shall heare to be held in captivity under the Turkes or other like enemies of the Christian faith If every one of ability would make conscience of this duty though they gave but a little to one and a little to another many hundreds more might be releeved then now are For many hands make light worke O that in pressing this exhortation my voice were lowder then Bow-bell that it might sound into the eares of every rich man in and about London yea that it were like that voice which soundeth so loud as there is no speech nor language where the sound of it is not heard If with all it might pierce into the hearts of them that heare it and move their bowells with compassion then might my hope be answerable to my wish But let the bowells of you which heare mee be mooved and this my charitable motion will not be altogether in vaine Hitherto of the first generall part of my Text the danger of Apostacy He was lost The second followes which sheweth the Advantage and benefit of Penetency He is found Well note the grounds whereupon this word FOVND is used and yee will clearely discerne that it importeth true Penitency and a great benefit thence arising The grounds are these 1. The Prodigalls mind is renewed for it is said verse 17. that hâ— came to himselfe He was before witlesse and sencelesse as a mad man out of himselfe 2. Hee discerneth the difference betwixt being in the Church and out of it which difference he thus expresseth How many hired servants of my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger 3. His resolution is altered Before the Church was a prison to him he must needs wander into a farre countrey ver 13. But now he thinkes of returning to the Church I will arise saith he ver 18. and goe to my Father 4. Hee meditates on a solemne confession of his sinne thus I will say unto him Father I have sinned 5. Hee aggravateth his sinne in these words Against heaven and before thee that is openly in the sight of Heaven and secretly before God 6. His heighnous sinne more troubles him then his heavie affliction I have sinned saith hee 7. He acknowledgeth his unworthinesse I am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne ver 19. 8. He humbly contents himselfe with the meanest place in Gods Church Make mee as one of thy hired servants 9. He puts his purpose into practise He arose and came to his Father 10. He leaves his former desperate course He arose and entreth upon a new course He came to his Father These were the evidences of his true penitency The benefits thereof were these 1. His Father takes notice of his intention when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him ver 20. 2. His Fathers bowells are mooved at sight of him He had compassion 3. His Father upon sight of his true repentance made speed to receive him He ranne 4. His Father expresseth all signes of a fatherly affection favour and love to him He fell on his neck and kissed him 5. His Father so decks him as he may appeare more amiable then before He puts the best robe on him ver 22. 6. His Father conferres on him things of dignity as well as of necessity He put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet Ibid. 7. His Father gives evidences of the great joy he had at his sonnes conversion He kil'd the fatted calfe and did eate and was merry ver 23. 8. Others also rejoyced at this Apostates conversion There was musick and dancing ver 25. 9. His Father testâ—fied better respect to him then to the elder sonne who never fell into such exorbitant courses This is evident by the eldest sonnes expostulation ver 29 30. 10. His Father accounts him as a new sonne raised from the dead and thereupon will not suffer his entire affection to be alienated from him by the brothers displeasure against him ver 32. The fore-mentioned evidences doe clearely demonstrate that the Apostate of whom my Text speaketh was received into the state of grace and salvation Joyne therefore with the truth of the Prodigalls penitency the favours that followed thereupon all comprised under this word FOVND and it will appeare that Penitency restores to salvation Such as had implunged themselves by Apostacy into the state of perdition it brings into the state of salvation In this doctrine ye are distinctly to observe first the sure Ground-worke or Foundation Penitency and then the faire structure of building reared thereupon A restoring to Salvation The former is taken pro concesso as a point in no case to be questioned but to be granted as an undeniable principle For to proclaime pardon to an impenitent or to put an Apostate into the state of salvation without true sound evident repentance is to play the part of a foolish builder that without a foundation builds an house on the earth against which the streame did beate vehemently and immediately it fell and the raine of that house was great Luk. 6.49 If the streame of temptation doe in any kind vehemently beate against the conscience of such a deceitfull convert his vaine hope of salvation is like to turne into a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement By experience we find that a deepe wound hastely skinn'd over before it be throughly searched and clensed is like to fester and to proove incurable So Apostacy or any other like scandalous and notorious sinne being soothed and smoothed over with undue hope of mercy and pardon before thorow humiliation of the soule great contrition of the heart free confession of the mouth and due satisfaction to the Church which are all branches of true penitency may proove unpardonable All the Prophets before Christ his immediate Fore-runner Christ himselfe his Apostles and other faithfull Ministers after them have laid the Foundation of Repentance from dead works to erect assurance of mercy thereupon Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy Pro. 28.13 Wash you make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evill learne to doe well and come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be made white as snow though they be made red like crimson they shall be as woole Isaiah 1.16 17 18. Returne ye Backsliding children and I will heale your backslidings saith the Lord Ier. 3.22 Turne yee turne ye from your evill waies for why will yee die Ezek. 33.11 I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face saith the Lord. Hos 5.15 By these particulars we are given to understand what was the constant doctrine of the Prophets To like purpose Iohn the Baptist Math. 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand The very same did Christ preach Math. 4 1â— and his Apostles Mark 6.12 To
were in that roome and therewith kild five more of the Turks that came one after another to see what the tumult might be about and they wounded and maimed five more The five Turks that remained alive unwounded were so affrighted as they knew not what to doe but through feare ran up to the riggin where they were threatned to be shot thorow if they would not yeald They yeald therefore upon promise to have their lives spared and comming downe one by one were bound as the five maimed Turks were Thus a full conquest being got over all those Turks they sailed to S. Lucas in Spaine where the Conquerours sold the ten living Turks the ship and all that was in her for six hundred pounds which they devided among themselves and had each of them an hundred and fifty pound apeece The Spaniards dealt fairely with the foure that now professed themselves Christians and used all the enducements they could to bring them to their Religion Three of them were perswaded and abode among the Spaniards This Penitent bearing more love to his native Country and reformed Religion in which hee had beene brought up refused to abide in Spaine but tooke his first opportunity of comming for England in the Centurian the last of Aprill Hee had not beene long in England before hee put to Sea againe for Greeneland In which voyage hee professeth that hee was much troubled night and day and that hee could not well sleepe through horrour of conscience for denying his Christian Faith So soone therefore as hee returned safe from Greeneland to England hee went to the ancient grave Curaâ—e of Stepny the Parish where hee lived and made knowne his case to him who for the present comforted and exhorted him to abide more stedfast in the true Faith for the future But because the case was no ordinary case the said Curate very prudently advised with the reverend Doctor and Vicar of that Church The Doctor on the same ground and with like prudence made his case knowne to the right honourable and right reverend Father in GOD his Diocesan who advised with the most reverend Father in GOD the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his Grace thereabout Thus was there a solemne pious and grave forme of Penance prescribed for admitting him againe into the Christian Church At the performance whereof this duty of preaching the Word was enjoyned to mee Which in obedience to Authority and with hope in GODS assistance I have undertaken And that what on this occasion I shall deliver may bee both seasonable and profitable I have made choise of the Text which you heard before And I pray heare it againe He was lost and is found YEe have here the Catastrophe or sweet close of a Parabolicall History or Historicall Parable which is full of trouble and confusion throughout the greatest part of it but endeth with a joyfull issue The Place whereon it was represented is the Church For out of the Chuâ—ch did the Prodigall depart Into the Church did he returne And most of the memorable matters therein related are related as performed in the Church The Persons mentioned therein are 1. God himselfe represented under the title of a Father ver 20. 2. A Penitent Apostate and a justicâ—ary Professour set out under two Brothers ver 11 29 â—1 3. Lewd tempters and inciters to evill implied under the Harlots which the elder brother mentioneth ver 30. 4. A covetous worldling that takes advantage from a distressed mans necessity to put him to a base worke not allowing competent food He is here stiled a Citizen ver â—5 5. Hard-hearâ—ed Neighbours who are no whit movâ—d with â— distressed mans exâ—remities intimated under this phrase No man gave to him ver 16. 6. Obedient Servants who readily performed what their Master commanded about a welcome intertainement of his Sonne ver 22 23. 7. Sympathizing Friends who rejoyced with the joyfull Father comprised under these words They began to be merry ver 24. and further implied by the musick and dancing mentioned ver 24. Most of the forementioned Persons are brought in performing severall parts The distinct parts are five 1. In the first the younger Sonne obtaines his portion of his Faâ—her and riotously spends it ver 12.13 2. In the second the Prodigall being brought to extreame want is forced to seeke service of an hard master under whom he was put to a base worke and yet for his paines had not enough to sustaine nature ver 14 15 16. 3. In the third the said Prodigall is brought to himselfe and to thinke of his Father to whom addressing himselfe he is met in the midd way by his Father and gratiously embraced upon his penitent confession ver 17 18 19 20 21. 4. In the fourth his Father with all the cheerefull and joyfull expressions that he can brings him to his house clothes him with the best robe feasts him and cheares him with musick and dancing ver 22 23 24. 5. In the fifth the elder Brother hearing the melodie and enquiring after the cause enviously expostulates the case with his Father but the Father gratiously endeavours to give him full satisfaction wherein he concludes with the words of my Text He was lost and is found These five Parts might easily be subdivided into sundry other particulars But having by the forenamed generalls brought you along from the beginning of the Parable to the last clause thereof my purpose is to hold close to this close He was lost and is found In summe this Text sets out A recovery from Apostacy The particulars most observable are two 1. The Dammage of Apostacy He was lost For when he went out of his Fathers house he proved an Apostate His Fathers house was the Church wherein alone were the meanes of salvation and out of which he had no hope of salvation but was in that broad way that leadeth to destruction Thus was he filius perditus a lost child A great dammage indeed was this 2. The Advantage of Penitency He is found By sight and sence of his sinne by an humble acknowledgement thereof and by returning to his Fathershouse he shewed himselfe a true Penitent and by his Fathers receiving him into his house and giving him such wellcome as he did he was under the meanes of salvation againe Thus was he filius inventus A child whom his Father enjoyed As great an advantage was this to the Sonne as joy to the Father Before I proceed in a distinct handling of these two particulars I suppose it to be meet to set before you a generall view of the whole and that as it consists of two opposite termes LOST FOVND but made to agree by two different tences or times WAS IS He WAS lost and IS found He WAS He IS These are the two distinct and different times The former He WAS notes out the time past and that was his fore-lorne estate The latter He IS points at the time present and that is his
raine no thundring and lightning no stormes and tempests will turne you back as soone may your ship be set in the sea as you returne backe againe you are confident of passing through though it be with much labour and paines with great difficulty and perill But they who goe to sea for pleasure to be sea-sick or to see strange countries if they see a black skie and discerne stormes arising they cry out O back againe back againe Wee 'l no furthâ—r Surâ—ly a setled resolution in case of religion will be of more force for holding out againsâ— all persecution then in case of a Mariners vocation â—gainst the surges of the sea For a Christian hath more assurance of Gods divine assistance in all his sufferings to be enabled to endure and over-come all then any Mariner can have of safe-passing over the sea In this resolution of a Christian this caveat must be observed that it be through faith in Gods promises and confidence in the Spirits assistance and not in conceit of his owne strength This is no better then presumption Peter failed herein Mat. 26.33 c. This his resolution and profession though all men should be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended and againe though I should die with thee I will never denie thee this profession and the resolution of his mind answerable thereto was good and commendable all Christians ought to be so minded and to professe as much but not on such a ground as he did For he presâ—med too much on his owne strength This Christ well discerned Wherefore that he also might finde out and discerne the deceitfullnesse of his heart and presumption of his spirit he was left to himselfe and so he fell from his profession and denied his Lord. Selfe-conceit is a forerunner of Apostacy Instance Pendleton in Queene Maries daies By this caveat added to the direction it appeares how a Christian jealousie may stand with an undanted resolution Iealousie in regard of our owne weaknesse Resolution in regard of Gods assistance 3. Set your heart on Christ and on his Gospell Be affected therewith as David was with God and his Law which were his Love his Ioy his Delight sweeter to him then hony and the hony-combe better then silver and gold Love is of an uniting nature it makes the soule of him that loveth to cleave close to the object loved as the soule of Jonathan was knit with the soule of David 1 Sam. 18.1 so as he never renounced him nor failed him in any strait But if while men outwardly professe the truth they doe not inwardly and heartily love it it may seeme just to the Lord to send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie as is threatned 2 Thess 2.11 and so renounce the true faith 4. Walke worthy of the vocation wherewith yee are called This direction is given by the Apostle Ephes 4.1 in these very words and oft inculcated under these and such like phrases worthy of God who hath called you 1 Thess 2.12 worthy of the Lord c. Col. 1.10 In these phrases the Word importeth not any merit or condignity but a meere meetnesse and congruity as is evident by this phrase fruits worthy of repentance Luke 3.8 that is as the very same phrase is translated Mat. 3.8 meet for repentance For if worthy should there implie any matter of desert evill fruits would there be intended For evill fruits they are which deserve repentance Fitly is this word thus translated Phil. 1.27 as it becommeth Let your conversation be as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ This worthy walking imports a blamelesse conversation A man of a loose life whose conscience checks him for living in sinne dares not venture his life no not in Gods cause He can have but small hope of Gods accepting him Vprightnesse worketh boldnesse This made Saint Paul so bold and couragious in all his trialls as he was that he had lived in all good conscience Acts 23.1 He therefore exhorteth Timothy 1 Tim. 1.19 to hold faith and a good conscience And to presse this point the further he giveth instance of some that had put away a good conscience and concerning faith had made shipwracke By this inference hee sheweth that a good conscience is as a ship and faith as rich lading therein If the ship be full of leakes ship and lading are like to be lost A bad conscience cannot hold faith in time of persecution Holy men have ever beene the stoutest Martyrs 5. To all other meanes add faithfull fervent constant prayer When the houre of Christs suffering came he went into a garden to pray There he praies not once but againe and againe and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly Luke 22.44 To this the Apostle alludes Heb. 5.7 where he saith of Christ that he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard This meanes he also used for Peters stability when Satan desired to have him that he might sift him as wheat I have prayed for thee saith Christ Luke 22.32 that thy faith faile not So as prayer is an especiall meanes to keepe faith from failing These things are written for our learning that wee might be incited to use the same helpe Use it therefore before the triall use it in the tryall Call upon him that is able to establish thee and thou shalt assuredly be heard To that which hath beene said to such as are in danger to be lost let mee add a word of exhortation to you that live at home safe and secure under the protection of the Defender of the true ancient Catholick and Apostolick faith have pittie have pitty on those that are in bondage under adversaries and persecutors of the said faith on such in particular as are as this Penitent not long since was taken captive by Turkes Among other evidences of your pitty affoord some helpe to redeeme them This is one of the seven capitall workes of charity and mercy The seven are these 1. To feed the hungry 2. To give drinke to the thirsty 3. To cloathe the naked 4. To entertaine strangers 5. To visit the sick 6. To redeeme captives 7. To burie the dead To redeeme Captives is in sundry respects the best of them For it extends to the good of their bodies and of their soules Of their bodies in freeing them from slavery Of their soules in keeping them from Apostacy It were a worthy worke well beseeming the famous Citties of this Land for every of them to have a sacred treasure for this end to redeeme Captiues But I feare least such a worke be more to be wished then hoped for Yet I conceive that it may well be wished and hoped for too that all who have good intelligence by certificate from the Trinity-house or otherwise would contribute something towards the redeeming of every one that time after time they