Page images
PDF
EPUB

in his Life, but also witnessed a good confeffion before Pontius Pilate, and fealed to the Truth with his death. Paul, who was indued with the fame power, when Agabus foretold him by the Holy Spirit his Bonds at Jerufalem, and the Brethren hearing it, came weeping to Paul, and befought him to keep himself out of bonds, by not going up thither, Paul reproved them, and told them that he was ready not only to be bound, but to die at Jerufalem for the Lord Jesus. Chryfoftome was indued with the fame power, and fo refolved to preach the Truth, and not to depart from the Truth, though the whole World should wage War against him alone; and profeffed, that he defired nothing more, than to Suffer for the Caufe of Chrift; and that if it were offered to him of God, whether he would immediately go to Heaven, or Bay on Earth and fuffer for Chrift, he would a thoufand times rather chufe this latter, than the former. Because in going immediately to Heaven, he should feek himself; but in ftaying on Earth to Suffer for Chrift, he fhould wholly deny himself, and feek his honour alone. Luther was indued with the same Spirit of power, and fo when he was call'd to Wormes before the Emperor Charles the Fifth, and before all the Eftates of the Empire, to render a reafon *Mini vero of his Doctrine, and fome of his Friends (percievequi vocatus ing undue dealing among his Adverfaries) perJum, decre tum cer- fwaded him not to go, to expofe himself to danger; tum eft in- but he answered with a mighty Spirit, * I have in nomine decreed and am refolved, because I am called, to go Domini no into the City in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, Ari Jefu Chrifti, eti-though I knew there were so many Devils to oppofe me, amfi fcirem as there are Tiles on all the Houfes of the City. And mihi oppofi- when he was called to return to Wittenberge by the tos, quot People, which he could not do without most evifunt tegulæ in omnibus dent and apparent danger, he being already contotius urbis demned by the Edicts and Authority both of the

gredi urbem

tot diabolos

[ocr errors]

Pope

am? urgent

Pope and Emperor, and fo in regard of them, could expect no less than a violent death every day, yet for all this, he was refolved to return to his Charge; and upon this occafion hath this Paffage to the Duke of Saxony. But what shall I do? Verum mavoidable causes urge me, God himself calls and quid facicompells me, and here I will turn my back to no creature. Go to then, let me do it in the name of Jesus inevitabime cause Christ, who is Lord both of life and death. Again, les, Deus in his Answer to the Dialogue of Sylvefter Prierias, cogit & who had threatned him, he faith, I have nothing vocal, bic that I can lofe, I am the Lords, and if I am loft, nulli creaturæ tergiam loft to the Lord, that is, I am found. And. verfandum therefore feek fome body else to fright, for me you eft. Age cannot. Again in his Anfwer to Ambrofius Catha-fiat igitur rinus, he faith of the Pope and his Inftruments, in nomine They feek not to overcome me with Scriptures, but to Jefu Chrifti qui eft deftroy me out of the earth, but I know and am fure Dominus that Christ our Lord lives and reigns. And being vitæ & even filled with this knowledge and confidence, I will mortis. not fear many thousands of Popes. For greater is he Nibil babeo quod that is in us, then he that is in the World. And a- pim pergain, in his Epistle to his Father, he hath this re- dere; Domarkable Paffage. What if the Pope fhall kill me, or mini ego condemn me below Hell? he cannot raise me up again fum; fi when I am flain, and kill me a second and third time. perder, DoAnd having once condemned me, I would never have dor, id eft bim abfolve me. For I am confident that the day is invenior. 80 quere quem terreas. Verum ego fcio certus fum, Jefum Chriftum Dominum noftrum vivere & regnare; qua fcientia fiducia inflatus, non timebo etiam multa millia Paparum. Major eft enim qui in nobis, quam qui in mundo eft. Quid fi me occidat Papa aut damnet ultra Tartara? Occifum non fufcitabit, ut bis & iterum occidat damnatum vero ego volo ut nunquam abfolvat. Confido enim, inftare diem illum quo deftruetur regnum illud abominationis & perditionis. Utinam nos primi digni fimus, vel exuri vel occidi ab eo, quo fanguis nofter magis climet, & urgeat judicium illius accelerari. Sed fi digni non fumus fanguine teftificari, bane faltem oremus & imploremus mifericordiam, ut vita & voce teftemur, quod Jefus Chriftus folus eft Dominus Deus nofter, Beneditus in fecula jeculorum. Luther in Epift. ad Patr.

mino, per

Alium er

at hand, wherein that Kingdom of abomination and deftruction, shall be it felf deftroyed. But would I might first be counted worthy either to be burned or flain by him, that fo my blood might cry the lowder, and urge his judgment to be the more baftned. But if I am not worthy to teftifie with my blood, let me at leaft intreat and implore this mercy, that I may teftifie by my Life and Doctrine that Jefus Chrift alone is our Lord, and God blessed for ever and ever.

Calm Melancton was indued with the fame Spirit of power, and fo when his Enemies threatned him not to leave him a place in all Germany whereon to fet his foot, he said, avido & tranquillo animo expecto exilia. I expect Banishment with a defirous and peaceable mind.

Many more Examples might be produced, to fhew that when Minfters are indued with the power of the Spirit coming on them, then they are stronger than all Oppofition and Perfecution whatsoever; otherwife, when thefe evils encounter them, they with Demas leave the Work, and imbrace the World.

And thus you fee, what neceffity all the faithful Minifters of the Gofpel have of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon them; and without this power, tho' they be called Minifters, yet they are none. For without this power, they are unable to preach the Word, to preach it powerfully, and to perfevere and hold out in the courfe of the Ministry; they are unable to reprove the World, to wrestle with and overcome the Devil, and to fuffer that Perfecution which neceffarily attends that calling. And fo without this power, they may minister to themselves, but cannot minister to others, the manifold graces of God; they may do their own work, but they cannot do Gods work; they may feed themselves, but not the Flock of Chrift; they may domineer

over the Sheep, but cannot drive away the Wolf, they may build up their own Houses, but cannot build up God's Houfe.

The Holy

power of it,

Secondly, as the Holy Spirit and the power of Spirit & the it is neceffary for Minifters, fo alfo for all other neceflary for Chriftians whatsoever.

all Chri

ftians.

But fome here will be ready to fay, yea, but Question. do all Believers receive the Spirit of God, the power of the Spirit, as Minifters do?

and

Yes, Equally and alike with them, without any Answer. difference. This is evident, Acts 11. 15. where Peter tells the Jews, who contended with him for converfing and eating with the Gentiles, that when he began to speak the word to them, the Holy Spirit fell on them (faith he) as on us at the beginning. And again, ver. 17. For as much then as God gave unto them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jefus Chrift, what was I, that I could withstand God. So that God gave the Holy Spirit to as many Gentiles as believed, in like manner as he did unto the Apostles themfelves, and they received the fame power of the Holy Spirit coming on them, as the Apostles did. Whereby you may perceive that not Ministers only are Spiritual men, and all others Temporal, as the Papifts have taught, and many Ignorant People among our felves are ftill perfwaded; but all true Believers are Spiritual, as well as they, being born of the Spirit, and Baptized with the Spirit, equally as they are.

And fo all true Believers as well as Minifters being indued with the Spirit, are also indued with the power of the Spirit, and fo have more than an Earthly power in them. They have all of them power of another nature, than the power of the World; they pertake of Spiritual, Heavenly and Divine power, even of the very power of

They need the

Chrift himself, which infinitely tranfcends all the power of the Creature.

You fee then clearly, that all faithful Chriftians have the Spirit of power, and the power of the Spirit coming on them, as well as Minifters. And they stand in need of both thefe, for these Causes.

1. They ftand in need of the Spirit of power, Spirit of first to difference and diftinguish them from Repower. probates and Devils; for without the gift of the

Spirit, there is no difference between us and them. For Michael doth not differ from the Devil, nor Gabriel from Belzebub, but only by the Spirit. And Mofes differs not from Pharaoh, nor Abel from Cain, nor Jacob from Efau, nor Peter from Judas, in regard of their fubftance, but in regard of the Spirit, which the one received, and the other were counted unworthy of.

2. To advance them above the condition of flesh and blood, and above all thofe, in whom is none of Gods Spirit. The excellency of each Creature is, according to its Spirit; for the more excellent the Spirit of the Creature is, the more excellent is the Creature it felf; and each Creature, is valued and rated according to the Spirit of it. How excellent then must they be above all the World, who have received the Spirit that is of God? Surely thefe are People of the most excellent Spirit; and hence it is, that the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour, because his Spirit is more excellent than his neighbours.

3. To unite them unto Chrift. The Spirit is the bond of Union between the Father and the Son in the Godhead; and the Father and the Son, are one in the Spirit (as we fpake before.) And now, the fame Spirit, is our Bond of Union with Christ, and makes us one with Chrift, as Chrift is one with God, and unites us unto Christ, in the

« PreviousContinue »