Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself, Part 1 (5 of 6)

Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself · Part 1 (5 of 6)

p. 151Rule 10. Nor is Christ made a loser, by losing his will for the Lord, but his will is fulfilled in that which he feared,Providence can do more then we can expect. Heb. 5.7. Providence submitted unto, rendereth an hundred fold in this life, Matth. 19.29. God makes the income above hope, Gen. 48.11. And Israel said to Ioseph, I had not thought to see thy face, and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed. One berry is not a cluster, that two men cannot bear, but its a field, an earth of Vine-trees in the seed, Ephes. 3.20. He is able to doe above all things foreign more then aboundantly above that we can aske or thinke, above the shaping or frame of my words and thoughts. But I can ask heaven, he can give more then heaven, and above heaven, yea I can think of Christ, but he can give above the Christ that I can thinke on, because I cannot comprehend infinite Jesus Christ.

Rule 11. Christ is not so intent and heart-bended on freedom from death and this black and sad hour,Visible and invisible providence …ow differenced. but he reverences a higher providence, that Gods will be done; so are we to look to providence, and we are not to stumble at an externall stroake in sad occurences, when Iob 9.22. God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. And he furbishes his Sword Ezek. 21.3. and saith, p. 152I will draw out my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee, the righteous and the wicked.

1Then 1. Arise, goe downe to the potters house, Jer. 18. The earth is Gods work-h…use; for clay, good and bad are equally on the wheeles; Christ as punishable for our sinnes, though a vessell of burning Gold, is under art; Soveraignity rolles about three in one wheele, the Blaspheming, the Repenting Thiefe, and Christ, who is Uertue, Grace, yea Glory in the midst. An elect and a reprobate man may bee both sewed in the same winding-sheet, they may touch others skins in the same grave, but they are not rolled in, in the same hell. Yea Cham is saved in the Arke, but as the uncleane beasts are, hee is preserved from drowning, but reserved to cursing.

22. There is a providence of grace, as there is in God a speciall love of free-grace; the good and the bad figs are not in the same invisible basket; there is a Pavilion, a Cabinet of silke in Gods privie Chamber, seene to no eye: Psal. 27.5. And upon all the glory shall be a covering, Esai. 4.9. Christs free and invisible love, is a faire white webbe of gold, that a Saint is wrapped in in the ill day. Where is he? he is hid, yet he goes through the sieve, and sifted he must be, but not a graine of him falles to the earth, Amos 9.9.

3. There have been questions about the Prerogative of Kings 3and the Priviledge of Parliaments too, but undeniably in the Market-roade of Providence,Royall Prerogative of providence and the waies thereof. the Lord hath kept a Prerogative Royall of justice to himselfe, to cut off the innocent and righteous with the wicked, in temporall judgements. 2. And of speciall grace of Providence, when the godly man is blacked 1with a death-marke, and condemned to die; Gods Prerogative 2sends him a reprievall of grace, above the law, and current of providence. Esai. 38.5. Ezechiah (saith the high Land-lord) is summoned to slit and remove, yet he shall dwell in his Farme 3of clay, fifteene yeares. 3. This Prerogative dispenseth with fire, not to burne; with the Sea, not to ebbe and flow, so long as the soles of the feet of Christs bride are upon the new-found sands in the heart of the Sea. Yea with hungry Lyons not to eat their meat, when they have no food but the flesh of Daniel, beloved of the Lord. Christ here commits himselfe unto an unseen Soveraignty. For Abraham to kill his owne onelyonly begotten sonne of promise; to reason, its a worke of God, but its a p. 153providence of non-sence. Neither Law nor Gospel, for ought that reason can see, shall warrant it; yet Soveraignity commands it, and that's enough. Afflictions of trialls, such as the prosperitie of the wicked, and the trying sufferings of the godly, seeme more to contradict Gods promises, and revealed will in the Word, then any other visitations of God, therefore beside that they require patience, they must have faith in an eminent manner. To beleeve infinite wisdome can tye the murthering of Isaak by his owne Father, against the Law of Nature (as it seemes) with the Gospel, which cannot command unnaturall blouds, must require much faith.

Rule 12. Christ declares when matters are at the worst, there is good will for him, in the done will of God; its an objection to sense, and to sinlesse Nature in Christ-man: O doest thou not see sad and four-faced death, is not thy soule thy darling in the power of dogs? hath not hell long and bloody teeth? is not the furnace, the oven of the Lords highest indignation, for the sins of all the chosen of God very hot?To stand at the wil… of God and goe no farther, … s…bmission. when the flames of it makes thee a troubled soule, and causes thee to sweat out blood; what blood shall be l…ft for scourging, for the Iron nails of that sad crosse? True (saith Christ) I have (God knowes) a heavy soule, my strength is dried up like a potsheard: This cup casteth a savour of hell and fiery indignation, a sight of it would kill a man, yet i'le drinke it, the good and just will of my Father be done, there I stand, further I goe not. To be at a stand, and to lay silence on our tumultuous thoughts, who are compassed with a body of sin, and to be satisfied with the will of the Lord is our safest, we should not be perswaded by the crosse, or all that sense can say, far lesse what sin can say from this, The will of the Lord be done. The friends of Paul hearing what he must suffer, say, Acts 20.14. When he would not hee perswaded, we ceased saying, The will of the Lord be done. It is grace to cease and say no more, when we see the Lord declare his mind to us; An holy heart will not goe one haires breadth beyond the Lords revealed will.

1. Because love which thinketh not …ll,Fai…h s…th … gra…e in a sad provid…ce. does not black the spotlesse and faire will of God, when it is revealed to be from God, though Hell were in that will.

2. Faith seeth even in permitting of persecution from Pharaoh and Egypt, the Lords good will in the burning bush, the very p. 154good will by which he saveth his people redeemed in Christ, Mat. 11.26. Phil. 1.13. who dwelleth in the bush, Deut. 33.16. And it's considerable that the same good will which is the root of reprobation, and of permitting hell and Devils, and Devils persecuting instruments to turn his Church into ashes, and to a burnt bush; and Devils and men to crucifie Christ is free grace, and the root of Election to glory, and is extended to the Saints, Rom. 9.15, 16, 17. Ephes. 1.11. Faith seeth and readeth free grace in a providence, which of it self, is extended to Devils and reprobate men, though not as extended to them; and it is an Argument of true grace, if any can say Amen to Hell and the sadest indignation coming from this will, though against a particular will of of our owne.

33. As we are obliged to adore God, so also his Soveraignty and holy will, when its revealed to us; and to murmure against it, because it crosseth our short-sighted, and narrow-witted will, is the highest contempt of God, and that which is the Soule and Formale of sinne,Providence wise and cannot be counter-wrought. and the determination of a wicked and ill-stated question. Whether should my short and pur-blind will, stand for eternity; or the holy and infinitely-wise will of God, which had eternity of duration, infinitnesse of wisdome, and not seven, but millions of eyes, to advise what was decreed as fittest to be done.

4. Since there is not a Fatum, nor an Adamantine destiny 4and irrevocable decree but this; is it holy wisdome to knocke hard heads with God? Its true, Pride growes greene, and casteth out its golden branches in the fattest soile: But Job 9.4. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardned himselfe against him, and prospered? There is infinite wisdome in God, and infinite power to bring to pas…e his Decrees; will clay counterworke Gods infinite counsell? The Former of all things makes fire-workes under the earth against sinners; can sinners make counter-mines to out-worke the Almighty? Sure if he be wise in heart, who hath a most eminent, holy, and just providence in all that falleth out, when we heare that the Gospell, and the Church of Christ are oppressed in judgement, we are to looke on that oppression, as on the sinne of other men, and as our crosse, and to mourne for it: In the former consideration, and in the latter, as it troubles us, to judge it good, necessary, and better, then if it had been otherwise. The formall p. 155reason of goodnesse is the will of God, and your judgement is to esteeme that good, which is ill to you, though it bee sowre and heavie; for it hath goodnesse from this, and goodnesse to you that the Lord hath decreed it; to be sowre and sweet make up a middle taste most pleasant; Christ twisteth blacke and white in one web; the Jewes sinnes, which he willeth not; and their sinne is the redemption of man, which hee loveth; and these two are pleasant to behold, and when they are mixed in one, and come from the most wise God, they have beauty to God, farre bee it from mee, to judge them blacke, or unjust, which are faire to him.

Rule 13. Christ submits his will to the will of God, in soule-desertions, so should we doe. Christs love to his Father, is no Critick, no knotty Questionist to spinne, and forge jealousies against 1the Lords dispensation in the influence of heaven on his soule. He is willing to lay his soule-comforts in the bosome and free-will of his Father; and in this he judgeth the Lords will, better then his owne will. We have too many querelous love-motions against the reality of Christs love, when he hides himselfe. O but wee are covetous and soule-thirsty after our owne will, in the matter of soule-manifestations; either I see little here, or we Idol comforts,We d…te to much on the sweet … dents of Christ, and love …imselfe to l…ttle. and would gladly have a Christ of created grace, rather then Christ, or his grace; and when we are thirsting for Christ, it is his comforts, the Rings, Jewells, Bracelets of the Bridegrome, wee sick after, rather then himselfe; its not an unmixed, nor a poore mariage-love, to ma…y the riches and possessions, and not the person, Math. 22.2. The Kingdome of heaven is like unto a certaine King, which made a Mariage foreign, for his Son, not for his daughter in law. The glory of Gospel-dainties resembled to a Marriage, are for the Kings Sonne, and the glory of Christ; not for our glory, but for our grace. Christ is the finall end, for whom all the Honey-combes, the Myrrhe, the Spices, the Wine, and the Milk of the banquet are prepared. Cant. 5.1. We have need of Christ to cure, even our perfections: there be some wild oats, some grains of madnesse and will-wit in our best graces. 2. You cannot Idolize Christ himselfe; love in pounds, in talent weights is too little for him; his sweet accidents, his delights, consolations love-embracements are sweet; but swel-ling, and too fatning, and if Christ send these to a beleever, in a box of gold, or in p. 156a case made of a piece of the heaven, or of a chip of the noone-day-Sunne, and not come himselfe, they should not satisfie the soule. Cant. 3.1. I sought him whom my soule loved; Watchmen saw yee him? O it is the beloved himselfe, that is a great man in the Spouses bookes, his Wine, his Spiknard, his Myrrhe, his Oyntments, his Perfume, the Savour of his Garments, his Apples of love, are all in that heavenly song set out for himselfe. Love-tokens are nothing, duties nothing, inherent righteousnesse nothing, heaven nothing, if separated from Christ; but Christ himselfe is all in all.

2Our 2. disease is, we forget that hee that created the love of Christ in the heart,God who created supernaturall love can rule it. can onelyonly cure our love, when its sicke for Christ: As he that created the first World can rule it, so he that created the second new world, can guide it, and all the creatures in it, though our faith stagger, touching his speciall providence, in particulars of either, as we are deserted, and left to our selves.

3. We often thirst after comforts, and sense, as the people 3did, and (Esai 58.5.) were reproved for their fast: Is it such a Fast as I have chosen? And Zach. 7.5. Did yee at all Fast to me, We desire Christ often for ourselves.even to me? So may Christ blame us for the like sinne, and say, Have ye thirsted to me, and for me, and not rather for your selves? Let us examine delusions, and not father them upon Christ, except we know he will owne them.

44. We desire a never interrupted presence and sense of God, whereas Christ submitted, to want it for a time; when he saw it was Gods will so to doe; and though we have not, nor can we have positively, alway an edge of actuall hunger; yet wee negatively can be submissive to want, when wee see it is his will,Submission to the absence of G…d is requ… red. we want; whereas he is the same Christ, with the same immanent, and eternall love of election, without variation of the Degrees of the altitude and height thereof, the same infinite wisdome, when he frownes, and hides his face, and when he shines and smiles in his kingly manifestations. Cloudes alters not the Sunne-light, coverings changeth not Christ, that he cannot love behind the curtaine. Except we take a cloud to be the Sunne, or created sweetnesse to be Christ; were the beame separated from the Sunne; what should it be but as good as nothing? We dreame that the curtaines and robes of Christs manifestations of love, adds somewhat to his excellency; then hee must p. 157be of more eminency, when hee expresseth himselfe in love-embracements to us, then when hee was from eternity the floure of his Fathers delight. Christs out-side in revealed sweetnesse, and in transient manifestations of his beauty, must then be more excellent then himselfe; this is too selftie a conception of Christ. The Lord Jesus is more within, then we can enjoy of him, in his love-expressions; he loses none of that immanent sweetnesse, under his wise withdrawings; though you, or I, or Men, or Angels, should never feed upon any time-injoyments of sweetest love, and manifested glory from his revealed kindenesse.

5. Its a great Quere, if it be expedient, that our motion to heaven, should bee as the motion of the Sunne that never rests, but moves as swiftly in the night as in the day, and if we should ever be on wings, I know its our dutie; but even the falling on our owne weight, and the conscience of our clay-mould, our short breath, Natures weake leggs in walking up the Mount, are good for the adding wind and tyde,… expedient that we … on our own leggs some time. and high sailes to the praysing of Christ, and free Grace: Vtile est peccavisse, noc…t p…ccare. It is profitable that we have sinned, that Grace may be extolled, it is ill to sinne. Even to the nature of man its good that hee hath dyed, and hath beene in the grave, yet its not good, but contrary to nature, to die, and to ly in the grave.Oblisse bonum est n…turae, obire mulum.

6. Its our forgetfulnesse, that wee see not the dearest to Christ hath beene kept lowest, and most empty in their owne eyes; hidden grace extolleth Christ. 2. That often the Saints are kept in a condition of sayling with as much wind as blows, 2with praying, and beleeving. 3. That yet prayer and the 3sweating of Faith cannot earne,Returne of Christ no merit. nor promerit the renewed sense of Christ, so as Christ returneth to eate his honey-combe, and his wine, and milke, and banquet with the soule, rather at the presence of these acts, then for them, as some have said, (thou…h with no strength of reason) that fire burneth not, the Sunne enlighteneth not, the …arth doth not send forth floures, and herbes; but God at the naked presence of these causes, doth produce all effects; yet in this case it hath a truth; that the sweating of all supernaturall industry, cannot redeeme the least halfe glimpse of Gods presence, in the sense of eternall love, when God is pleased for trial… to hide himselfe.

7▪ Our great fault heere is merit, that we tye the flowings p. 158and inundations of Christs love to the becke of our desires, whereas we may know: 1. That the Sunne doth not shine, nor the raine water the earth, in order to merit. 2. Wee should know that grace, and all the acts of grace are almes, not debt, and that a rich Saviour giveth grace to us as beggars, and payeth it not to hirelings, as the due, or as wages wee can crave for our worke; but wee love peny-worth's better then free-gifts.

But for this cause came I to this houre.

The work of redemption most rationall and full of causesChrists worke of redemption was a most rationall worke, and was full of causes, foreign; this saith, that to redeeme losed sinners, was not a rash and reasonlesse worke.

1. There was no cause compelling. Love cannot be forced, John 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his onelyonly begotten 1Sonne, &c. Grace worketh more from an intrinsecall cause, and more spontaneously then nature. For Nature often is provoked by contraries for selfe-defence to worke: as fire worketh on water, as on a contrary; the wolfe and the dogge pursue one another as enemies. But Grace, because grace hath abundance of causality and power in it selfe, but hath no cause without it.

22. Any necessitie of working from Goodnesse in the Agent, as from such a principle is strong. 1 Tim. 1.15. Its a true saying, and by all meanes worthy to be received, that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners. If the thing be worthy foreign, of all receipt and embracing, then it must bee good; an Agent working from a Principle of goodnesse doth in his kind worke necessarily, though he may also worke from another principle freely.Grace a cause of it selfe. John 10.11. I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheepe. Luke 19.10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke, and to save that which is lost.

3. God will seeke reasons or occasions without himselfe, to be gracious to sinners. When no reason or cause moveth a Physitian to cure, but onelyonly sicknesse and extreame misery; wee know grace and compassion is the onelyonly cause; Ezech. 36.23. I will sanctifie my great name, Sin an occasion of actes of grace.Why? Which was prophaned among the heathen; and which ye have prophaned in the midst of them; then the true cause must bee expressed, Vers. 22. Thus p. 159saith the Lord God, I doe not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy Names sake.

4. The Lord taketh a cause from the end of his comming, 4Math. 20.28. The Sonne of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransome for many. Joh. 18.37. To this end was I borne, and for this cause came into the world, that I should beare witnesse to the truth. Joh. 10.10. I am come that they might have life, and have it in aboundance.

5. Some thing, yea very much of God, is in the creation; 5much of God in his common providence; but most of all,Much of God in the work of redemption. yea whole God in the redemption of man. God manifested in the flesh is the matter and subject of it, Grace the moving cause, most of all his attributes, working for the manifestation of the Glory of pardoning mercy, revenging justice, exact faithfulnesse and truth, freest grace, omnipotency over hell, devils, sinne, the World; patience, longanimity to man, cooperate as the formall and finall causes, it is a peece so rationall and full of causes, that as he is happy, (Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas,) who can know the causes of things: so Angels delight to be Schollers to read and study this mysterious art of free Grace, Eph. 3.10. 1 Pet. 1.12 Works without reasons and causes are foolish. The cause why we doe not submit to God, is,Afflictions are to be weighed in all the caus…s. 1. Who afflicts. 2. How or in what manner. 3. For what cause. because we lye under blind and fatherlesse crosses: its true, Affliction springs not out of the dust, and crosses considered without God, are twise crosses. Three materiall circumstances in crosses are very considerable. Quis, quare, quomodo. 1. Who, for what cause, and how doth God afflict us. Who afflicts is worthy to be known. Esai. 42.24. Who gave Jaakob for a spoile, and Israel to the robbers? The highest cause of causes did it. Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? 11 Sam. 3.18. It is the Lord, let him doe what seemeth good to him. 2. For what end God the Lord did this, is a circumstance of comfort; Why led the Lord Israel through a great 2and terrible wildernesse, wherein were fiery Scorpions, and Serpents, and drought? Deut. 8.16. That he might prove thee, to doe thee good at thy latter end. 3. And how the Lord correcteth, is worthy to be known. He correcteth Jaakob in measure, 3Jer. 6.28. Mercy wrapped about the rod, and a cup of gall and wormewood honeyed, and oyled with free love, and a piece of Christs heart, and his stirred bowels mixed in with p. 160the cup, is a mercifull little hell. Psal. 6.1. Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. The Law saith,Blind and dumb cr…sses not good. A Bastard hath no father, because his father is not knowne. The Philistimes are plagued with Emerods, but whether that ill was from the Lord, or from Chance, they know not. The crosse to many is a bastard. We suffer from Prelats, because wee suffered Prelats to persecute the Saints. Papists shed our bloud, why? Our fore-fathers burnt the witnesses of Christ, and we never repented. Christ and Anti-christ are at bloudy blowes in the camp: Anti-christ hath killed many thousands in the three kingdomes for Religion; that is the quarrell: and when England had often before, and have now opportunity, they will not lift Christ up on his throne, nor put his Crowne Royall on his head, but doe put it on their owne head, but the judgement is not yet at an end. Scotland hath not walked worthy of the Gospel, but have fallen from their first love. We take not a deliberate list of every limbe, thigh, legge, and member of this nationall wrath, and we neither see wherefore we are afflicted, nor how.

For this cause came I to this houre.

There is some peculiar act of Christs will here holden forth, and that is Christs peculiar intention, to die for his people; in which we are to consider the activenesse of Christs will in dying for man, which may be seene.

1. In his free offering of himselfe, and his service to the Father. 1Psalm. 40.6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, mine eares hast thou opened. How actively wil…ing Christ was to serve for us.Heb. 10.5. A body (that is, the office house, and instrumentall subject of obedience to the death, as the eare is of hearing, and obeying the commandements of God) thou hast prepared me. Vers. 7. Then said I, loe I come (in the volumne of thy booke it is written of me) to doe thy will ô God. In these words Christ is brought in as a servant, with three excellent quallities.Excellent qualities in Christ as he … a servant to God in the work of redemption. 1. Physically, he is fitted with a body and a soule to offer to God for us; as in a servant there are required strong limbs and armes to endure drudgery, in this he was borne of his mother, for this sad service: his Master furnished him for this, even the seed of mans flesh and bloud for suffering.

2. There were morall habilities in him; promptitude of of will. So the Lord is brought in, as a Lord and Master in p. 161justice crying, servant; O Sonne and servant Jesus, I have a businesse for thee of great concernment. At the first word, as all good servants doe, Christ takes him to his feet, and compeares before his God, his Master and Lord, Loe I come, here am I; so servants of old answered their Master: What service wilt thou command so hard, which I will not undergoe? Master, here's a body for thy worke, here be cheekes for the nippers, a face for those that will plucke off the haire, a backe for smiting, a body for the crosse and the grave. Christ as a servant uncovered, standing on feet, would say; Lord, send mee thy seruant to the Garden, to worke under the burden of thy wrath, till I sweat blood; bid me goe to shame, to scourging, and spitting, is it thy will I goe up on the cursed crosse, and bee made a curse for sinners, that I be crucified and die, that I goe lower in to the utter halfe of hell, the grave, which is a sad journey; loe here am I, willing to obey all.

3. There was in Christ, not onelyonly willingnesse, but delight, Psal. 40.8. foreign My God I delight to doe thy will, 3every servant cannot say this to his Master, thy Law is in the 1midst of my heart.

2. His willingnesse to die was a part of his Testament and last Will, he dyed with good will, and left in Legacy his death, and 2the fruits of it, his blessing, his heart, his love, his peace, his life to his bride in Testament, confirmed by Law, to all his poore brethren and friends, Heb. 9, 17. and John 14.27. Peace I leave (in testament) with you. But the Orphane, and the poore friend gets not all that his dying Father and friend leaves in Testament, but Christ gives possession himselfe ere he die, My peace I give to you; but to the point: His latter Will, was willingnesse to die.

3. No externall force could take his life from him, against his will. John 10.18. No man taketh my life from me, Christ… willi…gnesse to die.but I lay 3it downe of my selfe, I have power to lay it downe, and I have power to take it againe. Yet lest it should seeme a will-action in Christ, and …o not obedience, he addeth. This Commandement (that is the will of a Superiour) have I received of my Father. Compelled obedience, is no obedience: exact willingnesse was a substantiall and essentiall ingredient in Christs obedience. Acts of Grace cannot be extorted; can yee teare a shoure of p. 162raine, from God in an extreame drouth: or bread from him in your hunger, against his will? Farre lesse, since Christs dying was an act of pure grace, can any compell him to dye for man. Love arrested his holy will, and that made him runne apace to dye for us: O blessed be his good will, who burned himselfe in the Bush, in a fire of free love.

4. Though dying be a passion; yet Christs dying was both 4a passion,Christ an Agent in his passion. and an action. Will added as much perfume and strength of obedience, as nature, and paine, shard-ship, shame, and abasement could doe; his life was not so much plucked from him, as out of his owne hand, As an Agent he offered his bloud, and soule; yea, himselfe to God, through the eternall Spirit, Hebr. 9.14. Love was the coard, the chaine that did bind Christ to the Altar.

55. Christ foreign on this intention came to this houre; so is foreign often in Scripture.Christ specially intended to have a spouse in all his sufferings, and labours. Not onelyonly his will, but the floure of his will, his intention was to die, for Christs eye and his heart, and his love was on his Bride; the intention is the most eminent act that Love can put forth. Christs eye and his heart being upon his Spouse, he made our salvation his end and measure of his love, to compasse this end: the Lord laid many Oares in the water; his rising earely, his night watching, his toyling, his sweating, his soare and hard Soule-travell, as being heavy with Child of this end, (O might I have a redeemed people) was all his care; and his soule was eased, when dying, bleeding, crying, he went thorough hell and death, and slept in deaths blacke and cold prison, and his Redeemed ones in his armes. When hee came to the end of this sad journey, and found his Ramsomed ones, he said; I have sought you with a heavie heart; faire and foule way, sad and weary; and all is well bestowed, since I have gained you. Let us up together to the hill of Spices, to our Fathers house, to the highest mountaine of Frankincense. All that Christ did, was for this end, That he might deliver us from this present evill world, Galat. 1.4. That he might be a ransome for many, Matth. 20.28. That we might have life, and have it more abundantly, Joh. 10.10. That he might seeke and save the lost, Luke 19.10. That he might present his wife a glorious Church to himselfe, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that she should bee holy and without blemish, Ephes. 5.26, 27. that wee being dead to p. 163sinne, should live to righteousnesse, 1 Pet. 2.24. Christ came to seeke, and travelled ever till he found his desire, a redeemed and saved people, and then hee rested; Even as hee journyed through all the Creation, but till he found man, a creature that he made according to his owne image, hee had no Sabbath, no rest. His willingnesse to die, respected his redeemed people, whom out of meere mercy he loved, and the worth of will and merit respected infinite justice, which hee exactly satisfied.

Hence we learne;Vse 2. 1. To imitate and follow our patterne Christ, in voluntary obedience, delighting to doe Gods will, and to suffer Gods will. Its said of Christ, Hebr. 5.8. Though hee were a Sonne, yet learned he obedience through suffering. Hee was the excellentest Scholler among all his Schoole-fellowes, and yet the rod of God was heaviest, and most frequent on him; he learned his Lesson beyond them all. He was quick in understanding, in the feare of the Lord, Esai. 11.3. He had in him an excellent Spirit; The Spirit of Wisdome, of Counsell, Its much to be active for God but more to be passive.of Knowledge, and of the Feare of the Lord; And was holy and obedient to the death, the death of the Crosse. Its much to learn to be active for God, but more to learne to be passive. That is a profound science. Phil. 4.12. I know how to be abased, — I am instructed to be hungry, —and to suffer need. It's the singular art of Grace to know how to love, feare, and obey God, under death, paine, and hell. It is a high lesson to learne the Mystery of that deepe Science, of hunger, want, suffering, stripes, and torment, and death for Christ. This is high, Hebr. 10.34. Yee, tooke patiently the spoiling of your goods, knowing that in heaven ye have a better, and more enduring substance. They are but accidents wee have heere, and these very separable. Heaven is all substance. Our obedience passive is not willing, its constrained. We might by Grace turne clay into gold, hell into heaven: if we could looke in faith and patience,To looke to highest providence a safe ground of sudmission. on the persecution, and reproaches of men, as on the brutish and irrationall motion of a staffe, or an axe that beates and cuts us; suppose we knew no hand under God that wronged us; hee curseth, because the Lord hath bidden him. For the freedome of Christs kingdome, and the right government of his house, and for opposing blasphemies, and reproaching of Christ, his Word, Scripture, Ordinances, We are killed all the day long, and counted the off-s…ourings of men; could wee over-looke p. 164unthankfulnesse, malice, wickednesse, persecution from men, whom wee with our lives and bloud have redeemed from persecution, and behold the highest Mover, and first Wheele that moveth all under wheeles, as if God onelyonly were our party, who humbles us, that wee may be humbled; then should wee be silent, and our hearts should not rise at the exorbitances of men. There is too much of nature in our sufferings, too little submissive willingnesse. The more action of a sanctified will in our sufferings, its the more acceptable, and cometh nearest to Christ, who did both runne for the Crown, and was active, and endured the Crosse, and was most passive in an heavenly manner, Heb. 12.

2. Let us learne of Christ to intend obedience, to put a foreign to our obedience.Vse 2. Many heare the word, but they intend not to heare; many pray, and intend not to pray; many die in these warres for Christ, but intend not to spend their life for Christ: The holy and cleane cause of God cometh through many dirty and foule fingers. This is the deep art of Providence.

Quest. What is a right and straight intention in serving God?

Asser. 1. When the deliberation of a bended will concurres with the intention,What is a right intention in serving God. its right; as when there is an heart-conclusion for God. Psal. 39.1. I said I will take heed to my wayes, that I offend not with my tongue. Psal. 31.14. But I trusted in the Lord: I said, Thou art my God. Psal. 102.24. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my dayes. This was an intended prayer. Psal. 119.57. I have said that I would keep thy words.

Asser. 2. The Saints are not so perfect in their intentions, as God is their onelyonly end. 1. Because a piece of our selfe is mixed with our end; there is some crook in our straightest line; an angle in our perfectest circle: when wee run most swiftly, because of the in-dwelling of corruption, we halt a little. 2. Self-deniall is not perfect in this life.

Where Christ is the predominant, hee is the over-swaying end in the soule.Asser. 3. Its good, when God is so pre-conceived in the intention, as the principall actions and motions both have being and denomination from their predominant element. Hony is is hony, though not pure from wax. A b…leever is not a simple element, nor all grace, and all sincerity. Now in bodies carried p. 165with a predominant element, the predominant is affirmed, the subordinate denyed. 1 Cor. 15.10. Yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 2 Cor. 4.5. For wee preach not our selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and our selves your servants for Christs sake. Where Christ is the predominant element, he is of weight to sway the whole soule in its motion. And its right-down sincerity (whatever Crispe, with Papists say on the contrary) though it require some graines of allowance to make it passe.

Asser. 4. Where Selfe is the predominant,Where Selfe is predominant, the intention cannot be sincere. the intention is bastard and adulterate. Jehu saith, Come see my zeale for the Lord; but hee onelyonly saith it. Hee could have said, Come see my zeale for my selfe. In the Jewes zeale, Rom. 10.1. there's a pound of selfe-righteousnesse, for one halfe graine of Christ, and of free-grace; therefore its not the right zeale of God.

Asser. 5. There be two characters of an intended end,Two Characters of the thing which is our intended end. which are also here: 1. All that the agent doth, hee referreth to his end; for his end is his God. The wretch doth all in reference to gold, that is his end: And Joab did all for Court and honour; for the chiefe end is the mans Master, and useth a lord-ship over him. Christ is so mighty through God, that hee darkens the Scribes and Pharisees light; because their end lieth in the fat womb of the world, and it is gaine and glory; all they doe is to make Christ out of the way. So when the beleever sailes all winds, rolleth every stone, presseth all meanes for Christ, as his end, and his weight, then stirres hee to the right port. Christs love hath a dominion over lord-will: One Adamant will cut another; the sinner is a rock, Christs love an Adamant. Christs love setting on the wills intention, burnes the soule to the bone.The love of Christ strong, and takes stre…gth fro… difficulties. Mary Magdalen cannot sleep, (and its a ticklesome game where the heart is at the stake) and Christ shee must have; Apostles, Angels, Christ himselfe shall heare of it ere shee want him. And the rougher and harder the meanes be, when under-taken for Christ, Christ must be a stronger and more love-working end. When torment and burning quick are chosen for Christ, its like hee is the end; for love over-comes a rough and dangerous journey: A sweet and desirable home, is above a dirty and thorny way. Christs love is stronger then hell. Our affections often take fire from difficulties; as absence of the Beloved kindles a new fire; Stollen bread, because stollen, is sweeter, and not our nature onelyonly; but longing after Christ, nititur in vetitum, inclineth p. 166to that which is forbidden. What if Christ be longed for and loved more when absent, then present?

2. The other Character is, That when the end is obtained, all operation for,That is our e…d, which obtained … the de…ire in th… pros…ution of meanes or about the meanes ceaseth, and the soule hath a complacency in the fruition of the end. When the wretches chests are full, hee hath an heart-quietnesse in gold; Luk. 12. Soule, take thine ease; but if the soule have an akeing and a disquieting motion after gold is obtained, it is not because gold was not his end, but because hee hath not obtained it in such a large measure as hee would; or because its but a sick and lame end, and cannot satiate, but rather sharpen soule-thirst after such corruptible things. When Christ is obtained, the soule hath sweet peace; Hee that drinketh of the water of life thirsts no more, appetitu desiderii, as longing with anxiety for this, as wee doe for earthly things, which we want; though hee have appetitum complac…ntiae, a desire of complacency, and a sweet self-quietnesse, that his heritage pleaseth him well, and his lines are fallen in pleasant parts, and rests on his portion, and would not change it with ten thousand worlds. Men by this, who are fishing and hunting after some other thing then Christ, may know what is their end: when Christ and Reformation come to their doores, they will have neither; but cast out their lines for another prey: Men now fish and angle for gaine, in lieu of godlinesse.

Vers. 28. Father, glorifie thy Name. Then came there a voyce from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it againe.

Here is the last Article of Christs prayer, Father, glorifie thy Name. 2. The Returne of Christs prayer by an audible answer from heaven.

This Prayer, Glorifie thy Name, Father; is of an higher straine: Father, I am willing to die, so thou be glorified in giving to me strength to suffer, and thou redeeme lost man by me, and by so doing glorifie thy Name. Christ never in his hardest suffering would be wanting to glorifie God. Now how farre the glory of God, in doing and suffering, should be intended and desired by us, in these considerations I propose.

1. Wee are to preferre the Lords glory to our owne life and salvation: no point of self-denyall, and renouncing of self-pleasing p. 167can reach higher then this, when Christ is willing to be the passive object of the glory of God; Put me, Father, Wee glorifie God when we are willing that our losse may …e the gaine of the Lords glo…y.to shame and suffering, so thou maist be glorified. Paul and Moses are not farre out, but they are farre out of themselves, when the one for the glory of the Lord, in savin… the people of God, willeth his name may be razed out of the book of life: and the other, to be separated from Christ, for the salvation of his kinsmen, Gods chosen people. When Abraham is willing that Glory to the Lord should be written with the ink of his sonne Isaac's bloud; and the Martyrs, that their paine may praise God, they then levell at the right end; for that must be the most perfect intention, that comes nearest to the most perfect. This is nearest to Gods intention; for hee created, and still worketh all for this end, that hee may be glorified. Pro. 16.4. Revel. 4.11. Rom. 11.37. Now if Christ put all to sea, and hazard all hee hath to guard the Lords Name from dishonour, and made his soule, his life, his heaven, his glory a bridge to keep dry and safe the Glory of God, that it sink not; and if God would rather his deare Son should be crowned with the Crosse, and his bloud squeezed out, with his precious life, then that any shame should come to his Name, then are wee to interpose our selves, even to sufferings, and shame, for the glory of God. Suppose a Saint were divided in foure, and every member with life in it, and torment of paine, fixed in the foure corners of the heaven, East, and West, and South, and North, and the soule in the convexity of heaven, under the paine of the torment of the gnawing worme that can never die,We are to desi…e that our paine may prais… revengi…g justice, in hell, as g…ace …e…g…t…neth the glory of pardoning mercy, in heaven. these five were oblieged to cry with a loud voyce, in the hearing of heaven, of earth, of hell, of Men, and Angels, and all creatures, Glory, glory be to the spotlesse and pure justice of the Lord, for this our paine: and when the damned are noted to speake against their sentence of condemnation, When saw we thee hungry, and fed thee not? &c. Mat. 25. it is cleare they are oblieged to acquiesce to this, that they are made clay-vessels, passively to be filled to the brim with the glory of revenging justice, and ought in hell to praise the glory of revenging wrath, as the Saints in heaven are bottles and vessels of mercy, from bottom to brim, filled with the glory of mercy, to praise his grace in heaven, who redeemed them: the one Psalme is as due and just as the other. What the damned doe not, or doe in the p. 168contrary, is their sinne. One prayed, his death, paine, torment, sad afflictions that may out-runne him, ere hee escape into the grave, yea, that his hell might with his owne good will be a printed booke, on which Angels and Men may read the glory of inviolable justice.

2. Wee love that the holinesses and grace of others were 2ours, that we might glorifie God, but we glorifie him not with that which he hath given us;We des…re God m…y be glorified by our wishes, rather t…n … indeavour to glorifie him. yea, we have a sort of wicked emulation and envy if others glorifie God, not we. Moses acquiesced to Gods dispensation, that the Lord might be glorified in the peoples possessing of the holy Land, though hee himselfe should not bee their leader, but not at the first. There is a cumbersome piece called, I, ego, selfe, that hath an itching soule for glory due to another.

33. O how unwilling are wee, that the Lords glory overweigh our ease, and humour? Master, forbid Eldad and Medad to Prophecie, saith Joshua. No, Moses will have God glorified, be the instruments who will.

4. There is a two fold glory here due to God. 1. Active; 4the glory of duties to be performed by us. 2. Passive; the glory of events,We care more for th… Lords passiv… gl…y of … for his active glory in our duties. that results from the Lords government of the world; wee are to care for both, but wee doe it not orderly. We are more carefull of Gods passive glory, which belongs to himselfe, then we ought to be. Hence say we, what confusions be there in the world? Nation breakes covenant with Nation; Heresies and blasphemies prevaile; Antichrist is yet on his throne; the Churches over Sea oppressed, the people of God led to the Shambles, as slaughter-sheep, and destroyed, and killed. Hundreds of Thousands killed in Ireland, many thousands in England, and very many thousands about the space of one year taken away in Scotland, with the Sword and the Pestilence. And …he Lords justice is not yet glorified, nor his mercy in avenging the enemies, the cry of the soules under the Altar is not heard, the Church not delivered. We would here yeeld patience to Divine providence; God hath more care of his owne glory, then we can have. 2. What men takes from God, hee can repaire infinitly another way. But we are lesse anxious for the Lords active glory, to doe what is our duty, and serve him, and glorifie him in the sincere use of meanes. Some learn their Schoole-fellowes lesson better then their own. For Gods glory p. 169of events, we are to be grieved, when he is dishonoured, but not to take the helme of heaven and earth out of his hand, but leave to God these, who would plunder Christs Crowne off his head. We have nothing to doe in the glory of events, but pray it flourish: but we take too much adoe in it, and we doe too little in the other.

5. There is a glory of God; two-fold also: one of holynesse and grace; another of blisse and happinesse. This I consider, 5either as in the kingdome of grace, or of glory.A glory of holynesse, and of grace. In Graces kingdome, the Saints for their holinesse, and Titus and the Brethren, 2 Cor. 8.23. are the glory of Christ. I will place (saith the Lord Esai. 46.13.) salvation in Sion, for Israel my glory. Faithfull Pastors take in cities, and subdue crownes, and kingdomes, to Christ. Paul conquered many crownes to Christ, Saints are the glory of God, and God … the glory of Saints.1 Thess. 2.19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crowne of reioycing? are not even yee in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his comming? Christ weares the Church on his head as a crowne of glory, Esai. 62.3. How glorious is it to bee for holynesse Christs garland, his diademe, and crowne? But in this there is a rent of the crowne of Heaven, a soveraigne peculiar flower due to the King of Ages, that no man must seeke after: in this the contexture and frame of the worke of Redemption is so contrived, that 1 Cor. 1.29. No flesh should glory in his presence. No man can devide the glory of grace with Christ. In the higher Kingdome, there is a glory ordained for Saints. The Gospel is a glorious peece, which 1 Cor. 2.7. God hath ordained before the world was, unto our glory. 1 Thes. 2.12. God hath called us unto his kingdome and glory. 1 Pet. 5.4. And when the chiefe Shepherd shall appeare, yee shall receive a crowne of glory, that fadeth not away. This is the reward of faithfull Elders, that feed the flock of Christ. The heaven of glory is called the holy heaven, Psal. 20.6. The Lord will heare from his holy heaven, and the new Jerusalem the Church, hath a brave crowne on her head. Revel. 21.10, 11. Shee comes downe out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Grace, grace is a glorious thing.

6. O, but we come short in doing and suffering; when our 6doing, suffering, eating, drinking, dying, paine, abasement, shame,Our …ymes are low, when we intend not the Lords glory. wants this end of the glorifying God; that addes an excellent luster, beauty, and glory to all that we doe. When Christ, the p. 170Father, heaven, are tyed to the furthest end of all our actions, we are above our selves. But wee differ little in our aymes from beasts, when the intention riseth no higher then this side of clay and time; Psal. 49.11. That our houses may continue. Esai. 5.8. That we may be placed, our alone on the earth.

Vers. …8. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, I I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it againe.

In this Answer observe these. 1. The Answer. 2. The aire it came from;Foure particulars in the answer retur…ed to Christ. From heaven. 3. The way and manner of its comming; by an audible Voice. 4. The matter of the Answer. I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it againe.

Christ is alwaies answered of his Father: either in the thing he sueth,Christ praying ever heard. Joh. 11.42. Or, in that which he feares, Heb. 5.7. Or, by reall comfort, Luk. 2….42, 43. Or in a full and perfect deliverance, Psalm. 22.20, 21. compared with Psalm. 16.10, 11. Acts 24.25. Acts 5.31. Or, in supply of strength for his suffering, Esai. 50.7, 8.

Its a proofe of the worth of Christs advocation and intercession. If I know my selfe to be in Christs Prayer-booke, in his breast, among Christs askings of the Father; its comfortable. Psal. 2.8. Aske of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. When Christ asketh soules of the Father, hee gives him his asking: the Lord cannot withhold from this King, the desire of his heart, Psalm. 21.2. He asked a wife of his Father, and it was granted. Christ will have them all in one house to be copartners of the Crowne of heaven with him: for its his Prayer, Joh. 17.24. The King and the Queene in one Pallace. We cannot fall from grace, for we stand by Christs prayers, Luke 22.31, 32. Heb. 9.24.

Our failings in expecti…g an answer of our Prayers.We have many diseases, in the matter of the returne of an answer. 1. We wait not on an answer; wee speak words, we pray not, we breath out naturall desires for spirituall mercies; we have no spirituall feeling of our wants, and there is an end; Psalm. 18.41. The wicked cry, but there is none to save; they doe not pray, but cry. 2. We storme, and offend that our humour, rather then our faith is not answered, either at our owne time, or that the thing which we aske to spend on our lusts (as James 4.3.) is not granted. 3. Wee are more p. 171carefull, and troubled, that we are not heard, then anxious to offer the rent, and pay the calves of our lips, in praying, which is Gods due. Were we as serious in worshipping in Prayer, as we are desirous of seeking wants, it were good; but there is more seeking in our Prayer, for our selves, then there is adoring for God. 4. We employ not Christ as Mediator, and High Priest in praying, and exercising Faith so much, as we put forth pith and strength of words, that we may extort rather our needs, then obtaine grace; as if praying, and hearing of prayers, were worke and wages, rather then begging, and giving of meere grace. 5. We consider not when we pray, and prayer is not returned in the same coyne that we seeke; That the Father hearing Christs prayers, virtually, and meritoriously answered all our prayers in substance, and for our good. For, 1. Christ can cull out, and chuse petitions more necessary and fundamentall for my salvation, then I can doe. 2. He is answered in all points; We are answered often in the generall, and in as good onelyonly. 3. Christ could, with more submission and sense pray, then we can do. Nature in Christ cannot boast and compell God to heare prayers; Often our zeale is but naturall boasting and quarrelling, as if we could force God to answer. Grace in Christ (and grace is the most lowly, and modest thing of the world) prayes with all submission, Not my will, but thy will be done. 4. All prayers are hard for Christ, Ergo, his prayers are better heard, then the prayers of the Saints; except our prayers be folded in his prayers, they cannot be answered. The perfume, the sweet odours of Christs prayers are so powerfull and strong, as comming from God-man in one person, they must be both asking and giving, desiring and granting, praying and hearing, flowing from the same person, Christ. When our prayers goe to heaven; Christ, ere they come to the Father, must cast them in a new mould, and leaveth to them his heart, his mouth, though the Advocate taketh not the sense and meaning of the Spirit from them; yet Christ presenting them with his perfume, he removeth our corrupt sense, so as they are Christs prayers, rather then ours. Hebr. 13.15. Let us by him (as our High Priest) offer the sacrifice of praise (then of prayers also) to God continually. The offering is the Priests, aswell as the peoples, Revel. 8.3. and farre more here, because Christ p. 172by his Office, is the onelyonly immediate person who maketh request to God for us. Romanes 8.34.

From heaven,

All Christs good, and all ours for him, came from heaven.Hence, Christ troubled in soule, and afflicted beleevers on earth, keep correspondence and compliance with heaven.

1. Christs prayers, in his saddest dayes, have their returne from heaven. Posts and Messengers fly with wings between 1God and a Soule in a praying disposition: possible, ten Posts in one night. Prayer hath an Agent lying at the Court of heaven, and an open eare there. Psal. 18.6. Hee heard my voyce out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his eares. Christ takes care that the Messenger get presence, and be quickly dispatched with a returne. Psal. 102.19. The Lord (ere the Messenger come) looked down from the height of his Sanctuary, Vers. 20. To heare the groning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death. So Lam. 3. Teares lie in heaven as Solicitors with God, untill hee heare; Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, Vers. 50. Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven. 1 King. 8.30. Heare thou in the heaven, thy dwelling place, and when thou hearest, forgive: saith Solomon. Isai. 63.15. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse. Our Saviour hath appointed the Post-way in that Prayer, Our Father which art in heaven. We have a Friend there who receives the Packet; An high Priest set at the right hand of the throne of Majesty, Heb. 8.1. Who hath passed into the heavens, Heb. 4.14. And is made higher then the heavens, Heb. 7.26. And liveth for ever to make intercession for us, Vers. 25.

22. In Christs hardest straits comfort came out of this aire. Luk. 22.43. When hee was in his saddest agony, there appeared to him an Angel from heaven strengthening him. In his lowest condition, when hee was in the cold grave among the dead, heaven was his Magazin of help and comforts. Mat. 28.2. An Angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and rolled away the stone. Heaven came to his bed-side, when hee was sleeping in the clods.

3. The Saints have daily traffiquing with heaven: O my dear 3Friend, my Brother, my Factor is in that Land. Psal. 73.25. p. 173Whom have I in heaven but thee? What, are not Angels, Prophets, Apostles, and Saints there? Yea; but wee have no acquaintance by way of mediation in that Land, but Christ: hee is the choice Friend there. 1 Cor. 15.47. The second Man (both first, highest, second and all) is the Lord from heaven.

4. All our good, every perfect gift comes from heaven, Jam. 41.17. Manna came not from the clouds. How then? Joh. 6.32. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. We are ill lodged in bits of sick and groning clay; our best house is in heaven. 2 Cor. 5.2. We groning, desire to be clothed with our house from heaven.

5. The earth is but the beleevers Sentinell, or at best, his 5Watch-tower; but our hope is in heaven. 1 Thes. 1.10. Wee wait for the Son of God from heaven. Our life and treasure is there. Mat. 6.20. Lay up treasure for your selves in heaven. Our foreign, our city-dwelling and our haunting is in heaven, Phil. 1.21.

What acquaintance have yee in heaven? what bloud-friend have you in that Land? The wicked man, foreign is,Vse. Vatab. à tempora rariis. foreign Pagnin. à viris de tempore.the man of the earth. And Psal. 17.14. Save me from men of time; men of this life. Are you a Burgesse of time, or a Citizen of the earth? or a man of the higher Jerusalem? Imagine there were a new-found Land on earth, and in it there be twelve Summers in one Yeare, all the stones of the Land are Saphyres, Rubies, Diamonds; the clay of it, the choicest gold of Ophir; the trees doe beare Apples of life;How easie traffiquing with heaven is to the Saints. the inhabitants can neither be sick nor die; the passage to it, by sea and land, is safe; all things there are to be had for nothing, without money, price, or change of commodities; and gold is there for the gathering: if there were such a Land as this, what an huge navie would be lying in the Harbours and Ports of that Land? how many Travellers would repaire thither? Heaven is a new Land that the Mediator Christ hath found out, it is better then a Land where there is a Summer for every MonethMonth of the Yeare; there is neither winter, nor night there; the Land is very good, and the fruits of it delectable and precious; grace and peace, righteousnesse, joy of the Holy Ghost, the fruits of that Kingdome, Rom. 14.17. are better then Rubies, Saphyrs, or Diamonds: Christ the tree of life is above all Lands on earth, even his alone: and p. 174there's no need of price or money in this Kingdome; grace is the cheapest thing of the world; wine and milk are here without money, and without price, Esay 55.1. Its a Land that stands most by the one onelyonly commodity of Grace and Glory. Oh, there is little traffiquing with heaven; when was you last there? It is an easie passage to heaven; David, who often prayed even seven times a day, was often a day there. Prayer in faith is but one short Post thither. Oh wee have too much compliance with the earth.

A voyce.

The third particular in this Returne, is the Manner: In an 3audible voyce, the Lord answereth him. The multitude heard this voyce, though they understood it not. Wee read not often of an audible voyce from heaven to Christ; onelyonly at his Baptisme, there was a testimony given of him from heaven, Mat. 3.16, 17. and at his Transfiguration, Mat. 17. of which Peter speaketh, 2 Pet. 1.18. And this voyce we heard, when we were with him on the holy Mount. The Lord, in the hearing of men, gives a testimony of his Son Christ, and his good cause. Hee was accused because he made himself the Son of God; hee prayes to God, and calleth him Father, openly; a voyce from heaven openly answering, acknowledgeth him to be the Son of God; though they knew not the Lords testimony from heaven. God maketh a good cause,God …areth a good cause, though darkned. though darkened, to shine as day-light, if men would open their eyes and see. Psal. …7.5. Roll over thy way upon the Lord, and trust in him, and hee shall bring it to passe. But flesh and bloud saith, Innocencie lieth in the dark, and weepeth in sack-cloth in the dungeon, and is not seen. The Lord answereth, Vers. 6. And hee shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light, and thy judgement as the noon-day. It is true, foreign signifies to goe from one place to another; its here applied to the sun, and elsewhere to things that grow out of the earth, Judg. 13.14. The sun in the night seems dead, and lost, as if there were no such thing; yet the morning is a new life to the day, and the sunne. The grape of the wine tree sowne in the earth, is a dead thing; yet it springeth in some dayes, and cometh to be a fruitfull tree. Christ was crucified, and buried; yet the Wine-tree grew againe: and, Rom. 1.4. Hee was p. 175declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection from the dead. The Gospel, and a good cause seems buried, and weeps in a dungeon. Joseph in the prison, and a sold stranger; yet in the eyes of his brethren hee is exalted. The Lord cleared Daniels cause. Psal. 97.11. Light is sowne for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. The light and joy of the Saints, are often under the clods of the earth.

1. The Reformation of Religion goes vailed under the mask of Rebellion, and of subverting Fundamentall Lawes; but God must give to this work, that is now on the wheels, in Britain, the right name, and call it, The building of the old waste places, The rearing up of the Tabernacle of David; and cause it come above the earth.

2. The crosse is that great stumbling block,The scandall of the crosse removed. for which many are offended at Christ and the Gospel. It is a sad and offensive Providence to see joy weep, glory shamed; this is the gall, the worm-wood, the salt of the crosse, that the Lord of life should suffer in his owne person: yet here is heaven and the Father speaking, and returning a comfortable answer to Christ, in that which hee most feared. The crosse maketh an ill report of the Gospel and Christ: for this the Apostles are made a theatre, a gasing-stock to Men and Angels, a worlds wonder; and Paul would take this away, Ephes. 3.13. Wherefore I desire that yee faint not at my tribulation. Then Saints may fall a swooning at the very sight of the crosse in others. And Peter, 1 Pet. 4.12. saith, foreign, Be not stricken with wonders, or astonished, as at new things and miracles, Acts 17.20. when yee are put to a fiery triall. The comforts of the crosse are the sweet of it, and the honey-combs of Christ, that drop upon that soure tree.

3. That the Father saith from heaven, There shall grow the fairest and most beautifull Rose that ever higher or lower Paradise yeelded, out of this crabbed thorne,A faire rose growes out of the crosse when Christ waters it. was much consolation to Christ. Here growes out of the side and banks of the lake of that river of fire and wrath that Christ was plunged in, many sweet flowers: as, 1. A victorious Redeemer, who overcame hell, sinne, devils, death, the world. 2. A faire and spotlesse righteousnesse. 3. A redeemed, a washed and sanctified Spouse to the Lamb. 4. A new heaven and a new earth; behold, Hee hath made all things new, and hath cast heaven and p. 176earth in a new mould. 5. A new Kingdom, a new Crown to the Saints, a choiser Paradice then the first that Adam lost. 6. Riches of Free-grace, unsearchable treasures of merciemercy and love: all these blossome out of the Crosse.

4. The Crosse is bought by, and in its nature much altered to the Saints. Its true, its become a necess…ry in-let, and an inevitable passage,The Crosse a p…sse that Christ keepes. and a bridge to heaven; but the Lord Jesus, not Satan, keeps the passe, and commandeth the bridge; and letteth in, and leteth out Passengers at his pleasure. But 1. Christ hath strawed the way to heaven with bloud and warres, and forbids us to censure his sad Patrimony, in that the servants are no worse then the Lord, and floure of all the Martyrs; though bloud hath been, and must be the Rent and In-come of the Crowne of the noble King of Kings, and the consecrated Captaine of our salvation. Yet it is short, and for a moment, and Christ hath a way of out-gate, that none of his shall be buried under the Crosse, Revel. 7.14. Psal. 4.19. (2.) Christ hath broken the iron chaines of the Crosse, and the gates of brasse: that the Crosse hath but a number of free Prisoners, who have faire quarters, and must goe out with flying colours, and be ransomed from the grave, John 16.33. Hos. 13.14. (3.) When you are in glory, and in a place above death; there shall be neither marke, nor print; no ceatrix of the sad crosse, on backe or shoulder, but the very furrow of teares wiped away, and perfectly washen off the face with the water of life, For the former things shall be away. Death altered by Christ.Revel. 21.4. Yea, the saddest of Crosses, the utmost and last blow that the Crosse can inflict, is death. I should thinke that Christ is the Saints factor in the land of death; He was there himselfe, and though hee will not adjourne death, yet hath our Factor made it cheap, and at an easie rate, all tole and custome is removed, and he hath put a negation upon death, Joh. 11.26. He that beleeveth shall not die. John 14.19. Much dependeth on our wise husbanding of the rod of God; yet if Christ did not manage, order, and oversee our furnace, it could not be well with us.

I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it againe.

This is the fourth considerable point, the matter of the Answer.

Here is a Lord-Speaker from heaven, testifying that the Lords p. 177name shall be, and was glorified:How the Lord was glorified in Christ. As 1. In Christs person and incarnation, Joh. 1.14. The word was made flesh, & dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory. So the Angels did sing at his birth. Luke 2.14. Glory to God on the highest. Christs laying aside of 1his glory, and his emptying of himself for us, was the glory of rich mercy. 2. His Miracles glorified God. Joh. 2.11. This first 2miracle did Jesus to manifest his glorie. When he cured the Paralytick man, Luk. 2.12. they were amazed and glorified God. When hee raised Jairus his daughter. Luke 7.16. There 3came a feare on all, and they glorified God. 3. In all his life he went about doing good; and sought (Iohn 8.49.) to glorifie 4his Father. 4. In his death, God was in singular maner glorified. When the Centurion (Luk. 23.49.) saw what was done, he glorified God. The repenting Theife preached him on the Crosse to be a King: and this was a glorifying of Christ in his greatest abusement and shame. Yea, his glory was preached by the Sunne, when it was, contrary to the course of nature, darkened: and by the Rocks, when they were rent, and the Temple cloven asunder, and the Graves opened, when men weakely, or wickedly denyed him, and would not onelyonly not preach his glory, 5but blaspheme his name, 5. He was glorified in his resurrection, being declared to be the Sonne of God, and obtained a name above all names, and was by the right hand of God, exalted to be a Saviour, and a Prince, to give repentance to Israel, and forgivenesse of sinnes, Phil. 2.9. Ephes. 1.20. Act. 5.31. Act. 3.13. (6.) He shall come againe in his glory, Math. 625.31. And shall be glorified and admired in all his Saints. (2 Thess. 1.10.) The fairest and most glorious sight, that ever the eye of man saw, shall be, when Christ shall come riding through the cloudes, on his Chariot of glory, accompanied with his mighty Angels, and with one pull, or shake of his mighty armes, shall cause the Starres to fall from heaven, as figges fall from a fig-tree, shaken with a mighty wind, and blow out all these candles of heaven with one blast of his ire; and A fire shall goe before him, and burne up the earth with the works that are therein; when the higher house of heaven, and the lower of the earth shall meet together, and when Mystical Christ shall be glorified.

If there be so much glory in Jesus Christ, and his sufferings as he must beare the glory, Zach. 6.13.Vse 1. And All the glory of his fathers house be upon him, Esai. 22.24. His Crowne of glory p. 178on his head, must be so weighty, and ponderous, with Rubies, Saphires, Diamonds, that it will break the neck of any mortall man, King, or Parliament to beare it. None on earth have a head or shoulders, for this so weighty a Diademe; Parliaments have not necks worthy to carry Christs golden bracelets, nor a backe to be honoured with his robe Royall; if they will but take his Scepter in their hand, it shall crush them as clay-vessels: this stone hewen out of the Mountaine without hands, shall crush the clay-leggs of Parliaments, and then how shall they stand?

Vse 2.God properly glorifies himselfe; Angels and Men are but chamberlaines and factors, to pay the rent of his glory; and because he will give himselfe, his Sonne, his Spirit to us, and his grace, and yet will not give his glory to another; let us beware to intercept the rents of the Crowne.Wee have grace, but must not share with the Lord in his glory.

Object. The Lord giveth grace and glory, Psalm. 84. And he hath a crowne of glory laid up for his Saints, in the heavens.

Answ. That glory is but matured and ripened grace, Gods glory is the eminent, celebrious, and high esteeme that Men and Angels have of God, as God, or the foundation of this; to meddle with this is to encroach upon the Crowne and Prerogative royall of God. How the glory of God and grace doe differ.Glory imparted to Saints in heaven, is but a beame, a lustre, shaddow, or way of that transcendent and high glory that is in God; and is as farre different from the incommunicable glory of God, as the shaddow of the Sunne in a Glasse, or in the bottome of a Fountaine, and the Sunne in firmament. We may desire the chips, and shaddows, and raies of glory, but beware that we meddle not with that which devels and men, alwaies seeke after, in a sacrilegious way.

Vse 3.3. We are hence taught, to admire the excellencie of the unsearchable knowledge and skill of Divine providence; out of Christs abasing himselfe to take on him our nature. 2. Out of his miracles,God art of omnipotency in extracting glory out of all the b…sest and most shamefull things of the world. that were just nothing to blind-naturall-men. 3. Out of his death and shame, the Lord extracteth the most eminent and high glory of his name. That Omnipotencie should triumph in the jaw-bone of an Asse, in a straw, in a crucified man, commends the glory of God, and the art of his workmanship; to make Gold out of clay and iron, Diamonds and Rubies out of the basest stones, would extoll the art of man. p. 179A creation out of nothing; and Flowres, Roses, Forrests, Woods, out of cold earth, is the praise of the wisdome and power of the Creator; the baser the matter be, the art of the Author is the more glorious, if the worke be curious and excellent.

God here 1. Out of death, shame, sinfull oppressing of the Lord of glory, raiseth the high worke of mans Redemption. 2. When we spill businesse and marre all, through sinning and provoking God, then Israel must bring a spilt businesse to God, that he may right them, Judg. 3.10, 11. God can find the right end of the threed, when matters are ravelled, and disordered. We see now, Nations confounded, enemies rising against: us. But bloud, warres, confusions, oppression, and crushing downe of Christ and his Church, are good and congruous meanes, when they have the vantage of being handed by omnipotencie. When we worke, the instrument must bee as big as a mountaine, and then our eye cannot see God, All things most base are most corgruous for high ends, when omnipotencie handle…h them.for the bignesse of the Instrument. God regardeth not the nothings, and the few that he worketh withall. Dead men can sight, when God putteth a sword in their hand; Men shall fall under wounded men: beware of robbing God of his glory. Did ever a decree or a counsell of God part with child? Or can Omnipotencie bring forth untimely births, or prove abortive? You see Christ now in the death-house of Adams sonnes, and wrestling with hell; yet God by Christ at the weakest, works his end; death is a low thing, sinne is farre more base; but when God acts at the end of either, they have a scope and end as high as God, to glorifie God.

3. If God hath been, and must be glorified in all that is done▪ what doe we doe, we trouble our selves to seeke glory one of another. We are created for this end,Glory from men a vaint thing. and its our glory to fetch in glory to God. What? can the aiery applause of men bee golden stilts for creeples to walke to heaven withall? Or can the peoples poore Hosannas be silken sailes to our ship, or golden wings, that by these you man saile and flye up to heaven? Where is Belshazzer, who but built a house for the glory of his owne name? Where is Herod, who did receive one word of a God, which the people did steale? Doe not these fooles take little roome in print, and at this day, as little in the clods of the earth? The Roman State would not permit Christ to be a God: What was their doome, must not a Kingdome cast p. 180its bloome, fall, and wither, that will not suffer Christ to be a King in his Church?

Vers. 29. The people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said it thundered: others said, an Angel spake to him.

Another effect of the Prayer of Christ, doth follow in the people. They had sundry judgements of this Answer from heaven: Some said it was a thunder; for they understood it not. Others, nay, but it is above nature; An Angel hath spoken to him.

It thundered.

Doth not any rude shepherd, or the most simple ideot know a thunder? Its a place that holds forth to us, how ignorant we are of God, and of the Gospel-way. Consider what was in this Answer:Many false opinions touching the Gospel. 1. It was the Gospel. In what language it was spoken, (belike not in a known language) cannot be determined out of the Text. 2. It was a cleare expression of that Communion between Christ and his Father. 3. What God meanes, or what is his sense in his word or works, is unknown to us. 4. That they say the Gospel is a thunder, and a work of nature, is a meere imagination and a dreame. Yet these wayes are among themselves all false, and they doe not agree one with another.

Consid. 1. The Gospel is the will of God from heaven; yet 1it is a riddle, a parable not understood, Mat. 13.14. In the Law it is written, The Gospel dark to many.With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people, 1 Cor. 14.21. And, Isai. 29.11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee. And hee saith, I cannot: for it is sealed. Vers. 12. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Reade this, I pray thee. And hee saith, I cannot; I am not learned. 1 Cor. 1.18. For the preaching of the crosse is to 2them that perish, foolishnesse.

God must use Logick to our affections, as well as to our mind, ere we know him … vingly.Consid. 2. God reasoneth not only with mens minds, to convince them; but also with their will and affections. Act. 9. Christ from heaven proposeth a Syllogisme to Saul's fury, Its hard for thee to kick against pricks. God hath Logick against anger, which hath neither cares nor reason; for if hee could not p. 181out-argue Laban's hatred, and the haters of the Saints, to whom hee saith, Touch not mine anointed, and doe my Prophets no harme, Psal. 107. hee would not speak to their affections, nor would it be said, that in their affections they repute Christ and the Gospel foolishnesse, if there were not a contrariety between the affections and the Gospel.

Consid. 3. The understanding is a dark-lanthorne, that hath 3some light within, but casts none at all out,The mind dark in the things of God. to apprehend things above hand: and as the will is irony and stiffe to heaven, so is it waxy and apt to receive the impressions of the flesh, except Christ draw-by the curtaine of the flesh, to let you see the glory of the Gospel. Otherwise, God speaks, and Samuel saith, Eli, here am I; for thou calledst me. To the woman of Samaria, Jacob is greater then Christ; and Jacob's Well, as good as the water of life. Justice often puts one seale on the Gospel, and another on the mans two eye-lids, that the vision is as dark as mid-night.

Consid. 4. The communion between Christ and the soule, 4as here between the Son Christ and the Father, is quid pro quo, a thunder, a work of nature, or any thing to the naturall man; God speaking to the heart, is a mystery to him. Joh. 6.52. The Jewes say among themselves, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Very hardly, according to their Papisticall fancy of a bodily eating. 2. The high esteeme of Christ above other Beloveds, is a mystery to naturall Saints, in so farre as they are naturall. Its a strange question for Professors of the Gospel to say, What more is in Christ then other Well-beloveds? Yet they say it, Cant. 5.9. (3.) The naturall understanding is the most whorish thing in the world:The understanding vain. There is a variety of fancied gods there. According to the number of thy cities, were thy gods, O Judah, Jer. 2.29. They have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their owne understanding, Hos. 13.2. The understanding, even in the search of truth amongst the creatures, is a rash, precipitate, and unquiet thing; and like a Silk-worme, first makes a work of many threds, and then lies fettered and intangled in that which came out of its owne bowels. The mind spins and weaves out of it selfe, fancies, dreames, lies, and then its work must be spent on these, and so creates its own chaines and fetters. But in the matters of God it runs mad, playes the wanton; in the Gospel-knowledge p. 182it turnes frantick, and when it comes to move and act within the sphere of supernaturall truths, it but laughs and sports till it come out againe. 1 Cor. 1.23. If Christ preached be foolishnesse, then Christ himselfe must be a foole to the Grecians, the excellentest wits in the world. 1 Cor. 2.14. The Gospel cannot come within the brain of a naturall man, but as a notionall fancie, a chymera. Yea, when the greatest wits came to the borders of divine truth▪ to look on the out-side of Divinity, called Theologia naturalis, to look on the Lords back-parts, and contemplate and behold God in his works, they knew not what to make of God, Rom. 1.23. Some thought God to be a dainty Bird of Paradise; nay, said other great wits, hee is a foure-footed Beast; nay, said another, but hee is a creeping thing: and the most eminent of them, even head of wit among them, said, hee was a corruptible man: yea, all of them, foreign. They turned vaine, foggie, reasonlosse, and stark nought in their finer discourses and reasonings, in weighing and poyzing things. Gen. 6.5. The frame of the heart of man is onelyonly evill. foreign Gen. 8.21. signifies, a Potters vessel. Esay 29.16. Your turning of things up-side-down, shall be reputed as the clay foreign of the potter: From the root foreign to thinke, desire; to forme a thing of clay as the potter doth. From this is the potter named foreign Zach. 11.13. Gen. 2.7. Deut. 31.21. I know their imaginations, or earthen pots, that be in the heart, mind, and head of men. Many vaine frames are in our heads, as there be variety of pots, bottles, and earthen vessels in the potters house. Many wind-mills, many pitchers and clay-frames are in the vaine heart, but they are evill, wicked, and onelyonly evill from the womb. But especially, how many devices and new moulds of Religions, and sundry gods are in the heart of men? How many sundry opinions of Christ, are in mens braines? for concerning Christ, Mat. 16.14. Some said he was John Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah. 4. The love and affections are most whorish, light, and wanton; if Martha seek not one thing,The affections vaine. shee seeks many things: no one God is the naturall mans God. It may be maintained, that an unrenewed man hath not one predominant, but indefinitely, sin is his king; p. 183and as many sins, as many kings. Rom. 5.14, 17. Rom. 6.7, 8, 9.A naturall man hath not one certaine predominant. Its true, pride, covetousnesse, or some particular sins may come to the throne by turnes, as either complexion, strength of corrupt nature, or times beare sway; for as Satan is not divided against Satan, so not any naturall man will be a Martyr for a false god, or a predominant lust, in opposition to another known false god, though all may oppose the Gospel. The Lord complaines of a whorish heart, that playeth the harlot with many lovers, Jer. 3.1. and heaven and saving grace stands on an indivisible point, like the number of seven; one added, one removed, varieth the nature: no man is halfe in heaven, halfe in hell: almost a Christian, is no Christian. When Adam fell from one God, hee fell upon many inventions; not upon one onelyonly, Eccles. 7.29. Our wandering is infinite, and hath no home: either God is a thunder, or then hee is an Angel, speaking from heaven.

Consid. 5. Men think the supernaturall wayes of God a thunder in the aire, which is a most naturall work;We are heterodox and hereticall in mis-interpreting the works of God as well as his word. the ebbing and 5flowing of the Spirit, either naturall joy or melancholly, naturally following the complexion of the body. Its Grace that puts a right sense on the works of God, as on the word: wee are no lesse heterodox in mis-interpreting the wayes and workes of God, then in putting false and unsound senses on his word. Emrods plagues the Philistines; they doubt if chance, or if the God of Israel have thus plagued them. Moses works miracles, the Magicians work miracles, and the Egyptians doubt whether their false god, or the living God that made the heaven and the earth, hath wrought the miracles. When God and Nature both worke, naturall men, or Saints as naturall, betake themselves to the nearest God. As sicknesse comes, the naturall man saith, Neglect of the body, health, the moone, humours, the air, cold weather did it; but hee looks not to God. And the beleever, guilty of a breach of the Sixth Command, in neglecting second causes, and in needlesse hurting the body, seeth not this; but fathers all upon God, onelyonly in a spirituall dispensation, and considereth onelyonly dispensation in God, not sin in himselfe. 2. Mercies grow invisibly, and wee see not; wee are ready to sleep at mercies offered. When Christ knocks in love, wee are in bed; Cant. 5. (3.) Judgements speak in the dark, but wee heare not: the Lord fatteneth some slaughter-oxen for p. 184hell, and death, is on some mens faces, even the second death on their person, but they see not. To heare the Lords rods, and who hath appointed it, is the man of Wisdomes part, Micha 6.9. There is an Orthodoxe Wisdome and Will,A Heterodox will. as there is an Orthodox Faith. Will, as well as the minde, can frame Syllogismes; every unrenewed man hath a faith of his owne in the bottome of his will. 2 Pet. 3. Some are willingly ignorant; Some Jer. 9. through deceit refuse to know the Lord; whereas lusts puts out reason, and takes the chaire. Lust hath stout Logick against Christ; a fleshly minde vainely puffed up, is a badge of bastard wit, out-reasoning all the Gospel. O but grace is quick-eyed, sharpe, and a witty thing, to see God vailed in, under the curtaine of flesh; to see Christ and heaven through words, and the Gospel with childe of so great a salvation.

Consid. 6. What wonder that there bee divisions about Christ. Division the birth of weake minds.Some will have the Lord speaking from heaven, a thunder; others, an Angel. Christ is the most disputable thing in the world, Math. 16.13, 14. there be five Religions, and sundry opinions touching Christ, the Scribes and Pharisees had many sundry opinions, and one of them is the right way onelyonly, and tenne false. Joh. 7.40. Many say Christ is a Prophet. Vers. 41 Others said, this is the Christ; Others no: Shall Christ come out of Galile, and there was a division among them Luke 2.34. Christ is for a signe that shall bee spoken against. And amongst Christs sufferings this is one, Hebr. 12.3. He sustained foreign, contradiction of sinners. Math. 24. Many false Christs shall arise. There is but one heaven, and one way to heaven; and there is but one hell: but there be thousands of wayes to hell:Sinne and error broodie, truth but one. from one point to another, you can draw but one straight line; but you may draw tenn… thousand crooked, and circular lines. The truth is one, and very narrow, the lie is broad and very fertile, and broodie, error is infinite. Its a blessed thing to find wisdome to hit upon Christ, and adhere to him;…en erri…g, though in non-fundamentals may displease God, and deface truth▪ and hee damned eternally. there be some dicets and couseners, Ephes. 4.14. that lye in wait to deceive the simple; and they cast the dice for heaven, and can cast you up any thing on the dice, either one, or seven; do yee then resigne your selves in this wood of false Religions that now is, to Christ, to be led to heaven. Many now teach, there be some few fundamentals, beleeve them, and live well, and you are saved. And many false Teachers that turne p. 185the Gospel upside downe, say, it is the same Gospel, though the head be where the feet should be; and for errors, we wrong not truth, so long as we hold nothing against fundamentals: Should a man remove the roofe of your house, cut down the timber of it, and pick out all the faire stones in the wall, and say, Friend, I wrong not your house, see, the foundation stones are safe, and the foure corner stones are sure, in the meane time, the house can fence off neither winde nor raine, would not this man both mock you, and wrong you? He that keeps the foundation Christ, shal be saved, though he build on it hay and stubble, 1 Cor. 3. Its true. But it was never the intent of the Holy Ghost, That a man beleeving some few fundamentals, though he hold, and spread lyes and false Doctrines, is in no hazard of damnation; or that hee hath liberty of conscience, to adde to the foundation hay, and stubble, and untempered morter: and to daube dirt upon the foundation Christ, and not sinne, the place speaks no such thing, but of this else where.

Others said it was an Angel.

These come neerer to the truth; for they conceive there is more in this voice, then a worke of Nature, such as a thunder is; they think, an Angel spoke to Christ; and they are convinced, that Christ keeps correspondence with Heaven and Angels.

Angels have been, and are in high estimation among men alwaies; and there is reason for it.

1. There is more of Heaven in Angels, and more of God, then in any of their fellow-creatures.El…ct A…g…ls kept fast their …t th… right. Sinnefull men have been stricken with feare at the sight of them; they are persons of a more excellent countrey then the earth. John the Apostle did overvalue an Angel, Revel. 19. Revel. 21. And fell downe to worship him.

2. Angels elect and chosen, never lost their birth-right of creation, as Men and Devils have done; they were created as the Lilies and Roses, which no doubt, had more sweetnesse of beauty and smell, before the sin of man made them vanity-sick, Ro. 8.20. but they have kept their robes of innocency, their cloth of gold above five thousand yeares, without one sparke of dirt, or change of colour, for they never sinned; innocencie and freedome from sinne, hath much of God. Adam (as many think) kept not his garments cleane one day. Courtiers of heaven, p. 186and Saints should walke like Angels, and keepe good quarters with Christ. Grace is a pure, cleane, innocent thing; teacheth Saints to deny ungodlinesse; and so much the more have Angels of God, that they are among devils and sinnefull men, and yet by Grace are kept from falling; the more grace, the more innocencie. Grace as pardoning hath its result from sinne, but is most contrary to sinne. Grace payeth debt for sinne, but taketh not on new arreares; its abused grace that doth so.

2. But these thus convinced, that the Lords voice is more then a thunder. Goe no further, they say here, others said it was an Angel.

Hence touching conviction.

Pos. 1. Conviction of conscience may bee strong, and yet 1at a stand. Never man spake like this man, say the Jewes, yet they hate him. Conviction how farre it goes.Joh. 7.28. Jesus cryed in the temple, as he taught, saying, Yee both know me, and yee know whence I am; I am not come of my selfe, but he that sent me is true, whom yee know not. Vers. 29. But I know him. Then they knew Christ, for conviction, and they knew him not; for, they crucified the Lord of glory; and if they had known him under the supernaturall notion of the Lord of glory, they would not have crucified him, Light is a cumbersome captive.1 Cor. 2.8. Felix trembles, and is convinced, but imprisons Paul. The Devils beleeve there is a God, and tremble, Iam. 2. but Light is made a captive, and made a prisoner, Rom. 1.18. Its a most troublesome prisoner, it holds the conquerour waking, and yet he cannot be avenged on it.

Pos. 2. Conviction turned to malice, becomes a Devill; the 2Pharisees convinced, goe on against heaven, and the operation of the Holy Ghost. Conviction with malice most devil-like.And the Jewes saw the face of Stephen, as it had been the face of an Angel, Acts 6.15. Yet Acts 7.57▪ 58. they runne on him, and stone him to death.

Pos. 3. Conviction maketh more judiciall hardning then any 3sinne; it revengeth it selfe upon heaven; hell neere heaven is a double hell. Joh. 12.37, …8. Though hee had done so many miracles before them, yet they beleeved not. A reason is, 4Verse 40. Hee hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their

Will heresie more dangerous then minde-heresie.Pos. 4. Omnipotencie of grace can onelyonly convince the will. heart.

Preachers may convince the minde, and remove mind-heresie, p. 187but Christ onelyonly can give …ares to love, feare, sorrow, and remove will-heresie, John 6.45. There be reasonings and Logick in the will, stronger then these in the mind; the will hath reason why it will not be taken with Christ, Joh. 5.40. and a Law, Rom. 7.23. of sinne, why it is sweet to perish, and death is to be chosen.

Pos. 5. It is the right conviction of the Spirit, to be convinced; 1. Of unbeliefe:Its right conviction when love is convinced to duties that lye under the drop of the crosse. 2. Of the excellencie of Jesus 5Christ, that I must have Christ, cost me what it will; say it were all that the rich Merchant hath, Math. 13.45, 46. There is a white and red in his face, hath convinced the mans love, and hath bound his affection, hand and foot; that hee takes paines on despised duties that lye under the very drop of the shame of the Crosse, Acts 5.4.

Pos. 6. To be willing to doe a duty that hath shame written 6on it, as to be scourged for Christ, as the Apostles were, and for an honourable Lord of counsel, as Joseph of Arimathea was, to petition to have the body of a crucified man to burie, it being a duty neere of bloud to the Crosse; both apparent losse, and present shame, is a strong demonstration, that the whole man, not the minde onelyonly, but the will and affections are convinced. Some duties grow among thornes, as to be killed all the day long, and to take patiently the spoiling of our goods, for Christ. Some duties grow among Roses, and are honourable and glorious duties; as to kill and subdue, in a lawfull warre, the enemies of God. The former are no signe of wrath, nor the latter of being duely convinced of the excellency of Christ, except in so farre as we use them, through the grace of Christ, as becommeth Saints; or abuse them, but it is more like Christ to suffer for him, then to doe for him.

Pos. 7. God will have some halfe gate to heaven, though they should dye by the way; some are more, some lesse convinced: 7the more conviction, if not received, the more damnation. The Gospel is not such a messenger as the Raven that returneth not againe: Esay 55.11. My word that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not returne to mee void, it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. The Gospel, and opportunity of reformation, falleth not in the Sea-bottome, when a Nation receive it p. 188not, but it returnes to God to speak tydings: We will not give an account of the Gospel, but the Gospel gives an account of us. 2. Even when the Ordinances are rejected, they prosper, Esay 55.11. to harden men: they are seed sowne, and raine falne on the earth, they yeeld a crop of glory to God, even a sweet savour to God, A d…spised Gospel prosperous.in those that perish, as in those that are saved; 2 Cor. 2.15, 16. The lake of fire and brimstone, as a just punishment of a despised Gospel, smells like Roses to God.

30. Jesus answered and said, This voyce came not because of me, but for your sake.

31. Now is the judgement of this world, now shall the Prince of this world be judged.

Now followeth the other effect of Christs Prayer, toward the world.

1. In generall. The Prayer is answered (saith Christ) not so much for my cause, to comfort me, (for hee might otherwise be comforted) as for you, that yee may beleeve in mee, hearing this testimony from heaven. 2. In particular: Hee sets down the fruit of his death. 1. On the unbeleeving world, they shall be judged and condemned. 2. On the spirituall enemies, and by a Synecdoche, the head of them, Satan, the god of this world shall be cast out, and sin, and death, and hell with him. 3. The prime fruit of all, Vers. 32. When I am crucified, by my Spirit of grace, the fruit of the merit of my death, I will draw all men to me.

This voyce came not because of me.

Christs well and woe, his joy, his sorrow, is relative, and for sinners. Christ as Christ is a very publike person, and a giving-out Mediator. And it addeth much to the excellency of things, that they are publike, and made out to many: As the sun, the starres, the rain, the seas, the earth, that are for many, are so much the more excellent: It is a broader and a larger goodnesse, that is publike. Heaven is an excellent thing, because publike, to receive so many crowned Kings, and Citizens, that are redeemed from the earth.Christ a most publike person. The Gospel is a publike good for all sinners: Eternity is not a particular duration, as time is, that hath a poore point to begin with, and end at; but the publike good of Angels and glorified Spirits. Time indeed is a publike p. 189thing, but because its the heritage of perishing things, it is not publike in comparison of eternity. And Christ, because a publike Spirit, for the whole family of elect Angels and Saints in heaven and earth, is a matchlesse excellent one.Heaven and all things there most publike, and so much the more excellent. And its observable, that there is nothing in heaven, that is the seat and element of happinesse, and the onelyonly Garden and Paradise of the Saints felicity, but it is publike and common to all: The inhabitants the glorified Saints and Angels, all see the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, (of degrees of fruition, I speak not;) they all drink of the river of water of life; all have accesse to eat of the apples of the tree of life, there is no forbidden fruit in heaven; all have the blessing of the immediate presence of the Lamb, and there is neither need of Sunne, or Moon, or light of a candle to any; all equally enjoy eternity, there is one Lease and Terme-day to the lowest inhabitant of glory, and that is eternity; there is common to them all one City, the streets whereof are transparent gold; that the poorest inhabitants of a Town, walk on a street of gold of Ophir, is a great praise to the City: it is common to them all that they shall never sigh, never be sad, never sicken, never be old, never die; and eternall life is common to them all: and then all feele the smell of the fairest Rose that Angels or Men can think on, the Flower, the onelyonly delight, the glory, the joy of heaven, the Lord Jesus; all walk in white, and can sin no more. Then, a publike Spirit, who is for many, is the excellentest Spirit. Men of private spirits, who carry a reciprocation of designes onelyonly to themselves, and die and live with their owne private interests, are bad men. When our selfe is the circle, both center and circumference, wee are so much like the devill, who is his owne god, adores himselfe, and would have God to adore him, Mat. 4.9. Now, Christ is the most publike, relative, and communicative Spirit and Lord that is. 1. All Christs offices are for others then himselfe: Hee is not a Mediator of one: A Redeemer is for captives, a Saviour for sinners, a Priest for offenders and trespassers, a Prophet for the simple and ignorant, a King to vindicate from servitude, all that are in bondage; the Physician for the si…k: and this speaks for you, sinners. 2. Why did hee empty himselfe, Luke 19.10. 1 Tim. 1.15. and come into the world▪ … sinners. 3. Why was he a fitted Sacrifice to die? Joh. 7.19. For their sake also sanctifie I my selfe, that they p. 190also may be sanctified by the truth. 4. His dying was a publike and relative good. Joh. 10.10 For his sheep. For, Joh. 15.13. his friends. For, Rom. 5.10. his enemies. For his Wife, to present a Bride without spot or wrinkle to God, Ephes. 5.25, 26.Christs …ffi…e warrants us to apply him. (5.) And hee rose againe for us, even for our justification, Rom. 4.25. (6.) And whose cause doth Christ advocate in heaven now? Ours. For us, if wee sinne, 1 Joh. 2.1. hee intercedes for us, Heb. 7.25. That wee may have boldnesse to enter into the holy of holiest, Heb. 10.19. (7.) Christ hath so publike an heart, that hee longs to returne againe, and to see us, Joh. 14.3. I will come againe, and receive you to my selfe. A Surety is a very relative person, and for another: the head is for all the members, the meanest and lowest: and it is not enough to him to rent the heaven, and digge a hole in the skyes once, when hee was incarnate, but hee makes a second journey in coming down to rent the heaven, and fetch his Bride up to himselfe. They are hence rebuked, that so improve Christ, as if hee were a Jewel locked up in a Cabinet in heaven, to be touched and made use of by none: Oh, I am a sinner, I am a wretched captive▪ what have I then to doe with so precious a Lord, as Christ? But, I pray, (1.) wherefore is Christ a Saviour? is hee not for sinners? Wherefore a Redeemer? is it that hee should lye by God, as uselesse? was he not a Redeemer for captives? (2.) What if all the world should say so? Christ should be a Saviour, and save none; a Redeemer, and ransome none at all; for all are sinners, all are captives. Christs very office begets an interest in the sick to the Physician: Claime thine interest, O sick sinner.