Gods Three Arrows, 39 (part 2) – Section 41
§. 39. Of the vanity of meere creatures interceſsion.
SVrely they do more incenſe then appeaſe God, who to the heape of their other ſinnes adde this high pitch of preſumption, Interceſſion of men or Angels. Can mans invented incenſe, offered up with ſtrange fire, pacifie Gods wrath? For, interceſſion of men and Angels is a meere humane invention: never could any Papiſt give any good proofe for it out of Gods Word: nor ever hereafter can any do it. That which is not in Gods Word cannot be drawne out of it. This is ſuch ſtrange fire, as will devoure them that uſe it: even as aLev. 10. 1, 2.The fire that went out from the Lord devoured Nadab and Abihu: and as bNumb. 16. 35.that which conſumed the two hundred and fifty men that (being of the conſpiracy of Korah) offered incenſe: incenſe that much incenſed the fire of Gods wrath. To reaſon the caſe a little with our adverſaries; Why do they not content themſelves with that pure, and ſweet incenſe that Chriſt our great Prieſt offereth up? Is it not ſufficient? Need any thing, can any thing be added to the dignity and efficacy of that which Chriſt doth? Can man or Angell do any thing more then God-man? Are any more beloved of the Father then he?
But they pretend humility forſooth. Sinfull men are unworthy to go to ſo worthy a Mediatour as the Sonne of God. Therefore they have the Spirits of just men made perfect in heaven, and the holy Angels to be their Mediatours.
Anſw. 1. Pretence of humility without warrant of Gods Word is high preſumption. cHypocriſin hu militatis. Oecu men. in Col. 2. 19.He fitly ſtiled this kind of humility, that ſtiled it, a ſhew, or a maske of humility, counterfeit humility: And dVulgò dicitur qui divitem affectat thelo-dives, qui ſapientem thelo-ſapiens. Ergò & hic thelo humilis dici tur(i) affectans humilitatem. Aug. Epiſt. ad Paulin,he more finely, that by a new coined word, compounded part of Greeke, and part of Latin, called it Thelo-humilitatem, will-humility, voluntary, or affected humility: which is plaine and palpable arrogancy.
2. Though Angels and Saints in heaven be more perfect then men on earth, yet are they not worthy of ſuch an office, as to be Mediators & Interceſſors to God for others. Or this office of Interceſſion is too much vilified, or celeſtiall creatures too much dignified and deified by accounting them Interceſſours in relation to God.
3. Chriſt himſelfe is deprived of one of his prime functions, and honours, by aſcribing it to others: or at leaſt he hath co-partners, and aſſiſtants joyned with him. Which to do is intollerable preſumption.
4. The love of Chriſt to man is thereby exceedingly impeached. For he was made like to his brethren, that he might be a mercifull and faithfull High-Prieſt in things pertaining to Hebr 2. 17.God, &c. This end of his taking our nature on him, is fruſtrated, if we need other Mediatours to him. To what end is he made man, if there need other Mediatours to preſent us to him? Wherein appeares he to be ſo mercifull, if of our ſelves we may not have acceſſe to him, who was made as our ſelves, a Sonne of man?
The excellency, neceſſity, ſufficiency, and commodity of Well uſe, and truſt to Chriſts interceſſion.Chriſts interceſſion being by the Goſpell evidently revealed unto us, it becommeth us to take ſuch notice thereof, and to be ſo inſtructed therein, as we may in all our needs wiſely uſe it, and confidently truſt to it.
They wiſely uſe it, that on all occaſions, when they approach to God, have the eye of their ſoule fixed on Chriſt abiding in heaven at Gods right hand, and making interceſſion, & thorow his mediation and interceſſion preſent their perſons, their prayers, and all their holy ſervices to God the Father. Eſpecially when Gods wrath is provoked, and any ſignes thereof begin to manifeſt themſelves, then to humble their ſoules at the throne of grace: then thorow the interceſſion of Chriſt to crave mercy and pardon. That forme wherwith the Church uſeth to conclude her prayers (thorow Ieſus Chriſt our Lord) is a worthy form, and pertinent to the point in hand. In uſing the words, our heart ought to be lift up unto Chriſt, and ſet on him ſitting on Gods right hand. Yea, though ſuch words be not alwayes expreſſed, yet every petition made to God, every thanks offered to him, every thing wherein we have to do with God, muſt in mind and heart be intended thorow the mediation and interceſſion of Chriſt. We read of incenſe offered with the prayers of Saints, the ſmoke whereof aſcended before God. This incenſe is the Rev. 8. 3, 4.interceſſion of Chriſt.
They truſt to his interceſſion, who uſe no others but his, and in the uſe of his, reſt confidently that they ſhalbe accepted. Thus may we, thus muſt we do. We may do it, becauſe what ſoever is in us to diſcourage us, or any way to make us doubt of acceptance, is ſo abundantly ſupplied in Chriſt, as all matter of doubt and feare is thereby taken away. We muſt do it for the honour of Chriſt, for the comfort of our owne ſoules. Chriſt is much honoured by the ſtedfaſt faith of his Saints, Thereby the dignity of his perſon, the merit of his ſacrifice, the favour of his Father, the efficacy of his interceſſion, and other his Divine excellencies are acknowledged. The ſoule of him that in faith expecteth thorow Chriſt acceptation, cannot but be much comforted. This was it that much encouraged, and comforted Stephen, even then when his malicious enemies gnaſhed on him with their Act. 7. 54, 55.teeth, that he ſaw Ieſus ſtanding on the right hand of God. That of Stephen was extraordinary. For the heavens were actually, really opened, and Chriſt in that body, wherein he was ſeene on earth, and wherewith he aſcended into heaven, appeared unto him, being in the higheſt heaven. Stephens ſight was alſo extraordinarily quickned, and enabled diſtinctly to perceive and diſcerne a viſible object ſo far off. Such an extraordinary bodily ſight of Chriſt is not to be expected of us. Yet as truly, and to as great comfort of ſoule may we with the ſpirituall eye of the ſoule, the eye of faith, ſee Chriſt ſitting in heaven for us: as it is ſaid of Moſes, By faith he endured, as ſeeing him who is inviſible. Heb. 11. 27.Thus to eye Chriſt with his incenſe, his interceſſion before God, in dangers and diſtreſſes, in feares and perplexities, while we live, when we are giving up the ghoſt, can not but bring unſpeakeable comfort to the ſoule.
§. 40. Of the ſcope of the laſt clauſe of the 46 Verſe.
NVMB. 16. 46.For there is wrath gone out from the Lord: the plague is begun.
A Reaſon of the fore-mentioned direction given to Aaron, is here rendred, as is evident by this cauſall particle foreignFOR. The reaſon is taken from the manifeſtation of Gods wrath: and confirmed by an effect or evidence thereof, a plague.
The reaſon may thus be framed.
When Gods wrath is gone out, attonement muſt be made.
But now Gods wrath is gone out.
Therefore now an attonement muſt be made.
That Gods wrath was gone out, he proves by the effect thereof: which may be thus framed.
When a plague is begun, Gods wrath is gone out.
But now a plague is begun. Therefore, &c.
Here are two points to be conſidered.
1. The Substance of the reaſon.
2. The Inference of the reaſon.
The Subſtance ſetteth out
1. The cauſe. Wrath.
2. The effect. Plague.
The Inference noteth out a duty to be thereupon performed, which is to appeaſe Gods wrath.
Firſt of the Cauſe, wrath, amplified by the Author whence it came; From the Lord.
§. 41. Of the ſenſe of theſe words, Wrath is gone out from the Lord.
THe originall word tranſlated wrath, ſignifieth a fervor, foreign excanduit vehemencer.fierceneſſe, or vehemency of anger. aHoſ. 10. 7.The ſome that ariſeth from the raging and beating of the ſea, is ſet out by this word. It hath affinity with bforeign … King. 6. 6. foreign … lignum.a word that ſignifieth to cut downe: and importeth ſuch vehemency of wrath as moves him that is angry to cut off, or deſtroy the other. Whereas the Hebrewes have ſundry words to expreſſe diſtinct degrees of anger: this is uſed to expreſſe the uttermoſt. cDeut. 29. 28. foreign … & excand… centia, & ſe…oreMoſes to ſet out the fierceneſſe of Gods wrath, uſeth three ſeverall words, the latter implying more then the former, thus, The Lord rooted them out of their land in ANGER, and in WRATH, and in great INDIGNATION. The laſt of theſe three is the word uſed in this text, and noteth an higher degree then the two former.
By this phraſe, dforeign exivit.is gone out, a manifeſtation thereof by an outward evidence is ſignified. It is oppoſed to keeping in, or hiding cloſe and ſecret. What things men would not have ſeene or knowne, they keepe in. What they would have ſeene and knowne, they ſuffer to go out. In this reſpect wrath is here ſaid to go out. It imports, that God was ſo provoked as he could not keep in his wrath.
From the Lord, or word for word, eforeign A facie Iehovae. Trem. & Iun.From the face of the Lord. When a man is angry, paſſion will ſoone manifeſt it ſelfe in his face, by bringing bloud into it, and making it hot, by bending his browes, by a fierce caſt of the eyes, and other like ſignes. In which reſpect wrath is ſaid to come from the face of a man, that is, in and by the face to ſhew it ſelfe. Thus by a Metaphor, and by reſemblance to man, when the Lord doth by any viſible ſignes manifeſt his wrath, it is ſaid to come from his face; that is, as our Engliſh according to the uſuall acception of the Hebrew phraſe, hath tranſlated it, From the Lord.
The great, ineffable, and moſt proper name of God, Iehovah, is here expreſſed. When matters of favor are applied Of the title Iehovah, See the Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 15. §. 72.to this name Iehovah, they are much amplified thereby. They are the favours of Iehovah. But when wrath is attributed to him, it is much aggravated. The wrath of Iehovah, muſt needs be a wrath that makes all to tremble.