is for our good if he send poverty and disgrace it is for our good to fit us for a better state God in his infinite wisdome knowes better what is good for us then we doe for our selves In the want of any thing let us beleeve that Christ is given as a publike treasure to the Church Thus we may improove the grace and riches we have in Christ. Againe let us labour to make a good use of every favour we enjoy of our liberties and recreations we have all by the poverty of Christ therefore let us use them in a sober manner not as the fashion is to cast off all care of Christ to powre out our selves to all licentiousnesse Let us consider this liberty and refreshing that I have it is from the blood of Christ as Davids Worthies when they brake through w th the danger of their lives to get him water Oh saith he I will not drink it it is the blood of these men so whatsoever liberties and good things I have I have it by the poverty of Christ by the blood of Christ and shall I misuse it And certainely it will make us esteeme more highly of our spirituall priviledges then of outward considering they cost Christ so deare He became poore to set us up when we were utterly banckrupt he stripped himselfe of all to make us rich shall we not therefore esteeme and use these things well And when we are tempted to sinne this will be a great meanes to restraine us I am freed from sinne by the blood of Christ shall I make him poore againe by committing sinne Shall I wrong him now he is in Heaven The Iewes despited him on earth in the forme of a servant but our sins are of a higher nature of a deeper double dye we sin against Christ in Heaven in glory When we are tempted to sinne this consideration will make us ashamed to sin since Christ hath bought our liberty from sinne at such a raâ—e shall we make light of sinne that cost him his deare bloud and the sense of his fathers wrath that made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It is impossible that any man should powre out himselfe to sin that hath this consideration Christ became poore that we through his poverty might be made rich The next thing is the ground or spring from whence all this comes it is from grace you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. It was his meere grace There was nothing that could compell him God the Father could not compell him because he was equall with his Father being God there was an equality of essence And then what was there in us that should move him to abase himselfe so low was there any worth in us No we were dead was there any strength in us No we were dead in sins was any goodnesse in us No we were Christs enemies was there any desire in us No we were opposite to all goodnesse in our selves there was no desire in us to be better then we were if God should have let us alone to our owne desires we were posting to Hell It is the greatest misery in the world next to Hell it selfe to be given up to our owne desires A man were better to be given up to the Divill then to his owne desires he may torment him and perhaps bring him to repentance but to be given up to his owne desires leads to Hell It is meerely of grace grace it was the grace of God the Father that gave his Son and it was grace that the Son gave himselfe What is grace It is a principle from whence all good comes from God to us As God loves us men and not Angels it is Philanthropia as Gods affection is beneficiall to our nature so it is love as it is to persons in misery so it is mercy as it is free without any worth in us procuring it so it is grace It is the same affection only it differs outwardly in regard of the object Hence we see that Christ must be considered as a joynt cause of our salvation with the Father It is the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ you see here he became poore to make us rich Indeed he was sent and anointed and sealed and had authority of his Father yet notwithstanding his joynt grace and consent went with it Therefore he was a principle as Chrysostome speaks with a principle he differs nothing at all from his Father but in order of persons first the Father and then the Sonne both being joyntly God and both joynt causes of the salvation of mankinde The Father chose us to salvation the Sonne paid the price for us and the Holy Ghost applyes it and sanctifies our natures God the Father loved the world and gave his Sonne Christ loved the world and gave himselfe he loved mee and gave himselfe for mee saith S. Paul Therefore wee should think of the sweet consent of the Trinity in their love to mankinde so the Father loved us that he gave his Sonne so the Sonne loved us that he gave himselfe so the Holy Ghost loves us that he conveighs all grace to us and dwels in us and assures us of Gods love Wee must not thinke of Christ as an underling in the worke of salvation hee is a principle in the worke from his Father The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ it is the cause of all It was the cause why hee was man It is the cause of all grace that is in us that that is the cause of the cause is the cause of the â—hing caused The grace of Christ is the cause of all in us because it was the cause of Christs suffering from whence we have grace Grace was the cause that Christ was man and that he suffered therefore it is the cause of grace in us Christ was a gift the Father gave him and he gave himself If thou hadst knowne the gift of God saith Christ to the Woman of Samariah Oh it is the greatest gift that ever was Therefore when wee thinke of any one of the Persons in the Trinity we must not exclude the rest but include all which is a comfortable consideration because there is a sweet union of all the three Persons in the great work of salvation As Christ saith I in the Father and the Father in me not in essence alone he is God and I am God but I am in the Father and he in me I consent with the Father and the Father with me we both agree in the great worke of salvation Therefore we should returne the glory of all the good wee have to God the Father and to Christ and as it is in Revel 5. Worthy is the Lambe because he hath redeemed us When we think of the good we have by Christ worthy is the Lambe because he shed his blood for us The Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the
LIGHT FROM HEAVEN Discovering The FOUNTAINE OPENED The ANGELS ACCLAMATIONS The CHURCHES RICHES The RICH POVERTIE In foure Treatises BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE Published according to the Authors owne appointment subscribed with his hand to prevent imperfect Copies AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row 1638. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ROBERT Earle of WARWICK And to the Right Honourable the Lady SVS ANNA Countesse of WARWICKE His pious CONSORT Right Honourable THERE are two things common to man whose nature is capable of Honour one is an appetite of Honour the other a mistaking himselfe about the matter or way of Honour Ambition stirres up the one and Ignorance causeth the other that swels this poysons the heart of man The first Humour did so farre transport some Ancients that they placed very Felicitie in Honour and made strange and unnaturall Adventures for the same The second as an Evill made them to make that to be Honour which is not and denie that to be Honour which is Honour indeed It is no Honour to be wicked nor yet a way to Honour with God or good men and yet some men doe glory in their shame accounting Besenesse it selfe to be their Honour It is the highest Honour and indeed nothing so truly ennobleth to be truly gracious and godly and yet with multitudes of men Religion and Godlinesse are thought staines and blemishes of Honour ignobling Greatnesse it selfe which they shun as the greatest shame The Scriptures make Godlinesse the formall and intrinsecall Cause and Root of Honour Nay it is and was the opinion of the most moderate Philosophers That Vertue is the proper Basis of Honour and that it doth belong to Vertue as a Debt and so much as vertuous so much honourable and though it did not make yet it did dresse a Morall happinesse The Honour of being vertuous is great to all most unto Personages whose bloud runnes Noble and Places are eminent the World eyeth such most and are willing to see if they will shine and readie to commend if they will be forward When great ones are but in the common way of honouring God which is meerely formall and verball this is pleasing and many times winning name and fame unto themselves But when they are found upon the speciall way of honouring God which is radicall and vitall the heart being inwardly affected with the love and purpose and the life full of the courses and discourses of Godlinesse this makes Nobilitie it selfe glorious and eminently to shine And certaine it is that such shall have from God the Honour of secret Acceptation speciall Protection externall Publication and of eternall Glorification they being all Heires under Blessing This honour in all eminency I wish unto your Honours by how much the more God hath already advanced and enlarged your Names and Families not onely in many outward but also in many choise and spirituall respects For your further helpe herein I make my selfe bold to present you with certaine Sermons heretofore preached by D. Sibbs a man whose piâ—ty and parts made him Honourable living and dead For mee to commend the Author unto your Honours were to make the World to judge him either a stranger unto you or a man that had not ingratiated himselfe with you whilest hee lived neere unto you I well knew that he had an Honourable opinion of you both and of yours and that maketh me not blush to passe these his owne Labours under your Noble Patronâ—ges I know his woâ—kes doe and will sufficiently prayse him and You that knew and loved him so well shall in vouchsafing to read over these ensuing Sermons finde his Spirit in them and in a manner heare him although dead yet speaking unto you Looke upon the Worke with acceptance for the Fathers sake and let the World know that he was a man so deservedly respected of you that his learned Labours shall profit you and you by them may be quickned in all the passages of your life to Honour that God who hath so much Honoured you which is the heartie desire of Your Honours to be commanded IOHN SEDEWICK TO THE READER THe highest Points of Christian Religion and such as are most above the Reach of Humane Wisedome are those that lye below in the foundation and therefore are they called the Mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 13.11 and the deepe things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 And the knowledge of these things is tearmed an ascending into Heaven Iohn 3.13 a knowledge of such things as eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor would ever have entred into the heart of man had they not beene revealed to us by him that came downe from Heaven even the sonne of man that is in Heaven That blessed Apostle S. Paul that was rapt up into the third Heaven did yet chiefely desire to studie and teach these Principles of the Doctrine of Christ I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Yea and after all his studie and teaching was not ashamed to confesse of himselfe that he was not yet perfect in the knowledge of Christ nor had attained so much as might be attained but was still therefore looking upward and pressing forward to that which was before Phil. 3.12 13. And indeed what David acknowledged concerning his searching the Scriptures in generall that though he had proceeded further in the discoverie of Divine Truths then those that went before him Psal. 119.99 I have more understanding then all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my meditation yet he was still to seeke of that which might be knowne Vers. 96. I have seene an end of all perfection but thy Commandement is exceeding broad Even as those great Discoverers of the New-found Lands in America at their returne were wont to confesse that there was still a Plus-ultra more might be descryed then was yet seene that may we say concerning those glorious things revealed unto us in the Gospel concerning Christ Proceed we as farre as we can in the studie of them that we know will be nothing to that which is still to be learned for the Riches of Christ herein discovered are indeed unsearchable It is disparagement therefore at all either to those that are the chiefe Masters of the Assemblies to teach or those that are of the highest Forme in Christs Schoole to learne yea and that againe and againe the first Principles of the Oracles of God Sure I am how-ever others puffed up with an opinion of their owne worth may be otherwise minded the Reverend and learned Author of these ensuing Trâ—atises was of this judgement who though he were
we looke forward it is a sight as it were in a Mysterie even that little that we doe know wee doe not know it as we shall know it in Heaven But is the Doctrine of the Gospel it selfe onely a Mysterie No All the Graces are Mysteries every Grace Let a man once know it and hee shall find that there is a Mysterie in Faith that the earthly soule of man should be carryed above it selfe to beleeve supernaturall Truths and to depend upon that he sees not to sway the life by reasons spirituall That the heart of man should beleeve that a man in trouble should carry himselfe quietly and patiently from supernaturall supports and grounds it is a Mysterie That a man should be as a Rocke in the middest of a storme to stand unmoveable it is a Mysterie That the carriage of the soule should be turned universally another way that the judgement and affections should be turned backward as it were that hee that was proud before should now be humble that hee that was ambitious before should now despise the vaine World that hee that was given to his lusts and vanities before should now on the contrary be serious and heavenly minded here is a Mysterie indeed when all is turned backward Therefore wee see how Nicodemus as wise as hee was it was a Riddle to him when our blessed Saviour spake to him of the New-Birth that a man should be wholly changed and new-molded that a man should be the same and not the same the same man for soule and body yet not the same in regard of a supernaturall life and being put into him carrying him another way leading him in another manner by other rules and respects as much different from other men as a man differs from a beast A strange Mysterie that rayseth a man above other men as much as another man is above other creatures For a man to be content with his condition in all changes and varieties when he is cast and tossed up and downe in the world to have a mind unmoveable it is a Mysterie Therefore S. Paul saith Philip 4. I have entred into Religion as it were I have consecrated my selfe the word is wondrous significant I have learned this Mysterie to be content It is a Mysterie for a man to be tossed up and downe and yet to have a contented mind I can want and I can abound I can doe all through Christ that strengtheneth me Why I have consecrate my selfe to Christ and Religion and from them I have learned this point to be content Therefore in the Text here as we shall see afterwards not onely Divine Truths are a Mysterie Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse but he insists in particular Graces Preached to the Gentiles Beleeved on in the World these are Mysteries In Christ all is Mysteries two natures God and man in one person mortall and immortall greatnesse and basenesse infinitenesse and finitenesse in one person The Church it selfe is a mysticall thing For under basenesse under the scorne of the world what is hid A glorious people The state of the Church in this world it is like a Tree that is weather-beaten the leaves and fruit are gone but there is life in the root So what is the Church A companie of men that are in the world without glory without comelinesse and beautie yet notwithstanding they have life in the root a hidden life Our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. The Church hath a life but it is a hidden mysticall life a life under death they seeme to die to the world but they are alive This is excellently and rhetorically followed by S. Paul As dying and yet we live as poore yet making many rich A strange kind of people poore and rich living and dying glorious and base yet this is the state of the Church here in this world they are an excellent people but they are veiled under infirmities of their owne and the disgraces and persecutions of the world So we see both the Doctrine it selfe and the Graces and the Head of the Church and the Church it selfe are nothing but Mysteries Is it so that Religion is a Mysterie Then first of all doe not wonder that it is not knowne in the world and that it is not onely not knowne but persecuted and hated Alas it is a hidden thing men know not the excellencie of it As great mens sonnes in a forraine Countrey they find not entertainment answerable to their worth but as they are apprehended to be by strangers so these Divine Truths they find little acceptance in the world because they are mysteries not onely Mysteries in the Tenent but in the practise therefore the practise finds such opposition in the world Father forgive them saith our blessed Saviour they know not what they doe The world knowes not what they doe when they hate and persecute Religion and religious persons The Church is a mysticall thing and Religion is a Mysterie it is hid from them Shall we be mooved with the disgracefull speeches of carnall men They speake they know not what the thing they speake against is a Mysterie Therefore what should we regard the speeches of the world or follow the example of the world in embracing Religion Religion is a Mysterie Let the world be never so great it is not the knowledge of great men or of rich men it is the knowledge of godly men it is a Mysterie of Godlinesse Shall we follow the example of the world in Religion when it is a Mysterie and a Mysterie of Godlinesse that onely godly men know and embrace Looke not therefore to the greatnesse of place or parts c. it is a Mysterie Againe if it be a Mysterie then it should teach us to carry our selves sutable to it Nature taught even the Heathens to carry themselves reverently in their Mysteries procul este profani away be gone all prophane Let us carry our selves therefore reverently toward the Truth of God towards all Truths though they be never so contrarie to our reason they are Mysteries altogether above Nature There are some seeds of the Law in Nature but there are no seeds in Nature of the Gospel therfore we should come to it with a great deale of reverence S. Paul teacheth us an excellent Lesson Rom. 11. When he entred into a depth that he could not fathome doth he cavill at it No Oh the depth Oh the depth So in all the Truths of God when we cannot comprehend them let us with silence reverence them and say with him Oh the depth Divine things are Mysteries the Sacraments are Mysteries let us carry our selves towards them with reverence What is the reason that there is one word in the Greeke and in other Languages to signifie both common and prophane Because those that come with common affections and common carriage to holy things they prophane them
beset of Devils then he triumphed when he was visibly overcome then invisibly he overcame he was an invisible Conqueror when he was visibly subdued For did he not on the Crosse satisfie the wrath of God and by enduring the wrath of God free us from it and from Satan Gods Gaoler and reconcile us by his bloud The chiefe workes of all were wrought in his chiefe abasement At length he died and was buried I but he that died rose againe gloriously therefore he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by raysing himselfe from the dead That was the greatest abasement when he lay in the Grave and especially then he was justified by his Resurrection from the dead and his Ascension in his state of Glorification especially So if we goe from Christs birth to his lowest degree of abasement there was alway some manifestation of his justification by the Spirit He was justified in a double regard In regard of God he was justified and cleared from our sinnes that he tooke upon him He bore our sinnes upon the Tree and bore them away that they should never appeare againe to our discomfort He was made a Curse for us How came Christ to be cleared of our sinnes that lay upon him When by the Spirit by his Divine Nature he raysed himselfe from the dead so he was justified from that that God layd upon him for he was our Suretie Now the Spirit raysing him from the dead shewed that the Debt was fully discharged because our Suretie was out of Prison All things are first in Christ and then in us he was acquitted and justified from our sinnes and then we And then he was justified by the Spirit from all imputations of men from the mis-conceits that the World had of him they thought him to be a meere man or a sinfull man No he was more then a meere man nay more then a holy man he was God-man Whence were his Miracles Were they not from his Divine Power He overcame the Devill in his temptations Who can overcome the Devill but he that is the Sonne of God He cast out the Devils and dispossest them with his Word All the enemies of Christ that ever were at length he conquered them and so declared himselfe mightily to be as he was the Sonne of God He healed the outward man and the inward man by his Divine Power he caused the spirituall as well as the bodily eyes to see the dead to live and the lame to goe c. Whatsoever he did in the bodie he did in the soule likewise in those excellent Miracles he was justified and declared to be the Sonne of God especially in his Resurrection and Ascension and daily converting of soules by his Ministerie all being done by his Spirit which is his Vicar in the World ruling his Church and subduing his enemies so that he was every way justified in the Spirit to be God to be the true Messias prophesied of and promised to the Church Therefore he was justified in his Truth that all the Promises were true of him and in his faithfulnesse that he was faithfull in performing the Promises he made he was justified in his goodnesse and mercy and all those attributes he was justified in the Spirit But you will say it seemes he was not justified in the Spirit There are many Heretikes that thinke not Christ to be God that take not Christ to be so glorious as he is I answer when we speake of the justifying of Christ it is meant to those that have eyes to see him to those that shut not their eyes hee was justified to be so great as he was to those whose eyes the god of the world had not blinded to all that were his as it is excellently set downe Iohn 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of Grace and Truth We beheld his glorie we did others did not take notice but they were those whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded the malicious Scribes and Pharises that sinned against the Holy-Ghost and would never acknowledge Christ an ignorant people that had not Faith nor the Spirit of God He was justified by the Spirit of God to all that had spirituall eyes to see and take notice of his course as S. Iohn sayth in one of his Epistles What we have seene and heard and our hands have handled the Word of Life that we declare to you So that he was God manifest in the flesh and he shewed himselfe to be the Word of Life to those that were his Apostles and Disciples and those that were converted by him As we see S. Peter when he had felt his Divine Power upon his heart by his Preaching Lord sayth he thou hast the words of eternall life whither shall we goe He felt the Spirit in his preaching And so another time S. Peter in Matth. 16. he confessed him to be the Sonne of the living God You see to whom he was justified and declared to be the true Messias to be God as well as man by his Spirit The reason why he justified himselfe to be so it was the more to strengthen our Faith all his Miracles were but so many sparkles of his Divine Nature so many expressions of his Divine Power And after he was raysed from the dead at his Ascension and sending of the Holy-Ghost he shewed his Divine Power more gloriously and all to strengthen the Faith of the Elect and to stop the mouthes of all impudent rebellious persons For considering that he wrought such Miracles that he raysed men from the dead and raysed himselfe considering that he called the Gentiles and converted the World by the Ministerie of weake men he shewed that hee was more then a man Well to make some use of this that Christ was Iustified in the Spirit Then first of all Christ will at length justifie himselfe this is a ground of Faith How-ever he be now as a Signe set up that many speake against and contradict yet the time will come when he will gloriously justifie himselfe to all the World Now some shut their eyes willingly and the opposites of Christ seeme to flourish yet Christ will be justified by his Spirit to all his Elect in every Age especially in the Resurrection For when he shall come and appeare to be glorious in his Saints it will appeare who he is indeed Now he suffers many to tread upon his Church and he suffers many Heretikes to denie him sometimes in one nature sometimes in another and so to offend against him but the time will come that he will trample all his enemies under his feet he will be justified by his Spirit that is our comfort There are many Schismatikes and Heretikes and Persecutors but Christ will be justified at length the Kingdomes of the Earth
And certainly if troubles come we should many of us be better then we are now afflictions would be so farre from doing us harme that they would refine us we shall lose nothing but that that doth us hurt that that we may well spare that that hinders our joy and comfort But I say let us comfort our selves in respect of the present state of the Church Christ rules in the midst of his enemies in the midst of crosses and persecutions not to free us alway from them but he rules in turning them to good in strengthning exercising our graces and he rules in the midst of his Church at this time by turning his enemies cruelty to the good of the elect As he ruled in the Israelites when he suffered Pharaoh to goe on in the hardnesse of his heart but he had a time for Pharaohs ruine so Christ hath a time for the persecutors of the Church as he had for all the ten persecuting Emperours that came to fearefull and base ends Was there ever any man fierce against God and prospered sayth Iob. Was there ever any that set themselves against the Church of God and prospered No No It is with the Church as it was with Christ to have looked on Christ hanging and bleeding on the Crosse to have seen him groveling on the ground in the Garden men would be readie to take offence what he the Saviour of the world But stay and see him in the Text assumed to Glory and then there would be no offence taken at Christ. So it is in the Church You see the Church suffers persecution but lay one thing with another see the Church in Heaven with the Head of the Church see the Church advanced see it in glory ere long see it refined and fitted by sufferings to come better out of afflictions then it went in and then none will take scandall at the afflictions of the Church as they ought not at the abasement of Christ for though he was God manifest in weake flesh yet we see he ascended up in glory There is a comfortable speech Ierem. 30.7 It is even the time of Iacobs trouble but he shall be delivered out of it So we may say This is the time of the Churches trouble but the Church shall be delivered out of it The enemies have their time to afflict and trample upon the Church but Christ hath his time to trample on them Let us wait and expect with comfort better times The Kingdomes of the world will be knowne to be the Lord Iesus Christs there will be a further subjection to Christs Kingdome then ever there was since the first times when the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the conversion of the Iewes shall be Let us comfort our selves with the times to come Christ is in glory and he will bring his Church to further glory even in this world besides eternall glory at the latter day Rejoyce not over me oh mine enemie for though I be fallen yet shall I rise Let not the enemies of the Church insult over-much though the Church be fallen yet she shall rise againe after three dayes sayth the Prophet Christ though he were abased as low as possible he could be yet after three dayes he arose so the Church shall rise out of her troubles after three dayes that is after a certaine time that we know not but the exact time is onely in the hands of Christ but certainely there are glorious times of the Church comming Consider the wonderfull love of Christ that would suspend his glory so long the glory of Heaven was due to him upon his Incarnation by vertue of the union of his humane nature with the divine for that nature that was united to the God-head it must needs have right to glory by that very union What should hinder when it was so neere to God as to be one Person to be taken into the union of the Person Oh but where had our salvation beene then if Christ had entred into glory upon his Incarnation if he had not shed his blood if he had not beene abased to the death of the Crosse Therefore the Schoole-men speake well he enjoyed the presence of God affectione justitiae with the affection of Justice and all Vertues that is he was as gracious from the beginning from his Incarnation for matter of Grace and love of all that is good yet not affectione accommoda There was a neerenesse to God in pleasure and joy and comfort this he denyed himselfe till he was assumpted to glory after his Resurrection and this he did in love to us that he might suffer and be abased to worke out our Salvation that redundance of glory that should have beene upon his Person presently upon the Union it was stayed till his Resurrection that he might accomplish and fulfill our Salvation What a mercie and love was this So it is with the Church it is glorious as it hath Union with Christ Is not the Church a glorious thing that is joyned to Christ that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings the Ruler of Heaven and Earth What is the reason the Church is so abased thâ—n If the Church were not abased it could not be conformed to Christ. Christ that he might worke our Salvation he must be abased and have suspension and stopping of the glory due to him till the Resurrection Of necessitie we must be conformed to Christ as farre as we may and that we may be conformed to him in abasement and suffering there must be a stop of our glory till we be dead and turned to dust untill we rise againe untill Christ come to be glorious in his Saints If Christ as I formerly sayd had shewed all his glory in his abasement hee could never have suffered the Devill himselfe would have done him no harme there had beene no pretence the Pharises would never have persecuted him and hated him if they had seene him to have beene such a person as he was but he veiled his glory that he might suffer If the World did but see the thousand part of the glory that of due belongs to Christians would they revile them and disgrace and maligne and trample on them Certainely they would not This is discovered in Scripture but the World to discover their Atheisme that they beleeve not the Word of God take no notice of it And that the children of God may be conformed to their Head and that way may be made to the malice of wicked men to trample upon them they goe in the shape of miserable men Therefore let us not be discouraged for any abasement we have a glorious life hid with Christ which shall be revealed one day in the meane time in the midst of abasement let us beleeve Glory And let me adde this to the rest As the same Body wherein Christ was spit upon and mangled and crucified in the same Body he rose againe and in the same Body ascended
what doth he talke of peace with God when hee is in league with Gods enemy therefore though such men out of the hardnesse of their hearts which are harder then the nether milstone and God seales them up under a hard heart to damnation except some terrible judgement awake them force a peace upon themselves they ought to speake none and they shall find it to their cost ere long therefore let us examine our owne hearts how we stand affected to any sinfull course There may be infirmities and weakenesses hang upon the best that are besides their purposes and resolutions but for a man resolvedly to set himselfe in an ill way how can he be at peace with God and with Satan at the same time let us take notice of these things and not daube with our owne consciences Againe where there is a true peace established there is a high esteeme of the Word of peace the Gospell of reconciliation as St. Paul calls it 2 Cor. 5. He hath committed to us the word of reconciliation those that find this peace there is stirred up by the Spirit in their breasts a high esteeme of the ordinance of God as being the word of their peace how come we to have peace betweene God and us is it not by opening the riches of Gods love in Christ in the Scriptures Therefore saith the Scripture blessed are the feet of them that bring glad tidings the meanest part of their body their feete are blessed therefore those that have despicable conceits of the Ministrie of the Word and place their happinesse in depraving the labour and paines of that office and calling it is a signe they have prophane hearts for whosoever hath had any grace wrought by the word of reconciliation and of peace they will highly esteeme it and respect them for their office sake it cannot be otherwise Lastly those that have found peace â—are peaceable it is universally true God doth make an impression of the same disposition in us to others we apprehending God in Christ to be peaceable to us wee are peaceable to others therefore in Isay 11. The knowledge of God in Christ it alters and changeth mens dispositions it makes Wolves and Lions to be of a milder disposition and temper harsh proud sturdy dispositions they never felt peace and mercy themselves therefore they are not ready to shew it to others In the nature of the thing it selfe it is impossible for the soule to apprehend peace in the love of God and not to have the disposition wrought upon to shew what it hath felt let us thinke of these and such like evidences daily to keepe our hearts from speaking false peace The greatest danger in the world in this regard is in the Church for people under the Gospell speake false peace to themselves there is a spirit of delusion that carries them along to their death and deceives them also in death and so they are in hell before they be aware and then too late they see that they were never in good tearmes with God in all their life because they looked on Christ making peace without any consideration of the spirit of application There must be a sprinkling of the blood of Christ on our soules to make it our owne We are come to the blood of sprinkling it is not the blood of Christ that makes our peace onely as blood but as it is sprinkled by the hand of faith that is as the Iâ—ope that sprinkled the blood of the Sacrifice upon the people We must not thinke to have any good by the blood of Christ when we want the blood of sprinkling that is this particular faith Christ loved me and hath chosen me and I choose him and love him againe and so goe with boldnesse to God as a Father unlesse there be this passage of the soule betweene God and us let us not talke of peace for if we might have good by Christ without a spirit of application and if there were not a necessity of sprinkling the blood of Christ upon our soules by faith all the world should be saved In the next place to give a few directions to maintaine this peace actually and continually every day To walke with God and to keep our daily peace with God it requires a great deale of watchfulnesse over our thoughts for he is a Spirit over our words and actions watchfulnes is the preserver of peace where there is a great distance betweene two that are at peace it is not kept without acknowledgement of that distance and without watchfulnesse it is not here as it is in a peace that is betweene two Kings that are coordinate one with another but it is a peace betweene the King of heaven and Rebels that are taken to be subjects therefore we must walke in humble low tearmes humble thy selfe and walke with thy God we must watch over our carriage that we doe not grieve the Spirit of God for then how-ever the first peace stablished in conversion should be never taken away yet God interdicts our comfort wee cannot daily enjoy our daily peace without watchfulnesse but God suffers our knowledge and our former illumination to lasâ— our conscience and to be more miserable in our inward man than a carnall man that never had sight of goodnesse oh the misery of a man that is fallen into ill tearmes with God that had peace before of all men such a man hath most horrour till he have made his peace againe watchfulnesse will prevent this And because it is a difficult thing to maintaine tearmes of peace with God in regard of our indisposition we fall into breaches with God daily therefore wee should often renew our covenants and purposes every day And if wee have fallen into any sinne let us make use of our great peace-maker Christ who is in heaven to make peace betweene God and us let us desire God for his sake to be reconciled unto us for God is in Christ reconciling us unto him still the fruit of Christs death remaines still let us desire him to testifie it unto us by his holy Spirit And take that direction of the Apostle in Philip. 4. When we find any trouble in the world not to trouble our selves over-much In nothing be carefull c. No shall we cast away all care Cast your care upon God let your requests be made knowne to God with thankesgiving let your prayers be made to God and let him have his tribute of thankesgiving for what you have received already What then The peace of God that passeth all understanding shall keepe and preserve your hearts and minds in Christ Iesus perhaps we shall not have what we pâ—ay for when we have made our requests knowne to God if wee have not that we pray for presently yet we shall have the peace of God that passeth all understanding shall keepe our hearts and mindes therefore when any thing troubles us let
in part of our riches that it is good for us and what is good for me is my riches if poverty be good for me I will be poore that I may be humble humility is better then riches if I bee in any want if I have contentment it is better then riches if I fall into trouble he will give mee patience that is better then friends A man may have outward things and be naught but he that wants outward comfort and hath supply in his soule is it no better therefore take a Christian in any condition he is a rich man and this riches wee have by the poverty of Christ hee became poore that wee through his poverty might be made rich We see here then that a Christians estate is caried under contraries as Christ was hee was rich and became poore hee caried his riches under poverty he was glorious but his glory was covered under shame and disgrace so it is with a Christian he goes for a poore man in the world but he is rich he dies but yet he lives hee is disgraced in the world but yet hee is glorious As Christ came from heaven in a way of contraries so wee must be content to goe to heaven in a seeming contrary way Take no scandall therefore at the seeming poverty and disgrace and want of a Christian Christ himselfe seemed to bee otherwise to the world then hee was when hee was poore he was rich and sometimes he discovered his riches there were beames brake forth even in his basest estate when he died there was nothing stronger then Christs seeming weaknesse in his lowest abasement he discovered the greatest power of his God-head for he fatisfied the justice of God he overcame death and his Fathers wrath he triumphed over Sathan hee trod on his head what hath Sathan to doe with us when Gods justice is satisfied so that his hidden glory was discovered sometimes so there is that appeares in the children of God that others may see them to be rich if they did not close their eyes but we must be content to passe to heaven as Christ our head did as concealed men Againe here is matter not onely for us men put for the Angells of heaven to admire and wonder at this depth of goodnesse and mercy in Christ that he would become poore to make us rich by his poverty see the exaltation of his love in this saith Saint Bernard well ôh love that art so sweete why becamest thou so bitter to thy selfe whence flowed Christs love and mercy that was so sweete in it selfe that it should be onely sowre and bitter to him from whence it had his rise and spring his love that is so sweet to us it became bitter to him he indured and did that that we should have done and suffered There be some men that will doe kindnesses so that themselues may not be the worse so that they may not be the poorer that they may not be disgraced or adventure the displeasure of others but Christ hath done all this great kindnesse for us by being poore for us by taking our nature our poverty our misery he doth us good in such a way as that hee parted with heaven it selfe for a time and with that sweete communion that hee had with his Father the dearest thing to him in the world he parted with it for ou◠sakes that made him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me hereupon he made us rich in a way that cost him something And let us be thankefull to him in a way that may cost us something let us bee content to bee abased for him to doe any thing for him hee descended from heaven to the grave as low as hee could for us let us descend from our conceited greatnesse for him can wee lose so much for him as he hath done for us what are our bodies and soules in comparison of God It was God that became poore for us wee cannot part with so much for him as he did for us And then we are gainers by him if wee part with all the world whatsoever wee doe for him I will be yet more vile for the Lord saith David hee became vile for us he became a sinner and of no reputation and shall not we be vile and empty for him certainely we shall if we have the Spirit of Christ in us it will worke a conformity If hee had stood upon termes and disdeyned the Virgins wombe and to become poore for us where had our salvation beene and if we stand upon termes when wee are to suffer for him or to stand for his cause where will our comfort be surely it is a signe wee have no right by the poverty of Christ unlesse wee bee content to part without Isaac with the best things we have when he calls for it Againe hath the poverty of Christ made us rich what will his riches doe Could hee save us when hee was at the lowest when hee was on the Crosse and satisfie divine justice by his death what can he doe for us now hee is in heaven and hath triumphed over all his enemies what can we looke for now by his riches that have so much by his poverty therefore we may reason with the Apostle Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne how much more being reconciled shall wee bee saved by his life It is a strong argument not onely as it hath respect to us because there is more likelihood that any good should be done for us now when we are reconciled to God than before when we were enemies but also as it hath respect to Christ since he hath stucke not to reconcile us to God by his death cannot bee unwilling to save us by his life and he that was able to redeeme us by dying for us is more clearely and evidently powerfull to save us now he lives and reignes triumphantly in heaven For is not he able to preserve us to protect us and invest us into the glory that he hath purchased for us he that did so much for us in the time of his abasement will he not preserve the riches he hath gotten for us Is he not in heaven in majesty to apply all that he hath gotten Is he not our intercessor at the right hand of God to appeare before God for us to make all good Certainly he will preserve that which he hath procured by his death It is a disabling of Christ to thinke of falling away from grace he is able to maintaine us in that glorious condition that he hath advanced us to especially considering that he is now in heaven and hath laid aside the forme of a servant all his humiliation except our humane nature that for ever hee hath united to his person but all other things of his abasement he hath laid them aside he is able perfectly not only to save us as
by his death but to apply all that he hath gotten and preserve us to life everlasting We are kept by the power of God to that glory that Christ hath purchased by his death Therefore why should we feare for the time to come falling from grace or the want of that that is good is not Christ able to maintaine that that he hath gotten Let us raise our hearts with this consideration what Christ can doe now in glory when his poverty could do thus much Againe let us despise no man for his poverty for Christ was poore to make us rich and as those that despised Christ and esteemed him not but hid their faces from him because he grew up as a root out of a dry ground because there was no beauty in him that is because of his poverty because he was a Carpenters sonne they despised by this means the Lord of Glory so those that despised his poore members afterward that wandred up and downe in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute and afflicted they despised Gods jewels his choice favourites of whom the world was not worthy Let not the brother of low degree be cast down because he is poore nor let not the brother of high degree be lifted up because he is rich for if riches had been the best thing Christ would have been outwardly rich but Christ was poore to shew us what are the best riches and that the riches of this World are but things by the by Seek the kingdome of God and all other things shall be cast on you by way of addition and supplement The true riches of a Christian are spirituall Christ did not become poore to make us rich in this world to make us Kings and Emperous and Great Men here but to make us rich spiritually and to have such a moity of earthly things as may serve as a Viaticum to bring us to Heaven the maine riches of a Christian are spirituall and eternall in grace and glory In popery they live as if Christ came to make them Lords of the World to usurpe jurisdiction over Kings and Princes Christ came to make us rich in another manner S. Peter saith Silver and gold have I none but his successors cannot say so Christ came not as a servant to make us Lords here much lesse to set us at liberty to live after the flesh and to doe what we list No the end of Christs comming was to take away sinne to destroy the workes of the Devill The common course at this time and develish practise of many overturnes the end of Christs comming as if he came not to destroy but to let loose the workes of the Devill to let us loose to all licentiousnesse he came to bâ—ing us to God and not to give us liberty in courses to runne further from God But that by the way Christ as I said camâ— not to make â—s rich in the things of this life for doe but consider a little of outward riches what be they They are not our owne as Christ saiâ—h Luk. 16. We are but Sâ—ewards and we must give a strict account ere long how we have used them And as they are not our owne so they are not true riches because they make not us rich Wee usually call a poore man a poore soule a poore soule may be a rich Christian and a rich man may have a poore soule naked and empty of spirituall riches These are not true riches because they make not a man better they may be a snare to him and make him worse and puffe him up as every graine of riches hath a vermine of pride and ambition in it Charge rich men that they bee not high minded they may make a man worse they cannot make him better Can that be true riches that makes a man poorer that hath not a gracious heart Surely no these riches oft times are for the hurt of the owners men are filled as Sponges and then squeezed againe are these true riches that expose a man to danger True riches are such as not only we may doe good by but they make us good Grace makes us better it commends us to God All the riches in the world doe not commend us to God It is said of Antiochus a great Monarch he was a vile and base person because he was a wicked man There is no earthly thing can commend a man to God if he be naught if he have a rotten prophane heart Againe they are not true riches because a man out-lives them death sâ—rues him out of all death comes and examines him when he goes out of the world and will suffer him to carry nothing with him If a man come to another mans Table and think to carry away his plate or any thing else he will be stayed at the gate and have it taken from him Nothing we brought into this world and with nothing we must goe out and are they true riches that determine in this life Then againe these riches they are not proportionable to the soule of man when the soule of man hath the image of Christ on it nothing will satisfied it but spirituall things there is nothing in the world will satisfie a gracious soule but grace and glory It is only grace and the spirituall things by Christ that are the true riches that make us good and continue us good and continue with us wee carry them to Heaven with us Therefore as the Apostle saith we should desire the best things labour for the best portion that shall never be taken from us When we have many things in this world set before us shal we make a base choise as the Gadarens to save their Hogs they would loose Christ shall wee make choice of poore things and leave grace and Christ No since we have judgement to make a difference let us make a wise choice judgement is seen in choice of different things for though these things bee good yet they are inferiour goods and we loose not these things by labouring for grace and the best things the best way to have these things is to labour for the best things Solomon desired wisedome and he had riches too Let us seeke the kingdome of God and these things as far as they be needfull shall bee cast on us These are the truths of God Therefore let us be ashamed that we discover our ignorance by making a base choice and let us labour to choose the best things Christ became poore to make us rich in the best things to make us rich in grace in joy in peace and comfort c. Therefore let us esteeme our selves and others highly from hence and let us not judge by appearance when Christ was put to death how did the World judge him A miserable man a sinner because they judged by appearance so it is the lot of Gods children though they be never so rich yet those that looke