A Miracle of Miracles, Sermon 2

A Miracle of Miracles · Sermon 2

p. 1THE SECOND SERMON

ISAIAH. 7.14.

Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne, and shall call his name Emanuell.

THe occasion of these words we have heard. The Church was in great distresse under two mighty Kings, that threatned great matters; but indeed were but two smoaking fire-brands, that went out of themselves. Ahaz being a wicked King, (and wickednes being alwayes full of feares, fearfull in trouble, though not before trouble, for they that bee least fearfull of trouble, p. 2be most fearefull in trouble) and GOD intending comfort to the Church, the Prophet bids him aske a signe. Ahaz out of guiltinesse of conscience, and stubbournes together would aske none. GOD intended to strengthen his faith, and he would not make advantage of the offer. And therefore the Prophet promiseth a signe, the grand signe, The signe of all signes, the miracle of all miracles, the Incarnation of the Messias.

By the way I beseech you let me observe this.Doctrine. It is Atheisticall profanesse to despice any helpe, that God in his wisdome thinketh necessary to proppe and shoare our weake faith withall. And therefore when many out of confidence of their owne graces, and parts refuse the Sacrament (God knowing better then our selves, wee need it) unlesse it bee at one time of the yeare, and refuse the other ordinance of preaching, which God hath sanctifyed, they seeme to know themselves better then God, who out of knowledge of our weaknes, hath set apart these meanes for the strengthning of our graces.Grace refused is turned into wrath And as Ahaz refusing Gods helpe, provoked God by it, so these must know, they shall not escape without judgment, for it is a tempting of God, and proceedeth from a bad spirit of pride and stubbornes.

How this promise of the Messias could be p. 3a signe to them to comfort them, we spake at large, wee will now deliver some thing by way of addition and explication.

The house of David was affraid they should be extinct, by these two great enemies of the Church, but saith hee, A Virgin of the house of David shall conceive a Sonne, and how then can the house of David bee extinct?What God saith man cannot disanull. Secondly, Heaven hath said it, earth can not disanull it. God hath said it, and all the Creatures in the World can not annihilate it. It was the promise made to Adam, when he was fallen, it runne along to Abraham, and afterward to the Patriarkes, so that it must needs be so.

It was the custome of the men of God,Men of God, of ould had recourse to the promises of the Messiah. ledde by the Spirit of God, in these times, in any distresse to have recourse to the promise of the Messias, as for other ends, so for this, to raise themselves up by an argument drawne from the greater to the lesse. God will give the Messias, GOD will become man. A virgin shall conceive a Sonne. And therefore he will give you lesse mercies.

I note this by the way for this end to teach us a sanctified manner of reasoning.How to reason with our selves in a sanctified manner. Was it a strong argument before Christs comming. The Messias shall come, and therefore wee may expect inferiour blessings. p. 4And shall not we make use of the same reason now? Christ is come in the flesh, and is triumphant in Heaven, God having given Christ, will hee not give all things necessary whatsoever? Shall the reasonings before Christs comming be of more force, then these bee, now Christ is come, and is in glory, appearing in Heaven for us?

Beloved, it should be a shame to us, that wee should not have the sanctified art of reasoning, to argue from the gift of Christ, to the giving of all things needfull for us?

All promises founded in Christ.The ground of this reason is this, All other promises whatsoever they are, are secundary to the grand Fundamentall promise of CHRIST. All promises issue from a Covenant founded in God man. Now covenants come from love, and love is founded in the first person, loved, and the foundation of all love. Therefore if God giveth Christ the foundation of love, and out of love makes a covenant, and as branches of the covenant giveth many promises: Then having made good the maine promise of all, (Iesus Christ) will hee not make good all the rest? And therefore we should have often in our hearts, and thoughts, the accomplishment of all promises in Christ, and from thence make use of the p. 5expectation of all inferiour promises. For they issue from that love of God in Christ, which is fully manifested already.

Wee have spoken of the Preface, Behold, which is a word usually prefixed before all the passages of Christ, his Birth, his Resurrection, his comming againe. And great reason.

For what doe wee usually behold with earnestnes? rare things, new things, great things, especially if they be great to admiration, and that concerne us neerely; usefull things, especially if they bee present. And is any thing rarer then that, A Virgin shall conceive, and beare a sonne? then the Incarnation of Christ? never was the like in nature, never the like in Heaven, or earth, that God, and man, should bee in one person. It is a rare thing, a new thing, it is great to wonderment; and therefore in the 9. Chapter of this prophesie, His name shall bee called wonderfull, Is. 9 6.Isa 9:6as in many other respects, so wonderfull in his Conception and Birth.

And then all is for us.Christs conception and incarnation marvellous and rare To us a Child is borne, to us a Sonne is given, in the same Chapter. For us, and for us men, hee came downe from Heaven. And then to the eye of Faith, all these things are present: Faith knoweth no difference of time.

p. 6Christ is with us here by faith.Christ is present to the eye of faith now. We see him sacrificed in the Sacrament and in the word; faith knoweth no distance of place as well as no distance of time: we see him in heaven, as St. Stephen sitting at the right hand of God for the good of his Church, and therefore behold.

If ever any thing were, or shall be great from the beginning of the world, to eternity, this is great, this is wonderfull. And if any thing in the world be fit for us, if any thing dignifieth the soule, and raiseth the soule above it selfe, it is this wonderfull object.

Man out of weaknes wonders at poore things.We out of our weaknes, wonder at poore pety things, as the Disciples at the building of the Temple, What stones are these? we wonder at the greatnesse of birth and place, but alas, what is fit for the soule being a large and capable thing to stand in admiration of? Here is that, that transcendeth admiration it selfe. Behold a Virgin shall conceive a Sonne. And therefore attend to the great matter in hand: this I thought good to adde, to what, I formerly delivered in that particular.

A Virgin shall conceive a Sonne &c.

You need not goe farther then the text for wonders. For here are 2 great ones a Virgin, a Mother, and Godman.

p. 7So in the words, you have the conception and the birth of Christ his humane nature, his divine nature, and his office to reconcile God and us in one.

As he is God in our nature (hee tooke our nature into communion of person) so his office is to bring God and man together, his two natures is to fit him for his office; God and man were at much distant tearmes as could be, unlesse betwene the Devill, and God. And therefore God man in one person must performe the great office, of bringing such as were in such opposite tearmes together.

Of his conception by the Virgin Mary, wee spake sufficiently, onelyonly wee will adde this for farther explication. A further type of this was in the birth of Isaack. Isaacks birth a type of Christs.Isaack you know was borne of a dead wombe. Christ was conceived of a Virgin, and in a manner farre more improbable then the other. Isaack was the Sonne of the promise. Christ was the promised seed, both in some sort miraculously borne. For indeed it was a true wonder, that Isaack should be borne of a dead wombe. And here that a Virgin should conceive. Sara had nothing to supply moisture and juyce to the fruit. And so here was nothing of a man to further Christs conception.

I will shew why there must be this kind of p. 8conception of Christ, which will helpe our faith exceedingly.

First Christ must be without all sinne of necessity;Why Christ must be without sin. for else when hee tooke our nature, stubble, and fire had joyned together. God is a consuming fire, and therefore the nature must be purified, and sanctified by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin.

And then againe in the conception, there must be a foundation of all obedience active and passive,No blemish or defect of purity in the conception of Christ. and of all that was afterwards excellent in Christ. If there had beene any blemish in the foundation, which was his conception; if he had not beene pure, there had beene defect in all that issued from him, his active obedience and passive obedience, for every thing savours of the principle from whence it commeth. And therefore it was Gods great worke in this strange conception that sinne might be stop't in the roote and beginning, nature might be sanctified in the foundation of it. And so that he might persue sin from the beginnning to the end, both in his life by living without sinne, and also in his death by making satisfaction for sinne.

And therefore ground our faith on this, That our salvation is laid on one that is mighty,Faith to be grounded on Christ, God man. God man; and on one, that is pure and holy. And therefore in his obedience active, holy; and in his obedience passive, holy.

p. 9Againe he came to be a surety for us,Christ our surety. and therefore hee must pay our whole debt, hee must pay the debt of obedience, he must pay the debt of punishment. Now obedience must come from a pure nature, and his death must extend to the satisfying of an infinite Iustice. And therefore he must be conceived of the holy Ghost in the wombe of a pure Virgin.

And wee must know that in this conception of Christ, there were 2. or 3. things wherin there was a maine difference betweene Christ, and us.

Christ was in his humane nature altogether without sin,Christ without sinne. we are sinfull in our nature. Again Christs humane nature had alwaies subsistence in the divine,His humane nature had alwaies subsistence in the divine. and it was never out of the divine 2nature. As soone as his body and soule were united, it was the body, and soule of God; now our natures are not so.

And then in manner of propagation: his was 3extraordinary altogether.In manner of propagation. Adam was of the earth, neither of man, nor woman. Eve of man without a woman. All other of Adam, and Eve. Christ of a Virgin, and without a man. But setting aside his subsistence in the second person, and extraordinary meanes of propagation, Christ and we are all one, hee had a true humane body, and soule, and all things like our selves, sin, and the former differences excepted.

p. 10Why Christ must be man, we have already heard. He became man to be sutable to us in our nature, and to sympathize in all our troubles.

And shall call his name Emanuell. He shall call his name Emanuel, Christ became man for our sakes.saith the new Testament. That is, he shall be Emanuell indeed, and shall be knowne to bee, and published to be so. Whatsoever hath a name is apparent. Christ was before hee tooke our flesh; but he was not called Emanuell. It did not openly appeare that he was God in our nature, hee was not conceived in the wombe of a Virgin. They before Christ knew that hee should come, but when he was conceived and borne, hee was then called Emanuell.

Christ by divers signes shewed himselfe before exhibited in the flesh.There were divers presences of Christ, before hee came. He was in the bush as a signe of his presence, he was in the Arke as a signe of his presence, he was in the Prophets and Kings as a type of his presence. He tooke upon him the shape of man as a representation of his presence, when he talked with Abraham and the Patriarkes, but all this was not God with us, in our nature; he tooke it on him for a time, and laid it aside againe. But when hee was Emanuell, and was called, and declared so to be, he tooke on him our nature, never to lay it aside againe. He was borne in our nature, brought forth in our nature, lived in our p. 11nature, dyed in our nature, was crucified in our nature, became a Curse for us in our nature, buried in our nature, rose in our nature, is in heaven in our nature, and for ever will abide there in our nature.

All their faith before hee came in the flesh was in confidence that he should take our flesh in the fullnes of time. Now came the time, when hee was called Emanuell, and then the word became flesh, and tooke our nature on him.

From hence that God tooke our nature upon him in the second person, come divers things considerable.

For first it appeares,First things considerable. that he hath dignified and raised our nature above Angells, because he hath taken the seed of Abraham, and not of the Angells, a wonderfull advancement of our nature for God to bee with us, to marry such a poore nature, as ours is; for the great God of heaven and earth to take dust into the unity of his person. If this may not have a behould, before it, I know not what may.

To joyne alltogether▪ 22Consideration.For the great God of heaven and earth before whom the Angells cover their faces, the mountaines tremble, and the earth quakes, to take our flesh, and dust into unity of his person, and for such ends to save sinfull man, and from such misery, p. 12& eternall misery, from such great enemies; And then to advance him to such great happinesse, as we are advanced. to take Christ Emanuell in the whole passage of his mediation, and there is ground of admiration indeed.

33Considerations to defile our natures that God hath dignified.But consider it specially in the raising and advancing of our natures to bee one with God. Shall God bee God with us in our nature in heaven, and shall wee defile our natures that GOD hath so dignified? Shall we livelike beasts whom God hath raised above Angells Let swearers, beastly persons, and profane hypocrites, either alter their courses, or else say they beleeve not these truths. Shall a man beleeve, God hath taken his nature into unity of his person, and hath raised it above all Angells, and can he turne beast, yea devill incarnate in opposition of CHRIST, and his cause? What a shame is this? can this bee, where these things are beleeved? A Christian should have high thoughts of himselfe, what shall I defile the nature, that God hath taken into unity of his person?

And as hee hath dignified, and raised, and advanced our nature so highly:44Consideration. so likewise hee hath infused, and put all the riches of grace into our nature. For all grace is in CHRIST, that a p. 13finite nature can bee capable of. For CHRIST is neerest the fountaine. Now the humane nature being so neere the fountaine of all good, that is God, it must needs bee as rich as nature can possibly be capable of: And is not this for our good? are not all his Riches for our use?

And therefore seeing our nature is dignified by Emanuell, and inriched exceedingly by his graces next to infinite. (For our humane nature is not turned to God, as some are conceited. It is not deified, and so made infinite) yet as much as the creature can bee capable of, there is in Christ-man, and so shall wee defile that nature?

And from hence that our nature is ingrafted into the God-head, 55Consideration.it followeth that what was done in our nature, was of wonderfull extention, force, and dignity, because it was done, when our nature was knit to the God head, and therefore it maketh up all objections. As.

How could the death of one man satisfie for the deaths of many millions.Obiection answered.

Secondly it was the death of Christ, whose humane nature was ingrafted into the second person of the Trinity. For (because they were but one person) whatsoever p. 14the humane nature did or suffered, God did it. If they had beene 2. Persons God had not dyed, God had not suffered, God had not redeemed his Church.

And therefore the Scripture runneth comfortably on this;Question. God hath redeemed the Church with his owne bloud: hath GOD blood?Answer. No, but the nature that GOD tooke into unity of persons hath blood, and so being one person with God, God, shed his blood. It is God that purchased a Church with his blood, it is God that dyed. The Virgin Mary was Mother of GOD, because shee is the Mother of that nature which was taken into unity with God.

Hereupon comes the dignity of whatsoever Christ did, and suffered. Though hee did it in our nature, yet the God-head gave it its worth, and not onelyonly worth, but God put some activity, some vigour, and force into all that Christ did. It doth advance Christ Mediatour according to both natures, And from hence ariseth Communication of properties, as Divines call it, which I will not now speake of. It is sufficient to see that whatsoever was done by Christ,What is done to by Christ, is done by God was done by God hee being Emanuell, and therefore had its worth and dignity to prevaile with God. Hence commeth p. 15a forcible reason. That God must satisfie Divine Justice,Reason. because it was the action of a God-man. His great sufferings were the sufferings of the second person, in our nature. And hereupon from satisfaction, and merit, comes reconciliation betweene Ged, and us. God being satisfied by Christ, God, and we are at tearmes of peace: our peace is well founded, if it bee founded in God the Father, by God the Sonne, taking our nature into unity of his person. These things must have influence into our comforts, and into our lives, and conversations, being the grand Articles of Faith. And therefore wee ought to thinke often of them. Wee must fetch principles of comfort, and holines from hence, as from the greatest arguments that can be, therefore I desire to bee so punctuall in them. God is Emanuell, especially to make God, and us one. Christ is our Friend in taking our nature to make God, and us friends againe.

But how doth friendshippe betweene God and us arise from hence?Quest. that Christ is God in our nature. I will give 2. or 3. Reasons of it.

First it is good reason, that God should bee at peace with us,1. Reason. because sinne, (the cause of division) is taken away, It is p. 16sinne, (the cause of division) is taken away. It is sinne that separateth betweene God, and us; and if sinne bee taken away, God is mercy it selfe, and mercy will have a current. What stoppeth mercy but sinne? Secondly, take away sinne, it runneth amaine. Christ therefore became Emanuell God with us. Because hee is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World.

Before Adam had sinned, there was sweet agreement and communion betweene Adam and God, but sinne that devided betweene God and the creature; now Christ haveing made satisfaction for all our sins there can be nothing but mercy.

2. Reason.Againe Christ is a fit person to knit God and us together, because our nature is pure in Christ; and therefore in Christ, God loveth us. After satisfaction God lookes on our nature in Christ, and seeth it pure in him, Christ is the glory of our nature. Now if our nature bee pure in our head, (which is the glory of our nature) God is reconciled to us, and loveth us in him that is pure, out of whom GOD can not love us.

As Christ is pure, and our nature in him, so he will make us pure at length.

3. Reason.Thirdly, Christ being our head of influence, conveyeth the same spirit that is in p. 17him, to all his members, and by little and little, by that spirit purgeth his Church, and maketh her fit for Communion with himselfe, for he maketh us partakers of the Divine nature; he tooke our fraile humane nature, that wee might partake of his Divine nature, this is, of his Divine qualities, to be holy, pure, humble, and obedient, as hee was.

And thus Christ being a head not onelyonly of eminence to rule, and governe, but of influence to flow by his spirit into all his members, is fit to bee a reconciler to bring God, and us together; partly because our nature is in him, and partly because hee doth communicate the same spirit to us, that is in himselfe, and by little and little maketh us holy like himselfe.

I hasten to the maine use of all.

Then God the father, and wee are in good tearmes, for the second person is God, in our nature, for this end to make God, and us friends.Job 9 3.2.Job 9:3Job 9:2 There is a notable place, of Scripture which I note for the expressions sake hee speaking there of a Days man. There is no Dayes-man betweene us that might lay his hand on us both, that is, a middle person to lay his hand on the one, and the other. Now CHRIST is the middle p. 18person, as the second person in Trinity. And then hee is God, and man, and therefore hee is fit to bee Mediatour, to lay his hand on both sides, on man as man, on God as God. And CHRIST is a friend to both, to GOD as GOD, to man as man; and therefore hee is fit to bee an Vmpire, to be a Dayes-man, to bee a Mediatour. And hee hath done it to purpose, making that good in Heaven, that hee did on earth. And therefore labour to make a gracious use of all this. I know nothing in the VVorld more usefull, no point of Divinity more pregnant, no greater spring of sanctifying duty, then that God and man were one, to make GOD, and us one. He marry'd our nature, that hee might marrie our persons.

Use.And if it bee so that God and man are brought to tearmes of reconciliation on such a foundation as God-man, then ought not wee to improve this comfort? have wee such a foundation of comfort, and shall not wee make use of it? Shall we have wisdome in the things of this World, and not make use of the grand comforts, that concerne 2our soules?

Use.But how shall wee improve it? In all our necessities and wantes goe to God:Improved. how? through Christ, God-man, who is in Heaven p. 19making intercession and appearing for us by virtue of his satisfaction made on earth, and therefore wee may goe bouldly to the Throne of grace, to God being reconciled by God. God, hath God at his right hand, appearing for us, and shall wee bee affraid to goe to the Throne of grace? When wee want strength, comforts, or any thing, goe to God, in the mediation of Emanuell, and then God can deny nothing to us, that we aske with the spirit of Faith in the name of Christ.

I beseech you therefore,Vse of improving our priviledges by Emanuell. let this bee the maine use, continually to improve the gratious priviledges wee have by Emanuell. Our nature is now acceptable to God in Christ, because hee hath purified it in himselfe, and Gods nature is lovely to us, because hee hath taken our nature. If God loved his owne Sonne, hee will love our nature as joyned to his Sonne, and Gods Nature is lovely to us, He tooke our flesh upon him, and made himselfe Bone of our Bone. And shall not wee like, and affect that, which was so gratiously procured by Emanuell.

Consider of it, and let it bee ground of reverent and bould prayer, in all our wants to 3goe to God, Use.in Emanuell.

Let us make use of it likewise in behalfeIn the behalfe of the Church p. 20of the Church. The Church is Emanuells Land as yee have it in the next Chapter, Verse 8.Isa. 8.8Isa 8:8 The stretching out of his wings, shall bee the breath of thy land, O Emanuell. The Church of the Iewes was Emanuells land, but then it was impaled within the pale of the Iewes: but now the Gentiles are taken in; The Church is scattered, and spread abroad over the whole earth. And there. fore goe to God in behalfe of the Church. Thou tookest our nature into unity of thy person, that thou mightest bee a gracious, and a mercifull head. And therefore looke in mercy on thine owne mysticall body, the Church. They before Christ came in the flesh, who had the spirit of Faith, knew the Church of the Iewes could not bee extinct, because Emanuell was to come of it.

And wee may know, the Church shall never bee destroyed, till the second comming of CHRIST because those things are not yet performed, that God hath promised, and must bee performed. And therefore wee may goe as bouldly to Christ, and spread the cause of the Church before him now, as they spread the cause of the Iewes before him then: looke upon thy Land, looke upon thy Church O Emanuell.

p. 21That there must bee a Church, wee must beleeve, and wee can not beleeve a Non ens. We must have ground for our faith, and therefore never feare that heresy shall overspread the face of the Church; Emanuells land shall bee preserved by some way or other, though perhaps not by the way wee expect. God must have a Church to the end of the world,Gods Church shal … the end of the world. the Gospell must get ground, Antichrist must fall. God hath said it, and man can not unsay it. And therefore in all estates of the Church spread its cause before Emanuell.

When Emanuell came once,At Christ comeing the Iews Church wasted. the Church of the Iewes wasted. Therefore if you will have good arguments against the Iewes, this is a good one to convince them that Christ is come in the flesh. The Church of the Iewes was to continue till Emanuell, but the Church of the Iewes hath ceased to continue and is now no Church, there is now no family of David, and therefore Emanuell is come.

And for a further use let us hauehave thoughts of the second coming of Emanuell as they had thoughts of the the first.… Christ was called the consolation of Israell, at his first coming and in the new Testament, it is every where expressed a signe of a gracious man to looke for the appearing of Iesus Christ, …and to love it. Now let us comfort our selves that p. 22this Emanuell will appeare in our flesh ere long let us wait for the consolation of Israell. Emanuell came downe to us, to take our nature upon him and to satisfie Gods wrath, that hee might take us to heaven with himselfe, and that we might bee for ever with him in glory. And therefore let us (if wee would make a true use of Emanuell,) desire to bee with him. Christ delighted before hee came in the flesh to bee with the sonnes of men, and hee is with us now by his spirit, and so willbe with his Church to the end of the world; and shall not wee bee with him as much as wee may? Indeed he loved our nature so much, that hee descended from the height of Majestie, to take our misery and businesse upon him, and shall not wee desire to bee with him in glory?

There bee divers evidences whether wee have any ground of comfort in this Emanuell or no. This shall be one.

11Evidence of comfort in Christ.Wee may know wee have benefit by the first comming of Emanuell, if wee have a serious desire of the second comming; if wee have desire to bee with him. If as he came to us in love. Wee have desires to bee with him in his Ordinances as much as may be, and in humble resignation at the houre of death;Question. how shall wee be with him here?Answer. bee with him in p. 23thoughts, in meditation, in faith, and Prayer, meet with him wheresoever hee is, hee is in the congregation; where two or three are gathered together in his name, he is amongst them, be with them in all things where he vouchsafeth his gracious presence. It is the nature of love to desire perfect union, and therefore the Christian soule touched with the spirit of God will desire to bee dissolved and to be with Christ, Revel. 22.20Rev 22:20as best of all. Come Lord Iesus come quickly, and therefore in the houre of death is willing to resigne himselfe ro God that hee may goe to Emanuell, and inioy his presence, that left the presence of his Father, to take our nature, and to bee with us on earth.

But the maine thing I desire you to observe,22Evidence of comfort. is matter of comfort from this Emanuell That now hee having taken our nature upon him, that he might take our persons into unity of his mysticall body, wee might have comfort in all conditions. For hee tooke our nature upon him, (beside his other ends) that hee might take our persons to make up mysticall Christ: hee married our nature, to marry our persons. And therefore if hee did it for this end, that wee might bee neere him as our nature is neere him, shall not wee make it a ground of comfort? that our persons shall bee p. 24neere Christ as well as our natures.

… of comfort.As CHRIST hath two natures in one person, so many persons make up one mysticall CHRIST, so that our persons are wonderfully neere to Christ. The wife is not neerer the husband, the members are not neerer the head, the building is not neerer the foundation, then Christ and his Church are. And therefore comfort our selues in this. Christ is Emanuell, God with us in our nature. And will hee suffer his Church to want, that hee hath taken so neere to himselfe? can the members want influence, when the head hath it? can the wife be poore, when the husband is rich? whatsoever Christ did to his owne body, to his humane nature taken into the unity of his person, that hee will doe in some proportion to his mysticall body.

As the humane ….I will shew you some particulars. Hee sanctified his naturall body, by the Holy Ghost, and hee will sanctifie us by the same spirit. For there is the same spirit in head, and members. He loveth his naturall body, and so, as never to lay it aside to eternity. And loveth his mysticall body now in some sort more, for hee gave his naturall body to death, for his mysticall body. And therefore as hee will never lay aside his naturall body, hee will never lay aside his Church, nor any p. 25member of his Church: for with the same love, that hee loved his naturall body, hee loveth now his mysticall members. As hee rose to glory in his naturall body, and ascended to Heaven: so hee will raise his mysticall body, that it shall ascend as hee ascended. I beseech you therefore consider what a ground of comfort this is, God tooke our nature on him, (besides the grand end of satisfaction) that hee might make us like himselfe in glory, that hee might draw us neere to himselfe. And therefore now Christ being in Heaven, having commission, and authority over all things put into his hand; hee having a Name above all names in Heaven, Psal. 2▪9, 10▪Ps 2:9Ps 2:10and earth, that at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow, that is, every subjection should bee given; will he suffer any member of his body to suffer more then hee thinkes fit? No, seeing hee is in Heaven, and glory, for his Churches good. For all that he hath done and suffered is for the Church, and the Churches use.

To conclude all, Let us consider, what wee are,Conclus: to consider what w…e are. let not a Christian bee base minded, let him not bee dastardly in any cause that is good, or Gods; Let him be on Gods side. Who is on his side? a Christian is an impregnable person, hee is a person that can never bee conquered. Emanuell became man p. 26to make the Church, and every Christian to be one with him. Christs nature is out of danger of all that is hurtfull. The Sun shall not shine, the wind shall not blow, to the Churches hurt. For the Churches head ruleth over all things, and hath all things in subjection, Angells in heaven, men on earth, Devills in hell, all bow to Christ; and shall any thing befall them that he loveth, unlesse for their greater good? Therefore though they may kill a Christian and imprison him, yet hurt him they can not. If God bee on our side, who can bee against us? but God is on our side, and on what grounds? God-man hath procured him to be our friend, hee hath satisfied God; and therfore if we beleeve, we be one with Christ, and so one with God.

Wee have many against us, the Devils are against us,The Devill and the world our enemies. the world is against us to take away the favour of God, to hinder accesse to him in prayer, to stoppe the Churches communion with God, and hinder the sweet issue of all things that befall us as farre as they can; but their malice is greater, then their power. If God should let them loose, and give the chaine into their owne hand, though they seeme to hurt, yet hurt they cannot in the issue. And shall not we make use of these things in times of distresse? wherefore serve they but to comfort us in all conflicts with Satan, and in all doubtings that arise from our sinfull hearts? p. 27Answer all with this. If God be with us, who can bee against us? If any bee against us name them, if not, be satisfied. And therefore come life, come death, Christ is our surety, he layeth up our dust, keepeth our ashes in the grave, and will Christ loose any member? Feare not Iacob to goe into Egypt. For I will bring thee backe againe. So feare not to goe into the grave. The spirit of God will watch over our dust, and bring us to heaven. Therefore feare nothing; God will be with us in life, and death, yea for ever; and we shall be for ever with the Lord, as the Apostle saith in the Thessalonians. And that issue of all that Emanuell hath done, Christ was one in our nature, that hee might bring God and us into favour, that wee may be for ever with him in heaven, that we may be for ever with the Lord, which is the accomplishment of all the promises.

FINIS.

Imprimatur

Tho. Wykes. Octob. 26. 1638.

End of the text · Richard Sibbes, A Miracle of Miracles (1638)