to cry out I am a man of unclean lips Esai vi 5. And S. Paul to cry out Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. ii 16. 2. It urges soberness in the Partakers who are admitted to the fellowship of this Mysterie As all irreverence so all vain curiosity is forbidden We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these mysteries we must be wise to Sobriety Rom. xii 3. Gravity and Sobriety they are the Handmayds of Piety the Ushers that always attend Religion The applying of any matter in Religion to an inferiour use 't is to debase it The holy Ointment was not to be appliable to common use no Confection to be made like unto it Is it a mysterie then 3. Fide percipiendum Religion and our Christian Doctrine it is a mysterie therefore to be apprehended by Faith not to be fathomed by Reason Reason will judge that to be a foolery which Faith reverences and adores as a mysterie 'T is called The mysterie of Faith 1 Tim. iii. 9. not the mysterie of Reason or Understanding And they who are initiated into these mysteries they are called Believers not men of Reason and Understanding We are called Credentes not Rationales saith S. Aug. 'T is not Intelligendi vivacitas but Credendi simplicitas that must converse in these mysteries Reason laughs at that in Sarah which Faith in Abraham embraces and rejoyces in Faith looks for a Revelation that God saith it is so searches not after Demonstration or Reason why it should be so Sufficit pro universis rationibus autor Deus The mysteries of Religion check and silence Reason as the Angel did Zacharias for asking Whereby shall I know this he would have Reason What saith the Angel Luk. i. 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb he stops his mouth Reason deduced from the principles of Faith and subordinate to the doctrine of Faith 't is lawful but when it opposes Faith then it is unlawful Hagar when she obeys Sarah may be entertain'd as a servant but if she wax malepert against Sarah Cast out the Bondwoman Abandon Reason if it contradicts Faith It is one excellency of Faith 't is quietativa Intellectûs it quiets and satisfies all enquiries with this answer It is a mysterie Reason that questions How can three Persons be one God-head Faith quiets Reason My soul keep thou silence unto God believe and adore it it is a mysterie Reason questions How can God be made man the Divinity and Humanity joyn'd in one Person Faith hears an Oracle of Scripture I must not enquire it is a mysterie Reason murmurs How can a man be born again and regenerate and dye anew and live anew How can water wash away sin Faith answers The work is Spiritual beyond Reason it is a mysterie Reason that cavils How can Christ give us his Flesh to eat and his Bloud to drink How can a piece of Bread and a tast of Wine convey Grace seal up Salvation How can our souls be nourished how united to Christ sitting in heaven Faith answers all 'T is a mysterie Magis sentio quam intelligo Tota ratio operis est potentia operantis No in these supernatural Truths Sapientia hominis it is Officina erroris exclude Reasoning make use of Believing Habet palatum Fides cui sapit mel Dei Aug. 'T is the tast of Faith that can rellish this hidden Manna Faith saith Parisiensis 1. It is Religio Intellectus the Religion of our Intellectual part 2. It is Adoratio Intellectus the Adoration of the Understanding Credendo incurvamus Intellectum ad adorandum Deum 3. It is Fortitudo Intellectus 't is the Strength of the Understanding Sicut molestias perferre 't is Fortitudo Voluntatis sic improbabilia credere 't is Fortitudo Intellectus We have seen the Nature of it 't is a Mysterie Now follows II. The quantity and just proportion of this mysterie it is no petty and inferiour Truth but a mysterie of the first magnitude A great Mysterie The Scripture advances it with all superlative terms magnifies the greatness of it Phil. iii. 8. S. Paul calls it an Excellent Knowledge I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Iesus Christ. Rom. xi 33. it is called a Rich Knowledge Solomon saith it furnishes a man with all precious and pleasant Riches Prov. xxiv 4. It enriches him that hath it It furnishes and enriches the noblest part of man his Soul the highest faculty of that his Spirit and Understanding Our Saviour accounts the seeking of this Knowledge the seeking of precious Pearls Mat. xiii 45. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls This of all other is a Pearl of great price They who are conversant in this mysterie they deal with the choysest Commodities with the â—…ichest Pearls The finding of this Knowledge is the finding 〈◊〉 hidden Treasure vers 44. It makes him for ever that is so 〈◊〉 as to meet with it All other knowledge is but poverty to this Treasure all other jewels but pebbles to this Pearl See how the Scripture extends and enlarges the greatness of this mysterie S. Paul ascribes to it all the dimensions of Magnitude Ephes. iii. 18. That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth of this mysterie And Iob thus magnifies the exceeding and incomprehensible largeness of this Knowledge Chap. xi 8 9. It is as high as heaven deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea It exceeds the scantling of all created Perfections The greatness of all other creatures may be fathomed the height of heaven the depth of hell the length of the earth the breadth of the sea all limited and bounded and the understanding of man may reach them As David speaks I see an end of all other perfections but thy Word is exceeding large 1. This mysterie of God-Incarnate 't is a great mysterie because 't is multiplex Mysterium a comprehensive Truth including in it manifold mysteries 'T is a mysterie pregnant to the making up of which many deep mysteries concur God manifested in the Flesh. 1. Here is the mysterie of Christ's two Natures his Divinity and his Humanity A glorious mysterie Christ true and perfect God and true and perfect man too the glory of the Deity and the infirmity of his Manhood both concurring in him 2. Here is the mysterie of the Union and conjoyning both these in one A strange conjunction The circumference of his infinite Deity joyned to the lowest center of Humanity Eternity made subject to Time Infinity comprehended in a poor finite creature Omnipotency joyned with infirmity This is so great a mysterie that it made the Iews to imagine a double Messiah One a weak frail mortal man lyable to sufferings the other an Eternal Omnipotent Immortal God They could not reconcile the several predictions of his glorious Divinity and his infirm Humanity as this mysterie teaches us 3. Here is the
there is no recovery then all thoughts perish all hands fall no work or counsel or purpose any more 3. Is Mors exitus Is Death a departure Provide and forecast for a place of refuge Death is like a cruel Landlord turns us out of dores What folly is it not to provide a place to receive us This Christ commends in the Parable of the Steward Make to your selves friends that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations Luk. xvi 9. This was our Saviour's comfort I leave the world and go to the Father Ioh. xvi 28. This was the perplexity of men without Christ. The wisest of them knew not what became of their spirits Animula vagula blandula Quae abibis in loca whether upward or downward as Solomon speaks They that are Christ's are assured of a place after their departure We know if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hand eternal in the heavens vers 2. For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven This made Lot willing to forsake Sodom that he had a Zoar to retire to and the Israelites to leave Egypt that they had a Canaan to go to It was a judgement upon the false Prophet that he should go from chamber to chamber to hide himself 1 Kings xxii 25. That 's the second Natura Conditio Mortis Thirdly Here is Susceptio Conditionis It is called an accomplishment or fulfilling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is Active not Passive not to be fulfilled upon him but by him he himself to accomplish Christ's Death as appointed by God was unavoidable and necessary as inflicted by his enemies it was violent and enforced yet he himself voluntarily undergoing and performing of it it is his action and fulfilling Christ's sufferings were not bare sufferings but voluntary performances He was Lord of his own life No man takes it from me I lay it down That which gave merit and acceptation to Christ's suffering was his willing and free and active undertaking of it And as in Christ so in Christians their sufferings their deaths they are active in them not patients onely A wicked man Death gnaws upon him he is snatch'd to Death a Christian willingly admits of it When God calls he offers himself as Christ did Quis tam facile dormivit I lye me down and rest Egredere ô Anima Non repetent animam ego reddam Now this under-going of death it is called an accomplishing a fulfilling 1. In respect of God's counsel and ordination Christ's death was appointed from eternity he had purposed and forelayd it Act. iv 28. To do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done He is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world in God's wisdom appointing it in his truth promising it in faith believing it only his actual suffering that accomplish'd it Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory This makes Christ so studious to admit of death else how should the Scripture be fulfilled This consideration makes the Saints suffer all things Death it self naturally willingly This commandement received I of my Father The end of my times are in thy hand To God belong the issues of death Ps. lxviii If chance or violence only appears Flesh and Bloud may struggle but God's appointment that makes us submit I held my peace because it is thy doing Moses when God expressed his resolution he must die importunes no more goes up to the Mountain layes down his life S. Peter layd down his life as the Lord had shewed him The will of the Lord be done 2. Death is called an accomplishment or fulfilling of our departure because that is but the closure and ending All our life 't is a beginning and progress to our end As all Christ's life it was a pro-passio to his Passio his sufferings were all Viae ad mortem so our life it is a progress to death We no sooner come into the world but we begin to go out We die daily in this sense That part of our life that is gone it is Morti deputanda it runns upon the score of Death Indeed eternal life it is tota simultanea possessio vitae 't is vita in statu fixed but this is in fluxu as waters alwayes flowing Youth 't is the death of Child-hood Man-hood the death of Youth Age the death of Man-hood then Death closes all Philosophers say motus and terminus are but one thing really so our passing and consummation of life it is but one continued-death That 's the third Susceptio conditionis Fourthly Here is Circumstantia susceptionis the place of accomplishment Hierusalem Conceive the purpose of it in three Expressions 1. It is Locus singularitèr designatus a place singularly designed All the Circumstances of Christ's death were fore-sett and appointed The time of it was foretold and calculated by Daniel the manner of it was prefigured and foretold by the Prophets the place all the occasions and instruments and circumstances were designed As the Paschal-Lamb was not onely commanded to be slain but on what day in what place it was to be dressed in what manner to be eaten And as it is so in Christ's death so likewise in ours Our times are set and fixed the period of our life the circumstance of place all occurrents fore-layd Thus God appoints Moses and Aaron both time and place to die in Thus Elias must now and in such a manner be assumed Thus S. Peter was fore-warned by what manner of death he must glorifie God So Agabus shews S. Paul how he must be bound It must settle our hearts Our lives are in God's book set that time is fixed as was the Exodus of the Israelites the self-same day It must make us resigne up our selves our deaths the whole carriage of them to God's wise disposal 2. It is Locus typicè praefiguratus Hierusalem that was foretold and prefigured as the place of Christ's death This was prefigured in Isaac's Offering on Mount Moriah On this Hill David Offer'd to cease the Plague This place he appointed to build the Temple on There was no Altar we know allowed but this of Hierusalem Here the Passeover was to be slain and eaten Thus the Apostle Heb. xiii 11. The bodies of those beasts whose bloud was brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest for sin are burnt without the Camp v. 12. Wherefore Iesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud suffered without the Gate It must seal up unto us the fulfilling of all our Redemption Every Circumstance was prefigured and is now accomplished Now was the great Jubilee when Christ dyed now the whole Burnt-Offering was tendred up to God 3. It is Locus moraliter praefigurans Ecclesiam Christ must die at Hierusalem that is his death it is proper to and effectual for his Church
us Thus Cain complained I am east away from thy face Gen. iv 14. So Saul upon his disobedience cryes out God is departed from me 1 Sam. xxviii 15. I will shew them the back and not the face Ier. xviii 17. It was the woful condition of mankind by nature we were strangers from God nay without God in the world So Paul tells them at Lystra that God suffered all Nations to walk and wander in their own wayes never owned or regarded them Our sins separate twixt God and us and he hides his face from us 2. Not onely the world of wicked men reap this fruit by their sins but Gods own people find this uncomfortable desertion when they grievously offend him he turns away from them This Moses shewed them in a visible Resemblance Exod xxxiii 7. The people there had sinned against God then 't is said Moses took the Tabernacle and pitch'd it without the Camp a farr off from the Camp thereby signifying God's displeasure against them and his departure from them Otherwise the Tabernacle was to be in the midst of the Host Numb ii But God was offended and withdrew himself from them 3. Yea not onely his visible Church but even God's Darling-Saints find this woful effect that their sins bring upon them that God stands aloof off and withdraws from them How often doth David mourn for this and pray against it Psal. x. 1. Why standest thou a farr off O Lord why hidest thou thy self in time of trouble So again Psal xxxviii 21. Forsake me not O Lord O be not far from me Upon his sin of Adultery O cast me not away from thy presence This the Saints often find and feel if they turn unto folly God turns from them stands afarr off not to hear them not to help them not to own them And Tertullian gives the reason Res delicata est Spiritus Dei he will not rest in a defiled soul. 4. Some sins of his people are of higher Provocations and so set him off far from us As 1. Bloud and Oppression and Violence That cast off Cain So God said He would remove Iudah out of his sight for the bloud-shed committed by Manasseh When you make many prayers I will not hear you for your hands are full of bloud Isai. i. 15. 2. A secure neglect of God's Offers of grace That turns him from us When he stretcheth out his hand to us and we will not come in and be reclaimed then saith God I will get me to mine own place Hos. iv 15. This cost the Spouse in the Canticles sorrow when Christ knock'd and still she refused to open to him at last I opened to my well-beloved but my well-beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone 3. Falsness in his Covenant When we corrupt that holy Religion which he hath committed to us that turns him from us See what that works Zech. xi 8. My soul then loathed them and their soul also abhorred me God will bear with many failings but once when we come to this height to adulterate his Worship ye may see what that will work in the Case of the Israelites Psal. cvi 39. They were defiled with their own works and went a whoring after their own inventions then he abhorred his own inheritance It made him forsake the Tabernacle in Shiloh the Tent which he had pitched among them Psal. lxxviii 58. This Sin 't is counted spiritual Adultery that dissolves the Marriage-knot 'twixt God and us and causes him to turn away and to divorce us 4. Incorrigibility under means of Reformation when God strives with us and we resist him It was the Case of the old World His Spirit would strive no longer with them but he cast them off The Prophet Isaiah notes it chap. lxiii 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Thus God is giving over Judah Why should ye be smitten any more Isai. i. All that labour is spilt upon you III. Come we to the third Consideration It is the blessed fruit of repentance that it recovers Gods presence and causes him to return graciously to us When I name Repentance I understand a real cordial spiritual repentance that and that onely can re-gain us Gods favour and return him to us That you may better acquaint your selves with this necessary and soveraign duty not to enter upon any large discourse about it that duty will require of us these three Acts 1. Humiliation 2. Deprecation 3. Reformation I will exemplifie this to you by the repentance of the Ninevites 1. They put themselves to great Humiliation Ionah iii. The King himself came down from his Throne laid his robe from him and cover'd himself with Sack-cloth nay man and beast was covered with Sack-cloth prostrating and debasing themselves before an angry God We must put our mouths in the dust Lam. iii. be ashamed and abashed and even abhorr our selves in dust and ashes That is their Humiliation Next 2. Is their Deprecation they Cried mightily unto God Vers. 8. The spirit of lamentation and supplication must abound in us not content our selves with our ordinary perfunctory Prayers but we must strive and wrestle in prayer as it is said of Iacob he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication to him We must put our selves not onely to an exercise but to an agony of repentance Iacob wept Tears they are â—…udor animae the Sweat of the soul in this holy agony 3. Reformation That was a main point in the Ninevites repentance Vers. 8. Let them every one turn from his evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands Violence that was the sin of Nineveh they were an oppressing people It was this last that mainly prevailed with God See v. 10. God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and then it is said God repented He saw their Humiliation he heard their Deprecation but yet that which pleas'd him best was their Reformation He saw his eye was chiefly upon that That is the fat of the Sacrifice Such repentance is like to prevail with him Let him be turned away he will draw near to us again See two places Psal. xxxviii 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart he will save such as be of a contrite spirit Nigh how nigh Isaiah tells even to dwell with them that 's a constant presence Isai. lvi I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a conâ—…te spirit to revive the spirit of the humble Indeed 1. Repentance so pleasâ—… him that the very imperfect acts of repentance if they be true and sincere though not according to the strict standard of the Sanctuary are accepted by him David cried out Peccavi I have sinned and presently God absolved him The loving father meets his returning Prodigal Son half-way when he was yet afarr off and but making towards him 2. Repentance so
he proceeds to punish us 2. This Particle of Time When admits of another Notion 'T is Tempus praestitutum He hath a set Time and Season for Execution of Judgment What Paul saith of the Last Judgment it is true of all other Punishments that do befall us God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world Acts xvii Thus we see God hath appointed a Birth-day to his Judgments and when that day comes his Judgments shall appear Isai. xlii 14. I have a long time held my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travelling woman I will devour and destroy According to the time of life the mother is delivered and brings forth her child So God hath his appointed time when the conceptions of his anger shall be brought forth and shall no longer stay at the place of breaking forth Ieremy calls it The day of calamity Ezekiel The day of trouble Amos the day of darkness And though these times are in the certain knowledge and power of God onely yet as our Saviour speaks There are signs of the times by which we may conjecture them Ripeness of Sin that is the Season of punishment Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe their wickedness great Ioel iii. 1. Great in the kind when outragious crying sins Bloud Oppression all kind of Excess aboundeth These hasten Judgments 2. Great in the spreadth and generality of sin when all flesh hath corrupted their ways as they in Sodom from all quarters A puero usque ad senem All the foundations of the earth are out of course 3. Great in the degree that sin grows impudent and shameless They declare their sin as Sodom they blush not at them Isai. iii. 4. Great in their obstinacy that they are impatient of cure Lot must not find fault in Sodom Amos must not prophesie in Bethel The word of God is become a reproach to Ieremy and a derision daily When they mocked Gods messengers and despised his words and misused his Prophets then the wrath of the Lord was against his people till there be no remedy 2 Chron. xxxvi 3. This Circumstance of Time admits of another Notion 'T is Tempus ultimae instantiae It is then the last Season and most urgent Opportunity to look about us to take-out this Lesson which God is teaching us Indeed there were other Times when this should have been done when our learning and amendment would have been more ingenuous 1. Tempus admonitionum When God had called upon us by his Word warned us by his Ministers and Messengers whom he hath dispatched unto us In auditu auris as soon as he speaks we should answer him presently That had been an acceptable time and would have proved a time of Salvation What S. Paul said to the Mariners in their distress Acts 27. may justly be the exprobration of our unteachableness by such fair warnings Sirs you should have hearkned unto me and then you had gained this harm and loss 2. Tempus benignitatum The time of mercies and goodness of God when he invited us to himself by his loving-kindnesses would have drawn us with the cords of love woo'd us to amendment by his favours Oh! the bounty of God that should have prevailed with us and led us to Repentance 3. Tempus castigationum The time of more mild and gentle Corrections when he sends upon us more tolerable tokens of his anger abates somewhat of our plenty cuts us short of our abundance frowns upon us with some smaller appearances of his displeasure that should make us to look about us and bestirr our selves and hasten into the wayes and paths of righteousness These indeed should be the times of our amendment and it would have been more pleasing and acceptable But such is our servile and base nature such is our want of faith to discern him in these smaller appearances of his displeasure that nothing will work upon us but his more heavy Judgments His Judgments must drive us in his Mercies will not draw us that 's too gentle Physick it will not work upon us Our Prophet complains of it Vers. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousness Nay threatnings will not do it Though thy hand be lifted up they will not see it verse 11. never be moved till we feel it fall on us Yea naturally we are prone to set light by Gods more gentle and mild Visitations Nubecula citò transibit Solomon forewarns us of it My son despise not the chastisement of the Lord lest his milder Chastisements turn into severer Judgments This Contempt of smaller Punishments will beget an other Contempt that will little please us Ezekiel tells us of it The Sword shall contemn the Rod saith he gentler Chastisements shall give place to more heavy Destruction We see it in the Method that God observed with Pharoah and the Egyptians first He admonished them by his Messengers then He awakened them by his Miracles then He scared them by his Threatnings then He visited them with more remote Afflictions then came home to them with sores and sicknesses then at last slew them And then they yielded to Him What saith the Prophet in the foregoing Verse In the way of thy judgments have they waited for thee We should have done it in the way of his mercies but we have lost that opportunity 'T is high time we should turn to him in the way of his Iudgments It had been our wisdom to have prevented our sufferings As Solomon makes it a point of wisdom Prov. xxii 3. The prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself But that 's not our Case now Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath failed us let us be sure our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may relieve us and stand us in some stead See if that may recover us Ey when Gods judgments seize upon us that 's the instant and urgent time of repentance the time of the last patience of God Either come in now and make thy peace with God or thou art devoted to Destruction There is yet one Particular more and that is III. The Circumstance of Place where these Judgments are inflicted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Basil calls it the School of Correction that 's the Earth And this Circumstance doth put upon these Judgments three useful Qualifications to teach and instruct us 1. These Judgments they are in the earth that is they are outward and visible and external Judgments 2. These Judgments they are in the earth they are common and general and over-spreading Judgments 3. They are in the earth and so they are present and actual Judgments Three good Advantages to make them profitable to us 1. They are visible and external Judgments And they are the Judgments that are fittest to teach us Spiritual Judgments have a quite contrary operation upon us they render us more indocible and uncapable of this lesson Blindness of Mind Hardness of Heart
yet thou mayst have a proneness and inclination to them The seeds of those evils are in our nature Inbred Concupisence is as the materia prima to all sorts of sins susceptive of any unlawful Impression The Spirit that is in thee may be willing but the flesh is weak nay willful too 2. It must make us watch over Satans temptations Take heed of them Art thou not given to these sins of Voluptuousness and Covetousness yet if thou look not to thy self Satan may surprise thee by some temptation Consider thy self saith St. Paul lest thou be tempted Let our hearts seem never so empty of these sins Satan can fill our hearts with these lusts as he did to Ananias and Sapphira Why hath Satan filled your hearts with covetousness Acts v. 3. Though thy heart be not habitaculum for Satans temptations yet it may prove hospitium 3. We must watch over all occasions Take heed of them shun not onely these sins but the occasions that may bring thee unto them As Solomon speaks of unlawful haunts Avoid it pass not by it turn from it come not near it He that fears a distemper will forbear all meats that may dispose him to it A wise man will not onely shun poyson but all unwholsome meats Even lawful liberty lawful company lawful employments must be warily used So much of the Caveat Come we Secondly to the Distemper to be avoided And in it 1. The Causes that breed it And then 2. The Disease it self Gravedo cordis The Causes that breed this surcharge are three 1. Surfetting 2. Drunkenness 3. The Cares of this life And then the Enquiry must be 1. Why doth Christ so forewarn them against these sins 2. Why especially with reference to the day of Judgment The Scripture tells us there are other great sins that will raign and prevail in the world about that time Infidelity which is Atheism against the Gospel that will then prevail When the Son of Man comes shall he find Faith on the earth Luke xviii 9. Want of Charity that will then abound in the world The Charity of many shall then wax cold Matth. xxiv Apostasie giving over Religion Antichristianism and Idolatry and corruption in Religion that shall prevail in the world at Christs coming 2 Thes. ii 'T is true these and many outragious sins shall prevail then Iniquity shall then abound Matth. xxiv but yet we see Christ forewarns them especially of these evils in the Text. I. Why so 1. These sins of Voluptuousness and Worldly-mindedness they are more natural to us Heresie and Idolatry and Bloud and Oppression men are not so prone to these but to be overtaken with excess in pleasures and profits our nature is exceeding subject to these evils 2. As they are more natural so these sins are most general and universal Outragious villanies many will abstain from them but all the world almost is taken either with Voluptuousness or Covetousness He is counted a strange Monster among men that is not addicted and given to pleasures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Peter 1 Pet. iv 4. They think it strange a man runs not with them into excess and riot Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they counted him a devil Otherwise he would have done as other men did and plaid the good-fellow Survey the whole world and all almost are taken with one of these two Young men they are for Pleasures old men they are for Profits They will haunt the same man in a succession as when a Quartane leaves him he falls into a Dropsie Hydropiâ—…am habent conscientiam so when Pleasure forsakes him Covetousness layes hold upon him 3. These are such sins as Professors of Religion will venture upon They will be no Hereticks no Idolaters nor yet unnatural monsters but security and tasting too much of pleasures and profits men that would be counted for good Christians will be overtaken with them Thus in the old world the Sons of God the true Worshippers fell by Voluptuousness S. Paul tells us of loose-living Christians Whose God is their belly and that mind earthly things 4. These sins Christ forewarns them of as being unworthy and unsutable with the Faith and Hope and Religion of Christians The prevailing of these sins wrung tears from S. Paul I tell you weeping they are enemies to the Cross of Christ. Enemies to his Cross. Christ's Religion it is a Religion of Sobriety and Moderation When the world offers us these delights and profits we should answer as Christ did when they offerd him meat I have other meat which you know not of So should a Christian say We have other pleasures and treasures which the world knows not of which our Religion affords us Ey but Christs Cross that 's of the greatest force to mortifie these sins Christians profess they serve a crucified God Sub spinato capite membra delicata That Cross should crucifie us to the world Gal. vi and make us dye to it Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God What a great indignity is that to our Religion And for worldly-mindedness our Saviour tells us plainly 't is inconsistent with piety Matth. vi 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon O yes We can mind the world and Gods service too Such quick and large-parted men there are that can deal in divers businesses Well Christ tells us We cannot serve two Masters 1. It will breed a distraction God requires this service of thee the world will forbid it God saith Relieve the poor No Spare thy purse saith the world God saith Set daily some time apart to pray to thy God and to mind thy soul No the world saith Thou canst not spare so much time thou hast other business It will breed distraction 2. Christ adds Thou must love the one and hate the other that is more then a distraction it implyes a contrariety We cannot serve two at all much less two that are in contrariety and enmity So is God and the world The love of the world is enmity to God Iam. iv 4. Denias hath forsaken me and loved this present world 2 Tim. iv If you love the world you must hate God Will a man abide such a servant that shall live in his house and yet hold a close correspondency with his utter enemy mind his affairs and leave his Master 's undone O but we may bear good-will to both No therefore saith Christ 3. You must cleave to the one and despise the other If you serve the world you must cleave to it addict your selves wholly to it neglect despise God Serving loving cleaving to the world all these will not suffer us to apply our selves to God and the world too II. Christ principally forewarns them of these sins with a special reference and eye to the day of Judgment and that for three causes 1. These sins of voluptuousness and worldliness they are Peccata praecurrentia The prevailing of these sins are a certain prognostick of that day these sins
will then over-spread the world There are in Scripture two great Judgments which Christ and S. Peter make types and resemblances of the day of Judgment And Christ notes these sins as the symptoms and fore-runners of this Judgment 1. He instances in the Deluge and Flood that drowned the old World See what Christ saith of that Matth. xxiv 37. As the dayes of Noah were so shall the coming of the Son of Man be For as in the dayes that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage and knew not till the Flood came and took them all away so shall also the coming of the Son Man be 2. He instances in the Overthrow of Sodom Christ makes that a type of the day of Judgment What saith he of that Luke xvii 28. As it was in the dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded and then it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all so shall it be in the day of Christ. See here the practises that Christ instances in In the old World eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage So in Sodom they ate and drank they bought and sold builded and planted Why the Scripture charges both those times and places with farr greater sins 1. The old World is charged with bloud and violence and heavy oppressions Men lived like Giants oppressing and devouring others That is a crying sin So 2. Sodom is charged with other kind of sins of unnatural abominations Yet observe Christ instanceth not in the oppressions and violence of the old World nor in the abominations of Sodom but in their eating and drinking and buying and selling and driving after the world to teach us That when the world comes to this state and condition to be voluptuous and covetous let their voluptuousness be natural eating and drinking and the enjoyment of marriage let their covetousness be without oppression they bought and they sold traded fairly paid for what they took yet a secure giving over our selves to these courses is a fore-runner of judgment As some sicknesses Morbi symptomatici are more fearful not in themselves but because they are fore-runners of plague and pestilence so are these sins dreadful When the World lyes in them in a careless security when men say Peace and Safety every man chears up his neighbour Be not afraid all shall be well then shall come upon them sudden destruction 1 Thes. v. 3. The Meteor called Malacia it is a certain sign of a storm and tempest 2. These sins they are Peccata accelerantia when these sins are overspreading come to a ripeness and predóminancy they do not onely foretel and prognosticate but they hasten the day of Judgment and bring it upon the world And so they are more considerable Bare signs are not to be neglected But these sins are not onely ominous signs but effectual provocations and speeders of judgment S. Paul tells Timothy that these sins will make the last times perilous times 2 Tim. iii. 1 2. This know also that in the last dayes perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God These and the like sins will be dangerous sins make perilous times expose the world to vengeance provoke judgment Should we see the Sun darkned the heavens to tremble the Stars to fall the Sea to roar it would make us to look about us Why to see the world drown'd in voluptuousness and security and greediness of gain loving pleasures and profits more then God to a spiritual man are indeed more fearful Those onely foretel these hasten and ripen and pull down vengeance and judgment 3. Christ bids us beware of these sins respectively to the day of Judgment because these sins they are Derisoria Iudicii they will beget a profane spirit of deriding and scoffing at the day of Judgment Voluptuousness that is a mocker Solomon tells us so Prov. xx And Covetousness that is a mocker too Luke xvi 14. All these things heard the Pharises which were covetous and they derided him And Security that is a mocker too They mocked Gods Messengers saying securely These things shall happen to themselves No doubt Noah had many a flout put upon him for talking of the Deluge and building his Ark. So Lots sons-in-law made but a jest of the tidings of destruction Lot seemed as one that mock'd And the threatnings of Captivity were but derided by the secure ones in Isaiah's time Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it And answerably S. Peter tells us there will be mockers at the last day There will come at the last scoffers walking after their own lusts and say Where is the promise of his Coming 2 Pet. iii. 3. And mocking that is a most dismal provoker of judgment Trembling at threatnings even in Ahab did set back Gods judgments but mocking and deriding Gods threatnings that hastens judgments Take but two places for it 1. One place is 2 Chron. xxxvi 16. They mock'd the Messengers of God and despised his threatnings until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people till there was no remedy Salvation it self could not save such 2. Another place is Isai. xxii 12. In that day the Lord did call to weeping and mourning and behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall dye yes I warrant you that was their Song And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged till they dye He would not be merciful to such Voluptuous Sensual Secure Mockers A SERMON ON GEN. iv 3 4 5. And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel he brought also of the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell THis Story which we have now entred upon is the first relation that the Scripture makes of any publick Worship that by man-kind was offered up to God And so it carries with it a Type and Representation of the Practice of Religion which in succession of times should be used and performed in the Church of Christ. And this solemn Service it is observable and exemplary in divers respects 1. In the Condition of the Persons that perform this Service Who were they Cain and Abel both Husbandmen Cain a Tiller of the ground Abel a Keeper of Sheep Vers. 2. 1. These two though the first-born Patriarchs of mankind though the Heirs of the world yet were they brought up in a plain honest laborious Calling 2. Though their Profession were secular yet they accounted the matters of God and duties of
aggravationes errorum Who understands the many aggravations that may make a seemingly-small sin out of measure sinfull Nay an action good of it self yet may have some malignant circumstances that may blemish and corrupt it Thus Iob respecting the substance of his actions and his good intentions confidently saith O that I were weighed in a ballance but if he takes in the many mis-carrying circumstances then if he will be weighed he must follow S. Bernard's counsel Statera sit crux Christi the beam and standard must be Christ's Cross and the worth of his merits must help down the weight or it will be too light As in the miracle of the Loaves Matth. xiv the loves were but five in bulk Ey but what saith our Saviour Colligite fragmenta Gather up the fragments and then there were twelve baskets full So though thy sins at first appear but few and small yet gather up the fragments the many circumstances and aggravations of them Thou didst such a sin in such a place at such a time being of such a calling after former pardon obtained and vows made and grace received these aggravatiòns will make a small sin exceeding sinfull That 's the second branch the Matter III. Quod fundamentum What is the ground Whence arises this difficulty of discerning errours We shall find it chiefly from these three 1. Sublimitas Legis the divine excellency of the Law of God a most comprehensive Law requiring exact holiness and forbidding the least swarvings and aberrations there-from To which purpose besides the substance and body of an action which the Law requires there are two dimensions in the Law of God by which we may judge and take the estimate of our actions 1. The first is the Maximum quod sic and that scantling is set down in the first Commandment With all thy mind with all thy heart with all thy strength 2. The second Dimension is the Minimum quod non and that scantling is set down in the last Commandment Non concupisces Thou shalt not lust Now judge of thine actions by these two Dimensions 1. In thy good actions hast thou kept the first Proportion hast thou done the good that thou shouldst do with all thy might Then 2. In thy sins hast thou observed the second proportion hast thou not so much as lusted after some unlawfull actions hast thou been free from all motions and inclinations that way Ye see betwixt these two dimensions of the Law of God here is a large space for the intervening of many offences This made David break out into admiration I see an end of all perfection but thy Law is exceeding broad 2. The second ground of this difficulty in finding out our sins is Subtilitas cordis the marvellous subtilty and closeness in every mans spirit The heart of man is an unsearchable lurking place for sin there are many windings and turnings and corners in it 'T is full of excuses and concealments framed like a labyrinth or maze or like an harbour for thieves with many secret passages and close conveyances in it It will excusare excusationes as David saith weave cunning excuses It will hide a sin like Rachel when Laban searched for the Idols bury it like Achan in the midst of his Tent. David finds it so intricate a work to search his own heart and to find out his sins that he begs Gods help in it Psal. cxxxix 23. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me 3 The third ground of this difficulty is Falsitas Satanae the falshood of Satan his depths of deceitfulness by which he will perswade us and bear us in hand that it is otherwise with us then we conceive and fear Either he tells us it is no sin as he did to Eve ye are mistaken or else he tells us it is not so great a sin or not so many sins we may do well enough for all these If we make him our Auditour he will falsify our Accounts like the unjust Steward in the Gospel How much owest thou my Master Our conscience tells us an hundred Measures nay ten thousand Talents but he will falsify our account and make us us write wrong and set down fifty That 's the third branch Quod Fundamentum IV. Quae consequentia What be the consequences of this truth 1. Is this true that none can understand his errours nor know what sins he hath commited Then sure it is much more true Quis intelligit quae non commisit Who understands what sins he might have committed had not God restrained and by his Grace prevented the commission of them And so it is Motivum gratitudinis a provocation to thankfulness There is not the greatest wickedness but thou mightst have acted it had God taken his hand from off thee and left thee to thy self As a man who is gone over a narrow Bridge safely or escaped some great down-fall where others have perished and then looking back how is he affected with fear and thankfulness Tot sunt mihi remissa quot non commissa saith S. Augustine piously 2. Is this true Who can understand the errours he hath committed Then this is true also Quis intelligit quae commissurus est Who knows what sins he shall fall into if God leave him to himself And so it is Motivum vigilantiae a provocation to watchfulness Thou that standest now little knowest thou how soon and how foulely thou mayest fall if thou takest not heed Consider thy self saith S. Paul Gal. vi 1. lest thou also be tempted Hazael could not conceive nor believe that he ever should be so cruel and bloudy as Elisha foretold him What am I a Dog that I should do so It could not enter into the heart of S. Peter that he should ever deny his Master though Christ forewarned him of it Rather let us imitate the Apostles when they heard of a Traytour they all cried out Master Is it I Wherein they discover 1. A confession of their ignorance They knew not their own hearts and 2. A suspicion of the possibility of it I may be found a Traytour for ought I know 3. Is it true No man understands his sins he hath committed Then Quis intelligit semina peccatorum Who knows all the seeds of sin and inclinations unto evil that are in-bred and lie lurking in his heart And so it is Motivum humilitatis a provocation to humility The spawn of all sin is in-bred in us Original sin is virtually and seminally every sin As all natural forms are produced and drawn forth de potentia materiae from the first matter so all actual sins spring and grow from that confused Chaos of original sin In respect whereof see what an hideous description S. Paul makes of every man Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues have they used deceit the poison of asps is under their lips their feet are swift to shed bloud
Rom. iii. 13. c. Not that every man is guilty of these actual sins but because the spawn and original of them is inbred in every one That 's the fourth thing the Consequences V. Qui usus What are the Uses to be made hereof They are of three sorts 1. Of Conviction 2. Of Caution 3. Of Consolation 1. Of Conviction Is David thus troubled and perplexed upon examination and search into his heart 1. In what case are they Qui nunquam inquirunt who never so much as call their hearts to examination If David who hath so often reckoned with God and by frequent Repentance labour'd to make all even with him yet finds so many back-reckonings how fearful is their case who multiply their arrearages and run use upon use and never account with him 2. And worse In what case are they Qui peccata abscondunt If David searches and sorrows for unknown sins how desperate are they who when Conscience accuses and would ease it self by sorrow and confession do smother and silence it See the least grudgings of Conscience affect David how forlorn are they then who when their Sin like the Pox would break out they drive it in again as Felix did and strike it back to the heart 3. And worst of all are they Qui palam profitentur who are sinners and know themselves so and glory in it David mourns for secret sins and these boast themselves in manifest Impieties They who are Saints and Angels and already in Heaven in compare with thee mourn for suspicious sins and thou shewest thy sins like Sodom and triumphest in thine abominations 2. Of Caution Is this true no man understands his errours Then 1. Non sufficit Iudicium alienum What though no man can accuse thee of sin That will not acquit thee Many think to go to Heaven by the voice of the Country if no man can blame them No we must distinguish betwixt a good name and a good conscience Fama propter homines Conscientia propter Deum saith S. Augustine A good name will carry it amongst men but it is a good conscience only that can acquit us before God Quid prodest tibi neminem habere conscium habenti conscientiam saith Lactantius What though thy neighbours and brethren absolve thee yet God and thy conscience can condemn thee The good Centurion Luke vii carried it clear by the voice of his neighbours Dignus est vers 4. He is worthy that thou shouldst come to him Ey but his own conscience reproves him vers 7. Domine non sum dignus Lord I am not worthy to come unto thee 2. Is this true none can understand his errours Then non sufficit Iudicium proprium the absolutions of thine own conscience cannot fully discharge thee I know nothing by my self saith S. Paul 1 Cor. iv 4. Yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord who can find fault with those actions which we account unblameable and very commendable Aliter judicat peritus artifex aliter imperitus inspector saith S. Aug. A skilful workman will find great fault there where an unskilful smatterer can see no failing 3. Non sufficit Iudicium Satanae It is possible Satan may not be able to accuse us and yet notwithstanding his silence cannot acquit us As in his siftings of Iob he could find no matter of any just accusation In that Plea against Iob the Devil non-suited himself he had nothing to object against him As S. Chrysostom observs when God asked Satan the second time Whence comest thou Satan The Devil answered From compassing the earth he doth not say from tempting of Iob he had no complaint against him But though Satan could not yet God could and did lay many things against him Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth That 's the second sort 3. Of Consolation Art thou cast into this perplexity with David Cryest thou out with him Who can understand his errours Then ease and comfort thy self with these three relieving Considerations 1. Quis intelligit multitudinem misericordiarum Who can understand the multitude of Gods mercies and compassions They are not onely over all his good works but they are farr beyond and above and over all our evil works Thus S. Chrysostom discoursing upon that passage Psal. iii. 5 6. Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Thy righteousness is like the great mountains thy judgments are a great deep See saith he the dimensions of his mercy are farr beyond the bounds of all his other Attributes The height of the Clouds the bigness of the Mountains the depth of the Sea they may be fathom'd but who knows the largeness of the Heavens or who can comprehend the multitudes of his mercies 2. Quis intelligit vim virtutem meriti Christi Doth thy heart cry out Who can understand his errours Quiet and comfort it with this Meditation Who can understand the virtue of Christ's bloud the price of his merits the plenty of his redemption He is able to abolish all kinds of sin His bloud is compared to the depth of the Sea I will cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea Micah vii 19. and that can drown Mountains as well as Mole-hills The strength of his mercies is like the strength of the Sun and that can dispel the thickest clouds as well as the thinnest vapours Isai. xliv 22. He will blot out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins 3. Quis intelligit vim poenitentiae Answer these doubtings of thine own heart with this Meditation Who understands the virtue of Repentance 1. Of general Repentance for sins known and unknown In this case if upon search thou canst not discover all thy sins deal as the Israelites were to do in finding out of a Murther Deut. xxi 1. They were to search into all their Cities and to measure round about them and if they could not find it out they were to pray Lord be merciful to thy people So measure thou and search thou into every corner of thine heart and say unto the Lord Forgive me mine unknown sins Look upon the whole Law of God and acknowledge the whole Indictment plead guilty to all With the Publican confess thy self a sinner with David confess thy self a great sinner Psal. xxv with S. Paul confess thy self the greatest of sinners This very general Repentance will much ease and comfort thee 2. Who understands the virtue of daily Repentance There is great use of that to ease thee of these anxieties For 1. It hath a virtue of Prevention of greater sins The daily pumping of a leaking Ship will keep it from sinking As they do who would prevent the Stone they will daily use helps to carry away the smaller gravel so labour thou by daily Repentance to purge away thy smaller sins and thou shalt never be troubled with the Stone
in the Heart And 2. Daily Repentance will facilitate the harsh and bitter work of Repentance which is exceeding unwelcome to flesh and bloud Use thy self to it daily and it will free thee from those fearful pangs of late Repentance A green wound is easily cured but suffer it to rankle and fester then lancing and searing will be all little enough 'T is good for a man to bear the yoke of Repentance even from his youth it will make it more easie As S. Ambrose speaks if it be diurna it will not be diuturna Those quotidian fits will be both shorter and easier Every day reckon with thy God and thy Conscience put not all off to the last extremity What Christ saith of Cares is most true of Sins and Repentance for them Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof Felix qui potuit A SERMON ON St. JAMES i. 22. But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely deceiving your own selves THis passage of Scripture is S. Iames his Exhortation for an holy and religious receiving and entertaining the word of God A duty in it self exceeding useful and beneficial It is able to save our souls no less good comes by it as the Apostle tells in the foregoing verse Now miscarriages in such weighty performances are very dangerous and prejudicial The best things when they are abused prove most mischievous And therefore the Apostle contents not himself to commend this duty to us at large and in general terms so it be done any way it is enough all is well but prescribes an holy manner sets down a strict caveat and proviso how we should receive the word of God so that we may reap profit by it and be blessed in the deed So then the Text it is a strict severe Caveat for the due receiving the word of God And it is framed in that manner as is like to be most prevailing and effectual and that is by forewarning us of a great inconvenience and mischief that will befall us if we fail in the duty And so in the words we may observe two Particulars 1. Officium the Duty prescribed and enjoyned us 2. Periculum the great Danger we run into if we fail in the Duty and miscarry in the performance of it First The Duty prescribed and in it observe three things 1. Here is Suppositio officii praevii A previous preparative Duty presupposed that is Hearing of the Word we must become Hearers set our selves to attend and listen to what God speaks to us That 's the Duty necessarily implyed and supposed 2. Here is Prohibitio officii erronei A Prohibition of a gross mistake in performance of this Duty Beware you err not in this duty of Hearing and place all your Religion in bare Hearing as if that were all which God requires of us to give him the Hearing That 's expressed in this word Onely Be not Hearers onely 3. Here is Injunctio officii debiti The main full compleat Duty we owe and must perform to the word of God if we look for any good by it What 's that We must be Doers of the Word Practise what we Hear and yield our Obedience to it That 's the first Particular The Duty prescribed Secondly follows the other Particular of the Text to enforce this Duty that 's the danger and mischief we shall fall into if we fail in this Duty and that will prove to be an heavy miscarriage We shall deceive our own selves First Come we to the Duty prescribed and in it to the I. First Particular that 's Suppositio officii The Duty presupposed The Text premises and supposes this That we must be Hearers And because there are many things that will crave our audience and the ear lyes open to every voyce The ear is not satisfied with Hearing saith Solomon Eccles. i. 8. therefore in point of Faith and Religion the Apostle limits our Hearing to the onely and peculiar and proper Object and that is The word of God So that here are two things considerable 1. The limitation of the Matter that must take up our Hearing and that is the word of God And then here is 2. The prescription of the Duty this word of God must be Heard and attended to 1. Then for the Object All our religious Hearing must be conversant about this one thing the word of God The Text places us like Mary at Christs feet commends unto us that Unum necessarium that one thing necessary I will hear what God the Lord will say saith David Psal. lxxxv 8. Thus when God brings his Son into the Church he confines our Hearing unto Christs Voyce This is my Well-beloved Son Hear him Matth. xvii 5. Faith hath an ear for no other Voyce but onely to Christs Voyce speaking in the Scripture Rom. x. 17. Faith comes by Hearing and Hearing by the word of God 'T is the indoles and natural disposition of Faith to listen to Christs Voyce and to none but his My Sheep Hear my Voyce but the voyce of strangers they will not Hear Iohn x. Thus Origen expresseth it Ut naturalis quidam attractus quibusdam inest ut magneti ad ferrum bitumini ad ignem sic Fidei ad Divinum Verbum As onely the loadstone draws the iron to it nothing else so the word of God onely can draw our Faith unto it and make us fasten upon it There are three things we should aym at in our religious Hearing and all three are the peculiar effects of the word of God 1. To Enlighten us 2. To Regenerate and Reform us 3. To Save us 1. It is proper to the blessed Word to Enlighten us and to acquaint us with the mind of God He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scripture Luke xxiv 45. The holy Scripture that is able to make us wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. And when all comes to all Saving Wisdome it is the only Wisdome By thy Precepts I get understanding saith David Psal. cxix 104. Ignorance of this Word 't is the mother and breeder of all errour Ye err not knowing the Scriptures saith Christ to the Sadduces Matth. xxii 29. This Word made David wiser then his Elders for all their age and experience it made him wiser then his Teachers for all their craft and policies Psal. cxix 98 99 100. 2. It is proper to this good word of God to Regenerate to Sanctifie and Reform us Of his own will hath he begot us with the word of Truth Iames i. 18. The Word hath Vim seminalem plasticam 't is the onely proper seed of Regeneration So saith our Saviour in that holy Prayer of his for his Disciples Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth Iohn xvii 17. And again Now are ye clean through the Word which I haue spoken unto you Iohn xv 3. It and it onely can quicken us and cleanse us can sanctifie and reform us 3. Salvation it is proper to this word of God