A Caveat to Prevent Future Judgments, Part 2
Ieſus.
IF you aske who found this Man? it was Ieſus: if you aske where? it was in the Temple; the place where the meanes of Gods publike worſhip were. In ſpeaking of the perſon, I will ſpeake of both together: the perſon is Ieſus, in engliſh, the Sauiour: the Temple was the houſe of publique prayer and ſacrifices; firſt built by Salomon: but after deſtroyed by the King of Babel, and re-built by Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. Heere Chriſt reuealed himſelfe, Doct.who (before) was not knowne of the Man whom he had healed: which teacheth, that in Church-aſſemblies Chriſt is found, and finds vsus. In this way, and to ſuch as are in it he reueales himſelfe in the arme of his Word, Eſay 53.1. and as they whom he healed corporally, were in the way by which he paſſed, Mat. 20.30.34. Mar. 6.55.56. ſo they muſt be found in the walke of Ieſus, the way of the meanes, whom he will heale ſpiritually. His ordinary walke is in the Temple of the New Teſtament; that is, in the publique aſſembly of Chriſtians. Thither (therefore) we muſt come, if wee will know Chriſt in the arme of power to our Saluation. Dauid knew the way by his experience, and followed it with louelove to the Temple. Pſal. 42.1.4. and, when Saul (his Father in law) tooke this way from him by baniſhment for ſome time; how doth he deſire his returne thither by more then an ordinary affection? for, hee fared as a woman, ſet a longing after ſomewhat, which (becauſe ſhe cannot obtaine) maketh her ſick of deſire, Pſal. 84.2. There Gods euidences were kept, and there God was in place by an extraordinary preſence: hence, the Prophet was taken vp with a louelove thereof, euen to the fainting of his ſoule: he had drunke deepe of Gods bleſſings in that earthly heauen; which being denied him by a kinde of excommunication out of that Paradiſe of God, firſt vnderunder Saul, and then vnderunder Abſolom his owne ſonne; how ſoule-ſick was he for the daily ſacrifices? Moſes, when the people of God were kept with Pharaos ſtrong hand, as with a chaine in Egypt, from ſeruing at ſome publique Altar, asketh their deliuerance of the King, leſt the Lord ſhould meete them with Peſtilence or ſword, Exod. 5.3. and ſo, vponupon paine of death, God muſt be publikely ſerued; which, if our bodies eſcape, our ſoules ſhall not. Thus it was in the Law and vnderunder Moſes. In the New Teſtament, in like manner, it was the practiſe of Chriſtians to beate this way to the Lord, Luke 4.16. and why did they ſo aſſemble, and ſo many in houſes, which they called Synagogues, but becauſe they were, vponupon promiſe, perſwaded there to meet the Lord Chriſt, who would be in the middes of them? Mat. 18.20. At another time, the whole Citie came together in a like aſſembly, and to a like end, Act. 13.43.44. and for this, the aſſembly is called Gods Army, Pſal. 110.3. becauſe God takes the muſter of his people there. But further, for this meeting wee hauehave a commandement, and day ſet, 1. Cor. 11.17.18. 1. Cor. 16.1. Thus (then) we hauehave traced the way in which we may finde and bee found of Chriſt: euen the Kings high-way which fooles cannot miſſe, and which none, but worſe then fooles, goe out of, Eſay 35.8. the reaſons: Reaſons
There is Iacobs Ladder in the ſtaires of the means to heauen, Gen. 28.12.17. there God hath commanded the bleſſing, and life for euer, Pſal. 133.3. Secondly, it is our Fathers houſe, Iohn 2.16. and where doe children conuerſe familiarly with their earthly Fathers, but at home in their Fathers houſe? where hauehave they the helps of naturall life, but there? and in what houſe, but therein? And ſhall wee not care to goe home to GOD, our heauenly Father, in the Aſſemblie; where we may hauehave him to ſpeake kindely to vsus by his Word; where wee may ſpeake familiarly to him in our prayers; where wee may meete with his ſeales of aſſurance, and be bettered by his nurture & rod of diſcipline; where he giues vsus his Sonne, and giues vsus his Spirit, and grace in our hearts? where hee keepes his wealth, and where his houſhold-ſtuffe lies? or doe wee not care for the abundance of Gods houſe? or had we rather liue beggerly in the world, then richly at Church? to be ſhort; had wee rather looſe our gracious Father then finde him, or be found of him in the way, wherein they that ſeeke finde, Mat. 7.7. we ſhould be followers of God: and wil we be followers of thoſe, who chooſe another Father in their ordinary abſences from the Aſſembly, then they hauehave, who aſſemble willingly in the day of Gods muſters? Pſal. 110.3. Thirdly, hence, when Cain was caſt out of Adams houſe, which was the Church then, he ſaid to God; I am caſt out of thy ſight, Gen. 4.14. meaning his face in the Aſſembly, which is the Church now.
But is Chriſt found in Church-Aſſemblies?Vſe. and doth he there ſeeke vsus? and ſeeke vsus for much good to our ſelues? how vnwiſe are we, and what fooles for our ſelues, if we will ſuffer eueryevery twiſt of occaſion, though in neuer ſo ſmall a thred, to hold vsus from thence? If a mortall King ſhould ſeeke vsus in ſome ſpeciall place to beſtow honours, and wealth vponupon vsus; and we (knowing the place) would not come thither, were we not both vndutifull to him, and vnwiſe to our ſelues? This is the very caſe of our Papiſts Recuſant, and Proteſtants at large. The immortal King of kings ſeekes them in our Church-Aſſemblies to make them rich in Chriſt, and great in Heauen: yet they will not be in place, nor tread vponupon the threſhold of his Sanctuarie, ſaue where Law binds; nor ſome, nay many, where they are ſo bound. Of Dauids affection to the publike places of prayer, hearing the Word, receiuing the Sacraments, and the like, wee heard. The riuer of his deſires riſing mainely in this caſe, could be kept within no banke: he could reſt vponupon no ground, till, being in exile from Gods Tabernacle, he was brought backe againe to God in his ordinances. It was his Croſſe, and a weighty one vponupon him, that by tyrannie, and enforced abſence, hee was not permitted to worſhip at Ieruſalem. But now, who doth not account it the leaſt of his trouble, that by ſickneſſe, and other impediments neceſſitated, not procured, he is held, as in bonds, from the publique Aſſembly? who wiſheth for his appearance before the Lord, as the Hart brayeth for the brooks of water? Pſal. 42.1. who now feareth the hand of the Lord (that of which we heard) for omitting the publique Seruice of God in the Congregation? and not holden from it by Pharao, as ſome neceſſary chaine in Egypt, but with chaines of their owne, either vnneceſſary buſines, or carnall ſports? Exod. 5.2. It was Dauids deſire, aboue, or more then all he deſired, to dwell in the houſe of the Lord all his time, and to behold the beauty of the Lord in his Temple, Pſal. 27.4. wee make no ſuch requeſt, nor will we take vp our pleaſant daies with ſuch ſad matters. And ſome, though they dwell not far from the place, where the Arke of the Goſpel is placed in the Preaching Miniſters mouth, as in the Tabernacle thereof; yet, if the wether be not to their lazie minds, if any impediment ſeaze them; a leſſe matter then the buying of a Farme, or the prouing of fiue yoke of Oxen, wil keep them away, Luke 24.18.19. you muſt hauehave them excuſed; they cannot: but more truly, they wil not come: & why? they can ſerue God at home, as well as there: ſo could Abraham as eaſily, as hauehave gone the dolorous iourney of three daies, to Sacrifice his deareſt Son Iſaac, Gen. 22.4. but Abraham muſt go, and Abraham did go to the place which God ſhewed him. And ſo God will be ſerued in the place he hath ſhewed vsus, and in the manner, & as we hauehave heard of him: there we muſt offer vp, not the only childe of our loues, but the foule children of our luſts, Iames 1.15. & that vponupon the Altar of the law that threatneth iniquities and ſins. The Iewes came betimes to Ieruſalem, though dwelling in the vttermoſt liſts of the Land: neither foule weather, nor perill by that long way could hinder them: for, with Abraham, they droue away al vncleane fowles of exception, that might fall vponupon the carkaſſes that were for that ſacrifice them, Gen. 15.11. But now, Dauids place is empty: O Lord, how long? which, though Sauls now do not marke, as Saul then; God doth: & the Pews & Seats that are empty ſo often, and for no cauſe he knowes, who will one day ſay: wherefore come not theſe to meate, neither yeſterday nor to day? 1. Sam. 20.27. I may adde, and ſay; not theſe ſeuen or eight weekes of daies? And here let me ſpeake to ſuch vnwilling and preſt men (where, God will hauehave none in his camp but voluntaries, Pſal. 110.3.) what would ſuch do, if the*Maſter Widley his Tract on the …abbath. page 125. Pariſian line were ſtretched ouer the land, & men ſhould be killed with their bibles in their hands, their blood being ſprinkled vponupon the ſeats they ſit on? would they not ſay: this euill is (all) of the Lord, & why ſhould we waite on the Lord any longer, 2. King. 6.33. But to make ſhort: yee that thus turne the back and not your faces to Gods Sanctuary, & ſacred houſe; conſider your waies, and turne your feete vntounto Gods teſtimonies: conſider who it is that ſeekes you, and where, and for what. He that ſeekes you is Ieſus, he that ſaues his people, and muſt you, if you will not be damned: and he ſeekes you in the aſſembly: and there ſeeks you for your own good. I ſay therfore, would you be found of God in peace; or of your Sauiour (the Sonne of God) to your peace and comfort euerlaſting: be in the way of the meanes: let your feete ſtand within the gates of the Goſpels Ieruſalem: there fall downe low on your faces, and kneele before: he Lord your Maker, Pſal. 95.6. And God perſwade Iapheth to dwell in the tents of Shem, Gen. 9.27. But there are many out-lyers, and many, who when they ſhould dwell in Shems Tent, at the times of publike prayer and hearing, dwell in the tents of Cham, where their other impieties are accompliſhed and made vp with their ſcoffings at Noah, the Preacher of righteouſneſſe O, how hardly are ſuch perſwaded to be in the Temple with Simeon and Anna, Luk. 2.27.38. or to be found in the Temple to bee healed, as this man whom Chriſt healed? but Ieſus ſeekes them there, and they looſe him in the world, and in wordly luſts of profit and pleaſures. God and Prince require their preſence: God vponupon paine of death; & the Prince vponupon pain of twelue pence for eueryevery day: yet neither God nor Prince can be heard; and how ſhall I?
So much for the place where this man was found, with the circumſtances of time and perſon; it followeth to conſider, what Chriſt ſaid.