The Happiness of the Church, Biblical commentary 1
THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH.
HEBR. 12.
Ver. 22. But ye are come vntounto Mount Sion, and to the Citie of the liuing GOD, the heauenly Ierusalem; and to an innumerable company of Angels:
23. To the generall assembly, and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen, and to God the Iudge of all, and to the spirits of iust men made perfect:
24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant, and to the bloud of sprinkling, that speaketh better things then that of Abel.
THEY that make comparisons, alteram partem deprimunt, vt res alterius emineant; debase the one part, that they may aduance the honour of the other. Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law, that he may giuegive more glory (where it is more deserued) to the Gospell. a2 Cor. 3. 9.For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory. The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls. 1. There were, Omnia terrena, et externa: all things outward and sauouring of earth: ver. 18. A Mount that might still be touched, &c. Here, all Interna et coelestia, spirituall and heauenly. 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa, darke and difficult: Blacknesse & darknes, &c. Here, all Clara et illustria, cleare and conspicuous: therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae, bMal. 4. 2.The Sun of Righteousnesse: and Iohn Baptist stiled him cIohn. 1. 8.That light, which lightens eueryevery one comming into the world. 3. There, all were Terribilia, fearefull and amazing: not onelyonly to the people, ver. 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more. But euen to Moses, ver. 21. So terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly feare and quake. Here, all Amabilia et laeta, louely as Rachel, delightfull as Musike: the Gospel is called the Message of peace. Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell; Magnitudinem Gloriae, multitudinem gratiae: the greatnes of Glory, to worke in vsus reuerence: the multitude of Grace, to worke in vsus louelove & obedience. dIoh. 1. 17.The Law was giuen by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus. The excellency of Christ aboue Moses, is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle, Heb. 3. 6.Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant: But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house, &c.
To the words; the parts are generally two, the Accesse, and the Obiect. First, for the Accesse, Yee are come. What, on your own feet without a Guide? No; eParaeus.Accessistis, hoc est, fide Euangelica perducti estis. Yee are come, that is, yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel. There is one that brings you; God: eueryevery person in the blessed Trinity. It is Opus Patris; fIoh. 6. 44.No man can come except the Father draw him. Opus Filij, gCan. 1. 4.Draw me, we will runne after thee. Opus spiritus sancti, hPsal. 143. 10.Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case, i2. Kin. 25. 7.blind and lame: Blind, Non inuenisset viam, nisi via inuenisset eum: vnlesse the vvay had found him, he could neuer hauehave found the way. Lame, he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a kActs 3. 2.beautiful gate; Grace: but cannot come thither till God brings him, loo sen his stupified ioynts, and put into his hand the Almes of mercy. This done, he may enter into the Temple, walking, and leaping, and praising GOD.
Thus first he giues the Soule eyes, vnderstanding; then feet, gracious affections: and now expects that he should come. God hath not so done all for thee, that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe. A Deo sine te factus, à te fine Deo infectus, A Christo sine te refectus, non à te fine Christo, nec à Christo sine te perfectus: God did create thee without thy selfe, thou didst lose thy selfe without God: without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee; but neither thy selfe without Christ, nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee. Potest Dominus inueniri, adueniri, non praeueniri: There may be a finding of God, a comming to God, but Ber.no preuenting of God. HaueHave faith. lHeb. 11. 6.Hee that commeth to God, must belieue: and that of thine owne, for there is no comming on anothers foote. Thus that we might come to Christ, Christ came to vsus. Non de coelo merita nostra, sed peccata traxerunt: Not our merits, but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vsus.
Yee are (not comming, but) come: it is rather a time perfectly past, then expectantly future. Which plainely demonstrates, that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate, so well as triumphant. Indeed either hath a relation to other, a communion to other; and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together. The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible, that they often change names: Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse, and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen. mRom. 8. 24.Yee are saued by hope: and nIohn 5. 24.Hee that belieueth, hath euerlasting life, and is passed from death to life. So sure, as if they were already in Heauen. So Paul, oPhil. 3. 20.Our conuersation is in heauen, from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles. First, it is called a Mount: but is there so much happinesse in that? Feriunt summos 1fulgura montes: the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen. ver. 18. There was a Mount burning with fire. This is no Mountaine of danger, or terror, but Sion: safe, pleasant, delightfull Sion; the ioy of the whole earth, the beloued of GOD: the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. pPsal. 87. 2.The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob. But though a Mount, though Mount Sion, yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill: like that whereunto qMath. 4. 8.the Diuell tooke Christ, and shewed him the kingdomes of the world: vvhere a man can onelyonly see glory, not enioy it. Or like that mount rDeu. 34. 4.Nebo, or top of Pisgah, whereon Moses might onelyonly stand, and behold the Land of Canaan.
Not so, but on this Mount there stands a City: a populous 2Citie, and full of buildings: like that, wherein Christ sayes sIoh. 14. 2.there are many mansions. But now whose Citie is this? For it may be some poore decayed thing, that hath onelyonly some ruines of remaining monuments: No, it is the Citie of GOD. They are superlatiue things, that hauehave attributed to them the Name of God. Sauls sleepe vvas called S…por Domini, a sleepe of God. tGen. 30. 8.Rachel said, With great wrastlings hauehave I wrastled: Hebr. the wrastlings of God. uPsal. 36. 6.Thy righteousnesse is like the great Mountaines: Hebr. the Mountaines of God. xIon. 3. 3.Niniueh was an exceeding great Citie: Hebr. a Citie of God. This Hebrew dialect our Apostle followes to the Hebrewes, and calls this excellent Citie, the Citie of God Not that it is onelyonly Gods …y way of as…ription, but euen by foundation, and euerlasting possession: but to vindicate it from any obscurene…se, it is the Citie of God. But there were many concei…ed gods; it may be this belonged to some Idol, as Peor …id to Pa…l, and Ekron to Baalzebub: No, these were all …ead gods; this is the Liuing GOD. The Psalmist calls …hem …: yPsal. 106. 28.They did eate the sacrifices of the dead: but this God is called Uiuens, aHeb. 9. 14.the Liuing: and Deus viuentium, bMat. 22. 32.the GOD of the liuing. Well, yet what is the name of this Citie? Is it a Citie, a Citie on a Mount, a Citie of God, and doth it want a name? Not a great man but if he build a faire house, hee will giuegive it some name: Perhaps cPsal. 49. 11.call it after his owne name. The name is Ierusalem, famous, blessed Ierusalem; a Citie of Peace. But there was a Ierusalem on earth, wherof we may onelyonly say, Fuit, It was. That was fulfilled on it, which Christ foretold against it; dMat. 24. 2.There shall not be left one store vponupon another. But this Citie is built with no other stones then Iaspers, Saphirs, Emeralds, and Amathysts. Reue. 21. 19. It is here distinguished from that terrene, by the name of Heauenly; aboue the wheele of changeable mortalitie, it is not subiect to mutation. The celestiall Ierusalem.
But yet, though it be a Citie on a Mount, though Ierusalem, 3though heauenly; yet the perfection of all may be empaired through the want, either of Inhabitants, or of good Inhabitants. There be Cities eminent for situation, glorious for building, commodious for traffique: yet hauehave all these benefits poisoned by euill Citizens. When Alcibiades would sell a house, among other conueniences for which he praised it, he especially commends it for this; that it hath a good neighbour. Who bee the neighbours in this Citie? Angels, glorious & excellent creatures, the great Kings Courtiers; heere, our Guardians, there, our companions. Yes, you will say, one or two Angels: yea a company; not like Dauids at Adullam, nor Absolons in Hebron; but innumerable, Myriads of Angels.
Are there none in this Citie but Angels? what habitation 4is there then for men? Yes, there is an Assembly of men: not some particular Synode, nor Prouinciall Conuocation, nor nationall Councell; but a Generall assembly. What doe you call it? The Church. Of whom con…sts it? Ex Primogenitis, Of the first borne. But then it may seeme that younger brothers are excluded: No, the first borne of the world may bee a younger brother in Christ, and the first borne in Christ may bee a younger brother in the world. Be they younger or elder, all that are written in heauen, if their names bee in the Booke of life, their soules are in the bundle of life: All they, & none but they. eReu. 21. 27.Then shall enter into it no vncleane thing: but onelyonly they which are written in the Lambes Booke of life.
But now is it a Citie, so pleasant, and peopled vvith such inhabitants, and hath it no Gouernours? Yes, God, 5.Iudex vniuersorum … Iudge of all. But here is more matter of feare then comfort: wee may quickly offend this Iudge, & so be quite cast out of this Citie: the very name of a Iudge implies terror. No, for it is the part of a iust Iudge, Parcere subiectis, & debellare superbos: to punish obstinate Rebels, and to protect peaceable and obedient subiects.
Somewhat was said of adopted Citizens, such as were strangers borne, and by grace naturalized. What manner 6.of creatures are they, that GOD hath admitted to dwell there? Spirits. Why, Diuels are spirits: No, spirits of Men. But many men hauehave wicked spirits, and shall such dwell there? No, the spirits of Iust men. Why, Solon, Aristides, Phocion, Scipio, were iust men: they were morally iust, but not truely iustified, not perfected. These are iust spirits made perfect.
How came they to be thus perfect? By Iesus, fRom. 4. 25.vvho was deliuered for our offences, and was raised againe for our 7.iustification. What is this Iesus? A Mediator. Man was guilty, God was angry: how should they be reconciled? A Mediator must doe it. For this purpose Apparuit inter mortales peceatores, & immortalem iustum, mortalis cum hominibus, iustus cum Deo. Hee appeared betweene mortall Aug.sinners, and the immortall Iudge, mortall with men, iust with God: so was a perfect Mediator. Whereof? Noui foederis, of the new Couenant. The old was forfeited, a new one comes by him that renues all. Not Doe this and liue: but gIohn 3. 16.belieue on him that hath done it for thee, & liue for euer. How is this Couenant confirmed? It is sealed with Bloud. How is this bloud applyed? Aspergendo, by sprinkling: as the dore-posts sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe, caused the destroying Angel to passe ouer the Israelites: So the aspersion of this immaculate Lambes bloud vponupon the conscience, shall free vsus from the eternall vengeance. But what's the vertue of this bloud? It speaketh better things then that of Abel. That bloud cried for vengeance; this cryes for forgiuenesse. The voice of that was, Lord, see and iudge: the voice of this is, Father, forgiue them, they know not what they doe.
Thus briefely hauehave I paraphrased the Text. Now for methods sake, in the tractation wee may consider generally these fiue points. 1. There is a Citie; Ierusalem, the Citie of the liuing God. 2. The situation whereon it is built, Mount Sion. 3. The Citizens, who are Angels and men: an innumerable company of Angels, and spirits of iust men. 4. The King that gouernes it; GOD the Iudge of all. 5. The Purchaser that bought it, and gaue it vsus, Iesus, the Mediator of the new Couenant. But now the situation hath the first place in the words, therfore challengeth the same in my discourse. And indeed on good cause should the foundation goe before the building: we first seek out a fit ground, and then proceed to edifie on it.