a wise Master-builder yet according to the grace that was given unto him which was indeed like that of Elisha in regard of the other Prophets 2 King 2.9 the elder Brothers Priviledge a double portion he was still taking all occasions to lay well the foundation and that in one of the most eminent Auditories for Learning and Pietie that are in the Kingdome They that were his constant Hearers know this well they that were not may see it by these his Sermons now published reduced as was deemed most fit into four severall Treatises wherein as the season required he still tooke the opportunitie of instructing his Hearers in this great Mysterie of our Religion The Incarnation of the Sonne of God one of the chiefe Fundamentals of our Faith one of the chiefe of those Wonders in the Mercy-Seat which the Cherubins gaze at which the Angels desire to prie into 1 Pet. 1.12 And indeed by reason he spake at severall times and by occasion of so many severall Texts of Scripture concerning this subject there is scarce any one of those incomparable benefits which accrew to us thereby nor any of those holy impressions which the meditation hereof ought to worke in our hearts which is not in some place or other sweetly unfolded In the first Treatise the Mysterie it selfe is indeed chiefely opened and is therefore called The Fountaine unsealed the rest as in so many streaâ—es convey to us that Water of Life which issueth from thence teaching us how to improve the knowledge hereof to the glory of God and the spirituall enriching of our owne soules The noted Humilitie of the Author I now the lesse wonder at finding how often his thoughts dwelt on the Humiliation of Christ. If we that now reade them be not changed into the same image from glory to glory it will be our owne fault This take from me the Treatises following are published by Copies of his Sermons which himselfe approoved and appointed and that by subscribing his owne hand purposely to prevent imperfect Copies Embrace them therefore as truly his and the Lord so raise up thy heart in the carefull perusall hereof that thy profiting may be seene of all Thine in the Lord Jesus A. JACKSON Lond. Woodstreet April 18. 1638. THE CONTENTS OF THESE ENSVING TREATISES THE SUMME OF THE first TREATISE GOdlinesse what page 4 The Gospel a Mysterie why 10 Religion why persecuted 14 How to carry our selves in Religion 15 To blesse God for Mysteries 19 Not to set on them with humane parts 20 Mysteries of Religion above reason 22 Not to despaire of learning Religion 23 Not to slight Divine Truths 24 Godlinesse a great Mysterie why 34 How to be affected with it 38 To endevour to learne it 42 Godlinesse a Mysterie without controversie ibid. Men live not worthy these Mysteries 45 What Truth to account Catholike 47 Of God manifest in the flesh 50 Christ justified in the Spirit 70 Christ seene of Angels 93 Christ preached to the Gentiles 114 Christ beleeved on in the World 137 Christ received up in glory 164 THE SUMME OF THE second TREATISE ANgels an Host why 205 Of glorifying God 216 The greatnesse of the glory of Redemption 222 How to know whether we glorifie God 232 Hindrance of Gods glory 238 How to come to glorifie God 243 Whence peace comes 252 Peace wrought by Christ why 258. How to know our peace with God 262 How to maintaine Peace with God 269 Motives to stirre up to this peace 273 Gods good will the ground of all good 282 Why God loves us in Christ 286 How to know Gods love to us 288 THE SUMME OF THE third TREATISE CHrist was rich 5 Christ God why 9 Christ became poore 10 Particulars of Christs poverty 13 Christs poverty our riches 16 What riches we have by Christ. 18. Why we are enriched by Christs poverty 22 Riches by Christ what 26 Abasement of out ward riches 35 How to iâ— prove the riches of Christ. 41 How to know we are in Gods favour 53 Grace may be knowne 55 Example of Christ should move us to good workes 62 How to profit by Christs example 63 Motive to follow Christs example 66 Manner of doing good 70 THE SUMME OF THE fourth TREATISE THEre is difference of people 83 God will have some in the worst times why ibid. Comfort that God will have a Church when we are gone 85 Gods children but few 86 God hath a speciall care of those few 88 Gods Church and children afflicted in the world and why 94 Outward povertie a helpe to povertie of spirit 98 Providence serviceable to predestination 105 Spirituall poverty what it is not 106 What it is 107 Degrees of this povertie ibid. Before conversion 108 After conversion 113 Signes of spirituall povertie 120 How to come to spirituall povertie 128 God trusted as he is knowne 134 Evidences of trust in God 137 How to come to trust in God 148 FINIS THE FOVNTAINE OPENED OR THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE REVEALED BY The late learned reverend Divine RICH. SIBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE JOEL 3.18 And a Fountaine shall come forth of the House of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim EPHES. 3.3 He hath made knowne the Mysterie unto me which in other ages was not made known unto the sonnes of men LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1638. THE FOUNTAINE OPENED OR The Mysterie of Godlinesse REVEALED 1 TIMOTHY 3.16 And without Controversie Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God manifest in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Seene of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles Releeved on in the World Received up to Glorie THERE are two things that God values more then all the World besides the Church and the Truth the Church that is the Pillar and ground of Truth as it is in the former Verse the Truth of Religion that is the Seed of the Church Now the blessed Apostle S. Paul being to furnish his Schollar Timothie to the Ministeriall Office he doth it from two grounds especially from the dignitie of the Church which he was to instruct and converse in and from the excellencie of the Mysteries of the Gospel that excellent Soule-saving Truth hereupon he doth seriously exhort Timothie to take heed how he conversed in the Church of God in teaching the Truth of God The Church of God it is the House of God a companie of people that God cares for more then for all mankind besides for whom the World stands for whom all things are It is the Church of the living God the Pillar and ground of Truth And for the Truth of God that must be taught in this Church that is so excellent a thing that we see the blessed Apostle here useth great words high stiles loftie expressions concerning it As the matter is high and great so the
holy Apostle hath expressions sutable a full heart breeds full expressions As no man went beyond S. Paul in the deepe conceit of his owne unworthinesse and of his state by nature so there was no man reached higher in large and rich thoughts and expressions of the excellencie of Christ and the good things we have by him as we see here setting forth the excellencie of the Ministeriall Calling being to deale with Gods Truth towards Gods people he sets forth Evangelicall Truth gloriously here Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godâ—linesse God manifest in the flesh c. In these words then there is a Preface and then a particular explication there is the Fountaine or Spring and the streames issuing from it the Root and the Branches there is as it were a Porch to this great House Great Buildings have faire entrances so this glorious description of the Mysteries of the Gospel it hath a faire Porch and entry to it Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse Then the Fabrick it selfe is parcelled out in six particulars God manifest in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Seene of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles Beleeved on in the World Received up to Glorie First for the Preface whereby he makes way to rayse up the spirit of Timothie and in him us unto a reverent and holy attending to the blessed Mysteries that follow Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse In this Preface there is first the thing it selfe Godlinesse Then the description of it it is a Mysterie And the adjunct it is a great Mysterie And then the seale of it it is a great Mysterie without all controversie by the confession of all as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies there are none that ever felt the power of godlinesse but they have confessed it to be a great Mysterie Godlinesse is a Mysterie and a great Mysterie and it is so under the seale of publike confession to observe somewhat from each of these Godlinesse Godlinesse is either the Principles of Christian Religion or the inward disposition of the soule towards them the inward holy affection of the soule the word implyeth both for Godlinesse is not onely the naked Principles of Religion but likewise the Christian affection the inward bent of the soule sutable to Divine Principles there must be a godly disposition carrying us to godly Truths That Godlinesse includes the Truths themselves I need goe no further then the connexion In the last words of the former Verse The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth and then it followes Without controversie great is the Mysterie he doth not say of Truth but of Godlinesse in stead of Truth he sayth Godlinesse The same word implyes the Truths themselves and the affection and disposition of the soule toward them Truths to shew that both must alway goe together Wheresoever Christian Truth is knowne as it should be there is a supernaturall Light it is not onely a godly Truth in it selfe but it is embraced with godly affections These blessed Truths of the Gospel they require and breed a godly disposition the end of them is godlinesse they frame the soule to godlinesse Thus we see the Truths themselves are godlinesse carrying us to God and holinesse that I need not much stand on But that there must be an affection answerable and that this Truth breeds this is a little to be considered Why is Religion it selfe called Faith and the grace in the soule also called Faith To shew that Faith that is the Truth revealed as we say the Apostles Faith it breeds Faith and must be apprehended by Faith therefore one word includes both the object the thing beleeved and likewise the disposition of the soule to that object So here godlinesse is the thing it selfe the Principles of Religion and likewise the disposition of the soule that those Truths worke where they are entertained as they should be Hence followes these other Truths briefely First of all that no Truth breeds godlinesse and pietie of life but Divine Truths for that is called godlinesse because it breeds godlinesse all the devices of men in the world cannot breed godlinesse all is superstition and not godlinesse that is not bred by a Divine Truth Againe hence in that Divine Truth is called Godlinesse it shewes us if we would be godly we must be so from reasons of Christianitie not as I said by framing devices of our owne as gracelesse foolish men doe as we see in Poperie it is full of Ceremonies of their owne devising but if we will be godly it must be by reasons and motives from Divine Truth that breeds godlinesse It is but a bastard godlinesse a bastard Religion that is from a good intention without a good ground therefore the word implyes both the Tenent the Doctrine and the frame of Soule answerable to that Doctrine Good Principles without an impression of it on the soule is nothing it 〈◊〉 but helpe us to be damned and godlinesse without a frame of doctrine is nothing but superstition godlinesse in doctrine frames the soule to godlinesse in conversation There are many that out of a naturall superstition which is alway accompanied with a poysonfull malicious disposition against the Truth of God they will have devices of their owne and those they will force with all their power but if we will be godly it must be from reasons fetched from Divine Truth Againe hence we may fetch a rule of discerning when we are godly what makes a true Christian When he nakedly beleeves the grounds of Divine Truth the Articles of the Faith when he can patter them over doth that make a true Christian No but when these Truths breed and worke godlinesse for Religion is a Truth according to godlinesse not according to speculation onely and notion Wheresoever these fundamentall Truths are embraced there is godlinesse with them a man cannot embrace Religion in truth but he must be godly A man knowes no more of Christ and divine things then he values and esteemes and affects and brings the whole inward man into a frame to be like the things if these things worke not godlinesse a man hath but a humane knowledge of divine things if they carry not the Soule to trust in God to hope in God to feare God to embrace him to obey him that man is not yet a true Christian for Christianitie is not a naked knowledge of the Truth but Godlinesse Religious Evangelicall Truth is Wisedome and Wisedome is a knowledge of things directing to practise A man is a wise man when he knowes so as to practise what he knowes the Gospel is a Divine Wisedome teaching practise as well as knowledge it workes godlinesse or else a man hath but a humane knowledge of divine things Therefore he that is godly he beleeves aright and practiseth aright he that beleeves ill can never live well for he hath no foundation he makes an Idoll
of some conceit he hath besides the Word and he that lives ill though he beleeve well shall be damned too Therefore a Christian hath godly Principles out of the Gospel and a godly carriage sutable to those Principles And indeed there is a force in the Principles of Godlinesse from Gods love in Christ to stirre up to godlinesse the Soule that apprehends Gods Truth aright cannot but be godly Can a man know Gods love in Christ incarnate and Christs suffering for us and his sitting at the right hand of God for us the infinite love of God in Christ and not be carryed in affection backe to God againe in love and joy and true affiance and whatsoever makes up the respect of godlinesse It cannot be Therefore it is not a cold naked apprehension but a spirituall knowledge when the Soule is stirred up to a sutable disposition and carriage that makes godlinesse Now this godlinesse is A Mysterie What is a Mysterie The word signifies a hidden thing it comes of Muin which is to shut or stop the mouth from divulging As they had their Mysteries among the Heathen in their Temples which they must not discover therefore there was an Image before the Temple with his finger before his mouth shewing that they must be silent in the discoverie of hidden Mysteries Indeed the Mysteries of the Heathens were so shamefull that they did well to forbid the discoverie of them but I speake onely to unfold the nature of the word which is to shut or keepe secret A Mysterie is a secret not onely for the present but that it was a secret though it be now revealed for the Gospel is now discovered It is called a Mysterie not so much that it is secret but that it was so before it was revealed In the second place that is called a Mysterie in the Scripture which howsoever it be cleare for the manifestation of it yet the reasons of it are hid As the conversion of the Gentiles that there should be such a thing why God should be so mercifull to them it is called a Mysterie So the calling of the Iewes it is called a Mysterie though the thing be revealed yet that God should be so wondrous mercifull to them that is a Mysterie When there is any great reason that wee cannot search into the depth of the thing though the thing is selfe be disoovered that is a Mysterie as the conversion both of Iewes and Gentiles In the third place a Mysterie in Scripture is taken for that that is a Truth hid and is conveyed by some outward thing Marriage is a Mysterie because it conveyes the hidden spirituall Marriage betweene Christ and his Church The Sacraments are Mysteries because in the one under Bread and Wine there is conveyed to us the benefits of Christs body broken and his bloud shed and in the other under Water a visible outward thing there is signified the bloud of Christ. In a word to cut off that which is not pertinent Mysterie in Scripture is either the generall body of Religion or the particular branches of it The generall body of Religion is called a Mysterie in this place the whole Christian Religion is nothing but a continued Mysterie a continuation of Mysteries a chayning together of Mysterie upon Mysterie And then the particular branches are called Mysteries as I said before The conversion of the Iewes and likewise of the Gentiles before it was accomplished it was a Mysterie so the union betweene Christ and the Church is a great Mysterie Ephes. 5. but the whole Gospel is here meant as Christ saith Marke 4. The Mysteries of the Kingdome of God that is the description of the Gospel What is the Gospell The Mysterie of Gods Kingdome of Christs Kingdome a Mysterie discovering how Christ reignes in his Church and a Mysterie of bringing us to that heavenly Kingdome So then the whole Evangelicall Truth is a Mysterie For these Reasons First of all because it was hid and concealed from all men till God brought it out of his owne bosome first to Adam in Paradise after the fall and still more clearely afterwards to the Iewes and in Christs time more fully to Iewes and Gentiles It was hid in the brest of God it was not a thing framed by Angels or men After man was fallen to that cursed state this Plot of saving man by Christ came not into the head of any creature to satisfie justice by infinite mercie to send Christ to die that justice might be no loser it could come from no other brest but Gods it must be a Divine heavenly Wisedome Therefore it was a Plot devised by the blessed Trinitie the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost it was hid in the secret Closet of Gods brest Christ brought it out of the bosome of his Father No man hath seene God at any time Christ the onely begotten Sonne in the bosome of the Father he discovers the Father and his meaning to mankind Who ever could have thought of such a depth of mercy unto fallen man when God promised the blessed Seed Gen. 3. if God himselfe had not discovered it Therefore this reconciling of justice and mercy it is a Mysterie of heavenly wisedome that the creature could never thinke of as it is excellently set downe 1 Cor. 2. through the whole Chapter Againe it is a Mysterie because when it was revealed it was revealed but to few it was revealed at the first but to the Iewes God is knowne in Iewry c. it was wrapped in ceremonies and types and in generall promises to them it was quite hid from most part of the world Againe when Christ came and it was discovered to the Gentiles yet it is a Mysterie even in the Church to carnall men that heare the Gospel and yet doe not understand it that have the veile over their hearts it is hid to them that perish though it be never so open of it selfe to those that beleeve In the fourth place it is a Mysterie because though we see some part and parcell of it yet wee see not the whole Gospel we see not all nor wholly We see but in part and know but in part so it is a Mysterie in regard of the full accomplishment Yea and in the next place it is a Mysterie in regard of what we doe not now but shall hereafter know How doe we know Divine Truths now In the Mirror of the Word and Sacraments we know not Christ by sight that manner of knowledge is reserved for Heaven so here wee know as it were in a kind of Mysterie wee see divine things wrapped up in the Mirror of the Word and the Mysteries of the Sacraments Indeed this comparatively to the Iewish Church is to see the face of God in Christ a cleare sight but compared to that we shall have it is to see in a Glasse or Mirror if we looke backe it is a cleare sight if
1. and Ephes. 3. he prayes for the Spirit of revelation that God would vouchsafe that Spirit to take away the veile of ignorance and unbeleefe from our soules that we may see and as it is Ephes. 3. that we may comprehend the height and breadth and length and depth and all the dimensions of Gods love in Christ. This must be done by the Spirit of God for as S. Paul divinely reasons in 1 Cor. 2. Who knowes the things of God but the Spirit of God Therefore wee must plow with Gods Heyfer if we would know the things of the Spirit we must have the same Spirit Now the Spirit doth not onely teach the Truths of the Gospel but the application of those Truths that they are ours this Truth of the Gospel is mine the Sacrament seales it to me The preaching of the Word takes away the veile from the things and the Spirit takes away the veile from our soules It is the office of the Spirit to take the veile off the heart and to lighten our understandings and likewise to be a Spirit of application to us in particular It is to â—o purpose to know that these things are Mysteries unlesse they be for us and for our good that we know Christ is ours and that God is reconciled to us Therefore saith the Apostle hee hath given us the Spirit to know the things that are given us of God in particular So the Spirit doth not onely bring a blessed Light to the Scriptures and shew us the meaning in generall but it is a Spirit of application to bring home those gracious promises to every one in particular to tell us the things that are given us of God not onely the things that are given to the Church but to us in particular For the Spirit of God will tell us what is in the brest of God his secret good will to the Church he loves the Church and he loves thee sayth the Spirit therefore he is called an earnest and a seale in our hearts because he discovers not onely the Truth at large but he discovers the truth of Gods affection in all the priviledges of the Gospel that they belong to us What a blessed discovery is this that not onely reveales Divine Truths to us but reveales them so to us that we have our share and interest in them Therefore whensoever we take the Booke of God into our hands when we come to heare the Word beg of God the Spirit My House sayth God shall be called the House of Prayer not onely the House of Hearing of Divine Truths but the House of Prayer In the use of meanes we must looke up to God and Christ it is impudencie and presumption to come to these things without lifting up our soules to God Therefore there is so little profit under these glorious Mysteries because there is so little prayer lifting up the heart to God We should goe to Christ that opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens he hath the Key of David goe to him therefore that he would both open the Mysteries and open our hearts that they may close with them In Revel 5. Saint Iohn wept when the Booke with seven Seales could not be opened he wept that the Prophesie was so obscure that it could not be understood but then Christ takes the Booke and opens it So when we cannot understand divine Mysteries let us groane and sigh to Christ he can open the Booke with seven Seales and he layes open all the Mysteries as farre forth as it concernes us to know Gods children grieve when things are not discovered to them There is a contrarie disposition in Gods people to carnall Papists they vex that Mysteries should be discovered Gods people grieve that they are not discovered enough they make a perverse use of this divine Truths are Mysteries therfore they may not be published to people nay divine truths are Mysteries therefore they must be unfolded Hence comes the necessity of the Ministery for if the Gospel be a Mysterie that is a hidden kind of knowledge then there must be some to reveale it God hath therfore stablished an Office in the Church with which he joynes his owne sacred Spirit that both Ordinance and Spirit joyning together the veile may be taken off How can they understand without a Teacher And To us is committed the dispensation to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ sayth S. Paul Therefore there is this Ordinance to unfold these depths as much as may serve for us Prophane people they thinke they know enough they need not be taught as if this were a shallow Mysterie or none at all It argues a prophane and naughty heart not to attend upon all sanctified meanes all is little enough And sometimes God will not grant his Spirit in one meanes because hee will make us goe to another and from that â—o another and runne thorow all He denyes his Spirit of purpose in hearing because he will have us to read and denyes it in that because he will have us conferre and practise the Communion of Saints and all little enough to apprehend this glorious excellent Mysterie A man may know a prophane heart therefore by despising the improovement of any meanes of knowledge It is a Mysterie therefore Gods people desire to have it taught Againe if we would understand these Mysteries let us labour for humble spirits for the Spirit workes that disposition in the first place The humble God will teach Psal. 25. the humble that will depend upon his teaching Now this kind of humilitie here required it is a denyall of our owne wits though they be never so capacious for the things of the world We must be content to become fooles that wee may be wise wee must denie our owne understandings and be content to have no more understanding in Divine things then wee can carry out of Gods Booke then wee can be taught by Gods Word and Ordinances This humilitie we must bring if wee will understand this Mysterie And bring withall a serious desire to know with a purpose to be molded to what we know to be delivered to the obedience of what wee know for then God will discover it to us Wisedome is easie to him that will Together with prayer and humilitie let us but bring a purpose and desire to be taught and we shall find divine wisedome easie to him that will None ever miscarry in the Church but those that have false hearts they have not humble and sincere hearts willing to be taught For if they have that then God that hath given this sinceritie and will this resolution that they will use the meanes and they will be taught hee will suit it with Teachers God usually suites men with Teachers fit for their dispositions Let a man have a naughtie heart and he shall find flatterers to build him up in all violent and naughtie courses God in judgement
beset of Devils then he triumphed when he was visibly overcome then invisibly he overcame he was an invisible Conqueror when he was visibly subdued For did he not on the Crosse satisfie the wrath of God and by enduring the wrath of God free us from it and from Satan Gods Gaoler and reconcile us by his bloud The chiefe workes of all were wrought in his chiefe abasement At length he died and was buried I but he that died rose againe gloriously therefore he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by raysing himselfe from the dead That was the greatest abasement when he lay in the Grave and especially then he was justified by his Resurrection from the dead and his Ascension in his state of Glorification especially So if we goe from Christs birth to his lowest degree of abasement there was alway some manifestation of his justification by the Spirit He was justified in a double regard In regard of God he was justified and cleared from our sinnes that he tooke upon him He bore our sinnes upon the Tree and bore them away that they should never appeare againe to our discomfort He was made a Curse for us How came Christ to be cleared of our sinnes that lay upon him When by the Spirit by his Divine Nature he raysed himselfe from the dead so he was justified from that that God layd upon him for he was our Suretie Now the Spirit raysing him from the dead shewed that the Debt was fully discharged because our Suretie was out of Prison All things are first in Christ and then in us he was acquitted and justified from our sinnes and then we And then he was justified by the Spirit from all imputations of men from the mis-conceits that the World had of him they thought him to be a meere man or a sinfull man No he was more then a meere man nay more then a holy man he was God-man Whence were his Miracles Were they not from his Divine Power He overcame the Devill in his temptations Who can overcome the Devill but he that is the Sonne of God He cast out the Devils and dispossest them with his Word All the enemies of Christ that ever were at length he conquered them and so declared himselfe mightily to be as he was the Sonne of God He healed the outward man and the inward man by his Divine Power he caused the spirituall as well as the bodily eyes to see the dead to live and the lame to goe c. Whatsoever he did in the bodie he did in the soule likewise in those excellent Miracles he was justified and declared to be the Sonne of God especially in his Resurrection and Ascension and daily converting of soules by his Ministerie all being done by his Spirit which is his Vicar in the World ruling his Church and subduing his enemies so that he was every way justified in the Spirit to be God to be the true Messias prophesied of and promised to the Church Therefore he was justified in his Truth that all the Promises were true of him and in his faithfulnesse that he was faithfull in performing the Promises he made he was justified in his goodnesse and mercy and all those attributes he was justified in the Spirit But you will say it seemes he was not justified in the Spirit There are many Heretikes that thinke not Christ to be God that take not Christ to be so glorious as he is I answer when we speake of the justifying of Christ it is meant to those that have eyes to see him to those that shut not their eyes hee was justified to be so great as he was to those whose eyes the god of the world had not blinded to all that were his as it is excellently set downe Iohn 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of Grace and Truth We beheld his glorie we did others did not take notice but they were those whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded the malicious Scribes and Pharises that sinned against the Holy-Ghost and would never acknowledge Christ an ignorant people that had not Faith nor the Spirit of God He was justified by the Spirit of God to all that had spirituall eyes to see and take notice of his course as S. Iohn sayth in one of his Epistles What we have seene and heard and our hands have handled the Word of Life that we declare to you So that he was God manifest in the flesh and he shewed himselfe to be the Word of Life to those that were his Apostles and Disciples and those that were converted by him As we see S. Peter when he had felt his Divine Power upon his heart by his Preaching Lord sayth he thou hast the words of eternall life whither shall we goe He felt the Spirit in his preaching And so another time S. Peter in Matth. 16. he confessed him to be the Sonne of the living God You see to whom he was justified and declared to be the true Messias to be God as well as man by his Spirit The reason why he justified himselfe to be so it was the more to strengthen our Faith all his Miracles were but so many sparkles of his Divine Nature so many expressions of his Divine Power And after he was raysed from the dead at his Ascension and sending of the Holy-Ghost he shewed his Divine Power more gloriously and all to strengthen the Faith of the Elect and to stop the mouthes of all impudent rebellious persons For considering that he wrought such Miracles that he raysed men from the dead and raysed himselfe considering that he called the Gentiles and converted the World by the Ministerie of weake men he shewed that hee was more then a man Well to make some use of this that Christ was Iustified in the Spirit Then first of all Christ will at length justifie himselfe this is a ground of Faith How-ever he be now as a Signe set up that many speake against and contradict yet the time will come when he will gloriously justifie himselfe to all the World Now some shut their eyes willingly and the opposites of Christ seeme to flourish yet Christ will be justified by his Spirit to all his Elect in every Age especially in the Resurrection For when he shall come and appeare to be glorious in his Saints it will appeare who he is indeed Now he suffers many to tread upon his Church and he suffers many Heretikes to denie him sometimes in one nature sometimes in another and so to offend against him but the time will come that he will trample all his enemies under his feet he will be justified by his Spirit that is our comfort There are many Schismatikes and Heretikes and Persecutors but Christ will be justified at length the Kingdomes of the Earth
will be the Lord Iesus Christs Are they not now so They are but truly they appeare not to be so but at length they will appeare to be so at the conversion of the Iewes and the confusion of Antichrist then it will appeare more and more that he is King of the World indeed Now as it were his Offices are darkened his Kingly Office is darkned and his Propheticall Office is darkned but at length it will appeare that he is King of the Church and all Kingdâ—mes will be Christs There are glorious times comming especially the glorious Day of the Resurrection Christ at leâ—gth will be cleared he will be justified The Sunne at length will scatter all the clouds In the morning they gather about the Sunne as if they would cover it oh but the Sunnâ— breakes thorow all and gloriously appeares at length so Christ will scatter all clouds and gloriously appeare to be that which the Word sets him forth to be Againe as Christ will justifie himselfe so he will justifie his Church and children first or last by his Spirit His children are now accounted the off-scouring of the World they are trampled and trod upon they are the objects of scorne and hatred and who accounted so base Will Christ endure this No he that justified himselfe that is that declared himselfe and will more and more declare himselfe to be as he is will he not justifie his Church his Mysticall Body to be as they are indeed Certainely it shall appeare to the World that he will justifie them to be Kings and Priests to be Heires to be glorious to be so neere and deare to him as the Scripture sets them forth to be Whatsoever the Scripture hath spoken of the Saincts and children of God the time will come that all this shall be justified and made good by that Spirit of Christ whereby he made good whatsoever he had said of himselfe Therefore in our eclipses and disgraces let us all comfort our selves in this Let the World esteeme us for the present as the reffuse of the World as persons not worthy to be acquainted with not worthy to be regarded we shall be justified and cleared and glorified especially at that day when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints There is a hidden life of the Church and every Christian they have a life in Christ but that life is hid in Christ in Heaven As the Flowers in Winter they have a life but it is hidden in the root When Christ shall appeare as blessed S. Paul and S. Iohn say then it shall appeare who we are Then our glorious life that now is in our Head shall appeare then we shall be justified to be so glorious as the Scripture sets us forth to be the Church shall be glorious within and without too at that Day Therefore let us comfort our selves this hidden life though it appeare not now yet we shall be justified And hence we may answer some objections likewise Some may say How doth it appeare that Christ is King of the Church We see how the Church is trampled on at this day Where is the life and glory of the Church What! his Spouse and thus used What! his Turtle and thus pulled and plucked by the Birds of prey I answer Looke with other Spectacles with the eye of Faith and then you shall see a Spring in the Winter of the Church how-ever she be now abased and eclipsed yet she shall be justified and it will appeare that Christ regards his Church and people and children more then all the World besides onely there must be a conformitie It was fit there should be a time of Christs abasement how should he have suffred else the World would never have crucified God they could not have done it Therefore he was abased he veiled his God-head under his manhood under a base condition so he passed thorow suffering to glory So it must be in the Body of Christ it must passe thorow the veile of infirmities of weakenesse affliction and disgrace how else should it be conformable to Christ If Christ had justified himselfe at all times in his humiliation he could not have suffered if we should be justified now and appeare to all the World who we are who would persecute us how could we be conformable to Christ Therefore let us quietly and meekely a while endure these things that are nothing but to conforme us to our Head knowing this that as he was justified by little and little till he was perfectly justified when he was raysed from the dead so we shall be perfectly justified and freed from all imputations at the last day when by the same Spirit that raysed him wee shall be raysed up too Nay in this World when it is for his glory and for our good he will bring our righteousnesse to light as the Noone-day he will free us from the imputations that the World layes on us he will have a care of our credit For as Christ was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God in a fit time so shall we when we are fit Then the World shall see that we are not the men that prophane bitter malicious persons led with the spirit of the Devill charged us to be Let us take no scandall at the present afflictions of the Church Christ will justifie his mysticall Body by his glorious power in good time Antichrist shall not alway ruffle in the World Christ will be justified to be the King and Ruler of the World All power is committed to him But we see it now Antichrist rages in the World and the Church seemes to be under Hatches So it is with particular Christians those that belong to God and indeed are truly such as they professe themselves to be though with much weaknesse we see in what respect and esteeme they are had Let us comfort our selves beloved Christ justified himselfe by his Spirit and will he not justifie his poore Church and free it from the tyrannie of Antichrist Will he not advance those that are troden on now and made as the dirt in the street that they shall shine as the Sunne Therefore when you heare of the dejected state of the Churches abroade be not dismayed Consider there is a glorious King that rules the World and he will make it appeare ere long he will justifie himselfe and his Church for he suffers in his Church He is wise he sees cause to doe this he is working his owne worke he corrects and rules and purgeth his Church in the furnace of affliction but be sure the time will come that he will bring the cause of Religion to light and he will shew what side hee ownes he will justifie his Truth and tread Satan and all his members under feet this frame of things will not hold long As verily as Christ is in Heaven as verily as he is justified in his owne person by his Spirit by his
Truth is such that if it be mingled over-much with Heterogeneall stuffe it over-throwes it and Christ will not endure this indignitie Therefore let us take heed that we keepe Christ and his Truth with us exactly and let us take heed of sinning against the Gospel if we would have it stay with us especially of sinnes immediatly against the Gospel as for instance Take heed of joyning Superstition and Popish trash with it or the like that will cat out the very heart of the Gospel and sets up man in the place of Christ. Againe take heed of decaying in our first love We see God threatneth the Church of Ephesus for not cherishing and maintaining her first love that he would remoove not onely the Gospel but the Candlestick the Church it selfe for securitie in abundance and plentie and decay in her first love God threatneth that he will scatter the Candlestick the Church it selfe into forraine places Againe a sinne against the Gospel is unfruitfulnesse under it When men shall have the blessed influence of the Gospel the Soule-saving Truth the good Word to be long among them and to be as barren under it as if they were Pagans For the Gospel to have no more power over our soules then if we had no Gospel at all That there is no difference betweene us and Heathens in regard of our conversations To goe no further then they nay not so farre in honestie and justice and sobrietie Let us take heed of these and the like sinnes against the Gospel And I say it should be a ground of labouring the conversion of those that be Savages be they never so barbarous to labour to gaine them to Christ. There are indeed some hinderances there be Iannes and Iambres among them instruments of the Devil to keepe them in blindnesse and ignorance and then custome that they are bred in which prevailes most with the sorriest people for ignorant people that have their wits determined to one way they are so strong in it as they are not to be untaught as it is hard to teach a Beast because he is taught to goe one way for want of varietie of conceptions being void of reason now people by nature are little better then Beasts therefore they are so fixed and determined in that way they are brought up in and are so settled by the Devill and those Priests among them and by the tyrannie of those that have come among them the Spaniards c. that hath hindred their conversion much yet take them as bad as they can be God hath a time for them What were wee of this Nation sixteene hundred yeeres agone There is a fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in and certainely it is not yet come fully For it is probable nay more then probable that there are some people that never had the Gospel and the fulnesse of the Gentiles must come in before the other Mysterie of the calling of the Iewes I speake it to encourage those that have interest that way not to take violent courses with them There is nothing so voluntarie as Faith it must be wrought by perswasions not by violence and there is a ground of encouragement hence that since the comming of Christ there is a libertie for all Nations to come in Christ must be preached to the Gentiles To conclude this point let us consider that we are those Gentiles that have enjoyed this preaching of Christ and it is the glorie of our Nation it is not our strength or riches or any ornament above others that sets us forth so much as this that we have the Gospel preached among us that these blessed streames runne so plentifully every where among us Let us labour to value this inestimable benefit Where the Gospel is not preached there the places are Salt-pits despicable places whatsoever they are else as it is in Ezechiel they are under the Kingdome of Satan it is the glory of a Nation to have the Truth among them The glory of Israel was gone when the Arke was taken the Religion and Truth we enjoy it is our Arke our glory is gone if we part with that Therefore whatsoever God takes from us let us desire that he would still continue the Gospel of Truth that he would still vouchsafe to dwell among us and not leave us What were all things in the world besides if we had not the blessed Truth of God we must leave all ere long Therefore let us labour to have the eyes of our understanding enlightened to conceive aright of the difference of things and to value our selves by this that Christ is manifested to us and thereby we have interest in Christ more then by any interest and part and portion in the world besides for then Christ will delight to be with us still when we make much of him and esteeme and prize and value him Beleeved on in the world After preached to the Gentiles he joynes Beleeved on in the World to shew that Faith comes by hearing Indeed preaching is the Ordinance of God sanctified for the begetting of Faith for the opening of the understanding for the drawing of the wil and affections to Christ. Faith is the marriage of the Soule to Christ now in marriage there must not be a mistake and error in the person for then it is a kind of nullitie Now that the person to whom we are to be marryed by Faith may be knowne to us there is an Ordinance of Preaching set up to lay open our owne beggery and necessitie what we are without him and to open the Riches of our Husband the Nobility and Priviledges and whatsoever is glorious in Christ that the Church may know what a kind of Husband she is like to have In Rom. 10. you have the Scala-Coeli the Ladder of Heaven as a good old Martyr called it and we must not presume to alter the Staves of that Ladder How can they call upon him in whom they have not beâ—eeved and how shall they beleeve without a Preacher and how shall they preach unlesse they be sent Here is Preaching and Beleeving and then Prayer There are some that are bitter against this Ordinance of Preaching and advance aâ—other excellent Ordinance of Prayer to the disparagement of this if they would joyne them both together it were well You see what the Apostle sayth How shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve without a Preacher without this Ordinance of Preaching Shewing that we cannot have the Spirit of Prayer without Faith nor Faith without Preaching And the Wise man saith He that turns his eare from hearing the Law under what pretence soever his prayer shall be abominable The prayers of such men that would crie downe this Ordinance how are they like to be accepted they are abominable We see here the Apostle sets them downe in this degree Hearing and Beleeving and Prayer and here
The verbe is not set downe here whether it should be Glory is given to God or whether by way of wishing Let glory be given to God or by way of prediction or prophesie for the time to come glory shall be to God from hence to the end of the world the verbe being wanting all have a truth For first it cannot be a wish unlesse it were a positive doctrinall truth that all glory is due to God in the Incarnation of Christ and because all glory is due to him thereupon comes the ground of wishing and of prayer Let God be glorified why because it is due if it were not a positive doctrinall truth there could be no foundation to raise a wish or a prayer for what is a prayer but the turning of a promise or truth into a prayer and what is praise but the turning of a truth into praise so it is a doctrinall truth First that God is to be glorified especially in Christ and in Christ in this particular in the Incarnation of Christ. And it is a wish for the time to come let him be glorified and a prediction God shall be glorified in the Church hee shall alway have some to glorifie him for Christ and especially for his Incarnation Glory to God on high Glory is excellency greatnes and goodnes with the eminency of it so as it may be discovered There is a fundamentall Glory in things that are not discovered at all times God is alwayes glorious but alas few have eyes to see it but here I take it for the excellency and eminency of the goodnesse and greatnesse of God discovered and taken notice of In the former part of the Chapter Light is called the glory of the Lord Light is a glorious creature nothing expresseth glory so much as light it is a sweet creature but it is a glorious creature it carries it's evidence in it selfe it discovers all other things and it selfe too So excellency and eminency will discover it selfe to those that have eyes to see it and being manifested and withall taken notice of is glory In that the Angels begin with the glory of God I might speake of this doctrine that The glory of God the setting forth of the excellencies and eminencies of the Lord should be the end of our lives the chiefe thing we should ayme at The Angels here begin with it and wee begin with it in the Lords prayer hallowed bee thy name it should be our maine imployment Of him and by him are all things therefore to him be glory Rom. 11. Therefore wee should give God that which is his owne Thine is the glory as it is in the conclusion of the Lords Prayer but this being a generall point I will passe it by and come to the particular in which 〈◊〉 will more comfortably appeare as this glory shines in Christ in the Incarnation of Christ there is matter of glorifying God both the Angels and men And here I doe not take the Incarnation of Christ abstractively from other things in Christ ' But I take the Incarnation of Christ as a foundation prerequisite to all the other good we have by Christ glory to God on high now Christ is borne why only that he is borne No but by reason of this Incarnation there is a union of the two natures God and man so that by the Incarnation now Christ is man and holy man the humane nature in Christ is pure and holy being sanctified by the Spirit and united to God now Christ being not onely man but pure man and God-man God taking our nature to the unitie of his person hence it is that he comes to be qualified for all that he did and suffered after it was from hence that they had their worth What was the reason that his being made a curse and to dye for us should be of such worth It came from a person that was God-man nay so neere is the manhood to God that what the manhood did God did because the person was God the second person taking the nature of man and what he suffred in his humane nature God suffred according to mans nature hence comes that phrase of the communication of properties whatever was done or suffred in mans nature God did as a Mediator God did it in that nature thereupon comes the price of it thus the Incarnation is a pre-requisite foundation to all other benefits by Christ therefore take it conjoyned his Incarnation and his death and resurrection and ascention and all Well then The incarnation of Christ together with the benefits to us by it that is Redemption Adoption c. It is that wherein God will shew his glory most of all That is the doctrinall truth the glory excellency of God doth most shine in his love mercy in Christ. Every excellency of God hath its proper place or Theatre where it is seene as his power in the Creation his Wisedome in his Providence and ruling of the world his Justice in hell his Majestie in heaven but his Mercy and kindnesse his bowels of tender mercy doe most of all appeare in his Church among his people God shewes the excellency of his goodnesse and mercy in the Incarnation of Christ and the benefits we have by it many Attributes and excellencies of God shine in Christ as His truth All the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ there is an accomplishment of all the promises And then his wisedome that hee could reconcile Justice and Mercy by joyning two natures together this plot was in heaven by God the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost the Trinity that God and man should be joyned together to joyn and knit two Attributes seeming contrary Justice and Mercy to reconcile man by reconciling Justice and Mercy and by such an excellent way that God should become man Emanuel this was a great wisedome to reconcile Justice and Mercy by such a Person as should satisfie Justice and give way to Mercy that is by Christ. God will lose none of his Attributes his Justice must be satisfied that his Mercy might be manifested the wisdome of God found out that way it is a plot the Angels study in Likewise here is Justice Justice fully satisfied in Christ he became our Surety who is God as well as man if no creature can satisfie God God can when the second Person tooke our nature and was our Surety and dyed for us here was the glory of his Justice And of his holinesse that hee would be no otherwise satisfied for sinne it was so foule a thing that to shew his hatred of it he punished it in his owne Sonne when he became our Surety How holy and pure is God that is what a separation is there in the nature of God from sin considering that he so punished it in his Son our Surety that he made him crie out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We