quod mei sit regis habitare in domo sua R. Menachem upon the place saith His voice is the voice of the living God Gods children ow to Christ the head of the Church their temporall deliverances but are further obliged to him He came into the world to save sinners So I am faln upon my third proposition Major est Dei misericordia quam nostra miseria The waters of the Sanctuary are now so risen that we may swimme in them Here 's the great mystery of godlinesse 1. Tim. 3.16 The wits of men and Angels could not have plotted such a way for mans recovery The devil suspected not that his endeavours against men should by such means be frustrated * I cannot with Clem. Alex. Paedaegog lib. 3. c. 1. so construe that of Heraclitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to make it signifie the hypostatical union of Christs two natures Men may believe but cannot comprehend Christs two natures so united as that he who is eternall may be said to be born in time he who is impassible and immortall to suffer death c. There remain two other depths in Christs coming to save sinners which render his goodnesse as admirable as his wisdome 1. 'T would be an injury with men as Salvian well observed to punish a good sonne for a bad servant Here 's scarce any difficulty but I may opportunely suggest that as Christs willingnesse to suffer for us asserts the justice of God the Father so it is a remarkable part of his free mercy towards us Christ of his own accord laid down his life for us 2. Take into your meditations who were the objects of Christs mercy They were his enemies It 's too frequently a peice of injustice amongst men to rescue by strong hand and abuse of authority those from punishment who deserve to suffer Volenti non fit injuria God without derogation from his justice freely remits what men had sinned against himself He declared together with his justice his holinesse likewise in bringing sinne to condigne punishment and moreover emphatically his rich goodnesse by suffering for sinners and such as were rebels against himself A young student of History saith Polibius universam mundi historiam debet uno intuitu complecti velut in corpus redigere This work is done to our hands in the history of Gods mercies and free love towards us Christ by suffering death for us did omnem bonitatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All other spirituall blessings meet in this as the radii in the center and as streams in the fountain God's pleas'd to accumulate one mercy upon another God the Father out of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was pleas'd to send his Sonne into the world to die for sinners and to make this mercy the foundation of others necessary in order to their salvation To save sinners was the end the main designe of Christs coming into the world Calvine chastiseth Servetus affirming that Christ should have come into the world although man had not sinned To save sinners was the work for which he came down from heaven Lord speak the word onely said the Centurion Matth. 8.8 and my servant shall be healed Jesus at a distance by his word cured the bodily infirmity of the Centurions servant God by his word created the world God said Let there be light and there was light c. Many conceive that God in regard of his holinesse could not remit mans sinnes without satisfaction All agree that the way of which he was pleased to make choice for our recovery was in many respects most convenient That our spirituall infirmities might be cured that man might be re-created 't was requisite that God should come down from heaven and that he should not merely speak the word be ye saved but that he should do and suffer many things for us Our redemption put God to greater expence then did our creation A signe that we had sunk our selves below nothing Vbi virtus saith Plinie ibi etiam fortuna Here are good tidings for those who were altogether void of virtue here 's salvation for sinners That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners is a doctrine worthy of all acceptation 1. This doctrine is acceptable in regard of its authour Should an earthly Prince speak we should hear him with greedy attention 2. Acceptable in regard of those by whom it was delivered It was preached by Angels to Joseph the husband of Mary and the shepherds by the Apostles by Christ himself 3. Acceptable in that contain'd in plain terms Many parts of Philosophy are obscure and the answers of oracles were oft ambiguous vitreum vas lambimus sed pultem non attingimus This doctrine is so clear that he that runneth may read and understand Those who are of weak capacities are not debar'd from it They may tast how good and gracious the Lord is But some truths not fundamentall have their share in these conditions 4. This doctrine in regard of its matter is worthy of all acceptation This is the very life and soul of the Gospel the fundamentall of fundamentalls That substantiall truth which almost all the types in the Law prefigured that cardinall truth upon which dependeth the rest of the Gospel This doctrine containeth good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people Luke 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my text is I conceive the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are tydings worthy to be received with full with compleat acceptation One soul is more precious then the fabrick of the world certainly each mans soul ought to be more dear to him as the principall part of himself What will it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Mark 8.36 37. Secondly as the soul is more precious then all worldly honours treasures and delight so salvation is much better then the soul That which is the happinesse the end of man must needs be better then man Grace is better then nature An habite is extremum potentiae But our happinesse is better then grace It 's better not to be then to be eternally miserable and the fruition of God is much above our beings and means conducing to it There 's a wide hiatus a vast gulf between the largest of worldly blessings and the narrowest of spirituall conferred upon Gods children Those have an interest in one who knoweth all their wants who is ready and able to help upon all occasions The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry Psalme 34.15 Should not God see as well as heare his children should want many things We apprehend not all our own wants and so cannot pray to God for the releif of all God knoweth what we stand in need of before we pray unto him and of his own accord without any monitour is wont to aid us Gods
Fathers in the Primitive Church apprehensive of the scantnesse of the word servator by a new word salvator construed Jesus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot so far by an opinion smile upon Magicians as to attribute to any names vertue which may dispossesse that strong man the devil nor yet have I so intemperate an eare as that I should not esteem the name Jesus sufficiently melodious Basilides of all hereticks most delighted with gingling words because the name Jesus seem'd to him not glorious enough called Christ Goalah and Goalnah from Gaal redemit We shall abundantly rellish the word Jesus if we apprehend how much we stand in need of a Saviour It 's so big with significancy that no one Latine word could expresse it Severall kings of Syria who had the name Antiochus common to them were distinguished by glorious epithites One was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fourth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fifth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The glory of all their attributes is comprehended in the name Jesus and truly agreeth to Christ Here 's a Saviour of sinfull men Had he not been truly great illustrious a most indulgent Father had he not been God he could not have been such a Saviour Whereas there 's nothing more glorious then temporall deliverances which earthly monarchs can boast of Joseph who was but one of Christs shadows was called by Pharaoh Tsaphnath Paaneath according to Onkelus upon Gen. 41.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man to whom secrets are revealed after Baal Hatturim megalloh nistarim one that revealeth hidden things according to Jarchey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that expoundeth hidden things but according to Hierome the Saviour of the world The learned Father thus translates the whole verse VertÃtque nomen ejus vocavit eum linguâ Aegyptiacâ Salvatorem mundi Christ is the Saviour of the world in a spirituall sense delivereth from spirituall enemies which are of all enemies most potent and most dangerous That I may proceed to the points before propounded He who was Christ and Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Christ came into the world 2. He came to save 3. He came to save sinners First of the first Christ came There 's a threefold coming of Christ one by his spirit another in the flesh a third to judgement Searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow 1. Pet. 1.11 likewise in the third chapter of the same epistle verses 18 19 20. By his spirit he went and preached unto the spirits in prison in the dayes of Noah In the dayes of Noah he went and preached to the spirits of unrighteous men which by reason of their disobedience and impenitency are now imprisoned and fettered in chains of darknesse ‖ The Authour of Seder Olam Rabba cap. 4. concludeth froÌ„ this text that the men of the age before the flood neither enjoy eternall life nor yet are condemned to eternall punishment with what reason I need not explain His words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non fruuntur vita in seculo venture neque condemnati sunt quia dictum est Non judicabit spiritus meus in homine in seculum My spirit saith God shall not strive with man for ever for that he also is flesh his dayes shall be an hundrrd and twenty years Gen. 6.3 Onkelus thus paraphraseth upon that place This evil generation shall not continue or be established for ever before me for that they are flesh and their works evil a term shall be given them of 120. years if they will return The preparing of the ark could not but furnish Noah with occasions of preaching repentance to those who liv'd in the age of the floud Rasi upon Gen. 6. observes as much Much space saith he was allowed to Noah for the work viz. because the men of the age of the flood who saw him imployed in the building in the 120. years would inquire the reason thereof and when he answered that God was about to bring a deluge upon the world might perhaps repent Mr. Ainsworth conceiveth that the Chaldee paraphrast understood by the spirit mans naturall life and soul which God would take away by the floud But the words cited are capable of a better interpretation import not that he understood any other * See Zohar col 181. then the spirit of God By the spirit of God of Christ in these texts divine power is signified which enabled Noah a preacher of righteousnesse and instructed the prophets who foretold Christs sufferings suggested to the Apostles what they should speak when they were questioned before governours All supernaturally illuminated partake of this spirit This divine power wont to be instilled into prophets is by the Jews called Ruach hannebhuah the spirit of prophecy and also Ruach hakkâ—desh the holy Ghost It proceedeth as do also the rest of Gods works ad extra from all the three sacred persons of the undivided Trinity but in Scriptures is most frequently ascribed to God the Sonne who purchased the communication of it to mankind by his sufferings Christs propheticall and regall office are founded in his priestly That any dark souls are illuminated that any unruly affections are subdued is to be attributed to Christs merits We should remain both in our naturall blindnesse and perversenesse had not Christ dyed for us Christ may be said prodire or advenire to come into the minds of his ministers the prophets as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 3.19 warranteth That word although omitted by the Syriack interpreter cannot be suspected to be spurious in that it 's unanimously retained by Greek and Latine Fathers Christs coming after the manner explain'd is frequent as appears from what hath been spoken His third coming is in the last judgement For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2. Cor. 5.10 His second coming was his coming in the flesh This was twofold First by way of preparation or prelude The second person of the sacred Trinity now and then long before his hypostaticall union with our nature * See Jarchi upon Gen. 19.18 appeared in the shape of a man and so as Calvine elegantly preluded to his incarnation Eusebius is large about this subject Hist. eccles l. 1. c. 2. The Lord saith he appeared to Abraham sitting by the oke of Mamre Abraham saith he sees with his eyes viz. his bodily eyes a man but worshippeth him and prayeth unto him as God He discovered also that he knew him by calling him the judge of the world S. Austine orat 41. super Joannem saith Abraham saw the day of Christs eternall emanation
HONORATISSIMO CELEBERRIMOQUE VIRO PROSAPIA NOBILISSIMA SIMVL ET SVIS ILLVSTRI MERITIS IN PARLIAMENTARIO REGNI ANGLICANI CONSESSV SENATORI EXIMIO MECAENATI SVO NATIVO SED CONSILIO CONSVETVDINEQVE CONFIRMATIORI CERTE MVLTIS NOMINIBUS PLURIMUM NEC VNQUAM SATIS OBSERVANDO GULIELMO PIERREPONTE ARMIGERO CUJUS BENEFICIA RELIGIOSO QUODAM SILENTIO SUSPICERE AC REVERERI QUAM PROTERERE PROFANAREQUE SERMONE NIMIS INCONGRVO SATIUS EST VISVM TRACTATVS DUOS SEQUENTES QUORUM ALTER PRIORIS SOBOLES EST ET APPENDIX ANIMI SUI JUXT A AFQUE OFFICII SED IMPAR UTRIUSQUE SYMBOLUM L.M.D.D.C.Q. Laurentius Sarson ¶ To the Reader The lesse skilfull Reader may omit what is contain'd between page 25. and page 69. The rest was delivered in Sermons and is both more practicall and facile 1. TIM 1.15 This is a faithfull saying in another translation a true saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief WE may observe in this Scripture three generall parts First the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Preface or introduction to a doctrine preached by S. Paul This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation Secondly the doctrine it self Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners I may fitly apply to my Text what is spoken of the Church Cant. 7.2 Thy belly is a heap of wheat hedged in with lillies Thirdly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Epilogue whereof I am chief The Preface contains his commendation of the doctrine and the Epilogue the application of it to himself Here 's meat and sauce and a stomach We have in the doctrine * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Clem. Alex. Admonit ad Gentes spirituall food the bread of life the Manna which came down from heaven Christs merits sinners redemption Here 's meat which should need no sauce were not our stomachs vitiated and squeamish of what most nutritive S. Paul in the end of the verse intimateth his hungring and thirsting after Christs merits For those words of whom I am chief although they have other respects and moments not to be omitted are the yawning or gasping of an hungrie soul a grone under the weight of sinne a panting after nearer union with Christ Such is the stomach of each Christian of all who are apprehensive of their own emptinesse and affected with it of all who have not scared consciences hardened hearts and stupefied affections These words are likewise an application of Christs merits to himself Christ came into the world to save sinners such onely efficaciously as are or shall be wearied with their sinnes and weary of them such as acknowledge their sinnes and desire to be delivered from the guilt and from the stain of them from the punishment and from the practise of sinne and find that they are unable to relieve themselves unable to justifie or sanctifie themselves and therefore are willing to accept of a Saviour The last particle of the verse is as you see vox esurientis vox mendicantis vox comedentis I doubt not but many an honest soul here present reads in his own heart what no language can expresse S. Pauls affections resulting from the conjunction of two of his apprehensions expressed in my Text one of his own spirituall wants the other of Gods free grace in Christ with what intention of love and desire with what comfort with what devotion with what zeal he embraced a Saviour We have here a full resemblance of that in the Psalmist Psal 81.10 I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt open thy mouth wide harcebh-pica dilare thy mouth and I will fill it If here be any who have not tasted how good and gracious the Lord is here is also sauce sufficient to commend unto their palates the Gospel-provision set before them 'T is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equivalent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifies both true and faithfull * See Heâ—â—sius in his Pâ—â—â—â—gomena in â—â—erâ—itat sacr And upon Matth. 12.20 See notes upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Theocritus his syrinx cidyll 32. Nothing is more usuall then that when a word hath severall significations another word whether in the same or in a distinct language having properly one of the significations should be enlarged to the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithfull is the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true These words I conceive have a double aspect one to S. Paul another to the doctrine preached by him Each brings forth twinnes First they contain the qualities the value the worth the truth and acceptablenesse of the doctrine Secondly they precede the doctrine are a preface an introduction to it I shall deferre the first of these habitudes till I come to the doctrine it self That respect also which they have to S. Paul is double The words speak him who wrote them a Saint but may be considered as the language of one that had been a Saul a persecutour that is of a convert reflecting upon his sinnes or as the words of a preacher of the Gospel Under the former relation they may be termed vox exultantis and under the other vox evangelizantis I shall premise to the main doctrine somewhat upon the words preceding as they are a preface or introduction moreover as they have respect to S. Paul First of the first as these words This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation are a preface or introduction to the doctrine following they afford us this observation viz. That mens hearts are so perverse about spirituall things that art rhetorick an holy craft and wilinesse is necessary in the delivery of points of greatest concernment of greatest advantage such as hold out to them salvation We must not conceive that S. Pauls Epistles written to Timothy concerned Timothy alone each Epistle in the New Testament to whomsoever it is inscribed may serve for the instruction of each sinner those excepted who by the sinne against the holy Ghost have debarred themselves from heaven and of each convert Wicked men are averse from attending to what would conduce most to their welfare First I shall clear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is so is evinced from those many aggravations of naturall mens perversnesse in Scripture First from plain and direct expressions of mans perversenesse The 13. of the 2. of Jeremy is to this purpose very accommodate For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water See also Jer. 5.3 O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast sticken them but
they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to return Of many other Scriptures suitable to this occasion I shall commend to you onely the first of the Proverbs Wisdome uttereth her voice in the chief places of concourse stretcheth out her hand playes the Oratresse both for elocution and action but her auditours set at nought her counsell would none of her reproof Secondly from those contained in comparisons of men with beasts Man is compared to the beast that perisheth Psal 49.12 to the dromedary in the wildernesse Jer. 2.24 to a wild asses colt Job 11.12 to the deaf adder Psal 58.4 * Their thoughts like cockatrice egges break out into viperous words and actions See R.D. Kimch upon the text to cockatrices and spiders Esay 59.5 to a horse rushing into the battell Jer. 8.6 Brutes because they want reason oft run away from those that would feed them and perform to them other good offices and run into danger The dromedary in the wildernesse cannot be taken but in her moneth when she is bagg'd The wild asses colt is the wildest of wild asses The deaf adder although by spitting out his poyson he might renew his age stoppeth his ears by applying one to the earth and covering the other with his tail lest he should heare the voice of the charmer The war-horse rusheth upon the pikes upon destruction Man is more brutish then beasts then the dullest of beasts Esa 1.3 The ox knoweth his owner and asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Here 's what astonisheth both heaven and earth God layes open his grievances to the heavens and to the earth things inanimate as if those were more intelligent and more ingenious then men Israel neglected his owner and his nourisher God who had chosen him for a peculiar possession who constantly sometimes by his extraordinary providence had maintained him The ox and the asse gave place to their owner and master in the stable at Bethlehem when as men denied him room in the inne But this morosity might proceed from a veniall ignorance falls much short of that more then brutish stupidity which is here described Wicked men do not onely refuse Christ an object of their beneficence in his poore members but likewise offering to provide for them They know that godlinesse is great gain hath the promises of this life and that to come and yet reject it In the New Testament wicked men are compared to dogs and swine Matth. 7.6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you * Nihil aliud est totus mundus ante conversionem nisi aut hara porcorum vel colluvies rabidorum canum Aug. Impure men are here compared to creatures unclean according to the Law dogs and swine Should you cast what is precious to swine they are ready to trample it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter pedes suos if to dogs they will turn again and bite you But to trample under their feet and to turn again and to rent those that come near them agree to the nature of both those creatures In every wicked man there is something answerable to each of those ill conditions in dogs and swine They neglect contemne and vilifie grace and mercy offered in Christ They tread under foot the Sonne of God count the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing and do despite to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 Thirdly from Gods complaining of sinne and sinners This in Greek is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is defined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vituperatio utpote eorum qui contemnunt aut negligunt God complains to the heavens and to the earth that he had nourished and brought up children who rebelled against him Esa 1.2 Fourthly from Gods groning under mens stubborn and stiffe-necked rebellion He complains of Israel with a sigh Esa 1.4 Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger they are gone away backward 'T is a small thing that the whole creation groneth under mans sinne and travelleth together in pain Rom. 8.22 God himself is pressed with mens iniquities as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Amos 2.13 The Almighty expresseth another sigh Esa 1.24 Ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Fifthly from God upbraiding such as have been resolute in impenitency Christ upbraided the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Matth. 11.20 God in holy Scriptures by many accusations and reprehensions and chidings of sinners expostulations with them redargutions of their perverse wayes lamentings for their destruction expresseth emphatically mens aversnesse from terms of eternall peace and salvation I may adde that promises and threatnings are oft repeated that sometimes the hearts of Gods children unlesse they be mollified with afflictions will not kindly receive the impressions of the Spirit I shall have occasion of illustrating these particulars when I shew that Christ came into the world to save sinners No believer so completely closeth with Christ and promises founded in him as that he may not seasonably be the object of exhortations of motives and inducements to nearer union with a Saviour The Israelites in their journey to Canaan had a pull-back-inclination towards Egypt Lots wife looked back towards Sodome David must be afflicted that he may learn Gods statutes So you have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the doctrine proved I shall be brief in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wicked men have sinne reigning in them And there is in each regenerate person together with the kingdome of David the house of Saul Grace and lust have junctas habitationes though not divisum imperium though they reigne not together yet they dwell together They exist not onely propè but unà are not onely juxta se posita but likewise mutuò se penetrantia They have though not the same father yet the same mother and as they are sisters so also twinnes are together in the wombe and born together in godly men together in each faculty and in each good action There 's iniquity in the best of our performances The godly fall so far short of the closest union possible with Christ as they fall short of integrity of perfection in grace The godly are not so loos'd from themselves as that S. Paul may imitate the Areopagites omitte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he speaks to them about spirituall things He 's wont to premise insinuations Sometimes he conciliates affection by loving compellations the word Brethren is frequent with him Sometimes by mild and gentle entreatings I beseech you be followers of me 1.
Cor. 4.16 Sometimes by both joyned together I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you give up your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Rom. 12.1 In my Text there is insinuatio ex re â—â—ta ipsis causae visceribus sumta And insinuation of this kind is most potent We are ready alwayes to enquire cui bono If we search all Rhetoricks cells we shall not find any trope or figure which was at any time so impudent or imprudent as to perswade any thing which had not faciem boni The unjust judge Luke 18. although he neither feared God nor regarded man had his end in avenging the widow of her adversary He did it ad redimendum vexationem because the widow troubleth me I will avenge her left by her continuall coming she weary me S. Paul borroweth a preface from his doctrine that furnisheth him with arguments most prevalent over mens affections It 's true and worthy of all acceptation Here 's * Themist Orat 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aditus illustris The Rhetoricians rule concerning Exordium's is observed Neither is he wanting in the observance of that other rule prescribed by Horace to Poets usefull also for Oratours Si vis me flere dolendum est Primùm ipsi tibi Himself is affected with what he writes to others In the verse next but one before he commemorates that he had been a blasphemer a persecutour and injurious He addes in that verse that he obtained mercy In the 14. verse he mentioneth his pledges of mercy obtained of his justification viz. his faith and love These graces assured him of Gods favour In the 15. verse he celebrates and crowns the fountain of all mercy and grace 'T is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners His affections strive with his faith and as if more nimble first drop out of his pen get the first vent and expression preface to the Gospel-doctrine he believed So I am fallen upon the words of the preface as they have respect to S. Paul They are as so considered in the first place vox conversi peccatoris in Christo exultantis the voice of a convert triumphing in Gods free grace in Christ He who had so much used Esaus hands now hath got Jacobs voice and the context will vindicate him from dissimulation Her 's lumen non siccum sed affectibus maceratum Here are good tidings if true and they are as true as profitable to souls which have been enthralled under sinne and Satan They are as true as truth it self That Christ come into the world to save sinners is the onely cordiall to a sinne-sick soul Here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moreover such truth as is suteable to the stomach as well as pleasing to the palate such truth as apports nourishment to each true Christian I shall speak of the truth and acceptablenesse of the doctrine delivered by S. Paul hereafter You see how the words of the preface respected S. Paul a sinner I shall now explain them more largely as they are vox evangelizantis as they are the words of Paul a preacher of the Gospel The words of the Preface may be considered as respecting S. Paul a preacher of the Gospel both as they are a preface and as they contain the qualities of the following doctrine As referred to him under the first of those notions they commend unto us those bowels of pity and that sincerity which he used in the dispensing of Gospel-truths As he freely received so he freely and without envie giveth with the lepers 2. Kings 7.9 apprehends he should contract guilt and blame to himself if he withheld good tidings himself eâdem operâ triumphs in the rich and sure mercies of the Gospel and with best advantage commends them to others The words of the preface as they contain the qualities of the doctrine following referred to S. Paul speak him one which taught truth moreover such truth as was worthy of all acceptation 1. Gods faithfull Ministers such as labour sincerely in Gods vineyard preach truth 2. What is worthy of all acceptation 3. They joyn these two together First of the first Those who are faithfull in the ministery preach truth This hath been their constant practise To give instances of all would take up more time then is allowed me I must in the proof of the point rather use an example then an enumeration S. Paul as if it was decreed that truth should viam invenire vel facere useth the profession of it sometimes for a preface and sometimes for an apologie for a preface in my Text This is a faithfull saying for an apologie Acts 26.25 I am not mad most noble Festus but speak forth the words of truth and sobernesse for a preface and apologie together Rom. 9.1 I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost You see the practise of S. Paul and he thought also that he had the Spirit of God 1. Cor. 7.40 This argumentation although from an example is valid We may argue from a part to the whole in essentialls And to be well affected towards the truth is essentiall to each sincere preacher of the Gospel Should we esteem the 17. of the third of the Epistle to the Philippians and the sixteenth of the fourth of the first Epistle to the Corinthians in which S. Paul exhorts us to be followers of him to be counsel rather then precept to have been dictated by a private spirit yet we could not but acknowledge the first of the 11. of the first to the Corinthians an Oracle there he saith Be ye followers of me even as I am also of Christ Truth is Christs banner The Apostles and all who have been his sectatours have fought under it hoc signo vicerunt Christ is truth it self archetypall truth He is truth essentially so could not but use it in his expressions whether theoreticall or practicall His enemies the Pharisees and Herodians make a glorious confession Matth. 22.16 We know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men And in John 8.40 Ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God He was born to this end that he should bear witnesse of the truth Joh. 18.37 He was truth according to his essence likewise according to his offices He was and likewise taught and by holy violence imposed upon his subjects the true way to salvation He is the way the truth and the life Joh. 14.6 He is full of grace and truth Joh. 1.14 The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 We cannot be saved by the Law the new Covenant that of grace is the true way to heaven The sweetnesse of
this truth is described in the Canticles As the apple tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved amongst the sonnes I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast Cant. 2.3 The fruit of this beloved one is the good tidings of the Gospel The hands of those who open to Christ who admit him into their souls drop with myrrhe Can. 5.5 Obedience is truth propagated veritas protensa Truth like the precious ointment wherewith the high Priests were installed runs down from the head into the skirts of each Christians garments The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and this anointing is truth 1. Joh. 2.27 But neither do I deny that mor nghobher ngal cappoth hammanghul myrrha transiens super manubria serae may fitly be interpreted grace disposing us to admit truth when it knocks at the doores of our hearts Myrrhe passing upon the handles of the lock is grace oyling the locks of our hearts A kingdome divided against it self cannot stand Those who invent or propagate falshood are Satans agents Christ prayeth to the Father for his disciples Joh. 17.17 that he would sanctifie them through his truth He promiseth his disciples another Comforter who should abide with them for ever even the spirit of truth Joh. 14.16 17. cap. 15.26 he foretelleth that the Spirit of truth should guide them into all truth Joh. 16.13 Christ is the head of truth Alpha and Omega Apoc. 1.11 His Ministers the 24. Elders have the next place to him Apoc. 4 4. These are the neck of truth Beta and Psi With the Grecians the Alphabet was truths statue Veritas effingebatur ex literis Graecis cujus caput ex α ω collum ex β Å‚ caetera deinceps membra ex literis prioribus deinceps ex sequentibus posterioribus per seriem quandam All Gods children and so his faithfull Ministers are incorporated into truth Gods Ministers are ambassadours and agents for the God of truth and as the Jews are wont to say in another sense speak in the language of him that sent them They are anointed with the Spirit of truth You have proof of the point à posteriori á priori Here an objection is obvious Do none of those who have devoted themselves to the preaching of the Gospel swerve from truth I acknowledge that they frequently do I answer first that I spake concerning such as were sincere in the ministery There are ravenous wolves in lambs attire many out of covetousnesse pretend what ambition will not suffer them to perform If we roll over Ecclesiasticall histories we shall find that ambition created all the ancient errours and heresies Too many nowadayes are readier to close with errours hatchd by Papists and to arrogate to themselves to be the first inventers of them then to retain truth professed by those who have ever been thought Orthodox I yield that some betrusted with most are most defective in their duties Some mancipated to themselves abound in dissimulation I spake of such as were faithfull labourers in Gods harvest such preach not themselves not their own inventions but the truth of the Gospel Secondly there are reliques of weaknesse imperfection and darknesse in Gods children they sometimes embrace a cloud in stead of a goddesse I shall now propound to you some considerations which commend truth to us and will be to us so many motives to love it and use it First true doctrine is to be preferr'd before false because it is more firm and permanent Plato saith in his first book de legibâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We may pronounce the same of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Errours and heresies are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 short-liv'd So much is abundantly confirmed by Ecclesiasticall histories Secondly truth is of a prevailing nature He that sat upon the white horse Revel 6.2 had a bow and a crowâ— was given to him and he went forth conquering and to conquer We are assured that Christ is risen from the dead howsoever the Jews oppugne that truth because all who at any time rise up against him fall Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is sweet as Mercuries Priests were wont to say when they eat their figgs Falshood lies errours heresies are of a contrary quality We took sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company Psal 55.14 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Psal 104.34 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter thâ—n honey to my mouth Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Psal 119.103 104. They shall heare my words for they are sweet Psal 141.6 What 's true may be bitter and unpleasant but this is by accident besides the nature of truth The unpleasantnesse is not to be imputed to truth but to the subject the matter about which it is conversant Who wish that this or that report may prove false expresse no dislike of truth They could wish at the same time the contrary was true Those palates are vitiated diseased non-sensicall which disrellish truth Lactantius saith wittily and truly Divin Instit epitom c. 6. Veritas licèt ad praesens sit insuavie tamen cùm fructus ejus atque utilitas apparuerit non edium pariet ut ait Poeta sed gratiam All truth is amiable but especially the truths of Christian religion Evangelicall truths are Solomons imrei-nongham eloquia jucunditatis Prov. 16.24 They are as the honey-combe sweet to the soul and healing to the bones Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sunne Eccles 11.7 The Commeedians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life is sweet is a good comment upon this Text. But neither is that of the Psalmist to be pretermitted in its explication Gods word is a light to our feet and a lantern to our steps Fourthly truth is the power of God to the conversion of souls Fifthly truth is spiritually nutritive of the soul Painted fire will not burn Meat received onely in a dream will not nourish Imaginary truth Chimera's will not refresh and feed the soul Errour in the judgement is wont to side with perversnesse in the will and affections wickednesse in life and conversation Such is the destinie and lot of falshood If any doctrines not faithfull should be able to advance sanctitie Papists tenents concerning a possibility of fulfilling the Law and concerning merit should be they But we see it is quite otherwise no sect in the world is more defective in purity of life God although wont often to work good out of evil never cooperates with evil means which spoil him of his glory The Gospel is the bread of life pabulum animarum As it is the power of God to the conversion of sinners so likewise to the encrease of grace Sixthly truth is of an healing nature 2. In the next place Gods Ministers preach what
know more then any mortall Many of the school affirm that the most glorious the most illuminated of all the Angels fell that which was the measure of the perfections and durations of the rest might be called avum Lombard sent lib. 2. dist 9. saith Aliqui Angeli de singulis ordinibus ceciderunt de ordine namque superiori Lucifer ille fuit quo nullus dignior conditus fuit Apostolus etiam principatus potestates tenebrarum nominat ostendens de ordinibus illiâ— cecidisse Any mans knowledge is unprofitable whilest sequestrated for pride and us'd onely in such wayes as are most subservient to vainglory 'T is a great question whether or no those did well who published our Saviours miracles when he had charged them to tell no man Aquinas saith 2.2 â— q. 104. art 4. Dominus curatis dixit Videte nè quis sciat non quaesi intendens eos per virtutem divini praecepti obligare sed sicut Gregor 19. moral c. 18. à med servis suis se sequentibus exemplum dedit ut ipsi quidem virtutes suas occultare desiderent tamen ut alii eorum exemplo proficiant prodantur inviti I had now done with the first part of my Text but that a direction to another mean conducible to the delivery of faithfull and most acceptable doctrine is very convenient Religion must be joyned with knowledge Many which abound in knowledge for want of grace invent falshood deliver not truth much lesse truth worthy of all acceptation Men enabled by religion deliver saving truths more feelingly more fully and more easily These are like such as speak of a country or city which they have seen which they have before their eyes others discourse of spirituall things as if they had seen them onely in maps Experimentall knowledge availeth most to the efficacious preaching of Theologicall truths I have done with the testimony This is a faithfull and true saying I come now ad rem testatam the doctrine it self Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners I shall in the handling of these words onely give you summa rerum capita upon which as I mention them you may expatiate by your larger meditations Mankind was in a lost condition therefore is fitly represented unto us by the lost groat the lost sheep and the prodigall child Luke 15. As in a lost condition so in a slavish condition captivated by sinne and Satan which condition was so much the more wretched in that we wanted due apprehensions of our own misery We were not onely Satans captives but mancipated to sinne and rebells against God We were prone and headling into our own destruction we stood in need of one to seek us in that we went astray of one to save us in that we were captivated one to pardon us in that we had contumaciously rebelled against our Creatour These three degrees of mans wretchednes are comprehended in the word sinners But in this Text perhaps such are called sinners who are sensible of their sinnes Christ onely saveth such as conceive themselves to stand in need of deliverance He onely healeth such as stand in need of a Physician that is such as are affected with a sense of their maladies I answer to save hath a double acception sometimes 't is the same that to pay a ransome for another or others to give satisfaction for their offences In this sense Christ may be said to save all even such as are not affected with their need of a Saviour Sometimes to save implyes somewhat more to wit after the ransome paid to take out of the hand out of the power of the enemy such as are ransomed 'T is said concerning Lot that while he lingred the men laid hold upon his hand and the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters the Lord being mercifull unto him and they brought him forth and set him without the city Gen. 19.16 Christ by the powerfull workings of his Spirit haleth such as shall be saved out of the dominion of sinne and Satan draweth them to the Father Here is redemption applyed None are thus saved but such as are apprehensive of their naturall bondage But the sense of our own wants and such graces as are wrought into the hearts of all that shall be saved from eternall punishments are to be attributed to Christs sufferings Grace both preventing and concomitant and subsequent that is grace predisposing and grace actually converting and grace preserving us in a state of salvation in Gods favour were purchased by Christ He came into the world to pay a sufficient price for the redemption of all mankind but to save efficaciously such as should believe on him I shall take sinners according to the three dimensions afore-mentioned and salvation in its largest extent Christ came to save those who were in so forlorn a condition that they were even past sense of their misery First Christ came Secondly he came to save Thirdly he came to save sinners I shall premise a briefe explication of the words Christ and Jesus and then endeavour to illustrate these propositions Christ is the same that anointed He is called Messias from the Chaldee participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unctus originally from the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unxit Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oleum laetitiae magnitudo est oblectationis Alsheach in locum oyl of gladnesse †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above thy fellows viz. perfect righteous men that have not sinned Alsheach ibid. Perhaps he cast this dart at Christ What he saith is true if applyed to Scribes and Pharisees who in their own opinion were righteous A little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because that blessed one loved Israel more then the Heathen and more then Angels of ministery Companions also may signifie saith he such as have not merited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because thou shalt receive their part in the garden of Eden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Myrrhe and Aloes and Cassia are garments of honour or precious garments of the soul of the righteous Clemens Alexandrinus agreeably upon that in the 9. verse of the Psalme quoted Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queen in gold of Ophir saith well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—dâ—gog l. 2. c. 10. above thy fellows Psal 45.6 7. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruisâ—d to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord Esa 61.1 2. Luke 4.18 19. Our Saviour as Bishop Andrews thinks was anointed onely according to his humane nature I should rather think
Esay 7.14 * Here 's habitatio Dei cum carne which the Magicians conceived impossible Dan. 2.11 God assumed our nature and so became Immanuel Behold the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt c. Esay 19.1 This swift cloud in Aquila's translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Euseb Demonstr evang lib. 6. cap. 20. is either our Saviours body or humane nature The hypostaticall union is likewise foretold by Jeremy together with intimation of our Saviours birth chap. 23. v. 5.6 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a king shall reigne and prosper and shall execute justice and judgement in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Dionysius in an Epistle written to Euphranor and Ammonius against Sabellius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas de sentent Dionysii contra Arianos Intimations and characters of his divinitie run parallel with those of his humanity almost throughout histories concerning him in the Gospels His birth spoke him man but to be born of a †Non audiendus este Kimchius quatenus indigitari fingit ab Esaia prophetiae suae c. 7. commate 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virgin and as some conceive without pain together with the star and ‖ In the exposition of the sixth chapter de Fide attributed to Gregor Thaumuturg it s said he was born the quire of angels attended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that afterward he sate in the midst of Doctours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quire of Angels proclaim'd him God His swadling bands and the manger spake him man and one disrespected amongst men but the shepherds and wisemen worshipping him express'd him God His baptisme administred by John declared him a man but the voice from heaven to be God He was tempted in the wildernesse but overcame wept for Lazarus but rais'd him from the dead slept upon the seas but after he was awaked stilled the waves tempered the clay with spittle but opened the eyes of one born blind Lastly by his death shewed himself man by his resurrection God Man ought to suffer in that he sinned t was impossible for any merely a creature to satisfie divine justice Whatsoever Jews Mahumedans hereticks and heathens may conceive of Christ true believers after S. Peter with much comfort acknowledge him the Sonne of the living God That Jesus Christ God and man was born is as I have prov'd a true saying it 's also worthy of acceptation The Church in whose person Solomon speaks Cant. 2.8 esteems it so The voice of my beloved behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hils She shouts and skips for joy But neither is rejoycing abstracted from thankfulnesse both are requisite What 's worthy of all acceptation when it meets with ingenuous spirits produceth thankfulnesse as well as joyfulnesse Those are swine which feed upon akorns but never look up to the tree S. Paul expresseth both in the coÌ„mendation of his doctrine He thankfully acknowledges how advantagious Christs coming into the world was to himself the chief of sinners And certainly that acclamation of the Church is the voice of thankfulnesse as well as of rejoycing Their rejoycing is the eccho of their thankfulnesse No man saith our Saviour Mark 9.39 can do a miracle by my name that can lightly speak evil of me Who rejoyce so openly and so emphatically as the Church in the place quoted in the Canticles for a benefit received cannot easily become sons of Belial withdraw their necks from religion forget the obligation cast upon them I may safely adde that the rejoycing express'd by the Church if it be rightly analysed will be found to have in it more de amore amicitiae then concupiscentiae The godly rejoyce more in the advancement of Gods free mercy then in their own salvation They rather chuse to enjoy then to make use of Christ I shall shew before I proceed to the remainder of my Text that Christs comming into the world abstracted from the end of his coming express'd in my Text holds out to us ample matter both of rejoycing and thankfulnesse The approach of any good towards us is matter of joy and if it be freely bestowed upon us likewise of thankfulnesse and so much more of thankfulnesse by how much the more freely it comes from the Donour Grace restored to man as Thom. Aquin. 2. 2. q. 106. art 2. more obligeth to thankfulnesse then grace conferr'd at our creation quatenus that I may use his words magis datur gratis I shall first shew That Christs coming intimated some good towards us secondly That he came freely The former of these propositions is clear'd from the terminus à quo and the terminus ad quem of his motion together with the freenesse of the motion it self I must for the present take for a postulatum what I shall hereafter prove viz. That Christ was not compelled into the world What besides is repugnant to the freenesse of his coming as morall necessity by some fondly conceived to be cast upon him by mans merits cannot import that his coming should not be advantagious to us Christ freely disrob'd himself of glory assum'd the rags of our nature and so disguised visited sinfull mankind That one completely well much more a great man a Prince should bestow a visit upon one sick That any one should own a friend in great distresse especially one guilty of treason is wont to be esteem'd a great favour A traytour if his Sovereigne cast a favourable eye upon him interprets it a pledge of his propitious affections erects his languishing spirits Here the Monarch of heaven and earth visiteth mankind in sicknesse and distresse such as were disaffected towards him such as were traytours against him What is the ordinary temper of the world Cyprian well expresseth in his second Epistle I have not met with any Authour more elegant and copious to this purpose yet conceive that his expressions settle much below his subject I shall onely give you a tast of him you have accesse to the rest at your leasure Paulisper te crede subduci in montis ardui verticem celsiorem speculare inde rerum infra te jacentium facies oculis in diversa porrectis ipse à terrenis contactibus liber fluctuantis mundi turbines intuere Jam seculi ipse misereberis tuÃque admonitus plus in Deum gratus majori laetitia quod evaseris gratulaberis In the same epistle fiunt quae nec illis ipsis possunt placere qui faciunt The men of the world were more then vulgarly wicked when our Saviour came among them The wickednesse of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely evil continually True religion was no where to
brief in the redargution of these authours will stand me in good stead †Pererius de divinat Astrolog cap. 3. num 18. Albumazar foretold that the Christian law should not endure above a thousand foure hundred sixty years Time hath demonstrated him a false prophet Some have dreamed that Asia and Affrick shall be converted to Christian religion by the fiery Trigon consisting of Aries Leo and Sagittarius Christian religion say they began under this Trigon which also continued 200. years after Christ born therefore from the yeare 1600. to the yeare 1800. shall be much propagated under the same triplicity ‖ Vide Nunc. prophet p. 8. Not attending that in the 16. century under the watery triplicity consisting of Cancer Scorpio Pisces Christian religion was more disseminated if we attend spaces of earth by Lusitanians Spaniards English and Hollanders then in the 1500. preceding †See Alsted Encycl fol. 1084. col 1. Mahumetisme which as Astrologers say as it began under the watery shall be abolish'd under the fiery trigon gathered strength vigour in the ninth tenth centuries that is under the fiery triplicity Besides that I may here seasonably adde that rule much in use with Jews A testament that faileth in any one point is authentick in none experience hath demonstrated Astrologers vain and ridiculous in the grounds upon which they build those bold assertions produc'd concerning Christianity * Astrol lib. 2. cap. 3. art 4. Campanella's much more temperate then his predecessours He takes for an axiome Leges imperia quae incipiunt in tarditate anomaliarum durant temporibus longissimis He giveth for examples the Babylonian and Romane Empires He addes Christus natus est eligens sibi tempus primi trigoni omnium optimi constantiam anomaliarum Although this Authour here tantùm ait non probat somewhat came into my mind which may render his conjecture plausible In the first 1 3 ten degrees of the Persian sphere is plac'd ‖ See learned M. Selden De Diis Syris Syntag 1. cap. 2. viz. inscribd de Teraphim Joseph Scal. in sphaeram Barbaricam M. Manisii Virgo pulchra capillitio prolixo duas spicaes manu gestans residens in siliquastro educans puerulum lactans cibans eum We have here according to Albumazar and Frier Bacon after him a symbole of the nativity of our Saviour The words cited by the one out of the other are these Intentio est quod beatae virgo habet figuram imaginem infra decem primos gradus virginis quod nata fuit quando sol est in virgine ità habetur signatum in calendario quod nutrit filium suum Christum Jesum in terra Hebraeorum With whom agreeth the book entituled Ovidius de vetula ad Virginem Mariam O Virgo felix ô virgo significata Per stellas ubi spica nitet The sunne also say Astrologers was in Leo at the birth of Christ the lyon of the tribe of Judah Should we grant these reports of the nativities of the Virgin Mary and Christ to be true yet besides that Christian religion as we have demonstrated hath been contracted under a fiery and propagated under a watery triplicity its clear by undeniable authority that God doth not alwayes use the starres as mediating causes nor yet as signes of what he hath decreed in the sublunary world He created vegetables before the sun and moon as some conceive least any should impute their productions to the influences of those planets Vt sponte sol radiat dies illuminat fons rigat nubes irrorat ità se Spiritus coelestis infundit as Cyprian sweetly in the epistle quoted the same may be applyed to Christs coming into the world That Christ came into the world is as I have shewed true and acceptable doctrine In the next place He came to save Ezech. 47. The waters of the Sanctuary now are up to the knees We may partly conjecture what were his intentions by the circumstances of his coming but in the second proposition have them in some measure expressed Christ Jesus came into the world that he might become a Saviour Although my Text seem rather to point at the birth of Christ then the union of his two natures God the Sonne was incarnated that he might save sinners How thankfull heathens have been for temporall deliverances I have explain'd upon occasions before offered and so anticipated what is suitable to the point in hand I adde that messengers sent by the Athenians to thank Antigonus and Demetrius for their liberty were by them called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the name wont to be given to those who were sent to enquire of the Oracles Had Christ come to rescue such as were entire and upright but enslaved to men or to satisfie for such as had offended men or to deliver such as had offended God from temporall punishments or onely to establish the Angels his friends yet should he have done what all would have looked upon as much to be esteemed by those whom it might concern God the Sonne long before he assumed our nature went before the Israelites in the wildernesse and brought them into Canaan Exod. 23.20 Some Jewish Doctours as Abenezra witnesseth upon this text say that by Angel here is meant the book of the Law others understand the Ark of the Covenant Himself concludeth that the Angel here promised as a conductour to the Israelites is the Angel Michael 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permutation as Cabbalists speak becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Michael There 's onely a Metathesis with jod inserted Abenezra spake a truth which he comprehended not The Angel which went before the Israelites is the same with Michael Revel 12.7 no other then the Son of God * See Jarchey Bar. Nachman upon the place Other Hebrew Authours inferre from that kind of Cabbala which is called †There are three kinds of Cabbala calld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permutatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notaricum and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gematria Gematria as Elias Levita and David de Pomis acknowledge is a Greek word Geometria significat autem in arte Cabbalistica non terrae aut figurarum dimensionem sed Arithmeticam literarum supputationem qua dictiones diversae sibi invicem aquivalere probantur Gematria that the Angel here mentioned is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 metatron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 metatron saith Rasi in Gematrie is the same that shaddi the same number is exhibited in the letters of each word viz. 314. We must in that comma of Exodus before quoted understand an uncreated Angel Gods name is in him v. 21. that is he is God Nachmanides saith upon the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipse est Angelus ille redemptor cui nomen magnum in medio ejus scilicet quoniam in illo dominus petra seculorum is est qui dixit Ego Deus Bethel utpote
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the Holy one of Israel to anger Esay 1.4 7. I may adde his upbraiding of sinners Then he began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heaven shalt be brought down to hell For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodome it would have remained unto this day Matth. 11.20 21 22 23. 8. Christ lamenteth the death of sinners Christ lamented for the folly of Jerusalem which would not take notice of the day of her visitation 9. Christ in the Sacraments which he injoyned us condescendeth to our earthly apprehensions rendreth his goodnesse visible setteth salvation before our eyes 10. God writeth his laws in the hearts of his elect enableth them to perform what he requireth from them to believe to repent to observe in some measure each precept of the Morall Law The new covenant is founded upon better promises then was the old Heb. 8.6 God as the Legislatour of the Moral Law with the Egyptian task-masters required the full tale of brick but allowed no stubble He no where promiseth that he would dispense to any in this life our Saviour excepted grace enabling to fulfill the Moral Law Those graces which enable us to observe conditions required in those who shall be saved are to be referred to Christs merits He is the Mediatour of this better covenant Hence it appeareth that he came to save sinners Fourthly the consciences of Gods children attest abundantly the truth of this doctrine God hath sealed them and given them the earnest of the spirit in their hearts 2. Cor. 1.22 and 5.5 Ephes 1.13 These Scriptures I conceive do not onely concern the preachers of the Gospel but exhibite to us the condition likewise of other believers 1. God immediately inclineth his children to rely upon his goodnesse and free mercy 2. He teacheth them to be observant of him as well as to expect good from him to observe him in duties of both tables They have experience of reformation in themselves which they know to be above the strength of nature They know it to be as impossible for them so to reform themselves as for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle They perhaps also sometimes conceiv'd their affections rendring their judgements partiall that victory over some lust or other was above the power of ordinary grace or at least thought that they should one day perish under this or that corruption How great a change is wrought in their souls we may judge from that of the Prophet Esay chap. 11.6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall ly down with the kid and the calf and the yong lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them We know how hard a task it is to change what 's naturall Can the leopard change his spots or the blackamore his skin It 's more difficult to change nature it self Water may for some time loose coldnesse a quality naturall to it so as it may retain its nature Gods children are born again by regeneration and made partakers of a new nature Grace wrought in the heart is a pledge of salvation the first fruits of heaven This gracious reformation whereof Christians have experience was purchased hy Christs merits First it resembles Christs death and resurrection We may oft by certain lineaments in children discern their parents Secondly the Gospel is the great power of God to conversion The conversion of souls is above created strength and God is not wont to cooperate with false means The Gospel directeth us to Christ as the fountain of grace and salvation What Manilius fabulously reporteth of Orpheus is true of Christ Et sensus scopulis sylvis addidit aures Et Diti lacrymas morti denique finem Christ that I may omit Sozomen reporting that a tree in Egypt bowed it self in honour to our Saviour there present which story or rather fiction Scultetus also mentioneth exercit evangel l. 1. c. 59. moveth stocks and stones our stupid and stony hearts Here 's also finis mortis the death of death The remnant of the distich quoted out of Manilius Diti lacrymas is capable of such an interpretation as may illustrate another argument propounded viz. that the prevalency of the Gospel over Satans kingdome demonstrates that Christ came into the world to save sinners That the Gospel hath prevailed over perversnesse in mens wills and affections and corruption in their lives is evident to the consciences of believers and oft acknowledged by profane persons Many who will not themselves have Christ to rule over them sonnes of Belial perceive and confesse in others the powers of godlinesse Adde the demolition of the Jews Ecclesiasticall policy the downfall of heathenish oracles * See Plutarch de oracultrum defectu in his history about the death of the great Pa◠the shriekings of damned spirits the triumphs of the Gospel over heathenisme over errours and heresies in the Primitive Church and in later times over Popish superstition Vse 1. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Hence take notice of that great evil which is in sinne As it thrust our first parents out of Paradise so likewise occasionally brought the Sonne of God down from heaven 2. Learn we also hence how to esteem the Ministers of the Gospel they preach true and acceptable doctrine How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.5 Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God 1. Cor. 4.1 Whereas many sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death God is known in Judah Should God send a famine of the word which judgement he threatens the Israelites Amos 8.11 those Gospel-priviledges would be more precious in our sights which we now in plentifull measure enjoy but under-value Then might we say * Gen. 42.1 2. almost in Jacobs language Why look we one upon another Behold we have heard that there is spirituall food in such or such a countrey let us remove thither that our souls may live and not die 3. Did Christ Jesus come into the world to save sinners Let none dare to profane these names in cursing or swearing Corruptio optimi est pessima Some learned men have conceived as Plutarch tells us in his Agis and Cleomenes that as of oxen being dead and rotten there breed bees of horses wasps of asses beetles so mens bodies when the marrow melteth and gathereth together do
bring forth serpents The grace of God if turned into wantonnesse becometh the savour of death unto death And those sink themselves deep into condemnation whose sinnes mention what should induce to repentance 4. Neglect not salvation purchased by Christ O tast and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 Divine goodnesse hath condescended so farre that it is obvious to sense to the sight in a body assumed born conversing with men upon earth dying rising from the dead ascending into heaven but moreover to the tast Popish transubstantiation disclaimed in the Eucharist But to be affected onely with what tickleth our senses with what pleaseth the fantasie doth not transcend Popish superstition We must see Gods goodnesse with our understandings and tast it with rationall affections I deny not but both seeing and tasting may well agree to the understanding The intellect as it containeth eminently some one sense cannot comprehend sufficiently Gods clemency Yet I should chuse rather to attribute tasting to the affections We should at least but Tantalize if we should see and not tast We must tast otherwise we cannot see how gracious the Lord is We may learn who receive Christ aright and likewise be incited so to receive him from John 1.12 13. But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name which were born not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Those who receive Christ aright are not overswayed by naturall corruptions nor yet by the commandments of men moreover attain somewhat both beyond the reach of nature and education are by regeneration conformed to Gods will * See Field concerning severall degrees of Love in the Apendix to his third book of the Church chap. 5 They embrace Christ not onely as a Priest offering up himself for their sinnes but likewise as a Prophet to direct them and as a King to rule over them They are made the sonnes of God and heirs of eternall life and shall for ever enjoy the presence of God Bonum honestum utile jucundum meet together as we see in the receiving of Christ Christs bloud the true Pactolus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 floweth with riches One drop of it is enough to enrich thousands of worlds to all eternity Uranople the new Jerusalem hath its foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones Apocalyp 21.19 If heaven upon earth be so glorious what shall we conceive of heaven in its proper place As it cannot seem a new thing that truths so precious should want acceptance so undoubtedly some time or other each truth will obtain audience When any of us is in danger of death or at furthest immediately after death S. Pauls doctrine will be confessed worthy of all acceptation All who have heard it and not received it will acknowledge themselves fools at the day of judgement 5. Let us offer up all possible praise honour glory and thankfulnesse to the sacred Trinity contriving such a way for our recovery to God the Father who gave his onely begotten Sonne in whom he was well pleased to be a ransome for us to God the Sonne who suffered an accursed death for us to that Spirit which sanctifieth us Let us propagate our thankfulnesse into our lives Let us not think any peice of self-deniall any service too deare for God Christ hath descended lower for us then 't is possible for us to debase our selves for him The saints upon earth sing a new song in the honour of Christ Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Rev. 5.9 10. Heaven answers as by an eccho the musick upon earth in the mean time continuing verse 11 12. Worthy is the Lambe that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing This song of Angels putteth Christ in the third person He took not upon him the nature of Angels He is nearer to us All creatures come in as the Chorus v. 13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever As man began so he concludes the song v. 14. And the foure living creatures said Amen And the foure and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever Because there are severall degrees of thankfulnesse I shall adde to these examples some motives which may quicken us in the duties mentioned 1. We are unable in our own persons to fulfill the morall law Let us exceed the Scribes and Pharisees who so farre relyed upon self-sufficiency that they conceiv'd the Gospel in regard of themselves impertinent doctrine 2. Could we avoid all actuall transgressions yet originall sinne is able to damn us 3. No one merely a creature can supererogate can spare us any part of his obedience The blessed Angels of all creatures most nimble and cheerfull in obedience have oyl little enough in their lamps for themselves 4. No one merely a creature nor yet all creatures could by sufferings redeem so much as one soul They should alwayes be suffering but never satisfie If any commend any other way to salvation as the fulfilling of the morall Law the intercession of the Virgine Mary c. besides Christ that proverb mentioned by Aristotle in his Meteorologie is verified of him viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manus Christi to wit nailed to the crosse is the onely physick for a sin-sick soul We stand in need as you see of Christs merits but let us preferre ingenuity before necessity let us expose our hearts to the woundings of a friend Christ as Anacreon upon a worse occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suffer his love to wound your hearts Meditate returns answerable in some proportion to his sufferings Let us propagate our thankfulnesse into our lives and praise and honour God by doing his will So shall his will be done in earth as it is in heaven Let none who maketh profession of Christianity carry himself scandalously Muta nomen vel age fortiús 6. Forasmuch as Christ came into the world to save sinners and is a sufficient Mediatour able abundantly to save let us not seek unto any other Let us not go about to alienate any part of his office to conferre honour prerogative to him upon saints angels or images The Scripture speaketh expressely that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and the doctrine of daemons 1. Tim. 4.1 Beza upon the last word of that comma thus commenteth Notum est quid hoc nomine Platonici presertim
intellexerint sacri verò scriptores noxios illos impuros spiritus sic vocant That opus post humum of a late judicious authour inscrib'd The Apostasie of the later times well preferreth the signification of that word daemons which learned Beza seemeth to reject and fully demonstrates that Gods spirit hath forewarned us in the Scripture now quoted to beware of Mediatours and Mediatresses forged by the Papists 7. What Christ hath done for us calleth for spirituall rejoycing And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Esay 25.9 The same motives which I commended to you in the fifth use will likewise suggest spirits and alacrity in the performance of this duty The Hollander when he had obtained from Queen Elizabeth a promise of assistance against the Spaniard took for a Motto Luctor emergo We may sith Christ hath so farre appeared for us take for our word the name of the altar built by Moses Exod. 17.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord is my banner What greater occasion of rejoycing then invincible salvation God is the tower of the salvations of his anointed What Christ hath purchased for us is sufficiently fortified and secured Those cannot be exanimated and disheartened by any evil tydings and crosse events upon earth whose joy is heavenly 8. S. Pauls doctrine chastiseth those who murmer and repine at the salvation of others * Vide Socrat. Hist Eccles. lib. 7. c. 25. The Novatians apprehended that some sinners were during their lives to be debarred from outward communion with the church whom yet they conceived capable of divine mercy They either attended not to what our Saviour saith Matth. 12.32 viz. That the sinne against the holy Ghost shall neither be pardoned in this world nor that to come or else misconstruing S. John epist 1. c. 5.16 distinguished between that sinne which is unto death and the sinne against the holy Ghost Sure I am that those are not utterly rendred uncapable of sharing with us in outward priviledges of the Church who may for any thing we know become partakers with us in glory Howsoever fellow-labourers may murmure against such as enter into the vineyard in the last houre of the day God is ready at all times to accept all who cleave unto him by serious and unfeigned repentance 9. Let us endeavour the conversion of others pull them out of the fire Jude 23. God as ye see both by example and precept requireth this office from us And that I may suggest another incitement what more rationall then that we should be subservient to Gods ends Christ came into the world to save sinners then let us likewise endeavour their salvation 10. Let us walk charitably and compassionately towards all such as are capable of salvation but more largely towards the houshold of faith Gal. 6.10 If thy brother shall trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone Matth. 18.15 Who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Matt. 18.6 Besides that men oft times aggravate small faults with Momus exclaim against the creaking of Venus her pantofle and sometimes impute crimes to those in whose lives in whose goings there is best harmony to reprehend openly intimateth a greater disaffection towards the person offending then towards the offence Neither is it sufficient not to be ill affected towards Gods children We must sympathize with our brethren in afflictions Christ did not onely sympathize with or suffer for his friends but condescended to an accursed death for his enemies 11. Let us do good against evil Christ came to save enemies After his example blesse them that curse you perform good offices to those who despitefully use you Rom. 5.6 8. 1. Cor. 8.11 2. Cor. 5.14 15. Men are wont to esteem those fools and to brand them with this ignominious name who do good to their enemies who when they are reviled reply not again This part of honesty is accounted folly Solomons rule is out of date viz. When a man is silent he 's to be reputed able to speak As drunkennesse is veiled with the name of good fellowship covetousnesse reckoned good husbandry so pride is ordinarily applauded under the name of animosity and a good spirit I commend to your meditations that Christ when he was condemned as he was led to be executed opened not his mouth by reviling his persecutours but by praying that their sinne might not be laid to their charge The last part of my text yet remaineth viz. the Epilogue whereof I am cheif S. Paul here applyeth his doctrine to himself and omitting other mens faults confesseth himself the greatest of sinners I shall here onely exhort every one to take a survey of himself and to be a follower of S. Paul in his faith charity and humility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ An Appendix to the former Treatise I Am come to the end of my stadium but not of my dolichus It remaineth after the contents of my Text explain'd that I represse some groundlesse opinions which vie with S. Pauls doctrine both for truth and acceptablenesse Those who have affirmed that Aristotle was Christs prodromus in naturall sciences * See Salmeron tom 1. p. 380. as John Baptist was in supernaturall mysteries may be dismissed with laughter I am not able nor willing to give a catalogue of all those empty curiosities frothy conceits ecstaticall paradoxes brain-sick phansies Bethlehem ravings which have been obtruded for truths authentick or fundamentall I shall single out some one or two which may be here seasonably chastized as not permitting the circumstantialls of Christs coming into the world to retain their due rank and order but thrusting them forward into equipage with what is most substantiall in religion One conceiveth that to misinterpret our Saviours two genealogies one of which viz. that in Matthew chap. 1. contains his pedigree as he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sonne of a kingdome the other of his naturall descent is at least in regard of bad consequences an errour not veniall The falsity of this petty conceit is easily deprehended but also some other may occasion discourse as much as I may conveniently superadde more profitable Another will fear least the history of Christs birth unlesse the positure of the place in which he was born in respect of the parts of heaven or the superiour world its longitude and latitude be duely attested may in processe of time in mens opinions vanish into a fiction Either experience or reason that I may not object the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sacred Scripture might challenge a better opinion concerning succeeding ages It s well known that many have given
full credit to divine stories who never consulted with any map who knew not in what parts of the world the scenes were situate Many true believers are uncapable of such knowledge Sacred Scripture oft wholly omits the circumstance of place I shall not need to repeat here what hath been said before against Astrologers who have imagined that the time of God the Sonne incarnated was determined by the starres I could wish that none out-strip'd them in madnesse and blasphemy Those conceive some of them that God hath design'd the starres for harbingers of what he intendeth to bring to passe in the sublunary world others who ascribe to theÌ„ efficacy above their sphere of activity acknowledge that it was conferred upon them by God To subordinate an eternall God to time to make omnipotency depend upon times and seasons to affirm that God could not sooner or later have perform'd what was requisite for the redemption of sinfull men that he could not but effect what things were done or suffered for us at what times they were accomplished farre surpasseth the wildest conceits of vainest Astrologers No one who is compos sui will imagine that God more depended upon time for the union of the two natures of Christ or his suffering death for us then in the creation of the world Time had no existence before the Genesis of the world begun Time saith Spensippus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Stoicks it's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle neither expresseth what thing time is nor adequately what things are thereby measured describing it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rest quoted expresse not the relative nature or formality of time Motions measure themselves and other motions distinct from them and beings which were for their kind complete or all whose parts coexisted in the least time and in the least part of time conceiveable as well as those which were extended into succession were made up of prius and posterius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saturn the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time with the Poets is the of-spring of heaven with Eratosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the motion of the sunne I cannot with these confine time to the heavens I cannot see but that the motion of a sublunary body may measure the duration of things and consequently be called time agreeably enough to reason and some authorities cited I conceive there was no artificiall motion before man was created but certainly there was naturall at leastwise of the firmament or of the earth Whether or no Angels are able to comprehend the durations of things permanent without some measure applyed or extrinsecall time I shall not need to determine Moneths and years most properly so called are the same with the proper motions of the Moon and Sun We owe dayes whether naturall or artificiall as they denote time to the motion of the earth or else to the common or participated that I may so speak with Philosophers motion of the Sunne Time as distinguished from eternity which limitation I insert as knowing how largely some late authours have used the word necessarily succeeded it's existence supposed in order of nature somewhat created It is clear that time depended upon the Creation not God about to create the world upon time Old Saturn should now be more aged had God been pleased to have anticipated the creation Neither can I see how God is intrinsecally more determined to one time whether imaginary or reall rather then another in creation and the sending of his Sonne into the world then to one person before another in election and the application of Christs merits I know also who thought it a crime mortall not to assent without doubting that the number of years between mans creation and his redemption might be infallibly gathered from Scripture Others deem that events mentioned in sacred Scripture as the Exodus and the destruction of the first Temple the beginning and end of the seventy years captivity God the Sonne incarnated Christs nativity passion resurrection and ascension ‖ See bold Determinations concerning the dayes of the birth death of Adam that I may quote authours not inaccessible apud Joannem Stadium Astronom Histor pag. 17. Doctiss Selden De Ann. Civ vet Judaeorum cap. 8. pag. 44. c. may be applyed to years moneths and dayes on which they came to passe in Cyclicall accompts Chytraeus in a preface to his lectures upon Herodotus and Thucidides determineth both which were the years and dayes of Christs incarnation and passion As for the year of his birth he approveth our common accompt * See Origan Ephemerid part 1. c 1. Lansbergius in the dedication of his three books of sacred Chronol Joseph Scalig. in Proâ—egom ad libros de Emend Temp p. 22. de emendat Temp. l. 6. Sethus Calvisius Isagoges Chronol cap. 46. Gerardus Johan Vossius de natali anno Christi p. 11. which as it is well known is rejected by Chronologers of best judgement We have not a clear computation of the years between our Saviours birth and the first assembly at Nice transmitted to us Neither is it agreed what time interceded between his birth and passion He assum'd our nature if we may beleieve Chytraeus on the 25. of March and 34. years after suffered †Chrysost and August went before him in this opinion The Tesserescaedecatitae boasted that they had learned from the acts of Pilate that Christ suffered on the 25 of March Epiphanius reporteth that he found an History of the acts of Pilate which told him that Christ suffered on the 15. of the kalends of April that is on the 18 of March on the same day of the moneth On the same day according to this Authour 1509 years backward or before his incarnation the first passeover was celebrated by the Israelites before their Exodus from Egypt And our first parents on the same day 2453 years upward were created ‖ Euseb and many after him in several ages affirm that Christ rose from the dead on the 25 of March on which day they conceive the world was created not more to be excused then Chytraeus 'T is not difficult to discover how Chronologers both Jewish and Christian dissent from this Doctour were it lawfull to digresse so farre It s obvious to suspect him with many others to be seduced by an ambition of making things answerable in nature to be likewise sutable to in time He had an eye upon the correspondency between the first and the second Adam and between man form'd and reform'd Again between the Paschall Lambe and the Antitype the Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world * Christ saith Chrysostome ought necessarily to suffer on the 25th of March because he was on that day conceiv'd Moreover between Christs coming and the end of his coming He came to save sinners He assum'd a body that he might be fitted to suffer for mens iniquities
praeferenda videtur interpretatio Pag. 161. lin 17. vel unius momenti The Anonymous Hebrew writer before quoted thus speaketh in the Latine translation set out by Hillerus Veruntamen remanebunt nobis semper in omnibus novendecim annis inter solares lunares una hora 485 minuta secundum intentionem gentium plebiscita earum Sed secundum intentionem certam qua est apud nos inter annos solares lunares exacto decemnovenali annorum circulo nulla reliqua est differentia sed perpetuo redeunt ad idem transacti circuli punctum revertitur computatio ad primum principium He confirmeth in these words that the lunar enneadecaeteris which exceedeth 19 Julian years by one houre 485 scruples was transmitted from the Heathens to the Jews and that the Jews had another enneadecacteris which he seemeth to preferre invented by some one of their own nation that made equall the motions of the two luminaries Two other periods of the anonymous Hebrew writer now prays'd might have been digested into the Treatise next preceding which are these Prima conjunctio super quam componuntur computationes ad extrahendum omnes conâ—unctionet est conjunctio anni imaginati de quo non habemus nisi sex dies Sicut legitur Dixerunt nostri antiqui in vigesimo quinto die mensis Elul creatus fuit mundus Corrigenda Pag. 5. lin 7. lege ingenuous p. 29. in marg lin 6. pro first lege fift pag. 38. l. 22. cloud p. 41. l. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 44. l. penult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lin ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 45. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 48. l. 27. simple p. 58. l. 21. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 60. l. 2. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 62. l. 4. Lactantius l. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 63. l. 22. paluda mento p. 73. l. antepenult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In notis ad pag. cand pâ—o Apollonius repone Apolâ—onias p. 74. l. 36. insere onely between not and contradict p. 75. l. 2. lege twenty fifth p. 76. Theologicall p. 77 in marg l. 8. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 13. est p. 80. l. 17. pro besides repone betides p. 81. l. 32. acts p 82. l. 2. engraved in marg pag. ejusd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 86. l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 86. in marg Baâ— Nachman p. 93. l. 4. integrity l. 23. Terpsichore l. 29. after That Christ came into the world adae to save sinners p. 99. l. 10. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 112. l. ult dele to p 114. l 9. lege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 116. l. 11. 12. Pharmuthus p. 118. in stead of Whence some errours in Chronology are occasioned inscribe this title The uncertainty of Chronology l. 30. pro them repone Sem. p. 120. in marg l. antepenult lege Chaldaeis p. 121. l. 2. dele 785. years c. v. 19 l. 14. lege to the end of the eleventh comma p. 124. l 17. Aegyptian l. 30. in that Scripture p. 127. l. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 128. l. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 129. l. 33. in the 23. yeare of Nebuchad-rezzar in marg l. 5. 480. p. 134. insere between lin 32. and 33. as he computeth p. 141. Karaeorum sententia de veteribus genâ—s suae neomeniis ad paginae hujusce calcem imperfectè tradita emendetur per ea quae praecedunt paginâ 138. p. 142. l 23. lege Maimon Halach Kiddusch Hachodesch p. 143. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 18. above p. 144 l. 5. pax p. ejusd l. 14. pro objection repone exception p. 145. in marg l. 6. sexdecim p. 147. l. 19. out-pac'd p. 149. l 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 152 l. 22. anni p. 153. l. 8. 793. p. 155. l. 11. post 29 dayes adde sometimes one of them 30 the otheâ— 29 dayes p. 156. l. 1. 2. diametrally p. 155. l. 4. pro or lege and. p 160. l. 22. secundum p. 171. l. 24. after beyond it adde duly characterized by some Astronomicall observation pag. 172. l. 31. lege Eliah Ben Mosch who was the authour of the manuscript us'd p. 173. l 19. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 175. l. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 183. l 15. pro rain repone the prevailing of the waters