she dare not goe to him or if she would goe to him I knowe I dare not goe to her except I longd to speed as shee did This is the first testimonie which I trusse up thus Mary is a woman and therefore she hath nothing to doe with Christ she hath nothing to doe with Christ therefore we have nothing to do with her therefore she is no Saviour therefore no Saints are Saviours therefore no Saints are to be invocated as Saviours The second place shall be 1 Epistle of Iohn 2. 2. If any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes here you see that the beloved Disciple tels us that Christ is the only Advocate that lay in the bosome of Christ tell us that Christ who came out of the bosome of the Father is our only Advocate not Saints nor Angels for here be many things to enable Christ for that office that disable all Saints 1. The secret opposition of Client and Patron of sinner and righteous if that any sin we have an Advocate Iesus Christ the righteous 2. The sweet agreement of the Patron and Judge the Father and the Son we have an Advocate with the Father Christ Iesus 3. The necessary condition of him that must be an Advocate intimated in the conjunction of these words with those that follow we have an Advocate Christ who is the propitiation for our sinnes As if all were said thus We are all sinners for hee had said before that he that saith he hath no sinne is a lyar and the truth of God is not in him and therefore we stand in need of an Advocate and that Advocate must needs be righteous if he would doe any good for sinners and we have sinned against the Father therefore our Advocate must be one that is neare the Father and because our sinnes cry lowd for vengeance he must satisfie for our sinnes that will be heard for mercy there is no mediation for sinners but by him who is the propitiation for sinnes none can plead for us but he that bled for us All these leade us by the hand to Christ He is the righteous the Lamb the true Israelite without guile the Sunne of righteousnesse he is neare the Father he sits at the right hand of God he is the only begotten and beloved sonne of the Father in whom he is well pleased he made satisfaction for us and therefore hee knowes best how to make intercession for us therefore he is our only Advocate Not Saints 1. They are not the righteous not righteous but made righteous or if righteous not the righteous 2. They are not the only sonnes of God not sonnes but made sonnes or if sonnes as they are sonnes indeed yet not by nature but by adoption by adoption therefore by making of sonnes not by nature by Regeneration not by Generation 3. They are not our propitiation they did not undergo the wrath of God for our sinnes therefore they cannot undertake to procure the favour of God to our prayers in a word Saints are not Advocates they are not Mediators and therefore not to be invocated as Mediators The third place shall be Revelation 19. 10. And I fell downe at his feet to worship him but the Angell said take heed thou doe it not for I am thy fellow-servant and worship God I bring this place because as you know the invocation of Angels is a part of this controversie 1. You have in this verse the errour of Iohn and I fell downe c. out of which I observe as Salomon writ his Ecclesiastes after his Vanities to testifie his reconciliation to the Church so Iohn reports his errour to shew that hee did repent of it Againe as Thomas doubted of the resurrection that we might be assured as Divines observe so Iohn was suffered to fall that we might be admonished to stand 2. You have the correction of the Angel which consists 1. In a Prohibition 2. In a Reason The Prohibition is See thou doe it not which is much more emphaticall in the Originall see not there is an Ellipsis of the word doe or some such like out of which observe 1. The zeale of the Angell for that word that is wanting may say as Christ did the zeale of thine house hath eaten me up zeale makes haste it stands not upon complement of words it hath no spare time to spend so idly and therefore the Angell saith abruptly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he should say I cannot speake till you stand up 2. The detestation of the fact for you must imagine that what was defective in speech was supplyed by action and therefore thinke you see the Angell either turning away from Iohn as offended or raising up with his hand he thought it not enough to expresse his dislike in words but hee speakes more effectuall with his hands and he will have him read his dislike in his countenance This I observe out of the passionate prohibition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Now when he hath raised he vouchsafes to conferre with him and gives him a double reason of his refusall 1. I am thy fellow servant therefore worship not me Where by the way note the vanitie of the Popish distinction betweene civil and religious the glorious triumphant Angels are fellow-servants to the Militant Saints therefore they cannot challenge so much as civill-civill-worship from them 2. God is only to be worshipped as it is written in the Law of Moses and therefore the Angell saith worship God and so you have this Law of Moses in deed and litterally given by an Angell as Paul speakes to the Galatians And we may well say this is a blessed Angell he speakes the word of God in truth without respect of persons as they said of Christ yea without respect of his owne person And as David said of Ahimaaz he is a worthie man and brings good tydings so this is a worthy Angell and let us believe him and if any man or Angell from God teach any other Doctrine let him be accursed and though he refuse his worship yet he is no looser by the bargaine For as it was said of Caesar that while he restored the statutes of Pompey he established his owne so while he reserves to God the propriety of his honour he preserves to himselfe the perpetuitie of his owne for the Lord will honour them that honour him To point this Argument Angels are not to be adored therefore much lesse invocated Angels are not to be adored therefore much lesse Saints to make a compound of the double Emphasis Angels are not to be adored therefore much more Saints are not to be invocated The fourth place is 1 Timoth. 2. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator betweene God and Men the man Christ Iesus who gave himselfe a ransome for all We have three things in this Text worth
like a star in perpetuall motion upon earth that he might shine like a star in heaven hereafter in perpetual rest and glory but to leave this as not so proper Luther said wittily of a servant Minùs nocet ignavus fur quà m segnis minister which is most true here the little Foxes that the Canticles speaks of that steals the Grapes do not so much hurt as the idle Ministers lazie labourers in the Lords Vineyard 4. Courage and resolution against all feare or flattery Feare not their faces saith the Lord to Ieremy lest I destroy thee Popilius a Romane Ambassador to Antiochus the great having delivered his message and the King deferring his answer and demurring on it drew a circle round about him with his wand and conjured him to determine and resolve whether he would have peace or warre before he went a foot out of the circle which wondrous resolution and confidence caused him presently to define peace And doe not we see how bold every petty Constable will beare himselfe upon the higher power I charge you in the Kings name c. and why should only Gods Ambassadors like children be afraid of shadowes and bug-beares The world hath many reproachfull nicknames for Gods Ambassadors Priest Parson Vicar c. what should we doe as he in the Poet Populus me sibilat at mihi plaudo ipse domi Vaine men as though the crowne of honour which God himselfe hath put upon the head of all these whom he hath made his Ambassadors were made of such fading flowers as would be blasted with every stinking breath of every prophane scoffer away with such ignoble and base pusillanimity to be scared with these we are too too nice and daintie Christi nimis delicati martyres as one speakes if wee thinke the worse of our selves or of our profession for this or if not the better It is a small thing yet many times more praise worthy to digest these without any rising of stomack quà m centum plagas Spartanâ nobilitate concoxisse like curs they barke because they are afraid of you they would not have you come neere them They speak evill of you because you do well or as he said plainly being asked why they did so quia malefacere nequeunt In the wildernesse these wilde beasts goe loose and prey upon Gods children but in this prosperity of Sion the Law chaines them and chaines them so that they cannot hurt and therefore they grin the more afarre off Let them know every contumelious word against a Christian who is the sonne of God is at least scandalum magnatum against his Ambassadors petty treason and when they belch forth this among their Tobacco-smoke to collow them they utter voces per jugulum redituras as the Phrase is What if Ahab frowne and fret and charge the Prophet of sharpnesse and unkindnesse Thou never propheciest good unto me like the King in Homer Thou never propheciest good unto me What if that be true loquor certa crux as Francis the first of France when he looked for an Ambassage from Charles the fifth the Emperour which he liked not set up a Gallows at the Court gate and promising to hang him on it that should bring the message We must say as Michaiah did as the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto mee that will I speake unto thee We must conclude with Nazianzene we feare only that which is of the fullnesse of God We must resolve with noble Luther If all the tiles in Wormes were Divels yet I would not be afraid to goe and speake in behalfe of the Gospell of Iesus Christ Or as Hector in Homer I will combate with him although his hands were as fire and his strength as Iron Tell me who was that being about to speake for the nation of the Iewes in great danger armed her selfe with this If I perish I perish was it not Hester was it not a woman and yet it was a more then a manlike speech and yet it smells strong of some womanly weakenesse If I perish I perish no Hester was deceived that had beene truer Periisses nisi periisses And this may be a riddle which a Christian only can areed and a Christian will areed it easily if I perish I flourish Admirably Themistocles when being about to speake to Eurybiades the chiefe Commander of the Greekes forces against Xerxes he held up his staffe as if he had beene about to strike him strike said he but yet heare so let every Minister say scoffe if you will but heare raile if you will but I pray heare strike if you will but I beseech you heare that Word of God which I bring unto you But incomparably Pompey who being chosen Curator annonae in a great dearth at Rome and having made great provision for the reliefe of his Citizens and ready now to put to Sea for the conveyance of it when the Pylot of his Ship told him that the wind was boistrous the Sea tempestuous and the passage like to be very dangerous it skilleth not said Pompey hoist up saile t is necessary for us to saile t is not necessary for us to live So should every man of God resolve whose lips and Libraries are the very Granaries of Gods people it is not necessarie that I should live but it is necessary and woe is unto me if I do not preach the Gospell of which I am an Ambassador To shut up this as the Philosopher hath observed every Coward is a Murderer And as Mauritius the Emperour said of Phocas who conspired against him having enquired of his disposition and hearing that he was fearefull Si timidus est homicida est said he So I say in this case the cowardise of the Ministers is crueltie if he feare the faces of men he is a murtherer of the soules of men A word of flattery It is a rule in Plutarch that a Queene gives a Courtier those that speake to Princes must speake silken words their tender eares will not abide the scratch of biting truths but as a worthy Divine hath wittily observed I thinke saith he that must be understood of silken men but as for Elias or Iohn Baptist a Minister a smooth tongue will as ill become their rough garments as Iacobs smooth voice became his rough hands betweene which there was a reall and palpable contradiction as it did become the Asse in the Fable to fawne and leape upon his master which he did because he saw the Dog that did it was much made of for it Of all things in the world a Parasite and a Pulpit are most incompetible It is most base for Gods Ambassadors which represent his person to pick feathers off from great Mens coates an ancient character of a Parasite to stuffe pillowes withall to sowe underneath their elbowes how much do they cast themselves beneath themselves and trample upon the royaltie of their office that can finde in their hearts to stoope to this servility
Divine glory if he should vouchsafe to come unto us in all his Royaltie I will not tell you any Poeticall Fable but the truth of God The Israelites tryed this for when the Lord appeared to them in Mount Sinai with thunder and lightning they presently found their owne weaknesse and made suit to Moses Let not the Lord speake unto us lest we die but speake thou unto us and we will heare thee And therefore Iob wishes that God would lay aside his terrour and reason with him familiarly to which when the Lord graciously condescended what was the issue instead of his former disputation he grew to this conclusion I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes And God promises this as a blessing I will raise you up a Prophet from among your brethren he shall teach you And therefore the Lord stooping to our capacitie gives us so as we may receive and speakes to us men by the mouth of men as the most proportionable instrument to worke upon us Not much unlike Astyanax in the Poet who when his father being armed came to embrace him the child forthwith hid his face in his nurses bosome cryed and being afraid at the sight of his father when he saw his hairy Plume upon his Headpeece bending towards him Like as the Sunne when he lists to be seene delayes his beames in some thicker cloud that the edge of his brightnesse being abated our dim eyes may not be too much offended Againe thus the troubled soule may have free accesse to the Minister which comfort could hardly be conveighed another way especially considering whom the Lord makes choice of to bestow the riches of his grace upon not the great ones of the world so much but the mean ones Now as you have seene in a Faire the Countrey people will not venture into the rich Shops among the fine Citizens but had rather bestow their money on some countrey Chapman so it may bee in this case and therefore the Lord appoints men and meane men that even the meanest Christians may more freely repaire unto them 2. Secondly the ministery of Men is more credible then Angels or any other could be for though their testimony be of more weight in it selfe by reason of their acurate knowledge and entire fidelity yet I know not how a man may have more advantages to deale with us for to let passe the irrefragable authority of the word of God upon which all divine truths must stand which would be needlesse if it pleased God to take any other course than this and to omit that it is hard to give such infallible characters wherby divine illuminations might be distinguished from diabolicall illusions that all ambignity might be taken away I say 1. First men converse with us are knowne they are our brethren flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and therefore what suspicion can arise that they who are otherwise approved should goe about to deceive us in a thing that is as much worth as our soule is 2. They cannot deceive others but they must deceive their owne soule being they are in eâdem navi in the same condition 3. They confirme their owne words and adde a commentary of practice to the text of preaching with their workes and by tasting themselves of what they prescribe to us securing us of all feare of poyson 4. Lastly they may and doe sometimes set a seale of suffering to their saying but I passe to the third Thirdly the ministery of men is most effectuall as for those respects touched before and because they symbolize in qualities whereas Philosophy teacheth that there is easiest transmutation where there is a Symbolicall quality betweene the agent and the patient and because they sympathize in nature so that there may be a secret attractive power as we see in the Loadstone to the Iron or rather a mutuall conspiring to embrace one another So even by the very art of perswading I know not what the tongue-eloquence of Angels is and the Apostle seems to mention them with intimation of excellency neither will I maintaine against all commers that a man may be a better Orator than an Angell but I know the Lord is and he hath put his Word into the mouth of man he that made the heart and tryes the reines he knowes how to frame words that will affect the heart and so they doe insinuate themselves into the darkest corners of it with wondrous power and efficacie And this I know and dare avouch that the highest mysterie in the Divine Rhetorick is to feele what a man speakes and then speak what a man feeles * Praxiteles exquisitely drew love taking the patterne from that passion which he felt in his owne heart And therefore this advantage a man hath that he having a portion in the worke of Christs redemption hath himselfe tasted how sweet the blood of Christ is how soveraigne to a sinfull soule by experimentall as well as contemplative Divinitie The heart best understands the language of the heart But as this ordinance is profitable to men because it is honourable to the Minister and beneficiall to the people so there is a common utility redounds to both For thirdly it is one of the strongest bonds of love betweene Christians who are hereby made givers and receivers in the most precious things it is a knot to tie man and God together God speaking to man by the Minister and man speaking to God it is the mid way as it were in which they meet and though there be more subtile bonds of faith and Gods Spirit whereby we are immediately united to Christ and made members of his mysticall body yet for our visible communion with him in his politicall body the Ministers are as it were the ligaments There remains yet one of the three principall reasons Why the Lord makes men his Ambassadors and it must not be omitted because it is the most principall among the three and this it is 3. He gaines most glory this way for the weaker the instrument is for outward pomp or appearance the greater had need to be the power and so the praise of the artificer If the Iron be blunt you must put the more strength to it saith Salomon in Ecclesiastes Now you know how much the Lord esteemes of his honour I am the Lord saith he by the Prophet And my glory I will not give to another And as Xenocrates said once to the children of one that had beene liberall to him I have required your father said he for all men commend him for his kindnesse to me And as Themistocles when he entred into the Olympick games and all the Grecians cast their eyes upon him and pointed at him and whispered one to another This is Themistocles that delivered Greece from Xerxes and the barbarous Persians This is Themistocles This day said Themistocles I confesse I am abundantly recompenced for all the paines that ever I tooke for Greece So the Lord
did they fell downe flat as it were and worshipped the God of Israel I made choise of these the rather among infinite examples because I may paralell both with the thing in hand for the Preaching of the Word is but like the sounding of Rams-hornes in the judgement of carnall men towards the shaking of the wals of Iericho towards the casting downe the strong holds of sinne And the former would make a sweet Embleme of it A Souldier with a Trumpet in the right hand and an earthen Pitcher with a Lamp in the left hand lively representing the Minister who doth both in his ministery sound the Trumpet of the Gospell and in his martyrdome break his body like some earthen pitcher that the glory of God might breake forth through the humane frailtie like a Lamp and shine more bright and cleare But I must passe over these I will touch but one thing and so conclude for there is yet another respect in which God gets glory by this order and that is because by this meanes he takes try all of the obedience of his children whether they will entertaine such homely messengers for his sake who sends them and yeeld obedience to him whose will they publish But too much of this argument which I am affraid some may think needlesse or fruitlesse and the truth is I should not have gone so farre in this path if I had not observed some worthies of Israel all the way before me 2. CORINTH 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God IT is reported of a Saracen Ambassador to Charles the Great that sitting in the Emperors Hall at dinner with him and observing two tables full of guests the lower of poore people invited according to his accustomed manner in ragged weeds and simple apparell he asked what they were the Emperor answered These are the Servants of our God whom we Christians worship and I entertaine them for his sake the upper full of gallants Courtiers in gold chains and gay attire he asked also what they were the Emperor answered these are my servants that attend upon my person O said the Saracen if you preferre your servants before the servants of your God that they be brave and costly and these be base and beggarly I will never embrace your religion I may not thinke there is any sonne of scoffing Ismael here any bastard Saracen among these true sonns of Abraham sonnes of Promise sonnes of the Prophets that will pick a hole in the coat of Gods true servants his Ambassadors that so they may picke a quarrell with Gods true religion I may not thinke so And yet I thinke I may take occasion here to take away all occasion of doubting that may perhaps arise in some weake judgements For as Aristotle could not better apprehend or expresse the magnitude of God then by the magnificence of the King of Persia so there may be some babes in Christ not throughly weaned from the vanities of this world that would require some outward eminencies in the Ministers of the Word to prove that they are Gods Ambassadors which if they be wanting though they dare not contradict the truth because they professe to believe so much yet they cannot conceive the mystery because they do not believe so much as they professe And therefore having cleared this the last time why God made choise of meane men for this honourable office rather then of the Glorious Cherubims and Seraphims rather then of the sonnes of the mighty give me leave now to produce some few evidences by which it may appeare that these men are indeed Gods Ambassadors The ground of this is plaine as I touched also before for this great world is a little Kingdome wherein God is the soveraign Lord the King of Kings and all men for their possiessions are his tenants for their functions his Lievtenants and in this great world the little flock of Christ is a great family in which God is the great Master of the family There can nothing be done in this family in this Kingdome without the authority of this Master of this King and therefore the Ministers of the Word must needs be dispensers of his speciall favour in the great family of his Church from him as from the great Master of this family And againe Ambassadors of his Royall pleasure in his Kingdome of the world from him as from their supreme Lord the King of Kings But why doe I produce the ground the Text is plaine We are Ambassadors for Christ and if you cast your eyes back to the foregoing verse you shall see from whom namely from God And the same Apostle in the last of the Ephesians useth the same word to the same purpose For whom I am an Ambassador in chaines where a man would think hearing of an Ambassador that he spake of a golden chaine and in some kind of vanity boasted of it And indeed the servants of God are noble and free though fettered in chaines of Iron as the slaves of sinne are base prisoners though in chaines of Gold And in this sense I thinke I may allude to the story and custome of wearing chaines and say the Divell deales with them as the Aetoli scoffingly said of Titus Flaminius the Romane Generall who pretended liberty to the Graecians but yet held some principall Cities by Garrisons that he made their clog smoother indeed than it was under Philip King of Macedon's tyranny but as heavie as it was And again Their feet are free from the stocks but their necke is under the yoke but this by the way The same thing is affirmed every where through the Scripture in equivalent termes Prophets are called Men of God in the Old Testament and Timothy in the New is stiled a Man of God and all Apostles Servants of Iesus Christ the Servants of God and Angels of the Churches for this reason But why do I enforce the Text the truth is plain and who is there here that doth not acknowledge it Who is such a fresh Proselyte in the Lords familie that doth not know his cognizance his livery As the Disciples said ignorantly to Christ himself Art thou only a stranger in Israel and knowest not these things So it may be truly said to that Christian if there be such an one Who is such a novice in Gods schoole that if he hath but learned the Alphabet of the language of Canaan cannot tell that they speak the language of Canaan Thou art a Galilean thy very speech bewrayes thee said the maid to Peter So may every Christian see the Minister by his speech as Socrates did and know where they are and from whom they come or if any doe not understand them when they tell them whose Ambassadors they are it is because they have not an interpreter as the Eunuch said to Philip they have not the Spirit of God which
almost that can distinguish these two by an intellectuall precision I am sure Interpreters sweat about it and yet this royall sword like Alexanders is so sharp that it cuts this knot with an actuall diuision betweene the joynts and the marrow not the hardest bones can abate or turn the edge of this invincible weapon not the most hidden marrow can escape the dint of it but as the Sun in the 19. Psalme nothing is hid from the heat of it To conclude it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart the strangest Critick that ever was thought it not free from it and whereas other Criticks pride themselves in restoring some obliturated monuments stopping some gaps in old Manuscripts taking up some stitches let fal in a Poet this goes farther and reades the very thoughts verbamentis the letters written in the soule that abrasa tabula as the Philosopher cals it I have put all the weights graines and scruples that I have into the Scales and yet this place of Scripture as it is pure the word of God is like gold which is tryed in the fire seventimes so for weight it weighs them all downe which was the reason that I insisted the longer on it for me thinks this very place doth not only affirm that the Word is effectuall but confirme it exceedingly being it selfe so effectuall I conclude this generall he that knows the efficacy of this Word cannot chuse but acknowledge the divinitie of this power and be affected as the Prophet Habakuk was with the presence of God in his glorious works When I heard saith he my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voyce rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble There remaines much behind yet for I should shew you this in particular both extensively and intensively as it works 1. In the heart 2. A strange worke in the heart both these in regard of the act it selfe and then in regard of the manner of working 1. Without any helpe ex parte subjecti the heart conferres nothing not so much as naturall receptivitie 2. Without any help ex parte medii no insinuations of wisdome no tricks of Rhetorick but with downe right blowes and I could wish all unsaid that hath beene spoken that I might spend my selfe wholly in these things but I must touch them briefly The heart of man is the most free and hard of any thing to worke upon and to make an impression and stampe upon this hard heart this heart that is so stonie Adamantine harder then the mother Milstones as the Scripture teacheth To compell this freewill that Domina sui actus the Queene in the soule the Empresse it cannot be without a divine power without a hand that is omnipotent but the Ministers doe this by the Word they mollifie and wound and break this heart they incline and bow and draw this free will whither the spirit listeth And Clemens Alexandrinus is not afraid to say that if the Fables of Orpheus and Amphion were true that they drew birds beasts and stones with their ravishing melodie yet the harmony of the Word is greater which translates men from Helicon to Sion which softens the hard heart of man obdurate against the truth that raises up children to Abraham of stones that is as he interprets of unbelievers which he cales stockes and stones that put their trust in stones and stockes which metamorphoses men that are beast-like wild birds for their lightnesse and vanity serpents for their craft and subtilty Lions for their wrath and crueltie Swine for voluptuousnesse and luxurie c. and charmes them so that of wild beasts they become tame men that makes living stones as he did others come of their owne accord to the building of the walls of Ierusalem as he of Thebes to the building of a living Temple to the everliving God this must needs be a true perswasive charme as he speakes Herodotus relates of Cambyses that being admonished of his drunkennesse by Prexaspes a noble Counsellour in a rage he commanded his sonne to be placed before him as a marke and his Bow and Arrows to be brought and He shot and killed the boy and then caused him to be opened and finding the Arrow in the middest of his heart he made this argument that he was no drunken man and turning him to the father asked him with a cruell smile what he thought of it O my Lord said Prexaspes betwixt griefe for his sonne and feare for himselfe I think the gods cannot shoote better I may paralell this out of Scripture and apply it to my purpose for the Apostles in the Acts being charged with drunkennesse Peter steps up to make an apologie he takes his bow and arrowes as the Prophet Esay speakes he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and made me a polished shaft in his Quiver hee shootes and smites three thousand with one arrow and when they opened themselvs it was found they were pricked in their hearts and you shall now be judges whether I may not well say as he did with a little alteration O Lord I thinke none but God none but thou can shoot so well I conclude this the Ministers of the Word are stars in the right hand of God as it is in the Revelation and therefore they dart their influence into the secret corners of the soule their words fall high from heaven and therefore sinke deepe into the hearts of men As the woman of Tekoah was subtile because the hand of Ioab was with her so they are powerfull because the hand of God is with them they are the pen that write in mens hearts but it is the hand of God In a word they beare such authority because they are men under authority men of God Gods Ambassadors I should prosecute the rest but I will rather leave the point abruptly then be tedious 2. CORINTH 5. 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God IT is a maxime in Divinitie received by generall consent of all Cathedram habet in coelo qui corda docet and therefore I see no reason why that which hath beene said should not bee a sufficient argument to prove that those that sit in Moses chaire are sent from Heaven except it be to those that from walking in the way of the ungodly and standing in the way of sinners are come to sit in the chaire of the scornfull Yet I will adde a second degree to put it out of question for they doe not only worke upon the heart in generall but in a speciall and strange manner as might be shewen many wayes I will but touch the principall It is our Saviours promise to his Disciples Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the
afforded which the vertue of the Sun hath since dryed up or driven away Or the Old Testament is like the light created the first day which though it wanted that glorious and resplendent lustre yet it separated betweene night and day Goshen and Egypt the beloved City and the Gentiles and the porportion holds of a day to a thousand yeares for a thousand yeares is as but a day in thy sight saith the Psalmist and so as the Sunne was set in his Tabernacle the fourth day of the world so the Sunne of righteousnesse came in the 4000. yeare of the World in the Tabernacle of his flesh to fulfill all righteousnesse And perhaps the 19. Psalme may have some relation to this comparison for there the Sunne is described tanquam Sponsus as Christ is described tanquam Sponsus Ecclesiae and the Prophet slides there from the Sunne it may be because of this Analogie to the Elogies of the Scripture Now both these were the same light for the Moone receives hers from the Sunne and the light of the Sunne is but the conglobation of the first light Even as both the Testaments teach but one Christ for he only dyed for us and therefore they are both his Testaments The Old Testament containes him in the Hieroglyphicks of Sacrifices and Types and Ceremonies the New in legible and ordinary characters in the old he was like the corne in the eare in the New like the corne shaken out in the Old like the Mannah which was hidden in a pot for he is that hidden Mannah in the Arke in the New like the Shew-bread that was set upon the Table in both of them the same Christ heri hodie in aeternum idem Christus yesterday in the Old Testament under the time of the Law to day in the New Testament under the time of the Gospell yesterday and to day and for ever the same Christ who is God blessed for ever For they both are but one booke but the booke that was shut before by the comming of the Lamb is opened for the Lambe opened the booke that we may fetch a resemblance of this Revelation out of the booke of the Revelation Compare the Ministers of both the covenants and we shall see the same for as it was said once What is Plato or Moses Atticizing so we may say now What is Iesus or Moses Evangelizing Nay it is even the same Moses only the vaile is removed and we see him retectâ facie Divines have said as much that the Old Testament is but Novum involutum and the new but Vetus revelatum as the Stoicks of old said of Rhetorick and Logick comparing them to pugnus palma as though the difference were no more but in contraction and explication obscurity and perspicuitie This shall serve for the proposition of my second generall Reason that the Old and New Testament contain nothing but faith in Christ Iesus But these two are the whole Scripture some have gathered out of those words of Christ Matth. 13. 52. Every Scribe learned to the Kingdome of Heaven is like a certaine houshoulder which brings out of his treasure old and new The consequution is but idle but the conclusion is infallible that there is no more Scripture but the old and new Testament And thus many God would have for the confirmation of our Faith that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might stand For though Origen do but descant upon those words when he sayes in the mouth of two that is the old and new Testaments and in the mouth of three that is Prophets Evangelists Apostles the truth of the word the word of truth shall stand assured yet this is most certaine that the foretelling and fulfilling of the same thing I say the same thing foretold so long before it was fulfilled and fulfilled so long after it was foretold makes exceedingly for the supporting of our faith as being an invincible argument that this word is the word of the eternall God before whom all times are present The second Testament then like Rachel and Leah build the faith of the elect like two sisters inseparable companions hold hand in hand chained faster together then the invincible Armado for Malachie gives his Lampe to Marke as they did in the games at Athens and Marke takes it where he leaves it the end of Malachie reaches to the beginning of Marke Mark begins and Malachie ends with Iohn Baptist so are they secretly sodered together and holding hands take this by the way they plucke a Crow with the Apocrypha if I may so speake in so grave an argument Upon these premises that the old and new Testament containe nothing but the doctrine of Faith in Christ and salvation by Christ and yet they two make up the intire body of the Scripture and this is my inference that Faith in Christ is the scope of the Scripture I descend now from the generall to the particular declaration of this point And first for the old Testament To let goe all their Types and Ceremonies with the whole ancient state of Religion among the Iewes which all had reference to the comming of Christ the promised Messiah which make a great part of the argument of the booke of the first covenant because I touched them the last time and to let passe whole bookes which have nothing but this as the booke of Ruth a Grand-mother of Christ and the Booke of the Canticles a sweet Epithalamie or spousall of Christ and his Church I will divide it for this time into two portions Historicall and Propheticall and make good the point in either of them and that briefly because I perceive that my entrance hath exceeded already the scantling of time allotted to this exercise and because I resolve to end this at this time that so I may set afresh upon the use of this Doctrine The Historicall part of the old Testament beside the historie of life openly propounded containes the mysterie of faith also sweetly couched therin as will easily appeare if you doe but consider the periods of times the context and continuation of the storie with the remarkable examples here and there dispersed A man would thinke those many Genealogies and many names very harsh and teadious like craggy mountaines full of stones but barren of all fruit but if you will vouchsafe to make but a little inquisition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to digge into the bowels of those mountaines you shall find a golden vaine a golden chaine consisting of many linkes from the first Adam to the second Adam to derive his pedigree and shew his generation of whom Esay sayes Who can tell his generation for hee is the eternall Word of his Father and the ancient of dayes And I pray tell me wherefore is there such a curious context of succession from Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to David from David to Zorubabell from Zorubabel to Mary but to draw a golden
Iuda till Shilo come Crucified As the Serpent was lifted up in the Wildernesse Dead The Messiah shall bee slaine saith Daniel Buried Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave said David in his person the third day he rose againe for it was impossible that the paines of death should hold him as was signified in Ionas comming out of the Whales bellie He ascended into Heaven as Enoch and Elias types of him had done Sitteth at the right hand of God the Father so David the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole 2. Because Christ crucified more specially makes for our purpose consider it of his passion in speciall he was betrayed he that eateth bread with me my familiar in whom I trusted saith David sold for thirty pieces of silver some would have it to answer to the price of the ointment that Mary powred upon his feet because Iudas murmured and so that hee did it ut impleretur that the bagge might be filled thus the covetous Traitor should have sold the annointed of the Lord to have gained the ointment but this was not it here was the true reason ut impleretur that the Scripture might be fulfilled that said so much Zach. 11. 12. So they weighed my price thirty pieces of silver a goodly price that I was prized of them he was Crucified betweene two Thieves for so saith the Scripture with the wicked was he counted 3. Nay even petty things were not omitted he thirsted well might he thirst who was so scorched with the heat and pressed with the weight of Gods wrath that he sweat water and blood and therefore well might he say he thirsted ut impleretur that he might quench it but this was the maine cause ut impleretur that the Scripture might be fulfilled for it was meat and drink for him to doe his fathers will they gave him vinegar to drinke so David They cast lots for my garments so said he upon my vesture have they cast lots his side was peirced with a spear even that speare was guided by a prophesie so saith David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Zacharie they shall see him whom they have pierced I might be infinite and Matthew alone hath gathered thirty two prophecies and applyed them to him with this burden or undersong ut impleretur quod dictum erat per Prophetas I end this point with that of Peter Act. 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sinnes the place is very plaine and those words of the Prophets are thrise repeated in the third of that booke for all the Prophets are many times Boanerges sonnes of thunder and then indeed they fetch all from Mount Sinai where there were thunder and lightning and earthquakes when the Law was given but all these stormes usually end in some calme of consolation and when they would be Barnabas sons of consolation they fetch all from Mount Sion the sweet promises of the Messiah and steepe all their words in his blood Thus Christ is the scope of the Propheticall part of the old Testament I should shew the same in the new also but it will be needlesse every letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the very sound as the Orator speakes avouches this truth The foure Evangelists what are they but the storie of his life and death Let Iohn speake for them all These things are written that ye might believe in Christ Iesus and believing have everlasting life through his name I will not hunt for comparisons nor shew what reference they have to the foure beasts in Ezekiel but me thinkes all the rest aime at his humanitie more principally Iohn only like the Eagle is quicker eyed and as though he had some window into his breast as well as he leaned on his breast hee peirceth through the vaile of his flesh to his Divinity and draws his pedigree from heaven through eternitie And the Providence of the Lord is worth observation that he would have foure to write this storie all in a most celestiall harmony two of which the two Apostles Matthew and Iohn were ocular and two the two Evangelists Mark and Luke auricular witnesses of that which they wrote that all pretext of doubting might be excluded The Acts have nothing but the same Christ preached among the Gentiles for he brake downe the wall of separation And as after the flood there was a confusion of tongues to hinder the building of Babel so was there the effusion of the gift of tongues to further the building of the heavenly Ierusalem that all knees might bow and all tongues confesse that Iesus is the Lord. All the Epistles have no other argument but salvation by Christ as may appeare out of the salutation Grace and peace in Christ Iesus grace the beginning and peace the perfection of all happinesse and both by Christ Iesus And it is observed that the very name of Iesus is used by Paul alone above five hundred times and no wonder for there be in it a thousand treasures as Chrysostome said yea all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and comfort are hid and lockt up in him The whole Revelation what is it but a Commonitorie for the observation of the government of the Church by Christ the King thereof and the expectation of his glorious comming as the conclusion of all evidences Come Lord Iesus come quickly Tanquam habeat scriptum tota tabella veni That I may didicate an Egyptian Jewell to the service of the Tabernacle And thus I shut up this part that Christ is the summe of both Old and New Testament in these three differences as to come in the Old and in the New as come and to come againe to judgement And me thinks those two are like the two Cherubims that shadowed one Mercy-seat their faces were one toward another and their wings but both toward Christ the Mercy-seat like Ezekiels vision where the foure creatures stirred and stood still both together whose wheels were as it were one wheele within another and Christ in all like the Spies that returned to Moses out of Canaan for as they brought the clusters of Grapes a map of that good Land betweene them so the two Testaments bring nothing but Christ betweene them now Christ is the true Vine as himself sayes like the clusters of Grapes as the Spouse speaks and his blood is the Wine of the Sacrament the wine that maketh glad the heart of the faithfull which was scruzed out of his body upon the Crosse the Winepresse of Gods wrath where you may behold him excellently tanquam uva passa Christ Crucified And therefore Christ is like the hinges upon which the whole frame of time upon which the bifores valvae of the house of the Sunne the two Tabernacles the two gates of Heaven doe hang and turne themselves