Light from Heaven, Part 10 – Part 12
Seene of Angels.
The word is not altogether so fitly translated:Seene of Angels, what. For, it is more pregnant then it is here rendred, He was seene. It is true; but he was seene with admiration, and wonderment of Angels: he was seene, as such an object presented to them should be seene, and seene with wonderment; it implyes the consequence of sight:Sight put for, sight stirres up affection, it stirres up the whole soule; therefore it is put for all the rest.
They saw him with wonderment:1Wonderment. For, was it not a wonder, that God should stoupe so low, as to be shut up in the straits of a Virgins Wombe? that Christ should humble himselfe so low, to be God in our flesh? Was not here exceeding wondrous love and merciemercy to man kind, to wretched man, having passed by the glorious Angels that were fallen? And exceeding wisedome in God, in satisfying his justice, that he might shew merciemercy? It was matter of admiration to the Angels, to see the great God stoupe so low, to be cloathed in such a poore nature as mans, that is meaner then their owne. This doubtlesse is the meaning of the Holy…Ghost, they saw it with admiration.
2Attendance.And because he was their Head, as the second Person, and they were creatures to attend upon Christ; their sight and wonderment must tend to some practise, sutable to their condition: Therefore, they so see and wondred at him, as that they attended upon Christ in all the passages of his humiliation, and exaltation; in his …ife, in his Death, in his Resurrection and Ascension.
3Witnesse.They saw him so, as they were witnesses of him to men; they gave testimonie and witnesse of him: so that it is a full word, in the intention of the Holy-Ghost. Indeed not onelyonly the Angels, but all gave witnesse of him, from the highest Heavens to Hell it selfe; all witnessed Christ to be the true Messias.
In his Baptisme, there was the Trinitie; the Father, in a Voyce from Heaven; the Holy-Ghost, in the shape of a Dove: He had the witnesse of Angels, of men of all rankes, Iewes and Gentiles, men and women; yea, the Devils themselves oft times confessed him in the Gospel: He was witnessed of all rankes; they saw him, and gave evidence and testimonie of him, that he was the true Messias: he was seene of Angels.
To declare this a little more particularly.
The Angels knew of Christs comming in the flesh, Angels knew Christs Incarnation before hand.before it was: for, what the Church knew, the Angels knew, in some measure. When God made the Promise of the Promised Seed, the Angels knew of it. And in Daniel, the Angel speakes of the 70 Weekes: therefore, before his Incarnation, they knew of him. But now they saw him with wonderment in our flesh, now they had an experimentall knowledge of him:Knowledge of Angels. For, the Angels, besides their naturall & supernaturall knowledge, they have an experimentall knowledge, that is daily encreased in them, in the Church; they see somewhat to admiration continually, in the Church, in the Head, and in the members. They knew of the Incarnation of Christ before: you know the Angel brought the newes of it before-hand, to the Virgin Mary. The Angels attended upon Christ, from his very infancie; the Angels ministred to him,Matth. 4. in his temptation; before his death, they comforted him in the Garden: he was made lower then the Angels (in some sort) as it is in Psal. 8.Psal. 8. for they came to comfort him; he was so low, that he had the comforting of Angels: Then they saw when he was buried, they rolled away the stone.
By the way in generall,Angels office. it is the Angels office to remoove impediments that hinder us from Christ. A Christian shall have Angels to remoove the stones, the hinderances that are betweene Heaven and him, rather then they shall be any impediment to his salvation.
Then wheu he rose, there were Angels, one at the head, and another at the feet; and they told Mary, that he was risen: And then at his Ascension, the Angels told the Disciples, that Christ should come againe. You have the Storie of it at large in the Gospel; how from the Annuntiation of his Conception, to his Ascension, they saw him, and attended on him, and witnessed of him.
As soone as ever he wa… borne, when they appeared to the Shepheard, what a glorious Hymne they sang? Glorie to God on high, Peace on Earth, Good will to men. How joyfull were they of the Incarnation of Christ, and the great Worke of Redemption, wrought thereby?
And, as I sayd, they did not onelyonly see these things, but they wondred at the love, and merciemercy, and wisedome of God, in the Head and members of the Church; as we see in diverse places, in 1 Pet. 1.12.1.12. Wee preach the Gospel, which things the Angels desire to looke into: The very Angels desire to prie and looke with admiration into the wondrous things of the Gospel. So in Ephes. 3.10.3.10. To the intent that unto Principalities and Powers in heavenly place might be made knowne by the Church the manifold wisedome of God. There is somewhat done by Christ by his Incarnation, and Resurrection, and Government of his Church, that the very Angels looke into, and wonder at the manifold wisedome of God, in governing his Church; his wisedome, in electing them; and after, in restoring mankind: And in his manner of dispensation to the Iewes; first, by ceremonies; and then after, by the Bodie it selfe, Christ in the flesh: There is such a World of Wonders in the Governmen… of the Church, such manifold wisedome, that the very Angels themselves looke upon this with admiration and wonder, and with great d…l…ght.
Shall Angels see and wonder at these things?Vse 1 At the love,Angels wonderment should teach us. and merciemercy, and wisedome of God, in governing his Church, in joyning together things i… r…concilable (to mans apprehension) infinite justice with infinite merciemercy in Christ, that Gods wrath and justice should be satisfied in Christ, and thereby infinite merciemercy shewed to us. Here are things for Angels to wonder at. 'Shall they wonder at it, and joy and delight in it; and shall we slight those things, that are the wonderment of Angels? There are a companie of prophane spirits, (I would there were not too many among us) that will scarce vouchsafe to looke into these things; that have scarcely the Booke of God in their Houses. They can wonder at a Storie, or a Poem, or some frothie Device; at base things, not worthie to be reckoned of. But, as for the great Mysteries of Salvation, that great Worke of the Trinitie, about the Salvation of Man-kind, they tush at them, they slight them; they never talke seriously of these things, except it be (as it were) with a gracelesse grace, of slighting, and scorne; they account it a disparagement, to be serious in these things; they make no Mysteries of that which the glorious creatures the Angels themselves, looke upon and prie into, even with admiration. But it is not to be conceived of, the prophanenesse and poyson that is in mans nature against Divine Truths (as I shall shew afterwards;) how it slights the meanes of its owne salvation, and stands wondering at baubles, and trifles: and so men waste away their precious time, in admiration of that which is nothing but vanitie of vanities; whereas we should take up our time, in studying these transcendent things, that goe beyond the capacitie of the very Angels: yet these things we dally and trifle withall.
Vse. 2.Againe, from hence, that Christs was seene, and attended on,Of Comfort. and admired by Angels, there is a great deale of comfort issueth to us; it is the ground of all the attendance and comfort that we have from the Angels: For this is a Rule in Divinitie, that there is the same reason of the Head, and of the members, both Head and members are one: Therefore, what comfort and attendance Christ had, who is the Head, the Church, which is his Body, hath the same, onelyonly with some difference: they attended upon him, as the Head; they attend upon us, as the members they attended upon him immediatly, for himselfe; they attend upon us, for his sake. For, whatsoever we have of God, we have it at the second hand; we receive Grace for Grace, of Christ: we receive attendance of Angels, for the attendance they yeelded to Christ first; they attend upon us, by his direction, and commission, and charge from him; so we have a derivative comfort, from the attendance of Angels upon Christ: but surely, whatsoever they did to him, they doe to us; because there is the same respect to Head, and members. Therefore the Devill did not mistake; he was right in that, when he alledged out of the Psalme, He shall give his Angels charge over thee, that thou dash not thy foot against a stone. He was right in that, applying it to Christ: For, how-ever it be true to Christians, yet it is true to Christ too: it is true to the members, as well as the Head; and to the Head, as to the members: for, He that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all one, as the Apostle sayth, one Christ.
Now,Cherubins, what they signified. the care of Angels concerning Christ and his Church, it was shadowed out in Exod. 25. and 26.Exod. 25. Exod. 26. There, the MercieMercy-Seate, which covered the Arke, wherein the Law was; upon the MercieMercy-Seat there were two Cherubins counter viewing one another, and both pryed to the MercieMercy-Seat; they shadowed out the Angels, that looke on the MercieMercy-Seat, MercieMercy-Seat, a Type of Christ.Christ: for, he is the MercieMercy-Seat, that covers the Law; and the Curse, in whom God was mercifull to us. There they looke upon that with a kind of wonderment, and attendance, which S. Peter alludes unto,1 Pet. 1.12. in that place, I…to which Mysteries the very Angels prie. And so in the Veile of the Tabernacle,Exod. 16. the Veile had round about it Pictures of Cherubins: What did that shaddow out unto us? The multitude of Cherubins, and Seraphins, and Angels that attend upon Christ, and his Church. So he was seene, and attended on by Angels; and it belongs to all that are his:Heb. 1. as you have it, Heb. 1. They are ministring spirits, for the good of the heires of salvation. They that serve the King, serve the Queene too: Christ is the King of his Church, and the Church is the greatest Queene in the World; they attend upon her: nay, Christ hath made us with himselfe Kings. Now, what a King is that, that hath a Guard of Angels? As they guarded and attended upon Christ, so they guard and attend all that are his: as you have it excellently in Dan. 7.10. There are thousand thousands of Angels about the Throne continually. All this is for our comfort, because we are one Mysticall body with him.
Iacobs Ladder, what it figured.You have in Iacobs Ladder, a notable representation of this: Iacobs Ladder, it reached from Earth to Heaven; and that pointed to Christ himselfe, who is Emanuel, God and man, who brought God and man together: He was a Mediator betweene both, and a friend to both: He was that Ladder, that touched Heaven and Earth, and joyned both together. Now it is said, the Angels ascended and descended upon that Ladder: so the Angels descending upon us, is, because they ascend and descend upon Iacobs Ladder first; that is, upon Christ. All things are yours (sayth the Apostle:) What be those? God is ours, the Spirit is ours, Heaven is ours, the Earth is ours; Afflictions, Life, Death, Paul, Apollo, the Angels themselves, all is ours: Why? Ye are Christs; that is the ground. So it is a spring of comfort to consider, that Christ was seene, and admired and attended by Angels; they are ours, because we are Christs. Let us consider, what a comfort it is, to have the attendance of these blessed Spirits for Christs sake.
And hence we have the ground of the perpetuitie of it,Ground of Angels attendance on us. that they will for ever be attendants to us; because their love and respect to us, is founded upon their love and respect to Christ. When favour to another, is grounded upon a sound foundation: when the favour that a King or a great person beares to one, is founded in the love of his owne sonne, he loves the other, because he loves his sonne, whom the other loves; so it is perpetuall and sound, because he will ever love his sonne. The Angels will for ever love, and honour, and attend us: why? for what ground have they respect to us at all? It is in Christ, whose members and Spouse we are. So long as the Church hath any relation to Christ, so long the Angels shall respect the Church: but the Church hath relation to Christ for ever; therefore, the respect that the blessed Angels have to Christ and to the Church, it is for ever, and for ever.
Well, let us thinke of this so, as to make use of it; that now in Christ, we have the attendance of Angels. Why Angels appeare not now.We doe not see them, as in former time, before Christs Incarnation; it is true: because now, since Christ is come in the flesh, the Government of Christ is spirituall, and we are not supported with those glorious manifestations, but they are about us in an invisible manner. We have Elizeus Guard about us continually, but we see them not. There were more apparitions in the infancie of the Church, because the dispensation of Christ to the Church, was according to the weake state of the Church. But now Christ is come in the flesh, and received up in glory, and there is more abundance of Spirit: wee should be more spirituall and heavenly minded, and not looke for outward apparitions of Angels; but be content, that we have a Guard of them about us, as every Christian hath. Despise not (saith Christ) these little ones: th…y are about Christians, and about little ones, little in yeeres, & little in esteeme; for their Angels, &c. It is a strange thing; they are Gods Angels, but they are theirs for their service; Their Angels behold the face of your heavenly Father: So that Christs Angels, are our Angels; they are Angels even of children, of little ones. Nay, let a man be never so poore even, as Lazarus, he shall have the attendance of Angels, in life and death: There is no Christian of low degree, of the lowest degree, that shall thinke himselfe neglected of God; for the very Angels attend him, as we see in Lazarus: there is a generall commission for the least, the little ones.
Likewise,Comfort in affliction. it may comfort us in all our extremities whatsoever, in all our desertions: the time may come, beloved, that we may be deserted of the world, and deserted of our friends; we may be in such straits, as we may have no body in the world neere us. Oh, but if a man be a true Christian, he hath God and Angels about him alway. A Christian is a King, he is never without his Guard, that invisible Guard of Angels. What if a man have no body by him when he dies, but God and his good Angels, to carry his soule to Heaven, is he neglected? Every Christian, if he hath none else with him, he hath God, the whole Trinitie, and the Guard of Angels, to helpe and comfort him, and to convey his soule to the place of happinesse. Therefore, let us never despaire, let us never be disconsolate; whatsoever our condition be, we shall have God and good Angels with us in all our straits and extremities. Goe thorow all the passages of our life, we see how readie we are to fall into dangers.Angels care in our infancie. In our infancie, in our tender yeeres, we are committed to their custodie: after, in our dangers,In danger. they pitch their Tents about us, as it is Psal. 34. The Angels of the Lord, pitch their Tents about those that feare the Lord. In our conversion they rejoyce;Ioy at our conversion. There is joy in Heaven at the conversion of a sinner. At the houre of death,They carry our soules to Heaven. (as we see in Lazarus) they are readie to convey our soules to the place of happinesse. Lazarus soule was carryed by Angels into Abrahams bosome. At the Resurrection, they shall gather our dead bodies together; it is the office of the Angels. In Heaven, they shall prayse and glorifie God, together with us, forever; for, Christ shall come with a multitude of heavenly Angels, at the Day of Judgement: when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints; then we shall for ever glorifie God, Saints and Angels together, in Heaven. Therefore,Heb. 12.22. in Heb. 12.22. it is said, We are come to the innumerable multitude of Angels: What is the meaning of that? That is, now in the New Testament,Communion with Angels. by our communion with Christ, we have association with the blessed Angels, innumerable companie of Angels, sayth the Holy-Ghost there: we have association with them even from our infancie, till we be in glory. Indeed, they are as Nurses: They shall carry thee, that thou dash not thy foot against a stone; as it is Psal. 91. they keepe us from many inconveniencies.Psal. 91.
Object.But you will say; Gods children fall into inconveniencies, how then are they attended by Angels?
Answer.I answere: First of all, Gods Angels preserve those that are his, from many inconveniencies that they know not of: And certainely, we have Devils about us continually▪ Conflict betweene good and evill Angels.and there is a conflict betwixt good Angels and Devils, about us continually. And when we doe fall into any inconvenience, it is because we are not in our way: if we goe out of our way, they have not the charge over us; they are to keepe us in our wayes. And if they keepe us not from dashing our foot against a stone, if they keepe us not from ill; yet they keepe us in ill, and deliver us out of ill at length: for, they deliver us not onelyonly from evill, that we fall not into it; but they keepe us in ill, and deliver us out of ill; nay, and by ill: if we suffer in the custodie of Angels any inconveniencie; it is, that we may be tryed by it, that we may be exercised and bettered by it: There is nothing that falls out to Gods children in the world, but they gaine by it, whatsoever it is. This therefore doth not prejudice the attendance of Angels.
Therefore let us comfort our selves in all conditions for our selves,Guard of Angels. and for the State: put ease it be brought to a very small number, that the enemies were thousands more then wee, many thousands and millions; yet, if we be in the Covenant of Grace, and in good tearmes with God, we have more for us then against us, we shall have Angels fight for us. You know Elisha's servant, when he saw a multitude of enemies, his eyes were opened to see a companie of Angels; and sayth the Prophet, there are more for us then against us. So, let us be to the eye of the world never so few, and never so weake; let us but have Elisha's eye, the eye of Faith, and we shall have his Guard about us alway, and about the Common-wealth: this should comfort us.Not to grieve the good Ang…ls.
But then we must learne this dutie, not to grieve these good Spirits. As it is wondrous humilitie, that they will stoupe to be servants to us, that are of a weaker baser nature then they; so it is wondrous patience, that they will continue still to guard us, notwithstanding we doe that that grieves those good spirits: one motive to keepe us in the way of obedience, that we doe not grieve those blessed spirits, that are our Guard and attendance. Let us consider, when we are alone; (it would keepe us from many sinnes) no eye of man seeth; I, but God seeth, and conscience within seeth, and Angels without are witnesses; they grieve at it, and the Devils about us rejoyce at it: These meditations, when we are sollicited to sinne, would withdraw our minds, and take up our hearts, if we had a spirit of faith to beleeve these things.
To blesse God for their protection.Let us learne to make this use, likewise to magnifie God, that hath thus honoured us; not onelyonly to take our nature upon him, to be manifest in the flesh; but also to give us his owne attendance, his owne Guard, a Guard of Ange…s. Indeed, we are in Christ above Angels, Wherein we are advanced above Angels.advanced higher then Angels, (what cause have we to prayse God?) How are we advanced above them? We are the Spouse of Christ, and so are not Angels: they are under Christ, as a Head of government, and a Head of Influence; they have strength and confirmation from Christ: he is not a Head of redemption, but of confirmation to them. Saint Paul calls them elect Angels, Benefit of Ang…ls by Christ.that stand; they stand by Christ, they have good by him: but they are not the Spouse of Christ, we are the Spouse, and members of Christ: He hath honoured our nature more then the Angelicall; he did not take upon him the nature of Angels, but of men; and as he hath advanced us above Angels, so his dispensation is, that those glorious creatures should be our attendants for our good; and they distaste not this attendance.
And this is that we should know, what care God hath over us, and what love he beares us; that he hath honoured us so much, that creatures of a more excellent ranke then we are, even the Angels, should be serviceable to us in Christ▪ And all is, that we should be full of thankfulnesse.
But you will say;Object. What need the Guard or attendance of Angels to Christ, or to us, to Head or members, considering that God is able to guard us with his Almightie Power?
It is true: The creatures that God hath ordained in their severall rankes,Answer. they are not for any defect in God,Why God useth service of Angels. to supply his want of power, but further to enlarge and demonstrate his goodnesse. He is the Lord of Hosts; therefore he will have Hosts of creatures one under another, and all serviceable to his end: His end is, to bring a companie to salvation, to a supernaturall end, to happinesse in the world to come; and he being Lord of all, he makes all to serve for that end: He could doe it of himselfe; but having ordained such rankes of creatures, he makes all to serve for that end, for the manifestation of his power, and of his goodnesse; not for any defect of strength in himselfe: He could doe all by himselfe, he could have beene content with his owne happinesse, and never have made a World; but he made the World, to shew his goodnesse, and love, and respect to mankind. So he will have Angels attend us, though he watch over us by his owne providence; this takes not away any care of his, but hee shewes his care, in the attendance of Angels, and other creatures, he useth them to convey his care and love to us.
Object.But you will say, How can the Angels helpe our soules any kind of way? they may helpe our outward man, or the State where we live; but what good doe they to the inward man?
Answer.I answer: The inward man is especially sub…ject to the Spirit of Christ;Good motions stirred in us by good Angels. it is God that bowes the necke of the inward man: But yet notwithstanding, if the Devils can suggest sinne, Angels are as strong as Devils, and stronger and wiser too; they are wiser then the Devill is malicious, and stronger then the Devill is powerfull: Whatsoever they can doe in evill, the good Angels can in good. Therefore no question, but they suggest many thoughts that are good; they are not onelyonly a Guard about us, but they are Tutors, to teach and instruct us; they minister good thoughts, and stirre up good motions and suggestions. They worke not upon the heart of man, immediatly to alter and change it, (that is proper to God) but by stirring up motions, and by way of suggestion; as the Devils doe in ill, so they in good. Therefore it is sayd, they comforted our blessed Saviour; which I suppose, was more then by their presence. So they comfort Gods children, by presenting to their thoughts, (wee know not how, the manner is mysticall, it is not for us to search into that) good motions, by stirring up to good, onelyonly the altering and changing of our dispositions, that is proper to the holy Spirit of God.
Let us often thinke of this, what a glorious head we have, for whose sake, the Angels attend upon us in all estates whatsoever, even till wee come to heaven.
And this should stirre us up,Motive to get into Christ. to labour to bee made one with Christ; all the good we have any way, is by the interest we have in Christ first, he holds it in Capite, if we have not a being in our head Christ, we can challenge nothing in the world, no attendance of Angels: for the Angels are at variance with us out of Christ, we see presently after the fall, the Cherubin was set with his sword drawne, to keep the entrance of Paradise, from whence Adam was shut, to shew that presently upon the fall,Angels our enemies out of Christ. there was a variance, and a mighty distance betweene the Angels and vsus. But now the Angels no longer shut Paradise, no, they accompany us in the wildernesse of this world, to the heavenly Canaan, to Paradise, they go up and downe Iacobs Ladder, they attend upon Christ, and for his sake they are ministering spirits, for the comfort of the elect, so that all things are reconciled now in Christ, both in heaven, and earth, Angels, and men. It should stirre us up, to get interest in Christ, so that we may have interest in all these excellent things that first belong to Christ, and then to us. Whatsoever is excellent in Heaven or Earth, belongs to the King of all, which is Christ; and to the Queene of all, the Church: and the time will come, that there will be no excellencie, but Christ and his Church. All whatsoever is in the world, is nothing, it will end in Hell, and desperation, all other excellencies whatsoever.
To carry our selves answerable to our condition.This should teach us likewise to carry our selves answerable to our condition, to take a holy state upon us: we should think our selves too good, to abase our selves to sinne, to be slaves to men, to flesh and blood, (be they what they will be) to the corruptions and humours of any man; since we have Angels to attend upon us: we are Kings, and have a Kingly Guard, it should move us to take a holy state upon us, it should force a carriage sutable to Kings, that have so glorious attendance. Undoubtedly, if we had a spirituall eye of Faith, to beleeve and to know this, answerable to the things themselves, and their excellencie, it would worke a more glorious disposition in Christians then there is, to carry our selves as if we were in Heaven before our time. Oh, that we had cleare eyes, answerable to the excellencie of the priviledges that belong to us.
Not to disdaine weake Christians.Againe, it should teach us, not to despise the meanest Christians, seeing Angels despise not to attend on them. Shall we disdain to relieve them, that the Angels doe not disdaine to comfort? To comfort and relieve one another, it is the worke of an Angel: Shall any man thinke himselfe too good to helpe any poore Christian? Oh, the pride of mans nature! when the more glorious nature of the Angels disdaine not to be our servants; and not onelyonly to great and noble men, but to little ones, even to Lazarus. What a devillish qualitie is envie and pride, that stirres us up to disdaine to be usefull one to another, especially to those that are inferiours? We know it was the speech of wicked Cain; Am I my brothers keeper? Shall I stoupe to him? Flesh and blood begins to take state upon it. Alas, if Angels had taken state upon them, where had this attendance bin? The Devils, that kept not their first standing, being proud spirits, they disdained the calling they had; the good Angels humble themselves. God himselfe,Psal. 113. as it is Psal. 113. disdaines not to looke on things below. When the great God became man, shall we wonder that Angels should attend upon the nature that God hath so honoured? What a devillish sinne then is envie, and pride, and disdaine? Let these considerations move us, to be out of love with this disposition: the Angels joy at the conversion of others; shall that be our heart-smart and griefe, that is the joy of Angels? Shall we despise the worke of regeneration, and the image of God in another? Shall it be the joy of Angels, and shall it be our sorrow, the welfare and thriving of others spiritually or outwardly? Shall we, out of disdaine and envie, think our selves too good to doe any thing, when it is the delight of Angels?
The Angels are described with wings,Angels description. to flye, in Isai 6. to shew their delight in their attendance, and wings to cover their faces, and their feet, to shew their adoration, and reverence of God, the nearer they come to God, the more reverence, so there is no Christian, but like the Angels, the nearer he comes to God, the more he abaseth himselfe, and adores God, as Iob, wh…n he came nearer to God then he was before, I abhorre my selfe (saith he) in dust and ashes, when God came to talke with him; the Angels, the nearer they come to God, the more reverence they shew, the more they cover their faces in his presence. And with the other wings they fly, and doe their duty, to shew their expedition in their service to Christ, and his Church, they doe readily what they doe, let us imitate the Angels in this.
Angels office double.The Angels have a double office, a superior office, and an inferior; the superior office they have, is to attend upon God, to serve God and Christ, to minister to our head; the inferior office is, to attend his Church, and to conflict with the evill Angels that are about us continually.
It is good for us to know our prerogatives, our priviledge, and our strength; not to make us proud, but to stirre us up to thankfulnesse, and to a holy carriage answerable: it is a point not much thought on by the best of us all, we forget it, and betray our owne comfort, Satan abuseth us, to make us forget the dignity and strength that wee have, hereby we dishonour God, and wrong our selves, and wrong the holy Angels for want of Faith, and consideration of these things. A Christian is a more excellent creature then he thinks of. It is necessary oftimes to thinke what a great degree God hath raysed us to, in Iesus Christ, that we have this glorious attendance about us, where ever we are; oh it would move us as I said, to comfort, and to a reverent carriage, and indeed when we carry our selves otherwise, it is for want of minding, and beleeving these things: I have spoken something the more of it, because we are subject to neglect this blessed truth; therefore for the time to come, let us take occasion to meditate oftner of this S…ring of comfort, then formerly wee have done.
Preached to the Gentiles.
Christ our blessed Saviour,Christ preached to the Gentiles. being the King of his Church, it was not sufficient that he was manifested in the flesh, and justifieth in the Spirit, that is, declared by his divine power, to be God, but he must have his Nobles to acknowledge this too: Kings in their inaugurations, not onelyonly make good their owne title, what they can themselves, but they would have others to acknowledge it; therefore it is said Christ was seene of Angels, those noble, and glorious Creatures.
But not onelyonly the greatest of the Kingdome, but likewise the meaner subjects must know their King, there must be a Proclamation to them, to know who is to rule over them. Therefore, Christ being a generall Catholike King, there must be a publication and proclamation of Christ all the world over; he must be preached to the Gentiles. But yet that is not enough; upon proclamation, there must be homage of all those that he is proclaimed a King to: therefore it followes, Beleeved on in the world; that is, the world must stoupe, and submit, and give homage to Christ, as the Savior of the world, as the Mediator of mankind. Thus we see how these things follow one upon another. To come to the words;
Preached to the Gentiles, beleeved on in the world.
These follow one another, by a necessarie order: for, preaching goes before Faith; Faith is the issue and fruit of preaching: Christ is first preached to the Gentiles, and then, beleeved on in the world. The points considerable, are these.
First, that there must be a dispensation of salvation wrought by Christ, unto others: It is not sufficient, that salvation was wrought by Christ manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit; but this salvation and redemption wrought, it must be published and dispensed to others: therefore he sayth, Preached to the Gentiles.
And then, this publication, and preaching, it must be of Christ: Christ must be published to the Gentiles; all is in Christ, that is necessarie to be published.
Then, the persons to whom: To the Gentiles; that is, to all. The Church is enlarged since the comming of Christ; the Pales and bounds of the Church are enlarged.
And then the fruit of this: Christ being thus dispensed to the Gentiles, the world beleeves: All preaching is for the obedience of Faith, as S. Paul sayth,Rom. 1. Rom. 16. Rom. 1. and Rom. 16. That the obedience of Faith may be yeelded to Christ. Preaching to the Gentiles, is, that he may be beleeved on in the world.