life for euermore Non in commotione Dominus God was neyther in the blustring windes the boystrous earth-quake nor the furious fire 1. Reg. 19.11.12 But when the still and soft voice comes there the Lord is according to that of the Apostle Brethren liue in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you 2. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 13.11 Therefore I may also say of this kinde of Peace Speciosum nomen Pacis est The name of this Peace is precious The fourth and last kinde of Peace is Peace eternall which also followeth the other For hee that hath not Peace on earth shall neyther haue peace nor place in Heauen As the first was Pax regis so this is Pax regni As that was Pax gratiae so this is Pax gloriae that was peace with Heauen this peace in Heauen That was peace of grace this is peace of glory Cassiodorus in Psal 36. This Cassiodore describes negatiuely Vbi nihil aduersum nihil contrarium which admits no aduersity no crosse or calamity for the seruants of God haue all teares wiped from their eyes Reuel 7.17 There is a meruailous difference betwixt our present and future condition Wee are here like sea-faring men incountred with many contrary windes Neuer did any sayle so prosperously in the Ocean of this present world but sometimes hee hath met with the stormes of discontent But there is sinus maris sinus matris the port and hauen of constant happinesse The excellency of this peace the Scriptures set not forth positiuely but in Alegoryes and no meruaile For neyther eye hath seene 1. Cor. 2.9 nor eare hath heard nor can it enter into the hearts of men what the Saints and seruants of God shall enioy in heauen Saint Austin knowes not whether he should call it August de Ciuit. Dei 19. 11. Pax in aeterna vita or aeterna vita in Pace peace in eternall life or eternall life in peace And no meruaile for if he had been furnished with the tongues of men and Angels he could neuer haue expressed the excellency of it Tam speâ—iosum nomen pacis est the name of this Peace is so specious so precious The second part Of the Peace-maker I Might further obserue the excellency of Peace and Vnity as being founded in the blessed Trinity three persons and one God But I come to speake of the Peace-maker whose honour it is that Peace is the worke of the blessed Trinity 2. Cor. 5.19 First the Apostle saith that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe Psal 85.8 He speakes peace to the soules of his seruants Psal 46.10 causeth warres to cease and planteth peace in their borders Leuit. 26.6 Therefore is hee called the God of Peace yea the name of his house is Peace for his dwelling is at Salem that is peace Psal 76.2 Rom. 5.1 Christ Iesus also is a blessed Peace-maker For we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Eph. 2.14 Yea hee is called our peace it selfe because peace is Praecipuum opus vnigeniti Chrysostom the especiall worke of the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.20 He set at peace by the blood of his crosse all things in earth and heauen In which words wee haue both the price and bounds of this peace the price it was per sanguinem crucis it cost him his deerest heart blood and for the bounds they are of a large extent he reconciled all things in heauen and earth He brake downe a double partition wall and reconciled man vnto man and both vnto God and therefore is he stiled the prince of Peace The holy-Ghost is a blessed Peace-maker for Peace is one of those excellent fruits of the Spirit mentioned Gal 5.22 Hee calmes a threefold warre in the soules of men that is of the perturbations against reason the flesh against the spirit and the terror of Conscience wrestling with the wrath of God And therefore is hee called effectiuè Augustin the Comforter Now as the blessed Trinity the Father Sonne and holy-Ghost are Peace-makers so are all the children of God but diuersly Some employ themselues in making peace betweene God and man So did Moses stand in the gappe and by his humble supplications stayed the Cannons of Gods wrathfull indignation from playing vpon the Israelites Psal 106.23 So Noah by his sacrifice procured a couenant of Peace at the hands of the Lord and stopt the fountaines of the deepe Gen. 8.21 and the flood-gates of heauen that the earth should no more be made a fish-poole by the invndation of waters Some are for the peace of Conscience who hauing a tongue of the learned Esa 50.4 doe minister a word to him that is wearie These come like Noahs Doue with the Oliue-branch Genes 8.11 like the pittifull Samaritan with the oyle of gladnesse Luk. 10 34. and the balmes of mercy Quà m speciosi Oh how beautifull are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of Peace Rom. 10.15 Some are employed in out-ward and ciuill peace So was Moses when he indeauoured to take vp the quarrell betweene the two Hebrewes Exod. 2.13 So was Abraham when hee preuented the strife betweene himselfe and Lot Gen. 13.8 and stayed it betweene their seruants And so are those worthy Monarches who establish peace in their owne territories and compound controuersies betweene neighbour-Nations Thus as there are diuers kinds of Peace so are there of Peace-makers and I may say of them all in our Sauiours words Blessed are the Peace-makers And so I come to the third part which is the vniting of Peace-making and Blessednesse together The third part HEre I might first say the Peace-makers are blessed Quoniam filij deo vocabuntur because they shall be called the children of God but that were to gleane before the haruest I may deriue an argument from the excellency of Peace If peace be such a gratious ornament such a singular blessing I may well conclude thereupon that the Peace-maker is blessed For in this the Axiom holds Aristot 1. poster cap. 2. Propter quod vnum quodque tale illud magis tale est The temple being an excellent worke Psal 74.5 they were renowned that builded it So Peace being a singular blessing they must needes be thrise blessed that make it As God is glorified in the excellent frame structure of the heauens Psal 19.1 because his wisedom power goodnes shine therein most resplendently So is the Peace-maker much honoured in this excellent worke of Peace because such goodnesse and blessednesse are knit to the same inseparably The peace-maker is blessed in the very act of peace as he is esteemed a blessed man that quencheth some violent fire 1. Sam. 25.32 And therefore Dauid blessed Abigail for staying his hand from the stroake of violence vpon churlish Nabal saying Blessed be thou who hast kept mee this
benediction for my purpose was that my first Oblation in this house should be a Peace-offering Beati Pacifici Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Which words containe 2. especial points 1. A benediction Blessed are the Peace-makers 2. A reason or manifestation of the benediction For they shall be called the children of God The Benediction which at this time shall be the bounds of my speech yeelds two words and the same two parts Beati Pacifici For in them I obserue A Person and his condition The person a Peace-maker his condition He is blessed And indeede these are inseperable companions Peace-makers and Blessednes They goe hand in hand are like Hippocrates twins which liued died together There was neuer any blessed had he opportunity but he was a Peace-maker Neuer was there Peace-maker but hee was blessed Here Beati is first in place but Pacifici is first in order For a man must be Pacificus before he can be Beatus hee must be a Peace-maker that hee may be Blessed and therefore wee will beginne with him first Now this word Pacificus is a compound and involues two words Substantiae sunt receptacula accidentium Accidentiae sunt ornamenta substantiarum a subiect and an adiunct a man and his ornament Peace and a maker of Peace I call Peace an ornament according to the phrase in Schooles and fitly in my conceit for without it a man is but a Skeleton or like the brasen Serpent when it was without vertue Nehushton a peece of brasse 2. King 18 4◠We will first consider the ornament that makes the man Peace and then the man who is graced with this ornament the maker of Peace Saint Paul 1. Thess 5. exhorts thus concerning the ministers of Christ Haue them in singuler reuerence for their workes sake Hee that regards that exhortation will looke into the worke and when he finds that they are conuersant about the most noble subiect Medici animarum Chrys as being the Phisitions and watch-men for the Soules of men It will cause him to subscribe to the Apostles encomium Heb 13.17 who calls that office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A worthy worke and consequently to yeelde to his exhortation 1. Tim. 3. Haue them in singular reuerence So he that considers this excellent worke and ornament Peace will take notice of the worth of the Peace-maker and consequently pronounce him blessed Thus the totall of this our present discourse yeelds vs these particulars First a worke which is Pax Peace Secondly the workemen Pacifici the Peace-makers and that wil bring in the third which is a reward Beati Blessed And of these points in order The first part Of PEACE SPeciosum nomen pacis est saith Hilary The name of Peace is specious yea it is pretious For God the fountaine of all goodnesse is in sundry places of Scripture stiled Rom. 15.33 1. Cor. 14.33 passim The God of Peace Christ the author of our hopes and happinesse in the ninth of Isaiah Isaiah 9.6 is called the Prince of Peace The Gospell which is the glad-tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 Rom. 1.16 and the power of God to saluation in the sixt to the Ephesians is intituled Ephes 6.15 The Gospell of Peace Peace it makes the sweetest Hymne that the Angels could sing at our Sauiours birth Gloria in altissimis Luke 1.14 Glory be to God in the highest heauens Peace vpon earth The richest legacy our Sauiour could bequeath to his Church at the time of his death Ioh. 14.27 Pacem relinquo vobis My peace I leaue with you my peace I giue you Yea so ample and excellent is this ornament that the Hebrewes vnder the name of Peace doe comprehend all prosperity and felicity whatsoeuer and not vnfitly if wee consider it in the seuerall branches Some diuide it into tvvo parts some into three I will not stand to shew how some dicotomise some tricotomise this Peace I like the distinction of a foure-fold Peace because by it I shall the better vnfold this ornament And that is Pax superna interna externa aeterna The Peace of Reconciliation of Consolation of Association of eternall Saluation these foure are like foure links of a Chain all inseperably knit together The Peace of Reconciliation is the Peace between God and man This is the foundation of all true comforts and the head of the fountaine whence all the other kindes of Peace doe spring When Adam did eate the forbidden fruite hee lost his fauour and Peace with God Et Deum pacem perdidit August and his flying from the face of God was an euident argument of the breach of that Peace This was a miserable condition for better it were to be at varience with all the world then to be at oddes with God Horrendum est Heb. 10.31 It is a fearefull thing saith the Apostle to fall into the hands of the liuing God And no meruaile Deut. 4.24 for hee is a consuming fire yea he is able to cast both soule and body into hell for euer Mat. 10.28 By how much therefore this warre and varience is wofull by so much more is the reconciliation comfortable Therefore the Lord doth not onely ingeminate the ioy of this newes Esay 40.1 saying Comfort you comfort you my people But bids his seruants bring forth this Cordiall Ver. 2. and speake to the heart of Hierusalem and cry vnto her that her warfare is ended As it was ioyfull newes to Pharaohs butler Gen. 40.13 that the King his masters fauour should be recouered and himselfe restored to his office So must it needes be a singular comfort to all the children of God that he is reconciled to them and they restored to that happy estate which they lost in Adam So that I may say of this kinde of Peace Speciosum nomen Pacis est The name of Peace is specious 't is precious Now this Peace of reconciliation brings in the next linke the peace of Conscience which I call the peace of Consolation For when this happy newes is brought home to the heart that Gods iustice is satisfied and his wrath pacifyed then haue we Peace and ioy in the holy-Ghost Rom. 14.17 There is no misery comparable to the sting of Conscience A wounded spirit who can beare 1. Pro. 18.14 When one shall be restlesse like the raging Sea tossed with the billowes of despaire as Esau speakes of an vnreconciled sinner Esa 57.20 When hee shall haue the Furies with their whippes and torches vexing him as Suetonius writes of Nero Sueton. in vit Nero cap 34. when he shall feele a burden vpon his Soule euen heauier then Aetna as the holy Historian speakes of Cayne Gen. 4.13 If then Christ Iesus shall bring this distressed soule into his wine-celler of comfort and spread ouer it the banner of his compassion as
day from shedding of bloud The peace-makers are blessed in their fame Eccles 7.1 which is like a precious oyntment Plutar. in Alcibiad Erat in ore Graecis saith Plutarch it came into a prouerbe for the honour of Nicias that Pericles kindled the warres but Nicias quencht them How did the Poets sing of the Spiders making their webs in harnesse in the dayes of Numa Pompilius And how doe stories ring of the shutting vp of Ianus Temple dore and keeping warre vnder locke and key in the dayes of Augustus Caesar And the holy Historian which sets forth Salomon famous for his wealth 2 Chro. 9.27 who made Siluer as plentifull as stones in the street and for his wisedome in that he had a heart like the sands of the sea shore 1 Reg. 4.26 yet makes him in nothing more glorious then this that he was a King of peace and so a liuely type of Christ the Prince of peace As Tully said of Caesar Plutarch de vtilet cap. ab hoste that in erecting Pompeyes statue hee had set vp his owne so hee that hath beene the instrument of peace to others procureth peace to his owne soule I may say with the Psalmist marke the end of this man for it is peace yea it is peace that shall neuer end Thus haue I hitherto shewed that the Peace-makers are blessed But the life of all that depends principally vpon Application Application BVt me thinkes I see Iehu marching furiously and saying What hast thou to doe with Peace For as Dauid saith Psal 120.7 there are some who are enemies to Peace and for such here is a corrasiue First wee see what wee may conclude of Peace-breakers for in this also the Axiom is good contrariorum contraria est ratio if the Peace-maker be blessed the Peace-breaker must needes be cursed if the one be filius Dei the other must needes be filius Diaboli as Gregory concludes against him Gregorie There are some who like Salamanders liue in the fire of contention that are neuer quiet within themselues but when they are at variance with others Some there are that are still sowing the seedes and blowing vp the coales of contention What are these but the diuels bellowes and his seedes-men And therefore may S. Paul very fitly call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adsurd men 2 Thes 3.2 And hee hath iust cause to challenge the factious Corinthians to be carnall 1 Cor. 3.3 because of their contentions For as the beasts that were sauage in the field were quiet in the Arke So would these men were they come sincerely into the Arke of the Church lay by the humour of contention and as the Apostle exhorteth study to be quiet 1 Thes 4.11 Bern. in Cant. ser 29. Ve homini saith Saint Bernard per quem vniculum pacis turbatur Woe be to the man by whom the bond of peace is violated Rom. 16.17 Saint Paul in the sixteenth to the Romanes speaking of these Cankers Catterpillers exhorts vs to marke those that make contentions and auoid them Marke them as you would the Basiliske auoide them as you would a Pest-house where Lord haue mercy vpon vs is written vpon the doore I will briefely doe the one let vs all diligently endeauour the other The first and greatest Peace-breaker in the world is Sathan a name expressing his nature for he is an aduersarie to Peace August de temp serm 169. Deus plantat inimicus euellit where God plants peace the Diuell pluckes it vp by the roote and like that wicked seedes-man sowes the tares of contention He first dissolued the happy peace betweene heauen earth betweene God and man Secondly hee made a breach betweene man and man so that when there were scarce three men in the world he stirred vp one of them to murther another Thirdly betweene man and the creatures For whereas Adam in his state of obedience was Lord ouer all the beasts of the field and the fowles of the heauen In his case of rebellion which was by Sathans instigation all the creatures became rebellious vnto him Fourthly he brake the peace betweene the creatures themselues For they which were like the strings of a well tuned instrument yeelding an excellent harmony were brought into such a discord as will neuer be reformed while the world standeth Fifthly in a word he made man at warre within himselfe whilest the vnruly passions and perturbations doe contend in his corrupted soule like the opposite elements in the confused Chaos This is a cruell peace-breaker auoide him Next to the Diuell the prince of darkenesse I may fitly ranke the Bishops of Rome who challengeth a great soueraignty in the suburbs of hell Purgatory and concerning the kingdomes of the earth take vp that claime in the fourth of Luke doubtlesse as the Diuels deputies Luke 4.6 All these kingdomes are mine and to whomsoeuer I will I giue them They haue changed Peters keyes Mat. 16.19 which Christ gaue him to vse into Peters sword which Christ bad him put vp with a subpaena of perishing by the sword Mat. 26.52 if hee tooke it I haue wondered at that Romish ceremony â—â—c Cerem San. Roma Eccles lib. 1. sec 7. that The Pope on Christmas day at night sends a hallowed sword to some great Prince whom he in speciall manner fauours How vnfit a present is a sword from a Church-man surely a Bible had beene much better beseeming his function And how vnfit a time is Christmas a festiuity celebrated in remembrance of Christs incarnation the Prince of Peace They shall haue the honour next to the Diuell of being the greatest Peace-breakers in the Christian world For some of them forth of their intolerable pride to raise their thrones on high * Who raised such broiles both at home and abroad vt tota fere Italia tumultuaretur Platina as Boniface the 8. Some forth of their insatiable couetousnesse to aduance their kinsfolks as Innocent the 8. Some forth of their implacable malice and desire of reuenge as Iulius the second who was laborum patientissimus iniuriarum impatiens haue stirred vp the stormes of many bloudy warres amongst Christians Plat in Iul. c. Vide Gui story more large How vnfit for a Bishop is that Elogie of Iulius the second Moritur bellica gloria clarus he died a braue Souldier And diuers others I might mention Spiritus mires magis qâ— religiosos gâ— Ioh. 11. 〈◊〉 of whom their own Historians doe write that they liued rather like Souldiers and swash-bucklers then Pastours and peace-makers Greg Epi. Iâ— Indict They did not greatly regard that speech of Gregory the great Nos pastores facti sumus non percussores Wee should be feeders not fighters Vide Platinam in vit Sergij tertij You shall hardly finde such furious immanity amongst the Barbarians as you shall reade done by these holy Fathers one vpon another both liuing
diuine heauenly The second part The aduancement of the Peace-makers AND such is the waighty reason here vsed The Peace-makers are blessed for they are the children of God And this indeede is a great aduancement Stromat lib. 2. For as Clemens Alexandrinus concurring with Plato saith It is vera beatitudo true blessednesse to be like God which is the case of all Gods children who haue that image restamped vpon them which was defaced in Adam When Esau found that his brother had preuented him and got the blessing from him hee wept hitterly and said Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing Blesse me euen me also my father but the aged indulgent father who would gladly haue heaped innumerable blessings vpon his best affected sonne had already conferred vpon Iacob the spirituall blessing not to be reuoked And therefore albeit he had a temporall blessing for him The fatnesse of the Earth Ver. 39 and the dew of Heauen yet the same being no way comparable to the spirituall he will not vouchsafe it the name of a blessing But behold we haue here not the blessing of Esau but of Iacob not a temporall and earthly but a spirituall and heauenly yea that which as farre exceedes all earthly blessings as the heauens are aboue the earth And this onely the God of heauen dispenseth Dan. 2.48 Nebuchadnezzar may make Daniel a great man giue him many and great gifts and make him gouernour ouer the whole prouince of Babel Gen. 41.42.43 Daniel the second Pharaoh may set Ioseph ouer all the land of Egypt put his ring vpon his hand array him in garments of fine linnen put a golden chayne about his necke set him vpon his second Chariot and cause the people to bow vnto him Gen 41. Ahashuerosh may cloath Mordecai in royall apparell Hest 6.8 set the crowne royall vpon his head and cause him to ride on his owne horse through the streetes of the Citty Hester 6 Hest 6.11 Thus shall it be done to the man whom the kings of the earth will honour But to make vs the children of God to giue vs heauen for our inheritance to aduance vs to the Throne with Christ and to inuest vs with the crowne of glory it is onely in his power who is the King of Kings and this indeede is the transcendent aduancement If it was esteemed a great fauour that Christ called his disciples friends Ioh. 15.15 how great is this honour that God vouchsafes to call vs his sonnes his children God hath diuers sonnes he hath a sonne aeterna generatione By eternall generation his onely begotten Sonne Christ Iesus Iohn 1. He hath sonnes potenti creatione By creation for so the Angels are called Iob. 1. Dignitatis participatione By partaking his dignity for so kings are stiled Psal 82. Publica professione By publike profession For so the sonnes of Sheth are intituled Gen. 6. Gratiosa adoptione By adoption For so all the faithfull are called in sundry places of Scripture It is true as Saint Austin saith Nemo in filijs Dei similis filio Dei Aug. in Psal 88 Amongst all the sonnes of God Heb. 1.3 none is like the onely begotten Sonne who is the brightnesse of the glory and the ingrauen forme of his person Yet is this our sonneship by adoption exceeding admirable and comfortable It is admirable in diuers respects First it is not forth of any desert which amongst men is the ordinary ground of Adoption as Saint Austin saith Aug. in Ioh. tract 2. Homines voluntate faciunt quod natura non potuerunt Mens wills supply where nature fayles for hauing no children of their owne they adopt some others Quoniam sinistra fortuna mihi filios eripuit Sueton. So did Augustus Caesar Tiberius Pharaohs daughter Moses Mordecai Hester and many others whom diuine and humane stories doe mention But there was no such necessary ground of our adoption For albeit wee wanted a Father yet God wanted no sonnes no children He had the elect Angels vpon whom he might haue conferred his fauours hee had his onely begotten sonne Colos 1.13 the sonne of his loue concerning whom hee hath more then once proclaymed from heauen Mat. 3.17 Mat. 17.5 This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased So that I may say in Saint Bernards words Profecto haec est indulgentia non indigentia Surely this proceeded forth of Gods indulgence not indigence It was not any defect in God that caused him to adopt vs his children Secondly our adoption is yet more admirable in that it is founded in Christ For wee were predestinated to the adoption of children by Christ Iesus Eph. 1.5 And albeit the heauenly inheritance did anciently belong to vs as being prepared for vs from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 Yet as Esau sold his birth-right which the law of nature had cast vpon him so wee in Adams atayndor did forfeit our inheritance which God had prepared for vs But when the fulnesse of time came God sent his Sonne that hee might redeeme vs and wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4.5 In such a case as this men cannot brooke riualitie or copartnership no more then the world can indure two Sunnes Yet Christ Iesus who was the onely Sonne of God Qui vnicus natus est vnus manere noluit Aug. in Ioh. trac 2. would not remaine so here was mira dignatio a wonderfull fauour Yea hee that was the Sonne of God became the sonne of man Aug. in Psal 53 that we the sonnes of men might become the sonnes of God here was mira mutatio a wonderfull change Yea that which was yet more strange Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 27. Emit sibi fratres sanguine suo as the same father saith It pleased him to purchase brethren and that at no lesse a price then his precious blood So that which might in all likelyhood haue beene a powerfull barre became an effectuall bond of our adoption Thirdly this our adoption was yet more admirable in respect of our vncapablenesse of this fauour this honour For although adoption be gratiosa admissio ad participandam haereditatem euen a free and gratious admittance to the participation of an inheritance as the Schole-man saith Yet commonly Aquinas 3 ae q. 23. men in this act haue an eye to some worth in the person whom they adopt But as Dauid said to Saul 1. Sam. 18.18 Who am I and what is my fathers house that I should be sonne in law to the King So may I say who were we and what were our merits that God should vouchsafe to take vs for his children Wee might confesse ingenuously with the prodigall childe Luke 15.19 Wee are not worthy to bee called thy sonnes and supplycate humbly with him make vs as one of thy hyred seruants vouchsafe vs euen the least measure of thy fauour and it
is more then wee can expect then wee can deserue To see this honour done by some great Monarch to a poore beggar must needes be wonderfull in the eyes of the beholders yet that comes exceedingly too short in proportion comparison of our adoption by almighty God For what proportion what comparison betweene heauen and earth God and man Yea if our condition had beene base and ignoble onely and not sinfull also it had beene lesse strange But we being by birth and conception wretched sinners Psal 51.5 Rom. 5.10 enemies to God and by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 to make vs the children of God is an vnspeakeable fauour and deserues that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fift to the Romanes Rom. 5.8 God sets forth his loue Sarah spake eagerly and angerly concerning Ishmael Gen. 21.10 This sonne of the bond-woman shall not be heire with my sonne And might not God haue said as roundly and resolutely concerning vs These bondslaues of sinne and Sathan shall not be heyres with my Sonne But such is the goodnes of our gratious God that he deales with vs like the father of the Prodigall childe of whom Saint Ambrose Ambros in Luke 15. saith Filius timet conuitium pater adornat conuiuium The sonne feares a sharpe check but the father prouides a dainty feast For hee not onely pardons our indignities Psal 103.3.4 but crownes vs with mercy and louing kindnesse Fourthly this our adoption is admirable in the latitude of aduancement as Saint Paul presseth it most soundly and sweetely in the eight to the Romanes Rom. 8.17 If we be children wee are also heyres heyres of God and ioynt heyres with Iesus Christ Chrys in Rom. Hom. 14. Here Chrysostome obserues three notable passages of honour euery one arising by degrees aboue another For first where as one may be a childe and yet not be an heyre we are not onely children but heyres also Secondly wee are not heyres to any mortall man though neuer so potent but heyres to the immortall and omnipotent God Thirdly we are not basely associated in this our inheritance we are co-heyres annexed to Iesus Christ then which there can be no greater honour For when our Sauiour will propose the greatest aduancement that may be to them who haue done worthily in the spirituall warfare Reuel 3.21 it is this To him that ouercommeth will I giue to sit with me on my Throne as I haue ouercome and sit with my father on his Throne In regard therefore of the aduancement which attends our adoption Psal 1.12 well might Saint Iohn say Dedit eis potestatem as the vulgar latine hath it To them hee gaue power to be made the sonnes of God Greg. super Ezech. hom 6. and Gregory thereupon Quid hac potestate altius Quid hac altitudine sublimus Well might he call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prerogatiue or dignitie Iansen Conc. Cap. 1. as Iansenus well interprets the word For it is the greatest prerogatiue that heauen and earth doe yeelde If it were the highest ambition of that great conqueror to be esteemed Iouis filius Alexander the sonne of Iupiter what an honour is it to be called the children of Iehouah the great God of heauen and earth Well might that Apostle say 1. Ioh. 3.1 Behold what manner of loue the father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should be called the sonnes of God Surely this great aduancement deserues an Ecce to vsher it for demonstration Behold and a Qualem charitatem to follow it for admiration What manner of loue the father hath bestowed vpon vs. Ioh. 3.16 For here is that Sic Deus dilexit mundum So God loued the world and this Sic is like that Sicut in the Lamentations of Ieremy Lamen 1.12 it cannot be paralleld Psal 8.4 What is man O Lord that thou art so mindefull of him What are the sonnes of men that thou shouldst so visit them so honour them Now as this aduancement is very admirable so is it very comfortable yea here is a confluence of all comforts belonging to it It were a tedious nay an impossible taske to recount them all I will mention a few yet so that by a cluster or two of Grapes Numb 13.24 you may iudge of the riches of Canaan Hence it is that the children of God are freed from the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 and receiue the spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba father Mat. 7. they haue both accesse and audience before the throne of grace Hence it is that they enioy the especiall prouidence of almighty God Mat. 6. for their heauenly father careth for them Fathers lay vp for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 saith Paul and how meruailous saith Dauid is the goodnesse which the Lord hath laid vp for his children Psal 31.19 euen before the sonnes of men And no meruaile Rom. 8.32 for hee that spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how should hee not with him giue vs all things that are good Are the children of God in want the Lord is ready to relieue them rather then they shall lacke the stony rocke shall yeelde them water Num. 19.11 the heauens shall raigne downe Quailes and Manna in abundance Exod. 16.13 The poore Widow shall relieue Elias 1 Reg. cap. 17. 19. the Angell from heauen shall furnish him and the rauenous Rauens shall feede him Thus all the creatures shall be seruiceable to the children of God and the earth the aire the heauens shall be store-houses for them Are they in danger or distresse Psal 34.7 the Angels become their gard and doe pitch their tents about them Are they not all ministring spirits to the children of God Heb. 1.14 that are heires of saluation Are they sicke The Lord will make their bed in their sicknesse Psal 41.3 Are they alone the father will come and dwell with them Iohn 14.23 Are they in sorrow and heauinesse behold their heauenly Father is the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 the God of all consolation Haue they a iourney a progresse to vndertake the Lord will be their fidus Achates as he was to Iacob in his iourney to Mesopotamia Gen. 28.15 he will be with them whither soeuer they goe But why goe I about to number those comforts that are numberlesse Or why doe I confine my speech to the things of this life Neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceiue what God hath prepared for his children in the life to come There is that kingdome that cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 25.34 Heb. 11.10 which is the ancient inheritance There is that City whose builder and founder is God that glorious City which the Angel measured with a golden reede Reuel 21.15
into which they are infranchised There is that blessed society innumerable Angels Heb. 12.22 the spirits of iust and holy men and Iesus Christ the mediatour of the new couenant to whom they are ioyned There are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.4 those thrones and crownes of glory that shall neuer fade Yea there the sonnes of God shall shine like the Sunne in the kingdome of their father In a word Mat. 13.43 from this Adoption it is that the children of God haue an interest in all the comforts and all the creatures that heauen and earth doe yeelde according to Saint Pauls epiphoneme whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephus or the world or life or death 1 Cor. 3.23 or things present or things to come they are all yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods Behold here the admirable and comfortable aduancement of Gods children And therein behold the blessed condition of the Peace-maker who is so estranged from the world that he doth not in some degree desire aduancement and who is so voide of iudgement that hee doth not preferre this honour before the greatest aduancement in the world Aug. in Psa 84. Habetis patrem habetis patriam habetis patrimonium saith Saint Austin If you be the sonnes of peace you are the children of God you haue a louing father a rich inheritance a goodly patrimonie When the Apostle Peter speakes of this he breakes forth into this vehement acclamation Blessed be God 1 Pet. 1.3 euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten vs againe to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fadeth not away but is reserued for vs in the heauens Giue me leaue now to make some Application of what I haue deliuered and so I will finish this maine point And first I hope that this discourse hath not beene heard of you without comfort We hold it a great cause of ioy to be the children of Nobles and to be admitted into the fauour of Princes and surely they are great temporall blessings that men may lawfully reioyce in But let me say vnto you in our Sauiours words Reioyce not in this Luke 10.20 but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen let it be your ioy that you are the children of God and in fauour with the King of Kings as the Apostle saith Reioyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 and againe I say reioyce Againe are wee the children of God farre be it from vs to vnder-value the glorious inheritance of the Saints of God in life Farre be it from vs to dis-esteeme it like that carnall Cardinall Cardinall of Bourbon who said he would not giue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Let vs not be like profane Esau who for the satisfying of his appetite lost his birth-right Heb. 12.16 But rather let vs say resolutely with Naboth 1 Reg. 21.3 God forbid that I should make away the inheritance of my fathers So God forbid that for all the vaine and transitory profits and pleasures vpon earth we should depriue our selues of those riuers of pleasures which the Saints of God doe enioy in heauen Bernard saith truely of the best things of this present life possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant The possession of them burdens vs the loue of them defiles vs and the losse of them vexes vs And the time will come when either the day of death or the day of iudgement shall swallow them all vp as the Ocean doth the riuers For the glory of this world passeth away like a shadow 1 Cor. 7.31 Againe are wee the children of God then let vs indeauour that our carriage and comportment may answere this dignity It becomes not the children of Nobles to be conuersant in base actions And how vnfit is it for the children of God to become like the Indian drudges to be taken vp with the corruptions of this euill world and to haue their affections in caeno when they should be in caelo Our Sauiour hath taught vs better in the fift of Matthew Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5.16 that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen To conclude Let vs as the Apostle Peter exhorts 2 Peter 1.10 Rom. 8.16 study to make our election sure by good workes Let vs get the euidence of our adoption sealed vp to our soules and consciences by the spirit of God Then let the earth totter and her pillars tremble vnder her let the sea roare euen to astonishment let the heauens burne to dissolution and the elements with vehement heate be consumed this our adoption shall be our comfort on earth and our crowne in heauen for euer more The third part The appropriation of this aduancement BVt what is this Adoption tyed onely to the ornament of Peace Surely no Gal 3.26 For Saint Paul saith You are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus And Saint Austin in largeth the meanes Per gratiā per fidem per sacramentum per sanguinem Christi De verb. Dom. ser 63. saying We are the sonnes of God by grace by faith by the Sacrament by the blood of Christ Euery faithfull Christian is made one with Christ whereby he becomes the childe of God He hath the image of God stamped vpon him And as our natural birth makes vs the children of our earthly parents so our supernaturall and new birth makes vs the children of our heauenly father May not I then say of the Peace-maker as Saint Paul of the Iewes What is then the preferment of the Iew So Rom. 3.1 what is the aduantage and aduancement of the Peace-maker Yes and answer with him in the same place much euery way Though Iesse had eight sonnes yet was Dauid onely the Lords darling Though Christ had twelue Disciples yet was Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loued Though all Iacobs children were deare vnto him yet was Bemamin the son of his right hand So may I say that howsoeuer all the faithfull are the children of God and consequently blessed yet the Peace-makers haue that honour in a more especial kinde because they doe in a more liuely manner resemble almighty God in that which is most excellent For as amongst the diuine attributes some of them are quoad nos more excellent then others as namely those of mercy and peace which are the sanctuarie to a distressed sinner so all those who doe in a more especiall manner come neerest to God in the same are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a kinde of eminency called the children of God For as Bernard saith Deus Deus pacis Bern. ergo pacifici filij Dei iure optimo vocantur God is the God of peace and therefore those who are Peace-makers are the children of God by especiall right Though the body of man consist of diuers humours yet the denomination of the
be honoured as the most blessed amongst women to the end of the world Againe in the 35. verse the Angel Gabriel saith that Christ shall be called the Son of God And that Christ was so Mat. 16.16 Peter confessed worthily in the time of his life the Centurion witnessed notably at the time of his death Mat. 26.54 And Saint Paul saith Rom. 1.4 that by his resurrection he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God Thus as Iohn Baptist was called a Prophet the Virgin Mary was called blessed and Christ was called the Sonne of God that is they not onely were so but were acknowledged and published so to be So shall the Peace-makers be called the children of God For he that will not suffer a hayre to fall from the head of his seruants without his diuine prouidence will not suffer their graces endowments to vanish and perish in silence Albeit they may be compassed about for a time with the clowds of obscurity yet shall their worth breake forth like the light Psal 37.6 and be published to the world with a clowde of witnesses Heb. 12.1 Thus did the diuine prouidence dispose most fitly of our Sauiors passion both for the Time Place and manner of his Death For the Time and Place The Passouer It was at the great festiuitie held at Hierusalem which yeelded a confluence of many nations to that City which was then the onely Metropolis of Religion thorow the world And for the manner of it likewise For he was lifted vp Ioh. 3.14 like the brasen Serpent vpon a high crosse vpon a conspicuous Mountaine In Praefatione ad librum de septem verbis that with all his parts stretched out seuerally as Bellarmine hath lately largely shewed The inscription also was in Hebrew Greeke and Latine that by the Crosse the Time the Place the Nations and Languages the happie newes of our redemption by the death and passion of Iesus Christ might be dispearsed as it were by many riuers throughout the world Our Sauiours malitious aduersaries sought to preuent his resurrection Mat. 27.63.66 by rowling a stone to the mouth of the Sepulchre by setting a watch ouer the stone and a seale ouer the watch And when they found their indeuours therein to be frustrate they sought by suborning and hiring the souldiers to suppresse the notice thereof But their subordinat free concealment became an especiall meanes of publication of his glorious triumph ouer death Mat. 28.15 Iobs admirable patience in his vnparelled afflictions could not be confined to his house though he was left alone and desolate but shall be published to all posterities and the fame thereof shall out-last the vast Pyramides of Egypt the names of their builders are long since buried in obliuion a iust guerdon for such a worke of vanity but there shal alwaies be some Plin. lib. 26 that shall to his honour remember the patience of Iob. Iam. 5.11 Moses might intreate the Lord secretly in that passionate and compassionate speech aut dimitte hanc noxam Exod 32.32 Lord either pardon this sinne or else blot mee out of the booke that thou hast written But his zeale to Gods glory loue to his people shall be preached on the house top and be carryed vpon the wings of fame from one generation to another As our Sauiour said of the woman that poured the costly oyntment vpon his head Wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world Mat. 26.13 this also which she hath done shall be spoken of for a memoriall of her As the odour of the oyntment filled the house Ioh. 12.3 Eccles 7.3 so shall the odour of her fame like a good oyntment fill the house of the world euen till the worlds end Psal 112.6 Loe thus in memoria aeterna erit iustus the Peace-makers shal be had in euerlasting remembrance and be called the children of God Neither shal they neede to be the Trumpetors of their owne merits and actions it shall be done abundantly by others The Sonnes of Peace shall call them so Mat. 11.19 For Wisedome shall be iustified of her children Yea which is strange not onely the Sons of Peace but euen the Sons of perdition shall call them so Dearely beloued saith Saint Iohn Now are we the Sons of God 1 Ioh. 3.1.2 though the world know vs not Intimating that there will be a time when this faex mundi the wicked of the world shall be forced to acknowledge the blessed condition of Gods children When they shall take vp that dolefull complaint This is the man whom we sometimes had in derision Sap 5.4 and accounted his life madnesse and his death without honour but now is he numbred amongst the children of God and his Lot amongst the Saints And thus we see in the history of the Euangelists that our Sauiours innocency piety charity was acknowledged published by Heauen and Earth God and Men Strangers and Acquaintance Friends and Foes Angels and Diuels and if they should haue held their peace the stones in the streete would haue proclaymed it Lastly Luk. 19.40 Christ Iesus the Prince of Peace shall call them so When hee conuersed with men in the dayes of his infirmity he was not ashamed to call them brethren Nor yet in his glorified estate Heb. 2.11 after his resurrection when hee sent that comfortable message by the deuout woman to his Disciples Ioh. 20.17 Goe to my brethren and say vnto them I ascend to my Father your Father to my God and your God Words as full of comfort as the Ocean of waters My brethren a louing appellation my Father and your Father a blessed vnion in a happie correlation I ascend and to what end Ioh. 14.2 but to prepare them Mansions in the heauenly habitation But behold the consummation of all consolation shall be at the end of the world when the Sonne of God imbracing the sons of Peace in the armes of his mercy shall say in the presence and audience of men and Angels Come ye blessed of my father Mat. 25.34 possesse the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world By this time I hope you see that the Peace-makers are blessed For all these streames of comfort that I haue discouered doe fall into the Ocean of this blessednesse and this blessednesse is the crowne of the Peace-maker I will contract all my building into a little modell and so conclude The Peace-makers you see are blessed and they are blessed in this great aduancement They are the children of God adopted not forth of any defect but forth of his bounty and mercy they are adopted by Iesus Christ they are adopted from a base and wretched condition they are adopted to a glorious inheritance in heauen These sonnes of Peace are singled out in a most especiall manner They are like the Sunne in the firmament
the Lord albeit hee be the father of mercies and the God of all consolation n 2 Cor. 1.3 how oft I say doth he send forth his expresse prohibition to Ieremie o Ier. 7. 11. 15. chap. Thou shalt not pray for this people neither lift vp crie nor prayers for them Yea he is wont in such cases to stirre vp the spirits of his seruants to pray against such notorious sinners and to powre forth dreadfull execrations vpon them And to that end hath he armed the Church with that fearefull censure Anathemamaran-atha If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed till the comming of p 1 Cor. 16.12 Christ Thus doth Dauid q Psal 59.5 desire the Lord not to be mercifull to them that transgresse maliciously Yea how oft doth he pursue the enemies of God most passionate and bitter imprecations Thus did Peter against Simon Magus as histories report r Theodor. hist l. 3. ca. 9. 17. 19. Thus did the primitiue Church pray against Iulian the Apostata and neuer left assaulting him with her weapons which are prayers and teares till hee had receiued his finall and fearefull stroake of destruction and then she sang Hallelujaes for his ſ Hieron super Habac. l. 2. ouerthrow Gods dearest children may commit very hainous sinnes yet they doe it of infirmitie and not maliciously The sinne of Peter was very fearefull yea could any almost be more hainous when as hee a chiefe Apostle at the word of a silly Maide against his constant protestation three seuerall times within the space of a few houres did not onely deny and forsake but euen forsweare his Master and Sauiour yea and that with dreadfull t Mat. 26.74 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 execrations vpon himselfe If he knew the man But alas all this proceeded from infirmity the present danger feare of death extorted those oathes and drew those execrations from him And therefore when he went forth and wept bitterly diluit culpam lachrymis when he wept he wipte away his hainous sinnes with bitter teares and the Lords compassions failed him not The fourth bad humour Reuel 8.11 SAint Iohn in the eight Chapter of the Reuelation speakes of a great Starre called Wormewood which falling into the waters and fountains made them bitter so that many died thereof Behold such is the humour of malice For whereas other sinnes doe but muddie the streames this impoisons the very fountaine of our holy profession and brings immortall death without remedy And this is the fourth degree of this dreadfull Apostasie which for the better handling I call a particular humour when it is indeed like the corruptions of all the humors in the body For it is not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not some smaller distemper but a generall euill disposition and habit of Religion not a binding of Sampsons hands but a shauing of his locks not like the setting of the Sun in a clowde but a totall Ecclipse yea such a going downe as neuer admits any rising againe For it is a totall and finall Apostasie which doth vsually accompany the malicious resisting of the knowne truth And therefore Athanasius v Athanas ad Serapion ioynes that malice and Apostasie together in the definition of this blasphemy against the holy Ghost calling it a malicious denying of the faith which a man hath professed as x Sueton. Iul. Caes cap. 1. Sylla said in Suetonius Vno Caesari multos Marios in esse there were many Marijes in one Caesar So I may say there are many iniquities in this one sinne which indeede becomes a congeries of all abhominations For the curse of God seazeth vpon such a malicious sinner as hath beene mentioned to an vtter priuation of grace like Dauids heauie imprecation vpon mount Gilboe y 2 Sam. 1.21 You mountaines of Gilboe vpon you be neyther dew nor raine for euer And like our Sauiours curse vpon the figge tree neuer man eate fruite of thee while the world standeth Againe Sathan casts his violent and inuenomed temptations which the Apostle Ephes 6. calleth fiery darts and those where they strike they sticke fah and worke vpon the Soule like the arrowes on Iobs body z Iob 6.4 The venome whereof dried vp his spirits And then as in the generall deluge when the waters increased to a certaine height all flesh a Gen. 7.21 perished so in this great ouerflowing of sinne all sparkes of grace are vtterly extinguished This is implyed here when the Apostle speakes of an opposition against the causes of our saluation namely The Sonne of God the bloud of the Testament and the spirit of grace And this elsewhere b 1 Tim. 1.19 hee calleth A shipwracke of faith and an Apostasie from the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 1 Tim. 4.1.2 1 Tim. 4. And addes the reason Hauing their consciences burnt with an hot Iron For when the conscience is cauterized there followeth an vtter benumming of the sanctified faculties so that there is left no spirituall sense of grace As we say of griefes so it is in sinnes Curae leues loquuntur ingentes stupent the smaller sins at first are irkesome and terrifie but being growne many and great they stupifie So that he which was wont to crie out with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Rom. 7. can make a couenant with death the graue and hell Esay 28. He who was pressed downe with the ponderous waight of his sinnes which were as a heauy burden too heauie for him to beare Psal 38. can at last goe as roundly away with them as euer Sampson went with the Gates of Azzah The conscience at first will diligently obserue and censure the sinner but the same being neglected hee becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen condemned of d Tit. 3.11 himselfe and yet continueth in sinne with great securitie If a wounded man haue but one Surgeon and one salue to cure him and yet hee alas would slay that Surgeon and cast away that salue what hope can there be of his recouery And such is the condition of a desperate sinner Christ Iesus is the Surgeon and his precious bloud the blessed balme to cure our wounded soules If a man shall then offer violence to his person Crucifying againe to himselfe the sonne of e Heb. 6.6 God And contempt to this plaster In treading vnder-foote the blood of the f Heb. 10.29 Testament Is there any meanes left in heauen or earth to cure him Surely no but that must needes follow which our Sauiour Christ threatned to the Iewes g Iohn 8.24 You shall dye in your sinnes Saint h 1. Tim. 4.1 Paul prophesieth of some that in the latter times shall depart from the faith and Saint Peter saith i 2. Pet. 2.1 verse 20. there shall be some that will denie the Lord that bought
the eternall Sabbath in the Kingdome of heauen which shall be a day without euening and shall yeelde you rest without labour and ioy without ending When Almighty God had made the heauens and earth hee placed Men and Angels in the same as his Tennants to bring him in the rent of obedience And though wee be much impouerished in our spirituall estate and the graces of God confiscate through Adams fall we must euery one of vs bring in something to the Lords Exchequer like the Israelites to the Tabernacle of which we may say Remember me O my God concerning this Genes 22. When Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac vpon mount Moriah When Moses forsooke the pompe of Pharaohs Court to sustaine affliction with Gods people Heb. 11. 1 Reg. 18. When Obadiah hid and relieued the Lords Prophets When Iob Iob 31. caused the loynes of the poore to blesse him When Mary Magdalen washed our Sauiours feete Luke 7. and wipte them with the haires of her head euery one of these had whereof he might say Remember me O my God concerning this Yea Mat. 10.42 he that giues but a cup of cold water for Christs sake may looke for his reward Behold what comfort shineth from hence to you Fathers and Brethren who haue spent your strength in the seruice of God and the conuersion of sinners Dan. 12.3 great is your reward in heauen You shall shine as Starres in the firmament for euer and euer What shall become of those vile wretches who haue deuoted themselues to all villanies and euen sold themselues to worke wickednesse These may conclude the acting of their wicked designes without * So Tremel doth well translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 1.11 impunè dread or danger of punishment as it is in the first of the Prouerbs but assuredly all their foule acts must be remembred and their impieties punished As the Prayers and Almes of Cornelius did pearce the heauens for a blessed reward Acts 10.4 so the pride and luxury of Sodome did cry out thither for a dreadfull reuenge Gen. 18.20 Aswell the stony hearted men that scoft at Christ as the tender hearted women that wept for him aswell those that buffetted him as those that embalmed him aswell he that spat in his face as shee that powred the boxe of oyntment on his head shall be remembred the one indeede to their endlesse honor the other to their perpetuall shame and contempt Yea those that with the vnfruitfull seruant haue hid their talents Mat. 25.25 those that haue beene such niggards vnto their owne soules that they haue not prepared some acceptable seruice to present the Lord withall whereof they might say Remember me O my God concerning this euen concerning this they shall be remembred For the Lord shall say of them take and binde that vnprofitable seruant and cast him into vtter darkenesse hee shall say to them as Abraham said to Diues Luke 16. Sonne remember that thou hast in thy life time receiued thy pleasure Now ne guttam August qui ne micam Thou which wouldest not giue one crumme of bread to relieue poore Lazarus shalt not haue one drop of water to coole thy tongue Many there are who by carnall proiects as building and purchasing for their posteritie thinke to make their houses famous and their memories eternall as Dauid well obserueth Psal 49.11 These are like Nero of whom the Historian saith Sueton. in vita Neron cap. 55. Erat ei aeternitatis perpetuaeque famae cupido sed inconsulta He did affect eternall fame but he tooke no wise course to effect it It is like Dauids censure in the thirteenth Verse of that Psalme This their way vttereth their foolishnesse And no meruaile for God dealeth with them as the Ephesians dealt with Erostratus who would be famous by burning the Temple of Diana As they enacted a law that no man should speake of Erostratus so almighty God enacteth a law of obliuion against these carnall minded men their memoriall perisheth for euer This land did once so ouer-flow with charity to the Church that the statute of Mortmaine came in like the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris to Babylon Ita Iunius in Genes 2. Solini errorem corrigens to preuent the rankenesse of the soyle But there came a time when that statute repealed was like Nilus set at liberty for the watering of Aegypt Though bleare-eyed Leah be more fruitfull then beautifull Rachel Superstition commonly more sumptuous then true Religion yet if you consider the Hospitals Grammer Schooles our admirable Library our Colledges builded enlarged and augmented with indowments and other workes of charitie since the light of the Gospell blessed be God we may well say that Gedeons fleece hath beene watered aswell as his floore Iudg. 6. Our age hath yeelded gracious Dorcases who haue beene full of good workes and almes-deedes Acts 9. and worthy Centurions who haue loued our nation Luk. 7. and builded vs Synagogues All these instruments of Gods glory may come with comfort into the Lords Exchequer and for euery one of their worthy acts may say Remember me O my God concerning this Though some perhaps will be ready to mutter forth with Iudas Iohn 12.4 quorsum haec profusio What needeth this waste Yet others I trust will say with Iacob Genes 17. sit vp and eate of my venison that thy soule may blesse me Surely our soules shall euer blesse these worthies both present and succeeding ages shall eternize their memorable acts so long as the Gospell is preached here amongst vs which I trust shall be so long as the world standeth Mat. 26.13 This which they haue done shall be spoken for a memoriall of them as our Sauiour said concerning the Woman with the boxe of ointment Their name is like a good ointment as Salomon saith the sweete perfume whereof when they are gone forth of the roome of this present world shall be fresh and redolent euen to the children yet vnborne Yea when timber stones and bookes shall all be worne and dissolued the bookes of heauen shall be opened Reuel 20.12 where all their monuments of charity are written in a most indeleble Character and shall be recompenced with an vnualuable reward euen an eternall crowne of glory And all you who heare me at this day let my counsell be acceptable vnto you get something for which the Lord may remember you and the remembrance whereof may be a comfort to you at the houre of death prouide with Ioseph in the time of plenty against the day of scarsity Iohn 9. the night commeth when no man can worke Be of Vlysses minde in Euripides Eurip. in Hecuba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let me see my tombe honoured whilest I am aliue Rom 12.1 2 Cor. 9.7 God loues a liuing sacrifice and a chearefull giuer Thinke with Titus Vespaan you haue lost that day wherein you haue not done
mercy he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.3 The Father of Mercies Ephes 2.4 Exod. 20.6 Psal 51.1 and the God of all consolation He is rich in mercy He hath mercy for thousands He hath a multitude of mercies It would aske much time to manifest this through the whole mine of sacred Scripture I will onely bound my speech within a few rich veynes of Ore in the Psalmes In the 59. Psalme you shall finde Gods preuenting mercy In the 23. his following mercy In the 40. Psalme his tender mercy In the 119. his reuiuing mercy In the 26. his redeeming mercy In the 6. Psalme his healing mercy In the 86. his confirming mercy In the 103. his crowning mercy If I should spend many houres in recompting the particular mercies of God and had that * That yeelded seauen Ecchoes Heptaphon of Olympus yea the tongue of men and Angels you might say vnto me vpon the close of my speech with the Queene of Sheba 1 Reg. 10. Thou hast not told vs the one halfe Behold so abundant are the mercies of our God and therefore poore sinners neede not come to this blessed fountaine like the people to the poole of Bethesda one at once but be they as many as the starres in the firmament or the sands on the sea-shore let them approch together to the Mercy-seate and they shall finde that God hath in readinesse a mercy for euery misery as it were a present salue for euery sore The Lord keepeth a continuall Iubilee his Court of Chancery standeth alwaies open his euer-flowing and ouer-flowing fountaine Zach. 13.1 is still set open for sinne and for vncleannesse Where the spirit and the Spouse say come Reuel 22.17 and let him that is a thirst come and let whosoeuer will come and take of the water of life freely Againe as Gods mercies are many in the discreete so are they great in the continued quantity Yea they are exceeding great 1 Sam. 24.14 Gods mercy as one saith well hath all the dimensions Psal 36.5 Thy mercy O God reacheth vnto the heauens there is the height of his mercy Psal 86.13 Great is thy mercy and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell there is the depth of his mercy Psal 104.24 The earth is full of thy goodnesse there is the breadth of his mercy Psal 98.4 All the ends of the world haue seene the saluation of our God there is the length of his mercy Yea the mercy of God is transcendent and beyond all dimension and no more possible to be comprehended by vs then the heauens to be compassed with our spanne Therefore when Saint Paul doth pray that the Ephesians may know the loue of Christ according to these dimensions he addeth which passeth knowledge Ephes 3.18.19 Though God be excellent in all his workes yet is his glory most eminent in his mercy His punishing rod is of Iuory Psal 2.9 Exod. 25.17 but his Mercy-seate of pure Gold Gods mercy must needes be great which extendeth it selfe in some sort euen to hell and to the damned Rom. 11.22 First in his patience towards the vessels of wrath waiting for their conuersion till he be pressed as it were a cart vnder sheaues Amos 2.13 Secondly in his indulgence in punishing a sinner For whereas ex se materiam sumit miserendi as Bernard saith He taketh occasion onely forth of his owne goodnesse to shew mercy yet no mans sinne is punished without his iust demerits Thirdly euen to the damned in hell there is a priuatiue mercy extended quoad intensionem wound except you will be like desperate Porus Iustin lib. 12. who would not suffer his wounds to be drest We reade in in the sixe and fortieth of Ezechiel that they which went into the Temple at one dore were commanded to goe forth at another It is no improbable coniecture that they might not turne their faces from the Mercy-seate That is an excellent speech of Augustines or rather Anselmes Aug. Medit. 38. Etsi Domine ego commisi vnde me damnare potes tu tamen non amisisti vnde me saluare potes O blessed Lord though I haue committed those transgressions for which thou maiest condemne me yet thou hast not lost those compassions by which thou maiest saue me Psal 130.1 Out of the deepe haue I called vnto thee O Lord saith Dauid Abyssus abyssum inuocat saith Bernard One deepe calleth vpon another O let the deepe of misery call vpon the deepe of mercy If your soules were in such a straight that you saw hell opening her mouth vpon you like the red Sea before the Israelites the damned spirits pursuing you behinde like the Aegyptians on the right hand and on the left a thousand dreads and dangers yet would I say vnto you in Moses words stand still Exod. 14. and behold the saluation of the Lord For he that putteth his trust in the Lord Psal 32.10 mercy imbraceth him on euery side This mercy of God is like the Sanctuary to the legall offendour like Mount Ararat to Noahs tossed Arke like Noahs hand to his weary Doue like Assuerus golden Scepter to the happy petitioner O come then and with Queene Hester touch the top of this Scepter so shall you be receiued with her into the Kings presence yea into the Kingdome of heauen where all your petitions shall be turned into gratulations your prayers into praises and your Elegies into Hallelujaes which mercy the God of all mercies grant vs euen for Iesus Christ his sake our alone Sauiour and Redeemer to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one immortall God all honour power praise Maiestie and Dominion be rendred and ascribed by all the seruants of God in heauen and in earth this day and for euer Amen AMEN FINIS