Heauen In HABAKKVK the stones and timber of the King of Babylons house built with blood doe cry Finally Iames 5. in St IAMES the wages of the hireling kept from him doe cry and come into the eares of the Lord of Hosts Cap. 6. And as sinnes so iudgements haue a Voyce MICAH hath a notable place The voice of the Lord cryeth vnto the Citie the Man of Wisdome will see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it And the Lord is sayd to make his iudgement to be heard from Heauen When then GOD saith I was deafe and dumbe he meaneth that though the cry of the sin were loud yet he did not heare it he was deafe neither did they heare from him though there was iust cause he was dumbe In these two points stands the Patience of GOD. Where-hence we learne that when we are free from plagues we must not conclude that we are without sinnes crying sinnes The cause of our peace is often times not our owne innocencie but GODS patience it is not because our sinnes hold their tongues but GODS iudgments hold theirs notwithstanding our guilt he is silent And here appeareth a great difference between God and Men Men are as soone moued as they are prouoked few can hold their hands scarce any their tongues so sensible are we of wrongs and so reuengefull according to our power Not so GOD it is one of the characters of his Nature to be long suffering euen when he is grieuously offended he can hold his Tongue not onely his Hands Behold an euidence hereof in this Penitent whose incestuous life GOD hath forborne so many yeeres though he might haue rewarded him according to his deserts when he first fell into this foule offence yet hath GOD lent him many yeeres and expected his repentance But what vse doe men make of GODS patience Surely the Iewes did but verifie the old saying veterem ferendo iniuriam inuit as nouam the more GOD forbeares the worse we waxe GOD holds his peace that we might speake is deafe that we might heare Rom. c. 2. but enormous sinners make vse of neither they abuse the patience and long suffering of God and like IESABEL though GOD giue space to repent they repent not Reuel 2 21. We should heare our sinnes that GOD might not heare them we should heare them speaking to the eare of our Consciences whereinto if they did enter they would not ascend higher into the eares of GOD. And seeing GOD is dumbe that we might speake we should speake to GOD by repentance and then GOD would not speake vnto vs by vengance according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.31 If we did iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But what doth the Iewe He grosly abuseth this patience of GOD in stead of so hearing and speaking he thinketh that God is like vnto himselfe Behold the world turned vpside downe GOD made man after his owne Image and see man would faine square GOD after his Image whereas the creature should resemble the Creator the Creator is drawne to resemble the creature An absurd conceit is it in reason how much more in Religion When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patterne into the Exemplification but yet might it be excused if so be man were vnderstood as he was made of GOD for we vse in Diuinitie out of the obseruation which we make in the nature of man to draw descriptions of the nature of GOD because whatsoeuer is in the effect is but much more emminently in the efficient so we talke of the Truth the Righteousnesse and Holinesse of GOD guessing at them by those sparkes of vertue which appeare in man But the conceit of these men is not so good for thus must the words be knit Thou thoughtest that I was like vnto thee which hast done these things and such a thee is a sinfull thee so that GOD is not onely resembled vnto man but vnto a sinfull man outragious blasphemie It was a great sinne which ADAM committed when he affected to be like vnto GOD though it were in an holy attribute the attribute of his Knowledge How fearefull a sin then is it not onely to debase GOD to be like vnto men but also to be like vnto him in a hellish Attribute the Attribute of sinne There are three steps of Atheisme Psal 94.7 It begins with Tush God doth not see and is there vnderstanding in the Highest It goeth on to Tush God doth not care Scilicet is superis labor est ea cura quietos solicitat The Lord will doe neither good nor euill as the Prophet speaketh It commeth at length to We account the proud blessed Malach. 3.15 and they that tempt God are exalted Of these Atheists the first turne God into an Idol giuing him eyes that see not and eares that heare not The second make him an idle or carelesse God as if he did onely looke on and leaue euerie man to shift for himselfe The last doe plainly turne God into the Diuel for their blasphemie is not onely priuatiue denying GOD to be what indeed he is but also positiue fastning vpon GOD what is cleane opposite to his Nature so that it is not without cause that our vulgar English hath Thou thoughtest wickedly for it is a most wicked thought We must then take heed how we entertaine sinne seeing we shall grow worse and worse by degrees There are inborne principles of honestie and pietie which are sensibly felt when we first fall to sinne the further we goe the lesse are they felt and when we grow senslesse of them then fall we to apologize for sin and there can be no stronger apologie then to make GOD our consort for it is a principle stampt in our nature That God is the soueraigne good whatsoeuer then is either from him or in him must needs be good so that if a wicked man can make GOD either the Author or Patterne of his sinne he need no sayrer colour nor stronger argument wherewith to resolue either himselfe or others that bitter is sweet darknesse light death life and good euill And the Diuel knoweth that we will sinne securely when we are resolued that by sinne we doe GOD good seruice he that reads the stories of the Heathen gods shall find that one of the greatest prouocations that the world hath had vnto sinne hath beene the worship of such gods as their owne Poets describe theirs to be stained with all kind of sinnes The Fathers that wrot against them IVSTIN MARTYR CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS EVSEBIVS LACTANTINS ARNOBIVS and Saint AVSTIN insist much vpon this point when they defend Christian Religion against the Gentile And who can tell whether GOD in this place doth not taxe such Gentilisme in the Iew And intimate that their Idolatry was a cause of their impuritie for it is plaine in the Prophets that they worshipped Idols of all Nations You
inward man and frame that and worke it vnto sinne by questioning the truth wherein it is setled Eccles 7.20 God saith the Preacher made man right that is set him in the right way and set him vpright in his way But man sought out many inuentions what those inuentions were Salomon in that Booke expresseth in his owne person where he sheweth that he was Ambulans in Consilio he tooke a taste of all courses but could rest vpon none of them Cap. 5◠vers 20. the Prophet Esay compares wicked men to the restlesse seas Cap. 1◠c. 8. Saint Iames saith that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that can no where take sure footing And how should they that haue left a rocke to walke vpon the sands Vers 13. Saint Iude calleth them wandring starres and indeed nothing can better resemble them then a Planet who is sometime in coniunction with one star and somtime with another and varieth according to his coniunction and the world is at this day ful of these walkers in Counsell 2. Tim. 4.3 2. Tim. 3.7 persons hauing itching eares who are euer learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth And this breeds so many Sects in the world wherewith our Church as others hath beene and is not a little disquieted And yet mistake not I fauour not the blinde obedience or implicite faith where vnto the Church of Rome enthrals the consciences of her followers and makes them seale their Vow of obstinacie with the most sacred obligations of Oathes and Sacraments whereupon our Recusants are become like deafe Adders Psal 58.4 5. that stop their eares and wil not heare the Charmer charme hee neuer so wisely did wee teach any other doctrine then that which God first deliuered in Paradise and hath since vnfolded by his Prophets and Apostles from whence the world degenerated and whereunto we recall it they did well to stop their eares as our people shall doe well to stop their eares against them because they draw not vnto God but from him but it is one thing to forbid irresolutenesse when a man is assured of Gods will warranted by his Word such as was in Eue Gen. 3. Gen. 6. when she conferred with the Serpent and the Sonnes of God when they would needs be acquainted with the daughters of men and in the Israelites when they would learne the manners of other nations another thing to forbid that irresolutenesse which was in Nicodemus Nathaniel in Gamaliel when they began to stagger and could not presently resolue whither that they were with others to oppose Christ or else leaue their former course and become the Disciples of Christ neither of those courses being at the first assured to their consciences The Papists forbid this latter irresolutenesse when neither way is knowne to be right which irresolutenesse causeth a man to enquire and finde out that which is right we forbid the former irresolutenesse where one way is knowne to be right the other to be wrong which will bring a man from a sound resolution to an irresolution Certainely if we doe so walke in Counsell we haue receiued the seed of sinne Our lesson then must be this When God hath set vs in a right way neuer to aduise whether it bee good to take another way if wee doe then this ill seed of bad counsell sowen in the inward man will fructifie and shoot forth in the outward man Corrumpunt bonos more 's colloquia praua Ill counsell will corrupt good manners He that takes this kinde of counsell when he comes to resolue resolues commonly vpon the worse he will not stand in the right way though hee will stand in a way so it befell Rehoboam he heard the Ancients and hee heard the Youths 1. Kings 12 hee that had so little wit as to heare both had so bad a will as to follow the worse the like befell Ahab 1. Kings 2◠who was contented to heare as well the true Prophet as the false concerning his iourney to Ramoth Gilead but when he came to resolue he gaue more credit to the false than to the true the verie same befell the Iewes deliberating what way to take Ierem. 42. whether to goe into Aegypt or abide in Iudea they asked Ieremie hee aduised them to abide in Iudea and that it was Gods will they should doe so they aske others they aduise them to goe into Aegypt Ierem. 43. and with contempt of Gods pleasure they obstinately did so But why doe I seeke for proofe to these stories Looke to the first deliberation that is of record that of Eue with the Serpent and iudge therby how dangerous it is at all to deliberate in such a case that first deliberation hath giuen vs a wofull proofe that he that doth Ambulare in Consilio improborum will stare in viâ peccatorum Saint Paul hath a rule Rom. 1.21 Rom. 1. that it is too naturall for men to bee vaine in these Dialogismes our foolish heart will be darkned and when we striue to be most wise we shall prooue most sottish well may we stand in a Way to make some triall of the Counsell that is giuen vs but it is more then likely that our Way will be the way of sinners And it were well if we bore only this fruit there is yet a much worse which is the Sitting downe in the seate of the scorners When the heart becommeth so corrupt that it depraueth the principles of Conscience and our iudgement is so peruerted that we speake good of euill and euill of good call darknesse light and light darknesse then wee are come so farre as to beare this second ill fruit But the phrase imports two things By Sitting in the Chaire it is meant that men proceede so sarre in Sinne that they become Doctors of it and the Chaire of scorners shewes that they scoffe all that are opposite to it Touching the first we must note that a sinner desireth not to bee single but as good things haue semen in speciem suam a seede for the multiplication of their kind so haue euill also The Serpent drew into his companie Eue Eue Adam the daughters of men corrupted the sonnes of God yea whatsoeuer sinne a man is giuen vnto hee desireth companie A Theise Prou. 1. an Adultresse Prou. 7. Idolaters Num. 25. The same may be obserued in others Sinners are ambitious to be teachers of their Sinne neither onely teachers of sinne but also mockers of godlinesse so Ismael dealt with Isaac the Israelites with the Prophets Gen. 21. 2. Chron. 36 the Scribes and Pharisees with Christ Saint Iude by a generall name calleth wicked men Mockers and hardly will he forbeare to scoffe at godlinesse Vers 18. that vndertakes to be an Aduocate of Sinne for whereas they are not able to resist the strength of the apparent grounds of pietie and truth they find that the best way to entertaine the fauourable
to Regeneration we must conceiue of it as of a cure that worketh out a deep rooted Corruption yea the termes of cleannes and rightnes must so be conceiued as that the cure doth not only worke out corruption but work in the contrary perfection as we see that the Eclipse of the moone is remedied by the imparting vnto it the brightnes of the sunne and the darkenes of the night by the succeeding of the day-light the winterly hue of the earth is exchanged for the flourishing of the spring and the weaknesse that wee seele being sicke by the vigour that we haue from health Euen so fareth it with our soules we put off the Old man by putting on the New and the root of Originall sin by being indued with Originall Righteousnes This being obserued concerning Regeneration in generall wee must now descend to the Regeneration of the parts in particular the first of which is the regeneration of the Heart it is here called Cleannesse I will not fall into the common place of the defiling Nature of sin I haue touched at it more then once on the former words of this Psalme I will keepe my selfe to that which is peculiar to this part I told you it is the soueraigne power of the reasonable soule and the first point wherein the soueraigntie appeares is that it doth Command now the blemishes of a commander are two 1. Folly and 2. Impotencie either he knoweth not what directions to giue them that are vnder him or else contrarie to his iudgement he is ouer-borne by his affections take an example of Solomon the father and Rehoboam the sonne Solomon was wise the wisest King that euer was and no wise King was euer more impotent in his affections as appeareth by his so doting on his heathenish wiues that to content them he entertained all kind of Idolatry the son of Solomon Rehoboam went as far in folly as his father in impotency the son of Syrach calls him the very foolishnesse of the people Ecclies 51. and well he deserued to be so called that forsooke the counsell of the Sages and listned vnto brainsicke youths and so lost ten Tribes of twelue In these two Kings we may behold the defects of our commanding parts for somtimes the iudgment of it is so weak that it misdeemes good for euill and euill for good light for darknesse and darkenesse for light and this error is predominant in those that are without the Church for of Infidels it is most true that they haue a foolish Heart Rom. 1. yea when they thinke they be most wise in their reasoning they shew themselues most foolish it were endlesse to descend to particulars if I should reckon no more then those which are toucht in the Scripture how much more if I should discouer it out of there owne writings there speculatiue learning their practicke their theologie their policy their ethicks their oeconomicks all are spiced with folly Though this folly be predominant in those without the Church yet is there more then a good deale of it within the Church also were there no other proofe contentious writings proclaime to the world that many beleeuers cum ratione insaniunt haue a crackt braine and weake iudgement working vpon false principles or working out such conclusions as will neuer spring from truth Folly is one defect of the commanding part but not the onely it hath another which is Impotencie though the iudgement doe not faile in setting the heart right yet the affections doe transport it that it cannot resolue right Video meliora proboque deterior a sequor wee know our duety oftner then wee can bee perswaded to doe it And this disease though it be in Infidels as the former verse doth witnesse and Saint Paul much more Rom. 1. saying that They detaine the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse and that though they haue no Law they are a Law vnto themselues yet is this disease more common in the Church whose sins spring more commonly from the impotency of their affections then from the ignorance of their iudgement as it is plaine by those that teach others but teach not themselues and commit those faults themselues which they condemne in others there are few reasonably bred that know not their Creed and the ten Commandements yet when they are put to a reall maintenance of their faith or obseruance of the Law who is hee that staggers not that yeelds not to his affections Well seeing these are the defects of the heart as it is a commanding part you easily conceiue what the cure thereof must be and what is the first property of a cleane heart it is the rectifying of it in regard of folly and impotencie the making of it first wise and vnderstanding the furnishing of it with good and sound Principles the knowledge of the good and acceptable will of God in a word a right iudgement in all things this S. Paul meaneth 〈◊〉 2.16 when hee saith We haue the mind of Christ so that bee the Scrpent neuer so crafty bee sinne neuer so sweetly sugered euill neuer so curiously blancht be the suggestions of our aduersary neuer so sophisticall yet shall wee not bee circumuented wee shall not be deceiued by it That our commanding part be so freed from folly is not enough it must bee freed from impotencie also wee must haue obedient and religious hearts Mat. 10.37 be as ready to doe as to know loue nothing in comparison of God and doing our duety not father mother brother sister wife c. yea we must deny them all Lâ—ke 14 16. I say too little Christ goeth farther we must hate them all if they be an impediment to our following of God and keeping of his commandements if we are so far masters of our selues as to make our affections conforme themselues vnto our iudgement then is the commanding part cured in regard of impotencie and so the commanding part so farre as it is rid of folly and impotencie is truely regenerate But there is in the soueraigne part besides the commanding power a seasoning power also and that must bee regenerated It seasons all our actions with vertue or vice according as it is good or ill As the knowledge of God is the regeneration of it as it is the commanding part so is the loue of God the regeneration of it as it is the seasoning part or rather the coniunction of the loue of God to the knowledge of God So that for a vertuous action wee must bee sani boni viri it must bee the worke of a well aduised and a well-affected man so that the latter part of regeneration is but a consequent vpon the former and the heart if it command well seasoneth well and seasoneth ill if it command ill according to the Commandement our workes doe proue either Vertues or Vices You haue heard what is the regeneration of the soueraigne power here is another power specified which is the actiue Nazianzene
whereof wee are taught First what is the remedie flying and Secondly that these Iewes wanted that remedie for Who hath forewarned you to flie from the wrath to come I begin at the euill wrath to come few words but a full definition of the wages of sinne for they consist of wrath and that wrath hath his note of difference It is wrath to come I will not enter into any subtile dispute how wrath is incident to the impassible nature of God only lest you should with Marcion dreame of an euill or with the Epipicure of an idle God I must put you in minde of Athanasius his rule The speeches wherein we talke of God are borrowed from men but wee must so conceiue them as is befitting God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iames 1. â—â— Now the oddes that is betweene God and men wee may learne of Saint Iames who giueth vs to vnderstand that there is the same oddes as is betweene the Sunne and the Moone hee compareth God vnto the Sunne when he calleth him the Father of Lighss but remoueth from him the properties of the Moone which is the Image of man namely variablenesse and shadow of change The Sunne and the Moone both worke vpon the earth but the Moone altereth nothing but she is first altered her selfe if she cause a flux and refluxe of humours below she waxeth and waineth in her light aboue but the Sunne that so turneth and windeth the hue of all this lower world continueth still the same and when it scorcheth most is neuer a whit the warmer Euen so men cannot disquiet others but they are first disquieted themselues whereas God changeth his creatures continuing himselfe vnchangeable The skie of God is euer cleere Nazian orat 19 raise he neuer so many stormes on earth This being heeded that we fasten nothing vpon God vnbeseeming his Maiestie neither turne the Suune into the Moone or God into man I will now plainly let you see what the Holy Ghost meaneth by Gods wrath God giueth his Law and expecteth obedience thereto and if wee faile two things follow vpon our transgression God is displeased and wee shall smart both these doth the Holy Ghost vsually vnderstand by Gods wrath Wrath then noteth not only a bare act of Gods will but it signifieth moreouer two effects that are ioyned therewith the effect of sinne which offends Gods holinesse and the effect of Gods Iustice that taketh vengeance on sinne the first may be called wrath in God the second wrath from God But to cleere this a little farther All our actions should haue a double end a direct a reflected end the direct is to please God the reflected is to procure our owne good they were both shadowed in the Sacrifices Sacrifices should all our actions be Now the Sacrifices were of a sweet smell they gaue content vnto God and also of rest they procured peace vnto men and it is Gods pleasure that his honour and our welfare should both goe together and when we would diuide them Hab. 1 13. then ariseth Wrath. First Wrath in God for God is a God of pure eyes he can abide no iniquitie so saith the Prophet and the Psalmist that such as be wicked shall not stand in his sight he hateth he lotheth Esay chap 〈◊〉 he abhorres sinne stoppeth his eares turneth away his eyes and shrinketh in his hand at the presence of sinners nay his spirit wrastles is grieued despited and quenched with and by the vngodlinesse of men these be all Scripture phrases to set forth the first wrath which floweth from the neglect of the first end whereat wee should aime in our workes But this wrath goeth not alone the other wrath doth still attend it wrath from God attends wrath in God and therefore sinnes are vsually called prouocations a commentarie vpon which word we haue in the seuenth of Ieremie doe they prouoke mee to anger saith the Lord and not rather their owne selues to the confusion of their faces Though God be patient yet will he not suffer the wicked vnpunished Exod. 34. If men will not turne he will what his sword he hath bent his Bow and prepared the instruments of death Psal 7. No man euer discontenteth God but he doth it to his owne woe Thus haue I so farre as was requisite to my present purpose shewed what the holy Ghost doth vnderstand by Gods wrath I must now seuer so much as doth not belong to my Text. Whereas then there is wrath in God and wrath from God my Text hath to doe with the latter and whereas that also is either in this World or in that which is to come the note of difference which is here put vnto Wrath sheweth of which of these Wraths we are to speake no present Wrath but Wrath that is to come 〈◊〉 Caianos com 3. p 85. And first Epiphanius scanneth this word To come and telleth that it argueth the impassibilitie of the nature of God affectus exortem se probat deus praeuaticinatus futurum iudicium If a man doubt whether the Wrath in God be a Passion he may saith Epiphanius be resolued that it is not in that it is foretold for Passions are wrought by present obiects but here the effect is foretold before the working of the obiect which is an argument that Wrath is no perturbation in God but a mature resolution This by the way Let vs come to the point Punishment is meant by the Wrath to come but what punishment Whether the destruction of Ierusalem or the damnation of these Iewes Surely both both doe communicate in this name Wrath to come compare Matth. 21. with Matth. 23. as all other things so this Wrath to come came to them in a Type and therefore Christ ioyneth the destruction of Hierusalem with the desolation of the World in one Sermon prophecying of both Immediately then Saint Iohn meaneth the destruction of Hierusalem but mediately the last iudgement day I will touch at both First at the destruction of Hierusalem To open which briefely and yet competently I might relate Christs prophesie and referre you to the Commentarie that sheweth the euent thereof Flauius Iosephus his Historie But I choose rather to present vnto you Hosea's three children that were borne therein you haue them in the first of his Prophesie and they are these Iezreel Loruhama Lo-ammi which intimate the three degrees obserueable in that Wrath. The first noteth that Gods arme acted it though we hold truely that there is no penall euill in the Citie which God hath not made and that it is he which createth all light and darknesse yet extraordinarie plagues are especially ascribed vnto him when these fall vpon men his Axe his Sword are said then to be working the very Magicians will confesse the finger of God is in them Iob 32 13. and who will not vse the words of Elihu It is God that hath cast him downe and not man Philostratus reporteth that when Titus the Emperour
which Saint Iames condemnes yet Christ blameth their vnderstanding because it did not guide their heart aright wherein hee implyes that they are ill aduised and that they would not haue done it i◠they had better considered of it by which it appeares that Estis is taken for Esse debetis you are is put for you ought to be for they were not what they should be That will appeare better in Christs more distinct Reproofe The Sonne of man is not come to destroy but to saue mens liues which words may haue a threefold sense The first is to distinguish Iesus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 each answereth his name The one destroyeth the other saueth The Apostles must not turne the Sauiour into a destroyer that is to parallel Christ and the the Deuill And this sense is implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are Coniugates with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A second sense there is wherein this phrase distinguisheth betweene Christs first and second Comming and sheweth that though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ shall come for to destroy when he commeth to iudgement yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was not alreadie come but to saue Therefore they were not to confound these two Commings and to doe Acts of the later at his first Comming when he commeth not only to giue himselfe for men but expects their repentance also The last sense is an opposition of Christ to Elias each is to answere his Name Elias his name signifieth The power of God and indeed all the time of his Ministerie what was it but a manifestation of Gods wrathfull power in executing vengeance vpon sinners his words his deeds runne all that way But Christs Name was Iesus and Iesus is a Sauiour God hath not sent his Sonne to condemne but to saue the world and it is a true saying That he came into the world to saue sinners Therefore as King Dauid answered the sonnes of Zeruia when they would haue had him slay Shimei 2. Sam. 19. because he cursed the Lords Anointed What haue I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zeruia that yee should this day bee vnto me as Satan Shall there any man die this day in Israel So doth Christ coole his Apostles and shew that their desire must be correspondent to the end of his Incarnation Yea the very phrase Filius Hominis imports a tendernesse in Christ Chap. 2. Saint Paul obserues it in the Hebrewes He became man that he might be a mercifull High Priest And this sweetnesse of his nature and mildnesse of his spirit was signified both by the title of a Lambe which was giuen him at his death and the shape of a Doue which lighted on him at his Baptisme And indeed what likelihood that hee would burne a Towne of the Samaritans for not receiuing him that prayed for Hierusalem euen when the Iewes were readie to crucifie him yea Father forgiue them was his reuenge when they scoffed him hanging on the Crosse Christ that came to saue all sorts of people was pleased to suffer wrong of them all that so none should thinke they deserued better then other There were then but three sorts of people in the world two extremes Iewes and Gentiles and one composed of them both Samaritans The Iewes and Gentiles euill intreated him at Hierusalem the Samaritans vpon his way thither Christ was bitter to none of them but let them all haue proofe of the meeknesse of his spirit though his Disciples were not so Peter was busie with his sword at Hierusalem and Iames and Iohn are desirous to haue fire at Samaria But as at Hierusalem hee shewed Peter so here at Samaria hee sheweth Iames and Iohn the errour of their zeale and learneth them this lesson which Nazianzene hath in his Tetrasticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Most sweet is this assertion of Christ and it is the chiefest comfort of our soules for if thou Lord marke what is done amisse O Lord who shall abide it Surely if our Master were as apt to smite as his seruants Chrysost de Anathemate our Lord as his Ambassadours if Christs Anathemaes were as quicke as mens what would become of the world what combustions what destruction should we see But God bethanked it is not so And wee shall doe well to learne of him especially Pastors must learne to be like the great shepheard of our soules Christ doth not only disproue in Words but in Deeds also They went vnto another Village Hee taught his Disciples before so to doe If they persecute you in one Citie flie to another The Precept wrought not In Tetrast he giueth them a Patterne Facile est verbis philosophari doce me vitae tuae exemplo for as Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And indeed whereas Christ was not ignorant before hee sent how the Samaritans would vse him yet was hee pleased to haue a repulse that he might teach his Disciples how to beare it for Christs life no lesse then his doctrine was a Gospel and hee instructed no lesse by his Deeds then he did by his Words and he taught no lesson more then he did Patience But I haue stood long enough in opening the meaning of this text Let me come now to the principall vse which I intend to make of it which is twofold The first is to ground thereon a good resolution of conscience The second to stirre vs vp vnto thankfulnesse for our wonderfull deliue rance For the Case of Conscience we must obserue That generous minds vndertake not detestable facts except their Conscience first be poysoned Secondly that the Diuell is not contented that we sinne in Passion for so in cold bloud wee might retract and take a better course hee desireth therefore that we may be wicked habitually so he shall be sure to haue vs his at all times and that wee will neuer sticke at the most hellish attempts For if the conscience be once so seasoned that it will take euill for good and good for euill the Angell of darknesse rule therein transformed into an Angell of light this false light will so possesse our vnderstanding that the most hellish darknesse of our affections shall neuer be discerned by vs yea the worse wee are the better wee shall please our selues for euery man resteth secure in the testimonie of his owne conscience and he questioneth no farther then to resolue that The Gunpowder Traitors before they were deliuerered of that Monster had scruples whether it were lawfull They consult their Ghostly Fathers for it is a common rule Histiaeus vestem consuit quam induit Aristagoras as the Persian in Herodotus speaketh of the Samianes reuolt no treacherie without a Priests head who worketh notwithstanding by other mens hands they are put out of all doubt that such attempts are so farre from being sinfull that they are meritorious If any man doubt that this is their doctrine let him
Soule and we serue euery one his seuerall Lusts so that though we consist of a Soule and a Body yet the Scripture calleth vs carnall as if so be we had no Spirits In our worldly state euerie man laboureth to range himselfe with the best and we account them base that being of noble blood affect not the companie of their equals but in our spirituall state we are not sensible hereof we are not ambitious but base euerie one stoopes below himself and loues to grouell rather then stand vpright we loue comming downe But this comming downe is not all the euill of our fall it is accompanied with a bruise our nature by it doth not onely become more base but more feeble also for euerie sinne giueth a wound it impayreth grace in euerie power our vnderstanding groweth more dimme our will more impotent and our affections lesse capable of controwle Sinnes are like rebels that not onely reuolt but also keep castle against their Soueraigne whence they are not easily remoued euerie mans experience yeelds profe hereof and warrants this truth that sin doth not onely disgrace but also disable a sinner But sinnes are not all equall and therefore produce not all equall effects the Stoicks paradoxe is long since condemned and whether we looke to that wherein we sinne our dutie to GOD or our Neighbor or that wherewith we sinne I meane the degrees of our wills that concurre in our acts we shall find great odds and confesse that one sinne is greater then another and that all fals are not alike whether we look to the disgrace of the person or the weakning of our nature Not to goe from my Text or rather from this present occasion Incontinencie hath diuers degrees Fornication Adulterie Incest all communicate in Incontinencie but so that Adulterie is worse then Fornication and Incest worse then Adulterie Fornication violateth the good order that should be betweene single persons through vnruly Lusts Adulterie addeth thereunto a confusion of Families and taketh away the distinction of Heires and Inheritance but Incest moreouer abolisheth the reuerence which is ingraued by nature to forbid that persons whom nature hath made so neere should one vncouer the others shame as speaketh the Law and not onely that but adds that for such incontinencie the Land did spue out the Canaanites Leuit. 18. So that when you come to consider your fall you must consider not onely the nature but also the degree of it and your repentance must be answerable vnto your fall looke how farre you haue debased your selfe so farre must you be humbled and be afflicted with sorrow as deeply as you haue wounded your selfe with sinne Thus much you are taught in that your sinne is a fall But it must farther be learned whence these fals come and we find in the Text the occasions and causes of them The occasions are implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a stumbling at some thing that lyeth in our way we are apt to fall by nature because we are mutable but we doe not commonly fall except some occasion be giuen And the world is full of occasions The Diuell hath euerie where his stumbling blocks he knoweth whether our corrupt nature bendeth and worketh accordingly he hath a wedge of gold for couetous ACHAN a crowne for ambitious AESOLON a DINA for SHECHEM finally he knoweth what will worke our affections and our dispositions with that he plyeth and with that he wooeth our consent to sinne and these things the Scripture cals stumbling blocks and are the occasions of fals We all walke in the middest of them and are to take good heed vnto them but yet so that we doe not conceiue otherwise of them then they are strong motiues they are but they are but motiues perswade they may compell they cannot therefore they are not enough to giue a fall except the true cause be added to the occasion and we may not so dwell on the occasion as not to looke forward to the true cause we may otherwise blame others while we should be blaming of our selues and we are too apt to excuse our selues by making others guilty of our faults But we must passe on from the occasion to the cause and the cause will tell vs who doth most deserue the blame The cause appeareth in these words If a man be ouertaken whereon St HIEROME giueth a good note Praeuentio dici non potest cum quid praemeditatò fit so that this phrase importeth a difference of sinners whereof some fall through malice some through frailtie Through malice they fall in whom the principles of conscience are corrupt who wittingly and willingly commit sinne with greedinesse neither before the fact feeling any reluctancy neither after the fact conceiuing any sorrow Esay 5. these account euill good and good euill light darknesse and darknesse light sweet sower and sower sweet these are not within the compasse of my Text for they are not ouertaken This phrase reacheth onely those which sinne Dum aut latet veritas aut compellit infirmitas as BEDE speaketh either they are sophistically circumuented or vnawares transported and so take a fall We should weigh the validitie of the perswasions and bethinke our selues what we doe before we set our selues a doing we should enquire what GODS Law doth forbid or allow before we giue or withhold our assent But our affections vsually outstep our discretion and bring either false or rash intelligence whereupon we yeeld and slip verie often dum latet veritas for want of making diligentenquirie but more often dum vincit infirmitas while we are too indulgent to our affections And indeed howsoeuer in errors of Faith and mistakes of truth those that are without the Church or being within are not Orthodoxe Rom. 1. become vaine in their ratiocination as the Apostle speeketh and their ignorance is apparantly the child of negligence Yet in the default of manners and breach of the morall Law we haue little colour of ignorance all the blame lyeth vpon the impotencie of our affections the thiefe the drunkard the lyer the blasphemer all must yeeld that they knew what they should doe but obeyed their corrupt lusts in doing the contrarie And no other plea hath this incestuous person though her tongue should be silent yet her teares doe speake that this is her plea for the sacrifice of her broken and contrite heart sacrificed for that which she hath done testifieth that she knoweth well that she hath done amisse but did it being ouertaken for sorrow after a fact is the iudgement that the penitent passeth vpon his own fact in weeping for it she doth condemne it Our lesson is that we must be watchfull ouer occasions lest by them we become causes of our owne fall and if we sinne GOD grant vs grace to sorrow lest otherwise as we displease so we dispise GOD Such despisers are not to be accounted in the number of those that are ouertaken and so they