by this Text yeeldeth him this glory hee need not if hee will be vnprouided of the best gift that can be giuen that is himselfe poore selfe if he haue grace to be as poore in spirit as hee is in purse and lament the want of grace asmuch as he doth his want of wealth Finally This Text is one of the Prefaces to our dayly Liturgie I would we did as often practise it as we doe repeate it Certainly there is great cause we should whether we respect sinne or woe whereof there was neuer more or any that deserued more humiliation The times deserue that euery day should bee a day of humiliation and that euery man should affiâ—â—t his soule the more wee know God requireth this seruice and the better wee see that he accepteth it the more forward should we bee to performe it ANd I pray God wee may haue so heard this Text opened that our hearts and Spirits may relent with it so shall we not be iudged of the Lord if we will iudge our selues Nay sowing in teares we shall reape in ioy AMEN PSAL. 51. VERSE 18. Doe good in thy good pleasure vnto Sion build thou the Walles of Ierusalem WHen I brake vp this Psalme I shewed that it consisteth of two Vowes made by King Dauid one for himselfe another for his Kingdome I haue ended the first that Vowe which concerneth the King I am now come vnto the second the Vow which he maketh for his Kingdome This second Vow as the first will be resolued into a Desire and a Promise Of the Promise in the next Verse the Desire is contained in this In opening of this Desire I will obserue first for whom it is conceiued secondly what it doth containe Those for whom it is conceiued are noted in these words Sion Ierusalem which made vp the mother Citie of the Kingdome of Israel an excellent type of the Church for these King Dauid maketh a suite and the suite for them is in effect the same which he made for himselfe He sueth that they may be restored into the state of grace that is the meaning of these words Doe well vnto Sion Secondly that being restored they may be preserued therein which he beggeth in these words Build vp the Walles of â—erusalem These be the blessings for which he sueth and hee sueth for them in a sense sutable to the places his suite is Mysticall But to whom is the suite made And for whose sake doth hee hope to speede Surely he sueth onely to God to him it is that hee saith Doe good build thou the walles and hee hopeth to speed onely for Gods sake therefore doth he adde in thy good pleasure Doe good in thy good pleasure and in thy good pleasure build thou the Walles of Ierusalem Lay together the parts of the Text and then you will see in it two remarkable vertues confidence in God and compassion towards the Church Confidence for in the beginning of the Psalme Dauid seemeth so deiected that he hath enough to doe to pray for himselfe hee so describeth his estate as if hee were not worthy to doe so much but towards the end of the Psalme he sheweth himselfe another man hee taketh heart and becommeth a suiâ—our for all Israel yea hee presumeth to begge for it the greatest blessing of God But he doth it out of another vertue also which shineth here the vertue of Compassion he is not contented to fare well himselfe he desireth the wel-fare of his whole Kingdome as hee made it obnoxious to Gods wrath so he holds himselfe bound to bee a mediatour for Gods fauour Such charitie in praying deserueth to be exemplarie wherefore let vs listen diligently to the vnfolding thereof that wee may learne to exemplifie it in our prayers The first thing that we must enter vpon are those for whom King Dâ—uid conceiueth this desire they are Sion and Ierusalem which words in the Scripture are taken sometimes historically sometimes mystically that is either they nore places in the holy land or else by those places represent vnto vs the Church of God Because the mysticall sense cannot bee concerued but by the correspondencie which it hath vnto the historicall I must first open the historicall that so I may the better guide your apprehension in the mysticall Before I doe this I must let you know that Sion and Ierusalem were two distinct places yet it is vsuall in the Scripture in naming either to meane both In the second Psalme I haue set my King vpon my holy hill of Sion Sion there comprehendeth Ierusalem for Dauid who is meant in that Text was King of both In the beginning of Ecclesiastes Solomon is said to haue beene King in Ierusalem we may not exclude Sion for he was King in that also This being briefely obserued I come now to the â—â—storie of these words Where first you must obserue that either of these places were hills of Sion the common attribute doth witnesse it for it is called Mount Sion and of Ierusalem it is as true Iosephus reporteth that it was built vpon the hill Acra the Psalmist beareth witnesse hereunto saying Psal 87. He hath laide his foundations in the holy mountaines and the common phrase of ascending to Ierusalem Secondly the whole tract of those hils was called the land of Moriah which is by interpretation the place where God appeareth or is conspicuous there God appeared vnto Abraham when hee was ready to offer Isaac there did he appeare vnto Dauid when the punishing Angell vpon Dauids Prayer was commanded to sheath his sword Finally there appeared the Sonne of God in our flesh when he wrought the redemption of man Thirdly those places were two seuerall Cities whereof one was in the lot of Beniamin the other was in the lot of Iudah Ierusalem that was in the lot of Beniamin was conquered by Iosua but Sion that was in the lot of Iudah continued in the possession of the Iebusites vntill the dayes of King Dauid he subdued them though he did not wholly extinguish them as appeareth by the storie of Araunah the Iebusite Dauid hauing gotten the possession of Sion ioyned it with a Wall to Ierusalem and so of two made one Citie one Citie of those which before were two and that of two seuerall nations Iebufites and Israelites of this vnion we must vnderstand these words in the Psalme Psal â—â— Ierusalem is a Citie that is compacted together in it selfe Fourthly Dauid hauing thus vnited the Cities translated thither the Arke and God there designed a place where the Temple should be built euen vpon a piece of ground that lay indifferently betweene the Tribes of Indah and Beniam in and so it became the fixed place where God chose to put his name and where hee vouchsafed to reside betweene the Cherubins it was Gods sedes Religionis the ordinarie place of Diuine worship to this the afore-named Psalme beareth witnesse Thither the Tribes euen the Tribes of Israel goe vp according
to the Legall Sacrifice God did testifie it to the corporall Sion and Ierusalem by fire from heauen which consumed the Sacrifice but vnto the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem 1. Chron 7. he doth testifie it by the sensible comfort which by his Spirit he doth infuse into their soules while they are Militant and hee will testifie it more plentifully by the light of his countenance which shall shine vpon them when in the Church Triumphant they shall stand before his Throne Marke here a Correction of that which was said before you heard that Sacrifices and burnt offerings were neither required nor accepted here you find the contrarie And yet not the contrarie for there they bee refused in Casu in a Case wherein no sacrifice was allowed and they be also refused opposite if the Morall be not ioyned with the Ceremonial but here wee haue no such case no such opposition God did accept them vnder the Law as exercises of faith and he will accept the truth of them for euer for that is most agreeable vnto his nature a spirituall seruice to God which is a Spirit And let this suffice for King Dauids first vndertaking I come now to the second his vndertaking for the Kingdome The Kingdome is vnderstood in this word they it referreth to Sion and Ierusalem mentioned in the former verse they that haue the benefit are they that shal make the acknowledgement Before it was Ego the King spake in his owne person I will shew forth thy praise I will teach the wicked c. Now it is Illi my Kingdome Priest and people both shall be as religions as my selfe And indeed the Kingdome as well as the King ought to be thankfull vnto God when God is good to both Dauid vndertaketh for his Kingdome that it shall be very thankfull for they shall offer Bullocks A Bullocke is a faire Embleme of a spirituall Sacrihce for it fignifieth an heyfer that is come to the age of beng fruitfull or it commeth of Parah and yet it hath not borne the yoake nor beene put to any drudgery And such should euery one bee that serueth God he should be fruitfull and not seruile abounding in good workes but not be the slaue of sinne There are two other things to be obserued in this word first it was the fairest of Offirings Secondly it was the fittest for the Offerers Amongst the Sacrifices the fairer were the Beasts and of the beasts the fairest was the Bullocke God commanded no Sacrifice thet was greater then that S. Paul out of Hosea doth moralize this Sacrifice Heb. 13. Hos 19. calling it the Calues of our lippes for by Calues are these Bullocks meant We may adde that seing Bullockes were the greatest of Sacrifices we must thinke that nothing we haue is too good for God and we must make our Offerings of the best The Bullocke was not onely the fairest Offering but the fittetst for these Offerers you shall read Leutt. 3. that whether it were the whole Congregation or the Priest that had offended either of them was to reconcile himselfe to God by the oblation of a Bullocke and seeing they are meant in this place such a Sacrifice doth best beseeme them but that the propitiatorie is turned into a gratulatorie But to whom shall they be thankfull surely to him that doth deserue it to God they shall offer vpon his Altar he that fulfilleth the Desire hath iuterest in the Promise they shall confesse that it is He that doth good to Sion that it is He that butldeth the wals of Ierusalem Secondly note that he saieth not that they will offer vnto him but vpon his Altar the Altar that was erected by his appointment For though it be true that where the Altar was there was God yet it followeth not that where God is there is his Altar God is pleased to confine not onely the substance but the circumstance of our seruice also Deut. 12.33 hee would not bee worshipped euery where The Ceremoniall Altar is gon but the Morall thereof abideth where Christ is thither must we bend our seruice he is the Altar that halloweth our Sacrifice on him and by him must we present it vnto God Againe the Altar doth note that it is not enough for vs priuately to recount Gods blessings we must divulge them publikely though the Heathen had their priuate Altars yet God had none but in a publike place therfore the setuice must needs be publike that is done vpon the Altar Adde the Bullocke and the Altar together and then you shall find that this was Operaria gratitudo the hand should testifie the thankfulnesse of the heart and the Kingdome would be thankfull not in word onely but indeed also And indeed God doth good to Sion and buildeth vp the wals of Ierusalem that they may offer him such Sacrifice To conclude this poynt as Dauid in his owne Vow made Gods praise the vpshot of his promise so doth hee in the Vow of the People And indeed the Church must not desire prosperity otherwise then that God may haue the glory of it God made all things for himselfe and we must subordinate all things vnto him otherwise we substitute the Creature in stead of the Creator and cannot excuse our selues from Idolatry from which Dauid doth free his Kingdome in saying They shall offer at Gods Altar You haue heard of Gods acceptance and the Kingdomes thankfulnesse that these things shall bee performed Dauid vndertakâ—th for both he vndertaketh to each of them for the other for marke how resolutely he speaketh Thou shalt be pleased They shall offer Vox fidei fiduciae hee beleeueth it assuredly and therefore doth confidently affirme it Neither can their be any doubt but if our seruice be the sacrifice of righteousnesse God will accept it for he will neuer refuse what himselfe commanded And it can as little be doubted that the Kingdome will bee thankfull if God doe it that good for it is a speciall effect of Grace to make vs so thankfull so that we may not doubt of either I haue sufficiently opened the Promise vnto you one thing remaineth the circumstance of time when this Promise shall take place it is exprest in this word Then which is set before either of the vndertakings Then shalt thou be pleased Theu shall they offer c. except God fulfill the Desire there is no hope of the Promise but the performance of the Promise will not be farre behind if the Desire bee fulfilled Touching the Ceremonie wee find it in the Dedication of the Temple when many thousands of Bullocks were offered 1. King 8. and God appearing vnto Solomon told him how well he was pleased therewith And touching the morall though in figuratiue termes yet it is fairely set downe Ezek. 20. and Malac 3. you haue it in a short sentence Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Math. 18.20 and the beauties of holinesse And Christ is as briefe
reade either Bellarmine or Suarez or which is more authenticall Bulla Coenae Domini and he shall see in what state they hold all that come within the compasse of their Censure To trie the vprightnesse of this Censure I haue chosen this Storie wherein you shall haue Christ himselfe sit Iudge and guiding our Conscience in conceiuing of this case aright In the Reuenge you may see the Traytors Passion but with remarkable difference But in the Censure the Sophistrie of their Ghostly Fathers which resolue them of the lawfulnesse of such reuenge And although the storie may seeme lesse pertinent because herein they which afflict are good and they euill that are afflicted yet indeed the argument holds more strongly for if it be not lawfull for the good in this case to persecute the bad much lesse it is lawfull for the bad to persecute the good If Iames and Iohn that were Pillers of the Church no lesse then Saint Peter are disliked for desiring such vengeance against the Samaritans that were otherwise execrable people much lesse may Samaritans desire it against Iames and Iohn Let vs then suppose that these Traytors were as Catholike as Christ and his Apostles and wee as Hereticall as the Samaritans you see Christs carriage in this case Whereby you may apprehend his Iudgement of this Treason Hee would not allow a Prayer for fire would he then allow the consumption it selfe He would not allow Fire from Heauen and would he allow fire from Hell He would not allow Oculum charitatis perturbatum passionate Reuenge or reuenge in hot blood and would hee allow Oculum charitatis extinctum aduised hatred and reuenge in cold blood Hee would not allow it in Iames and Iohn whom he dearely loued and would he allow it in Iesuits in Rebels persons hatefull to God and men He would not allow it against Samaritans and would he allow it against Professors of his Truth It cannot be doubted he would not allow it And now I must briefly let you see that Papists are most like vnto Samaritans though they would fasten that infamy vpon vs. Two things I obserued in the Samaritans First that their Temple was but of a later Edition much yonger then that of Ierusalem and built without any lawfull warrant and yet notwithstanding they did countenance it with the Names of greatest Antiquity and what doe Papists offer to the Church but new deuices many hundred yeares yonger then the Truth and yet would they out face the World that they haue their Originall from Christ and the Apostles Their Pedigree is as true as was the Samaritans As for our Church this is our comfort that though we are not matches for Christ and his Apostles yet wee professe our selues their followers and for the truth thereof refetre our selues vnto their writings by which onely we desire to be tried And yet these Samaritans deadly hate vs that are Orthodoxe but blame our Doctrine as they that haue weake eyes or deafe eares accuse the Sun-shine of darknesse Naâ—â—â—â— or Musicke of vntunablenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if they could be contented to call for Fire from Heauen we are contented to indure it God we desire may be Iudge betweene vs and if in dislike of our Doctrine he will send a fire we refuse it not though it consume vs. But they dare not trust God they will trust themselues and not expecting helpe from aboue they will seeke it from beneath And yet it is markeable that whereas they boast of Miracles and the Wonders of their Saints that make the blinde to see the deafe to heare the lame to goe and dead to reuiue as their Legends tell vs yet of all their Saints not one euer would worke a Miracle to destroy vs Heretickes heere they leaue their Idolaters to doe what they can forge and performe by their hellish heads and hearts whereof wee haue had many woefull experiments Nazian Orat. 3. the Gun-powder Traitors as Iulian comparable to Aetna But let them take heed the same God that hath here reprooued Iames and Iohn will not spare for to censure them hee hath done it in our eyes by bringing to light and that strangely what they thought hidden only in the depth of their owne hearts and hath turned their mischiefe vpon their owne pates And that the rather because their Guides abuse his name and calling themselues Iesuites are plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are a snare on Mizpah c. Hosea 5. and Build Syon with blood Micha 6. and would haue made Westminster a Mare mortuum I cannot tell â—o whom to paralell them except to the Zeloti remembred by Iosephus who gaue themselues that Name euen as the Iesuites haue giuen themselues theirs and both vpon the like pretence of maintayning their Country their Liberty Learning Discipline and what not that was good whereas notwithstanding the same Author obserues that neuer were there worse Miscreants in a City and that did more contrary to that which they profest He obserues also their end that by Gods iust iudgement they were brought to as great extremity and tortured with as manifold misery as may befall wicked men I will not prognosticate only I wish them grace that tread their steps to take heede of their Ends which is rather to be wished them to be hoped for so little remorse appeared in them vpon the detection of so foule a fact King Dauid when he had rashly vowed the vtter destruction of Nabal and his family and that in a case to this For denying entertainment when he was pacified by Abigail and his Passion ouerpast thus recalled himself Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath sent thee vnto me blessed be thou that hast stayd me from shedding innocent blood and reuenging my selfe with mine owne hands And these Apostles when Christ she wed his dislike werequiet went vnto another Towne sparkles of grace which shew that the eye of their Charity was not extinct though it were troubled and that though they were mooued beyond measure yet they could come vnto themselues againe And indeede it is a Rule that the longer a good man pauseth vpon his sin the greater it seemes vnto him because the mist of Concupiscence that blinded his eyes is more and more dispelled and the more he seeth the more he sorroweth for his sorrow for sin is proportionable to his sight thereof But in the wicked it is cleane contrary an vnexpected calamity ouer-taking them in their sinne may haply open their eyes and they may haue a glimmering sight thereof and make Pharaoh's or Simon Magus his confession Confesse the sinne but no sooner is the calamity ouer-blowne but their Lethargy casts them into a dead sleepe againe Some of these Traytors were so dead in their sinne that they awakened not at all and of those that did the sense was quickly gone Certainely their Aduocates that now Apologize for them extenuating the sinne of the Actors and excusing by the seale of
will not despise that in the word there is a Litote there is more meant then is exprest for the Holy Ghost meaneth that this morall seruice doth speed of both the effects of Sacrifices it yeeldeth a sweet sauour vnto God and he doth gratiously accept it it proueth a sauour of rest into man and his soule doth feele the comfort of it Finally out of the maine branches of the text wee will draw two Paradoxes First A broken and contrite heart are Gods Sacrifices therfore this is a Religious man-slaughter Secondly God doth not despise a broken and a contrite heart therefore God is neuer better pleased with vs then when we are least pleased with our selues You heare whereof I shall speake that you may learne to serue God truely by that which shall bee spoken listen to it diligently and with a religious eare Before I fall vpon the particulars I may not omit to shew you the coherence of this verse to the former the former did shew of how little worth Ceremoniall worship is this sheweth the great worth of the morall And well is this clause added vnto that for it is not enough to know what we must not doe in Gods seruice our chiefe care must be to know what we must doe what good will it doe mee to know that Turkes Iewes Infidels worship they know not what they know not how it must be my comfort to know the true God to know how to worship him as I ought The ground is cleare Negatiues are but to attend Affirmatiues and God doth not reward the forbearance of euill but the doing of Good forbearance doth hold backe the impediments that would hinder vs in our way but wee must not only auoid them but also goe the right way if wee will come to our iourneys end In a word our abilities are bestowed vpon vs not only to decline euill but also to doe good But to the Text. The first thing that I obserued was wherin morall seruice stands it stands in the humiliation of the inward man the inward man is here pointed out by two names the spirit and the heart How these words differ all are not agreed vpon a former verse I haue said something of them but in this place I thinke they note one and the selfe same reasonable soule as it vndergoeth a diuers consideration It hath a prerogatiue aboue the soule of a beast in that it can subsist though it be seuered from the body and so it commeth neere vnto the nature of Angels and with them communicateth in the name of Spirit which is a substance endued with vnderstanding and will But besides this separate Being it hath another which you may call coniunct it inhabiteth in and manifesteth it selfe by the body quickning and guiding our senses and our affections hence it is denominated from the body from the principall parts wherein it doth reside from none so often and so aptly as from the Heart which is the the principall seate thereof Neither is it without cause that the reasonable soule is remembred vnder both these names the Holy Ghost thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that whether we consider the powers of the soule inorganically as vnder the name of Spirit or else Organically as vnder the name of Heart either way considered they must be humbled wee must humble no lesse the superiour then the inferiour faculties of our soule for sinne hath infected both A second thing that wee must marke is that in our seruice God calleth not for Nostra but Nos not our Goods but our selues and to this end did hee command the people to put their hands vpon the Sacrifices to signifie whom it did represent and to accompany the Offering of the sacrifice with a zealous deuotion to testifie that themselues were to haue a feeling of that for which the beast was offered And indeed it was fit that he should offer himselfe that had offended that hee might feare to offend when hee saw that hee must smart if a beast onely should die and the paine there of might rid a sinner of his guilt few would forbeare sinne if any thing make them feare it is this that they must beare the burden of sinne themselues Secondly as wee must offer our selues so that which of our selues wee must offer is the better part our Spirit our Heart In all the Legall Sacrifices God reserued the Inwards to himselfe his meaning was to point out the parts which he desireth in vs hee desireth our Inwards they must be presented in our Sacrifice 1 Tim. 4.8 the Apostles rule is bodily exercise profiteth litle certainly very litle of it selfe it hath all his commendations from the Heart and the Spirit But there are two distinct reasons why these parts are principally required in morall seruice the first is because they are freest from hypocrisie Ier. 3.10 God cannot endure that we should turne vnto him in mendacio dissemblingly Now Simulation and Dissimulation are manifest in our body for we can personate therein whom we will we may so bee mask't as that no body shal know who we are but in the inward man we are our selues wee can there seeme no better nor no worse then we are there doth God behold vs and hee doth iudge of vs thereby A Second reason is the preualencie of those parts they haue the greatest hand in our sinne and must beare the greatest part in our repentance other parts and powers partake of sinne but by contagion which they contract by their attendance vpon the Spirit and the Heart attend then they must in repentance but the principall penitents must be the Heart and the Spirit vpon whom they attend But enough of the parts which must bee humbled Let vs now come to the humiliation of those parts they must be broken they must be contrite Betweene these wordes there is no great difference for Contrition is a breaking very small and the breaking here meant is a shiuering the English to shiuer commeth from the Hebrew here vsed which is Shauar and you know that to shiuer a thing is to breake it all to pieces Or if you will put a difference betweene the wordes then the first may note the beginning and the other the consummating of this humiliation as you know a thing may be first grosse bruised and that is breaking and then it may bee pounded all to pouder and that is the contrition of it But how doe these words agree with the former by the Heart and the Spirit you vnderstood the reasonable soule and hath the soule any parts can that bee turned into dust Surely no therefore these words are figuratiue they are resemblances borrowed from corporall things which doe most liuely set before vs the humiliation that is spirituall But it is a question whence these wordes are borrowed some fetch them from husbandry some from masonry either of them hath a faire ground in the Scripture They that fetch it from Husbandry for Ieremie and Hosea speake of
the detestation of sin committed for how can a man more clearely expresse that he doth abhorre his own wickednesse then by so breaking and afflicting of his owne both Heart and Spirit if he make them suffer for it it is an vndoubted signe that hee doth detest it A second thing required is that a man returne to God and that also is insinuated in a broken and contrite heart for seeing it is the hardnesse of heart that did shut God out what is the breaking of the heart but the letting of him in Yea this breaking and contrition being borrowed from the Sacrifice there was no incensio sine ascensione as the corporall so the spirituall fire doth not burne but it doth ascend therefore fitly doth the Holy Ghost call the Altar vpon which the Sacrifices were offered Misbach Gnoloth the Altar of Ascensions that is the Altar of burnt Sacrifices that doe ascend because all such morall worship imports a mans religious disposition to be reconciled vnto God Hitherto we haue spoken of the humiliation of a broken and contrite heart but we haue spoken nothing of the workemaster who it is that can so humble both the Heart and Spirit Hee seemeth not here to be exprest and yet it is fit he be knowen and if we enquire we shall find that there is a double Author The principall one is God It is a good Rule of Saint Austins De fide ad Petr. c. 31. firmiter tene neminem hic posse paenitentiam agere nisi quem Deus illuminauerit gratuità misericordià conuerterit Saint Paul warranteth this Rule the seruant of the Lord must in meeknesse instruct those that are contrary minded 〈◊〉 2.25 and see if God peraduenture will giue them repentance But it is true also that the Heart and the Spirit that is broken and contrite hath a hand in its owne breaking and contrition of it selfe our owne vnderstanding doth discouer our sinne and our owne heart doth melt it selfe vpon the sight thereof yea it would be no vertue of ours were it not produced by our owne reasonable faculties It is true that the Crosse sometimes and sometimes discontent worldly discontent because things goe not with vs as flesh and bloud desireth or spirituall discontent because the worme of Conscience doth bite vs and giueth vs no rest doe oftentimes humble vs but these things make not vp our broken and contrite heart except we be as well actiue as passiue therein As Christ in his so we in our Sacrifices must be Sacerdotes Sacrificium we must be both the thing that is offered and the offerers we must as willingly humble our selues as be deeply humbled But here we must obserue a good Rule of Saint Bernards when we say that this humiliation is from God 〈…〉 Arbiâ—â— and from man from Gods Grace and mans freewill we doe not meane that these are co-ordinate but subordinate Non partim gratia partim liberum arbitrium Grace and freewill doe not share the worke betweene them sed totum singula peragunt each of them doth performe the whole worke Grace doth it wholly freewill doth it wholly sed vt totum in illo sic totum ex illâ As the whole humiliation is immediately wrought by the freewill of man so is the freewill of man inabled thereunto by the Grace of God Grace determineth the wil if not physically at least morally But to conclude this poynt We often read in the Prophets that God doth threaten he will conterere peccatores crush sinners all to pieces Saint Basil telleth vs that there is a remedy against it that is contrition is to be opposed against contrition In â—say 13. if we will humble our selues God will neuer humble vs. I haue dwelt long enough in opening our morall seruice I come now to shew you how it is esteemed Here the first thing that I find is that what was denyed to the ceremoniall is yeelded to the morall seruice First there it was denyed that God doth require that but here it is affirmed that God requireth this for a broken and contrite heart is Gods Sacrifices And see here at first we meere with a rubbe for in corporall Sacrifices a man might not offer that which was broken or bruised Leuit. 22. it should seeme that in spirituall he may But the reconciliation is easie for those Sacrifices did principally note Christ who was without all blemish before he was offered and yet being such he was broken for our sinnes my Text doth not compare man to the Sacrifice before it was offered though we should all striue to be as good as we may when we present our selues to God but the comparison is of man to the sacrifice after it is offered and then it may without fault bee broken yea it is brought thither to the end that it may be broken neither except it be broken is it any Sacrifice But to the maine point I told you there are two propositions in these words the Sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart First That God which careth not for the slaughter of beasts requireth the mortification of men that is the slaughter which he requireth therfore is the name Seuach giuen vnto it which signifieth a beast slaine And this bringeth vs on to another note concerning a broken and a contrite heart and that is Our humiliation is the slaying of the beastiality of our nature And indeed euery lust is a very beast and for them doth the Holy Ghost call men by the name of many beasts sometimes swine sometimes dogges sometimes foxes hee that doth abolish these lusts doth slay so many beasts A second proposition is That one mortification of man is to God insteed of all the sacrificing of Beasts All that were required to reconciliation or all simply surely we may vnderstand it both wayes It may be Sacrifices if it comprehend onely the Expiatorie and Dedicatorie as it doth so farte as God requireth these from vs and accepteth vs in Christ for he requireth no other Expiation of vs then a godly sorrow detesting sinne neither doth he expect any other Dedication then that wee be wholly conuerted vnto God and I shewed you how both these are represented in the broken and contrite heart Will you extend it to all Sacrifices you may Abulens in Exod. Tom 2. p. 131. for all had some reference to Reconciliation euen those which seeme to haue least the Votiue and Eucharisticall for though their principall ends were to acknowledge or obtaine some blessing of or from God yet the manner of the sacrificing so farre as it was common to the Sacrifice for sin did withall deprecate Gods wrath and acknowledge that sinne made the offerer vnworthy as well of that blessing which he had receiued as of that which he begged Which must bee obserued because this broken and contrite heart looketh to the praise of God which Dauid not many verses before promised he would shew forth And
indeed a repentant confession is in the Scripture called a giuing glory vnto God Finally these broken Spirit and heart are the Sacrifices which God calleth for for he is a Spirit and what can be more sutable vnto him then that which is spirituall therefore euer in the legall hee did ayme at the spirituall as you may gather out of the new Testament the Gospell is set forth in termes of the Law to preach is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to play the Priest Rom. 15.16 the people conuerted are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sacrifice and Oblation the skilfull handling of the Scriptures 2. Tim. 2.15 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly to diuide the Word yea Heb. 4. the Word it selfe is by Saint Paul said to bee sharper then any two edged sword or Sacrificers knife piercing euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the Spirit the whole passage is full of sacrificing phrases I may not omit one thing wee are called a spirituall Priesthood 1. Pet. 2 5. yea the whole body of the Church is so called a Priest must not bee without his Sacrifice and here are the Sacrifices which God will haue euery one offer euen euery lay man may offer these Sacrifices vnto God We may nay we must offer them but how will God accept them surely very well A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise Men vse to make little account of yea they make themselues sport with those that are broken hearted and of a contrite Spirit that mourne like doues and lament in the bitternesse of their soules Dauid complaineth in his Penitentials yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the 22. and other Psalmes that when they were humbled then they were derided And indeed in the iudgement of flesh and bloud these things seeme to be of no value they seeme to be contemptible but he that doth vse them shall finde that he shall neuer be confounded of God Ioel. 2 13. the reason wee haue in Ioel rent your hearts and not your garments c. for the Lord is gratious mercifull long suffering Esay 24. c. he will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoking flaxe hee that would not despise Ahab in his humiliation nor Manasses will much lesse despise a Mary Magdalene a Saint Peter a Publican verily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will neuer set them at naught But the word hath in it a Litote more is meant then is exprest God is so farre from despising that he maketh great account thereof I told you that it is vouchsafed the double effect of Sacrifices First it yeeldeth a sweet smell vnto God Luke 15.7 for there is ioy in heauen for one sinner that repenteth yea more ioy then for ninety and nine that need not repentance and in the Prophet Esay 66. to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite Spirit C. 57. and trembleth at my Word Secondly it yeeldeth a smell of rest vnto man for so we read in Esay I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and te reuiue the heart of the contrite ones De interiore domo c. 37. Saint Bernard coupleth them both together Animam poenitentiae lachrymis afflictam Spiritus Paracletus libenter consolatur frequenter visitat ad veniae fiduciam plenè reformat Therefore let vs learne of Saint Austin this good lesson Aug. cont 5. Hereses quaeramus lapidem quo percutiatur incredulus percussus quassetur quassatus comminuatur comminutus in puluerem conuertatur conuersus in puluerem compluatur complutus seratur satus ferat fructum non quod igne absumatur sed quod in horreo condatur But I may not dwell longer hereon There are two other notes which I drew the one out of Gods desire of the other out of his delight in these Sacrifices I call them Paradoxes And so indeed they seeme to flesh and blood God requireth a broken a contrite heart and spirit as his Sacrifices then there is a certaine religious man-slaughter And so there is a man may holily kill himselfe breake his heart and crush his spirit as it were to dust Mat. 5.29 but this must be done not corporally but spiritually as elsewhere we are willed to plucke out our offending eyes and cut off our offending hands we must mortifie not our nature but the corruption that cleaueth to our nature such slaying God allowes for indeed it is a quickening life in sinne is death and the death of sinne is life The second Paradoxe is That we neuer please God better then when we please our selues least seeing God doth not despise a broken and a contrite heart for we are full of imperfections of which God would haue vs rid our selues therefore he is glad when he seeth vs play the good Husbands weeding our fields good Physitians purging of our corrupt humours carefull not to foster or fauour ought that may offend him or cause our owne ruine Now this we cannot doe without much disquieting and afflicting of our selues omnis medicina salutaris facit dolorem our corupt nature will repine at such alterations But to draw to an end What our Sauiour Christ said when he went to raise Lazarus this sicknesse is not vnto death that must wee conceiue of all those whom we see to haue broken and contrite hearts Mat. 17. rather as he that was to be dispossest was immediately before the diuell came out miserably torne and turmoyld and euen left for dead vntill Christ put out his hand and raised him vp safe and sound Euen so shall wee feele the greatest conflicts with sin when we are euen ready to be set free by grace Saint Austin setteth himselfe out for an excellent monument hereof in his Confessions Secondly seing God is delighted with this Sacrifice we are forbidden to despaire of our owne vnworthines as to presume of our righteousnes this Text doth warrant vs this comfort when in these fits wee seeme to be furthest from God God bringeth vs then nearest vnto himselfe for this pang is a fore-runner of health but senslesse sinners haue no part in this consolation Thirdly God in this morall seruice hath equalled the rich and the poore hee doth hereby take off their eyes from their worldly estate wherein they differ and sixeth them on that wherein they are equall In these Sacrifices the poore may bee as forward as the rich and if there bee any disaduantage it is on the rich mans side for he thinking that hee hath something to giue besides himselfe doth giue himselfe to God the lesse specially in this kind of seruice which rich men desire not to bee acquainted with God herein taketh downe their pride because he passeth by all their wealth and setteth his estimate vpon humiliation As for the poore that hath nothing to giue but himselfe God
haue vsed those You must not be of seruile minds and doe your duetie for reward his Disciples hearing this desired him to expound himselfe more fully Whereupon he addeth that men must not exspect the reward of wel-doing in this world but stay for it vntill the world to come To these words Tzadock a chiefe Disciple of his tooke exception and said He neuer heard of any such thing as the world to come And thereupon hee with another fellow Disciple of his called Baithos turned Apostataes and repaired to the Schismaticall Tempell built vpon mount Gerizzim and became principall Rabbins of the Samaritans And amongst them did Tzadock first broach his Heresie and taught them that there was no Resurrection of the dead because no immortalitie of the Soule and Spirit and so consequently no Iudgement for to come Therfore in this life was euerie man to make his fortune as well as hee could without any scruple of Conscience and satisfie his lust whatsoeuer it were If a man desire a fuller relation of their impietie let him but read the second Chapter of the Booke of Wisedome where you haue a Sadducee painted out to the full you haue his liuely picture But that which I specially marke vnto you is that the Samaritans and the Iewes were at deadly feude Ish. 4. ver 9. they had no commerce one with an other And here we find the Heresie of the Samaritans to haue corrupted the Iewâ—s and that euen in Ierusalem there were many Sadduces I say too little the Sadduces were chiefe Gouernours in Ierusalem reade it Acts 5. where you shall find that the chiefe Priests to represse the Apostles preaching the Resurrection from the dead were assisted with those of the Sect of the Sadduces Flauius Iosephus goeth farther and obserueth that the Sect of the Sadduces was most fauoured by those that were rich And indeed it is most likely because they that haue a worldly state whereon to rest are commonly so addicted thereunto that they could well bee contented there were no other life So earthly so sensuall are their thoughts their hearts that they hardly beleeue and doe desire but coldly the things of a better life Yea they thinke all men senslesse and starke mad that make little accompt of things below that they may more fully enioy those things which are aboue It is a lamentable thing to see a Church degenerate so farre as not onely to endure but to giue countenance vnto a Sect that did raze the verie foundation of Pietie But it was not their fault onely though Christendome hath none knowne by the Name of Sadduces yet Sadduces it hath too many too many that not onely liue as if there were no Resurrection but also where they may be bold are not ashamed to maintaine so impious a conceite and perswade men out of Conscience to liue lewdly who before did it onely out of Impotencie of affections Magistrates are too patient to negligent in finding them out in rewarding them as they deserue I goe on in my Text you haue seene what these Sadduces were now see how Christ putteth them to silence The word is markable it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he bridled their mouthes which is a phrase borrowed from fierce and stomackfull Horses which are impatient of the ryder yet are they held in by a strong bit and so subiected to the will of the Rider perforce not out of their owne tractablenesse Men are resembled in the Scripture to such horses Be not like horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding Pet. 32. but must be held in with bit and bridle least they runne vpon vs wherein you may perceiue that the bridle doth not alter the disposition of the horse but onely stay him from doing what otherwise hee would Euen so did our Sauiour Christ silence the Sadduces though they were ill affected to him and men as you heard of great authoritie among the Iewes yet did Christ so clearely dissolue their sophismes and resolue their doubt with that Authoritie that they became tongue-tide had not a word to returne vpon him Which is strange whether you consider and compare the meane out-side wherein Christ appeared with the great countenance of the Sadduces or the out facing of Heresie with the modestie of truth But though Christ stopped their Mouthes yet did hee not alter their Hearts for though they could not defend Sadducisme yet did they continue Sadduces as appeares Acts Chap. 5. and Chap. 23. The reason wherof is because they moued their question not out of a desire to know the truth but with a purpose to scoffe at Christ When men seeke with such minds vnto God God is pleased to bring the scorne vpon them but hee leaueth them in their grosse ignorance Adde hereunto that when men haue resolued to make the satisfying of some corrupt lust the vpshot of their endeauours they accept or refuse all things in reference thereunto and stop their Eares and Hearts so that they heare with a deafe Eare and with a dull Heart entertaine whatsoeuer maketh against them Hence is it that the Ministers paines taken with those who make their â—elly their God or commit Idolatrie with their Gold or incline to any erronious conceite or sinful affection is coÌ„monly so fruitlesse Christs was who will wonder that ours is The Vse we must make hereof is this Neuer to moue question in religion but out of the loue of truth bringing with vs a desire to yeeld when it is reuealed vnto vs. Secondly we must take heed how we set our Affections vpon any thing for if that become once our last end a Black-more will assoone change his skin and a Leopard his spots as we will be remoued from it And let this suffice for the Occasion giuen No sooner was it giuen by Christs foyling the Sadduces but it was taken by the Pharisees for vpon the hearing of it Conuenerunt in vnâ—m they fell to consultation But here must I briefely shew you what these Pharisees were Iâ—b cap. 1. 2. We find in the Booke of Maccabees that when Antiochus Epiphanes had taken Ierusalem and as the Prophet Daniel foretold had put downe the seruice of God and interdicted the obseruance of the Law many Religious Iewes chose rather to feare God then the King And when manie Apostate Iewes made couenant with the Gentiles and vncircumcised themselues the Religious held on the Circumcision and obserued the Law strictly they are there called by the Name Aâ—ideans from the Hebrew Chasidim 1. Mac. 2. v. 42. which signifieth men of pious or Religious hearts in time they changed their name into Chacamim that is wise men and became the oracles of the people and were consulted in doubts of Religion Religion by this time was come out of their hearts into their heads They changed their names a third time and were called Pharisees they went still from better to worse For a Pharisee is he that is separated from other men you
loue of God The abundance of their ioy and their deepe pouertie abounded to the riches of their liberalitie for to their power I beare them record saith Saint Paul and beyond their power were they willing of themselues such must be our disposition The rather because all diuision of our abilities is a plaine abandoning of the loue of God for no man can serue two masters as Christ telleth vs if he loue the one he will hate the other two loues if one be good and the other bad 〈◊〉 Medâ—tat cap. 5. cannot stand together Take an example or two The sonnes of God that is those that did loue God fell in loue with the daughters of men what issue had they Giants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as fought against God The Samaritans worshipped both the God of Israel and the Assyrians Idols and they were the most deadly enemies of Ierusalem Neuer haue you seene an hereticke that is a person that professeth partly the truth and partly errour but he turneth a bloudy persecutor of the Truth and he that loueth God and the World out of his loue to the World will doe the greatest dishonour hee can to God This is the reason why God will haue All or None Ananias and Saphira were stricken with suddaine death for with-holding a part of that whole substance which they freely vowed to God and which had it not beene for their vow they might haue disposed at their pleasure And if the embeseling of so small a matter due vpon no other ground then vpon a free Vow receiued so heauâ—e a doome of how much sorer punishment shal we be worthy if we with-hold our better things which vpon a more necessarie vow are due vnto God As for the Remisnesse that also is followed with a curse for cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Iere. 4â— 10 Reuel 3.16 and Christ will spue out of his mouth all those that are but luke warme that are neither hot nor cold God loueth none but zealously cheerefull Louers and lesse then an entire dedication of all our faculties will not please him But mistake not all other things besides God are not excluded from our Loue if they were how should we loue our Neighbour whom notwithstanding in this Text wee are commanded to loue Wherefore for the farther vnderstanding of this Intirenesse of our loue of God wee must not take other things Oppositè but Compositè we must exclude nothing from our loue that doth not enter into competition with God and oppose it selfe against the loue of God Secondly if there bee any thing that may be beloued ioyntly with God it must not be taken as Coordinatum but Subordinatum it must not share equally with God but keepe its distance and receiue our loue by a reflexion from God Excellent is that which Saint Austine hath to this purpose Totum quicquid aliud diligendum venerit in mentem illuc rapiatur quo totius dilectionis impetus currit and Minus te amat Domine qui tecum aliquid amat quod propter te non amat Thirdly vpon this Inequalitie must our loue ground an vnequall estimate of things and we must loue God aboue all appretiatiuè we must account all in comparison of God to be but as dung to be verie losse Finally according to the estimate must the heat of our affection bee wee must loue God aboue all intensiuè also wee must loue other things as fit to be vsed not fit to be enioyed yea we must vse all the world as if we vsed it not but we must loue God as him whome wee would not onely vse but enioy also yea so enioy that we may bee able to say with King Dauid Psal 73. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none on earth that I desire with thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer when wee attaine hereunto though wee loue other things beside God yet wee loue God as wee ought for we will as Salomon biddeth vs thinke vpon him in all our wayes But I may not forget that though I seeme to haue said much of our loue of God yet there is a limitation exprest in the Text though All bee required yet no other All then that which can bee performed by man for it is all thy heart thy minde thy strength c. wee may not expect that wee should bee able to loue God according to his owne worth but wee must loue him to the vttermost of our power Onely God can loue God as hee is worthie so the Father loueth the Sonne the Sonne the Father and the holy Ghost both but a finite creature can haue but a finite vertue which can beare no proportion vnto God who is infinite as also is his goodnesse which is all one with himselfe This serueth to checke all pride which thinketh that by louing it can demerit God well may hee vouchsafe to accept our poore endeauors but the best come short of deseruing ought at Gods hands especially when the heart minde c. though they bee called ours yet are they nothing but his gifts as before you haue heard and so are all their endowments namely this of Loue. And if wee cannot merit by loue much lesse can wee supererogate in louing for who can giue God more then is due that learneth by this Text that All is due vnto God Praetererogate haply we may in some indifferent thing which God leaueth to our choyce although that choyce also must bee guided by the generall end whereat all our actions must ayme and the abilitie which wee haue receiued of God whereof if we imploy not the one to the other well may God bee indulgent to our weaknesse in choosing certainly it deserueth no commendation But as for the Act of louing so farre is it off that wee can supererogate any thing that wee cannot so much as praetererogate a iot therein I haue opened the Measure wherewith wee must loue the Lord our God the perfection the degree thereof but I doubt I haue not done it so popularly and plainly as that euery one doth conceiue mee and can try his owne loue by that which hee hath heard and discerne when it is come to this straine I will therefore propose from the mouth of our Sauiour Christ certaine plaine Rules which are for the capacitie of the meanest hearer which if he apply vnto himselfe he may thereby guesse at the pitch of his loue The first is He that loueth father mother wife children c. Mat. 10. Mat. 19 20. Luc. 14.26 more then me is not worthy of me The second Hee that forsaketh not father mother wife children c. The third Hee that hateth not father mother wife children c. hee cannot be my Disciple There bee many things and persons as you heard before which we are allowed to loue but we must loue them onely vntill they come
they make them vsurpers of Christs office And howsoeuer their Schooles qualifie the matter their Liturgies cannot be freed from this imputation And the notions of the vulgar vnderstanding and the affections of their heart in their practicke deuotion are framed according to their Liturgie not according to their Schooles the more reason haue we to censure the abuse Moses at Mount Sinai Aaron in the Tabernacle may be typicall Mediatours but there is no true one either in Earth or Heauen but only our Sauiour Iesus Christ None of Redemption as the Papists confesse neither any of Intercession as we moreouer hold and hold it with the Primitiue Church But I here end my Text and with my Text this whole Chapter Only I will giue you one generall obseruation vpon it which may not bee neglected This whole Chapter is but an Exordium to the next Chapter shall I say or to the whole Law indeed to the whole Law but immediatly to the next Chapter Now in this Exordium I would haue you obserue how God playeth the skilfull Oratour and performeth all things which the best rules in Rhetoricke require in an Exordium The rules require that an Orator should Captare beneuolentiam worke himselfe into the good liking of his Auditors And why because if they like not the man they will not much care for the matter And doth not God this at the fourth Verse Doth he not set forth his well deseruings of them in ouerthrowing their euemies in setting them free And what may better giue God an interest in their loue then the experiment that hee had giuen them of his reall loue The next rule of Rhetorike is Reddere Auditores dociles to bring them that alreadie affect the man to bee desirous to bee informed of the matter And how is that done by shewing how much the matter concerneth them how beneficiall it will bee to them For men gladly heare of their owne good and the greater the good the more gladly doe they heare of it See how excellently God playeth this part of the Orator at the fift and sixt Verses how significantly hee setteth forth the benefit which they shall reape by their obedience shewing them what a rate hee will set vpon them what an approach they shall make to him how sacred how blessed their state shall bee which is so much the more to be esteemed in that they shall haue it as a Prerogatiue none shall haue it but they And who will not bee curiously inquisitiue after such a matter and heare them gladly that bring such good tydings The third point of Rhetoricke is Auditores attentos reddere to rowse his Auditory make them shake off all dulnesse and drowsinesse that no part of the speech slip by or passe vnweighed This is done by setting before vs the danger that may ouertake vs and the respect that must be vsed by vs. And God omitteth not this point of Rhetoricke all the rest of the charge is spent hereabout It serueth to quicken and quallifie the Israelites as beseemed that heauenly Sermon which they were to heare from the mouth of God Chrysoil Hitherto tend their Preparation which you heard of heretofore and the humiliation wrought by the Harbingers of God whereof you haue heard this day What shall I say now to you but only this The same Sermon that was preached to Israel is to be preached now to vs for we are now the Israel of God therefore vnto vs belongeth this Oratorie of God Yea God hath deserued better of vs then euer he did of Israel for we enioy the truth whereof they had but the Type We haue reason then to affect him Yea and to affect also that which is deliuered by him for it containeth our soueraigne good our blessed communion with God And those spurres of attention must worke vpon vs no lesse then vpon them Because though wee be not called to the Parliament we must come to the Assizes the Assizes is much more dreadfull then was the Parliament Finally though wee were not at those Espousals we shall be at the mariage feast It concerneth vs therefore to prouide our wedding garment In a word will we nill we we are parties to this Couenant though not as it was vailed yet as it was vnuailed Therefore not one of the Articles must passe vs vnregarded because enquirie will be made after our conformitie vnto euery one of them GOd grant that we may so set God and our owne good before our eyes that we may willingly open our eares and gladly apply our hearts to heare him and heare of it that what we shall learne at the foot of Mount Sinai may make vs more fit to climbe to the top of Mount Sion Heb. 12. So shall we be incorporated into the blessed Societie that dwelleth there while wee liue here and hereafter hauing our Harps sing there a new Song before the Throne before the foure Beasts and the Elders Reuel 14. which none can learne but the 144000. which are redeemed from the Earth AMEN FIVE SERMONS PREACHED in Saint Maries in OXFORD Vpon Luke 3. Verse 7 8 9. BY The Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVRE LAKE the late L. Bishop of Bath and Wells LONDON Printed by W. STANSBY for Nathaniel Butter 1629. FIVE SERMONS PREACHED AT Saint Maries in OXFORD The first Sermon LVKE 3. VERS 7.8.9 7. Then said he to the people that were come bee Baptised of him O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come THis Chapter is the second Lesson appointed for this Morning Prayer the Argument whereof is nothing else but a storie of Saint Iohn Baptists seruice what paines he tooke and what successe he had his paines were great his successe diuers To say nothing of them with whom hee preuailed nothing at all such as were they that despised the counsell of God against themselues being not baptised of him Luke 7. This Chapter sheweth that betweene them with whom hee preuailed there was no small odds for some were sincere some hypocrites Saint Iohn vseth them accordingly For he instructeth the sincere mildly but his Sermon against hypocrites it very sharpe you haue it in my Text my Text is Saint Iohns reproofe of those Iewes which came dissemblingly to his Baptisme More distinctly to open it consider Whom hee reproueth and How The persons were many a multitude and they seeme well disposed whether you respect their Paines or their pretence Their paines they came out they tooke a iourney from home to come vnto him and the pretence of their iourney cannot be disliked for they came to be baptised Such were the persons But how dealeth Saint Iohn Baptist with them Surely notwithstanding their great number and their faire shew hee doth not spare to tell them that they were in worse case then they thought and must take a better course then hitherto they had For their Case whereas there are but two heads whereunto we reduce all Euill
of death and being the stronger rifled that strong mans house so that we may well say If God bee with vs who can bee against vs if we relie vpon his wisdome wee shall neuer be circumuented neither shall we be opprest if we relie vpon his Power therefore the Church doth well to make her prayer vnto Him But how doth she pray First feruently for she cries In the Ceremoniall Law Incensio went before Ascensio the Sacrifice was set on fire before it yeilded an odour of sweet smell ascending vnto God besides the siluer trumpets sounded aloud with varietie of other Musicke while the Sacrifice was burning These were but types whereof the morall was that we must not be lither in deuotion but expresse a feruencie therein And we haue a good Precedent in our Sauiour Christ who prayed with strong cries Heb 5. King Dauid doth expresse his earnestnesse by many sit Similies of parched ground that gapes wide for the showres of raine Psal 41. of a chased Hart that breatheth and brayeth after the water brookes Psal â—4 Nâ—â—m of the passions of Louers which are very violent And God liketh such deuotion for sitit sitiri he longeth to be longed after But we must remember that there is Clamor Cordis Oris a crying of the heart and the mouth And as God is specially Inspector so is he also Auditor Cordis as his eyes are specially vpon our hearts so are his eares open thereunto Non vox sed votum non cordula musica sed Cor Non Clamans sed Amans cantat in aure Dei God doth best vnderstand and accept the sighes and groanes of our spirit which cannot be exprest And yet Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur the sire that is in the heart will not be supprest a vehement passion will make a vehement eloâ—ution Psal 39. But when we crie we doe it to manifest the earnestnesse of our affections and extremitie of our distresse not to rowse God as if he could not otherwise heare that were a conceit fit for the worshippers of Baal â— King 18. Tertull. de Oratione whom Elias scoffes for it for quibus arterijs opus si pro sono audiamur if the crie of the voice were the measure of deuotion he that hath the most Stentorean voice should be most deuout but we must know that no crie of the lips can ascend higher towards God then it is carried vp by the feruencie of the heart though the seruencie of the heart can ascend vnto God though the tongue bee mute for God said to Moses why cryest thou when hee spake neuer a word Whether wee pray only with the heart or also with the voice we must be remembred by this practice of the Church to be earneest therein earnest in our Soliloquies when wee enter into our Closet much more when we are mustered in the holy Assemblies must our deuotion offer a gratefull violence vnto God according to that good paterne which we haue Psal 130. The Church prayeth earnestly not only so shee prayeth constantly also she cryeth day and night The foure Beasts in the Reuelation day and night cease not saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almightie which is the practice of the Triumphant Church Moses was willed to make all things according to the patterne that was she wed him in the Mount therefore he instituted that the Sacrifices should burne day and night Of the day there is no question and it is put out of all question concerning the night also by those words in the Psalme Behold Psal 134 blesse yee the Lord all yee seruants of the Lord which by night stand in the house of the Lord 1. Chron. 9 33. and that phrase which we meete withall often in the Scripture of keeping Gods watches The New Testament should herein answere the Old and wee are willed therein to pray continually 1. Thess 5. The Diuines haue a rule Precepta affirmatiua tenent semper sed non ad semper the habits of vertue must euer bee in vs but wee must performe the Acts when we haue iust occasion certaine times we must appoint our selues for Prayer not only in the day but also in the night so did Dauid he remembreth it often and no doubt but others did it aswell as he for the Church speaketh thus in Esay Esay 26. With my soule haue I desired thee in the night with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early Christ spent nights in prayer Acts 16. and Paul and Silas prayed and sang prayses vnto God at midnight And the Canonicall houres which are mentioned in the old Liturgies were distributed aswell through the night as through the day To say nothing of the Vigils at solemne times But so much of the publike old Deuotion which was vsed in the night long since degenerated and is out of vse euen in the Church of Rome as Bellarmine confesseth though priuately men may pray at all houres and no doubt but many doe aswell in the night as in the Day Some not contented with that limitation of affirmatiue Precepts to congruous time do mingle our Meditations with our actions so Saint Ambrose Clamant opera tua clamat sides clamat affectus De Cain 〈◊〉 Abel clamat passiones clamat sanguis whatsoeuer good wee doe or crosse wee suffer patiently that is a reall prayer But to let passe these Obseruations which may haue their good vse as may that also which vnderstandeth Prosperitie by Day and Aduersitie by Night and telleth vs that we must pray in whatsoeuer state wee are I will obserue vnto you that which is more proper and profitable and which will shew you that indeed the Church Militant doth crie day and night take the words as strictly as you can Obserue then that a man prayeth many wayes First in his owne person as Dauid did who professeth of himselfe that in his aduersitie he gaue himselfe vnto prayer wee haue his practice in the Psalmes and we haue Christs not only practice but precept Watch and pray yea Matth. 26. Chap. 6. and direction too When thou prayest enter into thy chamber c. Finally this dutie is made a part of our Catechisme no man therefore should be ignorant of it no man should neglect it Secondly we pray when any member of the Church doth pray for Christ hath taught euery man to say our Father so to include others aswell as himselfe euen all that are members of the same bodie so Singuli orant pro omnibus 〈…〉 omnes orant pro singulis euerie man prayeth for all the Church and all the Church doth pray for euery man And this is no small part of the Communion of Saints which wee beleeue in our Creed for God will that Oratio bee Insigne charitatis that out prayer be a perpetuall Badge of our mutuall Charitie Thirdly euery man prayeth when the Minister serueth God he doth not only pray for vs but we also
they ascended and descended vpon him when God brought his first begotten into the world Heb. 1. that was done which he commanded Let all the Angels worship him Mat. 17. And what did the Saints Moses and Elias came to him in the Mount and conferred with him about his death many also rose out of their graues and appeared in the holy City There remaines onely the place where God dwels and those blessed Spirits that also was shaken more than once for more than once did it open as we reade in the Gospell and in the Acts. You doe not doubt by this time but that the vppermost Heauen was shaken which was shaken so many waies Onely that shaking was answerable to the subiect it was without all corruption Come we now to the second Heauen that also had a shaking a double shaking Mat. 2. there appeared a Starre that was neuer seene before at Christs Birth which drew the Wise-men to seeke out him that was borne King of the Iewes And at his death the goodliest Starre in the Firmament I meane the Sunne lost his light when the Moone was at full Which sight was so strange to the Philosophers at Athens that as the Story saith it drew from Denys the Areopagite that memorable saying Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissoluetur either the God of nature is ouercharged or is disposed to end the world Tertullian obserues that the Romanes did register this Eclypse in their Chronicle I say nothing of the renting of that Heauen too Acts 7.55 for the vppermost could not be opened without opening the second also that the Doue might descend that St. Stephens sight might ascend and see Christ standing at the right hand of God The third Heauen remaines that also was shaken for Christ commanded the windes and they were calme hee suffered not the ayre to transmit the Species but was inuisible yea hee commanded it not to giue breath and to giue breath to men as pleased him you finde it in the storie of those that came to apprehend him Iohn 19. Enough of the Heauens the first part of the great world Onely obserue Acts 2. ver 17 18 19 20. that that which out of Ioel St. Peter obserues was in part performed in this shaking of Heauen The second part of the great world is the Earth The Earth in the beginning was one confused Globe of Water and dry Land vpon Gods commandement these two Elements were separated and each appeared by it selfe as wee reade Genesis 1. As then they first were and as they now are so are they here mentioned and so wee must vnderstand them Touching their shaking I might in few wordes referre you to the Psalme Let the Sea roare and the fulnesse thereof Psal 98. let the Flouds clap their hands let the Hils bee ioyfull together before the Lord for he commeth to iudge the Earth c. But I will shew you some particulars out of the New Testament there shall you reade the Earth-quakes that were when Christ was in the flesh the cleauing of Rockes Mat. 27. the opening of Graues which made the Iewes returne from his Crosse knocking their breasts made the Centurion say Of a truth this was the Son of God put the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests to their briberie Mat. 28. lest the Souldiers should bewray what they could not deny As for the Sea that apparently tooke notice of Christ when he wanted Tribute-money he commanded the Sea to supply him and it did by a Fish when Peter Iames and Iohn had laboured all night at Sea and caught nothing he commanded them to cast out their net and the fish came readily and filled it to their great astonishment at another time when their ship was ready to be drowned Christ did but rebuke the waues Mat. 〈◊〉 and presently there followed a great calme Thus apparently did the Sea acknowledge Christ come into the World But because the word that wee render dry Land doth properly signifie a Desert or Wildernesse it is not vnlikely but that these two words doe imply a parallel of that which fell out while Christ conuersed on Earth and that which was wrought at the deliuerance of Israel out of Egypt the Sea then diuided and gaue passage to the Children of Israel vpon dry Land it did more to Christ it became it selfe as dry Land he walked vpon it and made St. Feter to doe so also And as for the Wildernesse it was to Israel no Wildernesse no more was it to Christ they were amongst wilde beasts there and so was hee and neyther was annoyed the Wildernesse yeelded them plenty of food and in the Wildernesse did Christ multiply the Loaues and the Fishes so that after many thousands were fedde the remainder was much more than was the first prouision There remaines one part of the Earth which I haue not yet touched and that is Hell Hell holdeth fast all that come thereinto but it could not hold him when hee descended thither and while hee liued vpon Earth how did the Fiends confesse him obey him come and goe at his pleasure It is cleare then fully cleare that seeing shaking doth signifie an extraordinary manifestation of the Deity working by or on the Creature contrary to their vsuall course the great world and the parts thereof were shaken at the first comming of Christ Let vs see now how true this is of the little world the world of mankind here called all Nations which are distinguished into Iewes and Gentiles both had their shaking The Iewes their whole policie was dissolued I meane that which was peculiar to them whether Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill as Daniel foretold Dan 9. Heb. 12. Gen. 49.10 so St. Paul affirmes both receiued an end by the comming of Christ Iacobs prophecie was then fulfilled The Scepter departed from Iuda and the Law-giuer from between his seete that State was not only shaken but shiuered all to pieces As for other Nations they had their shaking a double shaking a spirituall and a corporall Spiritually their heads were shaken their iudgements were illightened and amazed that euer they should be so sottish as to worship stockes and stones â—say 2. cap. 8. the workes of mens hands yea the Diuels themselues vpon this they threw away their Idols and cursed their forged gods This abrenunciation doth Gregorie Nazianzene Orat. 37. and Austin de Ciuit. Dei vnderstand by this shaking To this shaking of their head wee must adde a shaking of their heart A contagious aire is not purged but by thundering and lightening and a corrupt conscience must feele the terrour of Mount Sinai before it can haue the comfort of Mount Sion The voyce wherein God spake to Elias was a soft voyce 1 Kings 19. but there went before it Fire Winde Earth-quake c. the Peace which you shall heare of hereafter comes not to the spirituall Temple of God without some terrour going before The
and so doe King Dauids Penitentialls God commands wicked seruants to bee beaten Deut. 28. I will conclude thi◠point with two short admonitions one out of the Prophet Heare the rod and who sends it Micah 6. the other is out of the Psalme As the eye of a seruant looketh to the hand of his master and the eye of a mayden to the hand of her mistresse euen so our eyes looke vnto the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs Psal 123. Other ceremonies were vsed by Penitents in the Old Testament and in the New especially who were wont to humble themselues vsque ad inuidiam coeli as ancient Writers doe Hyperbolize but with no ill meaning they did so farre afflict themselues for sinne that the very Saints in Heauen might enuie their deepe Humiliation But tantae seneritati non sumus pares those patternes are too austere for these dissolute times onely let mee obserue this vnto you that Repentance must be an Holocaust all our inward our outward senses should concurre to testifie our godly sorrow for sinne wee should suffer not one of them to take rest themselues or giue rest to God By this you may perceiue that Penitentiall Deuotion is an excellent Vertue but not so common as the world thinketh The last thing that I noted vpon this Deuotion is that it must be performed by euery one in particular and by the whole Congregation in generall for the same remedy serueth both the publike must take the same course which euery priuate man doth and euery priuate man must take the same course that the publicke doth The reason is because the Church is corpus Homogeneum and therfore eadem est ratio partis totius in the peformance of those religious dueties no man must thinke himselfe too good to humble himselfe neyther must any man thinke himselfe vnworthy to appeare before the Throne of grace In our priuate occasions wee must come by our selues and wee must ioyne with the publicke when the publicke wounds call vs thereunto as now we do and we haue comfortable Precedents for that which we doe in the Prophet Ioel and Ionas Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie can neuer be more comfortably sung than at these religious meetings when as one man with one voyce and heart we present our deuotions before God I doubt not but as hopefully as humbly It is true that God in Ezechiel cap. 14. threatneth that if Noah Daniel and Iob were in Ierusalem as I liue saith the Lord God they shall deliuer neyther sonne nor daughter they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnesse when I send but a pestilence into the land how much more when I send my foure plagues The like is threatned in Ieremy cap. 15. But we must obserue that then God was risen from the Mercy Seat and in punishment of their many contempts had giuen the Iewes ouer to their owne hearts Iust But God be thanked this Assembly sheweth that we haue not so far forsaken God neyther hath God who hath put these things into the mind of the King and State so forsaken vs but wee may hope for Acceptance Which is the next part of my text What Israel performeth that will God accept for hee is as mercifull as iust Blessed are they that mourne saith Christ for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5. for Christ came to heale those that were broken in heart Luke 4. You aske saith St. Iames cap. 4. and haue not hee addeth a reason because yee aske amisse but if you aske aright then Christs rule is true Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Mat. 7. He that shall confesse to Gods name and turne from his sins shall finde Acceptance with God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the teares of repentance are not only not displeasing but pleasing to God as incense But Gods acceptance consisteth of two Acts the first is God will giue accesse vnto their Prayers Heare in heauen his dwelling place The prayers were to be made towards the Arke but God heareth in Heauen And what is the cause of this change why God should not heare there whither we direct our prayers Surely we must ascend from the Type to the Truth that is but a manduction to this It was a maine errour of the Iewes to diuorce them and haue in most esteeme the least part rest in the Type passing ouer the Truth Heauen is the place of Gods habitation only because the place of his manifestation The Septuagint render the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place fitted for God to distinguish it from the Church below which is but a place a fitting The Chaldee rendreth it domum Maiestatis a maiesticall house And surely the place of Gods dwelling is locus amplus et angustus a large a stately Palace adorned with holines glory And when wee thinke vpon God wee must not conceiue of his state by things below but by things aboue the earth is but as a point vnto the visible heauens much more in comparison of the Heauen of Heauens and they though they are the goodliest place created yet are they not a worthy habitation for the infinite maiestie of God onely he vouchsafeth there most to manifest himselfe The Church that is resembled to heauen and called Gods dwelling place must be remembred hereby that God must not dwell therein or in any member thereof angustè or sordidè We must inlarge our hearts to receiue God and purifie them that they may somewhat beseeme the Residentiary therein which is God Finally it is no small fauour that God doth vouchsafe to heare that beeing in heauen hee doth vouchsafe to heare vs that are on earth for sometimes hee hideth himselfe as it were with a Cloud Lam. 3. so that our prayers cannot haue accesse vnto him and our sinnes separate between him and vs and he is as if he heard not not that the eare of iealousie heareth not all things but he is not pleased to giue a gracious signification that hee doth heare But the spirituall clamor of the contrite expressed from the secret closet of the inward man hath the power of a loud voyce and piercing which can enter the heauens and approach acceptably vnto God God will not onely heare and giue accesse to the Prayers of the penitent but redresse their sufferings also Quando non geniculationibus nostris jeiunationibus etiam siccitates sunt depulsae saith Tertullian what calamitie was there euer which wee haue not diuerted by our penitent deuotion The Prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Iames 5. But God doth redresse the sufferings of Israel orderly first he redresseth the cause which is sinne and then the effect which is woe He will forgiue and then He will doe and giue neyther may a sinner looke for peace except he first speede of mercie
vs in his beloued SONNE but who heareth him No bee we neuer so often summoned our eyes our eares are slumbring are wandring and I presume not though I wish I might that what I haue spoken will awaken and fixe them Wherefore let vs turne both vnto him that opened the eyes of the blind and eares of the deafe that he would vnuaile both our eyes and our eares that these Mysteries be not presented to vs in vaine but that the Heauens bee now so open to our Faith that hereafter they may bee opened to our persons that the Doue would make vs such Doues that we may flie with peace into the Arke of God that he which is the Sonne and Beloued would make vs beloued sonnes of God that hauing our sinnes purged our persons accepted we may haue an endlesse Communion in Glory with the Holy Spirit that affoordeth vs this Communion in Grace A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL 1 IOHN 3. VERS 20 21. 20 For if our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things 21 Beloued if our heart condemne vs not then haue we confidence to wards God AND verily this Scripture deserues well to be looked into at this time For we are at length awakened out of our dead sleepe in carnall securitie GODS Iudgements haue rowsed vs and we purpose GOD willing publickely and penitently to deprecate GODS fierce wrath prouoked by our crying innes GOD grant we may do it acceptably â—nd effectually But that cannot be except we first keepe a Scrutinie we throughly suruay euerie man his owne selfe this is the truest Preface vnto and best preparation for a Penitentiall Fast He that can vnflatteringly present himselfe before the vnpartiall eyes of his owne soule and the most holy eyes of GOD he whose heart is of that temper that it can receiue those religious impressions which such a sight will worke he and he onely hath made the first and the hardest step that must be troden by a penitent man My purpose is and it is the scope of my Text to guid our feet into that step and aduise vs to grow more familiarly acquainted with that whereunto the most of men desire to be verie strangers I meane our Consciences Conscience in my Text is called by the name of heart and our heart importeth as much as the Conscience of a Christian Touching this my Text doth teach vs what is her worke it is to censure or to sentence vs this you may gather out of the whole body of my Text. But in so dealing she proceeds not alike with all And why She findeth not all alike Some are and they are censured as guilâ—ie persons they haue a Conscience that condemneth them Other-some are not guiltie and they haue a Conscience which condemneth not The difference of the persons maketh a difference of her Worke. Vpon this Difference St Iohn groundeth an Inference He argueth from our Heart vnto GOD and giueth vs to vnderstand That as we deale when we reckon with our selues so will GOD deale when he calleth vs to an Account The worke of GOD and our Heart are in this case alike Alike they are but yet they are vnequall and that in two respects First of Power secondly of Knowledge I will a little supply the words so you will perceiue that St Iohn speaketh as much in two comparatiue Maximes Our heart is great and indeed it can doe much in this Little world of ours and yet it is no match for GOD God is greater then our Heart he can doe whatsoeuer he will both in Heauen and earth This is the first Maxime Our Heart knoweth much of that which is in vs it is euer of our Priuie Councell but yet that much commeth short of all it is God onely that knoweth all things euen those things that are hid in the obscurest darkenesse This is the second Maxime See now what S. Iohn worketh out of these two Maximes First concerning persons that are guiltie If our euill Conscience that is lesse in power and more shallow in knowledge doe notwithstanding condemne vs How shall not God condemne vs who is both Omnipotent and Omniscient Secondly concerning those that are guiltlesse If a man vpon due scrutinie can giue himselfe a Quietus est certainely that man may come with boldnesse vnto the Throne of Grace S. Iohn expresseth the Inference in these words If our Heart condemne vs not then haue wee confidence towards God But whom doeth all this concerne which we haue spoken of Conscience Surely the members of the Church they are meant by this name Beloued they must know that the workes and fruites which proceed from these workes doe concerne them neither haue they any priuiledge By this short modell you may conceiue the substance of my Text and apprehend vpon what I meane to insist GOD so blesse mee in speaking and you in hearing that whensoeuer wee are put vpon the triall God and our Heart may bee comfortable to vs seeing we are assured by my Text that they will deale very plainely with vs. The first particular was the name whereby Conscience is here called and that is Heart Vnder this name Heart the Scripture comprehendeth three things the Will the Conscience and the Affections sometimes the Holy Ghost intendeth all three by the word at other times some one in this place it vnderstandeth that one of them which is called Conscience And there is reason why that is called by the name of Heart The heart of man is his Morall Treasurie CHRIST teacheth it in St. Cap. 1â— Matthew A good man out of the good treasurie of his heart bringeth foorth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasurie of his heart bringeth foorth euill things whatsoeuer our conuersation is be it good or bad the roote of it is there and from thence as Salomon speaketh proceede life and death Prow 4. Now where the fountaine is of our morall Actions there GOD is pleased should bee the seate of morall Directions and Corrections too that no motion of the heart should farther be yeelded vnto then might stand with the fore-hand Counsell or after-hand content of the Conscience GOD would not haue vs seeke farre for these things either vp to Heauen or downe to hell or passe the Sea's they are neere vs in vs yea a very part a principall part of vs. And by whom will a man bee ordered in these things if not by himselfe and to whom could GOD more mercifully commend him then to himselfe This mercifull care cutteth off those poore excuses and vaine Apologies which men might make if GOD had not chosen so sit a Seate for Conscience But wee must farther obserue that the Conscience is furnished with two Powers a Directorie and a Iudicatorie it hath in it morall Principles whereby to guide men which is the Law written in our Heart whereby wee discerne good and euill the learned call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nothing else but practique
hoped for all are not so prouident as to let their Conscience preuent sinne Well howsoeuer wee neglect the first worke of Conscience wee cannot auoid the second if wee will not take notice of it it will take notice of Vs it taketh notice of all our doings whether they be good or bad proueth a comfortable or vncomfortable Iury vnto vs. Neither is this all Our selues are trusted not onely to giue in the verdict but also to take it whether it bee against vs or for vs. And as our Conscience will not spare to doome vs according to the Law if wee bee guiltie our selues shall pronounce what our sinnes deserue So will it not faile to assure vs of all the Blessings of the Gospel if it finde vs innocent and we shall rest assured of the trueth of our owne Iudgement And why GOD will second our Heart his worke will keepe correspondencie with ours whether it condemne or absolue Onely for the greater terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly let vs not forget the inequalitie if wee sincke vnder our owne Iudgement we shall sincke more vnder GODS and if our owne doe yeeld boldnesse GODS will yeeld much more Wherefore redde te tibi forget not the preuenting worke of thy Conscience to bee ruled by it Bernard Meditat. neglect not the enquiring worke of thy Conscience to prognosticate of thy future state according to it Let euery one of vs endeauour with St. Paul to haue an vnoffensiue Conscience toward God and men that he may solace himselfe in that true peace thereof in this world and haue the consummation thereof with Aeternall Blisse in the world to come Amen Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. FINIS A Meditation vpon Psalme 19. VERSE 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer FAst and Pray Lord I doe fast and I would pray for to what end doe I with-hold sustenance from my body if it be not the more to cheere vp my Soule my hungrie my thirstie Soule But the Bread the Water of life both which I find no where but in thy word I partake not but by exercising my selfe therein This I begin to doe and faine would I doe it well but in vaine shall I attempt except thou doe blesse blesse me then O Lord blesse either part of me both are thine and I would withhold neither part from thee Not my body I would set my tongue on worke to speake of thee not my Soule I would exercise my heart in thinking on thee I would ioyne them in Deuotion whom thou hast ioyned in Creation Yea Lord as they haue conspired to sinne against thee so doe they now consort to doe their duetie to thee my tongue is ready my heart is ready I would thinke I would speake thinke vpon thee speake to thee But Lord what are my words What are my thoughts Thou knowest the thoughts of men that they are altogether vanitie and our words are but the blast of such thoughts both are vile It were well it were no worse both are wicked my heart a corrupt fountaine and my tongue an vncleane streame and shall I bring such a sacrifice to God The halt the lame the blind the sicke though otherwise the beasts be cleane yet are they sacrifices abominable to God how much more if we offer those beasts which are vncleane And yet Lord my sacrifice is no better faultring words wandring thoughts are neither of them presentable to thee how much lesse euill thoughts and idle words Yet such are mine the best of mine they are such I cannot denie it but grieue at it I should I doe that hauing nothing else to offer God hauing nothing that is required of him this that I haue should be such as he cannot like What remedie None for me if any it is in thee O Lord that I must find it and for it now doe I seeke vnto thee Thou onely O Lord canst hallow my tongue and hallow my heart that my tongue may speake and my heart thinke that which may be acceptable vnto thee yea that which may bee thy delight Doe not I lauish Were it not enough that God should beare with that hee should not punish the defects of my words of my thoughts May I presume that God shall accept of me Nay delight in me Forget I who the Lord is Of what Maiestie Of what felicitie Can it stand with his Maiestie to vouchsafe acceptance VVith his felicitie to take content in the words of a worme in the thoughts of a wretch And Lord I am too proud that vilifie my selfe so little and magnifie thee no more But see whether the desire of thy seruant doth carrie him how wishing to please I consider not how hard it is for dust and ashes to please God to doe that wherein God should take content But Lord here is my comfort that I may set God to giue content vnto God God is mine and I cannot want accesse vnto God if God may approach himselfe Let me be weake yet God is strong O Lord thou art my strength Let me bee a slaue to sinne God is a Sauâ—our O Lord thou art my Sauiour thou hast redeemed me from all that wofull state whereunto Adam cast me yea thou hast built me vpon a Rocke strong and sure that the gates of Hell might neuer preuaile against me These two things hast thou done for me O Lord and what may not hee presume of for whom thou hast done these things I feare not to come before thee I presume my Deuotion shall content thee bee thy eyes neuer such all-seeing eyes I will bee bold to present my inward my outward man before thee be thy eyes neuer so holy eyes I will not flie with Adam to hide my nakednesse from thee for I am able to keepe my ground seeing I am supported by my Lord I doubt not but to prooue a true Israelite and to preuaile with God For all my Woe for all my sinne I will not shrinke nay I will approach approach to thee for thou art my Redeemer The neerer I come to thee the freer shall I bee both from sinne and woe O blessed state of man who is so weake so strong so wretched and so happie weake in himselfe strong in God most happie in God though in himselfe a sinfull wretch And now my Soule thou wouldest be deuout thou mayst be what thou wouldest sacrifice to God thy words sacrifice to God thy thoughts make thy selfe an Holocaust doubt not but thou shalt be accepted thou shalt content euen the most glorious the most holy eyes of God Onely presume not of thy selfe presume on him build thy words build thy thoughts vpon thy Rocke they shall not be shaken free thy words free thy thoughts thoughts and words enthrauled to sinne by thy Sauiour and thy sacrifice shall be accepted So let me build on thee so let me be enlarged by thee in soule in
body That the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strongth and my Redeemer AMEN A Meditation on Psalme 62. VERSE 9. Surely men of low degree are vanitie and men of high degree are but a lie to bee laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanitie ALthough there is odds betweene man and man as they act their parts vpon the stage of this world some being Noble and some Ignoble some abounding and some wanting some commanding and some obeying yet were all made of the same mould and into the same is euerie man resolued in his due time herein betweene rich and poore there is no odds except this be the odds that the better are herein the worse so much worse as a Lie is worse then vanitie Poore men what they are they appeare their state speaketh their vanitie they beare it ingrauen in euerie of their wants for what are wants but the steps of vanitie Vanitie whereunto man is subiect by reason of his fall euen so farre subiect as that it ceaseth not incroaching on him till hauing exhausted that little which he hath it lodge him in the graue In hunger and nakednesse in contempt and heauinesse who doth not read vanitie But this is but the out-side thereof the inside is worse the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vaine and men vanish in their owne discourse which hath much folly little solidnesse witnesse the looking glasse thereof the talke of most men most vaine talke The vnderstanding is not so vaine but the Heart is much more vaine how idle nay how euill are the desires thereof So much as is manifest is able to confound vs but how intollerable is that which is not manifest Certainely that is most vaine But the vpshot of Vanitie standeth in the vanitie of our Hope our hope is felicitie at that we aime and of nothing are we more disappointed then of that for when we come to reape the fruit of our discourse of our desire wee find our selues deluded and our end is wretched And indeed Vanitie is not onely a bare want but an euill that accompanieth that want If our vaines bee destitute of good humours yet are they not emptie wind will take vp the place of good bloud and where that is it tortureth with ach the crampe and sundrie diseases euen so vanitie is not onely a want of spirituall substance but it is withall a painefull wind a disquieting emptinesse Such vanitie followeth the nature of man if any one be a Sonne of Adam hee is subiect to this vanitie And no maruell for from Adam it was propagated and it is as naturall to his issue as their nature is that nature which they deriued from him after hee ceased to be a Sonne of God For where God is there substance is and where God is not there is no substance This we grant we thinke no better of the common sonnes of Adam But the sonnes of Noble men are they no better Are they also vanitie Their state promiseth better things then so there appeareth in them few steps of vanitie If we looke on their out-side it may seeme so for they haue food to satisfie their hunger yea sawce to their food that they may eate with pleasure their bodies are warme clad not onely so but their garments speake their wealth they are well garded with attendantes countenanced with Alliance and aduanced to all degrees of honour helps they haue to preuent sicknesse before it come and when it is come they haue helps for to cure it What doe they want And if they want not how are they vaine Surely in this that all this is but a Lie it seemeth it is no substance had it not all his first originall from nothing And how can it then but returne to nothing againe And what stay can that bee which it selfe is fleeting Be our garments neuer so rich they weare but wee weare faster that are couered-with them they doe but hide from our eyes the euidence that we doe grow old they keepe vs not from growing old could we as often put on a new body as we doe a new garment then garments might be some remedie against vanitie but we keepe on still and neuer shift our body it is neuer the yonger for our new coate Gay cloathing is but a Lie And as for food that is much more a Lie As a man is not the better for his garment so hee is nothing the worse but the delicate fare of great ones is so farre from being a preseruatiue against death that nothing speedeth it faster excesse in quantitie varietie in qualitie of meates at rich mâ—ns â—ables or rather in rich mens stomackes what are they but the rootes from whence springeth sicknesse and the armes as it were wherewith death layeth hold vpon them Then is not meate a Lie Friends it may bee will steed vs better none lesse then great mens friends in whom especially enuie raigneth which is the forge of ruine so that the greater friends are the lesse commonly may they be trusted Fidelitie is not a vertue of the Court but of the Countrie brand then such friends with a Lie for their friendship is no better then a Lie But if they faile vs our honour will support vs hee that is in authoritie is his owne Piller he may rest securely vpon his owne power no man lesse hee is like a faire Castle abâ—ue ground well planted with Ordinance and furnished with Munition you would thinke it impregnable but it is subiect to a Mine and often is ouer turned before he that giueth the blow can bee perceiued Many haue beene brought to their end by their secret cunning from whom they receiued greatest respect in the eyes of the world If any dignitie be priuiledged it is the Throne of Kings but what are their Thrones but the stages of Treason Hee is but a stranger in Chronicles that doth not read that all kind of honour is Cronicled for a Lie What remaineth Onely seruants and will they stand by vs when others faile Nothing lesse of all mens theirs is a most mercinarie fidelitie their seruice doth not out-liue their wages yea how often doe they sell their Masters life in hope of better wages Let them weare their Cognizance their true Cognizance is a Lie If clothes if meate if friends if honour if attendants if euery of these bee but a Lie what is all worldly greatnesse Is it any more then a Lie Nay how great a Lie is that to the making vp whereof concurre so manie Lies So that the Great men whose out-side seemeth to lift them vp aboue ordinarie men gaine nothing by their aduancement but this that whereas ordinarie men appeare to be what they are that is Vanitie Great men are so but doe not appeare and therefore their state hath another but no better name it is a Lie The case of all then high and low is bad if it