any businesse of the calling generall or speciall and sanctifying every thing by the Word and Prayer Christ could not pollute any thing and yet did thus A good motive to thee for performing this duty 4. In fervent zeale to his Fathers house which even consumed him Hee was daily in the Temple reading praying preaching conferring confirming reforming If hee withdrew from his Parents who had lost him there you might finde him Herein should Christians imitate his piety in a burning zeale to Gods glory How zealous was Phinehas for God! How was Pauls spirit troubled within him Acts 17. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies he was almost besides himselfe to see the Idolatry of the Athenians Alas where is our zeale wee are generally key-cold as Gallio was in Gods causes Christ his zeale was inflamed for the reformation of his Fathers house but much of our zeale is against zeale and reformation And such was his zeale that whatsoever hee saw it affected him deeply either with griefe if evill or joy if well done or pity and compassion in the misery of others Wherever hee was he was well-doing in the City and publike places hee was teaching and instructing in solitary desolate places hee was praying meditating preparing himselfe or enduring temptation in porches and high-wayes he was curing healing helping He went about doing good Acts 10. 38. Our zeale also to Gods glory should move us to watch and take all occasions of doing good of promoting Gods glory furthering mans good and fitting our owne reckoning 5. In his faith and confidence His whole life was an obedience of faith his death likewise an obedience of faith In that dreadfull desertion of his Father that we had deserved he cryed My God my God hee could trust in his Father killing him Herein a rare patterne of imitation in all deeps by faith to give the Lord the honour of salvation and leane upon his love and promise Thus of the piety of our Lord. His charity and love of man shined likewise many wayes 1. In his humility meeknesse patience and gentlenesse beyond all example For first being in the forme of God and equall to his Father yet he came to serve and not to be served So lowly that he disdained not to wash his Disciples feet even Judasses John 13. and hee will have every one look on this glasse If I have washed your feet you must wash one anothers feet that is stoup to the lowest services one of another and Learne of me for I am lowly and meeke Mat. 11. 29. and Phil. 2. 5. Let the same minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus But alas we strive to go one before another in pride and taking honour because the minde of Christ is not in us Secondly so patient was hee that when hee could have revenged his enemies who came to apprehend him hee strucke them all to the ground with a word but let them rise againe Hee hurt none of them but cured Malchus his eare whom Peter had hurt Hee delivered himselfe into their hands He blessed them that cursed him and prayed on the crosse for his tormentors All to teach Christians to moderate their anger to suffer wrong to offer none to return good for evill blessing for cursing as being heires of blessing 1 Pet. 3. 18. 2. In his beneficence goodnes to every one Hee healed all diseases dispossessed Divels raised the dead gave to his enemies food to eate health to their bodies salvation to their soules So must every Christian do good to all especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. yea doe good to enemies and ill deserving thus either winning them or heaping coales on their heads 3. In that hee was an admirable patterne of civill righteousnes in word and deed Never was guile found in his lips or hands no nor ever in the thoughts or desires of his heart did hee detaine any mans right but gave every man his due and taught others so to do To his Parents obedience to the Magistrate subjection to Caesar hee payd tribute for himselfe and his Hee never impaired the estate or good name of any man Thus must Christians give to every one his owne in word and deed honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute pertaineth and dispensing to every one all offices of justice and love Labouring to live though not without sin yet without just blame out of the testimony of a good conscience able to challenge the Adversary which of you can accuse mee though I can easily accuse my selfe but whose Oxe or Asse have I taken that I may recompence him 4. In that hee never transgressed the rule of love but left a transcendent patterne of it in laying down his life for his enemies Never was there such a copy And this for our imitation who must walke in love as hee loved us Ephes. 5. 2. and 1 John 3. 16. If he layd downe his life for us we ought also one for another Quest. Doth Christs example bind us to dye for our brethren Answ. Yes not onely that Scripture proveth it but the example of Moses Exod. 32. 32. and Paul Rom. 9. 3. and chapt 16. 4. Priscilla and Aquila laid downe their neckes for Pauls life The reason is this The member of the naturall body will save a fellow-member with the losse of it selfe as the hand will save the head though it bee stricken off for it So in the mysticall body the Church The rules these 1. Christians must ayme at such sincerity in love as to bee willing to give their lives 1. for God 2. for his image and stand in a readinesse to undergoe any danger for GOD and his image sake for love seekes not her owne 2. Wee must intend the salvation of our brethren before our owne lives for their soules are better than our lives so did Christ and so did the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 12. 15. I would most gladly bee bestowed for your soules 3. Not rashly and without calling for Christ died not for us till he was called to it Which when we have we must part with our lives even for their bodies much more for their soules Thus of the matter wherein we must follow Christ. Next of the manner of following him Object How can wee follow Christ seeing he is in heaven and we on earth Answ. Not having his bodily presence on earth wee cannot make any pilgrimage to follow him with the feet of our body but 1. Wee must follow him in faith move after him with the feet of faith which to do know that faith hath a threefold worke in this businesse First it causeth us to know acknowledge our Captaine and the way wherein hee is gone before us for it tels the Christian that he being now set into Christ and become a member of him If hee now live hee must live unto him If he dye
in the same degree of glory with the head which they are not capable of The King revealeth not every thing to the privle Councell but holds distance from them And to say they must needs see every thing in him as in a glasse because they see him that seeth every thing it is vaine and failes even in a corruptible creature for hee that sees the Sunne doth not see by that sight all that the Sunne by his beames beholdeth Others thinke the day uncertaine but the houre of an uncertaine day certaine namely that Christ will come the same houre to judge that hee rose againe in as Rabanus and Lactantius But with as little reason if I should say he may come the same houre that he ascended or shall come to judge at the same houre that hee was judged of men I shall speake as probably yet I know not no more do they Of the same strength is their conceit who say hee must come in the night because he shall come as a theefe in the night and because the Egyptians were destroyed at midnight Yet know they not whether the Master will come at midnight or in the morning watch and forget it is called the day of the Lord. The conclusion is Secret things belong to the Lord but things revealed to us and our children for ever Deut. 29. 29. Now if Christ must come from heaven then hee is now in heaven and his body not every where as Ubiquitaries teach nor yet substantiall under the formes of bread and wine as Papists That which is every where cannot come from one place to another And Christ comes not in bodily presence from heaven but visibly whether we consider his first comming or his second As for any other invisible presence of his body such as they say is in the Sacrament the Scripture knowes none And whereas they flie to a miracle let them give us instance of a miracle in the Scripture which was not visible and whereof the senses might not be judges This also serves to terrifie wicked men from sin Christ comes from heaven to revenge sin and sinners and comming from heaven to doe it it shall be done to purpose If a man were to come out of some corner of the earth with an hand of revenge the danger were the lesse and the feare not so great But the mighty God comes from heaven to doe it c. Great men may stand upon their power and priviledges and often by wealth and friends make their partie good against earthly revenge but when Christ shall shew himselfe from heaven the great worke of Gods justice shall be done to purpose And if Christ come from heaven we must look for him thence yea and long for him Phil. 3. â—0 Our conversation is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride saith Come and the Saints are described to be such as looke for his appearing A loving wife cannot but looke for and long for the returne of her husband from a farre countrie A carefull servant will looke after his Master through the casements and expecting his returne will make all things readie If the bridegroome be comming let the bride decke her selfe as Rebecca espying Isaac a farre off As Joshua exhorted Israel chap. 3. 5. be sanctified for to morrow the Lord will worke wonderfull things and lead you through Jordan into the land of Canaan so our Joshua commands us to bee sanctified because the Lord in that day from heaven will doe wonders in leading us to heavenly Canaan Lastly if Christ be comming from heaven meet him in the way 1. Meet him in his Ordinances as the ancient Beleevers who waited for his comming in the flesh were ever found in the Temple A loving spouse will enjoy her husband as much as shee can in his long absence if she can heare of him or receive a letter from him or a token she is glad she hath something of him yea her love will make her meet him afarre off as farre as she can see him as the father of the prodigall and as Jepâ—haes daughter did And if thou longest for him indeed thou wilt enjoy him on earth as much as thou canst in his word which is his letters in his graces which are his pawnes and pledges c. 2. Meet him with thy affections prayers and wishes after him send thy prayers and holy requests daily as presents unto him 3. Meet him in heavenly conversation He commeth from heaven the first and second time to draw thee thither and shall hee not by all this paines gaine thy heart affection and conversation from earthlinesse to heavenly-mindednesse Begin heavenly life here First spend thy life in cheerfull praises keepe a perpetuall Sabbath Secondly enjoy God above all means and in all means hee is all now as well as hereafter Thirdly walke by the Charter of heaven the law of righteousnesse must be the rule of all and weights to weigh all in and out Fourthly wait still for further perfection of glorie stay not in first fruits In the glory of his Father Here is the manner of Christs second comming wherein it is opposed to the first there he covered and vailed his glory but now he will reveale and display it above the shining of a world of Sunnes Where consider three things and then the Uses 1. Why he calleth it the glory of his Father 2. Whether it be not his owne glory 3. Wherein this glory confisteth For the first of these Christ calleth it the glory of his Father 1. Because it is a most divine glory agreeing to none but the Father and himselfe with the blessed Spirit 2. Because the Father is the fountaine as of the deitie so also of this divine glory wherewith he hath crowned his Sonne Thence hee is called the Father of glory Eph. 1. 17. and the God of glory Act. 7. 2. the King of glory Psal. 24. 7. And Christ is said to bee taken up into glory 1 Tim. 3. 16. namely by his Father for we must conceive God not onely glorious by his nature in himselfe but the fountaine also of all that glorious life and motion which is communicated with any of his creatures 3. Because as all glory is from him so all is due unto him whom therefore his Sonne glorified and wee ought also to glorifie But was not this glory Christs owne in which he shall appeare Answ. Yes for consider him as the Sonne of God he was of equall glory with his Father in all eternitie Joh. 17. 5. Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And his incarnation abated nothing of that glory And consider him as the son of man and mediator 1. hee is worthy of all glory by the desert and merit of obedience Rev. 4. 11. insomuch that hee pleadeth with his
of power appearing in millions to all the world who in their wonderfull glorie shall behold the glory of their Lord. Again the Lord Jesus is hence proved the Lord of glory in that the holy Angels serve him as their head King of the Church so the Apostle Phil. 2. 9. proveth him to have a Name above all names because all things in heaven and earth and under the earth shall confesse him and Christ himselfe to prove his headship useth the same argument Joh. 1. 52. Hereafter shall yee see the Angels ascending and descending on the Sonne of man that is ministring to him as the head of the Church as was figured in Jacobs ladder Gen. 28. 1â— for Christ is the ladder by which onely wee ascend to heaven this ladder reached from heaven to earth noting his two natures divine from his Father in heaven and humane from Jacobs loynes on earth Angels ascend and descend on it noting their emission and admission descending to their office and ascending to give account Besides he must be greatest of all who is honoured of all and so Christs eminencie above all creatures is proved because all the Angels of heaven must honour him Heb. 1. 6. And the more and more honourable the Attendants and Ministers be the greater is the personage so attended but the Angels are every where spoken of as the excellencie of the Creation and in the glory of these servants behold the glory of their Lord. Againe their incessant service to Jesus Christ advanceth his glory Exod. 26. 31. the vaile of the Tabernacle which covered the most holy expresly signifying the flesh of Christ which hid and covered his Deity must bee made of broydered worke with Cherubims not without Cherubims which noted the multitude of Angels serving Christ. Exod. 25. 20. The Cherubims signifying the Angels must lift their wings on high as attending Christ and their faces must bee to the Mercy-seat which lively resembled Christ on whom their eyes must still be cast as the eye of the handmaide to the hand of her Mistresse Thus wee shall see how they served Christ as man even in his lowest estate as well as in his highest In his birth they sang glory to God and were preachers of him to shepheards After his temptations they ministred to him spreading a table for him in the wildernesse and waiting at his table Mat. 4. 11. In his agonie in the garden they comforted him Luk. 22. 43. In the grave they roll away the stone for his resurrection Mat. 28. 2. In his ascension they waite upon him and lead him to the Ancient of dayes of whom he received a kingdome over all creatures Dan. 7. 13. But much more now they attend him and assist him in the judgement of the great day wherein hee is to put forth his greatest power and glory in the most glorious worke that ever was or can be 3. Here is matter of terror to the enemies of Christ even all wicked and impenitent persons in that Jesus Christ commeth armed with such power and glory against them for now he rideth in his chariot of triumph against all his enemies and now all the mountaines in the world cannot hide them from the Judge but the power of the Angels shall present them Neither can the sentence bee avoyded nor the execution reprived for if heaven and earth bee mingled together whatsoever sentence of death is pronounced on them the Angels shall speedily execute How comes it then to passe that men are so carelesse and passe over these great woes as a tale that is told shall this Judge pronounce the sentence and the Angels undertake the execution and yet the thing falle of execution Wo worth the deadnesse and securitie of wilfull sinners that dare contemne so dreadfull a sentence as shall eternally torment them 4. Here is assured comfort for the Saints that all this glorious attendance of the Head shall bee the glory of the members What a great comfort shall it be to see the Angels mustered together to become our servants also and performe the greatest service to us as ever was performed by them While the Saints lived here the good Angels attended them and kept them in their hands when they dyed the Angels carryed their soules to heaven which was no meane service But now in this great day they shall reunite the soules and bodies of the Elect they shall separate the whole man from all corruption and communication with sin and sinners and gather out all that offend and shall not leave them till they be set quite free from all danger as the Angell did Peter Act. 12. no nor till they have placed them in the glory of God Now what an honour is it that these glorious spirits who dwell in heaven should serve them that dwell on earth yea dwelt lately in the grave that meere spirits should serve flesh and blood and creatures so elevated in their nature above all sin and mortalitie should stand charged with them who immediatly before were clothed with miserie and corruption Quest. How comes this to passe seeing they are his that is Christs Angels Answ. This must neither impeach Christs glory nor lift us up to glorie in any thing in our selves For they serve Christ and us but not after the same manner nor upon the same grounds 1. Their service to him is immediate as to the head of the Church to us mediate as members of this head 2. Their service is due to him as to their Creator and Lord of dutie to us as creatures of charge from him 3. Their service is proper to him and invested in him as in his own right to us communicated onely by vertue of our communion with him 4. They are his Angels by speciall proprietie and they doe him all homage and service by speciall prerogative as the authour and preserver of all their excellent gifts and condition but our Angels by speciall commission and direction from him entrusted to employ their gifts for our good In one word never did they minister to a member but for the honour of their head 5. It teacheth us to admire the surpassing love of our Lord in that hee tooke our nature and bound us straiter to him than hee did the Angels of heaven and hath vouchsafed us his owne speciall servants to attend us and charged them with our safetie in all our wayes in life in death in judgement till we be set out of the reach of all danger Well knew our Lord what weake creatures wee are in our selves what dangerous combats wee were to stand in with how many spirituall and invisible enemies we were to be beset and therefore out of his love and wisedom hath appointed us so many spirituall invisible and more powerfull ayders and assisters 6. If wee expect this happie ministery from the Angels let us beware that in the meane time wee grieve not by our sin