is not from the earth but from heaven and if he give life to them that are dead he may be justly called The bread of life 3. He addeth these words to comfort Beleevers and to terrifie unbeleevers For no greater comfort can be to them that receive him by a true and lively faith then the assured hope that they shall be raised up by him from death to a glorious and immortall life and on the other part it is matter of exceeding terror to the unbelieving and wicked that they shall not be partakers of this blessed resurrection but they shall be raised up to shame and confusion This point is urged diverse times hereafter by our LORD and therefore it may be we shall have occasion to speak of it more fully Only now consider that this is a point which we should at this time deeply meditate upon He who calleth us and offereth himself unto us is no lesse then he who hath power of life and death even of eternall life and of eternall death If wee answer him and embrace his Calling we may look to have confidence joy and glory at our death and resurrection but if we do otherwayes we can expect nothing but terrour sorrow and confusion Though we think little now of death and resurrection yet they wil come It is appointed for all men once to die and after death cometh judgement The soul will be called out of the body the body will be called out of the grave and both will be called before the Tribunall of GOD. If thou hearkned devotly and obediently to his Calling here Thou shalt lift up thine head then being confident that thy redemption draweth near When GOD sayeth to thy soul at death Come out thou shalt encourage it and say Go 〈◊〉 my soule fear nâ—t it is the Voice of my Beloved calling not to destroy but to save thee It is the voice of him who hath often called me before and whom I have answered by his Grace It is the Voice of him that I was longing for He said to me before Behold I come I have answered even so Amen LORD Iesus come But on the contrary if thou hast despised his gracious and mercifull Calling here thy terrour shall be unspeakable at death and at the resurrection He shall call when thy Lamp is not prepared and albeit thou would not be drawn by his Mercy his Justice shall draw thy soule out of thy body at death and thy body out of the grave at the resurrection although thou call then he will not heare but will say Depart from me I know thee not Long have I cast open the doore of my Mercy unto thee but thou would not enter and now it is shute O how terrible shall this Calling or rather Drawing of iustice be to the disobedient soule body Faine would they draw back into that very nothing out of which they were brought Therefore the wicked shall say then unto the hills and to the mountains fall upon us and cover us from the Face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Face of the Lamb. Let us therefore while we have time thinke both upon his Mercy Justice These are the two armes of his Providence whereby he draweth to good and from evil MERCY is as it were his Right-Hand which is alluring and comfortable justice his Left-Hand which is terrifying and dreadfull Let us labour That his left hand may be vnder our head as the Spouse speaketh and that his right hand may embrace us that is let us thinke upon his gracious Promises that we may be allured to obey him and withall consider his dreadfull terrours that we may stand in awe to despise his invitations I will speake no more of this Now I proceed It is written in the prophets And they shall be all taught of GOD c. Here he confirmeth and cleareth what he said of the drawing of men to him by the Father He confirmeth it by the testimony of scripture It is written sayeth he in the prophets they shall be all taught of GOD. This testimony is expresly set down Isaiah 54. 13. Where the PROPHET speaking of the happy estate of the Church of the new Testament sayeth to her All thy children shall be taught of the LORD and great shall be their peace According to the sense it is also to be found else-where especially in the 31. 33. of Iâ—r where the LORD speaking of the Church of the new Testament sayeth After those dayes it shall come to passe that I will put my law in their hearts writ it in their inward parts and they shall be my people and I will be their GOD and they shall not teach every man his brother and every man his neighbour but they shall know me from the highest to the least sayeth the LORD For clearing of this yee are to understand that to be taught of God is nothing else but to have our minds enlightned by the knowledge of him and to have his love â—â—â—ed abroad in our hearts so that we obey him and that not out of the fear of punishment but out of the love of righteousnes Of this teaching the Prophet spake when he said Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest and teachest out of thy law and when he said againe Teach me to do thy Will O GOD for it is good This our Saviour manifesteth in the next words wherein he explaineth what it is To be taught by GOD saying That such an one heareth and learneth of the Father and cometh to him that is he that is so taught understandeth and beleeveth that which the Father revealeth and embraceth it by sincere love and affection and so cometh to Christ by faith by hope by love and obedience Hence S. AUGUSTINE in his book of the Grace of Christ 12. and 13. chapters inferreth That this doctrine of the Father is nothing else but his heavenly Grace communicated to us whereby he maketh us not only to know what we should do but also to do what we know whereby he maketh us not only to beleeve that which should be loved but also to love that which we beleeve This is the doctrine of the Father whereby from on hye by his unspeakable Power inwardly he manifesteth his truth and communicateth to us the love of himself This also is manifest as S. AUGUSTINE observeth there from the 1. Thess 4. 9. where S. PAUL sayeth As for brotherly love yee have not need that I should write unto you for yee are taught of GOD to love one another So the Teaching of GOD maketh us not only to know what should be done but also to do that which we know And he that knowes and doeth not is not caught by God He is not taught according to grace but according to the law he is not taught according to the spirit but according to the letter Secondly Yee are to consider that our Saviour by urging
of his patient to be desperate he careth not what he take he suffereth him to have whatsoever his heart desireth but if he have good hope of a mans health he putteth him to a dyet and restraineth him from many things So God careth not to let the wicked whose amendement is desperate glute themselves with the things of this world but to his own saints and children he giveth no more or permitteth them to have no more nor he knoweth is convenient for their eternal health I come now to the disposition of this man his minde And he thought within himself c. I am richer now then before but never a white the better yea by abundance he became worse as shall appeare by his disposition manifested here This disposition of his heart our Saviour expresseth first by his consultation next by his resolution His consultation And he thought within himself saying what shall I do c. Where first observe the povertie of this wealthy wretch What shal I do I have not are the words of men that are in povertie distresse as S. BASIL writing upon these words marketh and yet such are the words of this wretch Thus you see his povertie increased with his riches Observe 2. his anxietie and SOLICITUDE For what shall I do is the expression of anxietie and care His abundance giveth him not quietnes tranquillity of minde but maketh him more anxious and perplexed Who would not pittie such a miserable man sayth S. BASIL Miserable was he in that which he had and more miserable in that which he expected The earth sayeth he hath not brought forth fruits unto thee but sorrow unxietie and cares to prick and sting thy heart like so many thornes Thirdly Observe his wickednes and folly That which he advised on was wher to find room for his cornes he had so much of old stuffe so great an increase had newly sprung up unto him that his barns wer not able to receive al. Being perplexed with this he consulteth what to do but he consulted not with love and mercy or spirituall prudence which would have soon resolved him wher to have bestowed his fruits more securely and profitably then he did Hade he consulted with love and mercy it would have told him there was many empty house and hungry bellie of the poore where he might have bestowed a part of that which was superfluous to him love would have taught him quickly to have resolved thus this I will do I will satisfie the hungrie soules of the poore I will open my barnes and supplie their wants as GOD hath dealt with me liberally so I will make a magnificent PROCLAIMATION Come unto me all yee that are poore and indigent and be partakers of that which GOD hath given bountifully unto me He hath opened unto me a fountaine and yee shall drinke of the streamt of it In like manner had he consulted with spirituall wisdome it would have bidden him if he had loved his riches lay them up in heaven or at least a part of them for they might have been preserved to eternitie It would have said unto him now thou wilt have a faire gaine thou may purchase things heavenly by things earthly and things that are permanent with these that are transitorie Lay up thy treasure according to the Commandement of the most High and it shall profite thee more then gold Shut up almes in thy store-houses and it shall deliver thee from all affliction and it shall fight for thee against all enemies more then a mighty shield spear Ecclesiast 29. But this covetous wretch used not these COUNSELERS He thought within himself sayeth our Saviour he consulted not with GOD with his law or servants but with his own corrupt heart He thought upon nothing but this life and thought all he had was but for himself and therefore forgetting both the law of nature and of GOD he resolveth most uncharitably and wickedly as followeth And he said this will I do I will pull down my barnes and build up greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods At last his anxious and perplexed minde resolveth on this to pull down his barnes because they were not capacious enough and to renew enlarge them so as that they might receive all his new fruits and all his old cornes which he calleth his goods for other goods yee know use not to be laid up in barnes This was his resolution concerning his goods which was seconded with a wicked resolution concerning himself set down in the next verse Here marke first his follie He assured himself of these his fruits which as yet were exposed to many dangers of raine and winde and hayle 2. marke his UNSATIAâ—LNES I will build up greater sayeth he and when that is done what if thy field bring forth as plentifully the next year sayeth S. BASIL That these barnes are not able to containe these thy fruits wilt thou cast down these againe and build greater againe what a follie is that for a man to weary himself with endlesse paines ever to be building up and ever to be casting down againe This is the nature of covetousnesse it can never be satisfied The more the covetous man hath the more still he desireth Thirdly marke his hard heartednesse he designed nothing for the poore but resolveth to hord up all for himself as appeareth by the following words No minde had he of the necessities of others no probable feare of want â—o himself or his family for he had old stuffe and a plentifull field and yet he would hord up all foolish therefore and wicked were these words I will pull my barnes c. If his intention had been right well might he had resolved sayeth S. BASIL to have pulled down his barnes Miserable man saith he pull them down with thine own hands for they are barnes of iniquity barnes that hath never done good to any Pull them down to the very ground Overthrow these houses of maÌ„mon bring forth to the Sun thy hote and mothy cornes give liberty to the goods which thy covetousnesse hath poysoned and fettered there But he had no such intention he would pull down to build greater Here first yee see what covetousnesse may be in retaining that which is our own aswell as in desiring or taking that which is not our own This man as holy AUGUSTINE observeth Was not thinking upon another mans field nor of removing his neighbours marches He was not thinking how to spoile the poore or circumveen the simple but thought and resolved to hord and treasure up his own goods and yet GOD condemneth and punisheth him at a covetous wretch There are many that think that they are well enough if they take not the goods of other men O say they this is my own I have it by inheritance or by my travailes and industrie I have laboured for it I have been in hazard both by sea and land
where wee find the saints professing and avowing their hope in God most confidently But say they yet for all this wee are uncertain of our Love But consider I pray you that S. Peter being demanded by our Saviour concerning his love to him answereth most confidently Thou knowest that I love thee Thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee So S. Augustine in his 8. book of the Trinitie 7. chap. saieth That wee more certainlie know the love that we carrie to our brother then our brother himself They answere to this That wee may know indeed certainly that there is in us a love and affection to God and our neighbour but yet say they we cannot know for what end and upon what motive wee love him and consequently whether our love be such as it ought to be But they should consider that the Apostle saieth 1. Cor. 2. â—1 That the spirit of a man knoweth the things of a man and that wee haue received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Hence a most learned Romanist Vega in his 9. book of â—ustificat 39. chap. granteth That wee may know not only our own inward actions but also for what end and upon what motive they are exercised by us and consequently that we love God above all things and that wee are ready to suffer the losse of all things rather then to offend him and that wee have truly sorrowed for our bypast sinnes But to leave this let us mark here That it is not without great cause that DAVID intending to blesse exalt God mentioneth particularly this his assurance that God was his God that he had a particular interest in him This as we touched before is a most singular benefit from which many excellent fruits do spring For first hence floweth a boldnesse toward God a boldnesse to come in his presence and a confidence to be heard of him in our praiers If our heart condemne us not we haue confidence towards God 1. Iohn 3. 21. A son that is perswaded of his fathers love is bold to come to him and to present his sutes unto him when occasion serveth so wee being perswaded that God is our God and Father are confident to poure out our hearts in his bosome and to expect a gracious answere from him I have written unto you saieth S. Iohn 1. 5. 13. 14. 15. that ye may know that ye have eternall life And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him Where first wee have the knowledge of eternall life then confidence to be heard to have our petitions granted If wee have to do with a man of whom wee know not whether he loveth us or not we can have but small hope to obtain our sutes from him but if wee be assured that we have his favour wee are confident to obtaine our requests according to that degree of favour which we perswade our selves to enjoy so if we be perswaded that God is our God and Father we cannot doubt of obtaining from him that which is good If ye that are evill can give good things to your children how much more will your heavenly Father give his good Spirit and all good things to them that ask him He that gave to us his own Son when we did not pray to him how much more with him will he give to us all things which wee pray for Secondly This assurance that God is our God and that we are in his favour maketh us to go on cheerfully in the obedience of God It enlargeth our heart with comfort so that wee runne the way of Gods Commandements There is nothing that will make a good servant cheerfull in doing his Masters will so much as to know that himself and his service is well accepted so nothing more fit to stirre us up to alacritie in well doing then to know that our persons and works are acceptable to God This is a notable spurre to a good life Hee that hath this hope purgeth himself that he may be holy as God is holy saieth S. Iohn I have hope towards God of the resurrection of the just and unjust saieth S. PAUL Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Thirdly This assurance that God is ours and that we have his love breedeth to us peace that passeth understanding and joy unspeakable and glorious even amidst all our worldly troubles S. Paul having said Rom. 5. 1. being justified by faith wee have peace with God subjoyneth That we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God and that wee rejoyce also in our tribulations For being at one with God the peace of God keepeth our mindes Philip. 4. 7. It guardeth and defendeth them as a wall or garrison so the word signifieth It guardeth I say not only our bodies or estats always but also our minds that we sink not through the weight of our afflictions nor fall away from our stedfastnesse by any crosses For he that is in this estate can reason thus Though my wealth and preferment be taken away though my friends have forsaken mee though want and troubles sease upon mee Yet Christ is mine God is mine heaven and the inheritance of the joyes of it is mine These outward troubles can do no more but batter without and at the most pull down the earthly house of this bodie but That building which is without hands in heaven they cannot reach unto These troubles may take away my outward joyes but that joy which is within which is in God even my God is beyond the power of Life or death of height or depth of principalities or powers of things present or things to come Rom. 8. 38. This comforted Iob in the midst of all his grievous sorrowes I know saieth he that my Redeemer liveth and that with mine eyes I shall see him This comforted the godly Hebrews chap. 10. 34. Yee took joyfullie the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye haue in heaven a better and an enduring substance Hence hope which is grounded upon this assurance is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. An Anchor holdeth the ship firme and stable that it be not driven hither and thither or overwhelmed although the sea bee stormie and tempestuous even so our hope setleth our soules in the midst of tribulations that wee bee not swallowed up thereby So it is compared to an helmet 11. Thess 5. 8. For as an helmet securing the head putteth courage in a Souldier to fight so hope securing us of the maine point our eternall safety giveth courage and confidence to us in all our troubles I come now to David his last expression of that which he intendeth to praise and blesse That is the
it self Hee is not content to say simply that he will praise God but useth sundry pregnant words to this purpose to signify the vehemencie and fervencie of his desire to honour God First he saieth I will extoll thee or exalt thee Wee cannot exalt God by making him higher for he is most high and we are low and base There can be no accession to his Hignesse and though there could yet cannot we contribute to it We are said to exalt him in that sense that we are said to magnifie glorifie and sanctifie him This we do by acknowledging proclaiming worshipping his Greatnesse Glory Holinesse So we exalt him when wee acknowledge his infinite Highnesse and Excellencie when we most highly esteeme of it most highly love it and most humbly submitt our selves unto it Thus I will extoll thee is as if hee had said I will most highly praise thee reverentlie worship thee magnificently proclaime and incomparably prefer thy Highnesse and Excellencie to all others Secondly he saieth He will blesse Him and his Name BLESSING is a wishing of good to another and the bestowing and conferring of it when it lyeth in our power IT comprehendeth two acts the one of the Will the other of the Vnderstanding By the first wee wish or will good by the other we conferre it and so it is a practicall kinde of speech This Blessing as it proceedeth from God is ever effectuall If he speak good to us it is done his word is able to do whatsoever he willeth As when a King hath the honours of a kingdom in his own hand If he say to one be thou a Duke to another be thou an Earl it is so by vertue of this his speech these honours are conferred But it is not so with our blessing especially of God His good is either inward or outward as for his inward good it is in himself in infinite perfection Hee laiketh nothing nor can wee contribute any thing in that kinde All that wee can do in respect of this good is to congratulate and expresse our joy at this that he possesseth in himself all good As for the outward good which belongeth to him namlie the knowledge the love the feare and worship of his Name unto that we may and ought to contribute by his grace Wee should not only wish that good but so much as lyeth in us should endeavour to procure it Thus when DAVID promiseth to blesse him and his Name he meaneth that he wished all to know to feare to love him and that hee would to the uttermost endeavour to effectuat what he wished Thirdly Hee promiseth to praise Him PRAISE is a proclaiming of the excellencie that is in any by reason of his actions and worthie deeds So God is often praised for his acts of mercie justice and power The excellencie that is in any by nature is rather honoured then praised saieth the Philosopher yet often men are praised for naturall excellencies as engyne beauty strength c. And God here and often elswhere in scripture is praised for his Naturall excellencies Infinite greatnes goodnes power mercie c. Lastly DAVID promiseth thus to exalt praise and blesse God and his Name Every day for ever and ever He will beginne it now but is never to end it So long as hee lived hee did praise him and now being dead doeth praise him on earth by this other songs of praise and in heaven doeth and shall for ever blesse him Beside this he promiseth to do it without intermission Every day saieth he which signifieth that nothing should befall no change no trouble that should divert him from this exercise Whence we may learne this profitable instruction that it is our duty in every estate whatsomever befall us to praise and blesse God No trouble or temptation should make the praise or blessing of him to depart from our mouth nothing should make our courage to quaile our patience to wearie our tranquillitie to cease or stay the lifting up of our hearts to blesse his holy Name For this should be done by us every day and at all times Psal 34. 1. Thou should blesse him in the day of thy sicknesse aswell as in the day of thy health in the day of thy want aswell as in the day of thy aboundance in the day of desolation aswel as in the day of consolation in the day of adversitie aswel as in the day of prosperitie What great matter is it saieth holy AUGUSTINE upon this place that thou blesses God in thy joyfull day when all things flow to thee according to thy heart What if a sorrowfull and melancholious day appeare will thou not blesse him then also If thou will not thou did not truly say Every day will I blesse thee How many and how grievous evils came upon Iob and that how suddenlie yet did hee not intermitt the praising of God in that his most sorrowfull day When all the evill tydings had come unto him hee worshiped and said The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord. Thus ought we all to do and the reasons are manifest For first If God be thy God then thy heart is upon him thou places in him thy soveraigne good which is to be found in him alone Now no crosse or trouble can bereave thee of him unlesse thou thy self forsake him Iob his hudge wealth was taken away and his children for whom he keeped it were taken away but God who gave the one and the other and was able to restore that and infinitly more could not be taken from him Thus the day of worldlie sorrow cannot take our God from us and so we have the ground and matter of our true and chief joy and consequently have reason still to blesse him 2. Whatsomever God doeth to his own he doeth it for the best He maketh all their sorrows and troubles to work for their good yea oftentimes promoveth their good by sicknesse want adversitie more then it should have been advanced by health aboundance prosperity LAZAR us sores poverty wer more profitable to him then all the wealth dainties of the Rich-man were to him Both found it to be so in end when the Rich-man was laid in flames of fire was faine to beg one drop of water which yet he could not have and when Lazarus was carried by the angels into the bosome of ABRAHAM Wee may not judge of these outward evils by our own sense but by the word wisdome goodnes and power of God which maketh them all to serve to our good Now if it be so we have reason in the midst of all our worldlie sorrowes to blesse and to praise the Name of our God Happy is he that can do so this is a most happy holy way by which a man may go through all the sorrows of this life to heaven rejoycing and exulting The Lord grant that we may so do
to the beholding of it but if we consider the occasion of this Song hee inviteth us to the beholding of it with a reference to the wofull and dolefull evils of Division when DAVID entered into his kingdom the kingdom of Israel was devided and there was a long and bloody warr betwixt Israel and Iud◠〈◊〉 end it pleased God to send a blessed Vnitie and Peace both In the Church State so that both DAVID the speaker they to whom he did speak had experience both of the good of unitie of the evill of Division wherby they had been brought almost to utter desolation Out of this experience he saieth Behold yee have tasted so long of the bitter fruits of Discord which hath made you that were brethren to hate persecute one another as cruell enemies behold now and see how inestâ—â—able is the benefit of Vnitie and how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in it Let us now see what it is which he commendeth and how he commendeth it That which hee commendeth is the dwelling of brethren together in Vnitie which also importeh the reason why this should be done as we shall heare To dwell together in Vnitie is not to dwell in one place The Vnitie he speaketh of is the unitie of brotherlie Concord wherby as the latine word importeth the hearts of men are knit together according to that Act. 4. 32. And the multitude of them that beleeved were of one heart and of one soule This Concord maketh a man not onlie to do that which another willeth but also to will that which he willeth and therefore presupponeth the union of mindes and judgements especiallie in things of importance and is grounded upon the will of God revealed to us into a true and perfect Concord So it is not true concord or unitie of hearts when fear imposeth a necessitie of obeying or when hatred malice envy are clocked with outward shewes of love Feare commandeth not this Concord neither can subtiltie of wit work it Temporall gaine cannot buy it neither can paper and inke keep it but the God of Love and Vnitie who hath commanded it giveth confirmeth preserveth and keepeth it They that have this Concord dwell together in unitie although they be in diverse places and have many bodies yet they have as it were but one heart and one soule Who aâ— they that should have this unitie Brethren All men in some sort are brethren being descended of this same first parents and partakers of this same nature but DAVID meaneth those who were more straitly tyed together as partakers of the same kingdom and countrey members of the same Church Those are brethren and there ought to be no division betwixt brethren Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and mee for wee are brethren said ABRAHAM to LOT Gen. 13. 8. Feare joy and sorrow should be common unto brethren and nothing more hatefull then that one brother should hate another rejoyce at his evill be grieved at his good or that he should cast him down and trample him under his feet So when he saieth brethren he not only sheweth who but also why wee should keep unitie amongst our selves even because wee are brethren Now wee have the thing commended The unitie and concord of brethren Let us see how he commendeth it How good and how pleasant is it saieth he It is not only good nor only pleasant but both good and pleasant Some things are good that are not pleasant as Travels repentance fasting Martyrdome and some things are pleasant that are not good as many sinfull actions but Concord and Peace are both good and pleasant Beside he saith not simplie that it is good pleasant but How good how pleasant to signifie the excellencie of goodnes and pleasure that is in it and therefore the seaventie Interpreters render it thus What is good and pleasant but that brethren dwell together in unitie First then It is good and so good that without it nothing is good and by it all necessar good is attained In naturall things everie thing is that which it is by union or unitie and by that same unitie is conserved in the being thereof and if it bee capable of further perfection is by that unitie strengthned till it attaine to that perfection which is due unto it Nay further the blessednes of God himself consisteth in unitie wherby he is present to himself and whereby he hath all his divine perfections most straitly and unseparablie united In like manner the Wel-being of all Societies civill or ecclesiasticall dependeth froÌ„ their unitie When the Christian Church was first planted it consisted of a small number but being of one heart and of one soul did soone spread it self throughout the whole world When Rome was first founded it was scarse two myles of compasse but by unitie warrlike vertue it came to pass that in the time of Aurelian the Emperour it had the compasse of fiftie myles and the dominion of the world almost By concord small things grow to an hight and so it is good profitable but by discord and division all things even the greatest things declyne from their pryme estate and are weakned diminished and in end perish If the members of the body should rise up one against another if the right hand should cutt off the left if the fingers should pull out the eyes if one member should draw the nourishment from another the body could not stand even so no house nor city nor kingdome nor church divided against it self can stand Secondly As the unitie of brethren is good so it is pleasant beautifull That which maketh this World to bee a beautifull frame is the unitie that is in it So long as the heaven the ayre the sea and the earth every thing therin agree and do their own duties for which they were appointed calmly without perturbation it hath an incomparable beautie But if things should become confused and disordered nothing should bee more deformed so is it in respect of humane societie Nothing more beautifull and desirable then the unitie peace thereof and nothing more uglie and horrible then divisions and tuptures therein Hence it is that there is no man but he desireth peace As all men desireth to rejoyce so al desire to have peace saieth holy Augustine even Martiall men that have the sword in the one hand fire in the other they are seeking peace such a peace as they imagine to be right as the same Father observeth in the 19. of the city of God and 12 chap. In a word we desire it in our houses in our wives in our children in our friends and in all things wee wish to have peace It appeareth by a sermon of S. August upon the CXLVII psal That when hee had uttered these words of the Text Hee maketh peace in thy borderit The people at the
hearing of the name of Peace incontinently cryed out What maketh you to cry said that holy Father I haue said nothing on these words I have not yet expounded them and yet ye cryed out at the mentioning of peace This shewes that ye loved it and love it yee could not unlesse some way ye did see it and see it with the eyes of the body yee cannot but it hath an invisible beautie which ravissieth the heart when it is presented to it and what shall I say of it saieth he I cannot I am not able to expresse the goodnesse and the beautie of it so writting on this psal he saith that every man albeit he could not reade had this verse by heart Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Before we proceed Let us mark hence a lesson verie necessar for these times namlie that if all brethren should be so carefull to keep unitie as a thing most good and most pleasant then especiallie ought Christians so to do and Christians who are of the same religion They are called are most truly brethren they haue one Father to wit God they haue one mother the Church one Lord one faith one baptisme And therefore above all others should keep the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4. 3. Hence our Saviour before his death said to them A new coÌ„mandement I give unto you That ye love one another Hereby shall all men know that yea are my disciples if ye love one another Ioh. 13. 34. 35. and praying for them before his death he said Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Ioh. 17. 20. 21. To this effect he said unto them My peace I giue unto you my peace I leave with you Ioh. 14. 27. yea for this end he dyed that he might gather together in one the children of God that were dispersed So the blessed Apostles recommended nothing more then unitie and peace S. PAUL saieth 1. cor 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee all speak the same thing and there be no divisions among you but that yee be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement 2. cor 13. be of one minde live in peace the God of love peace shal be with you So Philip. 2. If there he therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies Fulfill yee my joy that ye may be like minded having the same love being of â—ue accord of one minde Accordingly all good Christians have ever thought the unitie and Peace of the Church to be a thing most precious and oâ— the contrar Schisme division to be most pernitious Brotherly love saieth TERTULL is the treasure of Christianâ— And in the 39. of his Apolog. he saieth That Christians in his time called themselves brethren and did beare such love one toward another that the Pagans astonished therwith used to say Behold how the Christians love one another are ready to die one for another So S. August upon this psal saieth That the ordinar salutation of Christians in his time was Thanks be to God and when the Donatists did laugh at this S. August asked at them If a Christian had not good reason to thank God when he did see his brother well with whom he was one in Christ On the contrar Schism or breach of Vnitie in the Church they highly condemned It is an hudge Cryme saieth Optatus Milivitanus and yee your selves cannot deny that it is an evill in the highest degree saieth he to the Donatists against whom hee was reasoning S. August in his first book against the Epistle of Parmenian chap. 4. calleth it A sacriledge that exceedeth all crimes and in his 2. book of Baptisme against the Donatists chap. 6. he saieth That they did heall men indeed of Infidelity Idolatrie but did wound them more deadly with Schism The punishment of Shism saith he was greater then of idolatrie for Korah Dathan and Abiram who made Schism among the people of God were swallowed up quick by the earth opening her mouth to receive them to carry them down quick to the pit S. Cyprian in his book of the unitie of the Church saieth That the blood of Martyrdome cannot expiat the sinne of Schism which sentence Chrisost on the 4. of the Ephes citeth approveth and with great vehemencie in other words ther condemneth this sin Euseb in the 6. book of his historie and 37. chap. reporteth a letter of S. Denys of Alexandria wherin he writteth to Novatus who then perturbed the peace of the Church wherin he saith That all incommodities should be suffered rather then the peace of the Church should be rent Nay saith he the 〈◊〉 that is suffered for hendring the Division of the church is no lesse yea in my judgement is greater then that which is suffered for 〈◊〉 sacrificing to an idol for in this saieth he a man profiteth but himself but in that he profiteth the whole Church Hence S. August so much praised that blessed Martyre S. Cyprian in his 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 against Donatists chap. 18 and in many other places for that he would not separate himself from the societie of other good Christians notwithstanding he differed from them in judgement anent the rebaptising of them who wer baptised by hereticks God saith he permitted him to fall into â—n errour that his pious humilitie might be known and might serve for a medicine both for that age and for posteritie If Cyprian saieth he being a Bishope of so great a Church as Carthage was and being a man of soâ—great learning eloquence cowrage worth every way bad separated himself how many had followed him how glorious a name had he purchased to himself among men there had been more Cyprianists then Donatists but hee was not a Child of perdition but a Child of peace Hee did not see the Trueth in that point but God permitted that that we might see in him that which was better then that Trueth even Charitie for that Trueth without Charitie would not have saved him but Charitie without that Truth obtained to him through the Mercie of God the Crowne of Martyrdome and so the cloud of errour which creeped in his bright soule was banished away by the brightnesse of his blood as it were shade for the love of Christ I proceed now to the following words It is as the precious oyntment upon the head c. Here by two excellent similituds the PROPHET sheweth the beautie goodnes of brotherly unitie and love The first is taken from the sacred oyntment that was poured on the high Priest at his consecration which
declared his Wrath against it by dreadfull judgements In this kinde we have a notable example in Eusebius his ecclesiastick Hist 6. book and 8. chapter There he reporteth that three wicked men had conspired against Narcissus Bishop of IERUSALEM in the time of the Emperour Severus who was a man of singular holinesse but somwhat severe These wicked persons fearing to bee censured by him accuse him of Vncleannesse to perswade men to beleeve them did use fearfull curses and impreeaâ—ions against themselves if they spake not the truth The first of them wished that he might be burnt The second wished that his body might rot be consumed The third wished that he might be blinde if it was not true which they spake Notwithstanding of all this the people were so perswaded of the holinesse of their Pastor that they beleeved them not And in the meane time ere it was long the judgement of God came upon these three The house of the first took fire and in it hee and his familie was burnt The second fell into a grievous disease which consumed his bodie away The third considering the vengance of God that had come upon his fellowes is brought to repentance confesseth publickly the whole matter shed tears so aboundantly then and afterwards that he lossed the sight of his eyes So the curse of every one of them fell upon themselves Thus we may perceive that the Apostle his cursing did much aggravate his sin Secondly the matter which he denied with oathes execrations was most great and important It was no lesse then his LORD and SAVIOVR even he to whom before he had said Lord whether shall we go from thee for thou hast the words of eternall life and we know and are sure that thou art the Christ the son of the living God Thirdly he who denied this was no mean person but a great and prime Apostle which aggravateth the offence it was Peter whose name Christ had changed and whom he had called Peter to signifie that the strength and firmnes of a rocke should be in him It was Peter who had been so familiar with his Lord had seen him worke so many miracles and had wrought miracles himself in his Name Peter who had been with him in mount Tabor had tasted there the heavenly joyes had heard this voice from heaven Thou art my well beloved son c. Peter to whom the Father had revealed this That Jesus was the son of the living God Math. 16. And to whom our Saviour said To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde upon earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven Fourthly In this his denial appeareth great pusillanimitie weaknes and distrust of God for at the first assault of a hand-maid and doore-keeper he denyed That he knew Christ Behold saieth holy AUGUSTINE The most firme pillartrembls whollie at one small blast of the aire Where now saieth he is thy former confidence and bold promises where now are these words I am ready to follow thee both to prison and to death Is this to follow thy Lord to deny that thou knowest him Is this to lay down thy life for him to deny him at the voice of a damsell for preserving thy life how strangely is thy voice changed now and yet thou art not brought unto publick thou art not presented yet before kings or governours thou art not yet put to the rocke or torture It is not a scribe or pharisee or priest or souldier or executioner that demandeth of thee but a woman a servant and a doore-keeper Thus we see there was in him exceeding great weaknes and feare Lastly There was a kinde of obstinacie in his sinne for he denyed and swore againe and againe and the third time There was betwixt his second and third deniall about the space of an houre wherein the had time to recollect his confounded thoughts and to call to minde what he hade done that he might have repented or at least might have eschewed a new sinne but notwithstanding of this he continued still unmindefull of Christ and what he had done Thus we see his sinne in many respects was grievous which we have discovered not for the reproach of that great and holy Apostle God forbid but that we may learne these uses from it Which the spirit of God would have us to learne which is the third point propounded by us The first use that we should make of this fall of the great Apostle is we may perceive clearly in it humane weaknes infirmitie how great it is and how little it should be trusted unto This great Apostle was by nature fervent and veâ—ement and had received many excellent graces and priviledges from Christ as we said before yet when he trusteth to much in himself and is for triall and humiliation left to himself he falleth and that most foullie He that assured himself of victory before the fight trembleth now before the sound of the trumpet he that should not have denied Christ although the sword had been at his throat denieth him now at the voice of a damsell The like we may see in DAVID who was a man according to the heart of God and yet fell both in adulterie murther This should teach us all humilitie feare and watch fulnes and to trust in nothing but in God and his Graceâ— S. Peter himself learned these things by his fall When our Lord after his resurrection asked him whether he did love him more then others did he did not preferre himself to any but was content to expresse his own sinceritie saying LORD thou knowest that I love thee So in his 1. epist 1. chap. He saieth That we are kept by the power of GOD through faith unto salvation and in the 5. chap. of that epist he giveth this exhortarion to all Be sober be vigilant for your enemie the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devoure Let us in like manner learne to be humble and to feare and watch If the strong pillars and mighty cedares be so shaken and so soone what may become of us who have scarce grace rooted in our hearts in the day of our temptation What is man without the Grace of God saieth holy AUGUSTINE in his 124. Sermon of time But that which Peter was when he denied his LORD yea suppose thou had never so much grace yet thou hast this treasure in an earthen vessell thou art like to a rich ship full of precious wares that is tossed in the sea and in danger to be swallowed with the waves or to dash upon the rocks Be not therefore high minded but feare Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Remember that S. PAUL hath said Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling And that he himself did beat his body down and kept it in
their mouths be filled with the gravel of it Thus ye see that it is not without cause that our blessed Saviour so earnestly desires us to beware of so deadly a pest If a physitiā should say to thee beware of such an herb it is poyson if thou but taste it thou art dead thou would take heed to beware of it Our heavenly Physitian whose skill cannot be deceived hath recommended to us most earnestly to beware of this weede of avarice which of it own accord springeth up in our hearts David was a man according to the heart of GOD and yet he prayes earnestly Incline mine heart to love thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse Let us therfore fear and beware of it if we love the health life of our souls which that ye may the better do we will proceed consider our Saviours reason which is For mans life consisteth not in the abundance of these things that he possesseth The chief reason that moveth men inordinatly to desire and covet riches is they think that when they have gotten an abundance of them they shall have a happy a joyfull life This our Saviour plainly contradicts stricking at the very root of avarice that the cause being taken away this pernicious effect may cease As if he would say It is not as men think that when they have abundance they shall live and live happily it is not so Mans life consisteth not c. The life of man is neither the longer nor the more joyfull because of the plenty of these things First The life of man is not the longer for this yea often it falleth out that it is thereby shortened Abundance often draweth men to drunkennesse leachery which cutteth away innumerable in the midst of their dayes It draweth men often to other grievous sinnes for which God in his justice often depriveth them of life 2. It maketh not the life more JOYFUL The loue of money saieth S. PAUL is the roote of all evill which while some have followed after they have erred from the faith and haue pierced themselves through with many sorrowes They that would be rich saieth he fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men into destruction and perdition As avarice bringeth forth the evil of many sinnes so the evill of many sorrowes God hath joyned these two together that the daughter may scourge the mother Hee hath so disposed that the covetous heart is the afflicter tormenter of it self Let the abundance of the covetous be what it will his covetousnes is a chaine whereby the Devill draggs him through the thornes of piercing cares through the snares of temptations through the down-fals of errour deadly sinne and remorse of conscience It maketh a man to losse the joyes of heaven and yet suffereth him not to enjoy the good of the earth so like Judas to be hanged as it were betwixt heaven and earth Achab Jezebel thought that Naboths vineyard would have made their life more happy but indeed it was the way to poison it It brought Achab violētlie to his graue and made the doggs to licke the blood of Jezebel Achan thought the Babylonish garment the two hundreth shekels of silver and the Wedge Iosh 7. would help to make a joyfull life but it made him to be stoned to death and all that he hade to be burnt with fire Ananias Saphrya thought that a keeping back of a part of their moneyes would have bettered their life but it brought them to a sudden and fearfull death The Two talents covered by Gehazi brought him to Leprosie instead of happinesse 2. King 5. Thus wee see that neither out life nor the joy of it dependeth from our meanes or plenty of them It is not by bread that man doth live but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of God It is the blessing of the Lord which both maketh rich addeth no sorrowes with it This shall appeare farre more cleare by the following Parable which out Saviour bringeth for this same purpose and therefore now wee come unto it And he spake unto them saying c. To confirme and clearc the former reason our Saviour bringeth a most divine Parable or Similitude because this may be more easily understood and firmely retained That which he teacheth by it is most necessary to all therefore he setteth it down most perfectly and after a manner most effectuall to perswade First yee have the outward and worldly estate of this Wretch 2. The disposition of his minde 3. Gods judgement upon him for his covetousnesse 4. Our Saviours application 1. His outward estate The field of a certaine Rich-man brought forth plentifully Behold here abundance of outward meanes The Field of this man brought him forth plenty of fruits according to his hearts desire Was hee the better or the more happy for this No but worse and more miserable as shall appeare by that which followeth It is demanded here by some of the Ancients considering this place Why God giveth abundance to such men whom he seeth will not use it aright and to whom it will be occasion of greater condemnation To this they answere first God does so out of his great goodnesse and bounty which is such That hee maketh his sun to shine upon the good and the bade and his raine to fall upon the just and the unjust And this his goodnesse doeth that he may draw them to repentance For he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but would have all to turne and live 2. He doeth this that his Justice may appeare the more clearly in their condemnation if they remaine obstinate in their impiety for in that They have despised all his long suffering and goodnesse which should have lead them to repentance appeareth that they are the cause of their own perdition and That they have treasured up wrath against themselves in the day of wrath and of the revelation of his righteous judgement 3. Wicked men have somtimes some good which God out of the immensitie of his equity will reward with temporall good things As he afflicteth often his own servants for some evils that are in them that being purged therefrom they may escape eternal punishment 4. That wee may know that these earthly things are not much to be esteemed or desired since God giveth them to his enemies to them that hate and blaspheme him Hade they the worth which many apprehend to be in them he would not do so He will not cast pearles before doggs and swine which he hath forbidden us Here by the way we may observe that we cannot judge of GODS Favour or want of it by the abundance or scarcity of these earthly things Many wicked abound in them and many of Gods deare servants are pinched yea often the wicked have greatest plenty this way It is well observed by Greg. That a physitian when he seeth the state
and be merry He thought upon nothing but upon this life and therefore he expecteth rest from bodily pleasures from eating drinking and solemne banquets wherein he thought to cheer himself and rejoyce for that is imported by the word used here There is an extremity of many rich-men who have abundance and yet have not grace to eat of it Ecclesiast 6. 2. This he thought to have eschewed but he falleth into another extremity of Epicurians What else would thou have said sayeth S. BASIL If thou shouldest had the soul of a swine whose soul serveth them but in flend of salt Two errours may be observed in these words 1. he thought his abundance of goods would give him abundance of bodily pleasure This was an errour pleasure often times accompanieth not that abundance it is marred often by sicknesse by many distempers of body minde They that have bur competency of means have often more joy in eating or druiking though their faire be course then they that swime in wealth They have a sauce better then that which the most exquisite cooks can devise namly hunger which seldome cometh to the table of the wealthy Hence craftsmen and the like have better health greater strength a sweeter relish of meat or drinks more quiet sleep and calmer minds then they that have greatest abundance To this purpose holy AUGUSTINE sayeth That health is the patrimony of poore men Secondly Put the case his pleasure in feasting had been as great as he imagined yet could it not give him and his soul the rest of happinesse That the like pleasures are but the good of the body and not of the soul Eating is but the solace of that misery which is in hunger and drinking of that misery which is in Thirst yet this pleasure is but a sauce as it wer wherby God hath appointed these actions necessary to conserve our life or kinde to be seasoned because otherwise we would have abhored them it is a good that is common to the beasts a good wherein if we be excessive it destroyeth the body effeminateth the minds overthroweth all vertue and draweth us headlong to all kinde of vice and leaveth behinde it a most bitter sting of remorse of conscience Hence it is manifest that such pleasures cannot give rest to the soul And yet would God there were not many christians who seek their rest and happines in these pleasures of their flesh All their travalls are for gaine their gaine is intended for this that they and theirs may eat drink and be merry these may have the name of christians but indeed Their bellie is their God their glorie is their shame and their end will be confusion This much of the inward disposition of this man The third maine point followeth which is GODS Judgement of him and Sentence against him But GOD said thou foole He spake but secretly and within himself yet his words were heard and examined in heaven and thence he getteth an answer wherein first God declareth him a foole Thou sayth S. BASIL shvorest nothing but the flesh are wholly given to thy belly and art a slave of thy base affections and therefore here a style worthy of thee which no man but GOD himself hath given thee THOV FOOLE Thus he is called by a kinde of mockrie derision which is no small part of the punishment of the wicked It breedeth them unspeakeable griefe to consider their own solly in contemning things heavenly for this earth and to see themselves so contemned by GOD. Hence The damned Wisdom 5. 3. brought to a sense of their folly shall grâ—an for anguish of their spirit and detaste their own folly Thou fool Many crimes might have been objected to this man He was impious and wicked for he acknowledged not that GOD had given him these goods He thanked not GOD for them not prayed to Him to give a blessing to them or to give himself grace to use them aright He was hard hearted and unmercifull for he intended not the relief of his poore bretheren He was unfaithfull for he thought to have keeped all to himself which was given to him also for the benefite of others he was base and an abject for he minded nothing but â—ating drinking and carnall pleasures yet God designed him by this name Thou foole Under this all his impieties may be comprehended and it directly crosseth that wherein he applauded himself most for he thought he had taken a wise course in providing so well for himself This he thought was wisdom but God whose Word must stand said in so doing he was a foole A fool because he thought that his life consisteth in his abundance A foole because he thought these things to have been the good of his soul a fool because he thought length of life a most certaine thing which was must uncertain A foole because he did not fot see and provide for these dangers which he might so easily fallen into but was securely ploting dreaming of felicity and in the mean time he was incontinent to bee hailed to judgement and tormant A foole because hee thought only of this temporall life and not of that which endureth for ever which he might have so easily provided for by giving aâ—mes of a part of his abundance and super fluety A foole because for the love of the things of this life he lost eternall life he lost his own soul which of all follies is the greatest For what can the whole world profite a man if he losse his own soul Let us marke this his folly that thence we may learne to be wise his folly principally consisted in this that he considered not his true finall end and therefore directed not his course aright to it True wifdome prudence therefore on the contrary fixeth the eye upon our last end and ordereth all things as is most convenient to obtaine it for the end is the rule of the means they must bee directed and squared according to it If you say what is this our last end I answer he who is our first beginning and author GOD. It is he that hath made us of his own bounty and according to his own Image and that for himself in an high degree He is the Center as it were and naturall plaine of our hearts as some Anoients speak As heavy bodies when moving down-ward can have no rest till they come to the Center even so our heart moved by the weight of affections findeth no repose till it obtaine GOD. O LORD Thou hast made us for thy self and our hearts are restles till they rest in thee It is not then to live after our own lusts for which we wer made It is not to seek after riches delights or honours that were to make our selves or the creature our last end whereas of God and for him are all things and in particular man is for this end that he may see GOD enjoy GOD and be
this Teaching of GOD this hearing and learning of the Father doeth not condemne the outward ministrie of preaching or deny the necessity of it ordinarly For our Lord himself at this time was preaching outwardly the word and S. PAUL accordingly Rom. 10. 17. tels us That faith is by hearing for which effect preaching is needfull and therefore he with the Prophet sayeth there how beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of them that bring glad tydings that bring glade tydings of good things Hence we reade in the 8. of the Acts that when it was the Will of God to convert the Ethiopian Eunuâ—h he miraculously sent Philip to him by an angell but he would not convert him by the Angell But you will say If man have any hand in this teaching Why is it called the teaching of God I Ans It is called so justly First Because the Word that is preached is not the word of man but the Word of God 2. Because man concurreth onely but outwardly as an instrument proposing the Word but it is God who worketh inwardly upon the soule he hath his Chayre in heaven that teacheth the heart without whose powerfull assistance all our words are but an empty sound as S. AUGUSTINE speaketh in his 3. Treatise upon the 1. Epist of S. John so writting on the same place he saieth God is the teacher of them that learne because that which is given and revealed within is from him Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that giveth the increase so neither is he that planteth nor he that watereth any thing but God who giveth the increase 1. Cor. 3. 7. So then our Saviour by commending the teaching of God the bearing learning from the Father doth not exclude the necessity of the out Ministry but sheweth the power and efficacie of God Who is the principall Agent But it may be some man will yet say If no more be imported here by this teaching of God then that which hath been said it would seeme that there should be no difference in this betwixt them who lived under the Old Testament and those who live now under the New Which difference is plainly intended both by our Saviour by the Prophet There would seem I say to be no difference because God concurreth with his word preached then also and it was he that did work faith and love in the hearts of men I Ans This is true yet notwithstanding there is a great difference for the teaching of God then ordinarly was limitate to one Nation whereas now it is offered to all the world throughout al the world al the Children of the church of the Faithful are made really partakers of it 2. The manner of teaching now is more excellent because the Revellation of God is more cleare and the Love of God more aboundantly poured into the hearts of men Whence the PROPHET Isaiah Chap. 11. 7. speaking of this time saith That the whol earth shal be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Now let us come to the Vses of this Doctrin First Wee may learne hence That we have no ground from this place to leane to private Revelations motions not warranted by the Word of God as if without the Meanes we might be taught by God and learne from him Some Phantastick persons in this last age have gone exceeding farre this way and by this mad conceat have stirred up horrible Confusions and have drawn many with themselves into perdition Farre be it from us to imagine any such thing God hath ordained meanes whereinto although he hath not tyed himself yet hath he tyed us to these meanes to wit his Word his Sacraments Prayer Meditation these ar as it were the conduits of his grace as it wer the veins by which we must search after the heavenly Wisdom If thou neglect the meanes thou but temptest God deceivest thine own soul And though the meanes seem to thy carnal minde base yet remember they are the Ordinances of God Nâ—aaman thought little of the the waters of Iordon he said The revers of Damascus were better thâ—n all the waters of Israel he disdained to go there and put off his clothes and waâ—h seven times in it at he was commanded but had he not used this meanâ— he had gone home as Leprous as he came forth Secondly Wee should consider That our Heart is deceatful and Sathan is subtill who can transforme himself into an Angel of light and make us beleeve that his Illusions and Fancies of our own hearts are the Inspirations of God when wee take not heed unto Gods word Many are deceived in this kind Some think their own Conceats to be the very light of God when indeed there is in them nothing but darknesse their carnal affections to bee the motions of Gods Spirit their wrath they think Zeale their pride courage c. And this deceat is commonly incident to proud and presumptuous men yea somtimes the saints of GOD are in some measure this way deceived and think the Indictment of their own spirit to proceed from God himself So we see Nathan being consulted by David concerning the building of the Temple said unto him Go and do all that is in â—hine heart for the Lord is with thee yet in the meane time the Lord had not said so as Gregory observeth For he appeared immediatly thereafter and forbade the Work albeit he approved the Intention Upon the other part men somtimes are so deceived in this kinde that they think that to bee but a Fancie of their own which is indeed the motion of the Spirit of God and so also it pleased God somtimes to exercise his own in time of temptations that they may be the more tryed and that they may grow in humility and other vertues These are like to the Disciples S. Mark 6. 49. who in the Tempest when they saw our LORD himself walking on the waters they thought it was but a Ghost Thus somtimes we take evill for good and good for evill and therefore we must not seperate the inward Word from the outward Wee must not beleeve every spirit but wee must try the spirits if they be of God Wee ought to try them by the Word of God and should have our recourse diligently to them to whom the dispensation of the Word is committed who should be more skillfull in discerning of the spirits according to Gods Word which is committed unto them To conclude this point then we ought not to despise the outward meant but should highly esteeme of them and should greatly praise GOD for the occasion which we have of them We have particular reason of thankfullnes in this respect There is no Nation under heaven with which GOD hath dealt more bountifully in this kinde then with us who live in these three NATION ES. No Nation hath the Gospell in greater plenty and purity No Nation
omnipotent as the Father is Infinite in Majesty Wisdom Goodnesse Power c. How can they I say but admire to see him demitt himself so farre for us and to us As man also he offereth himself to be seen by us spiritually Here we may see him and should look upon him as he suffered and was crucified for us Here thou may see his Head crowned with thornes which should have been and now is crowned with Glory His Face spitted on and busseteâ—â— which should have shined and doeth shine with the beams of heavenly Light His Hands and Feet pierced and in a word all wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and now giving his Body that was broken and his Blood that was shed as the food of our souls unto eternall life O what a wonderfull and sweet sight is this what reverence and humility what love and thanksgiving should it raise up in us Dost thou see what thou receivest in these sacred mysteries and from whom and wilt thou who art but dust and ashes refuse to humble thy self in body and in soul or can thou consider his infinite Love to thee which made him to give himself for thee when thou was his enamie to exchange as it wer the Throne of his Glory with the ignominy of the crosse canst thou I say consider this and not be inflamed with love and breake out in thanksgiving Secondly He speaketh to us in these sacred mysteries most sweet and comfortable words which we should heare and answer unto He sayeth I am the bread of life c. that we may answer LORD evermore give us this bread He sayeth I am the water of life that we may answer LORD give us of this water that we thrist not againe He sayth This is my Body which is broken for you This is my Blood which was shed for you he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him that we may answer Whence is it that our LORD cometh to us O LORD we are unworthy that thou should enter under the rooffe of our unclean souls but let it be unto thy servants according to thy word Here he reacheth us as it were from his crosse all the precepts of divine vertue He sayeth Learne of me for I am meek and lowly in heart I humbled my self and became obedient to the death of the crosse when I was stricken I revenged not I gave my life for mine enemies I prayed for them in my greatest distres I cleaved most firmly unto God thus he speaketh unto us and we should devotly answer him But the time is spent and therefore I forbeare to proceed further The LORD imprint these things in our hearts that for the merits of Christ to whom c. A SERMON UPON the II. of the CORINTH chap. VII Vers 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvatiâ—â— not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death THe holy Apostle in the former words speaketh of the effect of his former Epistle unto the Corinthians wherein he had rebuked them for not censuring the incestuous person that was among them of whom ye may reade in the 5. chap. of that â—repist This his reprooffe of them had grieved them made them sorrowful but he tels them that if it could have been he wished not their sorrow If it might have stood with their wel-being he would have been glad that thy had not been sorrowfull at all Yet in the mean time he declareth that this their sorrow which his epistle had wrought in them was matter of joy unto him not for that they were grieved but because they had sorrowed in a Godly manner and that unto repentance unto the Glory of God and good of their own souls He confirmeth this particularly by the generall doctrinâ— of the fruit of Godly Sorrow in the place that I have read For Godly Sorrow sayeth he worketh repentance c. Here he commendeth Godly Sorrow of which nature that was which his epistle wrought in the Corinthians first The very name he giveth it containeth an argument of commendation for the Sorrow which he speaketh of is a Godly Sorrow or a Sorrow according to GOD. 2. He commendeth it from the fruit of it it is such a Sorrow as worketh repentance even a repentance that is never to be repented of because it is unto salvation 3. He commendeth it by opposing the contrary Sorrow namly the Sorrow of this world which worketh death That we may proceed the more clearly we shall beginne at this last point The Sorrow of this world sayeth he worketh death He opposeth as yee see two kinds of Sorrowes the one to the other the Sorrow which is according to God and the sorrow of this world The sorrow of the good Corinthians had this good in it that it was not a sorrow of this world which is no matter of joy for it worketh death All sorrow presupposeth love for no man sorroweth but for the losse or want of that which he loveth therefore where this worldly sorrow is there is also a love of this world Such is the sorrow that men have for the losse of worldly things wealth honours delights or friends If their heart and love be set upon these things they foolishly and without the feare of God rejoyce in them when they have them and being drunke with that transitory happines they seek for no more On the contraâ—y when they losse or want them their hearts are cast down and they are pressed down with Sorrow inordinatly Such a Sorrow the Apostle recommendeth not nay he dehorteth from it for it worketh death This Sorrow can do no good When a man hath lost his riches if he sorrow for that this sorrow will not restore his wealth to him againe If a man hath lost his honour the sorrow which hee hath for that will not recover it againe If hee hath lost his friends or children should he mourne never so much for them his sorrow will not bring them to life againe So this sorrow can do no good yea on the contrary it doth great harme it worketh death It maketh the way to bodily death especially when it is inordinate The heavines of the spirit dryeth up the bones saieth SOLOMON Proverb 17. 22. Sorrow hath killed many and there is no profite in it saieth the WISE-MAN Ecclestast Chap. 30. 23. And which is worst of all this sorrow leadeth to eternall death For God is offended with it it stirreth up a man to do many things wherat God is offended and maketh a man guilty of eternal death so this sorrow is no matter of joy but the sorrow that was in the Corinthians and which ought to be in us all was of another kinde It was a Godly sorrow or a sorrow according to God For better understanding of this Consider first That this sorrow which is according to God is such a sorrow as a man