question the Lord approueth Then the the lesson we gathered was this All office-bearers ought so to behaue thēselues in this life that in their death they may haue the testimony of a good conscience for it is not possible that the conscience can testifie well except in time he take vp a new trade of liuing except you keepe your hands free of other mens sinnes And therefore I exhorted all inferiour magistrates superiour and in speciall the supreme that the Lord by his spirit would so rule your conscience Sir that ye may keepe your selfe free from other mens iniquities Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now followeth the comfort that the King being placed in this extremity did finde the Lord sendeth him comfort from heauen The forme and manner of the comfort is set downe in there verses which I haue read but the circumstances are more particularly set downe in the 2. King 20. chap. Alwayes this order is kept in these verses First in the 4. verse is set downe the circumstance of time when this comfort was offered and vpon the circumstance of time the circumstance of place where he was when he receiued this comfort may easilie be gatherd Besides this the persons the Author the giuer of this commission the Minister and bearer are noted Vnto this verse before that he come to the comfort he vseth a preface in the end of this preface there is a narration that the Lord had heard the kings prayer had seene his teares In the third place he propoundeth the comfort And last of all we haue the confirmation of this proposition by a wonderfull signe and miracle from heauen Then to come backe to the 4. verse he touched the circumstance of time very obscurely when the King receiued this comfort for it is said Then came the word of the Lord. This particle Then is relatiue to that time which is more chearely set downe in 2. King 20. This then is to be vnderstod when the Prophet was in the middle court when the word of the Lord came vnto him and commanded him to stay look how much space there was betwixt the Kings bed where he lay and the second hall as great space is there betwixt the denunciation the recalling thereof He was not as yet passed the second hall when the word of the Lord came vnto him and commanded him to go backe and to recall that same sentence in a moment with one mouth which before he pronounced now he commandeth him to pronounce the contrary This is a wonderfull change in such a suddainnes and vpon this suddainnes there are many notable things that offer themselues worthy of consideration First of this suddainnes marke this lesson we see how pithie and effectuall the prayer of the King hath bene this prayer is so effectuall that in a moment it moueth the great God to reuerse that same sentence which he had pronounced that which heauen nor earth nor any other creature was able to alter he maketh the prayer of his owne seruant to call backe Beside this his prayer purchased health of bodie length of dayes a sure and prosperous estate and afterward all this is confirmed by such a wonderfull miracle the like whereof was neuer seene nor heard of before Looke then if the prayers of the faithfull be not wondrous effectuall It is not possible that all these effects can flow of the pithinesse of prayer seeing there is nothing so weake in it selfe but it cometh of the free nature of God whose nature is to be mercifull and it is the nature of mercie to haue pitie vpon miserie This is the reason why our prayers are in an instant of time heard And here also we may learne how well God answers to the names that are giuen him Exod. 34.6 where he is called exceeding mercifull slow to anger readie to forgiue he vttereth himselfe to be a God of great compassion and exceeding in mercie toward vs in such sort that in an instant sometimes he granteth our requests The last thing that I marke vpon the suddainnes is the strict and entire coniunction that is betwixt the faithfull soule in earth on the one part and God in heauen on the other part This coniunction is so entire and strict that it maketh God as present to our prayers as if heauen and earth were ioyned together This coniunction maketh his Sonne Christ to be as neare in time of neede as if he had placed his throne of grace in the bed where we lie To prooue this ye see how speedily his prayer mounteth ye see how swiftly the answer returneth and with such celeritie all this matter is done as if there were no distance betwixt heauen and earth So the lesson is this The faithfull soule hath God as present as if heauen and earth were ioyned together There is no distance of place no distance of roome that can make God to consume time in doing of his will but where faith is it maketh him so present that incontinently we get our dispatch Craue not therefore ô Papist any other presence then this and examine not this presence by naturall reason for where faith hath place naturall reason must ceasse Examine not these things by reason of nature which are aboue nature Thus far concerning the circumstance of time Now of the circumstance of time I gather the circumstance of place where the King was when he receiued this comfort For if the Prophet was commanded to turne backe when he was in the second hall it behooueth the King to be at home lying on his owne bed And this by the way is a great signe of the fauour of God toward him that his sicknesse taketh him at home where he might be best eased without the trouble of others This is by the way Now as to the third circumstance The Author of the comfort no doubt was God for there is no good gift but it floweth from him The minister that he vsed is his owne Prophet He vseth the ministerie of his Prophet in applying of the comfort not that he was forced to vse the ministerie of man in doing of this thing but so it pleaseth the Lord to ingage and binde himselfe to his instruments that he will not worke beside them so it pleased him to binde him to his preached word that beside his word he will not worke And therefore he calleth his word a Sword a fire an hammer and an arrow and that from the diuerse effects that he worketh by his word As he bindeth him to his word so he willingly bindeth him to his seruants who are the Ministers of his word to worke by their ministerie In such sort that he will not be bound to the word pronounced by euery man and woman but by them whom he sendeth And therefore they are in an error who thinke that by their owne reading of the Scriptures in their priuate houses they are able to get as
in his soule that in the 17. verse he calleth it bitter bitternesse he hath no words to expresse this bitternesse what euer it was Where the iudgements of God make such a print in the soule it is long ere sinne can blot it out and so long as the memory of the iudgement remaineth it is easie to be thankfull it is easie to go forward in doing some part of our duty it is easie to stand in aw that we fall not into the hands of God but when we blot out this memory we returne to that same puddle out of the which we were deliuered Therefore I commend to you to craue of God a sanctified memory that ye may kepe fresh the iudgements of God which either ye haue seene in others or felt in your owne bodies that the feeling of these iudgements may serue you to be thankfull to him and may make you to stand in aw and beware to fall into the hands of a consuming fire Now this King finding this benefite so sweete he is compelled to burst forth in the praise of the word of God which brought forth so good an effect And first he praiseth it generally from the good it doeth vnto all men Then he prayseth it in particular from his owne particular experience comfort which he receiued in his owne person This doctrine is necessary and notable for these times First then he praiseth the word from the good it worketh in all flesh By these things sayth he men liue that this by the force of these words it commeth to passe that we enioy the benefite of this naturall life wherby we liue in this body vpon earth For the Lords word calleth on things that are not as though they were and his word maketh them to be By his word he created heauen and earth by his word he gaue man life and breath and whatsoeuer is necessary to him By his word he assigned to him the earth the seasons and bounds of his habitation To this end that man being created according to the image of God he might seeke God and no doubt he is not farre from euery one of vs For as the Apostle sayth Act. 17. In him we liue moue and haue our being And as this is true in this naturall life so is it as true in the entertainment of this life for by the benefit of this word we are sustained For our life standeth not onely in meate and drinke but in euery word that proceedeth out of the Lords mouth Mat. 4. that is in euery thing wherunto the Lord giueth power to nourish For it is the Lords word that giueth power to nourish vs. And suppose meate and drinke were remoued the Lord is able to make stones to nourish vs. This good King acknowledged this good effect to come of the word and therefore he praiseth the word Now after he had praised it from the generall effect he goeth forward and praiseth it from his owne particular experience and he saith in the conclusion of these things The life of my soule standeth that is in thy saying and doing in thy truth and mercy in thy promising and keeping thereof standeth the life of my soule as if the King would say Not onelie haue I this naturall life which I liue in this miserable bodie by the benefite of the word but I haue a more precious life the life of my soule and spirit which discerneth me from the rest of mankind which putteth me in a better estate then the rest of the world which maketh mine heauen to begin here which neuer shall end For as there is a life and death of the body so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the body may be conioyned with the death of the soule and the death of the body may stand with the life of the soule The life of the body standeth in the presence of the soule the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life Except the soule be borne againe by the Spirit of life ye shall neuer see the face of God before the soule be quickned by the Spirit of life it remaineth a dead carion dead in sinne dead in the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle saith Ephes. 2. Colos. 2. And consequently there remaineth but a carriō both in soule body the soule being as void of a spirituall and heauenly life as a carion is of a naturall life The words of the Apostle in that place in sundry places are Dead in sinne dead in trespasses and in the vncircumcised lusts of the flesh Where death hath place life must be wholly extinguished and where death hath place there can neither be halfe life quarter life nor a breath of life But so it is that death hath place in our soule by nature Therefore by nature there cannot be so much as a sparke of that heauenly life in it And if there be not so much as a sparke of life in it where is that halfe or quarter life whereof the Papists speake They will not haue it dead but lamed or crooked The Apostle saith in plaine tearmes that it is dead and therefore that spirituall life must be wholly put out and consequently all kind of will to good and all sight of God in Christ is banished away this death of the soule remaineth perpetually in vs vntill such time that the participation of the Spirit of life which is in the body of Christ Iesus free vs from the law of sinne and from the law of death which is in our owne nature Rom. 8. Now would ye know whether your soule liueth or not Would ye perceiue whether this Spirit of life be begun in you or not I will giue you certaine effects whereby ye may examine the life of the soule There are many effects giuen vs in the Scriptures as namely Gala. 6. But I leaue them choose three speciall effects whereby euery one may discerne of the life of the soule There is first that inward peace of conscience There is next that ioy and reioycing vnder trouble There is thirdly a loue of God a loue of vertue and an hatred of vice where euer any of these three hath place there the soule liueth where thou findest thy conscience refreshed and thy soule recreate from the great terrors manifold pangs of sinne no question the soule liueth for this is the effect of the right Spirit and this is the right peace whereof the world is ignorant that passeth all naturall vnderstanding The more thou makst this peace to grow the more thou liuest in thy soule The more this peace groweth the more sinne decayeth the more thou castest out all that baggage of sin that troubleth the quiet estate of the conscience In a word the onely thing that troubleth the soule that disquieteth the conscience and that we haue to cast out is sinne For sinne is the onely thing that seuereth vs from God in whom there
is onely true peace and quietnesse to be found Therefore our exercise should chiefly stand in this to expell this enemy and monster sinne and to possesse that sauing iuice and wholsome peace that passeth all vnderstanding The second effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we know by experience that trouble of it owne nature cannot bring forth this ioy but bringeth forth the contrary effects as sadnesse heauinesse and sorrow Now where the Spirit is so disposed that we reioyce vnder trouble this is a sure argument of the blessed Spirit the Spirit of life which onely quickneth the soule and this ioy maketh vs not onely to reioyce in trouble but to glory also as sayth the Apostle For surely the crosse of Christ is our onely ioy the shame of Christ is our onely honour Hereby we perceiue the great glory that the Lord hath called vs to that not onely he maketh vs to beleeue his word but to suffer for him also onely ye haue to take heede to your troubles For this ioy accompanieth not all troubles but onely those troubles that are suffred for Christs cause for righteousnesse sake are vnderserued For those troubles that are deserued the like ioy is not to be found in them The third effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the loue of God and hatred of euill Where this loue is kindled in the soule where we beginne to know God to loue him and to taste of him for it is not possible that we can loue him except we haue a taste of his sweetnesse this loue make vs like to God for God is loue as Iohn saith If loue dwell in thine heart God dwelleth in thine heart and this loue is a sure pledge of the life of the soule where this loue is of necessity also there must be a hatred of euill Now trie and examine if the Spirit of life hath wrought these effects in thy soule in any measure if it were neuer so small it is a sure argument that this life is begunne and the life which God hath begunne he will perfect it If the loue of God were neuer so litle and the hatred of euill were neuer so little if any of these effects were but in a small measure ye may be sure that Christ dwelleth in your hearts by faith and that the soule liueth Ye that feele this as I would that ye all felt it prease to nourish and strengthen this life not weary in well doing but go forward in working the works of the Spirit Sow not in the flesh go not forward in the lusts and appetites thereof for ye may learne of the Apostle what aduantage this labour bringeth to wit shame and confusion death of the body and death of soule Rom. 6. But on the contrary go forward in nourishing of the Spirit and in well doing Sow in the Spirit and as the Apostle sayth ye shall reape an euerlasting and incomprehensible life This Spirit then is said to be nourished and corroborate in our hearts when we nourish the light and knowledge of God in Christ Iesus when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith and continue in the exercise of prayer As by the contrary we banish this light of the good Spirit and by our euill doing we banish the knowledge of God in Christ whē we put out this light diminish our perswasion and leaue off the exercise of prayer For by the same meanes whereby the soule liueth they being remoued the soule dieth Therfore those that would liue this way they ought to nourish the knowledge of God they ought to be exercised in well doing in hearing of Gods word in edifying them in their most holy faith and in continuall crauing of grace and mercy by prayer Now the King sayth he hath this life and he hath experience of the good word in this for I take this to be a different life from the other whereof he spake before to wit this is the life of the soule which proceedeth of the word of promise for this word is the power of God to saluation to all them that beleeue Rom. 1. Set your hearts saith Moses Deut. 32 vpon this word for it is not a vaine word it is your life and felicity The words which I speake sayth our Master Iohn 6. are Spirit life And from this Iohn calleth him the word of life the bread of life Peter saith whom shall we go to for in thee are the words of life It is he that hath life in himselfe Iohn 5. From this also it is said 1. Cor. 15. that as the first Adam was made a liuing soule so the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit and by reason we are made participant of this spirit by the ministery of his word therefore it is called the word of the Spirit by the same reason we that are his Ministers are counted the Ministers of the Spirit as the Apostle calleth vs 2. Cor. 3. They that would reade further of the praise of this word I remit them to the 19. Psalme where the properties of this word are exactly set downe I will end here Who so looketh vpon the precious effects of this word and on the other side looketh vpon our vnhappy behauior I am assured it would astonish any Christian heart to behold how the Lord can suffer our contempt so long as he doth For formerly whereas there was skarsly crummes of this bread of life to be had in this countrie men sought it out diligently and ran to haue it with such zeale that they compassed both sea and land they spared neither trauell nor cost but forcibly as it were thronged and thrusted in and made irruption in this kingdome But now when it hath pleased the Lord to offer vnto vs great plentie of this foode we so despise the bountie and liberality of this good God that we turne this great grace and mercie of his into iudgement and vengeance vpon our owne heads And as to the greatest part of the multitude they disdain it so spitefully that they had rather embrace the leauen of the Pharisies and draw them to that company where they can haue no other foode but songes maskes mummings and vnknowne Languages And so thinke to feed their soules by the mockery of God Now as to the Gentlemen Earles Lords and Barrons they are so drunken with sacrilegde that ere they will part with these goods they had rather part with the life of their soule yea when it cometh to this that the word cannot be entertained but by their expences they make no choyse but had rather lose their soules an hundred times ere they would bestow a halfepenny vpon the Church This is true in the greatest part so it is the Lord that wonderfully continueth the light amongst vs that keepeth a face of a ministery in Scotland There is no good entertainment but a very great pouerty in the most part
Sunne whereof ye heard and heauen and earth shall perish ere a iot of his promise faile Yet notwithstanding this is true that there is such a constancie and fidelitie in him all these promises will not auaile vs except the Lord prepare our hearts yea except he sanctifie our hearts by meanes of faith that in our soules we may see this truth we shall neuer regard it and except he giue vs a heart to apply this truth all the promises which he hath made and is to make serue for no vse to vs. Therefore it is the dutie of all Christians to be instant in crauing that the Lord would prepare their hearts by faith that seeing him in their minds and feeling him in their hearts they may find his mercie and truth and repose in them for euer After this we entred into the recommendation of the word of God and generally we praysed the word from this that we haue the benefit of this temporall life by it as this is true in generall so he goeth forward and praiseth the word from his owne experience in particular and he granteth that not onely he hath the benefit of this temporall life by the word but of the spirituall also And as he hath the life whereby he liueth in his body by it so he hath by it the life whereby he liueth in the soule For as there is a life and death of the bodie so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the bodie may be conioyned well with the death of the soule for we may liue in the bodie and be dead in the soule at one time Also the death of the bodie may stand with the life of the soule for we may depart from this life and go to a better The life of the bodie standeth in the presence of the soule but the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life except our soules be borne anew againe by the vertue of that Spirit of life it is not possible that we can see God and taste of his ioy For by nature we are not onely hurt lame maimed but altogeâ—her dead in sinne so that looke how voide a corps is of a naturall life as voide are we of a heauenly and spirituall life The reason is this where death hath place there life must be wholly put out But by nature death hath place in vs therefore the spiâ—ituall life must be wholly put out If the Spiâ—it of life be wholly put out there remaineth not so much as a breath out of the which any good cogitations or actions may proceede If so be there is not so much as one breath where is all that free-will of the Papists where is that integritie which remaineth in the filthie nature Then I say we naturally remaine in the death of bodie and soule still vntill that by the paâ—ticipation of the Spirit of life which dwelleth in the bodie of Christ vntill I say that this Spirit free vs from sin and death And so vntill this time we shall neuer mount aboue the clouds nor see the face of God And therefore as I exhorted you the last day so I insist in the same exhortation now that euery one of you marke and perceiue your selues whether you haue such a life begun in you or not I gaue you three effects which will neuer deceiue you The first is if ye find your selues refreshed and recreate in your spirits from the terrours of your conscience and the feare of sinne which recreation and refreshment of the spirit is called that peace that passeth all vnderstanding whereof the world is ignorant he that findeth any of this if it were neuer so little within him no question he hath this life begun in him and the more this peace is augmented the more the life groweth But this peace groweth by remoouing of sinne Therefore our whole studie should be to remooue sinne for the onely thing that troubleth the conscience is sinne Take away sinne the conscience shall be at rest Wherefore this was the chiefe effect I willed you to take heede vnto The second effect is ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we see trouble of the owne nature bringeth not foorth this effect but rather bringeth foorth sorrow heauinesse and lamentation Then when our spirit is so disposed that vnder trouble we reioyce and glorie in it this is the Spirit of life This ioy is not in all troubles it is not in the trouble which we procure but onely in the trouble which we sustaine for righteousnesse sake and which we sustaine for Christ his sake The third effect is if ye haue a loue of God and good men and a hatred of euill where these effects are in any measure no doubt but the Spirit of life is there As by the contrary where there is a loue of wicked and euill men no question let them speake of Christ as they will the spirit of the diuell hath full dominion This Spirit of life we shew was entertained by nourishing of the knowledge of God when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith when we nourish the exercise of prayer As by the contrary the Spirit is put out when by our euill doings we put out the knowledge of God when we diminish our perswasion of his mercie in Christ fall from the exercise of prayer Then ye that haue this life begunne nourish it by well doing for by well doing no question our faith is corroborate Delight therefore in well doing sow in the Spirit and not in the flesh run not with the thiefe nor consent not with the murtherer for so ye shall be participant of their punishment but sow in the Spirit and of this ye shall reape an euerlasting and comfortable life where otherwise of sinne ye shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting condemnation I haue discoursed long on this head because it is very necessarie and I would wish you to consider of these things Thinke on the great benefits of God granted vnto this countrey Thinke againe vpon our ingratitude and vnnaturall behauiour There is no Christian that will weigh these two in one ballance but he shall conclude that it is wonderfull why the Lord suffereth iniquitie in this countrey so long to be vnpunished Formerly when there was but crums of the bread of life they ran to seeke it so that they compassed both sea and land and spared neither trauell nor cost to be ingrafted into the kingdome of Christ But now when there is plentie of it we haue taken such a lothsomnesse thereof that we abuse the liberalitie of God offered to vs and turne his grace and mercie into vengeance on our owne heads For as to the multitude ye see that they haue alreadie preferred the leauen of the Pharises and gone to mumchances mumries and vnknowne language wherein they pudled before As to the noble and gentlemen they are so drunken with sacriledge that rather then they will render these goods
must redound backe to him that gaue it Therefore the nearer the soule is conioyned with God it praiseth him so much the more Now after the death of the bodie the soules of the faithfull are more straightly coupled with God therefore after death they praise him the more Where Christ hath dwelt once in this life suppose the bodies die and be resolued in powder by reason of sinne yet the soule liueth by reason of righteousnesse Yea suppose the body be dissolued yet that Spirit of life that dwelt in the soule raiseth thy soule to heauen euen as the Spirit of life that dwelt in Christ Iesus raised his bodie from the graue And as the Spirit of life is the onely cause that made vs to praise him in our bodies so that same Spirit maketh vs to praise him out of these bodies by reason suppose we be absent in bodie yet are present in our soule with the Lord. For the words Rom. 8 are these If Christ dwell in you suppose the body be dead by reason of sinne yet the Spirit is aliue for righteousnesse sake The meaning of the words is suppose they that are departed leaue off to praise the Lord in their bodies and in the earth which he calleth the land of the liuing yet they leaue not off at all Now of this I shall marke one or two things Take vp the end wherefore the Lord deliuereth any person citie or country from any trouble within or without the chiefe end of his deliuerie is this That that person citie or countrey may serue as an instrument to preach his benefits to sound his praise and to render vnto him heartie thanks for it Are our sinnes forgiuen vs to this end is there any countrey or any citie set at libertie to this end that we should prouoke God to anger by heauier sinnes againe Is this the end wherefore he forgiueth sinnes Is this the end wherefore he bestoweth his benefits that we should vse them as weapons to fight against himselfe Is not this rather the high way to kindle him to greater seueritie and to sharpen his furie against our selues Yea and what exception I pray you can we vse in his greatest seueritie seeing we haue prouoked it our selues I speake it to this end there is not a person in particular nor any in generall but of naturall knowledge they will say There was neuer a greater benefit bestowed on a countrey then in releeuing vs of the feare of that barbarous Nation he must either confesse this or he is an asse This benefit if it were rightly measured and considered reade ouer the Scriptures conferre benefit with benefit miracle with miracle all circumstances being well considered ye shall finde that since the children of Israel came through the red Sea there hath not bene a greater To what end deliuered he vs is it that we should prouoke him with greater sinnes Looke since the feare of these strangers past what sinne is there but this countrey hath defiled her selfe with it See ye not slaughter in greater measure oppression murther without any mercie see ye not all law and equitie trampled vnder foote And briefly see ye not this confusion risen to such a height that euery Lord in his owne bounds is a King what sort of birth I pray you shall this confusion bring foorth At the last it must bring foorth one of these two of necessitie and take heeed ye may chance to see it except the Lord preuent it Either the supreme magistrate and inferiour magistrates must concurre in one voyce to put an end to this confusion or the confusion out of doubt shall put an end to him I am assured one of these two must follow for the weight of his wrath which hangeth ouer this land is insupportable the earth is not able to beare this birth of our iniquitie and if there were no other punishment as I haue often said the earth shall be compelled to spue foorth the inhabitants ere God want meanes to punish As this is true in the countrey in generall so it is as true in this Citie in particular for it neuer came yet for the most part in your hearts to thanke God aright for your deliuerie Therefore the Lord is beginning to let you see that he can raise strangers men who haue the hearts of strangers among our selues he hath meanes enough in the middest of our owne bowels to punish this countrey suppose he seeke not strangers But indeed in this late brag of our neighbour Lord he desireth you to go backe to the consideration of the greatnesse of the last benefit And if ye acknowledge it rightly and be thankfull for it there is no domesticke force ye neede to regard For as to the force that can proceede any way from that man ye know it And surely it would appeare to me that that man hath sold himselfe to iniquitie and the end will declare it except the Lord preuent him with his vndeserued grace which I desire most heartily Although in the meane time suppose there be peace promised yet stand ye on your guards and let it not come to passe by your misbehauiour and backwardnâ—sse that the glory of God and the libertie of this Citie be impaired in any wise but stand on your guardes that as this Citie hath bene a terrour to euill men before-time so it may terrifie him also For no question where God and a good quarrell concurre that side shall haue the vpper hand This onely by the way For it becometh me of my dutie to maintaine the good cause and to instruct you in this point of your dutie The second thing that I marke ye see the glorie of God is euer conioyned with the life of his owne so that we cannot aduance Gods gloâ—ie but we shall further our owne saluation and we cannot neglect the one but we shall neglect the other Seeing thâ—n that these two are necessarily conioyned for Gods sake let euery one remember to set forward the glorie of God in his life so farre as he may according to his estate and calling This life is so miserable in it selfe and there is none that seeth the confusion of this countrey to grow so fast that can looke for any redresse of these things in his own time So here beneath is no comfort all runneth on to such a desolation and miserable confusion that of all liues of the earth our liues were most miserable if we had not a sight of a better For all ioy to be looked for here beneath is taken away Well I leaue this second part and come to the last The third part of this song is in this 20. verse which is the conclusion of the whole song In this conclusion the King testifieth that he will not onely praise God for the present for the benefit which he hath receiued but he maketh a solemne promise that so long as he liueth he will neuer forget this benefit all the dayes of his life
sweetnesse whereby I find his wrath pacified I find his furie pacified And were not this taste of mercie I would neuer turne vnto him But from the time that mine heart getteth a taste of his mercy a taste of that peace that passeth all vnderstanding wherby I find his wrath to be pacified the terrors of my conscience to be quieted the fire of his wrath to be quenched then I begin to turne to him to beleeue in him and to apply the promise of mercie in particular to my selfe which I durst in no wise do so long as I felt nothing but the fire of his wrath vpon my conscience Vpon this feeling I say ariseth the application and vpon the application riseth the turning vnto him So this feeling of wrath in order although not in time goeth before the turning vnto God The turning bringeth forth a ioy and gladnesse for mercy that he hath gotten this ioy bringeth forth a loue toward him As the other part bringeth forth an hatred of sin so this part bringeth forth a loue toward God This loue againe bringeth forth a care and studie to please him and this care and studie bringeth forth an appetite of reuenge and indignation against thy corruption so that thou wouldest be reuenged vpon thy corruption which made thee to sinne and offend against him And this part of repentance in respect of the great and manifold effects of it is called Viuification As the other part is called mortification so is this called viuification in respect the Spirit of God maketh a new creation in vs maketh vs vp as new creatures of old endeweth our hearts with new affections our soules with new qualities bringeth forth in vs liuing motions actions and cogitations which are called liuing because as they proceed from a liuing Spirit so they carie vs to life euerlasting They are called also liuing in respect of those dead actions which we brought forth in former times which were called dead not onely in respect that they flowed from the flesh that is from corruption but because they caried vs vnto the death of body and soule In this respect I call this part viuification others call it confession and it getteth this name in respect the soule that is quickned cannot but burst forth into the praise of God and glorifie him with a confession he cannot conceale the kindnesse of God done vnto him but he will confesse it before the world and proclaime the riches of the mercy of God that they may glorifie a common God and Father with him And this confession is the chiefest thing in the earth which the diuell endeuoureth most diligently to stay For as there is nothing in the earth whereby God is glorified more then by a sincere confession so there is nothing in the earth that the diuell trauelleth more to stay then this confesson in respect he seeth God so farre glorified by it The Lord desireth not the death of a sinner he seeketh not the slaughter of his creature he seeketh but the repairing of his owne glory and this he counteth to be done by a sincere confession of thy sinne Therefore it is I say that the diuell laboureth to stay this confession And to hold them from this confession he casteth in the shame of the world the estimation before men this inconuenience that inconuenience For this ye may perceiue of his craft that where shame is and shame should be indeed when the action is in doing there he maketh vs bold and stout But where no shame is and no shame can follow of it where God should be glorified by a confession his Church edified and men moued through their example to do the like there he casteth in shame and maketh them beleeue it is the most shamefull thing that euer they did and all this that the soule should not be saued but holden drowned in his snare for euer and euer Therefore men would be aduertised of this that they be not ashamed to glorifie God with an open confession As they are not ashamed to sinne publikely so they should not be ashamed to confesse it as publikely that God may be glorified Remember this This is not spoken for this Noble mans cause onely It is spoken for euery one of you that are in inferiour ranks that euery one of you may confesse your owne sinnes And seeing this is the craft of the diuell by the holding you backe that ye may damne your soules be ye as careful to win your soules by confessing your sinnes to the world The confession of Dauid Psal. 51. serueth it to his shame or to his honour No of all the deedes that euer he did it is counted in all ages the most notable and honorable deede So let not the diuell deceiue men in this poynt As to the kinde of repentance which proceedeth of desperation it is nothing woâ—th it turneth not the heart nor the minde but this repenâ—ance which turneth the hearts of men proceedeth of the Spirit of Christ. So it is the Spirit of Christ that is the worker of this true dolor and conuersion As to the instruments which he vseth in working of it they are two First the Law next the Gospell He must first bring in the Law to bring vs to the acknowledging of our sinne For except the Law did threaten vs we would neuer come to the knowledge of our sinnes Then next he bringeth in the Gospell the promises of mercy and grace freely offered in Christ and through Christ to all them that beleeue So the Gospell cometh in the second roome By the Gospel he worketh faith after he hath wrought faith he draweth out exhortations out of the Law and out of the Gospell that according to the Law we may conforme our liues and obey the same in all time to come So the Law and the Gospell are the means whereby repentance is wrought in the soule of man exhortations out of the Law and Gospell are the meanes whereby a good life and conuersation is continued among men As to the Author he letteth vs see that this gift groweth not in our owne breasts nor it proceedeth not of our selues nor from any creature in heauen or earth but from God onely it is the gift of God giuen freely for Christ Iesus his sake For ye may consider with your selues and looke how impossible it was to make our selues the sonnes of men far more impossible it is for vs to make our selues the sons of God And by repentance we are made the children of God companions to the Angels and sonnes of light So that the second creation which is wrought in vs by the Spirit of repentance is a farre more great and excellent worke then our first creation in this world In this part of repentance whereby we are assured of the mercy of God as there is a caution in the other part to be obserued so there is a caution here to be taken heed of for our nature
many euill men that haue sought death and it is as true that there haue bene many good men that haue sought death yet neuer one of these sought death for it selfe for it is not naturall to seeke the dissolution of our selues But these euill men that sought death and put hand on themselues in their appearance they sought it for a better to wit to eschue the present torment and vexation of hell in their conscience wherein they were thinking that their miserable soule being out of the body should be at greater libertie then if it were detained in this prison But they are all deceiued For suppose hell be begun here yet it is not in a full measure vntill this life be done and so the miserable caitife deceiueth himselfe On the other side there haue bene good men that haue sought death but not for it selfe but for a better If they knew not felt not that there were a better life to follow after death they would not seeke it but by reason they see there is a greater ioy to follow after it therefore they regard not to taste in some measure for the present of the bitternesse of death It it true againe I grant that death vnto thee who art a Christian is sanctified in the death of our maister and Sauiour Christ Iesus for blessed is the death of them that die in the Lord. But suppose the death be sanctified yet thou art not wholly sanctified for if thou were as sanctified as the death thou wouldst not haue such a thing as terror paine or griefe in thy death But seeing in the best of vs all there is a remnant of corruption would to God it were but a remnant so thicke and foule that it is shame to speake of it this corruption vrgeth the conscience so that where the conscience is vrged there must be a feare and the more the conscience be vrged the greater is the paine and terror It is true that this feare is tempered by faith that dwelleth in the soule and the hope of ioy that dwelleth in the faithfull soule holdeth this feare in awe that hope of heauenly ioy so swalloweth vp and deuoureth the feare and maketh it to appeare to the looker on that the soule hath no feare but no doubt there is a feare and it is sure there is some griefe It is onely as I haue said the hope of that heauenly ioy that holdeth this feare in awe where this hope is not terrible is that feare wonderfull are these terrours great is that anguish of soule that is there so that I cannot find names to expresse it Terrible it is to see the countenance of God in his iustice there is no creature that can abide it Terrible it is to see their owne sinnes present themselues the ouglinesse and guiltinesse of sinne And beside all these to be left destitute of hope it is not the least part of their grief and yet this is not regarded For men will not rise to get faith if it should cost them but an houre they will not come to heare the word This is a wonderfull and miserable madnesse that is in the soule of man that he will neuer prouide for hell vntill hell catch him Now to come to our purpose the lesse the corruptions be the lesse must be the feare Wherein then should your exercise stand should ye not studie to diminish this corruption For he that would be voide of feare must trauell to diminish this corruption that the conscience may be cleane and ye may haue a good testimonie which maketh men to be without terrour For as long as the loue of this world and of worldly things occupieth our soule it is not possible that it can be without feare For why there is no heart that can willingly part with the thing that it loueth without exceeding sorrow and griefe Then we should trauell to take order with these affections and loue to worldly things but so farre as they may serue to the loue of God and in God to loue our selues and our neighbour that when he calleth no strange loue may draw vs from him There is a common law in all cities concerning the forbidden goods which are discharged plainly to be carried out of the country where we are presently and suppose they were carried they can serue to no vse in the countrey whither we go To let you see the exposition of the Parable I say the loue of this world the cares thereof the loue of the flesh and the lusts thereof are these forbidden goods which serue to no vse in the countrey whither we go yea they are plainly forbidden by the King of the countrey For the heart which is replenished with these shall haue no entrie there There is a plaine discharge sounded concerning these goods that we cleanse our hearts of them and prepare our selues to bring those commodities with vs that agree with the nature of that countrie Let vs make vs for the loue of God and of our neighbour and let vs cast off all contrarie loue onely let vs loue God and in God let vs loue our neighbour Now if I might obtaine this one lesson for all the rest I would thinke my trauell verie well bestowed and therefore I insist so much the more in it that it may sinke into your hearts Now then this good King feareth which telleth me that in all Christians there is some feare I come to the next what saith he in his trouble and perturbation The effect of the thing he saith is this First he saith He saw his owne death prepared for him Next because he was troubled with it and cast in a great perturbation he subioyneth the reasons why he was so grieued And as I may gather them they are three in number But ere I come to the reasons I will tell you his owne words which he said in time of his trouble he said I shall go downe to the gates of the graue I am drawing neare to the gates of death For so soone as I heard the Prophet say that I should die so soone I began to prepare me for it for if all threatnings come to passe as the Prophet hath said if I find no outgate in the mercie of God I must die For this I know that I am a mortall man and suppose I be a King and a glorious King yet I am not exempted from death and therefore I will prepare me for it He knew wel that suppose he made himselfe readie he was not one haire nearer to death Now surely if ye would follow this King ye would be a thousand times readier and more able to liue then ye are in your diseases But ye are cast vp in such a daintie and delicate fashion that no man will suffer to heare of death saying It is a thing that will further man to die But I say the contrarie and the Spirit of God saith the contrarie I say the readier ye be
of God at the last he shall neuer come out So in time let euery one beware to abuse the grace of God this way but beg a liberty and a renewing of the Spirit that that which is pleasing to him may be also pleasing to vs and that which is displeasing to him may be displeasing to vs. The last thing that I marke is this whereof cometh this willingnesse and free offering of our selues to the seruice of God Dauid noteth it in a word It proceedeth not of externall worshipping but of the boring of the eare except the Lord had prepared the eare of his heart it was not possible for him to haue brought with him a mind or a will to serue God Then this willingnesse is wrought by the Spirit of God and not onely this willingnesse but the doing and execution of his will is wrought by the Spirit of God For by nature we are hard hearted and more vnfit then brute beasts to do the Lords will And therfore whosoeuer would be partaker of the grace of the new Testament let him looke into himselfe how farre his will is reformed For the more we submit our will â—o the will of God the more we are partakers of the grace of the new Testament So long as we make the will of man a rule to our will we testifie that we haue not tasted of the grace of the new Testament Onely then are we partakers of the grace of the new Testament when the Spirit of grace boweth our will and maketh it to obey in some part the will of God For I meane not that our whole will can obey the will of God It is not possible so long as we are here that we can runne one way if the affections could runne one way and bend themselues wholly to God in a maner we should possesse life eternall in this life But so long as we are here we are compassed with two wils from the which proceedeth â—wo sorts of motions affections and cogitations In this battel the regenerate man continueth to the end I require not a perfection of the will or a perfection of the heart but I desire a delight in the law and in the loue of God a will to loue and a preasing more and more to subdue our will to the loue of God Where this resisting is the battell is and where a battell continueth there is a true Christian who at the last shall get the victorie Resist thy wicked will resist the motions thereof resist the cogitations thereof and sorrow for the actions thereof if thou resist the motions and cogitations thereof thou art in good estate It is onely the consenting to the actions and performance thereof that maketh thee guiltie before God Suppose thou hast euill cogitations motions yet if so be thou resist them thou art not guiltie before God But if tâ—ou consent and performe the appetites of sinne the action will bring guiltinesse and guiltines will banish light and light being banished God is banished The obedience of sinne banisheth a good will and placeth in stead thereof an euill will so the perfection of a Christian in this life standeth in resisting To trie night and day that thou consent not to the actions of thy wicked will O then it is a matter of great consequence to subdue tame that great idoll of euill will We may speake of it as we please and say that we are able to do it but of all the works of the earth it is the greatest for such is the stubbornnesse of our will that it will do nothing but what it liketh it selfe Well the perfection of a Christian standeth in striuing we must either striue or we shall not be crowned Therefore let euery one beg of God that he would worke by his Spirit in this life that he may resist the motions and cogitations of his heart that he would arme him against the enticements thereof that resisting here we may be crowned hereafter In the last part of the Psal. he returneth to prayer and as he had found the mercifull deliuerie of God in time past so he desireth that the Lord would continue the same mercie toward him in time to come and vndertake his protection against the troubles that were to ensue as well as he had done against the troubles past In this part he letteth vs see this lesson which if it were well learned might stand vs in great stead the whole course of our life to wit That the whole life of man in this earth as Iob saith is a continuall tentation and the end of one miserie is but an entrie to a greater so that our whole exercise should be to praise God for fauours past and to pray to God for times to come that in praysing and prayer our life being continually spent we might hold Christ Iesus who in life and death is exceeding aduantage To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise world without end So be it THE FIFTEENTH SERMON VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE SECOND Epistle to Timothie beginning at the 22. verse preached the ninth of Nouember 1589. at the which time â—he Eaâ—le Bothwell made his publike repentance in the Church of Edinborough 22 Flee also from the lusts of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith loue and peace with them that call on the Lord with pure heart 23. And put away foolish and vnlearned questions knowing that they ingender strife 24 But the seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the euill men patiently 25 Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the truth 26 And that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will IN these two Epistles which the Apostle directeth vnto his Disciple Timothie he taketh a very great care to informe Timothie that he may behaue himselfe accordingly in all his proceedings that he might behaue himselfe as well in his owne person as in his office towards others beside In his owne person in respect he was a yong man yong in yeares although though no other way yong neither yong in knowledge nor in manners but somewhat yong in yeares In respect of his youth and of the imperfections that accompanie youth In respect of the continuall follie whereunto youth is drawne he biddeth him first remember that he take heede to his youth that he be not caried with those vices with those affections and lusts that vse violently to carry yong men away As towards others he willeth him to haue a discretion foresight of their estate to discerne the persons with whom he hath to do And first of all that he consider whether these persons be friends or aduersaries whether they be of one familie with himselfe in the familie of faith or otherwise strangers as
Diuers opinions concerning the presence of Christs body in the Sacrament How a thing is said to be absent and present How the body of Christ is present Our difference with the Papists to whom the words ought to be directed c. SERM. VI. Out of Isaiah 38. Intreating of Hezechiahs Sickenesse v. 1.2.3 Sheweth that the greatest are not exempt from great and sore trials That Hezechiahs disease was though not in the greatest extremity that which we by an emphasis call the Sickenesse Why God thus visiteth his children The time when the King fell into this disease What is our duty in the like case of distresse from the Prophets plaine dealing with the King That the Prophet as appeareth was not too rigorous in his denuntiation in adding affliction vpon affliction to the King The Kings excellent behauiour in this Sicknesse His gesture in the same expressing the signes of a good conscience His recourse in extremitie to the same great power which now did smite him seeme to be his enemy our lesson from thence SERM. VII On Isa. 38.4.5.6 Intreating of Hezechiahs Sicknesse sheweth The speedy issue and hearing of the Kings prayer our lessons from thence It is a mercy to be visited at home as this King was The author of the Kings comfort was God vsing the meanes of his minister and word Why mention is made of Dauid in this comfort the King receiued Why Dauid is called the Kings Father Our lessons from this preface That the Lord is neare the prayers of his children That as this King receiued more then he asked from God so for the most part do all the Saints SERM. VIII On Isaiah 38.7.8.9.10.11 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth why the King sought a signe how some refuse signes How the signe was shewed Why the Signe was wrought in the Diall Why in the bodie of the Sunne What profit is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer The Kings thankfulnesse for the benefit receiued A short summe of the Kings life Our lesson from thence The Kings song shewing first when he was troubled The diuersitie of the feare of death in the godly and wicked The way to eschue the feare of death The reasons why death seemes now so grieuous to the King A censure of these his reasons SERM. IX Out of Isaiah 38.12.13.14 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth the similitudes whereby the King amplified his present lamentation Why the Patriarks conuersed in tents Our vses thence The extremitie of the Kings disease Why God suffereth his children to fall into such extremities Our lessons thence By what meanes the King in this extremitie seeketh vnto God Why the King sought the prorogation of his dayes In what respect it is lawfull to seeke the prolonging of our dayes That faith and doubting may remaine in one soule If Christ in his agonie had contrarie voyces no maruell this King had also How this King teacheth vs to pray in extremitie SERM. X. On Isaiah 38.15.16 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth the Kings thankefulnesse in three things That a good conscience giueth thankes for euery thing receiued How the King expresseth the greatnesse of the mercy receiued What effects this mercy did breede in him How the sweetnesse of this mercy did make him burst forth in praise of the word How a man shall know if the Spirit of life be begun in him How the Spirit is saiâ— to be nourished in vs and how banished c. SERM. XI On Isaiah 38.16 to the end of the chapter Intreating of Hezechias sicknesse Sheweth how from the other effects of the word the King continueth to extoll the same The time when this King did thus fall sicke The manner of the Kings deliuery That sin is the onelie thing punished in the wicked and purged in the godly That remission of sinnes cureth all diseases That when God forgiueth sinnes he also forgetteth them That God onely forgiueth sinnes The cause and reasons why God did forgiue this King his sinnes Doctrine from thence why the Lord worketh by meanes and secondary causes SERM. XII Out of Psalme 76 From 1. to the 8. ver Intreating of the great deliuery in 88. from the Spanish tyranny Sheweth the purpose of the Prophet in this Psalme what is meant by the name of God That the true knowledge and praises of God accompany each other The profite which cometh to vs by thankesgiuing That it is a mercy to haue God neare vs and to dwell with vs. The place of this ouerthrow What that is which driueth God from any place How this victory was obtained How the Lord is said to rebuke Gods former dealing with his Church To what end the Lord appointeth enemies vnto his Church How of Gods great mercyes followeth admiration SERM. XIII On Psalme 76.8.9.10.11.12 Intreating of the former subiect Sheweth that God onely did this great worke The effects that this great work brought forth One lesson from thence The time of this great iudgment The times of Gods sitting and rising To what end God commonly riseth An obiection of the Church preuented Exhortation to thankefulnesse That we should vpon extraordinary mercyes chiefly stirre vp our selues to the same SERM. XIIII On Psalme 40. preached in a publike fast enioyned by authority The parts of this Psalme In the 1. part from Dauids experience diuerse obseruations How Hope differeth from Faith The life of hope Hope and mourning may stand together How to obtaine patience in trouble How to know when God heareth our prayer though he grant not instantly our sute How constant mourning in trouble vnto God argueth certaine deliuerance Why the Lord delayeth to helpe his seruants The end why our prayers are heard Two sorts of abusing the grace of God SERM. XV. Out of 2. Tim. 2.22 preached at the publike Repentance of the Earle Bothwell in the Church of Edinborough Sheweth the summe and meaning of the words what these things be which all yong men should flie What is meant by the lusts of youth Whence the restraint of sinne doth come By what meanes the Lord restraineth sinne in vs. What things yong men should seeke after The definition and sorts of Repentance In what respects wordly sorrow is called a blind terror What godly sorrow is A caution to be obserued in Repentance What the greatest sinne a a man can commit is The effects of godly sorrow The manner of Repentance Why some parts of Repentance haue the name of Mortification and Viuification That in the worke of Repentance the diuell stayeth nothing more then our sincere confession of Sinnes A caution to beware of Presumption That there be two sortes of Repentance c. SERM. XVI Out of 2. Tim. 2.13 In way of an Exhortation to a Prouinciall Assembly Sheweth at whose hands the Pastor ought chiefly to seeke approbation How to obtaine true approbation The weight of ministeriall function The groundworke of the ministery Whereupon it consisteth What it is to rule in the
in their soules of all men in the earth they are most miserable For as long as thou maist keepe in thy mind a sparke of this knowledge and spirituall light in the which thou maist see the face of God in Christ wherein thou maist see a remedy in the death and passion of Christ and wherein thou maist see the bowels of mercy offred in the bloud of Christ if thou haue any sparke of this light albeit it were neuer so little to direct thee and albeit this knowledge were neuer so much wounded yet there is mercy enough for thee in Christ but if thou close vp all the windowes of thy soule and of thy heart and make them to become palpable darknesse that thou neither knowest from whence the terror cometh nor yet perceiuest any remedy that is the miserie of all miseries We haue many things in generall to lament concerning the estate of this our Countrey wherein we liue Also particularly There is not one of you but hath great cause to take heede to your consciences now while ye haue time that ye banish not altogether this light which is yet offered vnto you and whereof some sparks yet remaine For I see the most part of men run headlong to banish the sparke of light that is in them and will not rest so long as there is any sparke of it left vntill it be vtterly banished And when they haue so done alas what can follow but a blinde and terrible feare in their consciences which they can neuer get extinguished a feare without remedie a growing feare and not a decaying feare a feare that will deuoure them wholly at the last Therefore euery one of you be carefull of this light that is within you take heede that the foule affections of your hearts draw not your bodies after them see at the least that those affections banish not this light And so long as the Lord offers you this light in time craue that of his mercy he would giue you the grace to embrace it to take a new course and yet to amend your liues while time is giuen you The body shall leaue the soule and the soule shall leaue the bodie but the conscience shall neuer leaue the soule but whither soeuer the soule goeth to the same place shall the conscience repaire and looke in what estate thy conscience is when thou departest out of this life in the selfe same estate shall it meet thee in the gteat Day So that if thy conscience was a tormentor to thee at the time of thy death if thou get it not then pacified it shall be a tormentor to thee in that generall Iudgement Therefore this matter would be well weighed euery one of you should studie to haue a good conscience that when the soule is seuered from the body leauing your conscience at rest and peace with God it may be restored vnto you and meete you againe with as great peace and quietnesse Thus far concerning conscience what it is I beseech the liuing Lord so to sanctifie your memories that ye may keepe these things and that euery one of these things may be so imprinted in your hearts that ye may be mindfull of them all your liues The second thing that we are to speake of is this We are to consider wherefore we should trie our consciences for what causes we should examine our owne soules consciences I will declare the reasons briefly It behooueth euery one of you to trie your conscience Why Because the Lord will make his residence in no other part of the soule but in the conscience He hath appointed his dwelling to be in the heart of man and in the will and conscience of man and therefore it becometh you to make his dwelling place cleane and to take heed vnto your hearts Next though the Lord of heauen made not his residence there yet in respect the eye of God is an all-seeing eye and able to pierce through the very thicknesse of mans flesh how darke and grosse soeuer it be and to enter into the very secret corners of thy conscience for vnto the all-seeing eye of God the most secret corner of thy conscience is as cleare and manifest as any outward or bodily thing in the earth can be to the outward eye of the bodie In respect therefore that this eye is so piercing and that he casteth his eye onely vpon our hearts it behooueth vs to try our hearts Thirdly he is the Lord of the conscience There is no Monarch on earth that hath any soueraigntie or lordship ouer the conscience onely the God of heauen onely Christ Iesus King of heauen and earth is Lord of the conscience he hath power onely to saue and lose Therefore when thou comest to this Sacrament of the Lords Table thou oughtest carefully to looke vnto thy conscience to try and examine the state of it Last of all which is a chiefe reason It behooueth thee to proue thy conscience because the welfare and health of thy soule dependeth vpon thy conscience If thy conscience that is within thy soule be well if it be at peace and rest thy soule is well if thy conscience be in a good estate thy soule must needs be in a good estate if thy conscience be in good health of necessitie thy soule must be in good health for the good health and happinesse of the soule dependeth vpon a good conscience therefore it concerneth euery one of you to try well your consciences There was neuer any law made or deuised that forbad vs to haue a care of our healths it is lawfull for vs to seeke such things as may procure and preserue it but the health of thy soule standeth in the health of thy conscience and in preseruing thereof therefore by all lawes thou oughtest to attend thy conscience If thou keepe thy conscience well thy soule is in health and if thy soule be in health let troubles come what will vpon thy body thou wilt endure them all but if thy soule be diseased with an euill conscience thou shalt not be able to beare out the least trouble that shall come vpon thy body whereas if the conscience were at rest and in good health that trouble could not happen vnto thy body but the strength of a good conscience would beare it out Then haue ye not reason and more then reason to take heede to your consciences to try and examine your consciences in what estate and disposition they stand Now because it is a fruitlesse thing to tell you that health is necessary and not to shew the way how this health may be obtained and preserued therefore to keepe your consciences in quiet and good health I will giue you these few lessons First of all be sure that thou retaine a stedfast perswasion of the mercies of God in Christ Iesus examine when thou liest downe and examine when thou risest vp in what estate thou art with God whether thou maist looke for mercy
signified in both the Sacraments yet in diuerse respects he is the thing signified in Baptisme and he is the thing signified in the Lords Supper This Christ Iesus in his bloud chiefly is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptisme and why Because that by his bloud he washeth away the filth of our soules because that by the vertue of his bloud he quickneth vs in our soules with a heauenly life because that by the power of his bloud he ingrafteth and incorporateth vs in his owne body For that Sacrament is a testimonie of the remission of our sinnes that is of the cleanenesse of our consciences that our consciences by that bloud are washed inwardly It testifieth also our new birth that we are begotten spiritually to a heauenly life It testifieth also the ioyning of vs in the body of Christ. As it is a testimonie so it is a seale it not onely testifieth but sealeth it vp in our hearts and maketh vs in our hearts to feele the taste of that heauenly life begun in vs that we are translated from death in the which we were conceiued and ingrafted in the body of Christ. Marke then Christ in his bloud as he is the washing of our regeneration is the thing signified in Baptisme In this Sacrament of the Lords Supper againe this same Christ is the thing signified in another respect to wit in this respect that his body and bloud serue to nourish my soule to life euerlasting for this Sacrament is no other thing but the image of our spirituall nourishment God testifying how our soules are fed and nourished to that heauenly life by the image of a corporall nourishment So in diuerse respects the same thing that is Christ Iesus is signified in Baptisme and is signified in the Lords Supper In this Sacrament the fruites of Christs death whereof I spake the vertue of his sacrifice the vertue of his passion I call not these fruites and vertues onely the thing signified in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but rather I call the thing signified that substance and that person out of the which substance this vertue and these fruites do flow and proceede I grant and it is most certaine that by the lawful vse participiation of the Sacrament thou art partaker of all these fruites yet these fruites are not the first and chiefe thing whereof thou art partaker in this Sacrament but of force thou must get another thing first It is true that no man can be partaker of the substance of Christ but the same soule must be also partaker of the fruites that flow from his substance yet notwithstanding thou must discerne betwixt the substance the fruits that flow from the substance and thou must be partaker of the substance in the first roome then in the next place thou must be partaker of the fruites that flow from his substance To make this cleere in Baptisme the fruites of Baptisme are remission of our sinnes mortification the killing of sinne and the sealing vp of our adoption to life euerlasting The substance out of the which these fruits do flow is the bloud of Christ. Ye must here of force discerne between the bloud which is the substance and betweene remission of sinnes washing and regeneration which are the fruites that flow from this bloud so in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the fruits of that Sacrament are the growth of faith and the increase in holinesse The thing signified is the substance that is the body and bloud of Christ is the substance out of which this growth in faith and holinesse doth proceede Now see ye not this That you must discerne betwene â—he substance and the fruites and must place the substance in the first place So that the substance of Christ that is Christ himselfe is the thing signified in this Sacrament For your owne experience will make this plaine vnto you Before your stomacke be filled with any foode ye must eate the substance of the food first before you be filled with bread ye must eate the substance of the bread first before your drowth be quenched with any drinke ye must of necessity drinke the substance of the drinke first Euen so after this manner before the hunger of your soules be satisfied the thirst thereof quenched ye must eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud first and that by faith So consider the one by the other looke to what vse bread and wine serue to thy body to the same vse the body and bloud of Christ serue to thy soule and he that appointed the one to serue for thy body the same God appointed the other to serue for thy soule So looke how impossible it is for thee to be fed with that food that neuer cometh into thy mouth or to recouer health by those drugs which neuer were applyed it is as impossible for thee to be fed by the body of Christ and to get thy health by the bloud of Christ except thou first eate his body and drinke his bloud Then ye see that the thing signified in the Lords Supper is not the fruites so much as the body and bloud and Christ Iesus which is the fountaine and substance from which all these fruites do flow and proceed Then I say suppose Christ who is the thing signified remaine alwaies one and the same in both the Sacraments yet the signes whereby this one Christ is signified in the Sacraments are not one nor of an equall number For in Baptisme the thing that representeth Christ is Water In the Lords Supper the things that represent Christ are Bread Wine Water is appointed to represent Christ in Baptisme because it is meetest to represent our washing with the bloud of Christ for what is fitter to wash with then water So there is nothing meeter to wash the soule then the bloud of Christ. In this Sacrament he hath appointed Bread and Wine why Because there is nothing more meete to nourish the body then bread and wine so the Lord hath not chosen these signes without a reason As the signes in the Sacrament are not alwayes one so the same in both are not of one number For in Baptisme we haue but one element in this Sacrament we haue two elements Now what is the reason of this diuersity that the Lord in the one Sacrament hath appointed two signes and in the other but one signe I will shew you the reason He hath appointed onely one signe in Baptisme to wit Water because Water is sufficient enough for the whole If water had not beene sufficient to represent the thing signified he would haue appointed another signe but in respect that Water doth the turne and representeth fully the washing of our soules by the bloud of Christ what need then haue we of any signe Now in this Sacrament one signe will not suffice but there must be two And why Wine cannot be sufficient alone neither can Bread be sufficient alone for he
that hath Bread onely and Wine onely hath not a perfect corporall nourishment therefore that they might represent and let vs see a perfect nourishment he hath giuen vs both Bread and Wine for the perfect corporall nourishment standeth in meate and drinke to represent the full and perfect nourishment of the soule Marke how full and perfect a nourishment he hath to his body that hath store of Bread and Wine so he that hath Christ lacketh nothing of a full and perfect nourishment for his soule Then you see the reason wherefore there are two signes appointed in this Sacrament and onely one signe in Baptisme There remaineth yet concerning these signes two thing to be enquired First what power hath that Bread in this Sacrament to be a signe more then the bread which is vsed in common houses from whence cometh that power Next if it haue a power how long endureth and remaineth that power with the bread For the first concerning the power which that bread hath more then any other bread I will tell you That Bread hath a power giuen vnto it by Christ by his institution by the which institution it is appointed to signifie his bodie to represent his body and to deliuer his bodie That Bread hath a power flowing from Christ and his institution which other common bread hath not so that if any of you would aske when the Minister in this action is breaking or distributing that Bread pouring out and distributing that Wine if you would I say aske what sort of creatures those are this is the answer They are holy things Ye must giue this name to the signes and seales of the body and bloud of Christ. That Bread of the Sacrament is a holy Bread and that Wine is an holy Wine Why Because the blessed institution of Christ hath seuered them from that vse whereunto they serued before and hath applyed them vnto an holy vse not to feede the bodie but to feede the soule Thus farre concerning the power of that Bread it hath a power flowing from Christ and his institution Now the second thing is how long this power continueth with that Bread how long that Bread hath this office In a word I say this power continueth with that Bread during the time of the action during the seruice of the Table Looke how long that action continueth and that the seruice of the Table lasteth so long it continueth holy Bread so long continueth the power with that Bread but looke how soone the action is ended so soone endeth the holinesse of it looke how soone the seruice of the Table is ended so soone that Bread becomes common bread againe and the holinesse of it ceasseth Then this power continueth not for euer but it continueth onely during the time of the action seruice of the Table Thus far concerning the Elements There is besides the Elements another sort of signes in the Sacrament there is not a ceremonie in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but is a signe and hath it owne spirituall signification with it as namely looking to the breaking of that Bread it representeth vnto thee the breaking of the bodie and bloud of Christ. Not that his bodie and bones were broken but that it was broken with dolour with anguish and distresse of heart with the weight of the indignation and furie of God that he sustained for our sinnes which he tooke vpon him Then the breaking is an essentiall ceremonie the pouring out of the wine also is an essentiall ceremonie For as ye see clearely that by the Wine is signified the bloud of Christ so by the pouring out of the Wine is signified that his bloud was seuered from his flesh and the seuering of those two maketh death for in bloud is the life and consequently it testifieth his death The pouring out of the Wine then telleth thee that he died for thee that his bloud was shed for thee so this is an essentiall ceremonie which must not be left out Likewise the distribution giuing and eating are essentiall ceremonies And what doth the eating testifie vnto thee The applying of the bodie bloud of Christ vnto thy soule So that there is none of these rites but haue their owne signification and there cannot one of them be left out but ye shall peruert the whole action Thus far concerning the signes Now what profit can ye make of all this discourse Learne this lesson and ye shall make profite by these things In respect that euery signe and ceremonie hath it owne spirituall signification so that there is not a ceremonie in this whole action that wanteth it owne spirituall signification consider this and thinke with your selues at that time especially when ye are at the Lords Table and in the sight of that action that looke what thou seest the Minister doing outwardly what euer it be Is he breaking that Bread is he dealing that Bread Thinke assuredly with thy selfe that Christ is as busie doing all these things spiritually vnto thy soule he is as busie giuing vnto thee his owne bodie with his owne hand he is as busie giuing to thee his owne bloud with the vertue and efficacie of it So in this action if thou be a faithfull Communicant looke what the mouth doth and how the mouth of the bodie is occupied outwardly so is the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith occupied inwardly As the mouth taketh that Bread and that Wine so the mouth of thy soule taketh the body and bloud of Christ and that by faith For by faith and a constant perswasion is the onely way to eate the bodie and drinke the bloud of Christ inwardly and doing this there cannot but follow a fruitfull eating Thus far for the consideration of the signes Now cometh in the matter wherein greatest difficultie standeth whereof I spake the last day as God gaue me the grace yet in the particular I must speake as well as in the generall but somewhat more shortly Then ye haue to vnderstand for the better information of your consciences for the better preparation of your soules ye haue to vnderstand how that Bread and that Wine which are signes are coupled with the body and bloud of Christ which are signified thereby What sort of coniunction is this and from whence this coniunction floweth I shall be briefe because I haue already in my last Lecture spoken of it at large Take heede for if ye giue not good attention it is not possible that ye can conceiue this coniunction Concerning this coniunction would you know how these two are coupled Then must you first marke the nature of the signes and the nature of the thing signified ye must obserue both their natures And why Because nothing can be coupled nor conioyned with other but so far as the nature of it will suffer if the nature of it will not suffer a coniunction they cannot be conioyned Or will the nature of it
second thing that ye haue to learne here is this ye see Kings may haue the Plague There is no Prince in the earth exempted from the iudgement of God when he pleaseth to apply them Thus farre for the name of the disease The second thing that is noted here is the time when the King fell into this disease there is no certaine time set downe here but the time specified is relatiue to the last history It is relatiue to that time when the King of Ashur took armes against him which was the 13. yere of his reigne So it was the 14. yeare of his reigne that he fell into thâ—s disease for this godly King reigned 29. yeares 15. of them were giuen him after his disease In the 14. yeare of his reigne the warres beganne and this time is relatiue to that history so it must be in the 14. of his reigne that he fell into that disease whether the disease was after the siege or during the same the iudgement of the learned differs although in 2. Chron. 32. chap. it appeareth that he fell into this disease after the siege and time of his deliuery For we reade in that history that the King in the meane time of this siege was building vp the ruinous walles was stopping the conduites of the waters was sending messengers to Isaiah and was resorting to the Temple These were all arguments of a wholesome and well disposed King and there is no argument of infirmity here So it appeareth that it was after the siege that he fell into this disease Now take heede where my note riseth he is scarsly freed from the fearefull warres when he falleth into a terrible plague We see then that the estate of the godliest and best Princes is to be subiect to continuall tentation griefe and vexation so that the issue of one trouble is the beginning of another So it pleaseth the Lord to exercise them And to what end I pray you To the end that this life with the pleasures and glorie of it may become bitter to their taste and so they may be moued to seeke for a better And this lesson appertaineth to all Christians for if thou be a Christian thou must looke for trouble of necessity thou must take vp thy daily crosse and follow Christ. As for the fed carcasses of this world the Lord in his righteous iudgement hath appointed them for slaughter But if thou be one of them whom he hath not appointed for slaughter thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise either in soule or in body in familie or fame one way or other thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise For there is no way to pierce the clouds but by a continuall tribulation And seeing it is so it becommeth vs not to haue our hearts here gruntling vpon this earth but it becometh vs to haue our hearts hoissed and our minds lifted vp to the heauens where our Maister reigneth in glorie and to vse the things of this world as they may best further vs to the next world or otherwise terrible is the iudgement and incommoditie that the things of this world shall bring vpon vs. Thus farre concerning the time As to the greatnesse of the disease I find it noted in the verses which I haue read by sundrie things First the Prophet sheweth the greatnesse of the disease whereas he saith he was sicke euen to the death Secondly the greatnes of his disease is aggrauated while as the Prophet getteth command in the name of the Lord to assure him of death And thirdly the byle it selfe which broke out was deadly and sheweth also the weight of the disease Now in this extremitie the Prophet visiteth him and in the name of the Lord enioyneth him two things first to take order with his house next to prepare him for death and to pull his heart the more from all present things and all earthly comfort assureth him of death shortly and for his further assurance he doubleth the word saying Thou shalt die and not liue It is so hard a thing to haue the hearts of Kings pulled from their wealth and from their glorie The Prophet in visiting of the King learneth vs a point of dutie towards our diseased brethren a point wherunto we are bound by nature by charitie and by all sorts of lawes but chiefly we who haue the care of soules and represent Esay in our office at this time chiefly we are bound to visite our brethren for at such times the Diuell is most busie the bodies of men are abstracted from the hearing of the preached word and old sinnes begin to reuiue and returne to their memories and therefore at that time there is great need of comfort We are also informed here by the Prophet how to propound our comfort lest we spend our time in idle and vnprofitable talke as worldly men do To wit first of all that we bid the patient take order with his house that is make his testament and lay aside the worldly part that so his heart may be readie to go when the Lord calleth on his soule The most part of the world are so negligent in this point of dutie that there are very few that haue their heart free when the Lord knocketh but they are compelled to leaue their heart behind them where their treasure is or where they loue best and that because they set themselues here as in a permanent Citie And in their life time they will not so much as once thinke of death but dreame to themselues length of dayes and which I wonder most of there is not a man about them that will do so much as once to put them in mind of death yea not when the Lord beginneth to strike but some say it will trouble him and make him heauie others come in and say they would do it but they cannot for teares and sorrow The Doctor saith Nature is strong enough be of good comfort So that if the Pastor leaue this point of dutie there is not a friend almost that beginneth to admonish a man vntill his outward senses begin to leaue him Now as it becometh the Pastor to propound this so it becometh the Patient to obey it for this command is not giuen by man but by God For Esay giueth it in the Name of God and it is not onely giuen to Kings but it reacheth to all masters of families whosoeuer for the Lord hath willed them to haue a care of their families not onely in their life time but in their death also that by this meanes all occasion of quarrels and debates might be cut off after their death The Patriarches the godly Kings they haue left their example registred concerning this point so that I will not insist at this present further in it Now the worldly part being set aside and the conscience put at rest the soule is prepared to heare of death and so the Prophet cometh in the
second place with the denunciation of death Indeed Esay in his denunciation appeareth to be very strict but how strict soeuer he was he hath his warrant We haue not the like warrant therefore we ought not to vse the like strictnesse toward the Patient Alwaies generally we ought to exhort him to vnbuâ—den his conscience to disburden his soule and to make 〈…〉 whensoeuer it shall please the Lord to call 〈…〉 the chiefe points of our visitation standeâ—h 〈…〉 two first to bid the Patient lay aside the 〈…〉 and next to prepare for the heauenly part Yet ere I leaue the denunciation theâ—e â—ppeareth in the denunciation three faults to concuâ—â—â— First it seemeth that the Prophet in his denunciation 〈◊〉 ouer rigorous against so godly a King and handlâ—â—â—he King ouer extremely in this heauie disease for he cuâ—â— from him at the first all hope of this present life He doth farre otherwise then our Doctors of medicine for if they see any certaine signe of death they will not shew it to the Patient himselfe but to some of his friends he on the contrarie denounceth death to himselfe constantly affirming that he shall die Now this appeareth to be very hard But I answer if this denunciation had bene vsed against an Ethnick or a licentious liuer indeed it had bene an hard denunciation For as to an Ethnick who hath his hope onely in the earth it is not possible that he can make his hope to mount aboue the earth so that he thinketh when he is gone all is gone to him Secondly this denunciation would appeare hard and extreame to them that liue according to the flesh for ô how bitter is death saith Salomon to them that liue according to the flesh And I pray you what is the cause that death is so bitter vnto them Because in the agonie of death they feele another thing then this violent separation of the soule from the bodie for beside this they feele a conscience of iniquitie gnawing them they feele also the heauie wrath of God kindled against their sinne and iniquitie and the sense of this wrath striketh such a horrour in their soules that at the very memorie of death they tremble Therefore I say to such kind of persons as those this would haue bene a hard kind of threatning But vnto Christians and namely to such a godly King as this was it was no hard language For as to vs that we Christians we must not looke on death as she is in her owne nature But we must looke vpon her as she is made to vs by the benefite and mercie in Christ Iesus And looking on death this way is not death spoiled of her sting is she not sanctified to vs in the death of Christ and is she not made to vs an entrie to euerlasting felicitie is she not a returning from our banishment and passing to our euerlasting heauen So looking on death not in the owne nature but as she is made to vs in Christ at the voice of death we ought to lift vp our eyes and be glad that the redemption of our soule is so neare when the separation shal be made the Lord shall call on vs we ought to reioyce seeing he hath made death to vs a further step to ioy and a meanes of a stricter coniunction But it is not possible that words can make men prepare them for death The readiest way to eschue the horror of death is to thinke vpon death and yet notwithstanding of all the great spectacles that we see dayly we are neuer an haire moued Alwaies the readiest way as I haue said is to take vp such a life presently as may best agree with that life which we aspire vnto Thou must take vp a new course thou must conforme thy life here with the life to come that an harmonie being betwixt the two liues death may be to thee an entry to that euerlasting ioy Thou must bid all thy foule affections good night for thou and they cannot come both to heauen Thou must bid sinne whereunto thou art a slaue and an ordinarie seruant farewell for except thou be this way altered thou must not thinke that death shall be to thee a passage to heauen Then learne ye that would haue death pleasant so to rule and square this life that it may agree in some measure with the life to come The second omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this â—t seemeth to be superfluous for why the kind of plague assured him of his death the Physicions assured him the weakenesse of his owne nature assured him that he should die So the denunciation seemeth to be superfluous but it is not superfluous in deed if we shal examine our owne nature how loath all men are to die for we know by experience that there are some who wil scarcely take death to them euen at the last gaspe and what loue we haue to this life it is knowne to all men Therefore the Prophet so strictly denounced death that by this strict denunciation the King may be moued to lift his hope aboue nature and all naturall meanes and of God onely to seeke support where nature had denyed him And so the denunciation is not superfluous it is the ready way to make him runne vnto the right way Now the last omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this The Lord seemeth by his Prophet to dissemble for is not this an high dissimulation to say that he shall die and yet notwithstanding to meane the contrary So there appeareth a great dissimulation on Gods part denounced by his Prophet that he should die instantly and yet he was of minde that he should liue fifteene yeares after this To answer vnto this this generall must be layed downe for a ground that Vnto all the threatnings and promises of God there is a condition annexed which condition is either secretly inclosed in the promise or threatning or else it is openly expressed That this is true see Ezechiel the 18.1 and Dan 4.27 this condition hath place Then this being the nature of the threatnings of God this terrible denunciation how terrible soeuer it appeare yet it hath a condition in it to wit Except he repent except he seeke me and make his recourse to me by prayer For out of question the Lord was of minde to punish Niniâ—e except they had preuented him by repentance So I say all the promises and threatnings of God haue a condition annexed which is either openly expressed or couertly to be vnderstood And therefore the denunciation hath a secret condition and this condition made the King to liue for suppose it be simply propounded yet it is not to bring him to despaire but onely to make him the more instant to sâ—eke grace health at the hands of the liuing God Now haue I touched the greatnesse the time and the kind of the disease Let vs make our profite thereof for it is necessary that this doctrine
not my selfe but thee onely therefore Lord deliuer me So this kind of reasoning commeth neither of ostentation nor of pride Now as to my selfe would he say when I examine my doings I find my conscience so pure that in all my proceedings I had a good warrant and in all my doings I sought not mine owne particular but thy glorie And therefore Loâ—d remember me take not my life from me that I be not a stumbling blocke to the weake ones and a reioycing to mine enemies This is the onely thing whiâ—h we aâ—e taught here We see this good King when all worldly comfort faileth him and in his greatest extremitie he reposeth himselfe vpon the testimonie of a good conscience this is the onely thing that sustaineth him this is the onely thing that comforteth him and wherein now in the very instant of his death he hath to glorie Surely when I reade through the Bible I find that all the seruants of God in their greatest trouble had recourse to this testimonie of consciâ—nce Ye see Moses when he hath to do with Core Dathan and Abiram he haâ—h recourse to the testimonie of his conscience Ye see Dauid when he hath to do with Saule he hath recourse to this testimonie of conscience Ye see Nehemiah maketh recourse to this Ye see Daniel maketh recourse to this 6.23 And the Apostle Paule 1. Cor. 4. maketh his recourse to this and saith I passe very little for your iudgment or any mans iudgement my glorie is the testimonie of mine owne conscience And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes in his last Chapter I am assured saith he that I haue kept a good conscience in all things So go through all the seruants of God and ye shall see they haue had euer recourse to this testimonie of conscience and blessed is that man that iâ— not condemned in his doings by his owne conscience For if we are not able to eschue the condemnation of our owne heart how shall wee be able to eschue the condemnation of God who seeth all the secrets of the heart So that man is more then blessed that is not condemned of his owne heart For as to this conscience it is a faithfull pledge keeper the pawnes that it receiueth it rendreth of good turnes it giueth a ioyfull testimonie of euill turnes it giueth a bitter testimonie And suppose the most part of our deeds be now couered from the eye of man and her testimonie for the most part hid from our selfe yet there is a day coming which now is at hand in the which all these things that are now hid vnder darkenesse shall come to light and the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed The bookes of conscience shall be cast open and he that bringeth not in these bookes the discharge of his sinnes in register purchased by the bloud of Christ Iesus whereby our consciences are onely washen from these dead workes he that bringeth not this discharge with him to him shall his whole sinnes present themselues So that not onely shall he be iudged by the sentence of the righteous Iudge but his owne conscience which in this life foreiudged him shall coÌ„demne him there and all the Angels of God with his elect children shall iustifie his iudgement Therefore it is time we had now our discharge registred Now would God I might obtaine this of the office bearers in Church or Policie that they would now cast them in their life to haue the approbation of their conscience in the time of their death The Lord grant it to all them that seeke to serue him But specially the Lord make you Sir so to walke in your life that you may haue a ioyfull testimonie of your conscience in your death that being approued with your owne conscience and the testimonie of God within your conscience in the mouth of these two faithful witnesses your saluation may be sure not in your selfe but in the bloud of Christ Iesus whose mercie is onâ—ly our merit As this is desired in him so it is required in the rest of the office-bearers Lord grant that they may follow such a trade of life that in their death their conscience may make mention of their deeds to their ioy Thus far for this part of his behauiour Now resteth one thing to speake and so I shall end Tâ—ke vp the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease he is straitned with the extremitie of his disease on the one side and with the Lords threatning on the other what doth he in this strait pinch He seâ—keth by prayer to the same God that strooke him and now by his Pâ—ophet threatneth him This is wonderfull for if he had had to do with any other person as namely if he had had to do with the King of Ashur as before it had bene an easie matter to haue retired to God But now hauing to do with God and God apparently being his enemy it is wonderfull that he should haue recouse to God This is a notable faith in him for he hopeth against hope he runneth to that same God that smiteth him So notwithstanding that he threatneth him with death yet he runneth to him and he appealeth from his iustice to mercie in the merits of Christ he appealeth from God as a righteous Iudge vnto him as a Redeemer in Christ and his appellation is heard For as we shall heare hereafter by Gods grace he is healed Thus farre concerning his repentance Now as to the prorogation of his dayes the question might rise whether it was lawfull for him to craue it or not I shall touch it but in generall and first I say in Hezechias person it is very lawfull for he lacked posteritie and in this the promise of God had not taken effect in him and so it was lawfull for him to seeke the accomplishment of the Lords promise made to his father Dauid and also the reformation of the Church was but new begun the common-wealth was not as yet established and all these craued the presence of the King So if we looke to the particular in him it was lawfull I come to the generall it is lawfull at some times to seeke at God prorogation of dayes and my reason is this Length of dayes is one of the greatest blessings temporall that we haue as in that promise annexed to the commandement appeareth And as the Apostle in the 2. Chap. 27. to the Philip. when he maketh mention of the disease of Epaphroditus he saith No doubt he was sicke verie neare vnto death but the Lord had mercie on him and not onely vpon him but on me also So he counteth the prorogation of dayes a speciall mercie And there is no mercie nor benefit of God but it may be craued so that it be craued to the right end For we directing our life to the glorie of God and vsing it as Pilgrims and strangers seeking our home and hauing it ready to lay downe in the hands of God
whole world he bringeth him into such dangers that whereas nature and naturall meanes could haue no place he deliuereth him so miraculously by such wonders to make all the world to stoupe Another end was this that this good King might be honored of all the world whom God so honored For good reason it is that those whom God so honoreth they should honour These haue bene the two ends why God hath wrought so many miracles in the person of this King For ye heard how wonderfully in the night by his Angell he destroyed a hundreth and fourescore thousands of persons this is a wonderfull thing and now when he had fallen in the hands of a terrible plague so that there is none able to helpe it yet the Lord healeth him extraordinarily and he confirmeth it by such a wonder that the like was neuer heard of or seene before In deede we reade in Iehoshuashs time that the Sunne was made to stand in the firmament but to go backe by so many houres and degrees it was neuer heard of nor seene before Looke then if these signes serued not to the honor of God and vnder God to the honor of his seruant The profite that is to be gathered of signes properly called signes instituted by God stands in the representation for there cannot be a signe properly except it represent in some measure the thing signified by it There must be some conformitie and proportion or else it is not a signe as Augustine saith But this signe whereof we speake is miraculous and supernaturall and therefore hath no such relation as Sacraments haue But yet there may be a proper and secret relation espied in it which is this for it appeareth well that God would let vs see and let the King see by the working of this signe that looke how easie it was to him to bring backe the Sunne which had but two houres to his going downe to that same place where he rose in the morning as easie it is to him and farre easier to bring backe the Kings life which had but two houres to the time of death to a fresh morning of youth againe and to a ioyfull age It is as easie to God to worke the one as the other And so we may take vp the end why these signes and such like wonders was wrought by Christ in establishing of the new couenant The end no doubt was to strengthen our faith which we haue alreadie receiued by the preaching of the Gospel for signes are not giuen to create in vs faith they are not giuen to begin our coniunction with Christ it is the preaching of the Gospell that beginneth this coniunction Signes are giuen as seales to enlarge and confirme this our coniunction And as the Apostle saith well Heb. 2. signes serue to two two ends first to beare witnesse to the truth secondly to confirme the faith of the beleeuer This ye see clearely in our Sacrament the Sacrament of the Supper This Sacrament was not appointed to make our coniunction first with Christ we haue not entry vnto Christ by this Sacrament but it maketh vs to possesse Christ whom we had alreadie in some measure It maketh vs to possesse him more fully and extendeth the bounds of our narrow heart that he may be the more largely receiued of vs so of this signe the King hath great comfort I grant there is greater comfort to be had in the word then of the signe and greater comfort to be had of the working of the Spirit within then of either of them yet it is as true that euery one of these bringeth their owne comfort There is greater comfort to be had of the word then of the signe and yet the signe hath the owne comfort There is greater comfort to be had of the Spirit then of the word and yet the word hath the owne comfort And there is no word able to vtter and far lesse any heart able to receiue that comfort yea not halfe the quarter of that comfort which is prepared for them that loue God So this signe suppose there be not so great comfort vttered by it as by the word yet it hath the owne comfort Thus farre concerning the signe it selfe As to the third thing the manifesting of this signe it is not by the vertue or power that flowed out of Isaiah suppose he was an instrument for the text resolueth this clearely where it is said This is the signe of the Lord besides this it is certaine that there is no force nor vertue in any creature yea not in the diuell himselfe to worke any true wonder but in God himselfe onely For why there is no signe or wonder which is a true wonder but it passeth the force bounds and compasse of nature Therefore there is no creature able to worke any wonder For why they are bounded within the compasse and bounds of their nature and therefore as to all these wonders and miracles which are wrought by the diuell and the Pope his vicar they are false and lying wonders I say it not but the Apostle saith it 2. Thess. 2. that the coming of Antichrist shall be in the mightie power of the diuell in the which he shall worke false wonders and lying signes And as all the rest are false and lyes so these legs and armes which ye see in the entries and porches of their Churches are manifest lies and deceits of Sathan Now as to the manner of the working of this miracle it it is said in the 2. Kings 20. that it was procured by the Prophets prayer It is â—aid there that the Prophet prayed that the Sunne should be brought backe So the prayer of the Prophet preuented before it came to passe Now that same very thing which the Lord was purposed to do and promised to do yet he wil do it in such sort that he wil haue the Prophet first to aske it Now this letteth vs see clearely that there is no merit in our prayers there is no such force or worthinesse in our prayers as to merit any thing but the Lord promiseth freely and as he promiseth freely so he performeth it as freely Then wherefore will he haue vs to pray Because prayer is a part of the worship of God he will haue vs to feele what the want of benefits is he will haue vs exercised in this part of duty that when we get them we may vse them so much the more to his glory What the prayers of this Country specially the prayers of the Church of this towne haue purchased in the withdrawing of the Lords threatning and chiefly of the last threatning I meane that huge Nauie of ships I think now the manifest effects declare But what honour God hath gotten for it our manners since that time clearely testifie For if yee looke to the growth of sinne more ougly sinnes were neuer committed then since that fame ceassed So I say he is mad and voide of all
zeale or of force we shall be spoyled of it Thus farre concerning the second cause As to the third I shall touch it shortly and so I shall end The third cause is this he sayth he shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the earth Now what a cause is this This appeareth to be a very slight cause that he should be grieued at his death because he should see man no more For I am assured there were men in his daies whom he tooke no pleasure to see and whom he could not see without great griefe euen such monsters as are now in our dayes This generall must be restrained to this as if he would say I shal not see men that is faithfull men honest and obedient subiects to God and their King of whose company I had delight and whose protection I was I shall see these good men no more He had such a care of the Church and of the Christian subiects vnder him that in the very houre of his death he sheweth his compassion toward them and is grieued that they should lacke his protection in time coming Well the country is exceeding blessed that hath such a Prince who is endued with the care of his subiects and specially of the Church that in his death he is sorrie that they should be depriued of his protection And turne it ouer againe As cursed and vnhappy is that countrie who hath a King that hath no kind of care or respect of his subiects much lesse of Gods Church which is the best part of his subiects Therfore it is euery one of your duties that heare me see what it is to lacke this blessing to craue of God that he would distill his grace into his Maiesties heart which may moue him to take vp another manner of protection then hitherto he hath done Oh would to God it were so Thus farre for the exposition of the causes shortly In all these causes some things are worthy of praise and some things are worthy of dispraise for I stand not to iustifie him in them all They are worthy of commendation so far as they flowed from faith and tended to the glory of God and weale of his Church They are worthy of reproofe so far as they flowed from the foolish affectioÌ„ corruption of nature without the which none can be so long as we be in this life Then ye see the best goods that we haue to carry with vs of our owne is this corruption foolish affection No question Kings haue not this power to carry their iewels magnificencâ— with them but surely they carry their vices faults of their gouernment with them which shall meete them And surely if this good King caried any of this stuffe with him much more shall other Kings And as it is in Kings so is it in euery of vs we shall all carry with vs vertues or vices If we cary vertue with vs then shal we haue a good conscience to meete vs there Then to end this matter prepare your hearts and make both hand and heart voide of the loue and affection of the world that your hearts being busied onely with the loue of good things ye may cary your hearts with you when the Lord calleth And as your eares are bent to receiue this word so let it be digested in your hearts that in your death I may see the fruites and effects thereof And seeing we must either cary with vs vertues or vices the fauour of God to mercy or the fauour of sathan to iudgement should not our whole indeuour be that these foule vices may be remoued out of our hearts and should not our whole study be that our soule which is holden so fast bound in the chaines of wickednesse may be set at freedome and liberty That we may haue melting hearts acknowledging that by the bloud of Christ our sins are forgiuen that through a stedfast faith in his bloud sure hope in his mercy we may seale vp that peace which floweth from the pacification purchased by the offering vp of his owne body Now when I see mine owne conscience pacified and my soule so washed from the spots of corruption that all my sinnes are forgiuen me am I not happy and this can neuer be except in your hearts ye be as attentiue as with your eares ye are to heare me But if this matter as it is heard by the eare so it were learned remeÌ„bred by the heart we should see greater profite in sanctification and newnesse of life this day then we do and death would not be so fearefull to many as it is For the ready way to eschue the feare of death is not to delay your repentaÌ„ce but let the whole course of your life be a continuall repentance Happy is he that learneth this lesson and more then happy is he that followeth it and as vnhappy he that neuer practiseth it The Lord worke so with vs grant vs such increase of his Spirit that we may follow it and study to practise it in our life and conuersation The Lord grant this for the righteous merits of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for now and for euer Amen THE NINTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 12 Mine habitation is departed and is remoued from me like a shepheards tent I haue cut off like a weauer my life he will cut me off from the height from day to night thou wilt make an end of me 13 I reckoned to the morning but he brake all my bones like a Lion from day to night wilt thou make an end of me 14 Like a Crane or Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue mine eyes were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me IN our last sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the Prophet assureth the King of his health by a wonderfull signe which was giuen to him The manner and forme of the manifesting of the signe was this The King seeketh a signe and the Lord granteth a signe vnto him and after the same manner that he sought a signe it was giuen to him Thirdly the Lord manifesteth this signe by his owne power and vertue without the support of any creature The King seeketh a signe not that he is distrustfull of Gods promise nor yet to tempt God as the wicked do but he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe in the Lords promise He belieueth the promise yet his beliefe was weake and to strengthen his weake faiâ—h he seeketh the signe The thing that weakeneth his beliefe was this The Prophet in an houre and shorter space cometh to the King and proposeth two contrarie sentences Fiâ—st he saith to him Make thee readie thou must die in an instant of time he pronounceth the plaine contrarie and saith Thou shalt liue both these two could not stand Therefore he seeketh a signe to strengthen
his beliefe whereby he might know the truth of the last promise This signe was giuen him as ye heard and looke after what manner he craued it after that same manner it is granted according to his desire The Sunne is bâ—ought backe as also the shadow of it in his Fathers diall by ten degrees and the day which otherwise should haue lasted but twelue houres by this wonder it is made to endure for the space of 22 houres The signe was wrought partly in the diall partly in the body of the Sunne It was wrought in the bodie of the diall because it was a publike worke see vp in a publike place at the head of the palace ouer against the Temple to the end the miracle wrought in it which was in such an open and common place might be knowne to all the Citie and consequently to all that were in Iudea It was wrought in the bodie of the Sunne that the knowledge of that worke might come to the whole world that the whole world who saw that light might see in that worke a God whom they saw not so before This signe was exceeding fit and proper for the purpose for by this signe the King saw euidently that it was as easie to God to bring backe his life to a flourishing youth which was hastening to decay as it was to bring backe the Sunne which was very neare to his going down This signe is wrought onely by the vertue of God For that generall is true There is no creature yea not the diuell himselfe that hath power to shew any true miracle Then all those miracles that are in the popish Churches as the images of legs and armes waxe clothes and all the rest of that sort are deceiuing lies of the diuell The King purchaseth this signe by his owne prayer to learne vs this lesson That suppose the Lord be of minde and purpose to giue vs benefits and suppose he hath promised to grant benefits vnto vs yet he will not giue them but to the seekers he will haue vs first seeking them before we obtaine them And so he would learne vs this exercise to stand constant in honouring and worshipping of him who hath these benefits to giue vs. Before we entred into the song we declared vnto you the whole course of this Kings life from the 14. yeare of his reigne and in his whole course ye saw that his whole life was a continuall falling and rising a continuall praying and praising of God Praying in the time of his falles and of his trouble that the Lord would strengthen him by his Spirit And praysing God for his victories that he had so mightily deliuered him In this we see an image of a Christian life and of a Christian exercise to assure euery one of you that while ye are here your life shall be but a continuall falling and rising rising by the speciall grace and mercie of God in Christ Iesus And therefore it becometh you to be occupied in the same exercises wherein this King was imployed In the time of your falles and troubles to be diligent in prayer seeking strength of the Lord to endure and praysing him in your victories He that forgetteth to pray forgetteth to rise and therefore take heed that in all your troubles ye haue euer recourse to God by prayer We tooke the song to stand of these three parts In the first part is set downe the great trouble perplexitie and perturbation wherein the King was what he said during this trouble and what he did In the second part there is a rehearsall made of the great benefit that he obtained how singular and how excellent it was In the third part he maketh a faithfull promise to be thankfull to God for this benefit to praise him all the dayes of his life that so long as he liued he would neuer forget him In the first part we marked the circumstance of time when this trouble of mind ouertooke the King to wit at what time the seruant of God came to him told him it behooued him to die from the time he heard death denounced incontinently the mention of death striketh a feare and a trembling in him It casteth him in a great perturbation of mind Suppose he was a godly King and indeed such a King of whom there is as good mention made as of any other King in the Scriptures of God yet notwithstanding at the hearing of death he feareth and trembleth This death is indeed a renting asunder of those two parts which were appointed to haue remained together and therefore it is no maruell suppose the mention of it strike a feare in the heart Our owne sinne hath procured it and in some measure it is good that we taste what sin hath brought with it It is true indeed our death that are Christians is fully sanctified in the death of Christ Iesus But it is as true on the other side that suppose our death be fully sanctified yet so long as we remaine in this earth we are not fully sanctified And in respect there remaineth in vs yea in the best of vs all a remanent of corruption yea would God it were but a remanent of this floweth this feare trouble perturbation of mind It is true that this faith and the constant hope of a better life that dwelleth in the other part of the soule do temper the feare mitigate the trouble and swallow vp the paine of death yet in respect of the corruption that remaineth some feare must be and the greater the corruption is the greater feare falleth vpon the conscience The chiefe corruption that grieueth vs in the time of death is the loue of the world the cares of the world the inordinate loue of flesh and bloud So that he that would make himselfe voide of feare must prouide to rid his hands and his heart of these inordinate affections for experience although vnhappie teacheth vs that there is no man that can part with that he loueth without exceeding griefe And therefore in the point of death experience teacheth what it is to cast our affection on friuolous things that suddainly vanish So I say now it is time to rid your hands and purge your hearts of such preposterous affections that death which vnto others is so terrible when it cometh it may be a blessing vnto you I shew vnto you that all those care were forbidden goods expresly inhibited by the King of heauen which are neither profiâ—able for you nor to the countrey whither ye go And therefore I desired you to carrie with you the loue of God and the loue of your neighbour in God And these kind of commodities shall both profit you and be welcome to the countrey whither ye go In this trouble the first thing that he vttereth he sayth with himselfe I see I must die I am drawing neere to the ports of the graue Suppose he was very loath to die as his words do testifie yet he maketh
him ready It is foolish false to thinke that preparation to death is a furtherance to death No the contrary is true The readier ye are to die the more able ye are to liue the lesse shall be your anguish when the Lord calleth As to the reasons I will not insist in them onely the last reason that maketh death to be so fearefull to this good King was the great loue which he had to the Church that was in his country the great care which he had of his faithfull subiects who should lacke by his death his mercifull protection And in this I did let you see that the country had an exceeding blessing where the Prince is so carefull for the Church in his country and of his faithfull subiects that in his death he hath mind of them and is grieued to depart from them As on the other side the Church must be as heauily cursed where the Prince hath no regard of the Church in his country nor of his faithfull subiects As to the reasons I will not stand precisely in iustifying of them all I thinke as the word soundeth that there is some thing worthy of praise and commendation in them and some thing worthy of dispraise and reproofe For so farre as they flow of faith and of the good spirit of God no question they are worthy of praise and so farre as they flow from the Kings vnruly affections they are worthy of dispraise And surely it appeareth by the words that his affections had bene somewhat vnruly Well the lesson that I gathered was This is the profite that we reape of these preposterous affections they draw our loue from God to the creatures And ere these affections can be drawne from the creature they bring such a griefe vnto them as it were another death Therefore the thing that we craued was that ye should set your affection vpon God The truth of loue is in God and therefore it becometh you to bring your hearts from the creature vnto God and imploy your affection vpon him in whom onely is solid ioy Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now in the words which I haue read he returneth to his complaint and he taketh vp his lamentation againe in the first part of the 12. verse he vttereth his trouble wherein he was In the end of that verse and in the verse following he vttereth the great rage furie of his sicknes And in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great rage and extremity of his disease Then to returne to the 12. verse I say in the beginning of it he returneth to his lamentation and he vttereth his complaint as he had wont to do bursting out after this manner Mine habitation saith he is departed and transported from me As if he would say my life is to depart and the Lord is to transport it to another part I see death is instant and the Lord is cutting off this present life of mine He letteth vs see the maner how his life is to be transported by two similitudes The first similitude he taketh from a shepheards tent The second similitude he taketh from a Weauer and his web As to the first similitude he sayth his life is to be transported from him like a shepheards tent Looke how the tents of shepheards are remoued transported and remoued so saith the King he saw his life to be subiect to the same transportation It is knowne to you all that reade histories that in the East hote countries as namely among the Tartars and Arabians where the shepheards in the sommer seasons remaine vnder tents so often as they remoue their flocks they remoue their tents And in our owne countrie here when our shepheards remoue their flockes they remoue their other necessaries alluding to that same custome so would the King say look how these tents are remoued in the sommer season transported my life is subiect to the same condition Of this similitude we haue matter full of good doctrine For this similitude doth first teach vs that there is nothing more instable vncertaine then is the life of man here beneath There is nothing more subiect to instability then this life which we liue in this body For as to the nature of tents ye see whether ye call them tents pauillions or tabernacles all is one by experience there is nothing more vnstable nor vncertaine to dwell in then is a tent For why it lacketh a ground it lacketh a foundation and stability and in stead of a ground it leaneth onely to certaine pinnes which enter not deepely into the earth and consequently by the lightest blast of euery wind they are blowne vp and when the pinnes faile the tent falleth So the King would teach vs by this similitude that this life of ours lacketh a ground lacketh a foundation and lacketh a stabilitie And therefore the King in this comparison would send vs to the life which hath the sure ground foundation and stability he sendeth vs to that kingdome which as the Apostle Heb. 12. saith cannot be shaken by no kind of stormy blasts And as I remember Heb. 11 9.10 there in these verses the Apostle maketh a flat opposition betwixt these tents that lacke a ground and the City of God saying that as tents and tabernables lacke a foundation and ground so the City of God on the contrary hath a ground and a foundation and in steede of one he calleth them in the plurall number foundations Looke saith he to the City that hath the foundations whose craftsman and builder is the God of heauen He expoundeth himselfe what he meaneth by the foundations in the last verse where he saith Such a kingdome as cannot be shaken that is whose ground is so sure that it cannot be shaken nor totter by no processe of time nor stormy blasts Then the first lesson that ye haue from this part of the comparison is this Learne to seeke for the City that hath sure foundations seek for the City that can not be shaken The Lord giue you grace so to do In the other part of the comparison he letteth vs see that so long as we are in this life we haue no pernament abode nor certaine remaining whereunto we may leane For as ye may perceiue by the historie of Genesis the Patriarkes dwelled in tens to testifie vnto vs two things First to testifie that they were no countreymen there nor natiue borne men of that country but strangers and pilgrimes in that country and as they professed themselues that they were not onely strangers of that countrey but counted themselus strangers so long as they remained on the face of this earth The second thing that they testified by dwelling in tents is that they were minded not to remaine there it was not their purpose to fixe their staffe as we speake there But they were vpon their iourney and seeking the way that leadeth homeward the way that
led to their natiue countrie to the City that hath the sure foundations as they confessed themselues Then I say there is another lesson that we may reape of his similitude It teacheth vs that we haue no permanent being here and we ought not to settle our hearts nor cast our loue on any thing here but seeing we are subiect to flitting and remouing not knowing what houre we shall be warned to remoue there is nothing more sure then that we must remoue and nothing more vnknowne then the time Therefore it becometh vs now in time while we haue leasure to transport our goods and to send them before vs where we are to remaine to send our substance where we are to abide for euer For proofe hereof your owne experience teacheth you that there is none of you who haue warning and are certaine that ye are to remoue but ye wil transport your goods and send your substance where ye are to abide Therfore seeing that this is concluded principally in all your hearts that there is no remaining here but we must remoue and ye are vncertaine in what moment ye shal be warned to remoue it becometh vs to send our goods substance riches before vs. And if it be true that our Maister sayth that the heart followeth the treasure let both heart and treasure be sent thither surely this is a singular lesson if it were learned For he is a mad man more then mad that will place his felicity where he is not to remaine and where he knoweth not what houre he shall be warned to depart I am assured there is none here but they will say as I say Yet on the other side it is as true there is none here but he doth as pleaseth himselfe Therefore I will call onely one thing to your mindes I remember there is a parable set downe Luke 12.16 concerning a rich man who did cast downe his barns and inlarged them for his great abundance when all this was done he saith to his soule Take thy rest eate and drinke and take thy pleasure for I haue laid vp enough for thee This insatiable foole as our master calleth him there knew not that he was tenant at will and he knew not of the thing that was to come but as if he had had the times and seasons at his command he layeth this resolution with his soule But ye see in this parable how soone he is disappointed and his soule getteth not the vse of this conclusion for that same night it is taken from him Well I know there are none so grosse that in words will lay this conclusion with this rich man but I know againe there are none so wise but in effect they do it There are none but they say the same to their soule in deed Alwaies I say all these conclusions are false and proceed of a foolish braine and the wisdome that bringeth on this conclusion is plaine follie and their soules shall be disappointed There is no certaine conclusion but that which floweth from the truth This word is sure therefore thou must haue thy warrant out of the word of God this word saith thou hast no certainty no not an houre here Therefore this word admonisheth all to be readie And if ye would be rich seeing riches is the blessing of God be rich in good works and send your riches before you and be rich in God that ye and your riches may remaine together there for euer If I might obtaine of you this lesson and no more I would thinke this dayes exercise well employed Then let men take such a resolution with themselues that they may be so disposed that when the messenger of death cometh he cannot come amisse come when he will Thus far concerning the first similitude The other similitude is taken from a Weauer and his web And in the words he saith after this manner I haue saith he wrought my life or wouen the web of my life to the off-cutting As the Weauer weaueth his web so is my life wouen readie to be cut off as if he would say in effect I see I haue shortned my dayes there is no remaining for me I haue brought my life to the off-cutting I haue preuented the iust time by mine owne doing I haue procured my owne death In whiâ—h words he would teach vs that by his owne doings he hath procured hastened his owne death and by his euill life shortned his time It is true indeed that as by sinne death entred into the world so by the multiplying of sinne our death is hastened For that disease is not that striketh on bodie or soule but it floweth of sinne yea the death of soule and bodie floweth of sinne The thing that shorteneth our dayes is sinne the thing that maketh our daies euill and troublesome is sinne saith Iacob Sinne maketh our daies full of anguish and griefe full of trouble and sorrow Sinne wrappeth vs in a thousand cares and exceeding vanities whereby we are deceiued and sinne consumeth vs with vnprofitable labors and trauels which are not necessarie And what more Sinne weakneth this body of ours by deceiueable pleasures it vexeth our mind with such feare and terrors as I cannot expresse them Shortly all the euill that euer God inflicteth it floweth of sinne And if it be true that this good King had occasion to say that his sinne procured his death If so godly a King so good a youth had occasion to say this that sinne shortened his dayes what may the youth of this countrey say what may I pray you our yong Nobilitie say Surely if this King walked in such paths as made him to draw neare to his death it appeareth well that they haue taken post in this way euery one as appeareth contending who should runne the speediest course to an euill end except God preuent it The Psalmist saith that the bloudie man shall not liue halfe his dayes if this be true what shall become of the bloudie adulterer of the sacrilegious blasphemer much more the Papist and the Idolater In the which and infinite other vices they runne post If a man hauing this one vice shall not end the halfe of his dayes how much more shall his dayes be shortened in whom these vices concurre all in one this is sure it cannot faile I leaue the great men and come to the inferior sort Looke to the prophane multitude ye see in their behauiour how speedily they runne this post There are two sinnnes which are ioyned together in them to wit gluttonie and drunkennesse And there are none but they know that these two are the fountaines of all bodily diseases and of the chiefe diseases of the soule whereby they perish for euer Now what I pray you saith Salomon Prouer. 23. with whom saith he lodgeth feare sorow contention debate and strife with whom but with the drunken man and with him that loueth wine yet ye see how the greatest part in
some roote of infidelity abiding stil in them to vtter voices sometimes full of doubting and sometimes full of faith Thus farre for the first Now againe to testifie that the soule hauing faith hath bene subiect to doubting and as faith is on the one part so doubting is on the other this is a thing that hath bene in all the seruants of God and shall be to the end of the world The example of this ye haue in Dauid ye haue the example of it here in Hezechiah in all the rest of the good seruants of God Then suppose many of you know not what I say yet keepe the lesson in memory for it shall stand you in great good steede For this is sure that suppose the paines of the body be great yet there is as great difference betwixt the paines of the body and the paines of the soule as is betwixt God and the creature Ye would choose rather all the torments of the body that can be deuised ere ye felt one touch of the consuming wrath of God in the soule But yet these words will not effect it for words will not mollifie the heart except the Lord by the power of his Spirit worke in the heart And therefore I haue to craue of God ye haue by your prayers to assist me that ye be not vnfruitefull hearers of the word but seeing there is a Hell ye may study to preuent it Now last of all ye see the King learneth you a new fashion of prayer and I beseech you marke it When the extremity is so great that he may not vtter nor speake distinct voices and his speech is taken from him yet he leaueth not off to pray but hath recourse to his lamenting mourning conterfeiting the distinct voices of the Doue Crane Swallow by this diuersitie of tunes vttering his great anxiety And what fashion of prayer is this I say this kinde of sighing mourning and lifting vp of the eyes is as good language to God as any language spoken by the tongue He vnderstandeth the meaning of thy sigh and grone better then thou vnderstandest me that speakest And how is this It is his owne Spirit that raiseth these sighs grones that moueth these mournings And I pray you knoweth he not the meaning of his owne Spirit This the Apostle declareth Rom. 8. He knoweth the meaning of his owne Spirit and therefore whether this Spirit moue vs to sigh to mourne or to speake the Lord vnderstandeth all alike Then learne this forme of prayer when the Lord visiteth you with sicknesse in such sort that the vse of the tongue is taken from you and ye may not lift vp your hands to praise him nor lift vp your eies to looke vnto him yet let your moane be made yea further suppose the heart would not make moane with the mouth yet let the mouth suppose it hath no helpe honour and glorifie God Yea I say more suppose the case stand so as it may be that the heart be contrary to prayer and the mind will not assist the mouth to pray yet ere God be not honoured let him be honoured with the lip if the mouth wil not do it let the hand do it And euery member in like maner to the which the Lord haâ—h giuen leaue let theÌ„ honor God because euen this striuing against the hardnes of the heart and prouoking of it with the outward members of the body is pleasant to God no doubt it is he who giues this will as a speciall grace howbeit we get not incontinently the performance If ye can learne this it is not possible that ye can want prayer for prayer is such as sometimes is vttered by teares sometimes by sighes sometimes by words and sometimes by gesture And euer let thy Spirit be well occupied musing vpon God and spirituall things and whether thou eate whether thou drinke take thy rest or what euer thou do let thy Spirit haue euer thy minde on God comfort thee with this When the Lord visiteth thee with such kinde of disease that thy tong is taken from thee let the rest of thy members honour him And if ye be not so diseased your selfe yet in your visitation comfort others herewith assuring them that this kinde of language is as well vnderstood as if it were spoken with the tongue I end here This king is not exempted from trouble he is not exempted from tentation both of body and soule There is none that cast them to liue godly but of force they must suffer trouble There is none that will make them for heauen but of all estates prince or people or what euer they be they must walke in the strait way As to them that walke in the broade way they shall grow worse and worse as the Apostle saith till they come to such an height vntill at the last the Lord anger them by the same sinnes whereby they anger him For this is his iust iudgement that as thou hast angred him by Adultery he shall anger thee by the same sinne Hast thou angred him by blood he shall anger thee by bloud also Hast thou angred him by blasphemy he shall anger thee with the punishment of blasphemy Hast thou angred him with drunkennesse he shall anger thee with the punishment of drunkennesse For euery sin hath the owne punishment in the selfesame Then as ye would eschue the punishment of sinne so cast you to eschue sinne that so farre as the Lord will giue you grace ye may keepe your selues free And so ye shall haue not onely ioy long dayes here but euerlasting ioy after this purchased to vs in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whoÌ„ with the Father the holy Spirit be al honor praise glory for euer euer Amen THE TENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 15 What shall I say For he hath said it to me and he hath done it I shall walke weaklie all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me IN our last Sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King returned to his wonted griefe and tooke vp his old lamentation againe vttering his trouble in these words My habitation is departed and transported from me as if he should say my life is ready to depart death is instant and my remouing is at hand he sheweth the maner of his remouing by two similitudes the one similitude is taken from a shepheards tent the other from a Weauer and his web As to the first looke in what maner we se the sheepheard tents flitted and remoued after the same manner I see my life to be flitted and remoued In the which we are taught not to settle our standing here nor to fixe our anker here but that we may be ready to remoue because we are vnder
warning and know not what houre the Lord wil call on vs. There is none that is sure that he must change habitation and is out of doubt in his conscience that he is to remoue that will settle his heart in that place which he is not able to keepe but being assured that he shall remoue he will send his houshold stuffe and substance before him If this be true in earthly things how much more ought we seeing the Lord giueth vs leasure to send our substance before vs And as it is true that the heart followeth the substance let both hart and substance be sent to heauen where they may both meete vs to our comfort Be rich in God be rich in good workes and that kind of substance shall be able to convoy thee and shall serue stand in stead to thee both in heauen and earth The second comparison was taken from the Weauer and his web and the effect of it is this as the Weauer bringeth his web to the off cutting so would the King say I see I haue brought this miserable life of mine to the off-cutting I haue procured my suddaine and vntimely death by mine euil life I haue hasted this messenger It is true that all the diseases of the body and the chiefe diseases of the soule flow from sinne And as death entred by sinne so by multiplication of sinne deaâ—h is hastened sinne shorteneth our life sinne maketh our dayes euill sinne maketh them full of griefe and sorrow sinne inuolueth vs in a thousand cares sinne wrappeth vs in infinite vnprofitable labours Sinne weakneth our body by deceiueable pleasures sinne vexeth our minde with such terrors as cannot be expressed Abeit if this good King had occasion to say that his euill spent life spurred him to his death what may our yong nobility say if it be true that one sinne blood cutteth the halfe of the dayes as the Psalmist sayth how much more shall an heape of sinnes concurring in one pâ—rson shorten the dayes The sacrilegious blasphemer and the bloudy adulterer and infinite more other sinnes concurring in one person shall not these shorten this miserable life The thing which they feare most would willingliest eschue that same thing such is their iudgement they runne headlong on As to the prophane multitude ye see these two vices gluttony and drunkennesse whereby they dâ—aw on themselues sudden death and there is neuer a man but he is subiect vnto one sinne or other which shorteneth the threed of his life and draweth on that which he would eschue Well I will not insist in these occasions of death take heede whether ye walke in mercy or in your owne sinnes If ye walke in your owne sinnes of all iudgements it is the most terrible to be left to your selfe now mercie is offered and therefore ye that would be translated from death to life vse this time diligently In the second part of that exercise I shewed you the rage and fury of his sicknesse we did let you see the weight of his feuer was so great that it made him thinke that God was a deuouring Lion readie to bruise all his bones to powder It made him to looke that both soule and bodie should be taken from him that day ere night We shewed that these voyces could not flow froÌ„ a temporall paine only but there behoued to be a fire in the soule a further paine then could come of any bodily disease in the earth Of all troubles that come vnto man the trouble of conscience is the greatest of all other troubles this is the chiefest when besides a sight of sinne there is a touch of â—he insupportable anger indignation of the liuing God It appeareth by these voyces that the King felt a touch of this wrath whereby God appeareth to be a consuming fire It is the custome of God to bring his children into these extremities that feeling the pangs of hell they may see how precious the death of Christ ought to be vnto them How farre they are bound vnto him what is the dutie they owe vnto him that went betwixt them and so bitter a punishment This kind of extremitie teacheth vs how easie it is for the Lord to represse the pride of the flesh and to beate downe this wantonnesse of our filthie nature This glorious King in the space of 12. houres is brought to the ports of the graue and of desperation in a manner So ye see how easie it is for the Lord to bring the proudest flesh low and to do this he needeth not fire nor sword nor any other instrument but such as we haue within our selues he is able to make our owne darlings to be our greatest tortures For we carrie within vs either one viper or other which shall destroy the soule except the Lord preuent in mercie Last of all we shew how this King in his greatest extremitie behaued himselfe notwithstanding God appeareth to be a fire to his soule yet he retireth to the same God and where he might not by words vtter the griefe and trouble of his heart when the benefite of his speech was taken from him yet he ceasseth not but he sigheth and maketh his moane counterfeiting the Doue the Swallow and the Crane he chattereth and lifteth vp his eyes vsing all such gestures so long as he had his tongue he prayeth and the words are few which he speaketh but they are sententious It hath oppressed refresh me or weaue me out As if he would say The force of this disease and furie of this feuer is so great that it ouercometh all force of nature Therefore seeing nature will auaile nothing I flie to the God of nature to whom it is easie to support nature and of this God I craue health and continuance of my daies I craue that as he hath begun so he would weaue out this web to the glorie of his name and comfort of his Church FroÌ„ this last part we shewed you two things we marked first these contrarie voyces into which the seruants of God burst foorth in their greatest troubles vttering sometimes words full of doubting and sometimes full of confidence In the 15. verse God appeareth to haue bene a consuming fire and a raging Lion to him In the 14. verse he maketh his recourse to the same God and suppose he threatned him yet he reposeth vpon him Vpon this we did let you see first that doubting and confidence may haue place both in one and the selfesame soule There was neuer a seruant of God but had experience of this yea it is proper to the children of God to be subiect to this doubting suppose in mercie they be kept from desperation For seeing this faith of ours as long as we are here is imperfect how is it possible that anie faithfull soule weighing their faith with that perfection which is in God to whom nothing is pleasant but that which is perfect how is it possible I say but that soule must doubt
of the Ministery See then if the iudgement of God pronounced 2. Thes. 2. goeth not fast forward who hath giuen vs ouer as appeareth to be deceiued by the mighty power and working of the Diuell in such sort that euerie man striueth who shall put his appetites furthest in execution Oh! vnhappy and wrathfull countrey that hath so abused the merciful calling and great benignitie of God it is a wonderfull thing to looke vpon this matter and to consider our great ingratitude The more that knowledge groweth the more conscience decayeth as if conscience and knowledge could not both rest in one breast looke to the workes of all men it appeareth that the bringing in of light hath banished conscience which was in the time of darknesse What can be the cause of this that as light groweth the effect of light decayeth It is a thing that passeth the vnderstanding of man and the end of it shall be more then terrible Is it not more then wonderfull that the more that this Countrey is watered with the sauing and heauenly dew the more our hearts are hardened What must this bring forth It must bring forth at the last an eternall consumption which consumption must be so much the greater the greater that our contempt is For it is not possible but that ground which is so oft refreshed with raine and dew and yet bringeth foorth no other thing but thornes and bryars but at the last it must be burnt vp How is it possible that thornes that are prouided for the fire but they must be consumed by the fire And seeing our deedes testifie that we are nothing but thornes of necessitie we must be burnt vp except the Lord worke otherwise then I haue any expectation For the longer that iudgement is delayed it shall be heauier when it lighteth seeing the contempt is so great â—herefore the Lord giue you grace that as ye know there is a Hell and eternity of paine and as ye would eschue it so ye may take vp a new course of life But this cannot be except the Lord worke it by his holy Spirit except he forget our sinnes and assure vs of the remission of them in the blood of Christ. And therefore I haue to craue with you and ye with me that this may come to passe that in the bowels of his mercie we may eschue that terrible damnation from the which the Lord preserue vs for Christ Iesus his Sonnes sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise now for euer Amen THE ELEVENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me 17 Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe 18 For the graue cannot confâ—sse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth 19 But the liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I do this day the Father to the children shall declare thy truth 20 The Lord was readie to saue me therefore I will sing my song all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord. 21 Then said Isaiah Take a lump of dry figs and lay it vpon the byle and he shall recouer 22 Also Hezekiah had said What is the signe that I shall go vp into the house of the Lord IN our last lesson welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King entred into the second part of his song And first of all as ye heard he bursteth foorth of hand into the praise of God Then after he setteth downe the greatnesse of the benefits receiued in two words with the chiefe comfort that he found And in respect the comfort flowed from the word of God he entered into the commendation of the word of God Then first of all whilest the King is musing and pausing vpon the greatnesse of the Lords benefits and rauished in admiration of the greatnesse of the workes of God he cannot containe himselfe any longer but the bursteth foorth into the praise of God and saith what shall I say A patheticke and abrupt kind of speech whereby he testifieth that his tongue would not serue him to expresse the matter his heart was so swolne with praise that he was not able to vtter it in any quantitie of words In this doing suppose his words be few yet he sheweth himselfe more thankfull then if he had vttered a million of words So thankfulnesse standeth not in the multitude of sillables and voyces but it standeth in the heart and disposâ—â—ion of the soule Where the Lord findeth the heart thankfull there is no word that can flow from that heart but it is acceptable And howsoeuer the Kings words be few yet in his words he granteth three things First he granteth the benefit was free and freely bestowed Secondly he granteth that he hath nothing to render for it yea not so much as one word much lesse a deed Thirdly he letteth vs see that howsoâ—â—er he was not able to answer to the worthinesse of this benefit yet he was not idle but he vttereth praise as God gaue him the grace for it is not possible that a good conscience and a godly soule can altogether forget God but in the due time it will euer thanke God for his benefits so â—â—at whosoeuer either forgetteth or casteth off this exercise they testifie their wealth to be euill purchased and that there is a curse hanging ouer them and their riches both which curse appeareth either in their owne times or suddainly after in their prodigall posteritie Therefore ye that would haue the curse remooued in time learned to thanke God for his benefits that ye may possesse them with the blessing of God to you and yours Therefore he taketh vp the greatnesse of the benefit and comprehendeth it vnder these two words He said and he himselfe did it he said it in his promise he did it in accomplishing of his promise he did it and said it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke should appertaine to him he said it freely for the King confessed that he deserued the contrarie he did it as freely in keeping his promise For suppose all the world be false yet God remained true ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God his mercie in promising his truth in accomplishing All the promises which the Lord maketh they flow from his mercie and all his accomplishings they flow from his truth His promises from mercy why He is debtor to no man His accomplishings from his truth why He is truth it selfe and there is no promise that he hath made but he will keepe yea he will inuert nature rather as it appeareth in the drawing backe of the
light This spirituall light is so proper to the Church that it discerneth her from all false Churches vpon the face of the earth for as the Apostle saith Faith which is no other thing but this light appertaineth not vnto all but this gift of iustifying faith is nothing else but that very light which is giuen to those who before all eternitie were appointed for saluation This speciall reuelation is not obtayned or purchased by any naturall force for so it were common to all men It is not purchased by naturall wit or vnderstanding for the wisdome of this world cannot know those things that are of God Yea the wisedome of the world is the greatest enemie to the wisedome of God and the wit of the world esteemeth the wit of God to be plaine foolishnesse This light is not gotten by the sight of the works of God or by looking vpon this great Vniuerse we get a light indeed by looking on the works of God but this light conueigheth vs not a far off we lose it in the threshold in the very entrie it is choked by our affections and the vile appetites that are in vs do choke it Now we get not this supernaturall light onely by the outward ministerie of the word no seuer me the Spirit from the word the word is nothing else but a minister of death to my soule and a slaying letter it serueth for nothing but to be a further testimonie of my iust condemnation Therefore this heauenly light whereby we are made heires of heauen and the children of God is purchased by the word and Spirit of God ioynctly By the word striking and piercing the eare outwardly and the Spirit penetrating the heart inwardly So where these two are conioyned that heauenly light is wrought and it is an earnest-pennie of thy euerlasting saluation Of this light and reuelation it cometh to passe that God is well knowne in Iudah that is in his owne Church and of this knowledge it cometh to passe that his Name is great in Israel that is his praise is highly extolled and his name renowmed among all them that know him rightly By the Name of God is vnderstood God himselfe as he maketh himselfe knowne in the wonderful works which he worketh as when he hath mercie on his Church he is called a mercifull God when he keepeth his promises he is called a true God when he deliuereth her mightily he is called a potent God And so as many works as he worketh so many Names he hath Now of this reuelation cometh the knowledge of God For except the Spirit of God take away the ignorance of our hearts it is as impossible for me to know God rightly as the dumbe element Except this veile of ignorance which sticketh so fast vnto our hearts be taken off that in time the mighty power of God may be reuerenced there remaineth no further sight then serueth vnto our eternall condemnation Therefore the Spirit must concurre mightily to take off this veile of ignorance that our hearts and minds being renewed we may begin to be new creatures in Christ Iesus Of this knowledge it cometh to passe that God is reuerenced and his praises are sounded for it is impossible that these who know God aright but they must praise him and reuerence his Name God is not like the great men of this countrey for they where they are best knowne there are worst loued But God by the contrary where he is best knowne he is best loued And this loue of God can neuer be idle but it must burst foorth into his praises So these two are ioyned together the Spirit of God bringeth knowledge which knowledge is helpefull to faith and true faith euer praiseth God Then examine your knowledge from the effect the praise of God and see whether the knowledge of God be in this countrey or not This conclusion must hold fast where God is highly praised he is well knowne and the contrary must hold as fast where God is no waies praised he is not knowne there Assume now But so it is that he is no waies praised in this countrey Therefore he was neuer well knowne of vs his goodnesse and mercie was neuer well tasted of vs. And surely if multitude of benefits or multitude of miracles might haue made God knowne to vs we haue had our large part Yea to omit all the rest I thinke though there were no more but this deliuerie past it is a sufficient argument to mooue the hearts of all creatures to praise his name But such is our horrible ingratitude that for lacke of praise we bring not onely a curse vpon the benefit but a curse vpon our owne persons And therefore mine exhortation is now as then That with such hearts as the Lord hath giuen vs we be readie to sound his praise for this great deliuerie the thankfull memorie of this last benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the next therefore with thankfull hearts let vs praise him And where they are not so disposed as the worthinesse of the benefit requireth let vs beg mercie for our euill disposed hearts let vs desire pardon for our vnprepared hearts and wish that it would please the Lord to sanctifie them further and further to his owne praises that being couered with his mercifull protection we may at all times rest vnder his wings and sauegard so that we shall be sure to assaile the enemy when he pleaseth Thus farre for the first benefit The second benefit wherein the Lord shewed himselfe gracious toward his people is this he made his residence with this people which he did with no other nation of the earth he taketh his abiding at Shalem as the tokens and ensignes of his presence did testifie God maketh his residence with no sort of people in the earth but with his Church he hath espied out and select to himselfe a people among all the nations of the earth and with them he hath made his residence It is no strange language to say that God hath chosen a people to himselfe and doth make his residence with such a people For albeit the maiestie of God fill and replenish both heauen and earth and his power reach euery where yet is it as true our God dwelleth euery where he hath selected a sort of people a number of persons with whom he maketh his residence And among all nations he selected this nation of the Iewes vnto whom he gaue the visible ensignes of his presence and in whose hearts he dwelt Now it hath pleased him in mercie to translate his Tabernacle to make his residence with vs and he hath chosen a few of the hearts of this countrey where he hath begun his dwelling place for God dwelleth now in the hearts and consciences of his owne by his holy Spirit and surely so he hath dwelt with vs these 30. yeares and in such puritie that he hath not done the like with any nation in the earth He hath
God in me to that part of my soule which the Spirit of God hath reformed in me In such sort that sinne dwelleth in me and it hath his owne will his owne wit his owne counsell out of my minde which he followeth As on the other side the reformed part of me hath his owne will his owne counsell his owne wisedome and vnderstanding in me which he followeth So that all the rest of the dayes of my life there is a continuall battell betwixt these two willes the will of sinne and flesh dwelling in my soule and the will of the Spirit of God and of the reformed part of my soule sinne perswading me to do euill the Spirit of God perswading me to do heauenly things This part suggesting holy thoughts and motions the other part suggesting wicked thoughts and motions And this is the estate of euery man in this earth that hath entred into society with the Spirit of God To take vp this matter that the long discourse of it carrie vs not from our purpose There is no youth yea more then youth there is no age nor part of mans life but carrieth the owne affections the owne vices and imperfectionâ— with it vnto the which affections and vices euery one of vs are either slaues and seruants rather then enemies seruants without contradiction to sin rather then enemies vnto it without battell All the powers of the soule and members of the body in that man where Christ hath not begun to worke content and agree to the euill action runne in a rage to the performance of the will of the flesh For thou art either an ordinary slaue and seruant to sinne or else thou art a contradictor of sinne And this contradiction sheweth the battell that ye haue within your selues It is true that in the naturall man reason and the light that is left in nature maketh some opposition but not long For she is vnarmed destitute of power and therefore the power of darknesse that is in the affection blindeth the eye of reason incontinently To flie from thy selfe to flie from thy affecions it is not possible for thee except that grace come downe out of the heauen except the Spirit of Christ giue thee eyes to see and perceiue that these same lusts of thine these affections of thine which thou thoughtsts in the folly of thy youth to be no sinne except that he giue thee eyes to see that they are sinne thou will neuer condemne them For this is the custome of the naturall man if he burst not forth into the outward actions which are to plainely daÌ„ned in the Law of God his inward lusts appeare to him to be no sinnes and it is onely by the light of the Spirit of Christ by the knowledge wrought by the Spirit of Christ that he beginneth to see clearely that all his affections and his lusts are vtterly damned in the sight of God and are sinnes And this sight first maketh vs flee from them for we would neuer part with our lusts and affections if the Spirit of God did not let vs see the vglinesse of them And beside this vglinesse it maketh vs to feele in our hearts and to taste of the bitternesse of them where the diuel and our corruption made vs to thinke that they were sweete oft before When the Spirit beginneth to rip vp our hearts and to discouer the secrets of our hearts and blindnesse of our minds it maketh vs to feele the vglinesse and bitternes that is in them and this is the first thing that euer maketh man to repent and giueth him a conscience of sinne and maketh him to haue an earnest desire to flie from himselfe and the lusts of his youth If thou flie not in time and take not on this flight in due season when thou art called to flie as now thou art called to flie by the word of God which giueth thee a cleare light an eye to see from whence thou shouldest flie If thou learne not now to flie â—o question thou and thine affections shall both perish These same affections wherin thy soule through long custome so delighted shall putrifie thy soule shall corrupt thy soule more and more shall bring thy bodie the tabernacle wherein thy soule lodgeth to greater and greater decay waste thy conscience subuert thy faith and spoile thee of thy white garments whereby onely accesse is granted thee to the throne of grace and in the end shall bring euerlasting destruction on soule and bodie both Except therefore thou learne to flie there is no escaping from euerlasting death both in bodie and soule therfore this flight is necessary And now it is time that euery one of you beg the Spirit of God that ye may flie For if ye knew those terrors of conscience the fire of Gods wrath and the feare of hell damnation whereunto the heart of euery man is subiect for all the kingdomes of the earth ye would not take in hand to offend so mightie and so gracious a God But such is the deceit and false pleasure of sinne and such is the canker venime which the diuel hath spewed into our hearts that it shutteth our eyes letteth vs not see the vglinesse of sinne nor taste of the bitternesse thereof Therefore euery one of you in the feare of God examine your affections examine your minds and see whereunto ye are addicted suspect euer your affections what euer enticement they haue to cloke the same with suspect euer the motion of them for the diuell is in them for when they appeare to be most quiet yea wholly rooted out and extinguished the stumps of them sticke in the soule and a verie slight obiect or short idlenesse will kindle them againe So they would euer be handled like yong Toades for they are the worse by ouer great libertie And as this should be done in euery man especially it should be done in publike men men who are placed in publike offices and must discharge them in some measure to the glory of God to the contentment of his Church weale of his people As we ought to do this so chiefly they ought euer to suspect their affections lest giuing place to their affections they make them to peruert iustice for what is it that peruerteth iustice but affection So these affections in publike persons would be chiefly eschued Then ye see the exhortation riseth clearely to you my Lord who are now placed to beare a peece of charge and gouernment in the absence of our Prince that ye my Lord cast away your affections and burie them vnder your feete and let iustice strike indifferently where it should strike Let no communitie of name alliance proximitie of bloud or whatsoeuer it be mooue you to peruert iustice but let euery man be answered according to the merit of his cause Except these affections that accompanie great men be remooued no question ye must peruert that place Let not the theefe passe because he is your
himselfe is neuer disappointed of his expectation Exhortation Faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith Our faith must be coÌ„tinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting Doubting faith may lodge in one soule 1 Cor. 4. A doubting and weake faith is faith and shall neuer decay The spaâ—kles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith though they be couered are not extinguished A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations A lesson Of loue which is the secoÌ„d point of our triall How the word loue is taken in the Scripture The definition of loue Of our loue toward God Of loue towards our neighbour Conclusion with an exhortation The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament Ephes. 3.9 Ephes. 5.32 The heads to be entreated of in this Sermon 1. The signes in the SacrameÌ„t Why they are called signes 2. What is the thing signified in the Sacrament Question Answer The thing signified must be applyed How the signe the thing signified are ioyned together This coniunction is made cleare by the coniunction betwixt the word and the thing signified thereby How the signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued Considerations thereof The signe the thing signified are offered in two actions by two instruments and after two manners Of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word Anâ—wer 1. By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple word 2. They serue to confirme the truth contained in the word Exhortation Faults whiâ—h peruert the Sacrament Conclusion with an exhortation Of the Supper of the Lord in particular Heads to be intreated of First head generall Of the names giuen vnto this SacrameÌ„t both in the Bible and by the Ancients Second head generall Of the ends why this Sacrament was instituted Third head generall Of the things contained in this SacrameÌ„t outward and inward wherin sundry heads are intreated The thing signified in both the Sacraments is one the signs are not one Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power endureth 1. Answer That bread hath that power from Christs institution 2. Answer That power continues during the seruice of the Table An obseruation How the signes the thing signified are coÌ„ioyned in the Sacrament How the signe and the thâ—ng signified iâ— receiued What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament Inconueniences cast in by the Papisâ—s against the spirituall â—eceiuing of Christ in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is supeâ—fluous Refutation of the first Inconuenience Second incoÌ„uenience Refutation of the second inconuenience obiected wherein are sundrie reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Exhortation Third inconuenience Refutation of the third inconuenience How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ. Obseruation Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. Similitude taken from the Sunne Conclusion with an exhortation How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ. Our vnion with Christ by one and the same Spirit Exhortation The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrâ—ment is called a Seale Why it is called an holy Seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant Why the Sacrament should be ministred publikely First reason Second reasoÌ„ Why this seale must be ministred according to Christ his institution None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onâ—ly We call the word in the Sacrament the whole institution Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in the Sacrament What the Papists vnderstand by the word in the SacrameÌ„t The third head in controuersie How the elements are sanctified The word of blessing and thankâ—giuing vsed indifferently expressed by the other How the Papists sanctifie the outward Elements Refutation of the doctrine transubstantiation by three sorts of arguments The first sort of argument Second sort of argument Third sort of argument Other arguments vnto the same effect Their last râ—fuge The reason that moues the Papists to thinke thâ—t Christs body cannot be present in the Sacrament except it be really carnally and substaÌ„tially present Obseruation The diuerse opinions coÌ„cerning the presence of the body of Christ in the Saâ—rament How a thing is said to be present and absent How the bodie of Christ is present The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists Conclusion with an exhortation Heads to be intreated in this Sermon First lesson Second lessoÌ„ The time when the King fell into this disease Obseruation Doctrine The Prophet visiteth the King and inioyneth two things to him The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation The second omission The third omission The King behauiour in this disease The Kings behâ—uiour makes vs certaine of his faith and repentance The Kings gesture in his disease The words of his prayer Dan. 6.23 1. Cor. 4. A wonderfull thing to haue recourâ—e vnto the same God who smiteth â—esson Recapitulation Diâ—isâ—on First lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson Doctrine The circumstance of peace Third circumstance The comfort that the King receiued Why mention of Dauid is here made Why Dauid is called Hezechias Father What maketh vs the sonnes of God 1. Lesson 2. Lesson A fault to be eschued in Ionas person Application to the King A vertue to be followed in Esaiahs person Doctrine Application The points of the comfort that the King receiued Obseruation Application Obseruation Exhortation to the Kings Maiestie Recapitulation The heads of doctrine to be intreated of The cause why he sought a signe How the wicked seeke signes Some refuse signes when they are offered How the signe was shewed Why the signe was wrought in the diall Why it was wrought in the body of the Sunne What profite is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer in procuring this signe Why the Lord willeth vs to pray Application The Kingâ— thankfulnes for the beneâ—ite receiued The parts of the Kings Song A short sum of the Kings life A Christians chiefe exercise The first part of the song The diuersity of seeking death in the wicked and godly The way to eschue the feare of death Application The reason why deaâ—h was grieuouâ— to him Application The second reaâ—on why death was grieuous to the King How God was said to be seene of old Application The third reaâ—on why death was grieuous to this King Applicatâ—on What is worthy of praise or reprofe in these reasons Conclusion with an exhortation Recapitulation The heads to be treated of in this SermoÌ„ The manner of the transportation of the
to die ye are the readier to liue he that saith the contrarie I say he speaketh an vntruth if he were the best Doctor of Physicke Therefore when sicknesse which is the messenger of death beginneth to pull your eares the first thing that ought to be propounded to the patient is to bid him make him readie for death for the readier he is to die as I haue said he is the more able to liue Then ye see Hezekiah knew that suppose he was a King yet he was mortall As to his words he setteth downe three reasons wherefore his death grieueth him so much If ye looke to the reasons there appeareth at the first no weight in them yet being tried more narrowly ye shall finde in them a greater validitie The first reason is this I am depriued of the residue of my yeares He was a man at that time of 38. or 39. yeares and of such age as he might haue liued twise as long by the course of nature as Dauid saith O! but this appeareth to be a slight reason it is slight indeede if there be no more in it He is not so much grieued at the cutting off his yeares as at the cutting off the affaires which the shortning of his yeares brought with it So there were two respects wherefore this King was so grieued at the cutting off of his dayes The first because the worke of reformation in Church policy which he had begun would ceasse And out of question this hastie cutting off made him so well prepared in his heart to die as he would haue bene if he had had leysure So in respect he lacked time and yet he was not so voide of all preparation as commonly youth is that cast off all repentance to the last age thinking there is time enough before them In these respects that the worke of reformation by the cutting off of his time would be imperfect and in respect he should not haue bene so well prepared in his heart therefore he is grieued at his death and saith I am depriued of the residue of mine yeares Well to apply this vnto our cause I thinke there is none but they see clearely that if we come not with better speede to the worke of reformation then we are like to do I feare that we leaue not this worke onely vn-ended but vn-begun for if this confusion of Church and policie grow from day to day as it doth without interruption as if there were not a King in Israel I say if this confusion endure no question but the birth of iniquitie shall so ouerburthen the land that it shall make it to spue foorth the inhabitants I will not insist I am assured there is no magistrate of any degree but he is lawfully forewarned and made inexcusable before God The second reason wherefore his death grieued him is set down in the beginning of the 11. verse where he saith I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing Then this is it that grieued him because he should not see the Lord. How can this be I am assured he had that same eye in seeing of the Lord that Dauid had How is it that he sayth he shal not see the Lord What kinde of eye Dauid had is declared in the 16. Psal. Where he sayth that he set the Lord before him in all his works he reioyceth exceedingly in his heart and he sayth I am sure that my soule shall be gathered with the rest of the soules of my faithfull predecessors who are in the presence of God where there is fulnesse of pleasure and sweetnesse of life for euer I am assured this good man was not destitute of this eye but in some mâ—asuâ—e he saw with it as his father Dauid How is is then that he sayth He shall not see the Lord He expoundeâ—h himselfe a little after ye see a cleare commentary in the end of the verse he sayth He shall not see the Lord in the Land of the liuing As though he would say I shall noâ— see him as I was wont to see him before I shall not see him in his Church as the rest of his faithfull seruants see him How this was ye know the custome of the Scriptures in this matter God was said to be seene of old when the visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene For God being in himselfe inuisible when the visible signes of his presence were seene he himselfe was said to be seene As when they saw the Temple God came in their minde when they saw the Tabernacle God was said to be seene chiefly when they saw the Arke God was said to be seene because about it appeared the glory of God For in that same cloud which replenished the inward house his glory appeared Now by reason that these visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene God was said to be seene Then the reason is this I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing That is I shal be taken from his seruice I shall not see him in his Temple as I was wont to do Surely in this as in all the rest he followeth the footsteps of his good father Dauid As we may read in all the Psalmes made in time of his greatest persecution There was nothing grieued him so much as because he had not liberty to assemble with the rest of the faithfull as Psalm 84. and 112. he sayth My heart reioyced when they said to me Let vs go to the house of the Lord. This singular godly loue of the word of God among many vertues is extreme losse to this King And for this reason he is now grieued Now let vs compare our selues with this King and trie whether ye follow him in your hearts in this poynt or not that is whether ye haue such a desire to heare the word as he had But surely he shall condemmne all estates For if ye will looke to the prophane multitude of this country how well they like of the hearing of the word their maners declare For as to the multitude if they haue any businesse remaining it is cast off vntill the Lords day and if there be any markets meetings appointmentes and traffiques all is cast off till that day And the best of you hath taken such a loathing at the hearing of the word that ye are wearie to rise in the morning to heare it if it were but an houre sooner then your diet What must this contempt worke Of necessity it must bring exceeding famine of that same food which we loathed For the Lord will not suffer his word which of it selfe is so dainty and delicate to be contemned And it cannot be but that the same word which your fathers and some of your selues haue runne many miles to heare is as dainty now as it was then And therefore it cannot be that the Lord wil suffer this contempt but either there must be greater
city country are defiled with these vices procuring so farre as in them lieth an euill end to their owne soules It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God and yet so many as let them loose to these vicâ—s must fall into his hands For it cannot be but the wrath of God from heauen must be powred vpon such vngodlinesse And there is none who hath powred forth his loue and taken himselfe to these vices but surely â—xcept he be wonderfully preuented he shal perish in his sinne And this is not one of the least iudgements of God For Iohn 8. it is counted one of the most terrible iudgements when the Lord threatneth the Pharisies that they shall perish in their sinne If the word which is now sounded might haue bene able to haue called men backe surely it hath bene clearely and continually sounded but when I looke to the effects it appeareth well that this word hath bene sounded to the hardning of the greatest part and to seale vp their iudgement against the day of the Lords wrath which day they haue blotted out of their minds and put out of their knowledge that they should not see it The Lord nourish this light by his Spirit in vs whereby we may see that there is a heauen and that there is a hell that seeing the danger we may prease to eschue it and seeing the felicitie we may haste vs to embrace it Would God it were so Thus far for the first part of the similitude He goeth forward and he saith He hath cut him off from his beame or from the throombs that go about the beame as ye call them As if he would say after this manner As the Weauer doth cut off the web from the throombs of his beame so the Lord hath taken resolute purpose to cut off my life from his beame In this changing of the persons he letteth vs see a great discretion and knowledge in himselfe he ascribeth the cutting off to God but he taketh the cause to himselfe he ascribeth the chastisement to God but he taketh the sinne which is the cause of the chastisement to himselfe and he acknowledged God to haue his beginning in this worke and himselfe to haue his hand in it also he acknowledgeth God to be a doer as in all works God hath his working And there is no worke so abhominable as it floweth from the instrument but as it floweth from God it is both holy and iust So this wise King taketh the cause of his chastisement from God to himselfe Happie is he that in time condemneth and iudgeth himselfe that he may eschue the condemnation of God Thus far concerning the first part of our diuision Now in the end of this verse and of the verse following the King setteth downe the great furie and rage of his sicknesse It was a pestilent feauer and so the raging furie behooued to be exceeding great He vttereth the vehemency of his disease in the words following and he speaketh as if he would say after this manner If God hold on as he beginneth by the same sicknesse ere night he will make an end of me And in the verse following he saith I propound to my selfe and I looked for it That like a deuouring Lion he should bruise my bones he should bruise them shortly yea ere night For I take all this to be spoken on one day The words indeed the terrible disease of the bodie excepted vttereth more For it is not possible that so good a King could haue spoken so of God except he had felt some other thing then any distresse in his bodie So in vttering of these voyces he letteth vs see that he had the paines of soule and trouble of conscience ioyned with the disease of his bodie and that he felt God to be as it were a consuming fire it is not possible that he could haue vttered such voices of God as to call him a deuouring Lion except he felt another kinde of feuer then any naturall feuer Ye see Dauid when he is in the like extremitie of bodie and soule he crieth Psalme 6. that his bones are vexed and do quake for feare Of all the diseases that can come vpon any person no question the disease of the soule and conscience is the greatest And of all the diseases and troubles that ouertake the conscience no question this is the greater when with the sight of sinne which is enough and more then enough for any to sustaine when with this sight there is a feeling of the wrath of God ioyned O! then this sicknesse is insupportable when with the sight of sinne is ioyned a touch and feeling of the wrath of God Mercifull God if the horror be not exceeding great and terrible so tâ—at it is a wonderfull matter that the soule can stand vpon any assurance of faith but it should incoÌ„tinently run to desperation Yet it is true that there is neuer a one of the chiefe seruants of God but he hath had experience of this either lesse or more and he hath bene touched with the feeling of that hell which the reprobate shall haue in a full measure The ends why the Lord suffereth his deare children to be in such extremities are these to let them see expresly what Christ hath suffered while as he suffered the full weight of his Fathers wrath inflamed against their sinnes And not onely against their sinnes but also against the sinnes of all the elect He casteth them I say into this extremitie to let them see what Christ hath suffered for them how far they are bound to Christ and how precious that redemption purchased by his bloud should be vnto vs. For it is not possible that any man can make much of that benefite which they know not to be a benefit so it is not possible for you to make much of heauen except you haue had some taste of hell And therefore it is that he sendeth his seruants to heauen euen by the gates of hell to let them see that there was no conniuence betweene the Father and the Sonne For it might haue bene thought as many of the wicked thinke that there had bene a conniuence betweene God the Father and his Sonne Christ And therefore I say he letteth them taste of these distractions and pangs of hell that they may say I see he hath felt hell in another sort that hath redeemed vs from hell And where that I cannot sustaine this which is tempered in a small measure it hath bene a great burden indeed which our Sauiour hath sustained whilst he sustained hell for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole elect O then this exercise is to let them see how far they are bound to God The dissolute life of the prophane multitude letteth vs see clearely that there is neuer a one of them that haue knowne the meaning of this article and this is a sealed letter to manie of you all Therefore it is that
they make no account of the death of Christ and thinke that he died for himselfe For it appeareth they haue no touch nor remorse of sinne which is the thing that will destroy them except it be preuented Their manifest contempt testifieth this ouer well for they go forward without remorse in all kind of sinnes the more they are forbidden I remember the Apostle is more sharpe in his threatning against these men then anie man can be For he saith Heb. 10. at the end If he that contemned Moses or any part of his lawes died without mercie how much more shall he be worthie of punishment that contemneth the person of the Sonne of God that treadeth the Sonne of God vnder foote and counteth his bloud an vnholy thing who will not apply the mercie of Christ to themselues and reiect the Spirit of Christ whereby they should be sanctified These threatnings suppose they take not effect suddainly as also the promises suppose they be not beleeued of you yet they must be vttered by vs that these walles may testifie and beare witnesse to your conscience that there was a Prophet here These things were told vs and we had time to haue done them if we had listed Ere I leaue this it is necessarie for you all that ye marke the examples of these heauie diseases There are few that are touched with them although they are very worthy of marking I say it is necessarie that the examples of these diseases be marked whether it be men or women that haue them we should marke them if it were but to learne this lesson We may see how easie it is for God to represse the pride of the flesh we may see how easie it is to the Lord to daunt the foolishnesse and wantonnesse of youth in an instant of time in the space of twelue houres a glorious King is brought to the gates of death Then ye should say with your selues It is time for vs to change our course we see how easie it is to the Lord to bring high conceits low The Lord doth this to this King and he seeketh no fire nor sword he vseth no externall armor nor he seeketh no forreine instrument to do it but he taketh of the stuffe that is within him he taketh the matter of sinne wherein he was conceiued borne vnhappie sinne which is the matter of all iudgments and plagues it is the matter of death both in bodie and soule This matter within our selues is as readie at the Lords hand as if it were in his owne store-house to plague thee best that intendedst to gainstand him Thē ye that haue your health and the benefit of it learne to vse it well for if ye abuse it and vse it to defile your bodies which he hath appointed to be the temples of his holy Spirit looke how easie it was to him to bring the King low as easie and farre easier shall it be to him to bring the best of you downe Then I say ye that haue the benefit of health employ it to the honour of him and comfort of his Church that gaue you it Thus farre concerning the second part of our diuision In the third part contained in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great extremitie the raging furie of his sicknesse being so great he letteth vs see what was his exercise and he saith as ye may see in that verse that notwithstanding God handled him so yet he maketh his recourse to the same God who plagued him and he seeketh and presseth friendship at the same God who threatned him He seeketh him as ye may see in that verse two manner of waies so long as his tongue serued him that the extremitie of his disease tooke not away the vse of it from him And whereas the extremitie of the disease tooke his speech from him that he could not vtter his mind by words yet he leaueth not off but where he might not vtter his mind by distinct voyces and words he seeketh him by a dolorous mourning like to the Doue and by a heauie lamentation like to the chattering of the Swallow or Crane And last of all he in his gesture lifteth vp his eyes to heauen By this meanes he retireth himselfe to God when the benefit of the tongue was taken from him The words that he speaketh so long as libertie is granted to him are few but very sententious Where he saith it hath oppressed me refresh me or weaue me out persisting in the similitude As if he would say I see well the rage and furie of my sicknesse is so great that neither force of nature nor any naturall meanes is able to comfort me the force of the disease hath ouercome all force of nature and naturall meanes Therefore seeing there is no helpe in nature I make my recourse to the God of nature to whom it is very easie to giue helpe where nature hath refused it And therefore I desire of the omnipotent God that he would weaue out the rest of the web of my life to restore me to my health to his glory and to the comfort of his Church This I thinke be the summe and meaning of his prayer whether he mourned whether he moned whether he spake or chattered As to the words the petition would onely be considered It might appeare strange that the King should seeke the prorogation of his dayes as if there were not a life better then this or a day after this but if ye weigh the matter well and consider the race of the historie ye shall find that he had many particulars that mooued him to seeke the prorogation of his dayes and chiefly we know that Manasses his sonne was not yet begotten he lacketh as yet children in whom he might see the pledges of Gods fauour and accomplishment of the promises made to him and his fathers house and specially of that promise concerning the Messias Now lacking children in whom he should see the accomplishment of this promise had he not good reason to seeke the lengthening of his daies vntill he see the promise accomplished As to the generall I insisted in it before and therefore I shall be the shorter I say it is lawfull in some respect to craue prorogation of dayes for seeing it is the benefite of God seeing the seruants of God haue sought it before and seeing the Apostle counteth it a speciall mercy of God as we may see in the person of Epaphroditus Phil. 2. verse 29. we must also esteeme the same a speciall mercy Whosoeuer knoweth surely in their minde that the lengthening of their dayes will serue better to the glory of God and comfort of his Church then present death I say it is lawfull and they may in faith craue it Although there is a generall condition to be looked to in this as in all other petitions that ye submit your will and affections to be ruled by the good wil of God in such sort