of life the graue the putting off of mortalitie and corruption To be short b Esa 11.9 There shall be nothing to hurt or to destroie in all the mountaine of the Lordes holinesse c Ioh. 10.28 nothing to pull the sheepe of Christ out of his handes but d Rom. 8.28 all things worke togither for good and for the best to them that loue God And why so Because all the enimies of Christ that is to say all our enimies are become his footestoole and in him a footestoole vnto vs. And thus shall Christes enimies serue for his vse for the vse of his Church vntill the daie come that that which is heere prophecied shall be perfectly fulfilled when all the enimies of Christ nowe alreadie ouercome shall be vtterly destroied and abolished when there shall be none to tempt vs none to trouble vs when sinne shall bee quite done awaie when e Reuel 20.10.14 the diuell and the beast and the false prophet and death and hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire that burneth for euer when f Reu. 7.16.17 20.4 God shall wipe awaie all teares from the eies of his when they shall hunger no more thirst no more when the sunne and heate shall no more light vpon them and there shall be no more death nor sorow nor crying nor any more paine but g 1. Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all 15 To conclude h Psal 74.3 God will for euer destroy euerie enimie that doth euill to his sanctuarie all tyrants persecutors oppugners of his Church Howsoeuer they seeme to haue power in their handes euen at their owne will yet Christ sitteth aboue them at the right hand of God they shall be made his footestoole confusion shall be their portion as in al ages God hath shewed and will shew vnto the end and specially in the end as remaineth further to bee spoken at the ende of this Psalme God the father graunt vnto vs for his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ his sake the grace of his holie spirit whereby through the knowledge of his holie word we may framed to the obedience of his holy will that wee may serue him faithfully and truely according to his commandement the whole course of this life that when it shall please him to take vs out of this mortall life we may be made partakers of that eternall life and blessednes which he hath promised in the world to come through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. To God the father God the sonne and God the holie Ghost be all honour glorie praise dominion might maiestie and power both nowe and for euermore Amen The second Sermon the same day in the afternoone Verse 2. The Lord shall send the rod or scepter of thy power out of Sion be thou a ruler or beare thou rule in the middest of thine enimies IN the former Sermon wee haue seene the sonne of Dauid installed and enthroned to the seate and maiestie of his kingdome In this second verse is set foorth the meanes whereby and the maner how this kingdome is founded and established Foure things to be obserued in the second verse First therefore we are to obserue from hence what it is whereby the subiects of this kingdome are gathered vnto Iesus Christ and gouerned vnder him which is the rod or scepter of his power Secondly from whence this scepter proceedeth the Lord shal send it Thirdly whence it hath his gooing foorth out of Sion Fourthly what successe and worke it hath he thereby beareth rule in the middest of his enimies 2 Now we see Christ heere brought in imperiall maner bearing his scepter in his hand for the scepter is one of the ensignes of princely maiestie The scepter an ensigne of princely maiestie Monarches and kings are woont to weare in their hand a rod or scepter in token of soueraigne and roiall authoritie and thereby to import that they in respect of whom they are kings are vnder their power and subiect to their stroke Thus therefore Iesus Christ whom God hath exalted and lifted vp to bee the Monarch and Lord of the whole worlde and hath assigned vnto him all power both in heauen and earth is saide to haue his scepter whereby hee doth exercise and declare his power for the building vp and gouerning of his Church Which scepter is called in the Psalme a Psal 45.6 the scepter of his kingdome whereby namely he exerciseth and administreth his kingdome And that we may vnderstand what this scepter is it is called also b Esa 11.4 the scepter or rod of his mouth which in the same place and elsewhere is termed also c ibib 2. Thess 2.8 the breath of his lips the breath of his mouth Now what is it that proceedeth from the mouth and is formed with the breath but only the word The word of Christ therefore is the Scepter of his kingdome The Scepter of Christ is his word The word of of Christ why called the Scepter of his power And it is here called the Scepter of his power because therein appeareth his might and power working great and wonderfull things beyond the opinion and expectation of the world Which we may obserue both in the course and passage that this word hath had through the world and in the speciall effects and works that it hath wrought and doth worke in this passage The power of Christ appearing in the passage of his word through the world 3 We see how in the beginning it went forth as the Sunne no power could hinder the going of it It was put into the mouthes not of Philosophers and Oratours but poore fishermen and tentmakers and toulegatherers and by their hand being men of no commendation to the world subdued more nations to the kingdome of Christ then sword and battell could euer bring in subiection vnto the great Empire of Rome The world did striue against it and it ouercame the world the Scepters of Princes strooke at it to beate it downe and Princes scepters gaue it way whether they would or not They bound the preachers of it but it selfe was as the winde which cannot be bound nor stayed from his course Neither policie nor strength could hinder it but that it ouerthrew their customes cast downe their idols stopped the mouthes of their oracles and wrested from their deuils a confession of the power of God and so went on with victory and triumph till it had set vp the kingdome of Christ in the vtmost coastes and borders of the earth And haue not our own eies men and brethren seene the experience hereof in these latter times when Emperors and Princes and Popes and Prelates and the multitude of the world labored to put out the the light of the Gospell beginning againe to shine amidst the darkenes of Popery and by all their labour could auaile nothing They had countenance and counsell and strength they persecuted the professers of
common vse no vncleane thing might be suffered to touch them that so they might remaine pure and vndefiled to the vses of the Lord. Euen so we whom Christ a Ioh. 15.19 hath chosen and b Gal. 1.4 giuen himselfe to deliuer vs from this present euill world that he might make vs c 2. Tim. 2.21 vessells of honour sanctified and meete for the vses of the Lord should d Iam. 1.27 keepe our selues vnspotted of the world by e 2. Pet. 1.4 flying the corruption that raigneth therein by lust and abhorring those polluted and vncleane courses in the lothsome filthinesse whereof the world walloweth and tumbleth it selfe to the great offense and displeasure of almighty God And surely so long as the contagion and filth of the world cleaueth fast vnto vs and we frame our selues to the fashion and behauiour thereof there can be nothing so lothsome and hatefull vnto vs as we our selues are lothsome vnto God And therefore God himselfe in this sort aduiseth vs a 2. Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and seperate your selues and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord. Whereupon the apostle thus exhorteth in the beginning of the next chapter b 2. Cor. 7.1 seeing then we haue these promises let vs clense our selues frō all fithines of the flesh of the spirit and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God In which words he expresseth both those parts of holines which I mentioned before calling the one the clensing of our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite the other the growing vp to full holinesse or the fulfilling and perfiting of our sanctification in the feare of God Which fulfilling of our sanctification standeth in clothing from day to day both inwardly our conscience and outwardly our conuersation with pietie and the feare of God thereby to c 1. Pet. 2.9 set foorth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenes into his maruelous light And this the Apostle Saint Paule calleth d Rom. 13.14 Gal. 5.16 the putting on of the Lord Iesus Christ teaching vs thereby not onely to attire our selues by faith with his merites and righteousnes that thereby we may be iustified in the sight of God but also by holines to expresse in our life the example that he hath laied before vs that by our good workes and godly life it may appeere that we haue Christ dwelling and ruling in our harts Which the same Apostle elsewhere more particularly describeth saying e Col. 3.12 put on as the elect of God holy and beloued tender mercie kindenesse humblenesse of minde meekenes long suffring c. And againe f 1. Thess 5.8 Let vs which are of the daie be sober putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet 17 These and such like are the ornaments whereby the church of Christ is to him that loueth her g Cant. 5.9 Holines our attyre when we come to the place of the Lords assemblie goodly as the morning faire as the moone pure as the sunne and to her enimie terrible as an armie with displaied ensignes Thus attired and armed we shoulde come and present our selues in this place of the assemblie of the Lordes armie not in hautines and presumption not in vaine and wanton apparell not in the care of decking our selues to the eies of the worlde the follie whereof in this generation nowe long agoe stinketh in the nostrels of the Lorde but in humblenesse and lowlinesse of minde in meekenesse and quietnesse of spirite in innocencie and simplicitie of hart in a sacred feare and reuerence of that high maiestie before which we present our selues If we come not thus prepared wee are but spots and blots in the Lords assemblie and we are to feare the same exception to be taken against vs as was taken against him that came to the wedding supper without a wedding garment a Math. 22.12 friend howe cōmest thou in hither not hauing on a wedding garment For what is the wedding garment but euen the beautie of holinesse which the prophet heere commendeth as the attire of the Lords armie That therefore our comming may be gratefull to the Lord and without danger to our selues let vs haue this sentence of the prophet in our mindes and remember alwaies to appeere before the Lorde in the beautie of holinesse in true deuotion humblenesse of minde obedience loue b 1. Tim. 1.5 out of a pure hart and a good conscience and faith vnfained so the Lorde seeing in vs the shadow and picture of his beautie shal take delight and pleasure in vs whereas otherwise by hypocrisie and sinne our being heere is but abhomination before him 18 Now followeth the latter part of this verse Thy youth shal be as the dew vnto thee from the wombe of the morning Where the words being very obscure in the Hebrew text are diuersly translated Vpon searching and comparing of diuers iudgements I haue set downe that which I take to be most fit And verie answerable heereunto is that which is written by the prophet Micah c Micah 5.7 The remnant of Iacob shall be among manie people as the dew from the Lorde and as the little mistling droppes vpon the grasse which doe not waite for man nor hope in the sonnes of Adam By which wordes the prophet foretelleth the mightie increase of the church amongst the Gentiles whose multitude shall be as the small dew and little drops that fall from heauen without number and that this shall come to passe not by any power or worke of man but by the gracious hand of almightie God euen as hee onely without the helpe of man causeth the shewers and dew to fall vpon the earth To which verie purpose I take it the wordes of our prophet here are likewise to bee vnderstoode The multitude of the armie of Christ and by what hand they are raised vp vnto him for hauing before declared how Iesus Christ shall haue his armie to ioyne with him in fight against his enimies he addeth heere in what multitude they shall come and by what hand they shal be raised vp vnto him They shall be innumerable as the dewe which by the onely hand of God is brought foorth from the wombe of the morning where the prophet by a metaphor nameth it the wombe of the morning where the morning dewe is secretly formed and from whence it commeth as children from the wombe Againe the name of youth by another figure importeth not meerely yoongnesse of age but the persons themselues that are yoong by the like phrase of speech as we are woont to say The youth were gathered togither the youth were sporting themselues c. Youth they that are newly newly borne againe to Christ 19 By youth then are meant the young frie
we harbour with in our selues b August cont Iâ—l Pelag. lib. 2. exercitum quendam cupiditatum as Saint Austen saieth An army of sinfull affections within vs still occasioning vs to fight a very army of vicious and sinfull affections which yeeld vs continuall matter and occasion of fighting from our beginning to our end against the wantonnesse and wilfulnesse of youth against the crookednesse of olde age in prosperitie against presumption and carnall securitie in aduersitie against impatiencie and despaire in high estate against disdaine in low estate against enuie in aboundance against excesse in want against vnlawfull shifts in the folowing of vertue against vaine glory in the hatred of vice against curiositie and rashnes in iudging censuring other men in religion against schisme heresie infidelitie in ciuill conuersation against wrathfulnesse vnfaithfulnesse vnmercifulnesse selfeloue and all iniustice against euill workes in the profession of true faith against misbeleefe in the practise of good works Temptations of sinne still succeeding one another Yea and as they say of the heads of Hydra the Serpent that one being cut off there grew vp moe for it and as the waues of the sea one still folow in the necke of another euen so it is with the temptations of sinne the ending of one is the beginning of another and one victorie is the drawing on of another fight a Cypr. de mortall If couetousnesse be ouerthrowen saith Saint Cyprian then ariseth wanton lust if lust be repressed then ambition comes in place if ambition be reiected then anger prouoketh pride swelleth enuie fretteth c. So â—…e is it which the same Father elsewhere saith b Idem de duplicimartyrio Although there be not alwaies Neroes Diocletians and Maximines raging against the Church yet neuer doth the deuill cease to busie and trouble them that haue professed the warfare of Christ. And Saint Hierome c Hierony epis ad Heliodorum Erras si vnquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati tunc maximè oppugnaris quum te oppugnarinescis Thou art deceiued if thou thinke a Christian man at any time free from suffering persecution and then is a man most of all oppugned when he doth not know himselfe to be oppugned 7 Now being thus beset with enemies on euery side nay carying within our selues enmitie against our selues we see a necessitie of fighting we see a reason why we are called the armie of the Lord. Let vs therefore be as we are called let vs euery man take sword in hand and d Iudg. 5.23 goe foorth to helpe the Lord against the mightie against e Reuel 12.9.17 the Dragon and the Angels thus making warre against the womans seede If in the middest of so many so dangerous so deadly enemies we sit still and sleepe and refuse to fight what doe wee but betraie our selues and the quarrell and cause of him that hath chosen vs to be his souldiours No seruant of Christ that is not his souldiour And surely if we doe not fight wee are none of his if thou be no souldiour thou art no seruant of Iesus Christ because to be his seruant is to be a souldiour And therefore thou be not skilled in this spiritual battel if thou be not daily if exercised a Iam. 4.7 to resist the diuell and to b Heb. 12.4 fight against sinne if there be not in thee a daily controuling of thine owne waies a checking of thine owne hart a resisting of thine owne desires a subduing of thine owne affections that thou maiest c 2. Cor. 10.5 bring euerie thought to the obedience of Christ if all bee at peace within thee and thou findest no diuision no contradiction betwixt the flesh and the spirite betwixt the old and the new man betwixt that which thou art of thy selfe and that which thou art of God what doest thou in the Lordes tents to what end doest thou professe the seruice of Christ Go out of the campe if thou wilt not fight and keepe not a standing there idlely and in vaine Many say they are Christs who yet are not so because they fight not for him 8 Let vs consider this in our harts for many there are that say they are Christs and take his name in their mouthes who yet neuer drew sword nor gaue stroke in Christs behalfe who defie the diuell with their mouthes but wrestle not against his workes who haue renounced the worlde and yet liue in league with the worlde and continue deepely entangled in the corruptions thereof whose lust is their law and they make their owne carnall desire the rule and measure of all their doings These men deceiue themselues They would faine liue with Christ in heauen but yet they would d 2. Cor. 5.15 liue to themselues here vpon the earth they would be blessed in the world to come but yet would not be crossed in the pleasures of this world But this cannot be He that hath called vs vnto eternall life hath told vs that we must e Luc. 13.24 striue to enter in at the straight gate that leadeth vnto it He that hath set before vs f 1. Cor. 9.25.26 an incorruptible crowne hath withall warned vs that we must g 2. Tim 2.5 fight for it And as Saint Ambrose saith h Ambros in psa 118. ser 18. Non decet redimitos floribus corona sed puluerulentos c. The crowne is not for carpet knights that loue to be beset and garlanded with posies and floures but for them that are beraied with wrastling and tumbling in the dust and victorie is not the honour of nicelings and wantons but of them that haue sweate and laboured for it If therefore we desire the reward of victorie and the crowne that is promised to them onely that ouercome let vs as I haue saide addresse our selues vnto the fight and applie both our harts and our hands to the pulling downe of the kingdome of Satan and to the maintenance and aduancement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ We are to fight for Christ by doing the duties of our seuerall callings 9 Now because as in earthly armies there are men of diuers sorts and places generals captaines lieutenants sergeants coronels common souldiours c. So in the warfare of Christ there are likewise diuers callings and conditions of men we are euery one to consider the standing and place whereunto we are assigned of the Lord and faithfully to imploy our selues therein for his aduantage that we may still be getting ground of the enemy against whom we fight Princes and Magistrates by well managing the sword of ciuill authoritie by establishing and executing good lawes for Christs behoofe and for the setting foorth of the glory of God Ministers by vsing carefully and wisely the sword of the spirit the word of God for the cutting downe of sinne and vnrighteousnesse and to breede in mens hearts the feare of God and the loue of his
of the church the new increse and supply thereof from time to time in them who are newly a Iam. 1.18 begotten by the word of truth and b Ioh. 3.3.5 borne againe c Tit. 3.5 by the washing of the new birth and by the renewing of the holy ghost to become of Adams children the children of God and people of Iesus Christ Who for that are called d 1. Ioh. 2.12 little children and e 1. Cor. 3.1 babes in Christ and f 1. Pet. 2.2 new borne babes that are to be suckled with the milke of the word of God that they may grow thereby Of whom this prophet elsewhere speaketh when he saith g Psal 22.31 They shall declare his righteousnesse vnto a people that shal be borne and againe h Psal 102.18 This shal be written for the generation to come and the people which shal be created shall praise the Lord. Where he prophecieth of a generation and people to be created and borne not by the creation and birth whereby we are men but whereby we are according to the phrase of the Apostle i Eph. 4.24 new men and k 2 Cor. 5.17 Galat. 6.15 new creatures hauing l Ezec. 36.26 a new hart giuen vnto vs and a new spirit put into the middest of vs our stony hart being changed into an hart of flesh and m Heb. 9.14 our consciences by the bloud of Christ purged from dead works that we may serue the liuing God Such are the youth that the prophet speaketh of in this place And hereby we are put in minde of our second natiuity and birth whereby we are made members of the church of Christ and called to become children againe children as n 1. Cor. 14.20 concerning malitiousnesse children in o Mat. 18.3.4 humility simplicity innocencie that whereas being in time past a Luc. 16.8 children of this world we b Eph. 2.2.3 haue walked according to the course of this world in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our owne minde we may being now c Gal. 3.26 the children of God d Rom. 6 4. walke in newnesse of life and liue e Eph. 4.18 the life of God and f Phil. 2.15 as the sonnes of God be blamelesse and pure and without rebuke g Math. 5.16 shining by our good works as lights in the middest of the froward and crooked nation of the world Yea further we are to be remembred that as youth as young children are still growing in stature and strength and discretion vntill they come to ripe and perfect age so we after that we are once new borne vnto Christ should likewise be still encreasing and growing in those things that belong vnto a christian life in vertue in holynesse in faith in h 2. Pet. 3.18 grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ that i Psal 84.7 going thus from streÌ„gth to strength we may be euen k Phil. 1.11 filled with the fruits of righteousnesse and in the end attaine l Eph. 4.13 vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Chist 20 Now of this new birth and the fruits and effects thereof the solemnitie of this day may giue me some occasion to speake being as we call it new yeeres day wherein we celebrate the remembrance of the circumcision of Christ and that m Col. 2.11 in him we also are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands that n Eph. 4.22 putting of the body of the sinnes of the flesh and the old man which is corrupted through deceiueable lusts we may be renewed in the spirit of our mindes and put on the new man which according to God is created in righteousnesse and true holynesse But of this I spake vnto you more at large the last yeere by occasion of the words of the Apostle o 2. Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is or let him be a new creature The particulars whereof happely you remember not but remember that which is the generall that from yeere to yeere from day to day you stil goe forward to become new creatures in Iesus Christ Say with the Apostle and let vs be carefull that of our selues we may truely say it p ibid. Old things are past behold all things are become new And surely in this state of our new birth all things are set before vs vnder the name of new things q Mat. 26.28 a new testament r 〈◊〉 13 34. a new commandement Å¿ Reu. 3.9 a new song t Reuel 2.17 a new name u Heb. 10.20 a new way x Reuel 21.2 a new Ierusalem y â— Pet. 3.13 new heauens and new earth Nowe what an vnâ—eete thing is it that when all things are new for our sakes we our selues shoulde remaine old Nay let vs also become newe and by our conuersation let vs make it appeere that wee are new borne and what we haue neglected heeretofore let vs now beginne to amend with the beginning of a newe yeere and be carefull heereafter to a Eph. 5.16 redeeme the time that the encrease of our yeeres may be the encrease of our comfort and may further vs in the assured hope of that life where there shall be no change of yeeres but one new yeere to continue for euer and euer The multitude that shoulde be borne vnto Iesus Christ as the drops that cannot be numbred 21 But to come towards an end concerning this ofspring and youth which I haue spoken of the prophet saith that they shal be as the dew from the wombe of the morning First for their multitude for that as the drops of heauen cannot be numbred so the people of Christ shal be assembled vnto him in multitudes without number accordingly as Saint Iohn in the spirit saw it come to passe when as beside the remnant of Israel he beheld a b Reuel 7.9 great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands and crying with a loude voice saluation commeth of our God c. So that although in comparison of the multitude of the world the church of Christ be but c Luc. 12.32 a little flocke and d Mat. 7. â—4 few there be that enter into life euen as the grapes after the vintage a few here and a few there and as after e Esa 17.6 the shaking of the oliue tree there are two or three vpon one bough and foure or fiue vpon another seldome to be found yet in themselues they are according to the promise made to Abraham as f Gen. 13.16 15.5 the stars of heauen that cannot be numbred and g Heb. 11.12 as the sand by the seaside And therefore let it not discourage vs that the chaffe seemeth to hide the corne and
euill men so swarme euery where in the world that the promise made to Christ seemeth to be of small effect h Math. 11.19 Wisedome shall surely be iustified of her children who though they appeare but few vnto vs yet are exceeding many in the eies of God so that we need not thinke we goe alone or be the worse perswaded of the way wherein we goe because we see but few to walke therein Let vs goe on forward in faith and patience and we shall see that the l Ioh. 14.2 many mansions in our fathers house shall haue men to furnish them and that the church of Christ is not so barren but that thereby he shal breede k Heb 2.10 many children vnto glorie 22 Secondly the morning dew waiteth not for man nor is wrought by mans hand Our second birth the worke not of man but of God onâ—ly but descendeth from the Lord and falleth many times in such sort as that we see it is come but know not when or how it came Euen so is that generation and new birth whereby we become the children of God It is not wrought by the hand or power of man but this worke also descendeth from the Lord. It is the hand of God the inspiration of the holy ghost that worketh in you men and brethren that chaunge whereby you are newly created and borne the people of Iesus Christ Indeede we speake the words vnto you which tend to the conuerting and regenerating of the hart but what can our words doe in your harts if there be not the worke of some other power that is mightier then our words The husbandman may manure and till the ground but it is not he that can make the fruite a 1. Cor. 3.6.7 Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth the encrease and neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the encrease That that we doe goeth no further then to the outward man and our words make but a sound in the eare of the body but they that are inwardly taught to the conuersion of the soule they are b Ioh. 6.45 all taught of God It is a secret and hidden worke our eies see it not our eares here it not our vnderstanding cannot sufficiently conceiue it nay they cannot throughly conceiue it in whom it is c Cypr. de cardin Christi operibus As the lightning breaketh the cloudes saith Saint Cyprian and with the suddaine flashing doth not so much enlighten as astonish the eie so a man is sometimes touched with I know not what motion and perceiueth himselfe to be touched and yet beholdeth not him that toucheth him There are spoken vnto him certeine secret wordes inwardly which he is not able to vtter so that he cannot doubt but that he is neere him yea within him that mooueth him and yet showeth not himselfe that 〈◊〉 may see him as he is This is that which our sauiour Christ saith d Joh. 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth so is euery one that is borne of the spirite And hence it commeth which we else where also reade by the words of Christ e Mar. 4.26 so is the kingdome of heâ—en as if a man should cast seede in the ground and should sleepe and rise vp night and day and the seede should spring and grow vp he not knowing how We sow the seede but we know not how it groweth and though we know not how it groweth yet in the end we see and perceiue that it hath growen Thus we comfort our selues that though we cannot giue successe vnto our owne labours yet we loose not our labour but the spirite of God as it were in the hart of the earth fostereth and cherisheth the seede that we sow and quickneth it to bring foorth fruite and out of the wombe of Gods eternall election still raiseth vp a newe youth and ofspring to serue in the Lordes campe and to receiue the promises of grace and saluation by Iesus Christ It resteth that for the growing of this seede in our harts wee praie vnto him c. The fourth Sermon vpon Twelfth day Verse 4. The Lord hath sworne and will not repent Thou art the Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec THis verse setteth foorth vnto vs the calling of Iesus Christ to the office of priesthood Christ both in humilitie and maiestie our priest and mediatour vnto God where by he is be come our redeemer and aduocate with the father that in the kingly height and maiestie of Iesus Christ there may be nothing to dismay vs seeing we know that both in his humilitie and in his maiestie he is made our priest and mediatour to reconcile vs and bring vs vnto God The Scripture woont to qualifie the dread of Gods maiestie with the consideration of his mercie And thus is the Scripture woont to qualifie the glorious and dreadfull maiestie of God with the consideration of his gracious and most mercifull inclination towards vs that we may learne so to reuerence him for his greatnes as that by his goodnes wee bee allured to loue him and by praier to seeke vnto him assuring our selues that he a Esa 57.15 Who is high and excellent that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is the Holy one that dwelleth in the high and holy place yet is with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirite of the humble and to giue life vnto them that are of a contrite hart b Psal 138.6 Though the Lorde be high saith Dauid yet hath he respect vnto the lowly and c Psal 102 1â—.19.20 out of the heauen he beholdeth the earth to turne him to the praier of the desolate and to heare the mourning of the prisoners and to deliuer the children of death 2 Thus Iesus Christ is described vnto vs sitting in glorie at the right hand of God and yet stowping downe to the compassion of our infirmities that the conceite of his greatnesse may be no terrour vnto vs but rather a ground of exceeding great comfort whilest we stande perswaded that he who by mercy is so readie to succour vs is by power so able to do for vs whatsoeuer pleaseth him There is nothing more fearefull then the guiltie conscience of a sinner which is still running away from God and hiding it selfe as Adam did vnlesse it be embouldened and established by the acknowledgement and assurance of his fauour and good will And hence it came to passe as hath beene before touched that they who no otherwise cosidered of Iesus Christ but in his maiestie sitting at the right hand of God conceiued of him a doubtefull and distrustfull feare and shadowed themselues vnder the winges of other mediatours and hidde themselues vnder the patronage and intercession of saints and angels that by them they might haue accesse
not a mediatour 14 Christ himselfe not our priest onely but also our sacrifice Now that the sonne of God our mediatour and priest might haue a meete sacrifice to offer in our behalfe he tooke vnto him our body and flesh and demeaned himselfe to the condition of our nature which although in it selfe it be but of small price to offer vnto God yet being ioyned into one person with the sonne of God becommeth thereby of infinite woorth because it is the body of the sonne of God For we cannot doubt but that the body of the sonne of God the sufferings and death of the sonne of God are a sufficient expiation redemption of the sins of men As therefore against the priest so against the sacrifice there is no exception because the priest himselfe is also the sacrifice For it is otherwise here thē in the former priesthood of Aaron bicause there the priest was one thing and the sacrifice another but here the priest and sacrifice are both one whilest Christ himselfe the son of God f Tit. 2.14 giueth himselfe for vs g Heb. 7.27 offereth vp himselfe h Heb. 9 26. putteth away our sins by the sacrifice of himselfe Seing therfore both the priest the sacrifice are of so infinit worth value The intercession of Christ auaile able by has owne woorth the praier of mediation which this priest vttereth by vertue of the sacrifice which he hath offered cannot but be in the highest degree acceptable to the Lord and make them accepted also whom thereby he commendeth to the Lord. Such was the praier that Iesus Christ powred foorth vnto his father immediately before his passion beholding now in spirit the acceptation of the sacrifice which he was about to offer and by vertue thereof entreating and making intercession for them for whom he offered not onely his Apostles but all that a Ioh. 17.24 the father had giuen vnto him and b vers 20. by their word should beleene in him Who afterward hauing finished all things which he had to do and to suffer for vs here on earth ascended into heauen there thence foorth to doe the office of a priest c Heb. 9.24 by appeering in the sight of God for vs. Christ ascended into heauen still continurth a priest for vs and for euer 15 For he hath not by his ascending into heauen put of the care of his redeemed or left them to themselues but euen yet he sitteth at the right hand of God to plead our cause and to be our me diatour that by his intercession our sinnes may be forgiuen vs the loue and fauour of God may be yeelded vnto vs and our praiers may be gracious and acceptable in his sight And what is his verie sitting at the right hande of God in that flesh wherein he hath performed the satisfaction and attonement for our sinnes but a continuall remembring the Lord of that that in the same flesh he hath done for vs thereby as it were with strong and mightie voice crauing for vs mercie and grace and the defence of Gods blessed hande to preserue keepe vs vntill he bring vs vnto that inheritance whereunto he hath redeemed vs. And this continuall intercession for vs the prophet heere noteth in that he saith that he is appointed to be a priest for euer For where as in the former testament the priests could not cōtinue d Heb. 7.23.24 by the reason of death this man because hee endureth euer hath an euerlasting priesthood There is one died another came in place and by succession of priests was the continuance of that priesthood but this priest needeth no successour because although hee once died yet being raised againe from the dead hee liueth for euer and is euer present with God by himselfe to doe the office that hee hath taken vpon him to make intercession for vs. Christ a priest after the order of Melchisedec 16 And this eternitie of priesthood is againe implied in that that he addeth that Christ is a priest after the order of Melchisedec Of which fully to speake would require a long discourse but I wil briefly knit vp that which is most needful to be spoken In the holy scripture therefore we read of two orders of priesthood only two Two orders of priesthood the one a Heb. 7.11 the order of Aaron the other as heere we reade the order of Melchisedec The order of Aaron togither with the earthly tabernacle was but b Hebr. 9.9.10 a figure for that time whereby were offered gifts sacrifices that could not make holy concerning the conscience him that did the seruice which onely stoode in meates and drinkes and diuers washings and carnall rites c Heb. 7.19 which made nothing perfect but serued onely for an introduction to abetter hope and to d Gal. 3.24 schoole men vnto Christ. Which hauing but the e Heb. 10.1 shadowe of good things to come when for the time it had serued the vse whereunto it was appointed and now the truth and substance was reuealed in Iesus Christ ceased vtterly and became of none effect and profited them nothing at all that were exercised therein There remaineth therefore thence foorth no other priesthood faue onely the order of Melchisedech the title where of resteth onely and entirely in Iesus Christ The figure of Melchisedec how it is to be applied 17 For the application of which figure of Melchisedec if we will goe safely we must tread no other steps but those which the holy ghost hath marked out vnto vs as for mens presumtions we cannot safely build vpon them neither is their word any warrant to iustifie vnto vs their owne conceipts What there is in the story of Melchisedec to be applied vnto Iesus Christ the holy ghost in the seuenth to the Hebrews prosecuteth at large And first in his name and titles we may see the whole mysterie of Christ briefely comprised For Iesus Christ is indeed the true Melchisedec that is by interpretation f Heb. 7.2 king of righteousnesse not onely for that he is righteous himselfe but because he is as the prophet calleth him g Ier. 23.6 the Lord our righteousnesse who h 2. Cor. 5.21 when he knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him whose people are called i Esa 61.3 trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord bringing foorth the k Phil. 1.11 fruites of righteousnesse to the glory and praise of God He is also l Heb. 7.2 king of Salem that is king of peace accordingly as the prophet also tearmeth him m Esa 9.6 the prince of peace because he is the procurer and mainteiner of our peace at whose birth the angells sound out n Luc. 2.14 peace vpon earth who going to his death bequeathed vnto his a legacy of peace o Joh. 14.27 peace I leaue