grant that this labour of mine may be accepted of the Saints and tend to Gods glorie And I heartily beseech the Lord the God of all grace and giuer of all blessings that he would so multiply his heauenly graces vpon you that you may alwaies walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things battering downe continually the kingdome of Sathan and setting vp the kingdome of Christ to the vttermost of your powers that so many soules may be saued by your meanes and you your selues haue the greater weight of glory bestowed vppon you at the day of iudgement when all persons shall be rewarded according to their workes And so crauing pardon for my boldnesse I ende and humbly take my leaue Rodborough the twentieth of August 1610. Your Worships to be commanded in the Lord Richard Web. To the Christian Reader all grace and peace CHristian Reader the whole care and burthen of the Ministery of the Lords word is or at the least ought to be how to bring men to the liuing God to pull them out of the kingdome of Satan that they might be planted in the Kingdome of Christ Euery one should helpe forward this worke which is the greatest and the most honorablest worke in all the world The miserable estate wherein they are who do remaine vnder Satan and his dominion as all men do by nature and the most blessed condition that they are in who are vnder Christ and his gouernment as none are but by grace should moue men sufficiently thereunto For mine owne part what I haue done this way these Sermons of mine in part will shew thee Reade thē at thy leasure marke them well begin not alone but make an end For haply as it is in S. Iohns Gospell the best wine is reserued till the last VVhen thou hast ended if thou receiuest any profite thereby blesse thou the name of thy God for it vnto whom all honour and praise do belong and pray also vnto the same God for me the instrument therein of thy good that so I may alwaies stand fast in the truth and increase daily in all heauenly graces to the honour of his name and the good of his Church Our daies thou knowest are corrupt and full of sinne and we our selues are very fraile and weake looke therefore to thy selfe and keepe thine heart with all diligence Run not with the world neither decline after vanity but cleaue fast vnto thy God come life or come death and be thou sure euermore to worke out thy saluation with feare and trembling and so fare thee well most heartily in the Lord. Thine for thy good euer in the Lord R. W. The principall matters which are handled in euery Sermon The Contents of the first Sermon THe Author Summe and Diuision of the whole Psalme It is proued that Dauid and Christ had many enimies according to the letter of the text The causes why Christ in the daies of his flesh was reiected by men albeit he was most worthy of loue and fauour which are in number 7. whereof 3. are intrinsecall or inward being inherent in men and 4. extrinsecall or outward being wickedly pickt from Christ himselfe It is shewed how the enimies of Dauid and Christ were oucrcome and came to fearefull ends The godly are vnlikely for foure causes to ouercome their enimies yet do they preuaile against them the reasons why and the vses thereof There are foure things in God for the which the victory doth alwaies go on his side and theirs whose part he doth take It is declared how the godly do ouercome euen then when they be put to death for the truths sake God is a patient God not willing the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue the reasons why and the vses thereof The Contents of the second Sermon IT is proued that Christs enimies did rage and murmure against him in the daies of his flesh according to the letter of the text The multitude and common people of the world are enimies to the Lord and his truth the reasons why which are foure and the vses thereof which are also foure Murmuring is a sin and to be auoided of Gods children the reasons why which are two and the vses thereof which are also two Eight preseruatiues or remedies against murmuring The diuers ends wherefore Questions are proposed The acts deeds of the vulgar sort are so foolish mad that wise discreet persons fearing the Lord may well wōder at thē with the vse therof The Contents of the third Sermon IT is proued that the States of the land did oppose themselues against Christ in the daies of his flesh according to the letter of the text Rich men and great persons haue foure chiefe reasons aboue others to serue the Lord yet they contemne him most the reasons why which are sixe and the vses thereof which are foure Councels and assemblies are as well against the Lord and his truth as for him the reasons why which are 2. and the vses thereof which are 3. The wicked haue their Comes and Exhortations vnto vngodlinesse with the vse thereof There are three causes why the lawes of God should be regarded by men yet the wicked do reiect them the reasons why which are foure and the vses thereof which are two There are foure causes why the godly do delight in the law of God and desire to keepe the same By resisting Gods lawes men do resist God himselfe the reason why and the vses thereof which are two The Contents of the fourth Sermon GOd is in all places at all times three waies Two reasons why God is said to be in heauen rather then in any other place Gods laughing what it is at whom he doth laugh and the vse thereof No power or counsell can stand against the Lord but downe it must go the reasons why which are two and the vses thereof which are three Men like Giants fight against the Lord many waies but chiefly foure waies Gods anger what it is and the double way by the which he doth speake vnto man The enimies of Gods Church shall be ouerthrowne the reasons why and the vses thereof which are three The Church of God is like to an hill or mountaine in three respects with the vses thereof The Church of God is said to be holy for three causes with the vses thereof God the Father made Christ the King of his Church the reasons why respecting his Godhead and those eight notable-vertues which were in him most worthy of a King and the vses thereof which are three The Contents of the fifth Sermon Christs faithfulnes in opening his Fathers decree with the vse therof Three causes wherefore Christ published his Fathers decree touching himselfe and his calling Euery person must stand vpon his office and calling the reasons why which are foure and the vses thereof which are three An argument to proue that our Church in England is the true Church of God and
he purged the Temple and beganne to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the mony changers and the seates of them that sold Doues and would not suffer that any man should carry a vessell through the Temple saying vnto them It is written Mine house is the house of prayer but yee haue made it a donne of theeues the high Priests and the Scribes and the chiefe of the people sought to destroy him Luke 19.47 When he had wrought another good worke and had raised from the dead Lazarus Maries and Marthaes brother who had now bene dead foure daies and began to stinke in the graue as his sister Martha said yet came foorth of the graue bound hand and foote with bands and his face was bound with a napkin then gathered the high Priests the Pharises a Councell consulted againe which way to bring him to his death Ioh. 11.47 c. Finally to passe ouer other particulars which happened in the whole course of his life when he had done them what good he could from time to time as appeareth by these his words Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings ye would not Math. 23.37 yet they notwithstanding the same tooke him apprehended him as their deadly enimie and as a malefactor that was not worthy to liue vpon the face of the earth amongst them any longer Iudas one of the twelue came vnto him and with him a great multitude with swords and staues from the high Priests and the Elders of the people and they tooke him and led him to Caiaphas the high Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled There he was examined by them accused and condemned to death likewise some of them there beganne to spit at him and to couer his face and to beate him with fists and to say vnto him Prophecy vnto vs ô Christ who is he that smote thee And the Sergeants smote him with their rods Math. 26.47 c. and Mar. 14.43 c. After this in the dawning of the day when the morning was come they led him away bound vnto Pilate and laid most grieuous things vnto his charge but when Pilate heard of Galile he asked whether the man were a Galilean and when he knew that he was of Herods iurisdiction he sent him to Herod but Herod with his men of warre despised him and mocked him and arrayed him as if he were a foole in white and sent him againe to Pilate Luke 23.11 Then Pilate ouercome by his aduersaries did at the last giue sentence against him caused him to be scourged and to be sent away to the place of execution Mar. 15.15 But before he came thither see what the souldiers did They led him into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band and clad him with purple and platted a crowne of thornes and put it about his head and beganne to salute him saying Haile King of the Iewes and they smote him on the head with a reed and spat vpon him and bowed their knees and did reuerence And when they had mocked him they tooke the purple off him and put his owne clothes on him and led him out to crucifie him Mar. 15.16 c. Being come to the place of execution which was without the citty they crucified him and hanged him vpon a tree betweene two theeues And as he hanged there in that shamefull and opprobious manner The people stood by him and beheld him and they together with the rulers mocked him saying he saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Christ the chosen of God The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vinegar and said If thou be the king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Likewise they that went by railed on him wagging their heads saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe and come downe from the crosse Lastly one of the euill doers which were hanged with him railed one him saying If thou be the Christ saue thy selfe and vs. Luke 23.35 c. and Mark 15.29 c. In regard of all which things we see that our Sauiour might iustly make his cōplaint here say Why do the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine The kings of the earth band themselues the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed Come let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. Here before we goe any further a question may be asked to wit why Christ was thus reiected by all sorts of persons For a man may iudge that euery one should haue loued him and haue reioyced greatly for him he was so gentle so meeke so humble so patient so wise so learned so holy so mercifull so louing and in one word so willing and so able to do euery man good as none in the whole world besides him either was or could be We know that the virgin Mary did sing and reioyce when she knew that she should beare him Luk. 1.46 c. And that the Angels did sing and reioyce when he was borne Luk. 2.13 c. And that Simeon did sing and reioyce when he was brought into the Temple Luke 2.27 c. And that Abrahams sonne which he had by old Sarah that was a type and figure of Christ was called Isaac which name signifieth laughter to shew what ioy and laughter there should be about Christ Gen. 21.3 In consideration whereof the question may rightly be moued why the world should thus oppose themselues against Christ But the answere to it is this They hated him without a cause as our Sauiour himselfe doth testifie of them in Ioh. 15.25 Some of them did persecute him through ignorance not knowing what he was as we may see by his prayer to his Father for them in Luk. 23.34 when he saith Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Also by the Apostles words in 1. Cor. 2.8 For had they knowne it saith he they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory Others of them did resist him of malice and of a cankered stomach they knowing well enough what he was as is apparant by the words of our Sauiour who doth accuse them for that cause of the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen in Mark 3.28 Some lastly did neglect him through feare and dread they knowing that if they did beleeue in him or confesse him they should be excommunicated out of their Synagogues according to the law of the Iewes as is apparant by Ioh. 9.22 where we find that the blind mans parents for that cause would not confesse that Christ had cured their son And as they did thus feare trouble at home yea some of the great ones as well as the small ones as we
is in our prouerbe now let them bestirre them and with all hast let them runne vnto the Lord for mercie and grace before his wrath breake out and consume them Lastly by this we may learne what counsell and aduice to giue to others when they are in some danger and know not well what course to take to rid themselues there-from If any of them shall come vnto vs as the Iewes did to the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we do Acts 2.37 we may easily answer them euen as it is here Be wise and learned c. that is repent you of your sinnes and submit your selues vnto the Lord your God in all dutifull obedience as it doth become you This this is the onely course that you must take Doubtlesse no other course in the world can do you any sound and perfect good but if you shall once performe this all shall be well with you quickly as it was with Nebuchadnezzar who vpon his submission vnto the Lord was restored againe to his kingdome or as it was with Manasses who vpon his prayer vnto the Lord and hearty sorrow for his sinne was deliuered out of his prison at Babylon and reëstablished againe in the throne of his kingdome at Ierusalem or lastly as it was with the Israelites who vpon their crie vnto the Lord and the confession of their sinne were from time to time deliuered from their enimies and blessed with peace and abundance of good things Hitherto for the persons to whom the exhortation is directed now let vs come to the matter whereof it doth consist And that in a word is repentance and amendment of life as I touched before Wherein is conteined first the time when it must be had then secondly the points wherein it doth stand The time is present set downe in this word Now. Because they were in a present danger and were likely euery houre to be destroyed therefore the Prophet would haue them to repent presently and out of hand euen before those iudgements of the Lord did fall vpon them which were mentioned before in the 5. and 9. verses of this Psalme Wherehence we are taught this doctrine that men must out of hand repent and turne to the Lord and not deferre their conuersion from time to time but presently goe about the same Seeke the Lord saith the Prophet Esay in Chap. 55.6.7 while he may be found call ye vpon him while he is neare Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vurighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgiue While we haue time saith Paule in Gal. 6.10 let vs do good vnto all men but specially vnto them that are of the houshold of faith And to day saith the holy Ghost in Heb. 3.7 if ye shall heare his voyce harden not your hearts as in the prouocation according to the day of the temptation in the wildernesse but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Thus you see shortly the verity of the doctrine and the confirmation thereof Now the reasons of it are many but chiefly these foure First Reasons because it is vncertaine whether we shall liue any longer or no. For the yong do die as well as the aged and men are oftentimes taken away on the sudden Thou foole saith God to the rich man in Luke 12.20 this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided And when men shall say saith Paul in 1. Thes 5.3 peace and safety then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauaile of a woman with child and they shall not escape Many examples we haue hereof in the Scriptures The world thought themselues sure when they were eating and drinking but then came the floud Luke 17.27 The morning was faire when Lot went out of Sodom and yet before night were the Sodomites destroyed Gen. 19.23 Nebuchadnezzar thought himselfe neuer more sure then when he had builded great Babell but yet while the word was in his mouth God humbled him downe vpon his knees Dan. 4.12 And well was Herod when he began his Oration to the people but before the end thereof his departure from them the Angell of the Lord smote him so that he was eaten of wormes and gaue vp the ghost Acts 12.23 So that if we do deferre our repentance but one day yea but one houre death may preuent vs before that we can repent and so we shall be damned Secondly because the longer that a man doth post off his repentance and amendment of life the harder it will be for him to repent and amend at the last Can the blacke Moore saith Ieremy in Chap. 13.23 change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do euill As though it were a thing vnpossible for a sinner who hath continued long in his sinne to leaue his sinne and to forsake it and so to become a good man at the last And surely with man it is vnpossible though it be otherwise with God vnto whom all things are possible For if we cannot ouercome a Lyon when it is yong and but a whelpe how shall we be able to ouercome him when he is old and growne to his full power and strength And if we be not able to bow a tree of sixe yeares growth it is in vaine for vs to go about to bow it when it is twentie yeares old or more So euen so it is also with sinne the longer that we shall nourish it in our bosomes the harder it will be for vs to ouer-maister it in the end yea it will be vnpossible for vs to do it For that will grow still stronger and stronger and we our selues shall be weaker and weaker And therefore it is good to go about the cure of it betimes as we do about the cure of such wounds as are made in our bodies knowing that the lōger that they be deferred the harder is their recouery at the last Thirdly because God is to be serued before all things whether the world the flesh or the diuell as Elijah the Prophet would be serued before the widow that fed him 1. Kin. 17.13 Seeke first the kingdome of God saith our Sauiour in Math. 6.33 and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you So soone as man was created a law was giuen him to shew that he should liue vnder obedience from the day that he was borne in So soone as he is borne he is baptized in the name of God to shew that when we cannot runne to God we should creepe as it were to him So soone as he beginneth to pray he saith Hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c. before he aske his daily bread to shew that we should seeke the sanctification of
impouerish his subiects by exacting of them grieuous subsidies and taxes but he doth greatly enrich them by bestowing large giftes and benefites vpon them Ephe. 4.7.8 c. The last is loue or mercy for he doth beare that kind affection towards his people that all their miseries doe touch him Heb. 4.15 and for to do thē good he was content to die for them Ephe. 5.2.25 Where all these things do concurre meet together there is a party well qualified for gouernement A man may be couragious yet not fearing God if fearing God yet not dealing truely if dealing truely yet not hating couetousnesse if hating couetousnesse yet not wise if wise yet not diligent if diligent yet not bountifull if bountifull yet not louing if louing yet not couragious But where shall all these be found together Surely in none but in Christ Iesus for in him they are in the highest degree of perfection and therefore did the Lord make choice of him before all others to goe in and out before his people and to be the Head or gouernour of his Church Here we must take heed of some abuses Vse we must not collect from hence either that Christ is inferiour to his Father or that he was made King as he was God for he is equall with his Father in glory Maiesty touching his diuine nature or God-head as the Apostle doth shew in the beginning of his 2. chap. to the Philippians True it is that he is inferiour to his Father in respect of his humane nature and as he is man but not otherwise as he is God of the same substance or being which he hath together with the Father frō all eternity Againe whereas he is made King this is done in respect of both his natures together as he is God-man and Man-God and not simply in respect of one of them alone for so to affirme of either of them were absurd if not blasphemous But leauing the abuses the true vses are these First hereby we may learne to reuerence Christ the more because he is established in his throne by his Father For if Dauid were pricked in heart onely for cutting of Sauls garment who was a wicked man and his deadly enimy too because he was the Lords annoynted with what reuerence and care should we carry our selues towards Christ Iesus our Sauiour who is holinesse and righteousnesse it selfe and one that loues vs well seeing the Lord hath annoynted him and made him to be our King But alas our carriage is such towards him as if he had vsurped this place vnto himselfe by tyranny or were set vp in his throne by some created authority but let vs looke to ourselues and amend this our fault In the second place here we may learne that seeing God hath set vp his Sonne in his kingdome he will still defend him and aide him in the same as also bring fearefull iudgments vpon all such as shal go about to resist him And this is the chiefest end wherefore this sentence is here alleadged and therefore let all men take heed what they do and let all those know also who are in lawfull authority that so long as they carry themselues worthy of their places the Lord will alwaies stand about them for their defence and protection as here he did about his Sonne Christ and blessed Dauid the King Lastly here we may learne by the example of Christ that it is not good to run into a calling but to stay vntill the Lord doth place vs in the same A great complaint is made in Ieremy by the Lord against men in this respect that they did run before that he did send them as we may see at large in the 23. chapter of Ieremy But beware we that we doe not the like For shall Christ that had the Spirit of God without all measure stay and waite his Fathers leasure and shall we mortall and sinnefull creatures who haue not the Spirit almost in any measure yet runne and goe before our commission is drawne out and sealed by the Almighty More things might be spoken vpon these matters but let these short obseruations minister an occasion vnto you to contemplate more at large vpon these points The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON vpon the second Psalme PSAL. 2. VER 7.8 9. I will declare the decree that is the Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of yron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell IN the former verses mention was made of God the Father whose maiestie and power was excellently set out for the confounding of such wicked aduersaries as did rise vp against him But now these verses do intreate of God the Sonne who is also most liuely described in the same by a certaine inuincible power and maiestie as being one sufficient to ouerthrow all such resistance as is made against him And that his enimies might be daunted the more as his friends receiue the greater ioy and consolation he comes in himselfe speaking and vttering his voyce vnto them declaring plainely amongst them all what is the very decree and ordinance of God his Father concerning him and his kingdome the summe and substance whereof he tels them is this The Lord the great God of heauen who hath created all things and who doth continually preserue the same he euen he sayd to me Thou art my sonne yea my naturall and onely sonne most deare and precious vnto me Thy workes which thou doest continually in working strange and admirable miracles do shew that I haue begotten thee but chiefly that day is an argument thereof vnto all the world wherein thou didst arise from the graue and returne againe from death vnto life And because thou art so neare vnto me and one on whom I haue set my whole delight and pleasure aske of me what thou wilt and thou shalt haue it I will not say to the halfe of my kingdome but to all my kingdome if thou shalt aske the whole I will bestow it vpon thee yea I will giue thee all power both in heauen and in earth and thou shalt reigne not in a small compasse alone but in a most spacious and large circuite euen throughout all the world from the one end thereof vnto the other And whereas there are many rebels and traytors that do daily rise vp against thee thou shalt not take pity and compassion vpon them to forgiue them but thou shalt punish them throughly according to their deserts with thy scepter or mace of iron wherewith thou art armed thou shalt destroy them And herein deale thou with them as the potter doth with his vessell as he doth dash that all to peeces when it is once broken and seruiceable for no vse so do thou so confound them that they may
and that is included in these words This day haue I begotten thee that is this day or time wherein thou doest rise from the dead and returne from death vnto life haue I manifested and declared vnto the world all abroad that thou art my Sonne and that I haue begotten thee For so is this place expounded by Paul euen of the time of Christs resurrection as we may see in Acts 13.30.33 So that then there must be a distinction made betweene generation or begetting it selfe and the manifestation of it The generation or begetting it selfe was from all eternitie but the manifestation of it was in time and then chiefly when Christ rose from the dead For then was he mightily declared to be the Sonne of God as the Scripture doth teach vs. But here before we stand vpon the proofe it selfe a few things may be obserued touching the generation or Gods begetting of his Sonne For as we are to know that Christ is the Sonne of God so we are to vnderstand in some sort how the Father did beget him whose Sonne he is said to be The manner therefore of this generation in few words was this The Sonne was begotten of the substance of the Father not by any fluxe as when water is deriued from the head of the spring to the channell not by any decision as when a thing is cut in peeces nor by any propagation as when a graft is transplanted into a new stocke but by an vnspeakable communication of the whole essence or godhead from the Father to the Sonne in receiuing whereof the Sonne doth no more diminish the maiestie or godhead of the Father then the light of one candle doth the light of another from which it is taken The time of this generation hath neither beginning middle nor end and therefore it is eternall before all worlds Wisedome in the Prouerbes which with one consent of all Diuines is said to be Christ affirmeth that she was before the world was created that is from eternitie For before the world was made there was nothing but eternity Prou. 8.24 Here are many things to be wondred at in this generation of the Sonne and we must be warned not to conceiue it in any carnall or humane manner For there is a great difference betweene it and those generations which are found here in this world amongst vs that are men For first in our generations the father is in time before his son and the son is after his father but in this generation God the Father and the Sonne are coeternall and not one before or after the other for time Secondly in our generations the father is forth of the sonne and the sonne forth of the father so that they are distant in place sometimes the one from the other many a mile but in this generation God the Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne is in the Father so that they are in place alwayes together Thirdly in our generations the sonne is from his father by propagation but in this generation the Son is from the Father by communication of substance and not by propagation Finally in our generations the father doth beget the sonne by communicating onely his seed vnto him but in this generation God the Father doth beget the Sonne by communicating his whole substance vnto him So that here is a fourefold difference to be found betwixt our carnall and this spirituall generation or begetting And therefore I beseech you do none of you conceiue of it after a grosse manner but pray you vnto God for spirituall eyes that you may behold it And if any of you cannot conceiue aright of it wonder at it as at a deepe mysterie but beware contemne it not as a thing either false or vnfruitfull And so I leaue it and come to the proofe it selfe That is taken you see from Christs resurrection from the dead All the miracles that Christ did frō time to time going stil beyond the reach and power of man did declare that he was the Sonne of God yet it hath pleased the holy Ghost to apply this chiefly vnto his resurrection as being a most notable argument to proue the same For being dead if he had not bene the Sonne of God indeed he had neuer risen againe but had perished in death And in that the Father raised him againe to life he gaue euident witnesse and testimonie that he was his owne naturall Sonne and that he had begotten him from all eternitie And therefore Paule doth say that he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead in Rom. 1.4 So that those that doubt whether Christ be the Sonne of God or no they may be resolued if they will but throughly consider of his resurrection from the dead For thus they may reason with themselues No creature that is dead and buried can of himselfe rise againe from the graue and returne from death vnto life but he that doth this must needs be the Sonne of God But Christ Iesus was dead and buried yet he rose againe from the graue and returned from death vnto life Therefore Christ Iesus is no bare creature but he is a Creator and the Sonne of the liuing God Many things might be here obserued and stood vpon concerning this point but because they are common matters and are included in the Article of our faith touching the resurrection of Christ from the dead I will passe them ouer and referre them to your owne priuate meditations Onely noting here by the way that as God did manifest the generation of his naturall Sonne vnto the world and did make men see that he had begotten him euen by his miracles and chiefly by raising him from the dead so he doth continually manifest the generation of his adopted sons and make them knowne to themselues and vnto others by his holy working in them and chiefly by his raising of them vp from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse as we may plainly see by many places of the holy Scripture but most excellently by that which Iohn hath written in the third chapter of his first Epistle the 8.9 and 10. verses thereof For there he doth manifestly teach vs who they be that are borne of God and how they may be knowne from the children of the Diuell and that is by their liues and conuersations For as the one of them do commit sinne who are of the Diuell so the other of them do not sinne who are of God but they worke righteousnesse and become holy as God their Father is holy yea as he doth further say they cannot sinne because they are borne of God So that then they are not leud and licentious as others are but they are sanctified persons and such as do worke out their saluation with feare and trembling By this we may shortly learne two things the one is whether we our selues be the children of God or no the other is whom of others we are
iudgements of the Lord sounded out of his word against them for the same For as these mothers are wont commonly to comfort their children thus fearing with one of these two things either that there is no time yet past or else if the time be past that their maister is a gentle man and will forgiue them So they do vsually heart on themselues against all feare dread whatsoeuer by the consideration of these two things first that there is no time vnfit or too late for repentance secondly that God is a mercifull God and one most ready to forgiue them though they haue posted off their repentance ouer-long and haue not turned vnto him in time as they ought to hane done In this snare and cord of the diuell lest you also should be led along to your destruction at the last marke what answer may be giuen to these things To the first it may be sayd that though no time be vnfit or too late for repentance while we are here in this world yet oftentimes we are taken out of this world before that we can thinke of repentance and soundly turne vnto the Lord. For as many are taken away on the sudden so it fals out by the iust iudgment of God most vsually as an ancient Father doth wel obserue vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui cum viueret oblitus est Dei That he should forget himselfe in the time of his death who did forget God in the time of his life Againe you must know that late repentance is seldome or neuer good and true but alwaies for the most part feigned and dissembled like to that which was in Pharaoh Ahab Saul and others who seemed to be sorry for their sinnes and desirous to haue the hand of the Lord remoued from them For qualis vita finis ita such as the life is such commonly is the death A good man hath a good end and a bad man hath a bad end Lastly you must alwaies remember what was said before namely that repentance is not in our power and that we cannot turne to God when we will And therefore as a begger must take his almes when it is offered vnto him and not refuse it because there is no time amisse to take an almes so we must take repentance when the Lord doth offer it vnto vs and not vpon such a foolish consideration cast it off as now was touched Now to the second it may be answered that though God be a God of mercy receiuing all sinners vnto himselfe vpon their repentance and amendment of life yet he is withall a God of iustice visiting the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of all such as do hate him as you are taught in the end of the second commandement Dauid tels vs in Psal 18.26 that he will shew himselfe froward with the froward Salomon sheweth in Prou. 3.34 that with the scornefull he scorneth And in the first chapter of the same booke Wisedome her selfe informeth vs that she will not regard wilfull and obstinate sinners turning vnto her in verse 28. saying Then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. You know how the Lord did sware in his wrath that the Israelites that did prouoke him in the wildernes should not enter into his rest Heb. 3.8 So that God will be farre off at such a time to giue repentance and vpon repentance to receiue to mercy And therefore as the women sung concerning Saul and Dauid saying Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand 1. Sam. 18.7 so we may mournefully sing that the despaire of Gods mercy hath slaine thousands but the grosse presumption of his mercy hath slaine ten thousands Wherefore to conclude this point let neither of these impediments nor any other whatsoeuer hinder you from a present conuersion vnto the Lord but out of hand take him for your onely God and serue him Lastly here we may learne what to do in regard of those who are vnder vs. We must not suffer them to go on still in their sins but breake them quickely to the Lords yoake and bow He is a fond fellow that will not breake his horse while it is a colt but let him runne on till he be old and shall fling him into the ditch And he deales very foolishly that hauing a beautifull standing cuppe and very precious balme giuen vnto him to put into the cuppe will not yet put it in before the cup hath stood long full of stinking liquor So we our selues shall be no better if we shall suffer our children and others vnder our tuition to go on in their childhood and youth vnnurtured in the waies of the Lord and suffer them to liue after their owne will and to drink in the deadly poyson of the world whereby they shall be made vnable to be reclaimed at the last But teach we them betimes and labour we to bring them to the knowledge of the Lord and obedience vnto his will so shall not sinne be their destruction nor rebellion be their ouerthrow But more of this elsewhere As thus we haue heard when we must repent so now let vs heare wherin repentance doth stand And that is in two points the one is knowledge or vnderstanding the other is obedience or subiection Of the former of these mention is made in this verse of the latter in the following Bewise saith the Prophet ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Here is that knowledge vnderstanding expressed which is required of vs in euery true sound repentāce but what means the Prophet hereby may you say were the Kings vnwise and were the Iudges of the earth vnlearned Yes surely for otherwise they would neuer haue rebelled against the Lord and his annoynted as they did Yet his meaning is not that they were altogether without wisedome and learning for they had wordly wisedome and learning in great aboundance but that they wanted the heauenly wisedome and learning therefore he doth exhort them to looke for that Marke here there is a two-fold wisedome and learning one that is earthly and from man an other that is heauenly and from God The children of this world saith our Sauiour in Luk. 16.8 are wiser in their generation then the children of light In which words he doth intimate that as there are two sorts of men the one wicked called the children of this world the other godly termed the children of light so there are two sorts of wisedome the one for the body and this life the other for the soule and the life to come This latter wisedome the Kings and Iudges here wanted but the former they had For the body and this life they were wise and learned they knew well enough how to rule and gouerne and to turne all things to their
to haue aduersaries of all sorts wheresoeuer you shall liue or dwell Either Ismael with his flowting tongue or Esau with his bloudy hand shall wound and persecute you for he that is borne after the flesh will alwaies persecute him that is borne after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 And surely as the life of Christ was a warfare vpon earth so must your liues that are Christians be a warfare vpon earth Here we liue in a sea of troubles the sea is the world the waues are calamities the Church is the ship the anker is hope the sailes are loue the Saints are passengers the hauen is heauen and Christ is our Pilot. Now when the sea can continue without waues the ship without tossings and passengers not be sicke vpon the water then shall the Church of God be without trials but not before And as for this voyage we begin it or at the least should begin it so soone as we are borne and we must saile on till our dying day Therefore I beseech you brethren promise vnto your selues no security in this world but looke still for enimies and when you haue slaine a Beare looke for a Lyon when you haue killed the Lyon looke for a Goliah and when you haue ouercome Goliah looke for a Saul when Saul is wounded to death looke for the Philistines c. that is when you haue ouercome one trouble or vanquished one enimie looke still for an other trouble and for an other enimie and that vntill you die and the spirit doth returne to God that gaue it Thus farre of the first point now followes the second In the fourth verse and so forward vnto the end of the ninth verse is shewed how this opposition which was made against the Lord and his Annoynted came to none effect but was withstood and brought to nothing through the powerfull working of the Almighty the enimies that made the opposition being brought to shame and confusion How true this was in respect of Dauid the figure the 2. booke of Samuel doth declare with the beginning of the first booke of the Kings For in these two bookes we finde these three things First that he did enioy his kingdome vnto his dying day and that he did end his lise quietly and in peace in his bed 1. Kings 2.10 Secondly that the Lord his God who dwelleth in heauen did helpe him from time to time in all his troubles against his enemies 2. Samuel 22.1 c. Thirdly that his enemies who did thus resist him were vanquished and slaine Abner he was slaine by Ioab 2. Sam. 3.27 and Ish-bosheth his maisters Sauls sonne for whom he did sight was murdered by two of his seruants in his own house as he lay vpon his bed in his bed-chamber 2. Sam 4.7 The Iebusites they were punished and smitten by Ioab 2. Sam. 5.8 and 1. Chro. 11.8 The Philistines and other out-landish nations they were many of them put to the sword and the residue were made tributaries to Dauid 2. Sam. 5. 8. Chap. Absalom he was hanged by the haire of the head on an Oake in the wood as he was pursuing after his father and there he was slaine 2. Sam. 18.9.14 And Sheba the sonne of Bichri he was beheaded in Abel by the perswasion of a woman and his head cast ouer the wall vnto Ioab 2. Sam. 20.22 Thus all Dauids enimies ended their daies in deserued punishments But now for Christ there may be some doubt whether all things fell out aright according to the text here concerning him considering that his aduersaries seemed to haue the vpper hand of him in that they put him to death and brought him to a shameful end and that he himselfe did cry out and say My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Math. 27.46 Notwithstanding both these things euery matter is true which is reported here of him For first and foremost it is euident howsoeuer he vttered these words in his agony and bitter passion through the consternation of his minde which was now much disturbed through the intollerable burden which God his Father did lay vpon him for the sinnes of mankind that God had not forsaken him but was alwaies present with him for his good first by the sending of an Angel vnto him in his great heauinesse for his comfort Luk. 22.43 secondly by his hearing of him at all times yea euen in those things which he feared Heb. 5.7 And lastly by his aduancing of him from the graue vnto the highest heauens the vniuersall regiment of all the world Ephes 1.20 c. Secondly it is apparant that howsoeuer they did murder him yet they had not the victory ouer him but he rather the victory ouer them First by his rising againe from the dead Secondly by his sitting at the right hand of his Father Thirdly by his dwelling with his Church vpon the face of the earth vnto the end of the world And lastly by his triumphing ouer his enimies euē while he did hang vpon the crosse as it is well obserued by the Apostle in Col. 2.15 when he saith And hath spoyled the Principallities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed oner them in the same crosse But if you will not giue credit to these things and so be perswaded by these reasons marke what he himselfe who is truth it selfe Ioh. 14.6 hath said touching this matter in Ioh. 16.33 Where you shall finde him vttering these words vnto his disciples saying In the world yee shall haue affliction but be of a goodcomfort I haue ouercome the world Then as we are conquerours yea more then conquerours when we do suffer for the name of Christ and do leese our liues for the defence of his truth as it is in Rom. 8.36.37 so was Christ a conquerour yea more then a conquerour when he died for vs and by his death did destroy him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 and so through his sufferings entred into his glory Luke 24.26 he being for that cause exalted aboue all the creatures and receiuing a name aboue euery name that at his name euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things inearth and things vnder the earth Phil. 2.9 c. Thirdly and lastly it is manifest that his aduersaries were ouerthrowne and that most of them came to fearefull ends First by the ciuill warre that arose vp amongst themselues which continued a long time and brought many thousands to most desperate ends Secondly by the grieuous famine that was in the midst of them that consumed many of them and caused the parents to eate their owne children and one friend to deuoure another Thirdly by the totall destruction of their glorious Temple famous citty of Ierusalem with all the inhabitants thereof by Vespasian and Titus the Emperours of Rome Fourthly by the lasting infamy of a cursed name vpon their whole nation in that they are reproched throughout all the world and counted the worst
shall finde both Kings and Princes as well domesticall as forreine banding and assembling themselues against him it is apparant by the record of all the Euangelists that as the whole body and Commons of Israel were set against our Sauiour Iesus Christ so were the States of the land and the chiefe men of place therein most deadly foes and enimies vnto him As they banded themselues together to make their faction and side strong against him so they had their often assemblies and meetings for counsell and aduice which way to bring him vnto his death Herod and Pontius Pilate two kings as it were amongst them though they did iarre and disagree betwixt themselues yet now they could ioyne together against Christ and become friends as we may see in Luk. 23.12 in these words And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together for before they were enimies one vnto the other Here is the banding of the Kings of the earth together when these two agree in one like good friends who were before at ods and do assemble together at Ierusalem against our sweet Sauiour the Lords Annointed For now at this time both of them were at Ierusalem and so as well together in place as in heart as it is in the 7 verse of the same chapter of Luke But for their consulting together and the meeting of their Princes in assemblies for counsell and aduice against him there are many places in the Euangelists declaring the same but I will touch onely two at this time The one of them is in Iohn the 11 chapter and 47 verse with some others following For there we find that after Christ had raised vp Lazarus from the dead the high Priests and Pharisees who were the chiefe rulers of the people and as Princes among them gathered a Councell and assembled as it were in a Parliament against him plodding and deuising what were best to do vnto him and as it is in verse 53 of the same chapter from that day forth consulting together to put him to death The other of them is in Math. 26.30 where we reade that the chiefe Priests and the Scribes and the Elders of the people assembled together into the hall of the high Priest called Caiaphas and consulted how they might take him by subtiltie and kill him In regard of all which things now shortly touched you see that this is most true which is here recorded namely that the Kings of the earth banded themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed The which thing the faithfull that liued after Christ was ascended into heauen and were eye-witnesses of those things which were done vnto him do in their prayer to God acknowledge and confesse saying For doubtlesse against thine holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done Acts 4.27.28 Hauing thus shewed the meaning of the text and confirmed the truth thereof let vs now come to the vse and benefit which we may make of the same Out of it we may gather two principall doctrines One from the persons rebelling the other from the manner of their rebellion Out of the persons rebelling we collect this doctrine Doctr. That great States mighty men of this world are oftentimes enimies vnto the truth and deadly foes vnto holy and vpright courses This the Prophet Esay doth shew when he doth call the Princes of Iudah and of Ierusalem the Princes of Sodome Esay 1.10 for Sodome was a city so wicked and the Princes thereof so leude and filthie that God could not spare them but for their abhominations he brought downe fire and brimstone from heauen and consumed them all as we find in the 19 chapter of Genesis This Ieremie doth shew when he saith I will get me to the great men and will speake vnto them for they haue knowne the way of the Lord and the iudgement of their God but these haue altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Ier. 5.5 This Hosea doth shew when he saith They are all hot as an ouen and haue deuoured their Iudges all their kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth vnto me saith the Lord. Hos 7.7 This Amaziah though a wicked man doth shew when he said to Amos the Lords Prophet O thou Seer go flye thou away into the land of Iudah and there eate thy bread and prophesie there but prophesie no more at Bethel for it is the kings Chappell and it is the kings Court Amos 7.11.12 This the story of the Acts of the Apostles doth shew when they were apprehended cast into prison beaten and put to death by Herod by the high Priests and other officers and states men for gouernment as we may see in the 4.5.12 and other chapters of the same booke This the complaint of the Church doth shew when she doth say The watchmen that went about the citie found me they smote me and wounded me the watchmen of the wals tooke away my veile from me Cant. 5.7 for by watchmen here are meant the chiefe rulers of the Church who should watch ouer her for her good and not thus persecute her and wound her as they did This the storie of the ten persecutions doth shew when Nero Domitian Traian Antonie Seuerus Maximinus Decius Valerian Aurelian and Dioclesian most bloudy Emperours of Rome did make hauocke of the Church of God and persecute to the death such as did call vpon his holy name This lastly the example of all ages doth shew and daily experience with men of our time when we with our owne eyes do see and with our owne eares do heare what bloudy things are decreed in the Church of Rome in Spaine and in other places against true Protestants and the sincere seruants of the Lord euen by them that are in the highest roomes and do beare the chiefest sway amongst men in those dominions But how may this come to passe Reason may some man say that the highest persons and the chiefest for wealth and authoritie do thus oppose themselues against the Lord and his most holy and blessed wayes For of all men in the word they are most beholding vnto God and haue greater causes as one should iudge to loue him and to worship him then the meaner and poorer people haue For first they are daintily educated and with great charges brought vp in all good literature and learning Secondly they haue abundance of riches and worldly wealth to supply their wants at all times Thirdly they haue great honor and reputation amongst the sonnes of men in all places for gouernment and the matters of this world Lastly they excell all others for the most part in their persons both for wit and other naturall qualities of the mind and also for pulchritude and other goodly properties of the body Surely for all these causes
for him and beseech him most earnestly vpon the knees of our soules that he would alwayes keepe him in his feare that he may neuer fall but abide euermore in his holy integritie amongst vs but beware we that we neuer forget our dutie vnto him but remaine alwayes faithfull and louing vnto him vnto the end And so I passe from this first doctrine and come vnto the second Out of the manner of their rebellion and conspiracie in that they did band themselues and sit in Councell against the Lord and his Annointed Doctr. we collect this doctrine that there are Councels and Parliaments held as well against the Lord as for the Lord and cleane contrary vnto his truth as for his truth This we may see by those Councels which were held in the time of the old Testament as first in the dayes of Omri when cruell and wicked statutes were made against the Lord and his people as may be gathered out of Micha chap. 6.16 Secondly in the dayes of Ahab when all the men of Izreel euen the Elders and gouernors thereof the Nobles and others did assemble together and pronounce death against innocent Naboth for his vineyards sake which he had before denied vnto the king 1. King 21.8 c Thirdly in the dayes of Ieroboam when he tooke counsell and made two calues of gold for diuine worship the one whereof he set in Bethel and the other in Dan. 1. King 12.28.29 Lastly in the dayes of Nabuchadnezzar to passe ouer others when a golden image was set vp in the plaine of Dura in the prouince of Babel for all men to worship vnder paine of extreme punishment euen to be cast into the midst of an hot firie furnace Dan. 3.1 c. This you may see by those Councels which were held in the time of the new Testament in the dayes of our Sauiour and his Apostles For in them the Iewes did not onely excommunicate all those that did confesse Christ Ioh. 9.22 and forbid the Apostles to preach any more in his name Act. 4.18 but they did also in their solemne Councels condemne him to death Math. 26.66 and so caused the Lord of glorie to be crucified Lastly this you may see by those Councels which were held since that time vntill our dayes as by the Councell which was held at Antioch when Athanasius was condemned and the Arrian heresie approued by the Councell held at Ephesus when Eutyches heresie was allowed by the Councell held at Neocasarea when second mariage was forbiddē by the Councell held at Nice when it was concluded that in holy Churches the images of Saints should be worshipped by the Councell at Constance when they were excommunicated that did receiue the Sacrament in both kinds and to let go others by the Councell held at London when in the dayes of Queene Mary open idolatry was commanded and established by law Well then you see this is a matter most cleare and euident that assemblies and Councels are as well against the Lord as for the Lord. But what may the reasons thereof be will you say They are in number these two The one is Reason because the wicked and vngodly haue their assemblies and councels as well as the godly and holy ones as all Chronicles do manifest vnto vs. For as no man doth gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles so no good thing can proceed from them but onely that which is naught and wicked being enmitie to the Lord and all holy wayes according to the qualitie of their crooked and peruerse nature from whence it doth proceed The other is because the godly themselues who haue also their Councels and Assemblies are not perfectly holy but many imperfections do still remaine in them while they are here in this world according to the tenor of the whole Scripture and that saying of Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13.9 c. For we know in part and we prophesie in part and so forth For they failing through these their imperfections sometimes in iudgement for want of a discerning and vnderstanding spirit and sometimes in affection through the predominant passions of the soule which are not yet rectified according to the word it must needs be that now and then they erre and misse and establish such matters as haue no sanctitie or holinesse inherent in them For this is a most sure ground both in diuinitie and in philosophie that as the cause is such is the effect and therefore seeing the cause here is bad the effect cannot be good but be bad also It is good for vs to thinke on this point Vse and to fasten this doctrine deeply in our soules which now we haue handled For it will be seruiceable vnto vs many wayes For out of it first we may learne contrary to the doctrine of Rome that Councels may erre and be deceiued They hold they cannot and for this wicked assertion of theirs they abuse certaine places of holy Scripture as that in Acts 15.28 It seemed good to vs and the holy Ghost that in Math. 28.20 I am with you to the end of the world and that in Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me So then thus they argue Councels are neuer without the Spirit of God therefore can they not erre A silly argument as though the Spirit of God were at their commandement or were tied to places and persons or being present did leade men into all truth as it did the Apostles whose preachings and decrees are now and were then the rules of our faith and manners Tush Councels are now and then without the Spirit of God as consisting either onely of wicked persons or of a mixt number both good and bad whereof the greater part is the worse as theirs also seemed to be at Rome vnder Iohn the 23 when there appeared a great Owle which stared and outfaced the Pope who blushed at the matter and fuming rose vp and departed and when others whispered one in anothers eare saying That the spirit appeared in the likenesse of an Owle And as Councels are without the Spirit oftē so when they naue it they haue it not in fulnesse or perfection as we touched before and therfore doth not keepe them from all error or mistaking but they may erre notwithstanding the presence of the Spirit which is within them Let this suffice for the confutation of the Papists In the second place we may here learne that seeing there are Councels and Parliaments held as well against the Lord as for the Lord that we must not rashly approue of all things which are established decreed by Councels and Parliaments but we must first examine them whether they be agreeable to the word of God or no. Try all things saith Paul in 1. Thes 5.21 and hold fast that which is good The like counsell Iohn doth giue vs saying Beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1. Ioh.
to account for such For our selues if we flie the corruption which is in the world through lust and giue all diligence thereunto ioyning moreouer vertue with our faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue we may assure our owne soules that we are the children of God and that he hath begotten vs vnto life eternall as Peter doth well declare in the first chapter of his second Epistle the 10. and 11. verses thereof For others we are to take them onely for the children of God who walke not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit and do become new creatures performing the same holy duties with vs whereof mention was made out of Peter last of all But if either we our selues or others faile herein leading wicked or loose liues we may tremble and feare but we must not challenge this prerogatiue vnto our selues to be called the sonnes of God nor giue it vnto others that are vnworthy of the same For as God is holy so are all those holy who are borne of him but as for the rest who are wicked and naught they belong to the Diuell who was a sinner from the beginning as Iohn doth teach vs in the place before alleaged Wherefore looke to your selues that you may be boly and righteous rising from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse that thereby you may be assured that God is your father and that he hath begotten you and beware also what title and appellation you giue vnto others that none may be wronged but euery one may haue that which doth of right belong vnto him Hauing thus spoken of the person of Christ or his sonne-ship now we are to speake of his office or princely kingdome wherein is set downe first the largenesse of it in the 8. verse then secondly the inuincible power of it in the 9. verse In handling these things I will be as briefe as I can In describing the largenesse of it there is included a duty which he must performe namely prayer then the fruit of it which is a great and large gift I will ioyne both these together for breuities sake Aske of me saith the text these are the words of God the Father inuiting Dauid or Christ to aske somewhat of him and enioyning them a certaine duty to performe if they would haue their kingdomes enlarged The words following containe the gift it selfe which God would bestow vpon them vpon their prayer and petition which they should make vnto him And I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession A worthy reward of such a small duty as prayer is and a gift as we say most worthy of a king Surely as God is such is his gift For as he is great and mighty so is his gift here great and mighty It is obserued of Alexander the Great that he gaue to one Perillus for the marriage of his daughter fiftie talents and when Perillus told him that it was too much by halfe he answered him and sayd If halfe be enough for thee to take yet it is not enough for me to giue And in like manner when he had giuen vnto a poore Aegyptian a rich and populous citie and the Aegyptian stood all astonished at it supposing that he had mocked him Take quoth he to him that which I giue thee for if thou art Bias that demandest I am Alexander that giueth Thus he would giue gifts according to his owne ability and power So euen so doth the Lord our God deale here he doth bestow his gifts according to his owne ability and power Though halfe a kingdome be a great gift yet a whole kingdome is but a small gift with him Dauid and Christ must haue more of him then that For Dauid who was but the figure and type of Christ had of him not onely the whole kingdome of Israel and Iudah but all the heathen also that were round about him as the Ammonites Moabites Aramites Philistims Amalekites and diuerse others all which were in subiection and became tributaries to him as may be seene by the second booke of Samuel and namely by the 8. chapter thereof But as for Christ who was the body and truth he had spacious and large dominions of him indeed For he bestowed vpon him not onely one kingdome or two alone but all the kingdomes of the world from one end thereof vnto the other as the Apostle doth at large declare in his 1. chap. to the Ephe. in his 2. chap. to the Phil. Wherupon Christ himselfe spake vnto his Disciples saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen earth Go therfore and teach all nations baptizing thē in the name of the Father the Son the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you as it is in Math 28.18.19.20 Here I might stand vpon the largenesse of Christs kingdome and gather some good obseruations out of the vniuersality thereof as to shew that wheresoeuer we liue or be yet we are vnder his dominion and are there to worship him and that if we do once offend him and play a treacherous part with him there is no place of safetie for vs to flie vnto to escape his power and hand as who doth reigne throughout all the world and not in some places alone as kings here vpon the earth do amongst whom malefactors yea most vile and notorious traytors do escape oftentimes death and other punishments according to their just deserts because they shift out of one mans kingdome into another But I will passe them ouer to your owne considerations come to more neceslary points for our learning A duty you see here is enioyned vpon Christ that he must pray to his Father for his kingdome and aske the same of him Againe a large promise is made vnto him that if he shall so do he shall haue an ample one indeed euen such an one as shall reach from one end of the world vnto the other Vpon both these brances a man might seuerally insist and stand but as I promised before I will conioyne them both together that of two works I may for shortnesse sake make but one Wherefore the doctrine which is to be collected out of them both together is this Doct. that men must pray to God for benefits and that by praying vnto him they shall obtaine them Aske saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For whosoeuer asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened as it is in Math. 7.7.8 Likewise Iames doth say making instance in one particular which is wisedome If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God which giueth vnto all men liberally and reproacheth no man
Gods name and the doing of his will before the food that we liue by much more before the sins and pleasures which we perish by And so soone lastly as he receiueth any talent or gift from aboue he is commanded to vse them to shew that we must go about the Lords businesse and not our owne be occupied alone in such matters as may bring glory and honour vnto his name So that nothing is to be preferred before the Lord but the Lord before all things and therefore repentance not to be deferred any time but the workes thereof to be done out of hand that so God may haue his due and right in being serued and honored before all things as he ought to be Finally because all seruice whatsoeuer is onely due vnto the Lord who may iustly challenge vnto himselfe as his owne due and right our selues and all that we haue Ye are bought for a price saith Paul in 1. Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit for they are Gods We must loue the Lord our God you know with all our hearts with all our soules and with all our strength Deut. 6.5 And we are deliuered from our enimies you know also to this end that we should serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Luke 1.75 So that God must haue all we may not take so much as an houre no not so much as a minute of an houre and bestow the same vpon the seruice of the world the flesh or the diuell but he that hath made vs must haue euery part and portion thereof And therfore in all these respects you see we must immediatly without any further delay apply our hearts to wisedome and seeke only those things which do concerne the Lord and his worship and take no more care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof The vse hereof standeth chiefly in three things Vse The first sheweth the great folly and wickednesse that is in the world whose propertie is euermore to deferre their repentance till the last If we should see a man wounded to death as we speake that is sorely hurt and mangled in his body and yet would seeke for no remedy to cure himselfe which might be had presently but would post it off from day to day a long time together we should thinke that he were desperate or foolish Or if we should heare of a man that hauing offended the kings Maiestie and for the same were likely to be put to death who yet would not seeke to pacifie his wrath and to stay the execution against himselfe though he did know how to do it but would deferre it from time to time and say that he would consult thereof hereafter braine sicke and mad would we take him to be So euen so doth the world deale For though they know how to asswage Gods anger that is kindled against them for their sinnes yet they will not take that course in hand but they will post it off till the last and so hazard their eternall saluation vpon an vncertaintie Herein the diuell doth most bewitch them and lull them fast asleepe in the bed of their securitie Looke how racking vsurers are wont to giue day to yong heires from time to time vntill at last they winde their inheritance from them So doth he deale with them he doth harden them on still from day to day in their sinnes vntill he hath gotten them for his owne inheritance and firme possession in hell for euer But to leaue the world let vs come to our selues out of this in the second place we may learne that it is our part and dutie not to runne on still in our transgressions as the most do but presently and out of hand to leaue them and to turne vnto the Lord our God As Abraham rose vp betimes in the morning and deferred no time to go to sacrifice his sonne Isaac according to Gods commandement as it is in Gen. 22.3 So we must make hast and post off no day to go to sacrifice our sinnes and transgressions that do offend the Lord and displease him All of vs do confesse that our sinnes must be left and that God must be serued but we cannot accord of the time when to begin One saith he will begin when he is rich another saith he will begin when he is free an other saith he will begin when he is settled an other saith he will begin when he is out of debt an other saith he will begin when he is old and so forward We are like the Iewes in the first of Haggay who said The time was not yet come when they should build the Temple But beloued the time is present we must change our minds out of hand and turne to the Lord. Did euer any whom we reade of in the Scriptures feeling the piercing power of Gods Spirit smitting vpon the rocks of their hidden hearts within take time with the Lord and say They would yeeld after two moneths foure moneths or the like No no they did not couenāt with the Lord for any time but presētly they were conuerted they staied not an houre houering hammering looking backe to Sodom with Lots wife or to Aegypt with the Iewes but ioyfully embraced the truth without delay To day to day is the voice of God as you haue heard and to morrow to morrow is the voyce of Satan Christ you know would not suffer one of his Disciples to go home as it were to bury his father but he must leaue that businesse to others and come and follow him as it is in Math. 8.22 So that no delay in the world must be made but immeadiatly we must leaue our sinnes and go about the Lords businesse Many reasons there are as you haue heard before to moue vs vp thereunto I pray remember them well and let them stirre you vp to the discharge of your dutie that this day wherein I do now speake vnto you may be the day of your sound cōuersiō vnto the Lord for the which hereafter you may reioyce for euermore Say not with your selues that you will repent hereafter For first you are not sure that you shall liue till hereafter As the Israelites died while the meate was in their mouthes Numb 11.33 And as Iobs children were killed as they were banquetting in their eldest brothers house Iob 1.18 So may you die or be killed on the suddaine before you are aware Goe to now saith Iames in Chap. 4.13.14 ye that say To day or to morrow we will goe into such a citty and continue there a yeare and buie and sell and get gaine and yet yee cannot tell what shall be to morrow For what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away Secondly if you had a charter of your liues as no man hath and so were sure to liue till hereafter yet you are not certaine that then you
not so much as think one good thought as Paul doth confesse of himselfe in 2. Cor. 3.5 Lastly you must often and seriously thinke on all the reasons before going as also deeply meditate with your selues vpon Gods fearefull iudgements which he hath executed vpon sinners from time to time For this will breed in your hearts a sense awe of his Maiestie as we may see by many stories in the Bible and namely by that which is written in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 5. verse 11. where you find that feare came on all the Church and on as many as heard what iudgement fell vpon Ananias and Sapphira his wife when both of them fell downe at Peters feete and yeelded vp the ghost before him Wherefore performe these things with care and conscience and no doubt but you shall haue the true feare of the Lord at the last within you Hitherto of the first point now followeth the second which is ioy Andreioyce saith the Prophet In the entrance of the Psalme it is euident that they were grieued against the Lord and that they did as it were loathe and abhorre him but now on the contrary side they are willed to reioyce in him and to be glad in his behalfe and there is good reason for it too not onely because he hath set such a good and bountifull king ouer them as his Sonne is but also because he himselfe is so sweete a God and his seruice so pleasant and beneficial as it is Then as men do desire to haue their seruants to reioyce in them and in their seruice and to doe whatsoeuer they doe with chearefull hearts so the Lord would haue them his seruants to reioyce in him in his seruice and not to go about his busines with murmuring and repining soules but with cheerfulnesse and alacritie of spirit Learne we then from hence this doctrine Doct. that we must reioyce and be glad in the Lord our God and in all that seruice which we do performe vnto him To this we are exhorted in many places of the word Be glad ye righteous saith Dauid in Psal 32.11 and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all ye that are vpright in heart Likewise Paul writing vnto the Philippians in the 4. Chap. and 4. verse thereof he doth stirre them vp vnto the same duty saying Reioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce But those places which are in Esay 54.1 and in Zophonie 3.14 c. are excellent for this purpose if they be well considered of and therefore I pray reade them at your leisure and marke them well But to leaue the doctrine Reasons which is cleare and cuident of it selfe and to come to the reasons of it to consider with our selues why we should do it they are in number these two First because he doth excell and passe all the creatures in the whole world for all good things whatsoeuer For we are wont to reioyce in such things as are singular and do go beyond others for goodnesse As for example if a man hath a faire beautifull woman to his wife passing other women for beautie or pulchritude Or if he hath a goodly child of admirable parts to his sonne excelling other children for learning and other rich endowments Or lastly if he hath a stately commodious house for his dwelling ouer-matching all other houses in the country about him for pompe and necessary vses how much doth he reioyce in these daily experience doth teach vs that they are the only ioy and delight of his soule And euen so should it be with vs in regard of our God for he doth passe and excell all others whatsoeuer as in wisedome in mercy in iustice in power in loue in goodnesse in glory and the rest And therefore we should reioyce in him and make him our sole delight and pleasure The other reason is this because he doth and also is most able to do vs most good and to blesse vs both here in this world and also in the world to come For it is an vsuall thing with vs euermore to reioyce in those things which are good and profitable vnto vs and the more commodious and beneficiall any thing is vnto vs the more commonly do we reioyce and delight therein I need not demonstrate this vnto you by any examples For you know it too well your selues Doubtlesse if any of vs haue but a friend who is alwayes kind and louing vnto vs as being ready still with his horse to lend it vs with his plough to labour for vs with his money to lay it out vpon vs and with his body to go and come at our desire for our profite and emolument we cannot but greatly reioyce in him and be exceeding glad that euer we met with such a good and faithfull friend But behold dearely beloued the Lord our God doth passe him by many and infinite degrees for all that we haue we haue from him he doth neuer faile vs but he doth helpe vs euery day and night and he is able to do vs good for euermore to blesse vs here and all that we haue and to crowne vs with glory hereafter in the heauens aboue where shall be ioy and no sorrow health and no sicknesse holinesse and no wickednesse glory and no shame riches and no pouerty life and no death and in one word happinesse and no misery And therefore there is great cause why we should reioyce and be glad in him Vse This then plainly reproueth such as take their delight and pleasure in worldly matters and in the vanities of this life but not in the Lord nor his wayes Some you shall find reioycing in their wisdome some in their riches some in their strength some in their parentage some in their honors some in their sports some in one thing and some in another but few in the Lord and his seruice But this is condemned you may see in Ieremy 9.23.24 where the Lord doth forbid the wise man to glory in his wisedome and the strong man to glory in his strength and the rich man to glory in his riches and doth command all to glory in him and his knowledge And therefore Paul doth say Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. 1. Cor. 1.31 2. Cor. 10.17 Secondly as this doth controlle them who take no pleasure in the Lord but do go about his seruice with vnwilling and heauie hearts like vnto the Beare that is drawne to the stake so it doth teach vs that that is but a slaunder which is cast out against vs when men say that Religion breeds melancholy and cuts off all mirth and ioy For here you see we are called vpon to reioyce and this ioy also that is in vs is exceeding large and great For Peter doth shew that it is vnspeakable and glorious in 1. Pet. 1.8 when he saith that we do beleeue in Christ though we see him not and do reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And Esay