suffer in love and if wee love wee shall serve and suffer long as Jacob for Rachel and think all nothing only because we love Love is that lively motive which makes our obedience full 't is that vertue which comprehends all other vertues Gradn eminentia for if we doe and suffer out of love we are at the highest pitch possible attainable Love saith the Apostle fulfils the Law nor can any vertue so long hold out 'T is as strong as death Cant. 8.6 7. Acquaint your selves with Gods transcendent excellencies but above all set your thoughts a working in deepest and humblest meditation of his love to you in Christ God loved us loved us first loved us being enemies yea so loved us as to give his Sonne to us yea as to give him to death for us to an accursed and shamefull death and he asketh nothing of us but this that we beleeve in him and so hee good to our soules If Faith be in the worke Love will break out yea break out into teares of joy to an exrasie Psal. 31.21 Psal. 116.1 I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce and may supplications because hee hath inclined his eare unto mee therefore I will call upon him so long as I live Gal. 2.20 The result of all is this Wee must suffer and indure afflictions as out of love so with joy The Argument That which makes for our eternall blessednesse is to be indured with joy But Afflictions makes for out eternall blessednesse erge not that we are to rejoyce in our afflictions but in the act exercise of our patience or rather Christs working them in us and so in the assurarce of Gods love and favour as the penitent not in his sinnes but in his teares for sinne Acts 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the counsell rejaycing that they wene counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmâ—ies in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake But be you therefore cheerefull in afflictions they are but for a few dayes and then comes glory Every Bird can sing in a cleare Heaven onely the Nightingale sings in a storme Rom. 5.2 3. By whom wee have accesse by faith into this grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in the glory of God and not onely so but wee glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. If your hearts grow heavie recover your selves with David Psal. 42.5 Why art thou so sad O my soule and why so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God Soli Deo gloria THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE I TIMOTHIE 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up into Glory WHat the Evangelists speake of Christ by way of Historie the Apostle here discovers as a great Mysterie Without all controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse c. Where behold as in a Scale of Gradation first a Mysterie secondly a great Mysterie thirdly a great Mysterie of Godlinesse fourthly a great Mysterie of Godlinesse without all controversie Next the Veyle being as it were rent wee see what that great Mysterie is God made manifest in the flesh So then the Apostle here shewes you first that there is a Mysterie secondly declares what that Mysterie is First a Mysterie This word in its owne language speaks some sacred and secret thing full furnished with matter of knowledge but not clearely understood either because there is something betweene us and it or because it selfe is too hard for us and Mysteries there are many 1 Cor. 13. If faith the Apostle I knew all Mysteries thereby giving us to understand that there are Mysteries of severall sorts some greater some lesser whatsoever others are this is great Secondly a great Mysterie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This saith the Apostle speaking of Marriage Eph. 5.32 is a great Mysterie because it shadoweth forth unto us the Union that is betwixt Christ and his Church But Thirdly 't is not onely great but godly a Mysterie of Godlinesse Godlinesse is the scope of it it teaches not onely to beleeve what God promiseth but to obey what God commandeth and godlinesse faith the Apostle is great gaine it hath the promise of this life and the life to come it s therefore a Trade saith one of a good returne which way soever you looke Nay more Fourthly the Mysterie here is not onely great a Mysterie of Godlinesse but all this without controversie There are many great Mysteries in the world but not great without controversie nay not without great Controversies The world you see is full of desperate Disputes about Truth whilest Truth her selfe lyes neglected in the middle like Moses his body when the Devill and the Archangel strove about it dead and buried no man can tell where Religion as one complaines of old is even lost in Questions about Religion wee pull so violently in our unprofitable Disputes that at length breaking the Rope wee sall more asunder yea the one side if not both must at last fall to the ground But what is the Mysterie here so great so godly and both without controversie God made manifest in the flesh So that here is first Height God secondly Depth in the flesh thirdly Breath manifest that is God not onely made man but shewing himselfe a man First Height God Job 6.26 Secondly Depth God in the flesh that is the Godhead not absolutely considered but as personally restrained to the Sonne and to him not simply neither as he is God but as a Person subsisting in the Godhead The Word was made flesh saith S. John that is the second Person {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Word of God who as wee begat words out of our thoughts beget his Sonne out of himselfe as it were by thinking within himselfe an eternall Generation Not the Father nor the holy-Ghost is made man for then there should have beene two Sonnes but the middle person betweene both as to preserve the integritie of the blessed Trinitie so the better to undertake the office of Mediation betweene God and man But yet though Father and holy-Ghost had no communion with the incarnation of the Sonne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Damascen otherwise then by assent and approbation yet for as much as the Sonne is of the same substance with the Father coeternall coessentiall with him God blessed for ever Amen for as much as the Word and Deitie are both one subject should wee exclude the nature of God from incarnation wee should make the Sonne of God not to be very God Undoubtedly therefore the Nature of God in the Person of the Sonne is incarnate and therefore though incarnation may not be granted to any
unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel THe words are a promise made by our Lord and Saviour to the Apostles but extended to the Gentiles and so to the whole family of God for as they exclude Judas though present when Christ spake by reason of his apostasie so they include us though many Generations after through many Generations being beleevers The scope is to infringe those argnments of discouragement in the wayes of God which Satan and our owne corruption may and doe too often presse us with What profit is there in serving God To strengthen us against this objection Ye saith Christ who have followed me c. answerable whereunto is that of his if any man serve me him will my Father honour Observe in the words First a president of Christian Imitation Yee that have followed mee Secondly a reward of that Imitation Yee shall sit on twelve Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Thirdly the determinate terme or time of this glory {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the renovation and instauration of the whole world when Christ in his Throne of glory shall declare himselfe to bee the Sonne of God First the president of Imitation Yee that have followed me Christ is the example wee are all to follow hee cryes unto us as unto Matthew Come and follow mee But who is able to finde the way of a Serpent on a stone the way of a Ship on the Sea or of an Eagle in the ayre these saith Salomon are indiscernable and are not the wayes of Christ much more unsearchable His name is wonderfull hee rides upon a Cherub and makes darknesse his pavilion If discernable yet saith the Apostle hee inhabits Eternitie and dwells in Light inaccessible The workes of Christ are of two sorts first incommunicable secondly communicable Incommunicable As the work of his merit and mediation these cannot be imitated for saith the Apostle There is but one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Jesus no other name given whereby we may be saved They have not to doe with the Censer to offer incense who have not to doe with the Altar to offer Sacrifice Incommunicable also is the worke of Government and influence into his Church his dispensing the Spirit to the quickning of the Word his subduing his enemies his gathering together his people these are all personall Honours appertaining unto Christ as our Head and Saviour Communicable The actions of Christ whereof by his Grace others have been and may be made partakers and these are either extraordinary or ordinary Extraordinary for ministry and service not for sanctity or salvation such were the miraculous workes of the Apostles by way of priviledge and temporary Dispensation to them granted Ordinary and universall belonging to all his Members as praying fasting doing good c. Wee are then to follow Christ not in all things he did but in those things onely which he himselfe did and hath commanded he in the ordinary way of his obedience must be the type and patterne of ours Pirst Active Did Christ readily do what his Father commanded him so must wee when they sought unto him to make him King he refused that honour and weâ—t unto a Mountaine So ought we even to dye unto the honours and pleasures of this world How can you beleeve saith Christ if yee seeke honour one of another Was Christ meek and gentle and courteous so ought we to be and that because Christ was so Learne of me saith he Math. 11.29 for I am humble and meek And Joâ—. 13.15 having washt his Disciples feet I saith he have given you an example not that we are to wash one the others feet for this was a custome onely of that age and place but that wee are to be of like affections one to the other all humble Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Philip 2.5 Secondly Passive Christ suffered so must we Hee suffered saith the Apostle Peter leaving us an example If any man saith Christ will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse daily and follow me So that in suffering we are of Christs own Order Children of the Crosse and if wee suffer with him wee shall be glorified with him Rom. 8.17 Heb. 12.1 2. Christ not onely suffered but in suffering submitted unto his Fathers will Not my will but thine bee done So was â—ee as a Lambe before the shearer dâ—mbe Thus ought wee to doe in all our sufferings Si filius quante magis servuns Bern. So shall wee possesse our selves in an holy silence Lastly Christ being to bid the world sarewell prayes for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they doe Thus ought we not onely to forgive but also to intreat God that hee also would forgive them that hate or hurt us We must follow Christ through the whole walke of his morall obedience his whole life was a living and shining and exemplary Precept a visible Commentary on the Law of God Et {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Nyssen Christianitie is nothing else then an imitation of our Maker Wee must bee holy aâ— hee is holy not in respect of equality but quality Tam non tantum we must bee as truly and sincerely holy following him as Peter Elonginque a farre off or as a little Childe his Father Non passibus equis so fast as wee can saying as the Church in one of her Songs of Love Draw us and wee will runne after thee The Reasons First this is one of the ends why Christ came into the World for first hee came to Redeeme us and then to sanctifie us This is hee saith Saint John that came by water and blood by blood to take away the guilt by water to take away the filth of sinne Secondly without this Imitation of Christ no sanctification for we are sanctified when wee are renewed unto God re-indued with the Image of God whereunto we were at first created Now in an Image there are these two things First the similitude of one thing to another Secondly a deduction derivation or impression thereof on some other from which againe wee take a third a fourth c. in want of which we alwayes run to the Originall the prototype Now as for the Image of God its holineffe Colos. 3.10 And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him This in our first Creation did gloriously shine in our faces in Adam wee lost it and therefore wee must all to God againe for it But this cannot be wee cannot come so neere him as to looke into him for he is a consuming fire hee dwells in light inaccessible 1 Tim. 6.16 Who onely hath
the remembrance whereof may comfort them at night nay doing things hurtfull both to themselves and others and thus continually Thus account So much time spent in idle Games so much in unprofitable Companie which might have beene spent in hearing reading praying meduation exercise of humiliation for my soules health or in workes of mercie for the benefit of my afflicted Brother did ever my Lord and Saviour thus walke thus converse Fourthly Christ walked justly towards man never deceived any by thought word or deed There was no guile found in his mouth Never covetousnesse entred his heart hee gave every man his due An admirable patterne of Civill Righteousnesse This must wee follow wee must walke as hee walked c. Fifthly Christ walked in the Light and this a three-fold Light first in the puritie of his Nature there was no darkenesse in him at all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} none at all in his minde no darkenesse of ignorance in his will and affections no darkenesse of disorder secondly in the light and puritie of holy conversation hee never committed any workes of darkenesse thirdly in communion and fellowship with his Father who dwells in Light inaccessible Thus must wee walke First full of the Rayes of spirituall understanding the Word of God not onely dwelling in our heads but in our hearts and in both {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} richly Secondly acting that Spirituall life in our lives and conversation walking as Children of the Light and of the Day Qui male agit odit lucem Thirdly Embracing communion with our God and rejoycing therein as also in the place and meanes of his presence Though worldly men are then onely merry when the thoughts of God are banished their hearts yet are the Saints of God no longer well then in his presence 1 John 1.7 If wee walke in the Light as he is in the Light wee have fellowship one with another and the blond of Jesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne Ye that have followed Christ you that have framed your lives according to his example you who together with him are of the same minde those are they that follow the Lambt whither soever he goes Thus you have the Saints and in them their motion but what of these You saith Christ shall sit on twelve Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Here is their Quies The degrees here are many wee shall arise with them in our discourse according to their order First They shall sit Wee are here full of labour subject to many changes alterations and discontentments Man saith Iob shooteth forth like a Flower and is cut downe he vanisheth away as a Shadow and never continueth in one stay But a day is comming wherein wee shall rest from all our labours Revel. 14. Blessed are they that die in the Lord they rest from their labours wherein wee shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on us or any heat Revel. 7.16 Wherein God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes Revel. 21.4 You see in nature all things labour to attaine their last perfection so our bodyes here subject to mutabilitie to Diseases the Stone the Gout Feavers by which Death entring within our Walls surprizeth the Castle of our hearts and thus are wee still in motion to our last Exit alwayes tending to perfection whither when wee come and arrive up above Sunne Moone and Starres wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of Heaven The Needle touched by the Load-stone never gives over his trembling motion till it stand against the North Pole till it come to its Point so wee having once touched Christ the true Load-stone of our Soules by faith neither are nor can be at rest till wee rest not onely in him but with him Then shall our bodyes be immutable then shall wee sit downe and rest for ever Be of good comfort your labours in Egypt your travailes in the Wildernesse shall not last for ever a day of rest is comming In the meane time let us take the advice and counsell the Apostle Peter gives Acts 1.19 Repent and turne unto the Lord that your sinnes may be done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Thus the followers of Christ shall one day sit and rest them It followeth Secondly They shall sit on Thrones What these Thrones are is no lesse unprofitable then curious to enquire its like they shall be of the Aire because saith the Apostle wee shall meet the Lord in the Aire and if conforme to that of our Saviour it must be so for he shall ride in the Aire and make the Clouds his Chariot Revel. 14.14 I looked and behold a white Cloud and upon the Cloud one sate like unto the Sonne of man c. But whatsoever these Thrones are they promise two things sweetest Rest and greatest State Sweetest Rest and tranquilitie full acquiescence not onely to their bodies as you have heard but to their soules Their bodies shall be free from the paine of travaile and the mutabilitie of corruption their soules shall be free from the waves of trouble and the conflicts of passion no feare no griefe no wrath no desire nor carnall affection shall any way disturbe the quietnesse of their sweet Repose they shall be as satisfied with the fulnesse of the Lord so also secured by the omnipotencie of his greatnesse And as they shall enjoy sweetest Ease so shall they have greatest State for as to sit speakes Rest so to sit in the presence of God speakes Greatnesse and Dignitie and this infinite and most incomparable But why twelve Thrones Chrysostome and his followers confining the words to the Apostle makes the soule of every Christian to be a Throne or place of residence thus They that receive the words of John are the throne of John they that receive the words of Peter are the throne of Peter c. But surely the words extend farther and have respect to CHRISTS Tribunall where all the Elect have their severall places and sit at Table with him in the Kingdome of Heaven Augustine thinkes the number twelve therefore to bee here used because of the perfection of it and so falls on a Platonicall mysterie But not to trouble you with curiosities the certaine number of twelve is here put for an incertaine a finite for an infinite so that by twelve Thrones wee are to understand an universality of Thrones provided for the Saints in the highest places For saith Christ in my Fathers House are many Mansions Thirdly On those Thrones they shall sit and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel They shall judge There is a judgement of power and authoritie and that belongs to God the Father for hee is Iudge of the whole earthy There is a judgement of honour and delegates that belongs to Christ as hee is man for the Father hath given all judgement to the Sonne