to sinne the strength health and beautie of our bodies how we haue iustly and charitably receiued in and retailed out the matter of our maintenance and reuennew And in all these lesser things if our vnfaithfulnesse be found out let vs neuer looke to haue greater matters committed vnto vs for the things that are done by vs they shall all be straitly iudged whether they are conformable to the law the rule of righteousnesse or acceptable by the Gospel the restorer of our righteousnes Eccl. 12.14 God will bring euery worke into iudgement good or euill open or secret for all things are naked before him with whome we are to deale he planted the eare and must needs heare and formed the eie and therefore must needs see things secret and couered with darkenesse Hence is he said to haue bookes and to open them because all things are as certainely recorded and registred by him as if he had registers in heauen to keepe roles and records of all that euer were or shall be to the end Yea he hath not onely his owne bookes of iudgement in heauen but for more surenesse that nothing escape him he hath millions of bookes of record in earth that shall all helpe forward his iudgement and giue testimonie to the righteousnesse of it so as euerie mouth shall bee stopped at that day and these are the bookes of euery mans particular conscience which howsoeuer they bee now shut or as roles folded vp yet shall they also then be opened and vnfolded to giue witnesse of whatsoeuer any man hath spoken or done in the flesh be it good or euill 3. This iudgement shall be strict in regard of euery mans words Iude 15. In this iudgement hee shall rebuke all the vngodly of all the cruell speaâ—kings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him For if of euery idle word we must giue account to God much more of euery wicked word Euery man thinketh words are but winde and hee may speake his minde and hee hath done but in this iudgement by thy words thou shalt be iustified or by thy words thou shalt be condemned and though thou when thou hast spoken thy minde against thy brother hast done the Iudge hath not done with thee 4. It shall be strict in regard of euery mans thoughts for euen these are not so free as men say they are nor shall goe scot free for euen they are bound to the conformitie of the law as well as our words and actions The commandement is very expresse Thou shalt worship the Lord with all thy heart and all thy thought and all thy strength and when the Apostle Paul would note the damnable estate of the Ephesians before they were called to the faith he setteth it forth in this that they then followed the will and counsell of their own thoughts Adde hereunto that the Lord Iesus is the seer the searcher and iudge of the heart and therefore hereby shall the throne of his iudgement be advanced aboue all the tribunals in the world in that the most secret thoughts and reasonings of mens hearts cannot escape him which the highest seats of iustice amongst men can take no notice of at all Vse 1. Let this doctrine abate somewhat the pleasure of sinne which most men swallow vp so delightfully yea and glorie in their iniquitie when they can carrie it so close and cleare away that men see it not and can stoppe the cry of their â—eared conscience for the present but remember that God hath written it vp and the time hasteneth when that conscience of thine now in a dead sleepe and seared vp shall be awakened and become as a thousand witnesses against thee that if all other
darts of Satans temptations For Satan vrgeth the poore sinner sundrie wayes as 1. by the multitude and vilenesse of his sinnes with which his conscience telleth him he is couered and thence inferreth that because the wages of euerie sinne is death and because he hath deserued eternal death he must needs perish he can expect no other But now can the beleeuer stoppe his mouth say I graunt Satan al thy premisses no sinner is worthy of or can expect saluation in or by himselfe or so long as he continueth in sinne but my sins are remitted by meanes of Christs satisfaction and though in my selfe I am worthie to perish yet in Christ I haue a worthinesse to bring me to saluation I continue not in my sinnefull estate but am drawne out of the guiltinesse the filthinesse the seruice the loue and liking of my sinnes through the grace wherein I stand and therefore thy consequent is false I feare it not beeing so forcelesse 2. From the iustice of God who cannot but reiect whatsoeuer and whosoeuer is not fully conformable to his righteousnesse but here the beleeuing heart is quieted in that through remissiō of sinnes the iustice of God is fully satisfied though not by the person offending yet in his pledge and surety Iesus Christ who beeing iust died for the vniust that we might bee the righteousnesse of God in him And hence the iustice of God is a matter of most comfort to the poore sinner in that this righteousnesse cannot suffer him to demand satisfaction twise for one and the same sinne for this directly fighteth with iustice and equitie And if Satan be still instant and say But what shall an others righteousnesse availe thee if thy selfe be not a keeper of the lawe for the soule that sinneth that soule shall die the beleeuing heart will readily answer That although the lawe require proper and personall obedience yet the Gospel translateth it to the person of our suretie who beeing God and man not onely paid the whole debt but performed all righteousnesse absolutely fulfilling the whole lawe whence it is that his obedience is called the fulfilling of the lawe for righteousnesse to euerie one that beleeueth and himselfe was made vnder the law that he might redeeme from it those that were vnder it Gal. 4.4 And whereas the tempter will alleadge But for all thy righteousnes thou hast innumerable sinnes originall and actuall which the Lord hateth and euery day addeth to the huge heape of them The heart which holdeth this article of remission of sinnes abideth vndaunted for though it feele a bodie of sinne dwelling with it yet is it not raigning sinne it is not sinne at quiet but daily battaile is maintained against it it is sinne weakened and in daily consumption and therefore shall neuer be laid to the charge of him that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ for the lawe of the spirit of life which was in Iesus Christ hath freed mee though not from all molestation and presence yet from the lawe that is the seruice and slauerie of sinne and of death vers 2. But numbers will hee say who make account to partake in the death and righteousnesse of Christ are damned and haue no benefit by it and numbers haue reuoulted and fallen away and why maist not thou to which the beleeuer will readily answer that those that were thus plucked vp were neuer of the Fathers planting onely infidels and vnbeleeuers haue fallen away and withered for want of rooting and moisture but I beleeue the remission of sinnes not by any vngrounded perswasion but with a sound lasting and vnfayling faith resting it selfe wholly vpon Christ so as I am perswaded neither death nor life can seperate me from his loue the worke of whose spirit maketh me bold to call vpon God as my tender father produceth the fruits of true faith and conversion into my whole life whereby I know as infallibly the truth of my faith as I know the presence of the sunne by his light or of fire by his heate Finally he that hath begun to make me good wil make me also perseuere in goodnes 3. This assurance of remission of sinnes yeeldeth most assured comfort in life and in death the goodnesse of Pauls conscience was his comfort when he stood at the barre Act. 23.1 and 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of our conscience and in the agonie of death this is the Christians comfort that his sinne being remitted the sting of death is gone the locks of this strong Sampson wherein his great strength lay are clipped off and he is disarmed of his weapons which are our owne sinnes So as a Christian may challenge him into the field and say O death where is thy sting which because hee is bereaued of when he intendeth to kill he cureth when he doth his worst which is to separate soule and bodie he can seuer neither from Christ nay rather hee sendeth the member of Christ and setteth him nearer to his head which is best of all The third point propounded is to consider of the lettes which hinder men from seeking the assurance of the remission of their sinnes which is indeede their true happines if they could so esteeme of it some of which I will set downe 1. An erroneous iudgement that no man can attaine certainely to beleeue the pardon of his sinnes for the common Protestant is a verie Papist in this opinion who hold that to doubt of this point is a vertue and to beleeue it is presumption because no man can certainely know it without a speciall reuelation so aske ordinarie Christians doe yee beleeue the pardon of your sinnes they will say yea for God is mercifull and they be not so many or great but they may bee pardoned Hereby wee haue brought the partie to confesse that his sinnes bee pardonable but vrge him are you sure they are pardoned and here he is set vp he stammers out a carelesse answer he cannot surely tell but hee hopeth well and this is all you can wring out of him he knowes not whether Christ be in him or no whether he be in the faith or no he beleeues hee knoweth not what But to let men see their error herein 1. doth not our text say that men must receiue the remission of sinnes and can any man receiue so pretious a gift from God and not know when and how he came by it 2. what is the meaning of that article in our creed which we professe I beleeue the remission of sinnes what beleeue wee more then the deuills if we beleeue no more then that God forgiueth the sinnes of the elect and not our owne and then how is this one of the priuiledges of the Church 3. to beleeue in the name of Iesus Christ in particular for remission of sinnes is his commandement and therefore no presumption but a
Ghost to whom whatsoeuer we doe the Lord doth accept and account of it as done to himselfe 3. We haue in the worst of all Gods image which is louely our owne nature which should drawe vs to respect if not the man yet manhood or humanitie in him and for ought that we know to the contrarie by the rule of charitie we must hope that they may participate in the death of Christ as well as our selues Lastly we are prouoked to doe good by that blessed reward which God of his mercy hath promised to all those good and faithfull seruants who when their master shall come shall be found well doing And healed all that were oppressed of the deuill for God was with him The Apostle proceedeth to prooue that Christ was anointed with the holy Ghost and with power because he was able to rescue out of the hands of the deuill such as he oppressed and played the tyrant ouer God hauing in iustice put them vnder his power Now although Christ did most powerfully spoyle Satan of his dominion which hee had in the soules of men this beeing the maine cause of his appearing that hee might loose the workes of the Deuil there yet the words here vsed in the originall restraine the sence to the curing of the bodies of men which being possessed were most miserably captiuated tormented and vexed by the deuil The word healing is first and properly applied to the bodie and the word translated oppressed is neuer vsed elsewhere in the Scripture but once in Iam. 2.6 and there is taken for bodily oppression and not spirituall for such is mans miserie by the fall that by Gods iust permission his bodie and soule which before were sweet habitations of Gods holy spirit are both of them become harbors and roostes for deuils and wicked spirits and these sometimes strike the minde with lunacie and frensie and sometimes abuse the bodie of man to the hurt of it selfe and others Hence is it that the Scripture giueth vs example of some out of whom Christ cast out but one deuil as Mark. 1.23 and the Cananitish womans daughter Matth. 15.22 of others out of whom hee cast out moe as out of Marie Magdelen seauen and out of the man that kept among the graues verie many for they said they were a legion which though it be a certaine number put for an vncertaine yet must the number be very great for some account a legion to be twelue thousand and fiue hundreth And the least I read it accounted is six thousand sixe hundreth sixtie and sixe And this may cast downe the pride of flesh which is readie to puffe vp it selfe seeing that now the verie bodie by the forsaking of God and his iust desertion of it is or may become the habitacle of a whole legion of deuils and wicked spirits And againe to vphold his hope in the midst of so many enemies it may be obserued that as God suffreth many euen a legion of Deuils to hurt one man so hee hath many good Angels to pitch about a godly man to helpe him against them Neither doth the Scripture speake of one speciall Angel assigned to euery speciall man but for our more full comfort that they are all set about vs to keepe vs in our waies and that all of them are ministring spirits for the good of those that are heires of saluation When God opened the eyes of Elisha his seruant he saw multitudes euen a mountaine full of them set as it were in battell arraie for the defence of them beeing but two Now in these words three points must be considered First that there were many possessed with deuils whom Christ healed Secondly that those who were so possessed were wonderfully oppressed the deuil exercising a wofull tyrannie ouer them Thirdly that the power of Christ was mightily manifested in their deliuerance For the first of these We read of many that were in those daies possessed both in Iudea in Galily and the coast of the Gadarens Which occasioneth the moouing and resoluing of two questions 1. Why the Lord suffreth the Deuill to take vp and possesse the bodies of men For we must not conceiue that Satan hath any such power further then it is granted him from God Hereunto I answer that the Lord in great 1. wisedome 2. iustice and 3. mercie doth permit this vnto Satan 1. Many are of the sect of the Saduces in this behalfe and will not beleeue that there are Angels or Deuils or resurrection till they see in such wofull spectacles as these are sencible demonstrations of it in effects aboue nature 2. Hee iustly permitteth it paâ—tly to punish the sinnes of the parties themselues possessed partly also the sinnes of others as either such as they belong vnto or others who often sustaine great harme from such parties 3. In great mercie hee propounds vs such examples of his displeasure partly that we might be more watchfull against sinne attended with such fearefull euents and partly to make vs flie to Christ the seed of the woman and cleaue fast vnto him that by his power Satan may be troden vnder our feete 4. Further such spectacles shew that the very Deuils themselues are Gods creatures and part of that great hoast all which serue vnder their Lord to punish his enemies sinne Many wicked persons are hence giuen vp by God vnto the Deuil as the condemned person is deliuered into the hands of the hangman that he might execute the Lords most righteous sentence thus is that wicked spirit which haunted Saul called the spirit of the Lord because hee was the minister of God to execute that iudgement vpon him And these are the Lords ends herein which hee would haue carefully obserued in all ages and that men should not look vpon such examples without returne of glory to God and reaping good to themselues Satan I grant propoundeth vnto himselfe another end which is to delight himselfe in the vexation and torment of such miserable men but yet for the former causes and to heape vp the damnation of the deuils themselues he suffreth them by their own most wicked wills to bring his most righteous will to passe The second Question is why there were so many possessed in Christs time aboue all the times before him Answ. 1. Because the Deuil knew his time was short and that the Sonne of God was euen now appearing to destroie the workes of the deuil and therefore hee more bestirred him then euer before So likewise in these last times hee applieth his worke and shall doe euery day more busily then other as his time draweth faster on Rev. 12.12 The Deuil hath great wrath knowing that his time is but short 2. That there might be iust occasion offered to Christ to manifest himselfe to be the true Sonne of God and the promised seed who should manifestly breake the serpents head according to al the prophecies of him which one point had the Iewes
his grace the latter of which maketh the former soueraigne vnto vs and appeareth in two actions in remoouing from vs the next causes of all our diseases namely our sinnes For as the Phisicion in working a cure first remooueth the distempered humors of his patient which are the matter of the disease so doth our heauenly Phisicion imply that this is the beginning of his cure and therefore often his first word is Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and his last word is goe and sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee 2. By taking our diseases vpon himselfe which no Phisician doth or can doe but this Lamb of God taketh away the sinnes of the world by taking them vpon himselfe for hee bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes and sinnes in the bodie of his flesh euen to the crosse where they were fastned with him buried them in his graue yea cast them into hell and there left them by which most glorious triumph of his the snares and fetters wherewith we were chayned to death and the Deuil are broken and our soules as a bird are escaped Hence note 1. That no man can cast a deuill out of a possessed partie or euer did as a principall efficient cause but as an instrument and that onely by this power of the Lord Iesus to whome all power in heauen and earth is giuen and to whom all the honour of this power must be ascribed for what power can countermand Satans but onely Gods I grant Satan may giue place to Beelzebub and depart his habitatioÌ„ for his greater aduantage and forsake a bodie to get faster hold vpon the soule or to delude many beholders but such hostile conquest ouer satan argueth a mightie power of God which all the deuils in hell cannot resist Secondly that whosoeuer finde themselues any way molested of Satan must hasten themselues to Iesus Christ who onely can batter down the holds of the deuill and worke their deliuerance Feelest thou thy selfe held vnder any spirituall captiuitie or bondage doth the lawe of euill present with thee toyle thee with heauines and vnchearefulnesse to any thing that is good seest thou in any measure Satans secret traines working against thy saluation oh come vnto Christ not faintly as the father of the possessed child Mark 9.22 Master if thou canst doe any thing helpe vs but with confidence as the leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make me whole or as the Centurion onely speak the word rebuke these dumbe and deafe spirits within me and thou who onely canst make the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blind to see and the lame to leape for ioy set me at libertie worke my enlargement chase away these spirituall enemies and thou that art the sonne set me free and I shall be free indeede Againe art thou in any affliction of bodie or mind or goods or name yea be it in the case of sorcerie or witchcraft against thy selfe or any of thine or whatsoeuer belongeth vnto thee looke vp vnto Christ he can command fire water windes seas diseases death the deuills themselues and if he see it good for thee he can checke all thy grieuances he is of no lesse power now in his glorie at his Fathers right hand then he was in his humility vpon earth and yet when he was at lowest he could command legions of deuills nay legions of angels as at his apprehension much more can he now command and rebuke the former and pitch the latter round about them that feare him so as without his wil all the deuils in hell cannot make one haire of thy head to fall Thirdly hence are ouerthrowne sundrie superstitious and wicked opinions and practises verie riâ—e in the world As 1. such Popish minded persons as thinke that by certaine words and amulets deuills may be driuen away deseases healed c. And for this they alleadge that in the new Testament onely by naming Iesus such cures were effected To which I answer that it is too grosse a conceit to thinke that there can be any vertue in words to driue away diseases much lesse deuills or to conceiue that by the pronouncing of words but by the vertue and power of Christ working by the Apostles and miraculously put forth with those words both diseases and deuills gaue place and so the parties were healed 2. Such as thinke that by the applying of consecrated things as they call them deuills are scared away as by holy water salt hallowed candles reliques of Saints the signe of the crosse images fashioned in such or such a place All which howsoeuer verie ordinarie in the Church of Rome yet indeede are no better then sorcerie and charming and the verie practises of those who while they will driue the deuil from others plainly prooue that themselues are spiritually possessed by him in that they will cast out deuills by Beelzebub the Prince of deuils They obiect for these reliques that a souldier that was to be buried was reuiued by touching the dead bones of Elishah 2. Kin. 13.21 But this was a miracle wrought by the finger of God to confirme the truth preached by that worthie Prophet and is not to be ascribed to the touching of the bones which in themselues nor at any other time had any such vertue They alledge also the example of the woman hauing the blooddie issue who was cured by the touching of Christs garment whereas that disease was cured not by the corporall touching of his skirt but by the spirituall touching of himselfe which was by the hand of her faith and therefore our Sauiour said be it vnto thee not according to thy feeling but according to thy faith They alleadge also Act. 19.12 That from Pauls bodie were brought to the sicke napkins or handkercheifes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirits went out of them Which things had no such power in them but only that it pleased God by such weake meanes to produce miracles for the confirmation of that holy doctrine preached by Paul And therefore the text ascribeth these miracles not to the garments of Paul but to God himselfe who by the hands of Paul wrought them vers 11. Whence we may conclude that whosoeuer vse any such meanes as these shew themselues not only superstitious and wicked but most foolish and ridiculous to thinke that any bodily substance whatsoeuer can worke vpon or violence a substance which is not bodily such as the deuils is It will be alleadged that experience sheweth that such meanes as these preuaile to these intents and purposes which we grant to be true but that is by Satans subtelty who often dissembleth a flight as though he were forced by an exorcist to depart or else indeed goeth away that men might be confirmed in their impietie and grow more madde vpon such wicked and vnlawfull meanes 3. Others who when Gods hand is any way vpon them or theirs especially if they conceiue
him the second time if they had seene him rise and so opened the graue that all might see the bodie was gone Thirdly the whole humanitie was raised glorified For 1. his bodie put off all such infirmities and passions as he pleased to make triall of for our sakes that he might be a more merciful high Priest such as are hunger thirst cold wearinesse paine and death it selfe and contrarily put on such excellent qualities as are fit for a glorified bodie such as are agilitie brightnesse incorruption immortalitie and the like But here two rules must be remembred the former that none of these qualities are diuine properties for although the deitie personally inhabiting this humane nature doth adorne it with all perfection of most excellent qualities yet must they still be conceiued as finite and created accidents which destroy not the nature of a bodie they beautifie it but deifie it not they make it not omnipresent nor yet invisible for then should it cease to be a bodie and become a spirit to which onely these can agree The latter rule is that although Iesus Christ rose most glorified yet did he still while he was vpon earth vaile his maiestie and shewed not himselfe in that perfect glorie the degrees of which he was now entred into not onely because he would reserue the full manifestation of it vntill the last iudgement but also in regard of his disciples and faithfull ones that they might be able to discouer the selfe same bodie which they had formerly well knowne and that his surpassing glorie should not hinder or affray them from that further familiar conuerse with him whereby they beeing to be his witnesses might be confirmed and fitted to their testimonie by seeing hearing yea and touching him Hence was it that while he was on earth after his resurrection he would carrie the scars and prints of the speare and nayles that they might put their fingers into them for their better discerning of him Hēce also although he rose naked out of the graue and left the cloathes behind him for that was agreeable to the state of a glorified bodie which standeth no more in neede of cloathing for necessitie nor ornament then Adam did in the state of innocencie yet in respect of their infirmitie to whom he was to appeare he vsed cloathes and although he needed neither meate nor drinke yet for their sakes and ours he ate and drunke as we shall after see Secōdly as for the soule of our blessed Sauiour it was beautified with such a measure of knowledge as excelled all creatures men or angels euen such as was meet for such an head the Godhead reuealing vnto it all things which either it would know or in regard of his glorious office ought to know The like is to be said of righteousnesse holinesse and the rest of his graces wherein he was set so farre aboue all creatures as they all are not able to comprehend them and yet in regard of God all of them finite as his soule it selfe is The third point in this rising of Christ is the fruit or benefits of it which will appeare to be not so many as great if we attentiuely consider either 1. the euills that hereby he hath remooued or 2. the good things he hath procured vnto his people The former is manifest in that hence all the enemies of mans saluation are not onely vtterly subdued but made not onely not formidable and terrible as before but after a sort friendly at least beneficiall vnto beleeuers the which point after wee haue a little cleared we wil proceed to the second sort of benefits hence also accrewing Ioshua in leading the people and putting them in possession of the land of Canaan was in many things a singular type of Iesus Christ As that he beginneth where Moses endeth his calling was confirmed to him by the voice of God himselfe the ende of his calling to guid the people to the promised land of Canaan the destroying and casting out all the enemies that lifted vp hand against them the deuiding of the land according to their tribes and so preparing after a sort to euery one his mansion the establishing of lawes and ordinances to be obserued of all the subiects of that kingdome the peoples acknowledgment of him for their captaine their promise of franke obedience and of subiecting themselues to whatsoeuer hee commanded them In one word the whole historie doth represent our true Ioshua or Iesus who is the accomplisher of all Gods promises concerning the heauenly Canaan and the leader of Gods people to true felicitie but in no one action did this worthy Captaine of the Lords hostes more liuely resemble the truth or true Ioshua then when at one time in one caue hee slewe fiue Kings who beeing deadly enemies against the people of God made out a strong head and vnited their forces to hinder their peaceable possession For our Ioshua or Iesus which is all one went into the graue or caue where hee was buried and there met with and slew fiue mightie Tyrants and came out a most glorious conquerer The names of these fiue Kings were 1. Sinne. 2. Death 3. Hell 4. Satan 5. the World ouer all whom Christ by his powerfull resurrection most gloriously triumphed The first of these enemies is Sinne who had for euer raigned in vs to death and held vs vnder his power if Christ had not broken his power by his resurrection So saith the Apostle If Christ be not risen againe We are yet in our sinnes But it is plaine this enemie is foiled for if the guilt of one sinne had remained vnabolished and Christ had not paied the vttermost farthing he had neuer risen againe But against this wil be obiected that notwithstanding Christs rising we see sinne rule and raigne in the most and hath as much dominion and power as it euer had or can haue and if we looke at the best they haue many sinnefull actions found in their hands plainely arguing that sinne mooueth and stirreth and is not dead in them How say wee then that Christ by his resurrection hath slaine it Answ. We must here obserue a two-fold distinction whereby we shall more easily loose this knot First of persons some are members of his bodie and some yea the most are not some are sheepe but the most are goates some are in communion with him as the science set and growing in the roote but the most are out of fellowship with him and are no otherwise knit vnto him then a science tyed to a tree by a thred I meane by the slender thred of outward profession Now as the head only imparteth of the life sence motion protection light and comfort which it hath to the members of it owne bodie and no other euen so the head of this mysticall bodie quickneth mooueth protecteth enlightneth graceth saueth only such as are in true communion with him for these sheepe only hee giueth his life
all holy conuersation And for the furthering of this care two things must carefully be shunned which shut it quite out of the hearts of the most The first is securitie and deadnesse of heart which is a slumber of spirit and sleepinesse of the soule which hath bound vp all faculties and powers of the soule so as it can as little mooue or stirre in the actions and affaires of heauenly and spirituall life as a man when hee is on a dead sleepe can mooue or bestirre himselfe to bodily and naturall actions The mind till God awaken it neuer seriously thinketh of God or of his owne estate The conscience neuer or seldom accuseth for sinnes committed The will enclineth not to any thing truly good The affections remaine vnmooued at Gods word or workes The whole man is sencelesse and carelesse of Gods iudgements either present or to come and whence is all this but from a profane delusion of the heart that the Master will not yet come they shall not yet be called to their reckoning there is time inough behind to repent in they craue but an houre on their death beds and that they hope they shall haue In the meane time they are eaten vp with dissolutenesse and profanenes casting away sobrietie and watchfulnesse so as their Master commeth vnexpected and in an houre they know not How doth it therefore stand euery man in hand to awake from his sleepe and stand vp from the dead with wise virgins to prepare and trim their lamps with oile before hand and so waite for the comming of the briedgrome to take heed of euery sinne thought word and deede to watch narrowely their owne liues to prouoke themselues to the best duties What is not sinne a fearefull thing which made the Sonne of God cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Is not the greatnesse of them like the mountaines and the number of them like the sand of the sea-shoare which is numberlesse Is it not a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God whose wrath and iustice against the least sinne all creatures in heauen and earth cannot stand vnder but be oppressed and shaken in peices Is not the night past and the day come the sunne of righteousnesse risen so as if euer we meane to wake out of this deadly sleepe and walke as the children of light it is more then time Wouldst thou be taken lying or swearing or gaming or drinking or railing or breaking the Sabbath or stealing or whooring wouldst thou haue thy master find thee in any of these practises and distempers oh no I meane to repent But he commeth suddainely as a theefe in the night and this suddaine comming at least to thee in particular may cut off al thy purposes for it is iust with God that they who take not his time of repentance shall neuer attaine to their owne What wil now be the issue of thy delayes surely thou hadst better beene a dogge or a toad or the vilest creature of all the creation then a secure sinner ouertaken in thy wickednesse The second thing that hindereth this expectation of the last iudgement as carefully to be avoided as the former are the cares of this present life and the greedie desire and thirst after the world which by this consideration also may be abated For if this day of iudgement whether generall or particular to thy selfe were to morrowe what were thy gold siluer plate Iewels worth to thee they were all one with the stones in the streete Tel me nowe whether thou wouldst not then esteeme Christ and his merit thy chiefest commoditie or if thou couldst but conceiue with thy selfe the truth and say to thy soule I shall certainely shortly come to answer the iudge of all the world couldst thou goe on to lade thy conscience with iniquitie for so short a possession of vanishing profits No thou wouldst begin to husband thy time which worldlinesse hath hitherto ingrossed thou wouldst not suffer thy soule to be so surcharged with earthlynes as to forget treasuring in heauen making readie thy account and the finishing of thy reckoning thou wouldst not suffer the thornie cares of this life to choake all the seede of thy saluation neither could it be that the oxe or farme should so still fill vp thine eyes as that the supper of the King should be despised But in truth men liue generally as though there were no iudgement to come or as though they had stricken a couenant with it to passe ouer them for when we preach and men heare or read of the iudgement to come who trembleth at it as Faelix an heathen did to heare Paul dispute of it When we teach that the iudge is at the doore who seeth all the facts of men and draweth them into bills of remembrance and of them all is drawing a bill of inditement who feareth more who sinneth lesse who is it that smiteth his thigh or saith what haue I done who forsaketh his wilfull ignorance his contempt of the word his abuse of Gods seruants his blasphemies his pride vncleannes vnlawfull games or lawfull vnlawfully vsed his sabbath breaking his swearing his oppression his vsurie or the like We like Lot forwarne men of the euill to come but men like Lots cousins and kinsmen entertaine our words as a iest we are as though we mocked and so they sit out the summons to their further danger yea more then this when the Lord thrusteth his feareful iudgements into the eies and sences of men as forerunners of this generall men shut their eies and will not see the brightnesse of them nor the danger of sinne by them nor the speciall anger of God bewraying it selfe and broken out in them but still liue as they did in the daies of Noah and will lay none of these things to heart till it be too late The second thing whereby euery man must addresse himselfe to this iudgement is to vse the best meanes that he may happily passe through it And the only meanes is set downe by the Apostle 1. Cor. 11.31 If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. Now this iudging of our selues before hand standeth in foure things First in arraigning our selues before Gods iudgement seat that is when by serious consideration we summon our selues before this Iudge to whom we are to be counteable This is the memento that Salomon giueth the young man who is set vpon his pleasure Remember that for all this thou must come to iudgement And if the young man must sawce his pleasures with this remembrance much more the older had need as beeing in the ordinarie course of nature nearer it then they some of the ancients haue so acquainted and accustomed their hearts to this meditation that one of them professeth of himselfe that wheresoeuer hee was or whatsoeuer hee was doing hee thought hee heard alwaies this voice in his eares arise yee dead and come vnto iudgement Secondly in