of John the Baptist The same came to bear witness of that Light John 1.7 and who was it to whom he came to bear witness but Christ He adds Verse 8 He namely John the Baptist was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light But how then says our Saviour of this holy Baptist John 5.35 He was a burning and a shining Light and of his Apostles in general Ye are the Light of the World Matth. 5.14 The Answer is facile and easie John was a Light or as it were a Candle or a Torch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving Light to men but he was not that Light The Apostles were said to be the Light of the World but Light enlightened whereas Christ is the enlightening Light as the Evangelist proceeds to say concerning Christ John 1.9 He is the true Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World So was not John the Baptist nor the Prophets nor any other man but Christ alone Therefore he alone takes it to and says it of John 8.12 himself I am the Light of the World And this as Jansenius well observes agrees to Christ both as God and as Man For according to his Divine Nature he is the Light Secundum divinam naturam lux est quia secundum eam hominum mentes occultis suis radiis perstringit suggerens quae sunt justa salutaria Secundum humanam item naturam lux est quia in assumpta humanitate verbo simul exemplo fugatis ignorantiae peccatorum tenebris docuit demonstravit quae sunt justitiae vertutis Concord Evang. cap. 77. because in respect of it he dazles the mindes of men with his hidden beams and suggests those things that are just and saving And in regard of his Humane Nature he is the Light because in his assumed Humanity both by word and by example driving away the darkness of Ignorance and sins he hath taught and shewed the things that belong to Justice and Vertue And the same Author further observes Emphatice dicit Ego sum lux mundi significans praeter se neminem esse lucem mundi si quis sit per ipsum esse participatione scilicet sui luminis ratione cujus Apostolos dixit esse lucem mundi Neque ergo Mosen significat fuisse lucem mundi ut qui parvam mundi partem obscuro suo lumine non veluti Sol sed veluti lucerna illustravit Nec rursus Philosophos Gentium aut Pharisaeorum doctores ut qui mundo tenebras potius offuderint quam ex eo fugaverint sed se unum toti mundo hoc esse spiritualiter quod Sol visibile mundo corporaliter Ibid. That Christ did emphatically say I am the Light of the World signifying That besides himself none is the Light of the World and that if any other be a Light to the World he is so by him namely by partaking of his Light in which respect he said that his Apostles are the Light of the World He shews that Moses was not the Light of the World as who enlightened onely a small part of the World and onely with a dim Light not as a Sun but as a Candle He notes also that neither the Philosophers the Teachers of the Gentiles nor the Pharisees the Teachers of the Jews were the Light of the World as who did rather cast darkness upon the World then drive it away from the World and that he alone is that to the whole World in spiritual which the visible Sun is in bodily respects And the Resemblance holds in sundry Particulars 1. The Light receives no pollution though it shines on a dunghil or on any place most loathsom and filthy yet it remains still pure and untainted So our Saviour though he came to a sinful World as to a stinking dunghil or a Golgotha a place of dead mens skulls yet he retained his purity still he converses with Pharisees with Publicans and Sinners yet is not infected by them many of them were bettered by him he not liable to be corrupted by any of them 2. Light is a common benefit no people is there to whom it is appropriated no people excluded from the comfort of it it shines upon all there is no Monopoly no ingrossing of it So is Christ a common benefit to all Believers of all Nations of all ranks and degrees to Jews to Gentiles to high to low to rich to poor to Master to Servants to male to female to learned to unlearned So says the Apostle There is neither Jew nor Greek Gal 3.28 there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Every man therefore is invited unto him Isai 55.1 with promise to receive benefit by him Ho every one that thirsts says Christ by the Prophet come buy of me Milk and Wine Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all that labor and are heavy laden John 7.37 and I will give you Rest If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Let him that is a thirst come Rev. 22.17 and whosoever will let him take of the Water of Life freely See in all these the Invitation general and no sorts of persons excluded 3. Light expels Darkness so doth Christ expel the darkness of Ignorance When Christ came into the World he drove out the Darkness that was in the World before and brought in a clearer Manifestation of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God then had been formerly in the World Life and immortality is brought to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 and that by Christ for this Salvation discovered in the Gospel was first preached by the Lord himself Hebr. 2.3 And when Christ comes first into the Soul he findes all covered with a worse then an Egyptian Darkness and so Saint Paul says of the Gentiles Eph. 4.18 That they had their understanding darkened but he dispels this Darkness setting up yea being a Light in our Souls In which respect St. Paul says to the Ephesians Ye were once Darkness Eph. 5.8 now ye are Light in the Lord. 4. We hear what our Saviour says John 12.37 He that walketh in Darkness doth not know whither he goes And again If a man walks in the night he stumbles John 11.10 because there is no Light in him but he that walks in the day Verse 9 stumbles not because he sees the Light of the World And as it is for going so it is for action In the dark a man knows not what he doth but Light directs as the Foot in walking so the Hand in working In this also Christ resembles the Light Saint Paul while Saul being a stranger from Christ who wonders to see him guilty of gross miscarriage 1 Tim. 1.13 Gal. 1.23 Acts 9.1 Acts 8.3 A blasphemer a persecutor and injurious destroying the Faith breathing out Threatenings
to oppose Christ not in Himself not in his Religion not in his Ordinances not in his Members If we do such opposition will cost us dear no other then our ruine can be the fruit of it As we therefore love our selves let us desist 5. Let us cast our selves upon Christ for Salvation so shall we be impregnable against all opposition 6. Let us Gentiles praise God for his mercy giving his Son to dye for us by which he hath taken away the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances and so breaking down the middle wall of partition and by his Resurrection making him the chief corner-stone by whom it comes that we Gentiles who were once farre off are now made neer and become fellow-citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God CHAP. XV. Christ and the Sun CHrist our Saviour is set forth to us under this notion as in that Prophesy of Malachi unto you Mal. 4.2 that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise In which place as is acknowledged by all Interpreters promise is made to the godly of the coming of Christ in the flesh And so Saint John sets out the Church as a woman clothed with the Sun that is Rev. 12.1 with Christ And the resemblance holds in many particulars 1. The Sun hath no spots though the moon may have so the Church and the members of it have impurity remaining in them for the work of Sanctification is onely begun in this life and the height of a Christian while he lives in this world is onely a progresse towards perfection of Holinesse Of a Christian while he lives here its true that the Apostle saies The flesh lusts against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 and the Spirit against the flesh therefore while we live here we have a mixture of flesh and spirit old and new man corruption and grace Gen. 25. as Rebeccah had two contrary Nations in her womb we must so long as we live give our selves to the exercise of Mortification Col. 3.5 Mortifie your members that are on the Earth that is corruption Therefore there are remainders of impurity in the best men which is the subject of this mortification And while we live here we are tyed to that precept Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3 18 therefore the work of Grace and Holinesse is imperfect in us all for perfection and growth are inconsistent Finally it s most true that Saint James saies Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all therefore there are in us remainders of impurity Thus is it with the best men But with him it s farre otherwise He was and is holy Heb. 7.26 1 Sam. 2.2 harmless undefiled Considered as God he is infinitely holy incomparably holy There is none holy as the Lord. So its true of him that Saint John saies 1 Joh. 1.5 He is light and in him there is no darkness Considered as man he is perfectly Holy the Holy Ghost Sanctified the womb of the Virgin and stopt the course of Original sin that it should not diffuse it self to the Humane Nature of Christ therefore he is called That Holy thing Luk. 1.35 and hence it was that His Life was sin-lesse so that he could appeal to his enemies Which of you convinces me of sin 2. The Sun drives away darknesse and enlightens the World so doth our blessed Saviour by his Gospel outwardly and by his Spirit inwardly drive out the darknesse of ignorance and enlighten our mindes savingly to know God and the things that concern our everlasting happinesse Joh. 1.9 He is the true light saies Saint John that enlightens every man that comes into the world And of him Saint Paul saies 2 Tim. 1.10 who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel 3. The Sun enlightening the world cheeres man so doth Christ giving us the knowledge of God cheer and comfort us 4. The Sun gives as light so heat and warmth to the creatures on the earth and so is an instrument to further their growth So Christ warmes our hearts by the expressions of his love unto us Who that is so much as ingenuous hearing or thinking what Christ out of his love to us hath done or suffered for us hath not his heart burning within him who doth not grow in love to God to Christ to his Brethren in this respect To be sure this Love of Christ hath an aptness to produce these effects in us We hear the inferences that that beloved Disciple made in this kinde We love him 1 John 4.19 because he loved us first And If God hath so loved us Verse 11 we ought also to love one another And Saint Pauls serious consideration of Christs Love so warmed his Heart that he doubted not to pronounce that dreadful sentence If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 let him be Anathema Maranatha 5. The Sun purges the Earth Water and Ayr by exhaling and drawing up the Mists and Fogs that are in them so doth Christ sanctifie the Soul and purge the Heart This is attributed to Christ Eph. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and cleanse it He that is Christ It that is the Church And again Sanctified in Christ that is 1 Cor. 1.2 sanctified by Christ Hence we may learn sundry things 1. That Christ is fit to be a Saviour to us and an High Priest for us in that he was and is so transcendently pure unspoted Heb. 7.26 for such an High Priest it became us to have who was holy harmless undefiled had he been in any degree polluted with corruption and defiled with sin he had been so far from having been a meet Saviour for us that he should have needed some other to have been a Saviour for him or he should have needed to have offered sacrifice first for his own sins Verse 27 and then for the peoples as it was with the Levitical Priests Nor had he been fit to have been a Sacrifice for us for all the Creatures that were to be sacrificed under the Law were to be without spot and blemish But behold he is transcendently pure then was he an Alsufficient Saviour Priest and Sacrifice 2. See what a Gift Christ is surpassing all other Gifts that God gives to the Sons of men for behold the great conveniencies that accrue to us by him To know God and Christ how great a benefit is it John 17.3 for this is Life Eternal To have comfort under all the saddest accidents that can befall us how desirable is it And to be made holy and pure what a conveniency is it for without it the beatifical Vision of God is not to be expected Without it says the Apostle we cannot see God Heb. 12.14 and having it we cannot miss of it Matth. 5.8 for says our Saviour The pure in Heart shall see God Behold all these we have from Christ this Sun of
no more Think we Is it not much more perswasive to have God himself speaking then onely to read what is written from him And who desires not more to see his Friend and to hear him speak then to receive a Letter from him And as for those godly Persons to whom the Son of God did not appear they had yet their Ancestors that could tell them I have seen the Lord And the Lord hath spoken to me Yea it was far more commodious for the Church which was to enjoy the benefit of the written Word that the foregoing Church should thus be delt withall by Visions Apparitions c. without a written Word then to have had a written Word from the begining without these for this was a mean to gain more credit to the Scripture which was to follow as it appears by that speech of God to Moses Lo I come unto thee in a thick Cloud Exod. 19.9 that the People may hear when I speak unto thee and believe thee for ever In which words God gives this as a Reason why the Israelites should hear God speaking to Moses before Moses should write any thing namely that they should be moved to believe him for ever And so is the case here So that all that space of time which went before the Scripture was to succeeding ages as a preparative to stir up the mindes of men to receive read and hear the Scriptures to be afterwards delivered to the Church with more reverence and undoubted Faith But God would have the Word afterwards commited to writing because then it was needful for that the Church was then much enlarged into many Families and therefore there would have been great uncertainty in matters of Religion and much danger of corruption unless God should still have appeared and spoken to the Fathers of the several Families or unless there were one Prophet in common to teach them all neither of which were or had been so convenient So that had not this heavenly Doctrine been committed to writing there would have been as hath been said much danger of corruption yea we see that before even when the Church was in a narrower compass there was corruption Adam had God revealing his Will to him immediately Gen. 4. 6. and yet Cain his Son brought in corruption yea and afterwards the Sons of God corrupted Religion by their unlawful Marriages God restored the purity of Doctrine to Noah and he teaches it to his Posterity and they being dispersed over the face of the Earth it was committed specially to the Posterity of Shem and yet within the space of two hundred years Terah Josh 24.2 Gen. 20 the Father of Abraham serves other gods God again restores the purity of Doctrine to Abraham and makes him a Prophet Isaac succeeds him and Jacob him who dying commends the keeping of it to his Posterity and it 's probable it was kept pure as long as the Sons of Jacob lived but from the death of Jacob's Sons until their departure out of Egypt there were not many above an hundred years and yet the Rule of Godliness was so worn out in that short space of time Ezek. 20.7 8 that even those Israelites bred and born in Egypt forsooke the Religion of their Fathers and took up the Customs of Egypt and became Egyptian Idolaters Much greater danger there would have been of corruption afterwards if the Rule of Godliness had not then been committed to Writing And therefore it pleased God in his Wisdom and Mercy that now at length the Rule of Godliness should be written both to prevent the Errors which might otherwise have prevailed against the Church and also that the Church might have a Rule certain and certainly known by which to try all Doctrines and Practices whatsoever According to that of the Prophet To the Law and to the Testimony Isai 8.20 If they speak not according to that Word it is because there is no Light in them Stand we still and wonder at the Goodness and Wisdom of our gracious God so providing for his Church and answering her necessities so managing his Dispensations as may be most suitable to the condition of the Church particularly in this That he contents himself to deliver this Rule of Godliness by word of mouth when there was less danger of corruption but then committing it to Writing when there was more danger in this kinde Fail we not Psalm 96.8 to give unto God the Glory due to his Name even the Glory of his incomprehensible Wisdom and unspeakable Mercy But be we also careful to answer Gods expectation herein And having this written Word as a sure Rule by which to try all Doctrines Eph. 4.14 Let us not be as Children tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine let us not believe every spirit but try the spirits 1 John 4.1 whether they be of God or not If we be deceived and led into Error having in our hands such a Rule of Tryal who shall pity us But Saint Chrysostom gives another Reason of this various Administration of the Rule of Godliness In the begining God spake to men by himself so he spake to Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ab initio per seipsum loquebatur hominibus Deus secundum quod audire eis erat possibile Sic cum Adam locutus refertur sic cum Noe sic cum Abraham c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vbi autem genus nostrum proclivius in malitiam declinavit à Parente Conditore suo quasi longa quadam peregrinatione discessit confabulatione cessante literis epistolis ad eos tanquam longe à se positos utitur quibus eos veteris cujusdam amicitiae familiaritatis admoneat Tom. 2. in Genes Ser. 1. to Noah to Abraham c. But when Mankinde declined downwards to Wickedness and as taking a long journy departed from their Father and Maker the Confabulation ending he uses Letters and Epistles to them as being far absent from him by which he brings to their minde that Friendship and Familiarity which sometimes they had with him 2. Another difference in this Administration of the Rule of Godliness is in regard of the Persons to whom it was discovered then to one Nation now to all Nations Exo. 10.22 23 As it was in the Plague of Darkness that was upon Egypt all Egypt was in the dark onely the Hebrews in Goshen had Light so was it in the Times of the Old Testament That Light of saving Truth did then shine onely among the Jews all the World besides was then in Darkness It is the Confession that David made He hath shewed his Word unto Jacob Psa 147.19 20 his Statutes and Judgments unto Israel He hath not so delt with any other Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them To this also Saint Paul gives his Attestation first of the Jews to that question What advantage hath the Jew
Rom. 3.1 2 or what profit is there of Circumcision he returns this Answer Very much every way chiefly because to them were committed the Oracles of God But to the Ephesians as Gentiles and consequently to all the Gentiles in them he says At that time namely before they had received the Faith of Christ ye were without Christ being Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Eph. 2.12 and strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World And in this respect he says to the Ephesians Ye were Darkness Eph. 5.8 namely while they remained in their Gentilism Thus it was once but how is it now Hear the Apostle Tit. 2.11 The Grace of God hath appeared to all men Rom. 10.12 for there is now no difference in this respect of Jew and Greek Gal. 3.28 but Jew and Greek are all one in Christ Jesus Or if there be any difference between them it is this That Blindness is in part happened to Israel Rom. 11.25 but the Gentiles have their eyes opened Acts 26.18 and are brought from Darkness to Light and therefore the Apostle says to the Ephesians Now are ye light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 and to the Thessalonians Ye are all the Children of the Light 1 Thes 5.5 and Children of the Day we are not of the Night nor of Darkness So that that double sign given to Gideon is here accomplished The knowledg of the Rule of Godliness was given to the Jews and denyed to all the rest of the World as the dew fell on the fleece Judg. 6.38 when all the floor was dry but now it 's granted to the Body of the Gentiles and denyed to the Jews for the generality of them as the whole floor was filled with dew and the fleece is dry Verse 40 Saint Chrysostom takes notice of this difference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vetus canticum unius populi finibus circumscriptum erat sed novum per omnem terram incedit ab universo decantatur orbe To. 3. Hom. in Psal 96. The old Song says he was confined in the bounds of one little Country namely Palestine but the new Song goes through the whole Earth and is sung by the whole World Let us Gentiles be sensible of the great Mercy of God shewed unto us in that we who were far are now brought nigh by the blood of Christ We that were once strangers and foreigners Eph. 2.13 1◠are now made fellow Citizens of the Saints and of the Houshold of God We that once sat in darkness Matth. 4.16 and in the region of the shadow of death have had the Light shining upon us How forlorn was our Condition before how great is our Preferment now Harken we now to that Prophetical Exhortation of David O praise the Lord Psalm 117.1 all ye Nations praise him all ye People Time was when the Jews justly contended with us Gentiles for a sole interest in God as the Servants of Abimelech with the Servants of Isaac about those two Wells Gen. 26.20 21 Esek and Situah saying The Wells are ours and the Water is ours so they said God is ours and his Word is ours what have ye Gentiles to do to claim an interest in either Verse 22 At last Isaac's Servants found a Well about which there was no contention and they called it Rehoboth saying God hath made room for us in the Land and so may we Gentiles say Now hath God made room for us in the Church and now we have as deep an interest in God and in his Word as ever the Jews had Fail we not therefore to praise God for his Mercy unto us 3. There is yet another difference in the Administration of this Rule of Godliness scil That it is now more clearly revealed to us then it was to the Jews in the Time of the Old Testament It was then propounded to them in dark Types and obscure Prophesies but to us the Types are vanished and the shadows are fled away so that we may with open face behold the Glory of God 2 Cor. 3.18 Saint Paul takes notice of this difference To this day says he remains the Vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament Verse 14 which Vail is taken away in Christ. And this is noted in that The Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom Matth. 27.51 at the Death of Christ and elsewhere he says The Mystery was kept secret since the World began Ro. 16.25 26 but is now made manifest and made known to all Nations And so Saint Chrysostome The Writings of the Prophets says he are like Riddles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Aenigmatibus similes sunt prophetici libri multisque difficultatibus obseptum est vetus Testamentum nec faciles intellectu sunt libri facilius autem dilucidius est Novum To. 3. de Prophetiar obscurit Homil. 1. Gratia novi Testamenti in lege velabatur in Evangelio revelatur Tom. 8. in Psal 144. In Vetere Testamento novum latet in nove vetus patet To. 4. quaest in Exod. q. 73. Testamenta eadem sunt in vetere in novo ibi obumbrata hic revelata ibi praefigurata hic manifestata non solum enim sacramenta diversa sunt sed promissa ibi videntur temporalia proponi quibus spirituale praemium occulte significatur hic autem manifestissime proponuntur spiritualia aeterna Tom. 4. super Numeros q. 33. Quae in Veteri Testamento minus perspicua sunt jam nunc illustrata solvuntur quae umbris adhuc futurarum rerum opacabantur jam factarum luce manifestantur To. 6. Cont. faust l. 13. c. 10. and the Old Testament is hem'd in with obscurity and the Books of the Old Testament are not easie to be understood but the New Testament is more easie and clear And so Saint Austin The Grace of the new Testament was vailed in the Law and is revealed in the Gospel And again In the old Testament the new lyes hid in the new Testament the old is laid open And again The Testaments are the same saies he in the old and in the new but there shadowed here revealed there prefigured here manifested for not alone the Sacraments are divers but also there temporal promises seem to be propounded by which the spiritual reward is in an hidden way signified but here Spiritual and Eternal rewards are most manifestly set forth And again ' The things which are lesse Perspicuous in the old Testament are illustrated and cleared now and the things that were darkned with the shadowes of things to come are manifested by the light of the things already done To this which hath been said as a ground of the foregoing difference I shall add 4. Another and that the last difference in the administration of this rule of godlinesse which is that
of it he wants neither power nor will to communicate this light unto us It was the comfortable assurance wherewith the Church supports her self in her sorrow when I sit in darknesse Mic. 7.8 the Lord will be a light unto me 7. As Christ being the light of the world communicates his light unto us instructing and comforting us so let us having recieved light in any kinde from Christ impart our light unto others for their benefit having been taught by Christ and instructed in any truth let us readily teach and instruct others be not we niggards of our knowledge but readily communicate it to others Thus Andrew having found Christ saies to his brother Peter Joh. 1 41. We have found the Messias and Philip to Nathaneel Vers 45. we have found him of whom Moses did write c. And the woman of Samaria to her neighbours Come see a man Joh. 4.29 that hath told me all things that ever I did is not this the Messias Thus let us do we shall loose nothing by it nay we shall gain by it That of Solomon is verified here There is that scattereth and is more increased and there is Prov. 11.24 25. that withholdeth more then is meet but it tends to poverty the liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself It s a true saying of Clemens Alexandrinus to this purpose A man teaching learnes more and he that speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stromat l. 1. doth often hear with them that hear him And having received from Christ the light of comfort in any distresse let us be ready to comfort others lying under any pressure this saies the Apostle is expected at our hands that we should comfort others with the same comforts wherewith we our selves are comforted of God CHAP. XI Christ and a Lilly Cant. 2.1 CHrist himself in his own words resembles himself to a Lilly I am saies he a Lilly of the Valleyes for so Tremellius makes the two first Verses of this Chapter to be the words of Christ concerning himself And St. Bernard notes the resemblance to stand in sundry particulars 1. Agnosce Lilium Christum ex candore qui mox in ipso exortu floris pastoribus de nocte emicuit 1. Acknowledge Christ to be a Lilly by his Whitenesse who presently in the very springing of this flower shined unto the shepherds by night 2. Acknowledge him also to be a Lilly by his sweet smell 2. Agnosce Lilium ex odore quo longe positis inotuit Magis Et quidem stella apparuit sed eum minime viri graves secuti fuissent nisi intima quadam suaveolentia orti floris traherentur by which he was made known to the wise men who were farre distant from him It s true a star appeared to them but those grave men had never followed it had they not been drawn by the inward sweet smell of that flower now sprung up 3. Et vere Lilium veritas cujus odor animat fidem splendor intellectum illuminat Leva etiam oculos in personam Domini qui de se dicit Ego sum veritas vide quam competenter veritas Lilio comparetur 3. And truth is truly a Lilly the sweet smell of which animates faith and the brightness of which enlightens the understanding And now lift up your eyes to the person of the Lord who saies of himself I am the Truth and see how fitly truth is compared to a Lilly 4 Si non advertisti adverte de medio floris hujus quasi virgulas aureas prodeuntes cinctas candidissimo flore pulchre decenter disposito in coronam agnosce in Christo divinitatem humanae coronatam puritate naturae 4. If thou hast not observed it mark as it were little golden rods issuing out of the midst of the flower and compassed about with a most white flower excellently and fitly disposed as a crown and acknowledge in Christ a Divine Nature crowned with the purity of the Humane Nature 5. And haply 5. Et fortasse propterea ipse se Lilium appellavit quia omnia quae ipsius sunt Lilia sunt conceptio ortus conversatio eloquia miracula passio mors Resurrectio Ascentio horum non candidum quid non suavissime redolens in conceptione refulsit magna superni luminis claritas de supervenientis abundantia Spiritus Ortum candidavit incorrupta Matris Virginitas conversationem innocentia vitae eloqula veritas miracula puritas cordis Passionem patiendi voluntas mortem libertas non moriendi Resurrectionem Martyrum fortitudo Ascensionem exhibitio Quam bonus odor fidei in his singulis nostra quidem qui candorem non vidimus tempora viscera replens In Cant. Serm. 70. for this cause He called himself a Lilly because all things about him were Lillies his Conception his Birth his Conversation his Words his Miracles his Passion his Death his Resurrection his Ascension What of these was not white what of these sent not out a fragrant smell In his Conception did shine forth the great brightnesse of the Heavenly light by the abundance of the Holy Ghost coming on him his Birth was made white by the untainted Virginity of his mother his Conversation by the Innocency of his Life his Speeches by the truth of them his Miracles by the purity of his heart his Passion by his will to suffer his Death by his power not to dye his Resurrection by the courage of the Martyrs his Ascension by the exhibition of the promises He adds by way of close How good and pleasant is the scent and odour of Faith in all these filling indeed our times and hearts who yet never saw his whitenesse But because these words are by many Interpreters of note denied to be the words of Christ concerning himself and affirmed to be the words of the Church concerning her self I shall forbear to follow this resemblance any further Onely in a word we may see how amiable in all respects Christ is and what cause we have to be enamoured of him Christ and a Lion Our dear Saviour is oft in Scripture set out by this resemblance as in Jacobs Prophetical blessing of Judah Gen. 49.9 Judah saies he is a Lions whelp from the prey my Son thou art gone up he couched down as a Lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him up And in that Prophesy of Balaam Numb 24 9. Rev. 5.5 He couched and lay down as a Lion and as a great Lion who shall stir him up and he is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Saint Austin taking knowledge of it that Christ is called a Lion and the devil is called a Lion makes the proportion in both to hold thus Christ is called a Lion Christus leo diabolus leo ille propter fortitudinem ille propter feritatem ille ad vincendum ille ad nocendum To. 10.
against the Disciples of the Lord making havock of the Church and haling men and women to prisons But Christ meets him in the way to Damascus and enters into his Soul and now having Communion with this Light he is directed to better courses of a Wolf he becomes a Sheep yea a careful Shepherd Gal. 1 23 He preaches the Faith which once he destroyed He tenders the Flock of Christ of which formerly he had made havock And so we may see it to have been with others 5. Light is a pleasant thing Eccles 11.7 Truly the Light is sweet says Solomon and it 's a pleasant thing for the Eye to behold the Sun And Prov. 15.30 The Light of the Eyes rejoyces the Heart says he And hence Light is put for Joy Light is sowen for the righteous Psalm 97.11 and Joy for the upright in Heart And thus doth Christ resemble the Light as Jansenius well observes We shall says he rightly understand That Christ doth call himself the Light of the World Recte intellexerimus Dominum se vocare lucem mundi quod per suum Evangelium salutiferum nuncium afflictas omnium mentes venerit exhilaraturus Ibid. because he came to exhilarate the afflicted mindes of men by his Gospel and the Tydings of Salvation And therefore the Angel bringing news to the Shepherds of the Birth of Christ calls it Tydings of great Joy Luke 2.10 11 John 14.16 which shall be to all Nations And therefore calling the Holy Ghost another Comforter he implies That he himself is a Comforter And indeed there is not any affliction either of body or minde under and against which we may not finde matter of comfort in Christ as might be shewed in Particulars Hence we may learn sundry things 1. See the fearful folly of which they are guilty that refuse to accept of Christ when he is offered and offers himself to them in the Word and Sacraments it is thus with many haply might they have him upon their own terms might they keep him and the World together might they keep him and their sins together they would be perswaded easily to accept of him but the case so standing that they cannot keep both together they bid adieu to Christ Oh the folly of these men for now they rejecting Christ refuse to accept of Light and choose rather to live in the dark and how shall they avoyd stumbling and falling And when crosses and afflictions betide them where shall they finde comfort to uphold them while they refuse Christ in whom alone all comfort stands who shall wonder if such as these fall into despair who shall wonder if such in extremity of sorrow offer violence to Nature and prove cruel to themselvs 2. See how comfortable the condition of them is that have an interest in Christ that can say as the Spouse I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine Cant. 2.16 see the great good that accrews to them by him for he is the light and therefore Christ being yours the light of the world is yours he is yours to whom it belongs to expel the darknesse of ignorance out of your mindes and doubt not but he will do it not all at once but by degrees Having him ye shall walk surely and safely ye shall be secured against falling and stumbling ye shall be guided and directed by him in the ordering of your steps Having him ye shall be sure in him to finde comfort against all distresses which may happen to you whether in body or in minde against Satan he hath vanquisht him in himself and he will tread him under your feet against the world Rom. 16.20 Joh. 16.33 Christ hath overcome it for you against your sins Christ hath satisfied Gods justice offended by them and obtained your pardon for He dyed and is risen again Rom. 3.34 and makes intercession for you at Gods right hand against all breaches between God and you Rom. 5.10 for Ye are reconciled to God by the death of his Son against the curse of the Law for Christ hath redeemed you from it Gal. 3.13 being made a curse for you against death 1 Cor. 15.57 for through Christ ye have victory over it And the like in all the rest how happy then is the condition of such 3. Let us learn by Christ to keep our selves unspotted in the worst times in the worst places so did Christ so let us do or at least endeavor to do Gen. 6.9 Job 1.1 It was the commendation of Noah that he was an upright man in that generation when all flesh had corrupted their way and of Job that he feared God and eschewed evil in the Land of Vz thus were these men as the fish that remain fresh in the salt Sea and as the Stars that shine clearest in the dark night and thus let us endeavour that it may be with us Phil. 2.15 according to that exhortation of Saint Paul Be blamelesse and harmlesse the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation 4. Let us learn not to contemn and despise Godly Christians between whom and us there is never so great distance in outward respects though they be poor and we rich they despicable we honourable c. yet despise them not but own them as brethren and give them the right hand of fellowship remembring that as the benefit of the light belongs in common to all creatures so the benefit of Christ to all Christians Gal 3.28 and though in worldly respects there be never so great difference between us and them yet in Jesus Christ we are all one 5. Are we in our places Lights communicating Light to others instructing them in the knowledge of God and of Christ Joh. 1.9 guiding them by the light of our example yet let us walk in all humility remember that Christ alone is that true light enlightening every man that comes into the world and if we be Lights we are but enlightned Lights and the light which we impart unto others we have it not of our selves but from Christ the light of the world Why then should we be proud 1. Cor. 4.7 Remember the argument of the Apostle What hast thou saies he which thou hast not received that is nothing and if thou hast received it namely all that is good why doest thou boast 6. If we want light let us seek to Christ for it who is this great light of the world finde we darknesse remaining in our minds seek to Christ and desire him to dispel it Psal 119.18 and to set up the light of knowledg in us praying as David Open mine eyes that I may see wondrous things out of thy Law find we our selves to sit in the darknes of affliction and sorrow and desire we the light of joy and comfort whether shall we seek for it but to Christ the Fountain of Light and here we cannot miss
himself alone set upon other things besides God so that as the Apostle says That Covetousness is Idolatry Col. 3.5 Eph. 5.5 and the covetous person an Idolater so may it be said of the rest So that even among our selves this Chastity of the Dove is much wanting the more is our shame But Though Israel play the harlot let not Judah sin Hosea 4.15 though most men in the World be so vain as to hunt after other Lovers yet let it be our wisdom to rest content with God alone and cleave fast unto him Give to him alone the Worship that is due to him impart it not to any besides him Pray to him alone do Adoration to him alone love him alone and none else except it be in him and for him Love not the World 1 John 2.25 nor the things of the World rejoyce in him alone let our desires be onely after him Matth. 10.28 Fear not him that can kill the Body but fear him who is able to destroy Soul and Body Trust in the Lord with all thy Heart Prov. 3.5 Exod. 15.11 and so in the rest Who says Moses is like to thee O Lord among the gods And plainly Deut. 33.20 There is none like to the God of Jesurun None therefore so well deserves or can lay so just claim to the Worship of the Soul as this great God And think not now of dividing the Heart between God and any Creature He says My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 not a part of it bigger or lesser but thy whole Heart A King can endure no Partner in his Kingdom nor an Husband in the Love of his Wife nor God in our Hearts If we say of our Hearts to God as David to Mephibosheth concerning his Lands Thou and Ziba divide the Lands 2 Sam. 19.29 30 God will not fail generously to answer as Mephibosheth did Nay let him take all By thoughts of dividing the Soul and the Worship of it between God and the Creature we shall quite exclude him CHAP. VIII The Church and an Hill THe Church is frequently in Scripture set forth by Mount Sion and the Resemblance holds between the Church and an Hill in these Particulars I. In respect of the firmness of the Church Saint Chrysostom takes knowledg of this Particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Merito mons est Ecclesia quod sit firma stabilis nec possit conquassari Sicut enim non potest mons labefactari ita nec Dei Ecclesia To. 3. in Psa 9. Deservedly says he is the Church likened to an Hill because it is firm and stable and cannot be broken to pieces As an Hill cannot be cast down so neither the Church of God No power of men nor yet of Hell can so far prevail Mat. 16.18 It 's the assurance of our Saviour The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Particular visible Churches may be prevailed against and so may fail as we have seen by sad experience of many famous Churches in Asia Africa and other places but the whole Church never failed The glory and splendor of the Church may be much eclipsed and the numbers of it much decreased yet still a Church hath been When the Arian Heresie prevailed most in so much that the whole World lamented that it was turned Arian yet there were some Catholique Bishops and Catholique Christians that held the Faith of the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father and these were the Church And in the Times of the Roman Apostasy when it prevailed most in the World even then were some that did profess and maintain the Faith of Christ and the purity of Gods Worship against the Heresies and Idolatries of the Church of Rome and sealed the Truth of God with their blood and these were the Church then The grounds of this stability of the Church are two 1. The Power of God the Builder and Founder of the Church for what Men or Devils being of finite power can prevail to throw down the Building of this God whose Power is infinite for Job 9.4 who ever strengthened himself against God and prospered 2. The strength of the Foundation upon which the Church is built Christ a Rock Matth. 16.18 upon this Rock I will build my Church says our Saviour that is upon Christ the Rock the subject of Saint Peters Confession and thereupon he infers therefore Mat. 7.24 The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it for so the House built on the Rock stood impregnably against all assaults of rain and floods and winds and the reason is given Verse 25 because it was built on a Rock This affords great comfort to the Church against all her Enemies Thou O Church of God hast many Enemies Satan that Prince of Darkness and his under-agents Hereticks on the one side and Schismaticks on the other side and many wicked and profane men in the World Psalm 137.7 and these are cruelly bent and full of malice against thee crying Raze it raze it even to the Foundation thereof and 83.4 Their aim and endeavor is That the Name of Israel may no more be had in remembrance and oft they are armed with great secular power but yet fear not God is with thee he that built thee will uphold thee and as Hezekiah said for the comfort of his Subjects against the Assyrian Army 2 Chro. 32.7 8 There are more with thee then with them with them is an arm of flesh but with thee is the Lord thy God And thou art built upon Christ the Foundation therefore all opposition made against thee to remove thee out of thy place shall never prevail against thee And let all Enemies upon this ground be advised to desist from their cruel attempts against the Church Who would undertake to wash the Black-moor or any other labor in vain Such will your endeavors be in this kinde as if a man should undertake to remove an Hill out of its place for so is the Church an Hill firm and stable it shall stand and remain when ye have done the worst that ye can do yea your endeavors are against God who hath founded this Hill the Church and against Christ the Rock upon whom it is founded and consequently against your selves and ye can expect no other issue of your attempts in this way but ruine to your selves Desist therefore in time if ye love your selves II. In respect of propinquity and nearness to Heaven as the Hills in regard of their height are nearer to Heaven then other lower parts of the Earth so is the Church so are godly Christians the Members of the Church nearer to God then any other people under Heaven and God nearer to them Eph. 2.13 then to any others The Apostle speaking of the Ephesians as they were Gentiles before they were converted to the Faith of Christ says They were far off but speaking of them after their