Preist for ever after the order Not his Priestly Office not after the order of Levi or Aaron but of Melâ—hisedeck without beginning or end of daies and this also the Lord had sworn unto his Son and could not repent that hee should bee a Priest for ever Psal 110.4 wherein the Priest-hood of Christ is advanced above all the Priests that ever were who having received their Office in time in time also ceased their office with their life but Christ his Priesthood was not limitâ—ed in any time but was every way eternal They were many who succeeded one another because they were not suffered to indure by death Heb. 7.23 But this man because hee endureth for ever hath no successor but an everlasting Priesthood They were made Priests after the Law of the carnal Commandement but hee after the power of the endless life vers 16. that is hee was not made a Priest by the Law namely Ceremonial which established for a time dying and vanishing things signified by the name of flesh but hee was made by the efficacy of the Word and oath of his Father which gave him endless life and perpetual duration so as neither death it self nâ—â— the grave could hold any dominion over him when they seemed to have clasped him fast in their bands which yet were powerfull enough to have held down any or all other men in the world besides himself and the Apostle to the Hebrews giveth a double reason why he must necessarily out-live death it self The former because hee must not onely make a perpetual oblation that need no repetition but also hee must live ever to make intercession Heb. 7.25 and that perpetually without which the Apostle implyeth that he had not perfectly saved his people This is most clearly proved Rom. 8.34 It is Christ who dyed yea or rather which is risen again who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us and Heb. 9.24 Christ is entered into the very Heaven to appear now in the sight of God for us which appearance of his in Heaven with his Merits hath the force of the most effectual prayer that ever was The latter is By dying Christ offereth and by rising hee applyeth his sacrifice to the conscience of beleevers that hee may not onely make one offering for sin as those Priests did many but that hee may alwaies live to apply it as they did not and see that his people have the benefit of it not onely before God for the appeasing of his wrath but also for the purging of their consciences from dead works to serve the living God as the same Apostle noteth Heb. 9.14 and in the last place to bestow upon every beleever the spirit of faith whereby they may apprehend and apply his sacrifice to their own salvation Neither doth it any whit impeach the eternity of Christs Priest-hood because four thousand years almost of the world were passed before hee suffered for howsoever the execution of it was not all those ages after the beginning of the World yet the vertue efficacy and benefit of it reached to the first Beleever that ever was in the World Adam himself whose faith in this seed of the woman saved him Abraham also saw his day and rejoyced and the Holy Ghost feareth not to call him the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Rev. 13.8 namely 1 In Gods Council and Decree 2 In the vertue and efficacy of his Sacrifice 3 In regard of Gods acceptation of it for Beleevers 4 In the types and shadows of it whereof the Ceremonial Law was full And much less doth that hinder it from being eternal in that after the day of judgement it shall cease when we shall stand no more in need of Priests or Saviours for howsoever the execution of this office shall then cease yet the vertue and efficacy of it shall last for ever and ever 3 Hee must bee also the perpetual Prophet of his Church Nor his Prophetical the unchangeable Doctor of his Church and the Apostle of our profession who must constantly send his Spirit to lead us into all truth raise up Teachers and hold them in his right hand for the gathering of the Saints untill wee all meet in the unity of Faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man and unto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Eph. 4.13 so as it is cleared that no part of his Offices could admit that hee should abide under death and therefore necessarily in this second respect must rise again Thirdly It was necessary hee should rise again because hee was so to dye as that thereby hee must overcome yea and destroy death which hee had not done if hee had lain conquered of death still in the grave yea more hee must so dye as that hee must give eternal life to his sheep Joh. 10.28 and by his death merit it put and hold them in possession of it for ever all signified in the phrases following they shall never perish neither shall any take them out of my hands which could never have been accomplished it himself had perished and had been left in the hands and house of death But hence hath hee brought his Church strong consolation in that being risen from the dead hee hath fully overcome death satisfied for every sin of every Beleever and risen from under all that weight of sin and death which would have oppressed us for ever yea even himself if hee had left one of our sins that beleeve in his name unsatisfied for Out of this that hath been spoken cometh to bee answered that objection That seeing Christ by his death paid the price of sin unto God what need we more of him we can be but acquitted and discharged Ans The providing of the most soveraign Plaster is not enough to work a Cure but the applyâ—ng of it also Neither was it sufficient for Christ to perform the former part of his Priest-hood namely satisfaction for sin if he had not added the latter thereto which is the application of it This latter maketh the former ours and comfortable unto us And both these the Apostle affirmeth of Christ Rom. 4.25 Christ was delivered to death for our sins and is risen again for our justification where by justification is meant by a Metonimy the application of justice II. The second point propounded to bee considered of in the rising of Christ is the manner of it which will appear in three things the 1 Concerning his Soul the 2 his Body the 3 his whole Humanity standing of both First the Soul of Christ which on the Crosse was separated from the body commended into the hands of his Father and translated that same day into Paradise was by the mighty power of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost brought back into his dead body lying in the grave quickned it and made it a living body moving and sensible in it self and unto others Secondly
you have all the strength and malice of the wicked world against you all which shall bee no more able to prejudice your salvation or hinder your glory than mine own who have overcome it so as you fight against a Conquered Enemy By all this that hath been said that of the Apostle appeareth to bee true that hee hath subdued all things unto himself and hath put all his enemies under his feet that none nor all of them can separate us from God or Christ or our salvation purchased and preserved for us by him How all these enemies are not only soyled but after a sort made friendly unto us Now wee are to see in the next place that Christ by his resurrection hath not onely spoyled these enemies for us but that hee hath made them all after a sort friendly unto us that whereas they desire still indeed and seem to wound us they do nothing else but heal us 1 For sin that now serveth to humble Gods Children and keep them low in their own eyes as also provoketh them to walk awfully in regard of God and watchfully over their hearts and lives still groaning to God under their daily infirmities By this means out of the eater commeth meat as was said in Sampsons riddle Judg. 14.14 2 Death is not now to Gods Children as it was to Christ joyned with a sence of Gods anger against it or paying a debt to the Justice of God for it were against the rule of Gods Justice to require the payment of the same debt twice but wherein they have a sweet sense of Gods Fatherly love wherein sin is perfectly to bee abolished whereby way and entrance is made unto life everlasting where wee shall bee with God and Jesus Christ which is best of all The Saints of God in these regards have rather desired than feared it for what man having been tossed a long time upon a dangerous Sea would fear the Haven or who being wearied with the Travels of the day would fear to go to his rest at night 3 Sence of Hell keepeth in us an hatred of sin and a longing after Heaven yea how beneficial the terrors of Conscience are to Gods Children were too long here to discourse The speech is as true as common the way to heaven lyeth by hell gates 4 The Devil maketh us fly to God our help and rely upon his strength yea when men by no other means will bee drawn God setteth the Devil in their necks to drag them to Heaven as a grave Divine speaketh 5 All the evils in the world work to the best to them that love God and hasten them to the fruition of the victory obtained by Christ they wean them from the World and the love of it And whereas they are as prone to pitch their Tabernacles here below as others God useth these as means to keep his from being of the World even while they are in it They conform them to Jesus Christ their head and train them in the imitation of him both in patience and obedience Now how could any of these parcels of Gods curse against the sin of man or mans cursed sin it self bring to any such sweet and profitable fruits but by the over-ruling power of Jesus Christ who bringeth life out of death light out of darkness and who onely can make his own wise out of a rank poyson to suck most sweet and sovereign preservatives which who doth not hee never as yet knew the benefit of Christ his resurrection Christ by his resurrection not only removed evils but procured all our good as appeareth by three instances The second sort of blessings procured to the Church by Christ his resurrection is the fruition of good things which it putteth us in possession of even in this life by giving us our first fruits and a sweet taste but up-heapeth our measure after this life when our Harvest commeth and wee admitted to feed fully at the Supper of the Lamb. The benefits which I will mention are three First We are confirmed hereby in the whole truth of all our Religion the main foundation of which laid by all the Prophets and Apostles is that Jesus Christ the Son of Mary was the Son of God the true Messiah perfect God and perfect man and so indeed hee was such a one as hee was foretold to bee one that was to dye and yet saw no corruption one who must make his soul an offering for sin and yet must survive to see his seed and prolong his daies one that had power to lay down his Life 1 Pet. 3.18 and power to take it up again In a word one that was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit that is by vertue of his Deity raising that flesh up again Let all the Jews and Atheists in the earth despise the indignity of his death we with the Angels will admire the glory of his resurrection II. The second benefit is that hence wee are assured that our 1 Justification 2 Sanctification 3 Perfect salvation is not only obtained but applyed unto us 1 For our Justification before God by means of Christ his resurrection hee brought in to us an everlasting righteousnesse in that hee not only bare our burden upon himself but bare it away from us for what is his resurrection else but his actual absolution from our sins which were imputed unto him and for which hee subjected himself unto the death Whence wee grow up in full assurance that the whole price is not onely paid to the uttermost on Christs part but that the satisfaction is accepted also on his Fathers whose justice would never have absolved him if all the Bills and Writings which were to bee laid against us had not been fastned to the Cross and so cancelled and fully discharged so as now wee may with the Apostle hold out a flagge of defiance and challenge our righteousness for who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who shall condemn it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen again Rom. 8.34 And the same Apostle thirsting after that Righteousnesse which is by Faith in him counteth all things loss and dung save onely to know him and the vertue of his resurrection Phil. 3.10 2 From this Resurrection of Christ issueth our sanctification which is our first resurrection or raising of our souls from the death of sin because in every reconciliation-making must bee two conditions 1 A forgetting upon satisfaction of all old wrongs and injuries 2 A binding from future offences the former Christ effecteth by his death the latter by his resurrection into the which whosoever are grafted they cannot hence-forth serve sin Rom. 6.5 6. but being risen with Christ they seek the things which are above Colos 3.1 where Christ sitteth they cease further by sin to offend as such who are begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
good purposes and practices Which is the rather to bee learned because wee have that within us which will make us easily daunted in good things as Peter himself after hee had been long with Christ was so daunted with the voice of a Damosel as hee easily forsware 〈◊〉 Master All Satans instance in evil it to bring us from instance in good against whom wee must every way fortify our selves First In the subdoing of any sin or corruption how will nature recoyl how stirring will Satan bee to keep his holds how many baits and objects will hee present unto thee how many fears and losses and crosses as rubs will hee cast in thy way and all to drive thee from the field against thy sin But now is a time to make use of this Doctrin Are wicked men so constant to the Devil at his instance and must not I bee constant for God at the instance of his blessed Spirit I will hold out by Gods grace and if I be foiled once and again as the Israelites in a good cause against Benjamin I will renew the battel the third time I shall at length carry away the victory this sin is one of Satans band like the captain and I will not bee driven out of the field by such a Craven that will flye if hee bee resisted Secondly The graces of God are as so many precious jewels locked up in the closet of a godly heart the Devil is instant to rob and bereave us of these wee must bee as hardly perswaded to give up these as to bee spoiled of our earthly treasure and riches 1 Our faith were a sweet morsel to Satan but wee must resist him stedfast in the faith Job will hold his faith in spight of the Devil let him lose his goods his health his friends his children hee will hold his faith and professe if the Lord kill him too hee will still trust in his mercy 2 Hee would steal away our love of the Saints and with it the life of our faith and therefore hee sets before us many infirmities of theirs and suspitions of our own and some fear from others but notwithstanding out delight must bee in the Saints that excel in vertue Jonathan will not bee beaten off the love to David though in all outward respects hee had little causes onely because hee saw God was with him 3 Hee layeth siedge to our sobriety and temperance and layeth many baits but Joseph will not yeeld to the many assaults of his Mistris 4 He would make us weary of prayer which is our strength and iâ— God delay he tells us he hears us not we lose our labour But wee must wrastle by prayer as Jacob till we obtain and as the woman of Canaan begge once and again till Christ hear us if he call us doggs so as wee cannot sit at table let us beg the crums as whelps that â—all under the table 5 He would make us weary of our profession is uncessant in setting the malice of the world upon us yea great ones multitudes and all But the Disciples by no whips moâ—ks threats or persecutions could be daunted but rejoyced in them and went on more cheerfully 6 He would have us weary of well-doing and beginning in the Spirit to end in the flesh But as Nehemiah in building the Temple and wall said to his crafty Counsellers Should such a one as I flie so let every Christian say Should I lose all my labour and that crown of life that is promised to all them that are faithful to death No I will not doe it The Devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain In this third temptation we are to consider two things 1 The assault 2 The repulse In the assault two things 1 The preparation 2 The dart it self In the preparation 1 The place 2 The sight represented The dart consists of 1 A profer All these will I give thee 2 A condition If thou wilt fall down and worship me 3 A reason for they are mine and to whomsoever I will I give them First of the place and in it 1 what place it was 2 how Christ came thither 3 why Satan chose that place I. The place was the top of an exceeding high mountain What this mountain was we cannot define and the Scripture being silent in it wee may bee sure it is no Article of faith Some think it was mount Ararat on which the Ark of Noah stood in the floud the highest mountain in the world But without all reason for that was in Armenia another part of the world Gen. 8.4 And there were a number of great Hills round about Jerusalem fit enough for this purpose As 1 There was mount Moriah where Abraham offered to sacrifize his Son Isaac where Salomon built his Temple and wherein Christ stood in the former temptation But the text is plain hee was carried from thence into an higher mountain by farre 2 There was mount Ghiâ—n 1 King 1.33 34 where Zadok and Nathan at Davids appointment anoynted Salomon King But this was too low 3 There was a mountain over against Jerusalem called mons offensionis the mountain of scandal where Salomon in his age deceived by outlandish wives built an high place for Chemosh and Molec the abominations of the children of Ammon and Moab 1 King 11.7 which high places so hard it is to thrust down superstition once set up continued standing three hundred sixty three years and were destroyed by Josiah 4 There was mount Calvary where Christ suffered but that was not so high as this mount spoken of 5 There was mount Oliveâ— a famous mountain about six furlongs from Jerusalem here David wept flying before his Son Absolom here Christ often watched and prayed and wept over Jerusalem for it was so high as that from the top of it as Josephus reports one might discern all the streets of Jerusalem and see afarre off to the dead sea 6 There was mount Sion higher than all these which was called the Mountain of the Lord for those that have written concerning this City know that the foundation of it is among the holy Mountains and among them all mount Sion was farre the highest and therefore David made a Fort there called the City of David 7 There were besides these without Jerusalem mount Nebo from the top of which Moses stood and beheld all the Land of Canaan and was commanded to dye This is generally held to be the Mount to which Christ was carried and so could I think were it not that it was quite without Palestina and not in the Land of Canaan for Moses only there did see the good Land but must not enter into it 8 There were within Palestina besides these mount Basan and mount Hermon very high Hills in comparison of which Sion is said to bee a little Hill Psalm 42.6 and 68.16 Now it is very probable that this temptation was upon one of these Hills but we must not bee curious to determine
Messiah seeing that his Harbinger Elijah was come already 2 To note that Christ appeared in his due season not before John had preached the Baptisme of Repentance and amendment of life and so had prepared the way to Christ neither before the people were fitted to receive him for John had spoken many things concerning him had pointed at him as the onely Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world had affirmed that he saw the Holy Ghost descending upon him and sitting on his head like a dove had professed him far worthier than himself had promised that he should baptize them with the Holy Ghost and fire Now 〈◊〉 â—he people desirous to see him of whom they had heard so much and 〈◊〉 â—â—erefore was the due time of Christs comming after the baptism which John preached Whence wee may shortly note how the Lord findeth us when hee first setteth his love upon us as far from meriting his love as these Galilaeans who were a most wretched people so as hee respecteth only his own grace in his respecting of us which consideration hee would often fasten upon his own ancient people the Jews professing to their face that hee made no covenant with them for any worthiness hee saw in them above other for they were the worst of all people Deut. 9.4 and much lesse can hee finde any worthiness to entitle a man to the heavenly Canaan the freedome of this grace doth therefore shine out more clearly and deserveth that wee should with much thankfulness both acknowledge it and also walk worthy of it Secondly Hence is to be noted That then men seasonably hear of Christ when they are prepared by John in the doctrin of repentance when the Law hath killed cast us down and made us guilty of the sentence of death then the Gospel doth seasonably propound the grace and mercy of God in Christ Hence for pacifying the troubled conscience it is called the Gospel of peace Eph. 6.15 for chearing up the heavy heart it is called a good word Heb. 6.5 and for healing and bringing the sick soul to health and soundness it is called a sound word Tit. 2.8 and therefore Ministers in despensing the promises must see that men bee fitted for them bâ—cause if the ground bee not plowed up all the seed is cast and lost among thornes and hearers must be as wary of false Application lest in time they as heavily lose as they have hastily snatched such things as never belonged unto them Vers 38 How God annointed Jesus of Nazaret with the Holy Ghost and with power Who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him THE Apostle having proved by the common voice and fame that Christ is Lord of all hee now descendeth to prove it by his facts all which because they were performed by vertue of his Heavenly commission and calling therefore as good order requireth hee beginneth there and in this verse propoundeth two things 1 Christs calling to his office of Mediatorship How God annointed c. 2 The execution of that office according to his Calling who went about c. In the former are three points to be considered 1 who was called Jesus of Nazaret 2 Who called him how God annointed 3 The manifestation of this calling annointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power 1 The person called was Jesus of Nazaret for so he was commonly called among the Jews not that hee was born there for hee was born at Bethlem in Judaea Christ called Jesus of Nazaret although he was not born there why Matt. 2.5 according to the prophesy Mic. 5.2 but because 1 He was brought up there for Joseph his Father fearing Archelaus Herods son Mat. 2.22 he sought him out or rather directed by Divine dream a most obscure village in Galilee named Nazaret and dwelt there 2 Hee was so called by the over-ruling hand and council that hee might bee probably known to bee the true Messias in that hee was a Nazarite as was prophesied of him before Zach. 6.12 Behold the man whose name is BRANCH and hee shall grow up out of his place and shall build the Temple so Isa 60.21 These are the places which the Evangelist Matthew aimeth at â—eâ—sâ—r when he said that Christ dwelt in the City of Nazaret that it might bee fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets he shall bee called a Nazarite for seeing so much is not elsewhere spoken in clear and proper speech necessarily it must bee spoken figuratively at least and more obscurely as in those places which M. Junius doth manifestly clear to appertain to this very purpose Jun. paral l. 1. par â— analys in numb 6.1 in whom the Learned mâ—y read much more concerning this argument which willingly I forbear 3 That they might under this title acknowledge him according to the Scripture to bee the rod of the stock of Jesse and a plant going out of his roots â—eâ—sâ—r which by the same word is signified Isa 11.1 4 That they and wee might hence gather that hee was sanctified and set apart unto a most holy purpose being a true Nazarite neither by vow nor Commandement for then hee might neither drink wine nor touch the dead which he did and caused others also to do the same nor yet cut his hair which in likelihood both by the custome of the Jews and Pauls speech 1 Cor. 11.7.14 hee did but by most perfect holinesse and absolute purity of his whole man whereof those Nazarites were but shadows that so hee might bee a perfect Saviour and high Priest separate from all sinners Heb. 7.26 Whence note How the providence of God in over-ruling every particular circumstance is manifestly cleared The very particular places assigned for this and that purpose are accurately set down to shew how those seaven bright eyes of Gods providence which go over all the world Zach. 4.10 have been ever waking and watchful over both predictions and accomplishments to bring them just together in the just point and period fore-appointed Christ must not be born neither in Egypt nor in Nazaret nor in his fathers house but in a journey and in an Inne at Bethlem because i◠〈…〉 so foretold that Bethlem the least of all the Cities in Judea should be made 〈◊〉 highest in this priviledge Again Christ though the Son of David must not bee brought up in Bethlem the City of David nor yet being of the Kings seed in Jerusalem the City and seat of the Kings but in Nazaret that hee might be called a Nazarite Whatsoever therefore God hath promised in the Scriptures wait in faith for the accomplishment this providence will not suffer it unaccomplished but make not haste hee hath a due season for it which thou must patiently expect and the patient abiding of the just shall not miscarry 2 Note hence That Christ was the only true Messiah and could not have been so if hee had not been
of God which is the curse of the Law and not onely Ceremonially and typically as they were This the Apostle Paul teacheth Gal. 3.13 that Christ was not onely dead but made a curse for us his reason is because hee dyed on a tree and therefore are wee admonished Phil. 2.8 to consider not only that Christ was obedient unto the death but to the death of the Cross for any other death had not so much concerned us Fourthly This death which so much concerned all the Church of the Jews and Gentiles must not bee obscure and therefore the Lord would not have Christ to dye in a tumult or in secret but most conspicuously and apparently at Jerusalem the great City of the Jews but tributary to the Romans as it were upon the Theatre of the World at a solemn feast when all the Males out of all quarters must appear before the Lord upon a Cross high erected that all might see him and on the Cross himself proclaimed King of the Jewes in three several Langages the Latine Greek and Hebrew that all sorts of men might come to the knowledge of it and further because in his death standeth our life hee must bee thus lifted up that all men might see him certainly dead and that he dyed not in shew and appearance only but in deed and in truth really and perfectly for which cause also our Apostle doubleth his affirmation they slew him and hanged him on a tree which most necessary ground of Faith and Religion Satan hath mightily by many Hereticks sought to overthrow the Turks at this day are held off from the faith in this Messiah by that Diabolical suggestion that not Christ himself but Simon the Cyrenian was miraculously crucified in his stead And therefore because the assurance of the death it self assureth us more fully of all the fruits and benefits of it the Scripture is careful so pregnantly to confirm it as that it cannot be denied not only that he was in the sight of a number of thousands dead on the Crosse but by his three days burial by the peircing of his side out of which came water and bloud by which was manifest that the very Call of his heart was peirced by the confession of his very enemies who would beleeve nothing but their own sences and lastly by the fact of the Souldiers who whereas they hastened the death of the Theeves by breaking their leggs they broke not his because the text saith they saw that he was dead already The fourth point is the use of Christs Crucifying First in Christ on the Crosse take a full view of the cursednesse and execration of sin and consequently of thine own wretchednesse both in regard of thy wicked nature and cursed practices every sin being so loathsome and odious in the eyes of God as the least could never be put away but by such an ignominious death of the Son of God himself If thou lookest at sin in thy self or in thy sufferings yea or in the sufferings of the damned in Hell it will seem but a slight thing but behold God comming down from Heaven and him that thought it no robbery to bee equal to his Father in glory taking flesh in that flesh abasing himself to the death of the Crosse on that Crosse sustaining the whole wrath of his Father and so becoming accursed for it and thou shalt see it in the native face of it And indeed this one consideration setteth a more ugly face upon sin than the Law possibly can for that sheweth our sins to bee a knife to stab our selves withall The most ugly visage of sin that can be but this to be the very spear that went to Christs heart which is the most odious apprehension in the world all the sin that ever was committed on the earth could not bring a man so low suppose one man had committed them all as the least sin of the elect brought the Son of God seeing he that falleth lowest falleth but from one degree in earth to another but Christ falleth from the glory of Heaven into the very sorrows of Hell whosoever thou art then that makest light account of sin and pleadest that God is merciful look a little in this glasse wherein behold Gods Justice and sins desert in the Fathers just indignation against his wel-beloved Son whom nothing but the cursed death of his only Son in whom he professed himself well pleased could appease Secondly seeing all the knowledge of Christ profitable to salvation is of Christ crucified let us desire to know nothing in comparison but Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 seeing such a great Apostle as Paul was desired to know nothing else Now to come to the distinct knowledge of it we must consider these three points 1 The vertue and power of this death in it self 2 The application of it unto our selves 3 The fruits which must appear in us by such application For the first Look upon this death of the Son of God not as of another dead man neither think or speak of it as of the death of another ordinary felon executed but as of a death which slew all the sins of all the beleevers in the world and as a destroyer of all destroyers a death wherein was more power than in all the lives of all Angels and Men that ever were or shall bee More power in Christs death than in the lives of all men and Angels yea such a death as hath life in it quickning all the deaths of all that have benefit by it Here we have a mighty Sampson bearing away the gates of his enemies by death killing death by suffering his Fathers wrath overcoming it by entring into the Grave opening it for all beleevers by his Bloud shedding upon the Crosse reconciling all things Col. 1.20 never was there such an active suffering of any man which tormented and crucified the Devils themselves when the Devils instruments were tormenting and crucifying him it is peerlesse and unmatchable no Martyr ever thus suffered though Popish doctrin would match as Corrivals some of their Saints sufferings with it the most faithful Martyrs suffered but dissolution of soul and body but Christ besides suffered the whole Wrath of God due to mans sin they suffered in way of Christian duty and service but he to make a sacrifice of expiation of sin they having their sins removed and taken off from them but he bare all theirs and all beleevers sins in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Howsoever therefore Humane wisdom stumbleth at this death of Christ yet must we by the eye of faith labour to espy glory in ignominy esteem of the Crosse as an honourable Chariot and rejoyce in a triumph made as the Jews scoff by an hanged man thus shall we see the foolishness of God wiser than man and the weakness of God stronger than man thus also shall we imitate the holy men of God who looking back to the Cross of Christ could
To beleeve the resurrection is an hard point what an hard thing it is to beleeve the resurrection from the dead yea if wee should hear it Preached from the blessed mouth of the Son of God himself The Disciples of Christ had often heard him teaching them particularly of his resurrection the third day they had seen him accordingly risen yea they had handled him with their hands yet unless hee condescend to admit them as familiarly to eat and drink with him as before they scarcely beleeve neither can wee think the Disciples flower of heart to beleeve than our selves are who are ready to say in any thing that our eyes see not with Mary How can this be But that neither they nor wee should sink down in this weakness hee hath pleased to condescend to our infirmity to remove all scruple from them and us in this main article of our religion His wisdome saw how necessary it was that they who were to bee witnesses unto him should bee enabled with much perswasion both by lively voice and by writing to assure all other beleevers of the certainty of his Resurrection till his return to judgement and therefore to all the other means of manifesting himself hee added this to sit down among them to eat and drink with them not to feed himself by that meat but their faith and in them the faith of the whole Church For what is it that more confirmeth and strengtheneth our Faith than the boldnesse and liberty of the Apostles both in their Sermons and Writings and whence is this but from their own full perswasion of the truth which maketh them bold and whence is this perswasion but from certain sense and undoubted knowledge arising from their familiar converse with him after his resurrection Vse 1. To strengthen this our weak Faith by this consideration conceive with thy self that Christ ate and drunk with his Disciples that thy Faith might bee nourished as well as others and in that they saw him heard him handled him ate and drunk with him and being faithful witnesses have Preached and by writing avouched the same to all the world thy Faith must bee as fully assured as if thine own eyes had seen him thine own hands handled him and thy self had sit with him at the Table while hee ate and drunk among them yea so often as thou hearest or readest or thinkest of any of these things so often must thou bee renewing and adding something to thy Faith in this behalf as every new apparition or manifestation of Christ added something to the faith of his Apostles 2 In that our Lord after hee was gloriously raised from the dead would still for those forty daies depart from his glory abasing himself to converse with sinful men yea to eat and drink corruptible creatures of which his incorruptible body had no need and would still humble himself to condescend to the weaknesse of his Church wee are to learn the same lesson towards our Brethren to be of a yeelding disposition ready to depart with some of our right for their good and edification and carry our selves as weak to the weak and become all things to all men to save some Vers 4â— And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that he is ordained of God a Judge of quick and dead A Third argument to prove that Christ is raised from the dead and so is indeed the true Messiah and Lord of his Church is that he gave Commission and Commandement to his Apostles to become Preachers and witnesses as of other points so especially of this that howsoever hee was adjudged to death according to that judgement executed and laid as one foyled by death for the space of three days yet he is now gloriously raised again and appointed of God the Judge of all that ever have lived doe or shall live to the end of the world In the verse we have three things to be handled 1 That preaching is a reverent and necessary ordinance of Christ himself And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie 2 The object of this ordinance or what wee must preach namely Christ that he is c. 3 What particular doctrin concerning Christ must more especially be preached that he is ordained of God a judge of quick and dead In the first of these are two branches to bee cleared 1 That preaching is the ordinance of Christ. 2 The necessity which will easily bee deduced from the former That Christ instituted this holy ordinance is plain Matth. 28.19 Goe preach to all nations baptizing them c. the which commission that it was extended beyond their persons to such as should in after ages succeed them appeareth by his last words and behold I am with you to the end of the world Preaching the ordinance of Câ—rist And that the ordinary teachers are no lesse the gift of Christ than the Apostles themselves is as plain Ephes 4.11 he therefore gave some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and some Teachers Neither must this trouble us that both in this place alleadged as also in some other it is attributed to the Father to send and give Pastors according to his own heart Jer. 3.15 25.4 and sometime to the Holy Ghost Acts 20.28 Take heed to your selves and the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers 1 Cor. 12.11 and all these things worketh even the self-same Spirit distributing to every man severally even as he will For 1 All those external works are common to all the three persons and where any one of them are named in any action done without themselves no one of them is excluded but all the three must be included 2 The Divinity of Christ is not obscurely proved in that the same glorious actions of the Father and the Holy Ghost are ascribed also unto him as from Heaven whither he ascended to give several gifts for the work of the Ministery 3 That we might better instruct our selves in their several order and manner of working the self same action for the Father is the Fountain and the first Author of all these gifts the Son properly is the distributer and giver for the Father worketh all in us by the Son and both of them by the communication of the blessed Spirit even as the Sun by his beams sendeth light and heat unto the inferiour creaturâ—s Object But this ordinance of preaching seemeth not to be Christs because it was long before his Incarnation and now remaineth after his ascension when hee cannot call men as he called the Apostles while he was on earth Ans The Ministry of the Gospel in the proper acception of it hath two things to be considered First the being of it Secondly the vertue and efficacy of it The being of it as it was the Ministery of the New Testament wherein glad tidings were published to all Nations was temporary beginning in the time of Christ and shall