sacred name of GOD is taken sometimes essentially sometimes personally and this is necessary to be knowne in the explication of my text Essentially it includeth the three persons subsisting in one vndiuided nature as Gen. 1.1 In the beginning GOD created the heauen and the earth Therefore the originall hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creauit Dij the Gods created The noune is plurall the verbe singular to shew a trinity of persons in the vnity of essence Sometimes this sacred name is taken personally importing one person of the diuine nature as Iohn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with GOD That is the Sonne was with the Father With him because from him With him Deus apud Deum by eternall coexistencie from him Deus de Deo by personall procession In which respect precisely the Father is not with the Sonne the Father and the Sonne are not with the holy Ghost but the Sonne is with the Father and the holy Ghost is with them both For as God is the God of order in all his creatures and externall works so he is a God of order in himselfe also and in his internall workes There is a priority of order in the Father before the Sonne and in them both before the holy Ghost So that the Father being the fountaine of the other hath a prerogatiue of order in his person and consequently a prerogatiue of order also in this glorious name of GOD. And thus it is in my Text GOD who is rich in mercy that is the Father For though it be true in faith that euery person is equally mercifull louing and gracious yet in this place it is proper to say that God the Father is rich in mercy and great in loue and exceeding in grace For here is a necessary relation of one person to the other God quickned vs in Christ that is the Father in the Sonne Now to the matter it selfe It is God that quickneth vs raiseth vs c. not Angels not Man not his owne Works not his owne Will Not Angels they are ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 not quickning not raising spirits Suggerunt bonum non ingerunt hortantur ad bonum non bonum creant saith S. Bernard They may exhort vnto good by their suggestion they cannot powre it into vs by infusion they may perswade it they cannot create it in vs. Not Man himselfe for the wandring sheepe sought not the shepheard but the carefull shepheard sought out the sheepe Matth. 18.12 Not the Workes of man for can a dead tree bring forth liuing fruit or an euill tree good fruite Matth. 7.18 Finally not the Will of man for we did not preuent God in desire but it is he that worketh in vs both the will and the deed of his owne pleasure Phil. 2.13 For though in actions naturall and ciuill man hath a libertie of will yet in actions spirituall and supernaturall his will is dead vntill it bee reuiued by GOD. Thus all other meanes excluded God is the onely Agent in this great and glorious worke Saluation is of the Lord Ionah 2.9 Therefore saith God vnto his people I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Esay 43.25 I with an ingemination euen I excluding all other meanes for mine owne sake excluding all other motiues And this point is excellently inforced by Moses speaking thus vnto the children of Israel lest they should attribute that vnto themselues which was due vnto God alone The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people vnto himselfe aboue all people that are vpon the earth The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because you were more in number then any people for you were the fewest of all people But because he loued you and because he would keepe the oath which he had sworne vnto your Fathers Deut. 7.6.7 8. No merit in them but grace in him that so they might truely say Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory Psalme 115.1 Now if the Iewes could plead nothing but the loue of God for his peculiar fauour what can the Gentlies plead for themselues also but the same loue of the same God Therefore saith our Apostle God who is rich in mercy c. he hath quickened vs c. So that now we are come from the Author which is GOD vnto the Motiues which are Mercy Loue and Grace in him Secondly of the Motiues IN these also there is an order as well in the attributes of God as formerly in his name Here is Mercy releeuing vs and caused by his Loue. Here is loue embracing vs and caused by his Grace Here is grace sauing vs and caused by his Goodnesse For some learned Diuines obserue that these foure properties Mercy Loue Grace and Goodnesse as they are very like in their effect toward vs so they are all one in God but yet with a difference of order Goodnesse is the cause of all the rest but immediatly of Grace Grace is the cause of the other but immediatly of Loue Loue is immediatly the cause of mercy So in God his Goodnesse is a cause only and his Mercy an effect only the other are causes and effect too And this is a golden chaine the first linke whereof is Goodnesse in God the last is Mercy which reacheth vnto vs. First then of MERCY as it is here first placed in my Text. GOD who is rich in mercy That there is mercy in God it sheweth the compassion of his nature that hee is rich in mercy it sheweth the abundance thereof In both we haue a singular comfort For be it that he hath mercy that is a comfort but our comfort is greater because diues est he is rich in mercie for with him there is plentifull redemption Psal 130.7 Or be it that he is rich it sheweth an abundance and sufficiency in himselfe But where is our comfort euen this Diues est in misericordia he is rich in mercy the sweetest propriety of his diuine nature So then He is not simply rich but in mercie nor hath he simply mercie but is also rich therein Which as it is abundantly discouered vnto vs by the effects thereof so it is testified vnto vs by his owne mouth and we know that his testimony is true For when God descended from heauen which descent was not by mutation of place but by exhibition of presence and proclaimed his owne name see what a style he giueth himselfe The Lord the Lord strong mercifull gratious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing ininquitie transgression and sin not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon their children vnto the third and fourth generation Exod. 34.6.7 Consider here first the proprieties themselues mercifull gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse reseruing mercy forgiuing iniquity vnto all these he opposeth two
may behold and hate the turpitude and deformity of sinne from this one effect that it putteth vs in the state of dead men as S. Paul speaketh of the widow liuing in pleasure shee is dead euen while she liueth A spirituall death in a naturall life Thou hast a name saith God vnto the church of Sardis Apocal. 3.1 that thou liuest but thou art dead And so J may say vnto a sinful man it is but a name a shadow of life which thou hast for thogh thy body liue by thy soule yet thy soule liueth not by grace and consequently thou art separated from GOD the author and fountaine of thy life Thus a sinner is farre from God and God is farre from a sinner the first in grace the second in mercy But from whom God is farre in mercy he is neer in iustice for their destruction sleepeth not 2. Pet. 2.3 So much of the second motiue or cause to wit the great loue of God wherewith he loued vs when we were dead in sinne Now ensueth the third and last namely GRACE for so it followeth by grace you are saued Whereof I will intreat as briefly as I can It may be a question why Not before is now turned into Vos Before he said God loued vs to wit Iewes and Gentiles Now he saith You are saued to wit the Gentiles The answere is Though Iewes and Gentiles haue a common right in Christ yet the right of the Iewes was more singular then ours and in order at the least before ours by reason of their priuiledges as I shewed you before Whence it is that our Sauiour himselfe testifieth in this manner I am not sent saue to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 15.24 Likewise he gaue his commission vnto his disciples Goe not into the way of the Gentiles but goe rather vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 10.5.6 Conformable whereunto is the testimony of Saint Paul vnto the vngratefull Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue been spoken vnto you but seeing you put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of eternall life loe wee turne vnto the Gentiles c. Whereupon the Gentiles glorified God and receiued the Gospell with great alacrity of heart that so it might bee verified which the Prophet declared long before Reioice ô barren that didst not beare breake forth into ioy and reioyce thou that didst not trauaile with child for the desolate hath more children then the married wif◠Esay 54.1 Specially therefore the Gentiles were saued by grace But by what grace There is the grace of God toward vs which respecteth vs as the obiects of it there is the grace of God in vs which respecteth vs as the subiects of it So that we are in the first grace the second grace is in vs. It is the first therefore not the second by which we are saued For we are not saued by the grace of God wrought within vs by his Spirit but shewed vnto vs in his Son You are saued by grace that is by the free and voluntary fauour of God the Father in Iesus Christ his Sonne For the grace of which S. Paul doth here speake is referred vnto God euen the Father howsoeuer our translation supplying some words which are not in the originall seemeth to refer it vnto the Son But the matter is not great For this grace is equally in all the persons but originally in the Father exhibitiuely in the Son by whom and in whom the Father hath declared his mercy loue and grace To proceed then We are saued by grace What by grace only We are saued by Christ by faith by hope by grace By all these but in a different manner By Christs death as the only meritorious cause by Faith as the proper instrumentall meanes by Hope Rom. 8.24 as sustaining our expectation of things to come by Grace as mouing God If therefore the question bee as it is properly in this place what was the first motiue of our saluation The answere is The grace of God For as the end of our saluation is his glory so the beginning of it is his grace Our election to life is free our vocation inwardly by the spirit outwardly by the word is free our iustification by the bloud of Christ is free our sanctification by the holy Ghost is free finally our glorification in heauen is free also as Fulgentius obserueth very well Datur ex gratia non solùm iustificatis vita hona sed etiam glorificatis vita aeterna Not only a good life vnto them who are iustified but also eternall life vnto them who are glorified is giuen freely and by the grace of God Not of works lest any man should boast himselfe Ephes 2.9 This is the argument vpon which S. Paul doth spend a great part of his Epistles this is the thing which he doth euery where inforce to wit the grace of God in Iesus Christ O S. Paul S. Paul Vas misercoridiae tuba gratiae the vessell of mercy and the trumpet of grace For in none was the mercy of God more expressed then in thee and in none was his grace more exalted then by thee And this he doth not to destroy actum operis but opinionem meriti not the performance of good works but the opinion of merit thereby and specially the merit of Condignity which the Church of Rome defendeth precisely in this sense to wit that after the first iustification by Christ the second being by works as they teach a man being in state of grace may performe and some doe performe such good works as in their owne worth and proper value deserue eternall life This they call merit of Condignity But this is an indignitie to God a disgrace to his grace and blasphemy against his honour More truely saith our Apostle Non sunt condignae c. the afflictions of this present life are not worthie of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs Rom. 8.18 Neither our actions nor our passions can deserue the same And I pray you marke the opposition in this behalfe SVNT they are worthy saith the Church of Rome NON SVNT they are not worthy saith S. Paul Away away with merit let vs establish the grace of God which is more honourable vnto him and more comfortable vnto vs. But J leaue the prosecution heereof and after a brief reflexion vpon that which is already past I will proceed vnto the residue of my text First then concerning the Mercy of God Trust in it Trust in it onely Trust in it euer Trust in it without diffidence for in the mercies of the most High you shall not miscarrie Psalm 21.7 Trust in it onely without any other plea. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies Dan. 9.18 Trust in it euer without wearinesse for his compassions faile not Lam. 3.22 As the oyle did not cease till there
of vnction The first importeth his Diuinity the second his Humanity The first is taken from the Hebrewes to shew that he is a Sauiour of the Iewes the second from the Greeks to shew that he is a Sauiour also of the Gentiles For though he was sent onely to the Iewes yet hee was not sent only for the Iewes He was sent to them onely pradicatione verbi to call them to repentance by preaching the word of life he was sent for vs all solutione presij to redeeme vs from sin by paying the ransome thereof in the effusion of his bloud Both names are here ioyned together for as each people Iew and Gentile hath the same Sauiour and are both vnited in him so each hath right equally in the same benefits which hee hath purchased for both And though obstinacy become to Israel yet that is vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles become in and so all Israel shall be saued Rom. 11.25 26. He the Iew that was first shal be last but yet he shal be called in and before the end So much of the words now to the matter No man commeth vnto the Fahher but by the Sonne Iohn 14.6 No blessing commeth from the Father also but by the Sonne and whatsoeuer we aske of the Father in his name he will giue it vnto vs Ioh. 15.16 He is the ladder of Iacob Gen. 28.12 reaching from the earth in his Humanity to heauen in his Diuinity that so by him we may ascend from our earthly habitations below vnto the heauenly places aboue Therefore saith our Apostle Blessed bee God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ As namely the blessings of Election Filiation Redemption in which as in the rest the Father vseth the Sonne howbeit not as an instrumentall meanes but a cooperatiue cause Whatsoeuer things he Father doth the same doth the Sonne also Ioh. 5.19 Yea the same doth the holy Ghost also For though the internall actions of God be proper vnto each person by himselfe yet the externall are common vnto them all To the point The First blessing was of Election The Father chose vs in his Son He chose vs in him before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.4 The Second blessing was of Filiation The Father hath adopted vs in his Sonne so that he was a Son by nature we by grace in him he by generation we by adoption in him The Father hath many sons in one Sonne He the Father hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.5 The third blessing was of Redemption God the Father was in Christ recontiling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5 19. Jn regard whereof the Father spake from heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 In him and with vs. For if the sacrifice offered vp by Noah which was but of birds and beasts had such efficacic and vertue that God smelled a sauour of rest therein Gen. 8 21. much more did he smell a sauour of rest in the bloudy sacrifice of his onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne For behold here is a greater then Noah and a greater sacrifice then his His sacrifice yeelded a sauour of rest vnto God by acceptation this by desert his by the mercy of the Father this by merit of the Sonne Now since the whole sum and parts of our saluation are thus comprehended in our Lord Iesus Christ we must not deriue any parcell thereof directly nor indirectly positiuely nor consequently vnto any other Man or Angell but looke alwaies vnto him the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 If we seeke saluation it is in his name if any gifts of the spirit they are in his vnction if fortitude it is in his dominion if purity it is in his conception if indulgence it is in his natiuity if redemption it is in his passion if absolution it is in his condemnation if remission of the curse it is in his crosse if satisfactiō it is in his sacrifice if purgation it is in his bloud if mortificatiō it is in his graue if newnesse of life it is in his resurrection if immortality it is in his reuiuing if inheritance of heauen it is in his entrance thither if safety it is in his kingdome if secure expectation of the iudgement to come it is in the power of iudging which the Father hath committed vnto him For the Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement vnto the Sonne Iohn 5.22 Why Because all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father Let vs honour him therefore and the Father ascribing praise and honour and glory and power vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Amen Apoc. 5.13 Thus much of the foure particulars in the last verse of my texe It remaineth now that according to my * Pag. 30. designe I reflect vpon the generall doctrine which is contained in the same and so by it I will make a transition vnto my own particular case The consideration whereof hath treated with me to make speciall choice of this text in regard of sundry markeable effects of Gods mercy loue and grace towards me which as I feele comfortably in my selfe so I would impart willingly vnto you The generall doctrine streaming out of the premises concerneth the glory of God which he seeketh and obtaineth in all his works In our glory he aduanceth his owne as our Apostle saith He declareth the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which hee hath prepared vnto glory Rom. 9.22 Here his glory is shewed in his mercy which sometimes he sheweth in his iustice also but with different effect toward vs. For then he is glorified in vs not of vs he getteth glory we giue it not we are passiue in the one actiue in the other First he is glorified in vs that is to say in our destruction by his iustice I will get me honour saith God vpon Pharaoh and vpon all his host Exod. 14.4 Glorificabor in Pharaoh as the vulgar hath it and neerer vnto the originall I wil be glorified in Pharaoh that is my honour and glory shall be declared eminently in his ruine and fall Fiet voluntas Dei aut à nobis aut de nobis the will of God shall be done vpon vs if not by vs as here you may see in the lamentable submersion subuersion of this puissant and mighty King Secondly he is glorified of vs that is to say in our saluation by his mercy Call vpon me saith God in the day of trouble so I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 Here is a good harmony concord God deliuereth man Man glorifieth God God is honoured and man is saued Both these glorifications are ioyned together by Moses after he had seene the confusion of Pharaoh and
were not the seede of Abraham wee had not the seale of the couenant the promises appertained not vnto vs at least according to the letter All which things the Iewes might plead as peculiar vnto themselues alone Therefore S. Paul hauing demanded What is the preferment of the Iew and what is the profit of circumcision answereth Much euery manner of way and chiefly because vnto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1.2 But since wee Gentiles were not priuiledged by any of these graces but were strangers from the couenant and wholly inthralled into the captiuitie of sinne and Satan heerein the loue of God is more spectable and more commended in vs then in them because hee quickned Vs also when we were dead in sinne So that now we are succeeded into the state nay more into the very name of the Iewes themselues For hee is a Iew who is one within Rom. 2.28 And wee are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit Philip. 3.3 For it is true my brethren that God delighteth not in outward things without an inward affection not in Ceremonies not in Sacraments not in Sacrifice not in his owne People Nay more Christ acknowledgeth not the blessed Virgin to be his Mother if she heare not his word and keepe it Luke 8.21 Whereby he did not reproue her but instruct others in this behalfe It is not therefore succession from worthy persons it is not birth from religious fathers it is not the splendor and dignity of a particular place vpon which wee may securely rest yet these these are things and principall things too wherein the Church of Rome doth so confidently repose And as the literall Babylon Esay 47.8 so she the mysticall Babylon Apocal. 18.7 glorieth in this manner and saith I sit being Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning Howbeit her destruction is ordained of old the sentence of condemnation is past the writ of execution is gone forth The Kings of the earth shall hate the whore the sometimes Mother Church now become a whore and make her desolate and naked and shall burne her with fire Apoc. 17.16 I come now from the Obiect vs vnto the quality thereof dead in sinnes There is a spirituall death of the soule a temporall of the body an eternall of both I speake not of the two latter they are deaths for sinne not in sinne of which alone my text doth here peculiarly intreat This spirituall death therefore of the soule in sinne is sometimes in Thought onely when we yeeld not consent thereunto For there is first suggestion either externally from Satan or internally from our concupiscence then delectation and finally consent which properly bringeth sin vnto her birth Otherwise S. Bernard asketh in the person of a regenerate man An forte iam non ago illa sed patior si vtique non consentio Mea dixerim peccata non quia facio sed quia sustineo I am rather a patient then an agent in my sinnes c. Sometimes this spirituall death is in Action to wit transient action for there was an immanent action before For a sinne may be actuall in the mind though not acted in the body Sometimes this spirituall sinne is in Habit and custome when sinne is not only inhabitant for so it is in all though not imputed vnto all it remaineth in act not in guilt but regnant in our soules Of which our Apostle speaketh in this maner Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body that you should obey it in the lusts thereof neither giue you your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne Rom. 6.12 All these deaths of the soule are figured and represented in certaine persons whom our Sauiour raised vp from the death of the body The first in the Centurions daughter Mark 5.40 Her body lay yet in her fathers house and there she was raised vp vnto life The second in the widowes son Luke 7.12 His body was carried forth into the Citie and there he was raised vp vnto life The third in Marthaes brother Iohn 11.39 His body was laid in the graue and there he was raised vp vnto life Now our spirituall death was of the last and worst sort We were dead in the habit and custome of sinne dead in al our faculties and powers Dead in the Will which is the Queene-regent of the soule dead in the Vnderstanding which is her Counsellor dead in the Memory which is her Secretary dead in the Affections which are her messengers and seruants So dead in all that sinne raigned and grace was extinguished in our soules And yet ô Lord didst thou loue vs when wee were dead men Euen thou also who art the God not of the dead but of the liuing He did so Brethren our great sinnes could not euacuate his good purpose He loued vs in his election then by manifestation the first before all time the second in time And thus he was not changed by hauing loue now which he had not euer but we were changed by receiuing grace which we had not before Wherefore God loued vs when we were spiritually dead he loued vs I say in respect of his owne purpose not of our works And now as the Prophet Ieremy spake literally of his owne greefe but typically of Christs Was there euer Dolor sicut dolor meus griefe as my greefe Lam. 1.12 So I may truly say of Gods loue O Lord was there euer Amor sicut amor â—uus loue as thy loue No man hath greater loue then this that he lay downe his life for his friend Iohn 15.13 It is true no man hath greater but thou my Lord hadst greater for thou laidst down thy life for thine enemies Therefore saith S. Paul God setteth out his loue toward vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Rom. 5.8 While we were yet sinners dead in sinne and had no means to relieue our selues For if in our restitution vnto life we had preuented God in desire or cooperated with him in act his loue had not bin so set forth as now it is But the truth is we were passiue not actiue in this excellent work and so passiue that there was nothing in vs to concurre with God It was not a slumber and so we were awaked it was not a wound and so we were healed but it was death and so wee were raised vp againe not by any vertue within vs but by an externall power For what motion or actiuity is there in a dead body to raise vp it selfe None Therfore as in his creation A dam was made a liuing soule when God breathed the breath of life into him Gen. 2.7 so in his renouation for he was an old Adam as soone as hee was a new God inspired grace into him and Adam was quickned againe from the death of the soule Whereby as we learne how much we owe vnto God how little vnto our selues in this worke of our restitution vnto the life of grace so we
little in our eyes as Lot said of Zoar is it not a little one and my soule shall liue Gen. 19.20 yea perhappes none at all God said by a direct affirmation thou shalt not eate of the tree of knowledge for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 The woman commeth in with a mincing hesitation lest perhaps you die Genes 3.3 The Diuell with a peremptorie negation you shall not die at all Such goodly creatures as you die for an apple or some fruit of litle value No saith he you shall not die But Gods word was the truer for Adam did die the death The lesser the precept was in respect of the matter and thing it selfe the greater was the sinne in respect of the disobedience contempt Secondly when we haue committed a sinne vpon his suggestion our consent then he bringeth another false glasse wherein he maketh our sinne appeare so great that God himselfe is not great enough to forgiue the same My sinne is greater saith desperate Cain Gen. 4.13 then that it can be forgiuen But here Cain I dare giue thee the lie or rather thy Diuell who is the father of lies Ioh. 8.44 for no sin is so great but that God can such is his power and will such is his goodnes forgiue the same Js it not simply the sinne committed but our impenitencie added vnto sinne which maketh it irremissible in euent that is otherwise remissible in it selfe In all such temptations therefore which doe or may assault vs it is good to haue S. Peters counsell 1. Pet. 5.9 euermore set before our eyes Resistite resist him How must we resist him Fortes being strong and stedfast Wherein must we be strong and stedfast In fide in faith that it may apprehend the grace of God For if I sinne he hath grace If my sinnes be great there is the riches of his grace If my sins be in number as the sands of the sea and were euery sand a milstone there is the exceeding riches of his grace Exceeding aboue all my sinnes For if it be true and it is most true that the mercy of God is ouer or aboue all his works Psal 145.9 is it not ouer aboue all my works also Howsoeuer his be good and very good Genes 1.31 mine euill and very euill that is not the point he will not haue his grace and mercy to bee exceeded by my sinnes Plus potest dimittere quà m ego committere he can remit more vnto me then I can cōmit against him And so much of the first The SECOND particular is the Tendernesse of Gods affection through his kindnes Sweete is the name and sweeter is the thing Thy louing kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee Psal 63.3 Let mee repeate it once againe O that I might dwell for euer in the contemplation of this heauenly and diuine sentence Thy louing kindnes is better then life therefore my lippes shall praise thee O Lord thou art without passion but not without compassion The Lord is mercifull and righteous and our God is full of compassion Psal 116.5 In regard whereof it is that in the holy Scriptures wee finde him compared sometimes to a Friend somtimes to a Father somtimes to a Mother sometimes to an Husband that so by these familiar speeches we might aspire vnto some sense knowledge of his indulgent and compassionate nature But since before his other attributes were attended with certaine epithetes to amplifie the dignity thereof as rich Mercy great Loue exceeding Grace is there none here for his Kindnesse which is the spring and fountaine whence all the rest proceed It needed not the cause is sufficiently commended by the effects Howbeit wee may assume certaine epithetes from some other passages of Scripture as in that place which I mentioned before Thy louing kindnesse and Ionah 42. Thou art of great kindnesse Compound these simples and you shall haue great louing kindnesse in God This this is it which aboue all other things doth winne our hearts vnto God if not in piety yet in good nature For what doth more singularly affect vs then the kindnesse and sweet disposition of a Friend or what can oblige vs more in the straitest bonds of loue Woe is me saith Dauid for thee my brother Ionathan Why Very kind hast thou beene vnto me 2. Sam. 1.26 But the kindnesse of God doth as far surpasse the kindnes of man as GOD excelleth MAN that is to say infinitely beyond all proportion and without any measure And so much of the second The THIRD particular is the Obiect of this kindnesse Vs his kindnesse toward vs. Not toward the good Angels they were in the possibility not in the act of sinne So they needed not redemption from sinne but confirmation in grace and consequently they needed not the kindnes of God at the least not in this sense whereof I now intreat Not toward the bad Angels whom God left iustly vnto obduration in their pride against him and malice against vs. Not toward vnreasonable creatures they were not capable thereof But toward vs. Men who needed it and fell by the suggestion of others and were capable of this kindnesse but had no means to redeem our selues from the power of Satan who held vs in the captiuity of sinne and death Here then was a fit case wherein the kindnesse of God might fully and excellently declare it selfe And truly God did thus declare his kindnesse but yet in iustice also S. Bernard describeth it ingenuously and bringeth in the Sonne of God speaking in this manner Behold how for my sake my Father doth lose his creatures The Angels affected my highnesse but presently he strooke them with an incureable wound Then Man affected my knowledge vpon him also my Father had no pitie neither did his eye spare him Hath be then care of oxen He made onely two noble creatures partakers of reason and capeable of felicity to wit Angels and Men but loe for mee he hath destroied all Men and many Angels Now therefore that men may know how I loue the Father recipiat per me quos quodammodò propter me amisisse videtur Let him receiue them againe by my meanes whom he seemeth in a maner to haue lost for my sake So the Sonne of God restored vs againe vnto his Father by iustice paying the iust price and full ransom of our sins Thou hast redeemed vs vnto God by thy bloud Apocal. 5.9 By the expense of his temporall he hath purchased our eternal life That we might haue it as a gift he hath giuen himselfe for vs. Therefore wel saith the Apostle here in my text that the kindnes of God towards vs was in Iesus Christ And this is the FOVRTH particular in this verse First of the words secondly of the matter In the words there are many obseruable points but I may not be copious therein as namely Iesus is a name of saluation Christ a name
remained a substance of faith sufficient vnto saluation Finally that as a generall Reformation was expedient and necessary so our particular was orderly good and iust In a word therefore to acquaint you with my totall conformity vnto the doctrine of this Church contained in the 39. Articles of Religion I haue submitted my self thereunto by profession of mouth by subscription of hand by consent of heart In this faith J desire to spend and end the course of my life to the honour of GOD the benefit of his CHVRCH the comfort of my owne soule Now I may say ioyfully with Dauid z Psal 116.7 Returne vnto thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee Or with Simeon a Luke 2.29 Lord now let rest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I lost thee but thou didst not loose me I fled from thee and thou didst seeke me I erred and thou didst reduce me I was blind and thou didst illuminate me I was hardened and thou didst mollifie me so I returned by thee vnto thee and thou hast receiued me againe Therfore I will exalt thy name for euer and humble my selfe with Dauid befor thee saying b Psal 86.11.12.13 Teach me thy way ô Lord and I will walke in thy truth knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name I will praise thee ô Lord my God with all my heart yea I will glorifie thy name for euer For great is thy mercy toward me thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost hell Thus you see Brethren in part what God hath done vnto my soule as also what I owe vnto him for his mercy loue and grace and what I shall perform vnto him for the same by the assistance of his Spirit Hereunto I will adioin a briefe remonstrance of my duty vnto the CHVRCH of my loialty vnto the KING finally I will conclude with a petition and promise vnto your selues The FIRST is my duety vnto the Church of God in this flourishing Iland or rather little world the glory whereof I haue laboured to obscure with my vnfortunate and misaduised pen. But as c See August epist 13. Stefichorus lost his eies by dispraising the faire Helena of Greece recouered them by praising her againe so to reobtaine my former sight I wil expend al the faculties that I haue in aduancing the dignity lustre of this incōparable Church incomparable in many respects but specially in two First in the excellency of preaching the Gospell For as God hath giuen the word and great is the multitude of Preachers so in their gifts matter and manner of preaching singular also is the perfection of Preachers in this Land Secondly in the Common praier and Liturgy a iewel so pretious that it cannot be valued at too high a rate The SECOND thing was my loialty vnto our gratious Soueraigne Lord and King whose mercy towards me hath been very great in pardoning my offences which mediatly at the least did touch his roiall Selfe The Subiects whom I grieued are vnder his dition the Lawes which I violated are vnder his administration the Church which I scandalized is vnder his protection the Faith which I impugned is vnder his DEFENCE by common right and speciall title So that all these coniunctiuely might plead for a reuenge from his princely hands since d Rom. 13.4 Hee beareth not the sword in vaine But as J said before his Highnesses mercy hath bin very great vnto me in making me an example of his clemency which in truth is so naturall vnto Him that He as sometimes e Senec. de Clem lib. 1. cap. 10. Augustus may well be called Parens Patriae the Father of his Country because as Seneca testifieth of Augustus apparet illum dare poenas cùm exigit It appeares that He doth suffer punishment Himselfe when by compulsion He doth take it of another It is my speciall obligation therefore beyond a common duty to pray yea I pray now and beseech you all to ioyne your hearts with mine lifting them vp vnto GOD for Him that his Maiesty may inioy a peaceable raigne a prosperous estate and obtaine a blessed end after a long and happy life that He may be translated from an earthly vnto an heauenly kingdome where the glorious Lambe sitteth f Apoc. 19.16 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords that as now he raigneth g Prou. 8 15. by him so there he may raigne with him in that happinesse which hath no misery in that abundance which hath no want in that security which hath no feare in that eternity which hath no end Amen Now THIRDLY and lastly I turne my speech vnto you deare and welbeloued Countrimen in whose audience and with whose patience I haue made a full and free confession of my error I haue not hid it for thereby I should hide God from me not me from God I haue not hid it I say by Negation nor by Extenuation nor by Iustification thereof remembring what was h Februar 10. by Mr. Kitson of Peterhouse in Cambridge lately deliuered here in the prosecution of a Text well chosen and excellently handled i Prou. 28.13 He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy As for your charity towards me I cannot doubt but that at the least you will esteem of me as S. Paul did sometimes iudge of Onesimus Philemons seruant k Philem. vers 15. It may be that he departed for a season that thou shouldest receiue him for euer As for me I trust in God by the gratious assistance of his holy spirit so to comport my self in the whole course of my studies and actions that with iust application you may call vnto your remembrance that which S. Paul said a little l Ibid. vers 12. before of that fugitiue seruant He was vnprofitable in times past vnto thee but now profitable both vnto thee and me Wherefore I request you Brethren to praise God with me and for me who hath thus extended his Mercy Loue and Grace towards me when I was dead in sinne Pray him also that I may vse his blessings to the honour of his name and benefit of his Church Finally I beseech him for you and my selfe that we all may haue for the end of our actions his glory for the rule his word for the fruit of our faith the saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the blessed spirit of both be ascribed all maiesty power and dominion in heauen and in earth now and for euer Amen FINIS