the Dead by the Glory of the Father and that the Father raised him It is easily answered This was not by way of supplement to make up any defect of power in Christ but only by way of consent to Christs own Power and Action that so men might Honour the Son and the Father John 5.19,26 Or else by the Glory of the Father we may understand that Glorious Power which the Father gave unto the Son in the Flesh to have life from himself because that holy Spirit which immediatly quickned him was both his and the Fathers and so the Action was common to both Thus like the Pâ—…enix he goeth out of the Sâ—pulcher in the day of his Triumphs al lighted and environ'd with Flames of Triumphant Glory 3. Assuring others by his lights and sâ—…en or that they shall rise again 1. Cor. 6.14 He is called the first Fruits of them that Sleep The Triumphant Resurrection of our Lord is the Root and Hope of ours with this he sweetens the acerbities of our present life and replenisheth Hearts with the Antipast of their Immortality for he arose not barely in a Personal but Publick Capacity and though it were a Damnable Heresy of Hymeneus to say That the Resurrection was past already Yet it is a truth to say that it is begun He first and we at his coming 1 Cor. 15.25 By what is past in the head we are assured of what is expected in his Members for his Resurrection is a Pledge and Earnest of theirs He having paid our Debt Death cannot detain us in Prison for it Yea it is a beginning of ours as before is noted he being raised who is the Head the Body must also follow If the Elder Brother be sprung out of the Dust the Younger Brethren shall not stay there The Vine-Plant being in Heaven there the Branches must receive their Eternal Flourish Object 1. Is it not said 1. Cor. 15.2 By man came the Resurrection of the Dead A. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a man as is God also from whose Will this large Soul of Nature had its motion and who therein commandeth so universally as he seems to hold the Heaven and Elements under here to be instruments of his Wonders it is he that lighted Stars at his Birth and Eclipsed the Ancient Sun at his Death and walked on the waters as on a Pavement of Marble It is he that causeth the Earth to cast out her Dead Object 2. Have not men done it Answer 1. Stories of Men Raised by Men are either Lies and Illusions as the Pythonist of Endor raised the Devil in Samuels Shape and the Church of Rome maintain many Idle Stories of Dead men Raised to Walk and Live after Death Otherwayes Dead Men neither walk nor appear in Body or Soul after Death Or if there are any such They are extraordinary Permissions for Secret Ends only known to him that Permits them 2. The Prophets and Apostles have done it but in the Quality of Ministers So Elisha raised the Shunamites Son 2. Kings 4.34 And Peter raised Dorcas Acts 9.40 But not by their own Power It only belongs to Christ to do this work with an Original Power which hath its Fountain in his Bosom with an Absolute Command which receives no Modification in all Nature with a Simple Will which needs no other Instrument It was by Divine Influence and Assistance in those Prophets and Apostles to confirm their Doctrine and to draw the Church sooner to believe 3. It is the Divine Nature that is the Fountain of Life he gives takes restores to whom when and how he pleaseth As it is with the Sea for water and the Sun for light in the former all the waters are gathered together into an Ocean where they grow into swelling heaps and are the source of all the Streams that refresh the Earth and in the latter that great Luminarie is the Vessel wherein the Lord hath gathered all light which before was sattered in the Heavens but is now united in that bright Lamp which running like a fiery Chariot might rule the day and illustrate the earth making it fruitful Thus it is with the Deity for life John 6.63 The Spirit quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing The words that I speak unto you are Spirit and Life And by this power he quickneth the Dead So that it 's clear the work is his who is Lord of nature and holds the Keys of life and death in his own hands His light only can dispel the darkness and his voice only can break the silence of the Grave The second Doctrine comes now to hand viz. Doct. 2. That this Divine Priviledge should be to us a ground of Faith Gen. 17.1 I am God all-sufficient walk before me c. Walk before me who am all-sufficient self-sufficient Original Universal Good the Pillar of Abrahams Faith And the Apostle speaks by way of wonder that any should not believe it Acts. 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you That God should raise the Dead Therefore it is that the Sacred Scripture doth frequently mind us of his power to help our incredulitie Numb 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor the Son of man that he should repent hath he said it and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good And again Is there any thing too hard for God So Math. 19.27 With God all things are possible A main prop to an humble Suppliant That seeing his own vileness and the Divine Excellencies which are warming and enlightning cryeth out Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean as it is recorded Math. 8. â— 2. This is the Rock on which the weak Anchor of a Christians Faith may firmly fix You know Sampsons Riddle Out of the Eater cometh forth Sweet The reason why Christians should consider the power of God out of this strong comes forth sweetness In the application hereof may be found Vse 1. Matter of Correction and that of two sorts First of such that make it too hard denying the Resurrection in opinion As Pearls are dissolved in Vinegar so is Truth in hearts made bitter with Corruption Thus we find many wicked and irregular Spirits who having renounced the blessings of the other life against the voice of nature in the order of the World wherein we have the New Birth of Stars days Seasons Plants and Birds who make a perpetual Image of the Resurrection in the World nay against the touch of God and impressions of verity on the very Gentiles who have professed the happiness of the Soul in the other life and the Resurrection even on their Tombs to deny the Resurrection So the Saduces of old Acts 23.8 Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 18. which you may easily perceive is not only to crack the eye of a reasonable judgment but also to pull out the eye of Faith all pure and caelestial as it is Or in practice Let us eat
Imprisoned in a Cloud shall be set in a Clear Skie The Bright Diamond of your Souls now soiled with Corruption shall be cleansed all the Black Spots now fixt there shall be changed into radiant Lights of Heaven Comfort one another with these words Vse 4. Lastly We are hence instructed in some few Duties viz. 1. To shun inward Sins Hypocrisie Pride Vain-Glory Infidelity as carefully as outward and more visible Sins God is Omniscient and views the sins of the heart as well as the sins of the Life the under Roots as well as the upper Boughs He sees Faults where men see none Nay that which shines to mans eye like a Diamond is in Gods Ballance a Contemptible Worm It was a wise practice therefore of that Arabian we read of who to prevent sin represented to himself over his head an Eye which perpetually enlightned him an Ear which heard him and an Hand which measured out all his Deportments and Demeanours Verily the due consideration of Gods Eye will blunt a thousand and a thousand Arrows shot against the heart of a resolute Christian If the exercise thereof were as familiar to us as it is effectual how powerful a motive would it be to cleanse all the impurities of our Intentions and affections and give us leave to arrive to the top of Perfection 2. To seek to him for Knowledg Ignorance is no Branch of his Image who is Omniscient Let it be the Mother of Popish Devotion suffer it not so much to be with the Profession of Christs Religion He giveth wisdom liberally He descended into the Country of Darkness to scatter Knowledg by his brightness and ceaseth not to give light and kindle in our hearts many Inspirations which are like so many Stars to conduct us to the Fountain of our Happiness Hear him promising All thy Children shall be taught of God It is his Prerogative to teach Hearts The Sun enlightens the World and Christ enlightens Souls Make it your Prayer Lord breathe upon us breathe thy Spirit into thy Word You may read the Bible and hear Sermons over and over but to no purpose till the Spirit of Christ Shine in your Hearts and the more Commerce you have with the Divine Essence the more splendour you shall enjoy And having obtained use all to his Glory from whom you receive all Be faithful Stewards Like as small Rivers which pay their Tribute and acknowledgments to the great Ocean whence they came 3. Prize the Lord Jesus Christ set an high esteem upon him why do we Reverence Learned men among our selves as those eminent Doctors Reynolds both former and latter Perkins Bolton Luther Melancthon Musculus Beza Calvin Zanchis Chamier Camero and others Among our Adversaries Lumbard Aquinas Durand Hales c. Among the Gentiles Aristotle Plutarch Homer c. With other brave Fellows separated from us by many Lands and Seas yea by Death and all for their Knowledg because we have seen a Ray of their wits upon Paper Beams of their Knowledg which was but a drop of his Ocean and a Spark of his Light who Enlightneth every one that cometh into the World this made them admired If Alexander could say That he was more bound to Aristotle his Schoolmaster than to his Natural Parent how much more are we bound unto and should we Prize and Praise our Omniscient Jesus Secondly we have here offer'd to our Consideration The Omnipotency of our God in whom we Believe He calleth i. e. he Causeth things not only to appear but also to be in time as they were willed and seen before time This Power is either Absolute whereof sacred writings say but little and about which we are not to enquire or Actual as Limited by his Will and Ordered by his Wisdom to give being and dispose his Creatures by means to their several ends Of which we are now to discourse giving us two Observations viz. 1. That our God in whom Abraham believed and we should belilve is Omnipotent 2. That the Omnipotency of our God in whom we should believe is a firm ground of Faith For the former Our God is Omnipotent He can do all things that imply not Imperfection as to Sin and deny himself to Sin is against his Supremacy he hath no Superiour against whom he might offend It is against his Natural Sanctity and Omnipotency Or that imply not a Contradiction as to be and not to be at the same time in the same Respect because that is Repugnant to Entity Thiâ— is true of all the Persons 1. Of the Father none ever Acknowledging a God denying it So we have it in the Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty Where Almighty is applyed to the Father Inclusively as Lord or Dominion is appropriated to the Son not excluding the Father or the Holy Spirit Hence it is that Hereticks have appropriated all the Attributes of Eternity Omnisciency Omnipotency to the Father alone 2. It is true of the Son John 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was nothing made Which latter Clause is added for â—…e more Certainty it being usual with the Hebrews thus by Negation to Confirm what before they have affirmed where they would assure that the thing is so indeed He is therefore stiled The first and the last Revel 1.17 It is a verity that is written with the Rays of a vast number of Divine Witnesses 3. It is true of the Holy Spirit Gen. 1.2 The Spirit moved on the Face of the Waters i. e. he sustained them by the Power of his Sublimity However Interpreters have varied hereabout yet all conclude it to be the Spirit of God nothing distinct from the Deity or Infinite Active Power of God So the Psalmist 95 Psalm which our Apostle takes notice of as spoken not by but of the Holy Spirit Hebr. 3.7 The Grounds whereof are twofold 1. The Unity of Nature doth imply equality of Power we say we believe there are three Subsistences in the Divine Essence and that each of those Persons is truely and properly God and we find such Attributes and works ascribed to the whole Nature of the Deity to the several Persons Subsisting in that Divine Nature as do evince their Power to be the same 2. This Manifestation of power is opus ad extra and therefore common According to that constant Rule of Credit among all Divines Opera Trinitatis ad extrâ— sunt indivisa But especially Attributed to the Second Person here and in most places because that is most beneficial to the Church and is most opPosed by Enemies Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty Elshaddai signifying either Sufficiency because he is sufficient of himself as Psalm 16.2 My Goodness extendeth not to thee c. He is Infinitely above Creatures Infinite in Essence and Goodness comprehending within himself all good and anticipating it to all Eternity with an incomparable Eminency Or else it signifieth Omnipotency for the word will bear both all things yielding to him both for
Soveraign Omnipotency The SAINT's SECURITY IN Evil Days Discoursed and Concluded From Rom. IV. xvii xviii By WILLIAM CROMPTON Exod. 14.13 Stand still and see the salvation of God 2 Chron. 20.12 O our God wilt Thou not judge them for we have no might against this great Company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our Eyes are upon thee London Printed for Benj. Alsop at the Angel and Bible in the Poultrey and are to be sold by James Cowsey Bookseller in Exeter 1682. Dignissimo Amicissimoque Affini nostro GEORGIO YONG Creditonensium In Agro Devoniensi Armigero Nec-non GEORGIO LAPTHORN Plymidensium Mercatori Celeberrimo Nomine Virtutis non mihi solum noto Vtrisque Sacrarum Literarum Patronis Candidissimis Conciones sequentes tum Potentiae Divinae summe efficacis aeque ac Justitiae illius omnimodo incontaminabilis Doctrinans Dilucidantes D. D. D. Faustaque iisdem omnia non minus calido voto quam ipsimet in hoc scripto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprecatur Guliel Crompton Soveraign Omnipotency THE SAINTS SECURITY In Evil Days ROM iv 17 18. Even God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things that are not as though they were THis part of the Chapter contains an Illustrious Commendation of Renowned Abraham and that Faith whereby he received the Promise to be the Father of many Nations and is described three ways viz. 1. By the nature of it which he discovers to be sincere not only outwardly profest though that was necessary but inwardly rooted It was Faith before God and found Access into the Divine Presence 2. By the extent of the Relation between Abraham and the Faithful and so it is defined to be Vniversal as God is Father of all Jews and Gentiles without distinction of Nation Sex and Condition Spiritual before him whom he believed not Carnal nor apprehended by men without a Revelation 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them for they are Spiritually discern'd 3. From the ground of both which is the Soveraignty and Almighty power of God set forth by two things viz. Quickning the Dead and callâ—ng things that are not as though they were This supported Ahrahams Faith against all seeming Impossibilities and iâ— the inâ—ended subject of this Discourse In the Prosecution of which I shâ—ll labour first to break the Shell by explâ—ining the words as they sh ll fall under consideration and then offer you the Kernel contained in it First I shall endeavour to unlock the Cabinet and then shew you the rich Jewels laid up in it which you will find to be of great worth and use in these Cloudy days wherein the Divine Providence hath cast us For the former Branch 1. Gods quickning the Dead A Short Sentence and diversly understood by divers Divines I conceive the Resurrection is hereby meant present in Soul future of Body with some special Limitation to Abraham As 1. A raising of such a Seed out of his dead Body Rom. 4.19 And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarahs Womb. i. e. Destitute of all natural power to conceive and quicken Yet Abraham could set his Seal to it by Faith as being within the Limits of Gods power 2. A recovering of that Seed alive from the dead Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead from whence also he received him in a Figure which to nature and humane apprehension was impossible Yet this Abraham believed because of the Lords All-sufficiency 3. A reviving of the Body out of the Dust at the last Day which Abraham believed the Lord was able and would certainly do it The whole commends two things to our Learning First To quicken the Dead is the Lords priviledge an effect of his Almighty Power Secondly That this Divine Priviledge should be to us a Ground of Fai h. For the former See it promised Isa chap. 26. ver 19. Thy Dead Men shall Live together with my Dead Body shall they Arise To be understood either in a Physical or Moral Sense with the Concurrent Consent of the Ancient and Learned Modern Expositors who observe that there is nothing more usual for the Church and Holy Men therein to Support their Hearts above all Incumbent Afflictions and to Secure themselves of the Comfort of promised Deliverance notwithstanding all the seeming Improbability thereof by the General Doctrine of the Resurrection And so John 5,21,28 The Father raiseth up the Dead and Quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom he will On which Acâ—ount Christ is declared to be the Son of God by the Resurrection from the Dead R m. 1.4 First Raising others as he did the Rulers Daughter to the Astonishment of all Beholders present at her Funeral and the Widow's Son of Naim who was carried without the City to his Grave Christ stops the sad Train and Restoreth Life to the Young Man and somewhat more Dear than Life to his Mother And the more Signally to Triumph over Death he Pursued it to its Fort the Obscurity of the Grave Lazarus was buried for four Daies his Carkass was Corrupt but Christ called him from the Bottom of his Tomb with that Powerful Voice that Created the World The Dead Answers and comes forth to the Amazement of all that saw the Glory of God so Clearly Manifested In all he Testified his Godhead and the Truth of his Calling and Doctrine Thus he raised Moses and Elias and made them known to his Disciples by extraordinary Revelation to Evince his Doctrine not to be new but the same in Substance with that Recorded in the Law and the Prophets both being represented by Moses and Elias who though they were raised before him yet it was not without him but by the Fellowship of his Resurrection As though Light Riseth before the Sun yet it Riseth not but by the Sun and the Mace goeth before the Magistrate but it doth so only to attend upon him Secondly Raising himself John 10,18 I have laid down my Life that I might take it again no Man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have Power to lay it down and I have Power to Raise it up again Here is a glorious Manifestation of his Power that the Tomb could not Confine him nor the Grave-Stone stay him But throwing off those Clogs as Sampson did his Wit hs he shewed himself a while to his Beloved Ones and so took his Joyous Ascent to the Right hand of the Father As Love â—id Christ in the Grave so Power Raised him from the Grave Love Rockt him a Sleep and Power Awaked him again He broke through all Bars Beat down all Opposition and Sprang forth of his yeilding Dust as a Triumphant Conqueror over Death and Devils If it be objected That Christ rose from
Proposition So he was thus he is and so ever shall be The Creatures shall be dissolved into nothing and men as they are into Falsities But God will be found just for ever I shall first endeavour to explain this truth and afterwards confirm it For Explication know that one may be said to be just three ways 1. Obediâ—nâ—ia Activa by Active Obedience and that Voluntary and Perfect both extensively in Regard of the Object and Intensively in Regard of the Suhject So Christ alone is said to be just here his Heart and the Law were Unisons answering each other as Face answereth Face in a Glass And the Saints shall be hereafter when the Imperfect Lineaments of Grace in the Soul shall by the Pensil of the Holy Ghost be drawn forth in their orient Beauty and the Vermilion of Glory be laid upon them If it be Objected That the Saints are said to be just here I answer true Joseph is called a just man Math. 1.19 so were Zechariah and Elizabeth Luke 1.16 said to be Righteous before God c. But to be understood 1. Not Legallâ— for Righteousness of Creation whereby God made man after his own Image in Holiness and Righteousness to walk exactly according to the Rule of Justice Perfect man was then though mutable because hiâ— Holiness depended upon and flowed from a Principlâ— in himsâ—lf Original Justice now lost and so none is Righteous no not one But 2. Evangellically viz 1â— In Desiderio Conatu The Saints do Level at the mark of Perfection They hunger after compleat Righteousness whence it is said they Sin not John 3.9 because though they be not without Sin yet their Wills is against Sin they have voted it down When they fail they mourn and this is called Gospel-Righteousness 2 Comparative Respectu Impiorum in Respect of the Wicked and so Noah was said to be perfect in his Generation he being Compared with the Prophane World was a Perfect just man Gold in the Oar Compared with Lead or Brass is perfect a field of Wheat may have some Thistles growing in it yet Compared with that of Tares is perfect Wheat 3 Divina Acceptatione God doth accept of them in and through Christ Colos 2.10 Ye are compleat in him Through the Red-glass every thing appears red so through the Red glass of Christs Blood the gracious Soul appears lovely and Beautifull in Gods eye They are accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1. 2. One may be said to be just Gratia by Grace as the Elect and Called are just Justitia unionis Imputata by the Righteousness of Christ Imputed Jer. 33.6 This is as truely theirs to justify as it is Christs to bestow and this is a Christians Triumph when he is defiled in himself he is undefiled in his Head in his Righteousness the Saints shall shine brighter than the Angels Or Justitia communionis Inherente viz. the Graces of Christs Spirit Holiness of Heart and Life which Cajetan calleth Vniversal Righteousness 3. Natura by Nature and so two wayes 1. Dono by Gift as Adam was by Creation His will which is the Universal Appetite of the whole man was Wonderfully good Furnished with several Habits of Goodness as the Firmament with Glittering Stars There was in him a propension to all good as an Instrument in Tune he was full of Harmony like a Bright Air and a pure Beauty without the least Cloud to stain it his Heart was without the least Tincture of Impurity as Wine that hath no Sophistication Such was Adams Holiness But this is not now to be found on Earth we must go to Heaven for it 2. Essentia by Essence and so God only is just Righteousness in God is as Beams in the Sun Water in the Fountain and Lines in the Centre it is Original he is the Pattern and Prototype of all Righteousness just ad intra as he is just ad extra as he works every way just Some may understand the first only as Osiander would every where others the latter only I conceive both may and must be here understood God is just in himself and in all his Ministrations to the Sons of men Again He is said to be just 1. Qui justa facit imperat juste So doth God who never Acted or Commanded any thing but what was in it self equal and reasonable although perhaps to our shallow and corrupt Understanding it may appear otherwise as to our eyes Turrets and Steeples how upright soever if their height be exceeding great do oftentimes seem crooked and look as if they stood awry But all Gracious Hearts discover that Beauty and Equity in all Gods Commands as draws forth their Assent and and Consent to them they can say Blessed be God for his Precepts His Commands are not Grievous 2. Qui opera quadrat adjuris Praecepta So doth God whose Will is the supream Reason Nec Recta solum sed ipsa Regula not only right but the very Rule of Right And impossible it is for him to do wrong by erring from the Rule of Righteousness Men may overslip themselves and miscarry or deny Justice in which case Appeals have been made to God as in the time of Hen. 3. The bold Countess of Arundel Appeal'd from the King and his bad Counsellors to the Court of Heaven And in the History of the Holy-War Relation is given of a Templar who being to be burnt at Burdeaux at the place of Execution he saw the Pope and King Philip looking out of a Window and cryed to them Clement thou Cruel Tyrant seeing there is no higher among Mortals to whom I should Appeal for my unjust death I cite thee together with King Philip before the Tribunal of Christ Jesus the Just Judg who Redeemed me there both to appear within one year and a day where I will lay open my Cause and Justice shall be done without any respect And it fell out accordingly 3. Qui promissa servat So doth God He is faithful that promised One letter of his name whereby he hath made himself known is Abundant in Truth And Christ is called the faithful and true Witness And the Counsels of God are said to be Faithful and True He so much abounds in it as he hath no mixture of the contrary though the best of men have some as for example A precious Stone hath some speckling or cloud but light it self admits of none God is light and with him is no darkness at all so God is true and in him is no Falshood at all God that cannot lie hath promised saith the Apostle Titus 2. God may delay his Promise but he cannot deny his Promise 4. Qui suum cuique tribuit justitia distributiva So doth God He gives to every man his own It is Injustice and Tyranny to invade another mans Right An Evil which cannot be imputed to God without Horrid Blasphemy But to come nearer we may consider God under a fourfold notion and in each shall find him Just 1. Vt