Eleven Choice Sermons, Part 1 · Sermon 3
2. CORINTH. 5. 20.
Now then we are Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us, we pray you in Christs ſtead, be ye reconciled to God.
IT is reported of a Saracen Ambaſſador to Charles the Great, that ſitting in the Emperors Hall at dinner with him, and obſerving two tables full of gueſts; the lower, of poore people (invited according to his accuſtomed manner) in ragged weeds and ſimple apparell; he asked what they were: the Emperor anſwered; Theſe are the Servants of our God, whom we Chriſtians worſhip, and I entertaine them for his ſake: the upper, full of gallants, Courtiers in gold chains, and gay attire: he asked alſo, what they were: the Emperor anſwered, theſe are my ſervants that attend upon my perſon: O, ſaid the Saracen, if you preferre your ſervants, before the ſervants of your God, that they be brave and coſtly, and theſe be baſe and beggarly, I will never embrace your religion. I may not thinke there is any ſonne of ſcoffing Iſmael here, any baſtard Saracen among theſe true ſonns of Abraham, ſonnes of Promiſe, ſonnes of the Prophets, that will pick a hole in the coat of Gods true ſervants, his Ambaſſadors, that ſo they may picke a quarrell with Gods true religion: I may not thinke ſo. And yet I thinke I may take occaſion here, to take away all occaſion of doubting, that may perhaps ariſe in ſome weake judgements. For as Ariſtotle could not better apprehend, or expreſſe the magnitude of God, then by the magnificence of the King of Perſia: ſo there may be ſome babes in Chriſt, not throughly weaned from the vanities of this world, that would require ſome outward eminencies in the Miniſters of the Word, to prove that they are Gods Ambaſſadors; which if they be wanting, though they dare not contradict the truth, becauſe they profeſſe to believe ſo much, yet they cannot conceive the myſtery, becauſe they do not believe ſo much as they profeſſe. And therefore having cleared this the laſt time, why God made choiſe of meane men for this honourable office, rather then of the Glorious Cherubims, and Seraphims, rather then of the ſonnes of the mighty: give me leave now to produce ſome few evidences, by which it may appeare, that theſe men are indeed Gods Ambaſſadors. The ground of this is plaine (as I touched alſo before) for this great world, is a little Kingdome, wherein▪ God is the ſoveraign Lord, the King of Kings, and all men for their poſſieſſions, are his tenants; for their functions, his Lievtenants; and in this great world, the little flock of Chriſt is a great family, in which, God is the great Maſter of the family. There can nothing be done in this family, in this Kingdome, without the authority of this Maſter, of this King, and therefore the Miniſters of the Word, muſt needs be diſpenſers of his ſpeciall favour, in the great family of his Church, from him, as from the great Maſter of this family. And againe, Ambaſſadors of his Royall pleaſure, in his Kingdome of the world, from him, as from their ſupreme Lord the King of Kings. But why doe I produce the ground? the Text is plaine: We are Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, and if you caſt your eyes back to the foregoing verſe, you ſhall ſee from whom, namely from God. And the ſame Apoſtle, in the laſt of the Epheſians uſeth the ſame word to the ſame purpoſe, *Eph. 20. foreign.For whom I am an Ambaſsador in chaines: where a man would think, hearing of an Ambaſſador, that he ſpake of a golden chaine, and in ſome kind of vanity boaſted of it. And indeed, the ſervants of God are noble and free, though fettered in chaines of Iron, as the ſlaves of ſinne are baſe priſoners, though in chaines of Gold. And in this ſenſe I thinke I may allude to the ſtory and cuſtome of wearing chaines, and ſay the Divell deales with them, as the Aetoli ſcoffingly ſaid of Titus Flaminius the Romane Generall, who pretended liberty to the Graecians, but yet held ſome principall Cities by Garriſons, that he made their clog ſmoother indeed than it was under Philip King of Macedon's tyranny, but as heavie as it was. And again,*foreign. Their feet are free from the ſtocks, but their necke is under the yoke: but this by the way. The ſame thing is affirmed every where through the Scripture in equivalent termes: Prophets are called Men of God in the Old Teſtament; and Timothy in the New is ſtiled a Man of God; and all Apoſtles Servants of Ieſus Chriſt, the Servants of God, and Angels of the Churches, for this reaſon. But why do I enforce the Text? the truth is plain, and who is there here that doth not acknowledge it? Who is ſuch a freſh Proſelyte in the Lords familie, that doth not know his cognizance, his livery? As the Diſciples ſaid ignorantly to Christ himſelf, Art thou only a ſtranger in Iſrael, and knowest not theſe things? So it may be truly ſaid to that Chriſtian, if there be ſuch an one, Who is ſuch a novice in Gods ſchoole, that if he hath but learned the Alphabet of the language of Canaan, cannot tell that they ſpeak the language of Canaan? Thou art a Galilean, thy very ſpeech bewrayes thee, ſaid the maid to Peter: So may every Chriſtian ſee the Miniſter by his ſpeech, (as Socrates did) and know where they are, and from whom they come: or if any doe not underſtand them when they tell them whoſe Ambaſſadors they are, it is becauſe they have not an interpreter (as the Eunuch ſaid to Philip) they have not the Spirit of God, which ſhould be their interpreter. But why doe I confirme the truth of this, the point is plaine: That the Miniſters of Gods Word are ſervants of Ieſus Chriſt, Men of God, Gods Ambaſſadors. Yet ſuffer me now (according to promiſe) for the further clearing of this, to adde a few probable demonſtrations, (if I may ſo ſpeake without a Soloeciſme) and becauſe the Doctrine is the beſt, and trueſt *foreign.touchſtone of the Doctor: I ſhall draw them all from the nature and qualitie of the Doctrine they teach. And here I might enlarge my ſelfe: for all thoſe arguments that are alleadged by Divines, to prove that the Scriptures are of Divine authority, might eaſily be perſwaded to ſpeake the ſame for the Miniſters, and prove that they have a Divine Author: but I ſhall ſingle out two or three moſt pithy and pertinent for my purpoſe.
And firſt I might place Antiquity an Argument much uſed, much urged by the ancient Fathers, againſt the ancient Philoſophers: a good argument, if I had not little time enough for better: for though I have not ſuch an overweening opinion of every Moth-eaten Manuſcript, as your young and buſie Criticks ſeeme to have: though I do not ſuperſtitiouſly admire, and adore every relique, and ragg of every Father, (perhaps of their own getting) as the Papiſts do: though I know there be ſins of the forefathers mentioned in Scripture, there be an old Serpent, an old man, not commended: I wiſt there is vetuſtas erroris, as a Father ſpeakes: there are veteratores as well as veteres, and not farre diſtant: to conclude, the Gibeonites muſty bread and moldie ſhooes, are but a ſlovenlie argument of a long and teadious journey: yet I confeſſe, in a good ſenſe, the Prophet Ieremy bids the Iſraelites inquire for the old way, which was the good way, as if antiquum & bonum, were convertible one with another, and both of them with unum & verum: In a good ſenſe I approve the Axiome of Tertullian, Quod antiquiſsimum, etiam veriſſimum: I admit that of the Poet, Veritas temporis filia, though ſome allow Platoes elogy of the ancient,*foreign. Antiquitie is neere a Deitie: to conclude, I thinke, that true antiquitie in any Doctrine, argues the author of it to be time, that is the ancient of daies: I am ſure it is ſo here, for though I find it not recorded in Polydore Virgil, De Inventoribus rerum, yet I can warrant it out of better Authors, that Paradiſe was the firſt Pariſh, that had a Sermon in it, and Adam was the firſt auditor, that heard a Sermon in Paradiſe, and the fall of man, was the firſt Text of the Sermon, that Adam heard, and God was the firſt Preacher of a Sermon upon that Text, and theſe were the briefe notes, written by Moſes in characters, of Gods Sermon, The Seed of the woman; ſhall breake the Serpents head. So that God is not only as the Athenian Commander ſaid he was, (being asked what he was) neither Bow-man (ſaid he) nor Pike-man, nor Horſ-man, nor Footman, but one that knowes, istis omnibus imperare: But God as he gave ſome to be Prieſts, ſome to be Levites, ſome to be Prophets in the old Law, and ſome to be Apoſtles, ſome to be Evangeliſts, and ſome to be Paſtors, and ſome to be Preachers in the new Law, and is the Lord of all theſe, qui ſolus novit illis omnibus imperare: So he was himſelfe, as I ſhewed, the firſt Preacher, and all the reſt ever ſince, perform their office by an authority derived from him: they are the*foreign Gods Miniſters. Lords Vicars. This is the true antiquitie of the Doctrine, that Gods Ambaſſadors teach, of the function they have: not as they, who were wont to weare Moones in their ſhooes, to cleare theirs that they were †foreign.older than the Moon; they were rather*foreign. Lunatick, as the Goſpell ſpeakes: though the Church of God may, even in this ſenſe, bee ſaid to have the Moone under her feete, as the Woman (in the Revelation) a Type of the Church, is ſaid to have the Moone under her feet. But that which Cyprian alledges and allowes, Non quod ante nos, ille, vel ille dixerit; ſed quod ante omnes Christus: and therefore wee may juſtly ſay to all other Doctors, as the Egyptians in Plato to the Graecians, *foreign.You Graecians are alwayes children; and to another Doctor, thou art but of yeſterday, but the Word of God endureth for ever, as God the Word is yeſterday and to day and for ever the ſame, from eternitie to eternitie.
But I paſſe from this to the ſecond, which ſhall be, the excellencie of their Ambaſſage. For if the people in the Acts, for a little flaſhie eloquence in Herods Oration, could ſay, The voyce of God, and not of man. If Plato could diſcern ſome*foreign. beams or influences. beams of Divinitie in all Arts, for ſome obſcure tidings of God, that they told him, Grata de Deo fama in artibus ſparſa est. If Pompey were received by the Princes, non tanquam ex vrbe miſsus, ſed tanquam è caelo delapſus, as the Orator ſpeakes, becauſe they found a beneficiall, though thin influence of his Juſtice and temperance upon them. If Catoes nobility, though he were but Novus homo, muſt be derived from heaven, and that by the beſt Heraulds, the minds of men admiring his vertues, tertius è coelo cecidit Cato: Then I pray tell me in what account ſhould the Miniſters be, to whom all theſe may be as truly applyed, as they were friendly ſuppoſed in the other. It is not with them, as it was with the Perſian Lord, in Apelles Shop, whom the apprentiſes admired for his bravery, ſo long as he ſtood ſilent, but when he began to ſpeake of things he had no skill in, derided him for his ſimplicitie: but cleane contrary, like Vliſses, in Homer, who ſtood like ſome ſilly Countrey fellow, leaning upon his ſtaffe, ſaith the Poet,*foreign. But when he ſpake he ſpake with a courage. but when he ſpake, he ſpake admirably. Let me intreat you to take notice but of the ſubject, and the project of their doctrine, and you ſhall ſee it: for he that teacheth plainly of the incomparable perfection of the Deitie, the incomprehenſible diſtinction of the Trinitie, the depth of predeſtination, the power of creation, the skill of gubernation, that there is a nature infinitely ſurpaſſing all nature; that it is one, yet three; three, and yet one; that all things were moulded in nothing, made of nothing, and yet kept from nothing, is not this man from God? Surely none but they that have learned of his Spouſe, plowed with this Heifer, can areed theſe riddles. Againe, he that teaches truly of mans bleſſed integrity, his curſed apoſtacie, the Divell, the Serpent, the Garden, the Apple, the Woman, the funerail which Adam made for himſelfe, the fall, how man was once full of ſanctitie in his ſoule, beautie in his body, majeſtie in both, the ſon of God, a veſſell of honour, the tenant of Paradiſe, the heire of Heaven, the lord of the creatures, whom the very ſacred Angels ſerved, and the very ſalvage Tygers feared: but is become by his owne fault, a ſlave of the creatures, an heire of Hell, a veſſell of diſhonour, a child of the Divell in ſoule and body, and both the very ſinke of ſinne, and ſhame, and miſery, Heu! quantum Niobe Niobe distabat ab illâ! Is not this the man from God? Surely if the Heathen did not underſtand their owne meaning, I cannot tell, but their words are very good, and I dare avouch with them, out of better Oracles than Apollo's, de Coelo deſcendit, †foreign.Know thy ſelfe.
I proceed, he that teaches clearely of a ſtrange marriage, the Divine nature with the Humane,As Euripides. and yet a ſtranger; a marriage of juſtice and mercy,*foreign. a ſweet marriage of a Virgin that was†foreign. Mother of a God, and an Infant that was*foreign. God and Man, of a God that was man, beginning, growing, hungring, thirſting', wearie, weeping, bleeding, and, that which was the wonder of wonders, dying; of a man that was God, riſing from the grave powerfully, aſcending into Heaven triumphantly, ſitting at the right hand of God royally, trampling under his feet ſinne, Hell, and death, and Sathan victoriouſly, and returning to judge the quick and the dead gloriouſly: is not this man from God? To conclude, he that teaches ſweetly of humiliation by the law, of vocation by the Goſpell, juſtification by Chriſt, reconciliation with God, ſanctification from ſinne, reſurrection from the dead, the terrible day of judgement, the glory of the Saints, the torments of the wicked, and the like, I will not aske you any more, but I tell you plainly, that man is from God. For, behold in theſe truths not a beame of Divinitie (ſuch as Plato ſpied in all arts) but a body, or rather, not a ſhadow, for his beame was no more, (the word may be ambiguous) but a perfect body of Divinity. Neither is it poſſible that any man ſhould invent, or conceive theſe ſublime myſteries by naturall reaſon, ſince we ſee evidently, that no man can ſo much as accept or receive them being taught, without a ſupernaturall faith. And therefore as Telemachus ſaid, when he ſaw a great light which guided his father and him in a darke roome,*foreign. ſurely there is ſome god in it: So let every one confeſſe when he heares theſe things from the mouth of Gods Ambaſſadors, Non vox hominem ſonat, Never any man ſpake as he ſpake, as they ſaid of Chriſt. I might adde ſomething of that divine precept of moralitie, farre beyond the ſtraine of Philoſophy: for though the Academicks, Stoicks, Peripateticks, and Epicures travailed much in theſe Obſervations, and went farre, yet how ſhort do they come? For here we have Rules more naturall than the Epicures, which made pleaſure their Empreſſe, and themſelves her Paraſites: more humane then the Peripateticks, which made Reaſon their Miſtreſſe, and themſelves her Schollars; more Heroicall then the Stoicks, which made Vertue their Goddeſſe, and themſelves her Votaries; more divine then the Academicks, which made God there Idoll (I underſtand their Idea, which they did not underſtand) and themſelves his idolaters, and ſo excelling every one of theſe great profeſſors in their ſeverall projects. The end remaines, which I will diſpatch in a word.
It is the ſalvation of man, the moſt noble and neceſſary worke in all the world, and moſt beſeeming the greatneſſe, and goodneſſe, and wiſdome of God, to take into his ſpeciall conſideration and providence, man being his*foreign. huſbandry, as the earth is mans: And therefore it is abſurd, as Plutarch hath well obſerved†foreign. to take the beſt things out of the compaſſe of Gods foreknowledg. To ſhut up this, it is abſurd to thinke that Solon, Lycurgus, Numa publiſhed their lawes, as the Heathen did, from the gods, and that Miniſters doe not preach the Goſpell from God, ſince they brought many things againſt the rule of reaſon, and nothing above the reach of nature; but theſe teach nothing againſt the rule of nature, but many things above the reach of reaſon. It is abſurd that every petty beuefactor of mankind ſhould be deified, and theſe founders (I may terme them) vilified; that they ſhould be eſteemed gods, even to the vileſt vermine, among the Egyptians, and theſe ſhould not be eſteemed ſo much as Gods Ambaſſadors. The blind Heathen could not chooſe but ſee ſome ſplendor of Divinitie in theſe things. The Critick Longinus obſerved out of the deſcription of the creation of the World, in the 1. of Geneſis, that Moſes was no ordinary man: and beſides that Imperatoria brevitas (which Tacitus ſpeakes of) he ſaw ſo much majeſtie in the relation: In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, and God ſaid, let there be Light, and there was Light, let there be Earth, and there was Earth, that he confeſſes *foreign.that narration had a ſeemely character and cognizance of the Divine power ſet upon it. The Platonick Ammonius alſo, ſo admired the ſtorie of the Divine generation of Chriſt, in the firſt of S. Iohns Goſpell, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, that he judged thoſe words worthy to be written in golden Letters, and prefixed on the gates of all Temples. The men of Lyſtri likewiſe in the Acts, hearing the Apoſtles Paul and Barnabas, were ſo convinced in their conſciences, that their Doctrine was divine, that they were ſomething tranſported in their judgements, to thinke their perſons were divine, and therefore would needs have worſhipped them as gods, with Prieſts, and Buls, and Garlands, and Sacrifice. And if I would give you a ſhort draught of ſome truths, as they have degenerated into fables, among the Heathen, I might make them ſeeme with oce labour more perſpicuous, and more precious: for as their unlikeneſſe to themſelves (croſſing and thwarting one another) confute themſelves: ſo their likeneſſe to the truth, (intimating and as it were acting it) muſt needs confirme the truth. The tales of the golden Apples, and the foreign, of the Heſperidum horti, and Adonis Garden, of the fiery Dragons that kept them, anſwering either to the flaming ſword of the Cherubim, or the Serpent, to the true Paradiſe, the Garden of Eden, to the Apples of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evel, are ſufficient for a taſte. But it were a ſhame for me once to name theſe fabulous legends, ſince I did but name the Heavenly truth, which they have adulterated. To conclude, I thinke none but Davids foole, that hath ſaid in his heart there is no God, can find in his heart to ſay the meſſengers of theſe things are not Gods Ambaſſadors.
For, as for the rule of happineſſe it ſelfe, which I touched in the laſt ſtep of my former gradation, I wonder not, if men of the earth did errare toto coelo, they were ignorant of the three forenamed grounds, and it could not be therefore otherwiſe, they could not take the height of Gods excellencie, in his nature, and workes, and therefore could not ſound the depth of mans miſery in his fall: they were ignorant of the meaſure of his fall, and therefore could not meaſure, nor comprehend, the height, and depth, of Gods mercy in Christ: they had not heard of Gods mercy in Christ, and therefore could never teach, or thinke of the profunditie of humiliation, the latitude of ſanctification, the altitude of glory, but vaniſhing in their imaginations, inſtead of theſe, groped in the darke to find mans Summuns bonum in himſelfe, and dreamed a pretty dreame of a ſhadow of happineſſe (*foreign. man is a dreame of a ſhadow, as Pindar ſpeakes) which they meant to purchaſe with a ſhadow of wiſdome, and vertue, and riches, and honour, and pleaſure: and in this reſpect, we muſt doe with their bookes, as they ſay the Iewes did with the book of Heſter. The Iewes read the booke of Heſter indeed, becauſe they account it Canonicall Scripture, but before they read it, they let it fall to the ground, becauſe they doe not finde the name of God once mentioned in it, as their Rabbins have obſerved: So for the morall treatiſes of Philoſophers, we muſt read them, becauſe they ſpeak of vertue, and happineſſe; but we ſhould let them fall to the ground before we read them, becauſe they doe not give glory to the glorious name of God.
I come to the third, which I meane to draw from the efficacy of their Miniſtery; for which purpoſe I might produce many expreſſe places of Scripture, and many plaine experiments: for this reſpect the Lord Ieſus is repreſented in a Viſion to Saint Iohn, Revel. 1. 16.in the Revelation, Act. 24. 32.With a ſharpe two edged ſword proceeding out of his mouth: and when he talked with his Diſciples going to Emaus, Did not our hearts burne within us, ſaid they, while he talked with us? In this reſpect the Pſalmiſt ſaith of him, Pſalme 45. Thou art fairer then the children of men, Grace is powred into thy lips; Suada in labris ſeſsitat, Apes in ore mellificant; tis true of him, for Grace is powred on his lips, a ſweete attractive Grace, which is an eloquent beautie, as they ſay that beautie is a dumbe eloquence, and therefore Thou art fairer then the children of men; and it followes, Thy arrowes are ſharpe in the heart of the Kings enemies: his lips and mens hearts are chained together, as you have heard the Embleme of the French Hercules. Ierem. 20. 9.In this reſpect, the Prophet Ieremy ſaith, His Word was like a burning fire, ſhut up in his bones, Eſay 6. 6, 7.and he could not ſtay, the Prophet Eſay had his tongue touched with a cole from from the Altar. The Apoſtles had the gift of fiery tongues, and what was the ſucceeſſe? at one Sermon of Peter three thouſand were ſet on fire, and inflamed with the love of God, and come rather bleeding, then breathing forth theſe words to the Apoſtles,Act 2. 37. Men and brethren what ſhall we doe? What ſhould I tell you the voyce of God is mighty, the voyce of God breaketh the Cedars, the Cedars of Lebanon, which is not only true of thunder (as interpre…ers expound it) but of the Word of God. For if Caligula trembled at that, I am ſure Felix did at this, Act. 24. when Paul reaſoned of righteouſnes and temperance, and judgement to come, Felix trembled, a ſtrange thing, that the accuſed party triumphed, and the Judge trembled▪ if being touched with his affecting words, and trembling he had turned to Chriſt, as the Needle touched with the Loadſtone, turnes to the North, and had ſhaped his courſe accordingly, Felix had beene happy as one ſaith: But this is the more remarkable, becauſe, in the ſame place, Tertullus a curious Oratour had made a quaint oration with no ſuch ſucceſſe, as if the Lord would compare as it were with humane faintly eloquence, and teach us that all is but painted eloquence, in compariſon of the divine power of his Word: Indeed they report, that when Tully pleaded for Ligurius, (I thinke) Caeſar trembled, and the bils of accuſations fell out of his hands, as it were wreſted out by Tullies eloquence: but you ſhall ſee the difference anon. Yea, and Paul himſelfe felt the force of this thunder, for in the very heat of his perſecution as he marched furiouſly (like Iehu) to Damaſcus, Act. 9. 3. 5.he was arreſted by a meſſenger from Heaven, a great light ſhone round about him, and he heard a voyce from Heaven, the light like lightning flaſhed in his face, and dazeled his eyes, and laid him flat on his backe: But will you heare a terrible thunderclap, Saul Saul why perſecuteſt thou me? this was the thunder that boared his eares (as Scaliger reports of a countrey fellow that had his eares boared with thunder) and this was the lightning, which, as the Naturaliſts ſay, melts the Sword and hurts not the Sheath, that breakes the bones and bruiſes not the fleſh: this was the lightning that broke Pauls heart and melted his very ſoule within him, and made him that was yet*foreign. breathing out threatnings and ſlaughter against the Diſciples of the Lord Ieſus, breath out more gentle and humble words, Who art thou Lord? what ſhall I doe Lord? and the like. I cannot ſtand to preſſe theſe, and yet I cannot paſſe over one place, becauſe it is moſt effectuall, looke Heb. 4. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerfull, and ſharper then a two edged ſword, piercing even to the dividing aſunder of ſoule and ſpirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Who hath any gold weights and a ballance of the Sanctuary, that we may expend and weigh theſe golden words exactly? I pray marke, it is a living Word, yea more, a working Word, yet more, a cutting Word, yea, and more yet, a piercing Word, it is not as other written words are mutus magiſter, but viva vox, *foreign.a living word, it is not living, as ſome do (of whom it may be truly ſaid, Hic ſitus eſt, as Seneca ſaid of Vatia) but it is an*foreign effectuall working word: it is not working, as ſome do, till they be cold again, or as we ſay, as good never the whit as never the better, but it is a cutting word: it is cutting, not lightly to raze the skin, and ſcratch a little, but it bites ſore, it is a piercing word: it is like a ſword, a bloody inſtrument, but that it is ſharper, for the Apoſtle ſaith†foreign. ſharper: the word is a word of compariſon, but the thing is above compare, for it is*foreign. 2 Cor 2. 16. ſharper then a ſword, it is like a two edged ſword (as I told you of Chriſt in the Revelation) it will cut which way ſoever it lights, either a ſavour of life to ſalvation, or a ſavour of death unto condemnation, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks: but it is*foreign ſharper then any two edged ſword, It was once ſaid of the ſword of Goliah by David, There is none to it, but I dare ſay it is true of the ſword of God and of Gideon, the ſword of God and his Ambaſſadors, for it pierces to the dividing of the ſoule and ſpirit: who is ſo acute almoſt that can diſtinguiſh theſe two by an intellectuall preciſion? (I am ſure Interpreters ſweat about it) and yet this royall ſword, like Alexanders, is ſo ſharp that it cuts this knot with an actuall diuiſion, betweene the joynts and the marrow, not the hardeſt bones can abate or turn the edge of this invincible weapon; not the moſt hidden marrow can eſcape the dint of it, but as the Sun in the 19. Pſalme, nothing is hid from the heat of it. To conclude, it is*foreign a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: the ſtrangeſt Critick that ever was, thought it not free from it: and whereas other Criticks pride themſelves in reſtoring ſome obliturated monuments, ſtopping ſome gaps in old Manuſcripts, taking up ſome ſtitches let fal in a Poet, this goes farther, and reades the very thoughts, verbamentis, the letters written in the ſoule, that abraſa tabula, as the Philoſopher cals it: I have put all the weights, graines, and ſcruples that I have into the Scales, and yet this place of Scripture as it is pure, (the word of God is like gold which is tryed in the fire ſeventimes) ſo, for weight it weighs them all downe, which was the reaſon that I inſiſted the longer on it, for me thinks, this very place doth not only affirm that the Word is effectuall, but confirme it exceedingly, being it ſelfe ſo effectuall. I conclude this generall, he that knows the efficacy of this Word, cannot chuſe but acknowledge the divinitie of this power, and be affected, as the Prophet Habakuk was, with the preſence of God in his glorious works, When I heard (ſaith he) my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voyce, Habak. 3. 16.rottenneſſe entred into my bones, and I trembled in my ſelfe, that I might reſt in the day of trouble. There remaines much behind yet, for I ſhould ſhew you this in particular both extenſively and intenſively as it works, 1. In the heart, 2. A ſtrange worke in the heart, both theſe in regard of the act it ſelfe, and then in regard of the manner of working, 1. Without any helpe, ex parte ſubjecti, the heart conferres nothing, not ſo much as naturall receptivitie. 2. Without any help, ex parte medii, no inſinuations of wiſdome, no tricks of Rhetorick, but with downe right blowes: and I could wiſh all unſaid that hath beene ſpoken, that I might ſpend my ſelfe wholly in theſe things, but I muſt touch them briefly. The heart of man is the moſt free and hard of any thing to worke upon, and to make an impreſſion and ſtampe upon this hard heart, this heart that is ſo ſtonie, Adamantine, harder then the mother Milſtones, as the Scripture teacheth. To compell this freewill, that Domina ſui actus, the Queene in the ſoule, the Empreſſe, it cannot be without a divine power, without a hand that is omnipotent; but the Miniſters doe this by the Word, they mollifie, and wound, and break this heart, they incline, and bow, and draw this free will whither the ſpirit liſteth: And Clemens Alexandrinus is not afraid to ſay, that if the Fables of Orpheus and Amphion were true, that they drew birds, beaſts, and ſtones with their raviſhing melodie, yet the harmony of the Word is greater, which tranſlates men from Helicon to Sion, which ſoftens the*foreign. hard heart of man obdurate againſt the truth, that raiſes up children to Abraham of ſtones, that is, (as he interprets) of unbelievers, which he cales ſtockes and†foreign. ſtones, that put their truſt in ſtones and ſtockes, which metamorphoſes men that are *foreign.beaſt-like wild, birds for their lightneſſe and vanity, ſerpents for their craft and ſubtilty, Lions for their wrath and crueltie, Swine for voluptuouſneſſe and luxurie, &c. and charmes them ſo, that of wild beaſts they become tame men: that makes living ſtones (as he did others) come of their owne accord to the building of the walls of Ieruſalem, (as he of Thebes) to the building of a living Temple, to the everliving God: this muſt needs be a*foreign. true perſwaſive charme, as he ſpeakes. Herodotus relates of Cambyſes, that being admoniſhed of his drunkenneſſe by Prexaſpes a noble Counſellour, in a rage he commanded his ſonne to be placed before him as a marke, and his Bow and Arrows to be brought, and He ſhot and killed the boy, and then cauſed him to be opened, and finding the Arrow in the middeſt of his heart, he made this argument, that he was no drunken man, and turning him to the father asked him (with a cruell ſmile) what he thought of it: O my Lord (ſaid Prexaſpes, betwixt griefe for his ſonne, and feare for himſelfe:) I think the gods cannot ſhoote better: I may paralell this out of Scripture, and apply it to my purpoſe, for the Apoſtles in the Acts, being charged with drunkenneſſe, Peter ſteps up to make an apologie, he takes his bow and arrowes (as the Prophet Eſay ſpeakes) he hath made my mouth like a ſharp ſword, in the ſhadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a poliſhed ſhaft in his Quiver:) hee ſhootes and ſmites three thouſand with one arrow, and when they opened themſelvs, it was found they were pricked in their hearts: and you ſhall now be judges, whether I may not well ſay as he did with a little alteration, O Lord I thinke none but God, none but thou can ſhoot ſo well. I conclude this, the Miniſters of the Word are ſtars in the right hand of God, (as it is in the Revelation) and therefore they dart their influence into the ſecret corners of the ſoule: their words fall high from heaven, and therefore ſinke deepe into the hearts of men. As the woman of Tekoah was ſubtile, becauſe the hand of Ioab was with her: ſo they are powerfull becauſe the hand of God is with them, they are the pen that write in mens hearts, but it is the hand of God. In a word, they beare ſuch authority becauſe they are men under authority, men of God, Gods Ambaſſadors. I ſhould proſecute the reſt, but I will rather leave the point abruptly then be tedious.