The Prophet Esay speaketh this of him in the eleuenth Chapter The rod that shall come out of Iesse and the branch that shall spring from that roote there shal rest vpon him the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. And of this abundance that is in him the Prophet speaketh in that excellent Song Psal. 45. God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes All thy garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia he comming forth of his yvorie palace of Heauen downe to the earth to saue man there was nothing found in him but a sweet smell and savour of heauenly influence and of the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost which he receiued in such fulnes Look also about this mater to his own words Luc. 4. who being in the synagogue hauing in his hands the booke of Esay his Prophecie And reading that excellent place The Spirit of the Lord God is vpon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captiues and recovering of sight to the blind to set at libertie them that are bruised to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. Hee hauing closed the booke and the eyes of all that were in the Synagogue being fastned vpon him hee hath vpon that text this Sermon This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares that is I am hee who am come with that fulnesse of graces of the Spirit whereof Esay fore-prophecied Then this word vpon a Stone shal be seuen eyes would be marked telling vs first That the Father sending CHRIST to so good a turne to be as he was called of before his Servant in such a weighty busines as was matter of wonder to Man and Angell he sent him out well furnished in his humanity so filled and replenished as neuer man receiued the Spirit in that fulnesse that he did receiue And of this great furniture there are two great reasons First hee had the greatest work in hand and turne to do that euer was or shal be done in the world 2. he had many to serue This behooued to be an euerlasting fountaine because the streames thereof were to run to the refreshment of all that should be saued And of this fulnesse of his we all do receiue of This fulnesse that was is in CHRIST learne you fully and perfitely to acquiesce in him as he who hath fully and perfitely finished the worke of our redemption He hath drunke out this Cup tread forth that Wine-presse he hath done it himself alone and there was none to help him being perfitely filled and replenished from Heauen to doe the turne Set not Moyses nor Elias in a Tabernacle with him Bring not in Mary who her selfe hath need of a Saviour nor the Saints to be partners with him in this worke His Father sent him so perfitely furnished and hee so perfitely hath done the turne that as the Father hath said of him He is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased So all that shal be safe cannot but say and in him onely my soule hath perfect rest and contentment 2. In this we are also to learne how the calling of God is neuer fruitlesse nor in vaine he that sending his Sonne in the flesh to this great turne so replenished him with the graces of the Spirit hee sendeth no man to his turne but hee manifesteth his calling by spirituall vnction giuing the man whom he sendeth such measure agreeable as he seeth meete And for the greater worke the greater gifts The calling by men may be voide and ineffectuall the calling of God is not so Where the gifts are not although men haue called thee God hath not called where the spirituall vnction and gifts are there is the declaration of the calling of God 3. There is a lessoun for all men not to be afraid to goe where God biddeth him for albeit the way may be hard he send thee to great trouble and affliction yet will he send no man to vndergoe straitnesse and difficultie without furniture If God say to thee with Moyses Come vp the mountaine thou mayst come vp vpon his warrant and enioy good things If hee bid thee goe off the mountaine where thou wilt behold things grievous to thy soule and so change thy estate thou must also obey he will be with thee He that commeth and goeth this way at the direction of God resting vpon the furniture of God hee shall one day call him to come vp to that mountaine of glory from which hee shall neuer descend to taste any more of sorrow or trouble Fourthly it would be remembred of vs that IESVS CHRIST was thus way replenished that of his fulnes we might all receiue And so they that would goe to God must go to him And all that would be refreshed must go to him as the Fountaine He is that Fountain of the House of Dauid hee was resembled by Aaron whose ointments powred on his head ran downe to the border of his garments He cōmeth in his Church with a faire Priestly garment all his garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia To him as to the Fountaine we are to repaire By him as our great High Priest we are to be sprinkled the sweet savour of his garments shall allure vs to follow after him And herein also is a rule of examination for men to try and examine how the garments of Christ I meane the Crosse of Christ his death and suffering and the graces which he hath brought with him do smell and savour to thee Hee that wanteth the sense of bodily smelling althogh there should be broken before him a boxe of the most precious ointment that can be componed yet hath he no comfort of it God hath sent forth in his Son to the world a rich Box of spirituall ointment And in his suffring this Box may be said to haue bin brokē And yet to the most part of the world wanting the sense to discerne what is the crosse of Christ it is but an vnsavory thing The trial of thy faith is the smell that thou hast of the ointments of Iesus Christ. The Father hath filled him with the oyle of spiritual grace This Box is broken in the Church to make it savory to the sons of men The preaching of the Evangell is the carrying throw of this box perfume that it may smel to men And howsoeuer to the carnal worldly minded it be an vnsavory thing yet they that haue faith are able to say with Dauid that his garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia Isaac smelled the savour of his sonne Iacobs garments as the smell of a field which the Lord had blessed Thus doth the garments of Christ sweetly smell to the
THREE EXCELLENT POINTS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE I. The Nativity of our Lord IESVS CHRIST II. His bitter sufferings for the sinnes of his people III. The fruites flowing therefrom to those that by Faith apprehend him ALL PROPHECIED BY ZACHARIAH in the 8. 9. and 10. Verses of the third Chapter of his Prophecie and explained in three Sermons preached at Edinburgh by Master PETER HEWAT being Minister there IOHN 5. 29. Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me 1 PET. 1. 10. 11. 10 Of which saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched diligently who prophecied of the grace that should come vnto you 11 Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was to come did signifie When it testified before hand the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART Anno 1621. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE DAVID AIKINHEID LORD Provest And to the right Worshipfull Robert Dowgall Iohn Maknaght William Dick and Henry Morison Baillies Iohn Byres Deane of Gild Peter Somervell Thesaurer and to the remnant of the Councill representing the body of the good Town of EDINBVRGH COmfortable and powerfull is that confirmation to our faith in the Messias which is drawne from ancient Scripture when wee see that all which was fore shadowed in the Law and fore-spoken by the Prophets hath the due and full accomplishment in our Lord Iesus Christ. Who being God manifested in the flesh was in the fulnes of time for the sinnes of his people crucified at Ierusalem And thereafter declared to be the Sonne of God with power according to the Spirit of holines by the resurrection from the dead To this end it is that the Lord Iesus himselfe biddeth vs search the Scriptures for they testifie of him He meaneth there of ancient Scripture wherof there is no part which beareth not cleare and evident testimony of him To Adam hee was promised Noah made petition for his sonne Iaphet that he might be perswaded to come to the tents of Sem that is to the Church and family of the Messias Abraham saw his day and reioyced in it Isaac was a speciall type of him who as he was the sonne of laughter and gladnes so Iesus Christ was the ioy of the sonnes of men And as he bare on his shoulders the timber wherewith he should haue bene burnt in a sacrifice So Iesus Christ bare on his back the Crosse whereupon he was crucified Iacob spake notably of him and from his seed the Scepter did not depart till he came in the flesh Moses prayed to send him who was to be sent Iehoshua hath but the name of a Saviour in type who fighting the Lords battels and leading the people through Iordan to the promised Land resembleth our strong and mighty Chiftan that Lyon of the tribe of Iuda who subdueth his enemies leadeth captivity captiue and carrieth his people through the raging and swelling Iordan of the troubles of this life to that promised rest All the refreshment which the people had vnder Iudges fighting for them and rescuing them from their oppressours was but a shadow and a glasse to looke vnto that rest which is to be found vnder the Messias who putteth his people in such safetie that the red Dragon with his power cannot come neere to pursue The holy line is kept and closeth the booke of Ruth with Dauid the sonne of Iesse for no other purpose but to point at the Messias the Son of Dauid according to the flesh Samuel by the direction of God anointed Dauid to be King who was the type of Iesus Christ in his actions and sufferingt But the seruant of Iesus Christ as he is the Messias And therefore he acknowledgeth him to be his Lord. He is called the sweet singer of Israel And they who will looke earnestly to his Psalmes shall find how secretly he tuneth his harpe and how heauenly and melodious his song is when he singeth of the Messias to come his kingdome his subiests and the great benefit which his people inioy vnder him The Queen of Seba came to visit Salomon the son of Dauid to see the ordor of his house and found her sight aboue the report But behold Iesus Christ greater then Salomon Ezra writing the history of seuen of Daniel his weekes which make fourty nine yeares is leading the people to look to the end when shall come the holy One who shall make an end of sin and finish transgression to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring an euerlasting righteonsnes Nehemiah goeth on in the same course writing the history of seuenty yeares In the eighteen yeares history of Esther is it not remarkable to this pùrpose that while as the sword was aboue the heads of the people of God ready drawne as it were to cut off their memory Esther is raised vp as a comfortable instrument of their deliuery So when the sword of Gods vengeance was drawne to cut off the whole race of Adam with an euerlasting destruction in commeth Iesus Christ not looked for of Angels nor expected of man who setteth his people at freedome and deliuereth them who were subiect to that feare Iob was afflicted many wayes in his goods in his children in his wife in his body in his conscience yet is his head holden vp and he kept from despair by the faith which he hath in the Messias still hoping with the eyes of his soule body both to see his Redeemer When the Prophets come in is not this the summe of all their Prophecy He that readeth Esay may read in him all the points of the Evangell of Iesus Christ. Euery one of the succeeding Prophets holding fast the same point And the nerer they draw to the time of the rising of that bright Star the more clearly they spoke of him So that the last of the Prophets being Malachie his last breath is of Iohn the Baptist the forerunner of Iesus Christ. And so Christ himselfe telleth you that all the Prophets and the Law prophecied vnto Iohn and that by Elias of whom Malachie spoke is vnderstood Iohn When the Lord Iesus came himself all his actions and especially his sufferings were the accomplishment of Scripture which was written of old Vpon the mountaine of his transfiguration there is seen talking with him Moses and Elias to testifie the sweet concent and harmony betwixt him the Law and the Prophets And the subiect of their conference saith Luke was of his death which he should accomplish at Ierusalem After his resurrection in that powerfull Sermon of his which made the hearts of the hearers to burne within them Did he not begin at Moses and the Prophets and expound vnto them in all the Scriptures these things that were written concerning him it would take a long time and fill many pages to goe through all These few words to them that are wise in the
And of whose House it may be well said There is in it bread enough large mercies and comforts to the hungrie and wearied soule that comes to seeke them Drinke is good for a thirstie body but wilt thou not remember of thy soule and heare him who hath said I haue drinke to giue whereof whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst againe If we haue no appetite but naturall of things concerning the body what difference betwixt vs and the beast But a spirituall and renewed man is he not knowen in his spirituall appetite and desires such as was that man according to Gods owne Heart expressing his spirituall appetite this way As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters so panteth my soule for thee O God Garments are steedable to the naked But remembring thy soule heare him who calleth you to come and buy of him garments to couer your filthy nakednes that yee bee not a spectakle of shame in the sight of God Man and Angell With which garments whosoeuer shal not be found cled in that Day shall cry but in vaine to hils and mountaines to fall vpon them cover them from the face of the Lamb. Gold is profitable hauing for this life the owne necessary vses But harken to him who hath to giue thee fine gold tryed by the fire euen that better and induring substance which cannot be taken from thee again So as the Lord led his people of old from things temporall to things spirituall and from types to trueth so let him take vs by the hand by him let vs be led from these earthly things to spirituall things And frō the things of this life to the consideration earnest desire of the better things of that life to come There is another word also to bee marked heere There fell out many changes which were grievous to this people their owne sins bred them great disquiet As change in their policie desolation in their cities great change in the face of their Church vpon their Priesthood And when their Temple and Priesthood was restored againe it was a griefe to such as remembred the dayes of old to see the last no wayes answerable to the glory beauty of the first This doctrine therfore proponed by the Prophet is to comfort them against all such griefs to settle establish their hearts against all changes whatsoeuer and it is this cast the eyes of your faith toward IESVS CHRIST the great High Priest to come and there your soules shall finde rest IESVS CHRIST who was represented in the figure of the Law is exhibit in the fulnes of time As he came in the world for this end to saue sin ners so is he the only stay of the Hearts of sinners and in him is perfite remedie against all those griefes and tentations that rise here in this world by reason of sin to oppresse the hearts of sinners Heere all things are subiect to change and alteration he that is knit to him stayes vpon a rocke with a defiance of all these worldly changes althogh the world should be turned vpside down the moūtains rolled in the mids of the great deep yet can he not be moued In no thing that is here can there be found cōtentment in him the soul hath ful delight And when a man is as it were chased hūted with griefs on all hands with his many sins with the devils tentations somtimes with the ingratitude malicious doing of men It is euen vpon such a wearyed and distressed body that Christ calleth saying Come to me and I will ease you and refresh you we would therefore hearken to the sweet call of IESVS CHRIST and labour to follow the Saints and seruants of God seeking onely and finding this way contentment to our soules Heere God by his Prophet willeth his people to looke ouer all that blacke cloud of ceremonies to IESVS CHRIST I desire saith Paul to know nothing but IESVS CHRIST and him crucified he is to me both in life and death an advantage Whom haue I saith Dauid in Heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for euer Where shall we go to saith Peter hast not thou the words of eternall life What further can I wish sayth old Simeon hauing gotten Christ in the armes of my body and soul both and s◅ene my saluation in him Now let thy servant go in peace Therefore as this is noted to be the great sollicitude and care of the Church to inquire for him Tell mee O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest So if thou will proue thy selfe a true member of this Church and be partaker of this onely consolation inquire for him seeke him out while he may be found be homely with him seeke to be daylie farther conioyned with him in him shall ye finde perfite ease and contentment In these three Verses commeth to be considered first the preface that is vsed next the speech which is deliuered containing so many excellent points concerning the Messias both in his person and office In the Preface Iehoshua and his fellowes they are bidden hearken and advert vnto that which is to bee spoken Iehoshua was immediatly of before wakened to attention when the Lord hauing absolued him giues his direction to him speaking vnto him with vehement and earnest protestation Now hee is wakened to attention againe and bidden giue eare to the graue speech following concerning the Messias Although this with the former be but one continued Sermon he that heard of before hath need to heare still he that was wakened of before hath neede to be wakened againe And these graue and great mysteries vttered by the mouth of God himselfe they craue vpon our part great attention When God speakes our eares should be ready to heare In the volume of thy Booke saith Dauid it is written of me This volume of the Booke of God is the Law of God The first words whereof is Hearken Israel The seale of all the letters written to the seuen Churches is Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth to the Churches No man hath his care so ready to hearken but he hath neede continually to be put vpon to waken him vnto attention And the meanes of this doing are many vpon the Lords part his word a principall his word sometimes in the mouthes of old men sometimes in the mouthes of yong men to waken thy hearing Sometimes it comes with a mourning sound sometimes with a ioyfull sound to waken thy hearing Sometimes it comes in a mysterie as a sealed letter and sometimes the mysterie is revealed and the booke opened to waken thy hearing Sometimes he that cryes in thy eare takes a rod in his hand of some inward or outward affliction wherewith he choppes
thy sinnes Secondly let thy Will Reason Iudgement and all be subiect to him Bring all captiue vnder his obedience Thirdly in the day of whatsoeuer griefe lay thy head in his bosome that is rest vpon him Is thy waters like the waters of Mara bitter heere a tree his crosse behold it not afarre off but take it and vse it Cast it in with thy trouble season it with the meditation of his suffering and thy waters shall become sweet vnto thee In speaking now of the Messias the Lord giueth vnto him two Names first he calleth him his Servant Secondly he calleth him the Branch The first Name the Name of a Servant is in divers places of Scripture giuen to the Messias Esay eleuenth Chapter 42. ver 51. Of which Name giuen to him there is sundry reasons First he is so called for his obedience done and performed to his Father In seruants obedience and sidelity is required The eyes of the seruants sayeth Dauid are toward their Masters to wait vpon their will and performe their Commandements No servant was ever found so faithfull and obedient to his Master As IESVS CHRIST this great Servant in the House of GOD was to his Father obedient he was euen vnto the death of the Crosse. The obedience of Isaac is commended that suffered himselfe without resistance to be bound of his Father But to IESVS CHRIST of whom Isaac was the Type there needes no bonds His Fathers will and pleasure was his meat and drinke he knowing that it was his Fathers will that he should die for the sinnes of his people most willingly he went to the Crosse and protested of his willingnes saying No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe willingly Secondly he is called the Servant of God in regard of the assumption of the humane Nature in time albeit the Sonne of GOD from all eternity yet made the Servant of GOD in time because he was made man made of a woman and made vnder the Law Thirdly the Servant of GOD euen for the forme and shape of a Servant which he carried in the time of his exinanition and lurking of his Divinity of which Paul speaketh clearely in the second to the Philippians and 7. verse And himselfe sayeth Mathew 20 Chapter that he came not to be serued but to serue This style giuen to IESVS CHRIST would be considered of first for our consolation that we may safely with confidence commit our selues vnto him who for our cause hath vndertaken such seruice that althogh hee bee now glorious in the Heauens yet is not this a kinde of Service for vs That he interceedes for vs to whom we may boldlie approach hauing no need of the seruice and intercession of Saints Secondly it serues for example to vs that we should learne of Christ to serue to be faithfull to be obedient to submit our will to the Will of God to make his Word and not our affections the rule of our service And it is well said we are servants 1. By the right of creation are we not servants to him of whom we haue life and all things necessary Secondly we are seruants by right of redemption for we being captiue the Son of God hath redeemed vs not with the ransome of golde siluer or corruptible things but with his owne precious Blood Thirdly we are seruants by right of povertie Nothing broght we with vs in this World all that we haue is Gods Iacob vowed service to God if so be he would giue him food and raiment Fourthlie we are servants by right of infirmitie wee were not able to helpe our selues CHRIST is become our Counsellour hee hath learned vs what to doe he hath instructed vs in that which is meet for soule and bodie Let vs seek to serue and obey him The second name or title giuen to the Messias he is called the Branch He is so called hauing respect to the former Prophecies and promises that were made of him that it may be knowne he is no other but the same that was fore-prophecied and promised of before who was to spring and come of Dauid Ieremy 23 Thus is it said of him Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I wil raise vnto Dauid a zealous Branch a King that shall reigne and prosper and shall execute Iustice and Iudgement vpon earth he shall saue Israel and shal be called the Lord our righteousnes The Prophet Esay in his 53 Chapter hath these words of him Hee shall grow vp as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground The meaning is When the family and House of Dauid is become so weake that it is as a dry stock when all appearance of springing or succession that way is gone then the Lord mindfull of his promise and able to performe that which he hath said makes of the same dry stock this Branch to spring and makes him as concerning the flesh comming of the Royall race the most comfortable King that euer the World saw But to consider a little of this word the Branch he is so called for these reasons First as a Branch is but a tender and fragill thing so was he borne in infirmity vnder great perill There was no place to lay him in but the Crib and there is he not free of danger but his life incontinent sought Secondly as somtime contrary our expectation of a dry stock or roote a branch will bud out that will flourish and be greene so did he contrary the expectation of man bud out of that dryed stock of the house of Dauid a green and a flourishing Branch Thirdly because in him as in a greene flourishing branch there doth flourish and spring the flowrs the fruits of al excellent vertues And this the Prophet Esay told of him in his eleuenth Chapter The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him and it shall flourish this way The Spirit of wisedome the Spirit of vnderstanding the Spirit of counsell the Spirit of trueth the Spirit of peace and all such excellent vertues Fourthly because as a branch that hath life in it groweth and taketh increasse from day to day So this Branch comming foorth in the World Luke saith of him As he grew in stature so hee grew in wisdome and knowledge in grace with God and man Fiftly although he came out as a small Branch and was in the eyes of men of no reputation yet of a Branch is he become a great tree and wee as dry and withered branches are to be transplanted out of the old stock and by faith be ingraft in him from whom we draw spirituall life and nourishment So sayth he himselfe Iohn 15. I am the Vine and yee are the branches he that abides in me and I in him the same bringeth forth fruit In this stile giuen to