priesthood by being our Intercessor and Aduocate stil making intercession for vs at the right hand of his Father Rom. 8.34 and appearing for vs in heauen Heb. 9.24 Thus in the dayes of his flesh he offered vp prayers for vs Heb. 5.7 Ioh. 17.9 From his hand much incense mixed with the prayers of the Saints is offered to God Reuel 8.3 He therefore that hath this Christ hath life 1. Ioh 5.12 On him that beleeueth not his wrath abideth Ioh. 3.36 Our life is with God in Christ when Christ our glorie shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glorie Col. 3.3 4. By him we are heires of heauen Rom. 8.17 and are made meet to be inheriters with the Saints in glorie Col. 1.12 so that we may say with the Church in the Canticles 5. chap. 16. verse This is my beloued and this is my friend O ye daughters of Ierusalem that hath redeemed vs vnto God by his bloud out of euery kingdome tongue people and nation and hath made vs Kings and Priests to our God and we shall reigne on the earth Reuel 5.9 10. Come we now to the third argument Reason 3 drawne from the holy Ghost sanctifying vs and adorning vs with all sauing graces True noble men haue alwayes true noble spirits by which they are discerned from the base spirited vulgars so the holy people of God haue Gods Spirit giuen to them Luk. 11.13 Because they are children God sendeth his Spirit to them Galat. 4.6 the same Spirit that raised Christ from death Rom. 8.2 If any one hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Hence it is that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 and after our effectuall calling Christ is in vs except we be reprobates 2. Cor. 13.5 The works and effects of the holy Ghost in vs are foure This holy Spirit first sanctifieth and regenerateth vs being borne againe of water and of the Spirit Ioh. 5.7 and borne from aboue The word of truth Iam. 1.18 and the immortall seed of the word is the instrument hereof 1. Pet. 1.23 by which we are made cleane Ioh. 15.3 The Lord doth wash away the filth of the daughters of Ierusalem by the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning Isay 4.4 by afflictions opening the eare Iob 33.16 and by fire purging the sonnes of Leui Mal. 3.3 This free Spirit affranchiseth them and sets them at libertie Psalme 51.12 from the bondage of sinne 2. Cor. 3.17 By this Spirit they crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts in this Spirit they liue and in this Spirit they walke Gal. 5.24 25. Secondly this Spirit beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.16 The Lord doth seale vs and giue vs the earnest of this Spirit 2. Cor. 1.22 by this Spirit of promise the earnest of our inheritance he sealeth vs till we fully enioy the same Ephes 1.13 14. and by this Spirit that dwelleth in vs we know that God abideth in vs 1. Ioh. 3.24 Thirdly the elect after their calling can boldly go to the throne of grace there finding grace and obtaining mercie in the time of need Heb. 4.16 yea by faith in Christ haue boldnesse and accesse with confidence Ephes 3.12 Gods children receiuing the Spirit of Adoption crie Abba Father Rom. 8.15 For this end God sendeth them the Spirit of his Sonne that they may call God Father Galat 4.6 Gods Spirit helping our infirmities teaching vs to pray Rom. 8.26 The Lord powres on his Ierusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication prayers for the forgiuenesse of sinne Zac 12.10 Lastly this Spirit comforteth his in all distresses when our spirits faile God doth quicken vs by his good Spirit Psal 143.7 He will not haue our spirits faile before him Isay 57.16 Therefore Gods Spirit is called the Comforter Ioh. 14.16 and 15.26 and 16.7 The fourth reason is drawne from two honorable titles which are bestowed on the faithfull Reason 4 namely 1. Gods Church 2. Christs Spouse These holy men and women are called Mount Sion the Citie of the liuing God Heb 12.22 Segullah Gods choise treasure Exod. 19.5 A peculiar people Tit. 2.14 The visible congregations for the elects sake are called the assembly of Saints 1. Cor. 14.33 And God is called the King of Saints Reu. 15.3 These tabernacles are beautifull Psal 84.1 How goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thy tabernacles O Israel Num. 24.5 The Church is faire as the Moone cleare as the Sun terrible as an armie with banners Cant. 6.9 12. My heart did set me on the chariots of my noble people Ammi nadis of whom I thinke nobly people of good deuotions and noble resolutions Psalme 110.3 They are renewed in the spirit of their minds and haue put on the new man which is created in knowledge holinesse and righteousnes Ephes 4.23 24. Col. 3.10 The second honorable title is that the Church is called the Spouse of Christ At the Kings hand standeth the Queene in a garment of Ophir Psal 45.9 She is all glorious within verse 13. The bridegroom Christ in the fourth of the Canticles displayeth at large the honour and beautie of the Church and in Cant. 6.8 9. affirmeth that all the Queenes concubines and damosels did praise her being the only vndefiled of her mother Salomons mother sitteth at his right hand 1. King 2.19 so doth Christs Church being clothed with the Sunne of righteousnesse the light of the Moone at her feete and a crowne of twelue starres at her head Reuelat. 12.1 Mal. 4.2 In this world Christ calleth her Chephsibah My delight is in her Isay 62.4 Here she is Ladie Sarah with her bond-woman Hagar attending on her Gal. 4.22 Gen. 2.19 How honorable shall she be in heauen when she shall be presented to God without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5.27 The fift argument is thus framed Noble-men haue vsually great inheritances Reason 5 large possessions rich offices or liue on the bountie of their noble friends and allies The faithfull in this respect sing with Dauid The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places yea I haue a goodly heritage Psal 16.5 6. By Christ we are interested in an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fadeth not away but is reserued for vs in heauen 1. Pet. 1.4 This better then the blessings of Iudahs wine Asers fatnesse or Ephraims dewes Gen. 49. â— â—0 25. Whether things present or things to come all are ours in Christ 1. Cor. 3.22 23. by him we are ioynt heires Rom 17. by him we attaine to an inheritance with the Saints in life Coloss 1.2 The sixt reason prouing the exccellent state of Gods children Reason 6 is drawn from the honorable guard and retinue waiting on them First God himselfe keepeth his Israel and neither slumbreth nor slee peth Psal 121.4 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth
and honor to all states and conditions it aduanceth the credit and esteeme of poore men and to honorable men by birth and calling it is like a diamond in a ring making them that were gold before to become the most fine gold yea Michtam the purest gold of Ophir The first argument is drawne from the God of the righteous Reason 1 and according to the triplicitie of the persons it is threefold God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by nature is euery iust mans father by grace and adoption so in this respect our pedegree is from heauen and therefore very honorable Christ teacheth all true Christians Math. 6.9 to pray thus Our Father which art in heauen All beleeuers haue this prerogatiue to be called the sonnes of God which are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1.12 Christ saith Ioh 20.17 I go to my Father and your Father We haue the Spirit of adoption crying Abba Father Rom. 8.15 We are predestinated to the adoption of children Ephes 1.5 God is the father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 He is our heauenly Father able and willing to giue vs all things in Christs name Luke 11.13 We are commanded so to doe and haue a promise to be heard Ioh. 16.23 1. Ioh. 5.14 The second argument is drawne from Christ our elder brother Reason 2 who maketh all his yonger brethren honorable as the yongest brethren in Germanie for the most part enioy the titles of the elder the Electorships excepted and the yonger brethren with vs beare the same coate-armour some little difference by the rules of Heraldry excepted in regard of their senioritie and minoritie Christ maketh vs Kings and Priests to his Father Reuel 1.6 The sanctifier and the sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call vs Brethren Heb. 2.11 Who is the first borne amongst many brethren Rom. 8.29 For the further clearing of this point let vs first see what Christ is in himselfe Secondly what he is to vs. And thirdly what he hath done to make vs honorable 1. Christ in regard of his owne naure is Wonderfull Counseller the mightie God the Father of eternitie Isay 9.6 though at the time of his manifestation he saith Psal 2.7 This day haue I begotten thee yet after an vnspeakable manner he was begotten from eternitie Pro. 8.22 Ganin He hath possessed me in the beginning of his dayes before his workes of olde In the beginning was the Word and this Word was with God and that Word was God Ioh. 1.1 2. which the Greeke Poet Nonnus Iohns expositor renders thus en arreto logos arche In the beginning which by words cannot be expressed therefore without robbery he was the Fathers equall Philip. 2.6 yea his fellow Zach. 13.7 God euer all to be blessed for euer Rom. 9.5 Secondly in regard of his humane nature he is most pure holy the immaculate Lambe of God 1. Pet. 1.19 conceiued in the wombe of the virgin Marie by the holy Ghost Luke 1.35 he fulfilled the whole law the will of his Father to the vtmost Psal 40.7 8. he became obedient to the death of the crosse Phil. 2.18 so he became the Lord our righteousnesse Ier. 23.6 our wisedome righteousnesse redemption sanctification 1. Cor. 1.30 This Word I say became flesh and Eskenosen dwelt in our nature as in a tabernacle Ioh. 1.14 Great is the mysterie of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receiued vp into glorie 1. Tim. 3.16 At his Name euery knee in heauen and earth and vnder the earth doth bow Phil. 2.10 He is set at Gods right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and powers and might dominion and euery name that is named not onely in this world but that which is to come Ephes 1.20 21. Now secondly let vs consider what he is to the Church in regard of his offices God hath put all things vnder his feete and gaue him to be head ouer all things to the Church which is his bodie the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Ep. 1.22.23 He is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things he might haue the preheminence Coloss 1.18 Sit on my right hand saith the Father to him Psal 110.1 till I make thine enemies thy footstoole And so as King and Prophet he sendeth the rod of his power out of Sion whereby he mildly ruleth the willing people of good deuotions Psal 110.2 3. And as with a mace of iron breaketh the rebels in peeces as potters vessels Psal 2.9 And in the 4. verse of the CX psalme by an oath he is made a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek Heb. 7.1 2. Christ is the Priest of our profession more excellent then Moses he built the house Moses was but a seruant of the house Heb. 3.1 2 3. The Legall priests were sinfull offered sacrifices for themselues and died he holy and pure and blamelesse liueth for euer Heb. 7.23 24 26 27. There many sacrifices could not take away sinnes but Christs one oblation did Heb. 9.13 24 26. once for all Heb. 10.10 As our Priest also he appeareth for vs in heauen Heb. 9.24 and maketh intercession for vs Rom. 8.34 Thirdly in the execution of these offices what hath he done for vs first as our Prophet he teacheth vs his Fathers will and giues vs holy Sacraments Peter Acts 3.22 telleth the Iewes out of Deut. 18.15 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise vnto you out of your brethren like vnto me him shall you heare in all things God lastly spake to vs by his Son Heb. 1.2 who taught Noah and all the other Prophets 1. Pet. 3.19 of whom the Father saith This is my beloued Sonne heare him Math. 17.5 Secondly this righteous King of Sion Zach. 9.9 doth sit as King on mount Sion psal 2.6 Hee our King destroyed all our enemies sinne Rom. 8.3 the law Gal. 4.5 the diuell Heb. 2.15 Col. 2.15 death Hos 13.14 1. Cor. 15.53 so deliuereth vs from the hands of all our enemies Luk. 1.71 Thus he shall beate downe all our enemies 1. Cor. 15.25 26 27. destroying the last enemie Death shall giue vp the kingdome to God the Father bring all his subiects to him shall cease to reigne then as Mediator but shall retaine the glorie of the kingdome for euer as the Angell telleth Marie Of his kingdome shall be none end Luke 1.33 As our Priest he died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Rom. 4.25 by his blood he hath redeemed vs Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14.20 his blood hath washed vs from all our sinnes Reu. 1.5 Thus Christ becomes to vs our redeeming kinsman Iob 19.25 and our righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1.30 especially when he performes to vs the second part of his
as we learne from Christ Luke 14.7 both teaching inward humilitie and outward courtesie in not seeking the highest place at feasts thereby to preserue our credit Now in the perswading to true holinesse and righteousnesse the holy Ghost vseth these two chiefe motiues First he sheweth the excellencie of the knowledge and feare of God in it owne nature Secondly the good effect of it making the godly and righteous truly happie as in this my text the righteous Zadick righteousnes is either attributed to God as he is in himselfe simply iust and infinitely good Math. 19.17 so in the Angels song Isay 6.3 he is proclaimed thrice Holy rather to proue his infinite holinesse then the trinitie of the persons Secondly righteousnesse is applied to God because he doth impute vnto vs Christs righteousnes Rom. 10.3.26 2. Cor. 5.21 Secondly Christ our Mediator is called Gods righteous seruant Isay 53.2 and Zach 9.9 Sions righteous King and Acts 4.27 Gods righteous Child the immaculate Lambe of God 1. Pet. 1.19 Thirdly the Angels and soules in heauen are called holy and iust Math 25.31 Heb. 12.23 But my text speaketh not of these but of a righteous man in this life excelling his wicked neighbour And the truly conuerted Christian is called righteous First in regard of Christs righteousnesse imputed to him Isay 50.8 He is neere that doth iustifie me He doth iustifie the wicked Rom. 3.26 who being iust by faith liueth Rom. 1.17 Secondly we are iust in regard of infused graces and renewed obedience And the word righteousnesse ioyned with holinesse is strictly taken for the duties of the second Table Luk. 1.74 Seruing God in holiness and righteousnesse Sometimes it signifieth both pietie and charitie yea all the duties of the first and second Table so Noah is called righteous Genes 6.9 Of both these righteousnesses first Christs imputed and ours wrought by Gods Spirit and word faith is an instrument for Rom. 1.18 The iust by faith liueth and Acts 15.9 The Gentiles heart was purified by faith and Acts 26.18 They are also sanctified by faith in Christ â—ather commeth of a verbe sometime signifying to abound so the French hath it A plus de resie and the note is more liberall in gifts but the clause following ouerthroweth this sence Sometime it signifieth to remaine Eccles 1.13 Mahijthron What remaineth Iunius hath it What profit is there of all the labours But in my text it signifieth to excell as Gen. 49.3 iether seeth veiethur gnazi Excellencie of dignitie and my strength altogether thou shalt not be excellent The last word reugth signifieth a friend a companion but here a neighbour A man iustified by faith sanctified by Gods Spirit is more excellent then his wicked neighbour You shall haue the sence of the other clause hereafter My text containeth in it two propositions first The righteous man is more excellent then his wicked neighbour The second The prosperous way of the wicked maketh him to erre both in iudgement and in course of life The first proposition teacheth Doctr. that An holy and religious man truly fearing God by the sentence of God and iudgement of the Church is more excellent then his irreligious neighbour though neuer so great in the eye of the world More briefly these two Doctrines First The godly man is truly honorable Secondly The wicked man is truly base That this may not seeme like some of Tullies paradoxes affirming that the wise man is only free the wise man is onely rich let vs first heare what God saith to the commendation of the righteous what in the second place he speaketh to the disgrace of wicked men and note here with me that here is the figure Meiosis lesse spoken then is meant For the Scripture here intendeth that the child of God is truly honorable and the childe of the diuell truly base like to that phrase Eccles 13. Wisedome excelleth folly as light excelleth darknesse Light is good darknesse naught so wicked men are base godly men are honorable In Isay 4.5 the Lord promiseth a couering defence to all the glorie that is emphatically to all the glorious people of God Honorable things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Psa 87.3 The beleeuers true worshippers of God are called Gods secret ones Psal 83.3 Gods people are termed Se gullah Gods choise and chiefe treasure Exo. 19.5 and Laos periousios A peculiar people Tit. 2.14 The Bereans gladly entertaining the Gospel are styled Eugenesteroi more honorable then others that did not so readily receiue the word Acts 17.2 There are threescore Queenes and fourescore concubines and virgins without number My Doue my vndefiled is but one the onely one of her mother she is the choise one of her that bare her the daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queenes and concubines praised her Cant. 6.8 Now this that is spoken of the whole Church and Spouse of Christ must be vnderstood of the glorious estate of euery holy beleeuer who excelleth in vertue and is a true Saint here on earth Psal 16.2 And for this cause glorification signifieth both present holinesse and future glorie Rom. 8.39 This causeth the Spirit of God to preferre a poore childe walking in vprightnesse before an old vnwise King Eccles 4.13 But when he that ruleth ouer men is iust and ruleth in the feare of God as Dauid did 2. Sam. 23.3 then he is in honour another Solomon 1. King 3.13 who had not his peere for true honour all his dayes of whose royaltie Christ speaketh Mat. 6.33 When a King reigneth in righteousnesse and Princes rule in iudgement Isay 32.1 when the King is the son of Nobles and Princes eate in due time for strength and not for drunkennesse Eccles 10.17 then the land is not onely blessed but these great men may truly be styled as Abraham was by the Hittite mightie Princes yea the Princes of God after the Scripture phrase Gen. 23.6 Now the great Magor the great Turk the Cham of Tartarie with the rich Chinaes liuing in Heathenisme disgracefully thinking and speaking of our truly noble Christian Princes vnder the name of pettie Princes of Christendome are like Nabal who according to his name was a foolish base creature and yet could speake basely of Dauid Who is the sonne of Ishai 1. Sam. 25.10 The vassals also of Antichrist can write and speake disgracefully of Gods annointed ones who haue shaken off the Popes yoke like Shimei who to our Dauids are but dead dogs 2. Sam. 16.7 8 9. As righteous Lot was more worthy then all Sodom 2. Pet. 3.7 as Lazarus his estate was better then rich Diues Luk. 16.22 23. yea Iohn Baptist in prison more happie then incestuous Herod Mark 6.20 so still are Gods children more honorable then the diuels To conclude therefore the first kinde of proofe drawne from the consent of the Scripture and to hasten to variable arguments drawne out of the Scripture let all men know that the true knowledge and feare of God bringeth credit