can be no fit obiect for compassion which is the next point of the Text. Touching which compassion we are here taught that it is a restoring of a Penitent in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arl. Eth. lib. 4. cap. 5. and a meeke man is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle doth not forbid Anger but commendeth indulgence there is a rod and a spirit of meekenesse that for the impenitent but for the penitent this And certainly without meekenesse there is little good to be done with Penitents for generosus est hominis animus magis ducitur quà m trahitur especially in reformation of the inward man where not so much coaction as perswasion preuaileth therefore if any thing will win the wayward it is meeknesse so thought St AMBROSH Tolle hominem a contentione audacia et habebis eum subiectum by meeknesse the prince of this world is soonest ouerthrowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is likely to recouer a patient soonest that handleth him gentlest Now if it be so in reclayming of a sinner that meekenesse is so requisite how requisite is it in dealing with a penitent sinner If St BERNARDS practise be commendable in iudging of sinne either to excuse the fact or say the temptation was verie strong how tenderly must we respect the humiliation of a sinner And take heed of a pharisaicall pride which satiateth its owne vncharitablenesse vnder pretext of censure and proceedeth contrarie to GODS rule vltra rather then citra condignum with the most when it should be with the least St PAVL did remember and so should we all that we are the seruants of that GOD which desireth not the death of a sinner Members of that SAVIOVR which will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flaxe Finally Temples of that Holy Ghost which is tearmed in my Text the Spirit of Meekenesse And indeed this vertue is a graffe not of nature but of grace and it argueth the Spirit dwelleth in vs when such fruit springeth from vs. Yea our whole soule must become meekenesse and this vertue must take vp euerie power thereof For such phrases are emphaticall and note not onely the originall but the extent of a vertue it doth argue that the whole inward man should be seasoned with it and concurre to the acting of it But the Spirit of Meekenesse must not be seuered from restoring for compassion should not cherish sinne but rectifie a sinner otherwise it is curdelis misericordia it is as if you should take a man that with a fall hath broken a ioynt and lay him downe vpon a soft bed but not take care to set his ioynts this were to leaue him in perpetuall torture or at least a maymed creature the righteous must smite but their stripes must be a precious balme the Church must censure but it must be for correction not destruction a sinner must be restored to that from which he is fallen It is an error long since condemned in the Nonatians who thought that the Church had no power to restore belieuing Penitents to restore them to that state wherein they were before their fall the very words vsed in my Text refuteth them which comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying compleate and perfect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuper sheweth that it signifieth a perfect restitution vnto that which the person was before The fall did disgrace and disable so the restoring must recouer inwardly and outwardly inwardly in the peace of conscience and new strength to resist sinne outwardly in the Communion of Saints and the participation of sacred things and charitable society in the course of life In regard of all these the person must be as if he had neuer fallen Finally this restoring in the Spirit of Meekenesse must be without respect of persons and without exception of faults so saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he be a man that hath fallen Happily we can be contented to shew meekenesse to our kinred our friends not to strangers with whom we haue no such acquaintance But we must exclude none that may be ouertaken and any may be ouertaken that is a man Saint AVSTIN and other of the Fathers worke vpon the name man and shew that implyeth frailtie according to the Prouerbe Gen. 6.9 Humanum est errare and indeed the Scripture is cleare for it the frame of the imaginations of the heart of man is euill and that from his youth continually As we may exclude no person so must we except against no sinne If a man be ouertaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any kind of sinne our bowels must not be straighter then Christs merits what his blood hath cleansed the Church may not hold vnpardonable therefore ouer great austerie was well condemned in the Councell of Nice which left power in the Bishops vpon iust cause to mittigate the penance which was enioyned by Canons with great seueritie to the terror of the wicked You haue heard what compassion must be shewed the Text moreouer teacheth who must shew it and vpon what ground Touching the partie that must shew it St HIEROME hath a good rule on this Text Homo potest se in voraginem perditionis conijcere non potest sine auxilio se eripere we may cause our owne ruine of our selues but vnto our restitution we need the helpes of others of others amongst whom we must acknowledge an Agent and the Instruments the chiefe Agent is GOD he onely blotteth out all our offences as himselfe speaketh in ESAY and it is He that healeth all our infirmities Ps 103. yet he is pleased to vse means or instruments and they are of two sorts medium impetrationis and medium operationis that is the Church offended this is the Minister In publike scandals GOD ouer and aboue the teares and sighes of the penitent will haue the whole Church to mediate and deprecate his wrath and he will haue the Minister spondere veniam to promise pardon and absolue in his name so that this Text implyeth a power which GOD hath giuen both the Pastor and People inabling each in his order to forgiue sinnes according as we are taught Math. 18. But marke here the words whereby these persons are described least they be proud and suppose their compassion to be arbitrarie which they may shew or withhold at their pleasure they are taught the contrarie by their names which testifie that it is necessarie for them to shew compassion The first name is Brethren Esay 58.7 this name implyeth an argument of compassion for a man may not turne away his eyes from his owne flesh this is true if he were but a naturall man but the spirituall cognation is greater and therefore bindeth more strongly by how much we owe more regard to our supernaturall then to our naturall Father Adde hereunto that their is no shew no pretence of
not to them or stoppes their eares that they heare it not But this doeth rather suspend the worke then alter the nature of their Conscience it doeth not make it a not-condemning Conscience of a condemning one How many theiues and murderers are very frolicke not only when they act their wickednesse but when they are in the Gaile when they are brought to the Barre yea when they are casting off the Gallowes But wise men that see them in this humour censure it for vnreasonable stupiditie and desperatenesse they hold it not to be comfortable securitie No more is that which wee see in sinners who while they drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse haue stonie hearts and brasen foreheads If in the dayes of grace wee make vnto our selues the dayes of Iudgement and sift our selues vnpartially according vnto GODS word before we bee tried at GODS Barre and finde our selues discharged with a not guiltie and an Euge Serue bone well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters ioy this is indeed a not-condemning Conscience The second Rocke is that many confound a tender Conscience with a guiltie Conscience and plod more vpon the Heart of a man then they doe vpon the Heart of a Christian man they consider not the prerogatiue that the Elect haue by being in CHRIST into whom when they were ingrafted they were iustified from all sinne So that though afterwards they may become damnable through their fall yet damned they cannot be because their repentance and saith cannot bee in vaine neither must they measure the trueth of their state by their sense GOD is pleased often times to humble his children by suspending the sense of their state but he doeth not alter their state because his guifts are without Repentance and vpon their teares sighes and prayers wherewith GOD is pleased to be importuned he restoreth vnto them the sense of their state againe their eyes are opened to see that their obligation is cancelled and the booke crost wherein all their debtes were entred and that the blood of Christ hath cleansed them from all sinne You haue heard many things concerning Conscience all which though they bee of good regard yet they containe not all that which wee must heede For the worke of Conscience is rather Praeiudicium then Iudicium it is but a reall Prophecie informing vs how GOD will hereafter deale with vs. Therefore Saint Iohn carrieth our thoughts from our Hearts vnto God and will haue vs expect from GOD what wee finde in our owne Hearts And indeed our Heart is nothing else but GODS Apostle whose message is the Iudgement to come St. Ieromes Trumpet that sounded still in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium Besides our inward we haue an outward Iudge besides the present there is a future Iudgement And verily it is a wonder that any man should doubt of a future Iudgement that hath a Conscience seeing the vse of the Conscience is to forewarne vs of it the Iudgement in our bosome must bee vnto vs a Remembrancer of another Iudgement that is to come and wee must the rather be mooued with the former because of the reference it hath vnto the latter Reference nay Resemblance which is more for in the present Iudgement wee haue a liuely representation of the Iudgement to come GOD will deale with vs no otherwise then our Heart doâ—th the Iury at his Barre will exhibite no other presentment neither shall wee heare any other Sentence from that Iudge the Booke of GODS Prouidence will agree with the Booke of our Conscience and the Doome of our Conscience shall be ratified by GODS Doome And this representatiue qualitie that is in our Conscience must make vs the more to regard the absolute qualitie thereof For though it bee much to feele the force of Conscience without this Reference yet is it much more if the Reference bee included in our feeling thereof it will make vs more carefull to prepare our selues for GOD when wee are remembred so to doe by our owne Heart God then and our Heart agree in one worke their worke is like Like it is but not equall you may perceiue it in St. Iohns Inference that hee maketh according to the difference of the worke of Conscience One worke of the Conscience is to condemne thereupon St. Iohn maketh an Inference If our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things Wherein appeares a double inequalitie The first is of Authoritie Our Heart is great it is King in this little world of ours for it doeth season all that commeth from vs our workes are good or euill so farre as our Conscience is a partie to them they are good if she be good and if she be euill they are euill The inclination of the Heart is the inclination of the whole man so that no power of the soule or part of the body will hold backe if our Heart or Conscience doe set forward Our Heart then is great great within the Spheare of this little World But God is greater then our Heart who commandeth both ours and the great World GOD is said to be greater not so much in regard of his Eminencie aboue vs as his Soueraignetie ouer vs in which sense the Psalme saith that our God is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods And indeed Power belongeth onely vnto him Creatuâ—es are tearmed Powers rather Propter Ministerium then Dominium they can doe nothing beyond the influence they haue from GOD But GODS power is absolute and the Sentence hee pronounceth vnresistable whereas he can checke the sentence which our Heart pronounceth But to fit this point of Gods power to that which wee said before of the power of our Heart GODS power doeth season all the afflictions that come vpon vs and the apprehension that they come from him maketh them much more grieuous then they would be in themselues Secondly if GOD bee bent against vs no creature will stand for vs. You see wherein standeth the first inequalitie betweene GOD and our Heart The second Inequalitie standeth in Omnisciencie It is true that our Heart knoweth much 1 Corinth 2. and as the Apostle saith No man knoweth the things in man but the Spirit of man But that is as true which Salomon saith Prou. 20. The spirit of man is as the candle of the Lord searching the inward parts of man it is but a Candle and that is a dimme light a Candle of the Lord and that is a Ministeriall light Two wayes is our knowledge dimme through Ignâ—rance and Selfe-loue Ignorance is the cause that we cannot know our selues if wee would Selfe-loue is the cause that we will not know our selues so well as we can therefore Dauid prayed and wee must pray Ab occultis munda me domine O Lord cleanse me from my secret faults As for GOD his eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Eccles 23. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme of
breaking vp the fallow ground of our hearts Ier. 4.3 Hosea 10.12 that they may bee sowen Now you know that they that breake vp their grounds vse the Plough and the Harrow the Plough turneth vp the ground in great clods that is the first breaking of it then commeth the Harrow and turneth those clods into dust that is the second breaking of it and so these two breakings represent corporally what you must spiritually obserue in a broken and contrite heart The very same may fitly bee represented by the second resemblance that is taken from Masonry the Scripture doth often tell vs that sinners haue stony hearts and therefore they must be broken that they may be made fleshy hearts as tender and soft as flesh Now you know that when a Mason or Plaisterer will worke a rough stone into all kinde of shapes at his pleasure he first breaketh him being calcined or otherwise prepared all to pieces and then those pieces he poundeth into dust then that dust with liquor he can worke into a soft substance which will receiue any shape according to the fancy of the Plaisterer Euen so must the Heart and Spirit of a man be hammered by Gods Word Ierem. 23.9 broken and broken againe that so it may be made plyable vnto the wil of God These be faire resemblances and I might insist vpon them and by them illustrate the humiliation of a sinner but I choose rather the resemblance that offereth it selfe in my Text and that is contained in the word Sacrifices In the Temple or Tabernacle there were two Altars one of burnt sacrifice another of Incense the sacrifice of either will fit our purpose That of incense Exod. 30. where God telleth expresly of what spices the perfume should be made he addeth these wordes thou shalt beate some of it very small and put it before the testimony in the Tabernacle of the congregation where I will meete with thee The resemblance is very fit But it is fitter if we take it from the other Altar and indeed it is fit we take it thence for though my text be true of all morall seruice God requireth it God delighteth in it as might bee shewed at large if the time would permit and it were to my purpose yet now haue I to doe with no more then concerneth King Dauids case the reconciliation of a Penitent so much morall worship as answereth to burnt offering and sacrifice whereof you heard in the verse going before now they did belong to the Altar of burnt offerings wherefore there will wee seâ—ke and wee shall find our resemblance For the sacrifices were first cut in pieces that was their breaking secondly being so broken they were burnt into ashes that was a contrition of them a contrition and a breaking which doth most liuely represent the breaking and contrition required in Repentance Looke backe vpon them The Priest that did cut the sacrifice in pieces did as the Iewish Rituals obserue not mangle but ioynt the parts and what should wee doe in our Repentance but orderly take asunder and in our meditations view apart the seuerall powers that are in our soule and not mingle the vnderstanding and the will but seeing each hath his owne defects we must feelingly consider the seuerall defects that are in each power And this is the breaking of the Heart and the Spirit But the parts of the Sacrifice were not onely broken but they were brought to the fire and there they were burnt to ashes and it is not enough for vs in grosse to obserue the defects of the seuerall powers that are in our soule we shall find them intricate and a very Labyrinth wee must hunt out euery lurking sinne and euery particle must beare a part in this humiliation the fire of spirituall affliction must pierce euen vnto the least iot of that which doth partake of corruption otherwise our Heart and Spirit are not as they ought broken and contrite Saint Ambrose conceiueth that these words are meant of Christ And indeed he that doth but read the 53. of Esay which is often alleadged by the Apostles especially Saint Peter shall finde that Christ had a broken and contrite Heart and Spirit indeed the Euangelists doe expresse it in significant words Luke 22 44. Math. 26.38 Mark 14.33 hee was in an agony his soule was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on euery side encompassed with heauinesse euen vnto death he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be euen astonished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to become euen heartlesse the Sacrament what is it but a representation of the humiliation of our Sauiour Christ not in conscience of his owne sinne but for expiation of our pride was Christ pleased to be humbled not onely in body but in soule also And to him must we be conformed for he is the best patterne of a broken and contrite Spirit But marke in these words broken and contrite that euery kind of concussion is not a poenitentiall humiliation Iam 2.19 for the Diuels they feare and tremble when they remember in what case they stand Act. 24.25 and so did Felix tremble when Saint Paul preached of the iudgement to come and how was Pharaoh shaken when he was vnder the plagues of Egypt Daniel 5. Baltazar quiuered and his knees smote together when he saw the hand-writing but their hearts and spirits were made of tough mettall not one of them brake or was contrite but after Gods hand was off they continued whole and wholly the same persons And so if wee doe and it is too common for vs to doe so crie we out neuer so much I haue sinned and God be mercifull vnto me in our danger be it what it may be wee are not humbled as the morall seruice of God requireth As we wound our soules so must we be contented to search those wounds and least they fester Ier. 23.9 Habak 3 16. search them to the bottome we must be contented as throughly to grieue for sinne as to take delight therein But a little farther to wade into this point There are two kinds of Griefe that the Schooles speake of Appretiativus and Intensivus they apply it somwhat vntowardly but here wee may make a good vse of it for our spirituall humiliation must testistifie first at what rate wee doe set the fauour of God and hauing no better thing to wreck our displeasure vpon for the losse therof then our Heart and Spirit we vse them so roughly and choose them for the subiect of humiliation Secondly the breaking and contrition of heart and spirit doe shew that our sorrow is as intensiue as it is appretiatiue as the thing is most deare vnto vs which we afflict so there can be no deeper wounds giuen then those wherwith we afflict it But sorrow is not enough vnto humiliation there are two other things that must goe therewith and are very clearly insinuated in this manner of breaking and contriting our Heart The first is
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
perfection of that Loue wherewith wee must loue the Lord our God secondly the degree of that perfection wherhence will arise a third point and that is the iust reason why this first Commandement is called great I begin with the perfection In the question of vertue Diuines require a double perfection one partium the other graduum there is a perfection of the parts in man which must bee seasoned with the virtue and the vertue in those parts must arise vnto it's full pitch This Text requireth both these perfections in Charitie the perfection of the parts of man are intimated in the enumeration of the heart minde soule strength vnto these all our inward and outward abilities may bee reduced so that there is no power nor part of man that must not bee qualified with the loue of God But of this perfection I haue spoken when I shewed you the Seat of Loue I made it plaine vnto you that there was to be in our Charitie a perfection of parts That with which wee haue now to doe is the perfection of degrees the Text will tell vs that it is not enough for euery of those parts to haue the loue of God in them they must also be wholy taken vp therewith and this perfection is noted by the word All which is added to Heart Minde Soule Strength Let vs come then to it A Commandement is the sooner admitted if the reasonablenesse of the ground thereof be first discouered I will therefore first discouer the ground vpon the reasonablesse whereof this great Measure is required The ground is twofold there is one in God and another in Vs. The ground that is found in God is taken from the preface of this Text as Moses hath deliuered it and Saint Marke hath repeated it the preface is Hearken O Israel the Lord thy God is but One but One therefore the intire Obiect of our Loue he will not giue this his glorie vnto any other neither will he indure any Corriuall herein the beginning the middle and the end of this Obiect is only He that is Alpha and Omega first and last Had we many Lord-Gods then might wee haue many obiects of our Loue the Obiect can no more bee multipliced then he can Take all the parts of his Title asunder and you shall sind Onenes and Intirenes therein He is first called Lord which importeth the fountaine of Being and Goodnesse which doth accompanie the same Now there is no other fountaine but He for as he is that which he is so are are all things of him yea and in him also no one shareth with him herein As he is the only fountaine of Being of all being so is he of Goodnesse Math. 1◠17. of whatsoeuer thing is good Our Sauiour telleth vs there is none good but he and Moses that all which he made and he made all was exceeding good Gen. 1. Euery good and perfect gift commeth from him and if from him then it is in him be it honestum iucundum or vtile so that we can seeke nothing without him Iames 1.17 which wee may not find in him and find it much more eminently Neither can we forsake any thing for him but in hauing him wee shall haue more then an abundant amends for as he is One so he is All Aug. Manual cap. 33. all good is contained in this One Lord bonorum totum totaliter diligendum wee can doe no lesse then bee wholy his that doth vouchsafe to be wholy ours As for the name God which I told you importeth the three Persons what euery one is called that he is Only and Graciously Call no man Father on earth saith Christ for you haue but one Father euen your Father which is in Heauen Math. 23 9. and he is a most louing Father no such tender bowels to bee found no not in most naturall and indulgent Parents As for the second person which is God the Sonne he is Vnicus Vnicè dilectus an only Sonne only begotten most dearely Beloued we can find no meanes of our being adopted being accepted but in him and by him Iesus is not diuided how often doth hee proclaime it in Isay Beside mee there is no Sauiour Isey 43. neither is Christ diuided he is the only Prophet that can acquaint vs with the counsels of God the only Priest whose sacrifice can pacifie God finally the only King that can subdue all the enemies of the Church and make it partaker of his Kingdome Neither is the third person lesse Vnus Omnia the Apostle telleth vs that there is but one Spirit and he deriueth all graces from him 1. Cor 11. be they graces of Adoption or graces of edification hee worketh all and hee workes in all he is our Leader our Comforter our Sanctifier our Supporter Ours I say for which is the last note in the name whether it bee Lord or God that is One they are that which they are vnto vs vnto vs haue they appropriated their Onenesse for they are to no other what they are to the Church and the Church as heretofore I haue told you is meant by Thou and to the Church they communicate their All all the treasures of their common and seuerall Good so farre as the Church is capable thereof I suppose that if you haue well heeded what I haue said you will acknowledge that there is a faire ground in the Lord our God why hee should challenge all our loue Let vs come now and looke vpon our selues and see what ground thereof we can find there When the question was moued vnto Christ whether the Iewes ought to pay tribute vnto Caesar or not hee called for the Coine and asked whose image and superscription it bare and when they answered him Caesars he replyed Giue vnto Caesar those things which are Caesars but he addeth to our purpose that vpon the same ground they must giue vnto God those things which are Gods If the image and superscription were a iust ground why Coine should be paid vnto Caesar where Gods Image is found there is as good a reason that that should be rendred vnto him Now Gods Image is found in vs by Nature for we were made according to his Image so that all which we receiue from him we owe vnto him by the Law of Creation A second way is Gods Image in vs by Grace for our Regeneration is but a second Creation wherein we are reformed vnto that Image according to which God at first created vs. All then is due vnto God a second time by the Law of our Redemption so that whether we looke vpon our heart our minde our soule or strength it may well be demanded of vs Quid habes quod non accepisti What hast thou which thou hast not receiued and if we haue receiued it all the exaction is but reasonable Si totum exigit à te qui totum fecit refecit te surely Saint Paul thought so when he willeth
whose hands he knew he should haue no thankes for his labour So to confesse must needes be an ingenuous Confession And indeed such an ingenuous Confession doth well beseeme all in debates of Religion For it fals not out in them as it doth in the Games of Actiuitie wherein onely he that conquereth is crowned the conquered also shall haue his crowne in this case if being conuicted hee acknowledge and submit himselfe vnto the truth It were to bee wished that the World would imitate this Ingenuitie that God might forgiue vs our infirmities and giue vs grace to profit in the way of eternall life But the World is possest with a spirit of obstinacie so that men will not be perswaded though they bee perswaded nor conuicted when they are conuicted bee it in head or heart When wee deale with Papists or Anabaptists we haue too lamentable proofe hereof they carrie themselues like deafe Adders they stop their eares and will not heare the voyce of the Charmer charme he neuer so wisely But to leaue the absent and direct my speech to our selues that are present Are our Hearts better disposed then their Heads I would they were but experience teacheth that though our sinnes bee laid neuer so clearely before vs and Gods Law that condemnes them often applied close to our Conscience yet few there are that become sensible as Dauid was vpon Nathans reproofe or as the Niniuites were at the preaching of Ionas The want of this Ingenuitie is the cause why drunkards sweareas adulterers all wicked liuers notwithstanding all our instruction continue still like vnto themselues But let them take heed their obstinacie will one day cost them deare they will be put vnto a worse shame for perseuering in sinne Eccle 4 Aust Epist â—8 then euer their Repentance coulde bring vpon them You haue heard one branch of the Scribes Ingenuitie manifested in his acknowledgment of the truth when he heard it But hee doth not onely acknowledge but he doth iustifie it also hee sheweth that he is able soundly to confirme it And indeed this is compleate Ingenuitie when a man doth not onely yeeld when he hath nothing to say against the truth but also goeth farther and becomes an Aduocate thereof shewing the reason that moues him and may moue others to subscribe vnto it See how this Scribe doth it To loue God with all our heart saith he and our Neighbour as our selfe is better then all burnt offering and sacrifice Nothing could come in competition with Morall Law but the Ceremoniall giuing it then preeminence aboue the Ceremoniall he giues it absolute preeminence and so prooues Loue to be the great Commandement following herein the direction of God himselfe in Esay Osea Amos Cap. 1. Cap. 6. Cap. 5. Cap. 7. and Ieremie I haue handled this point vpon the fiftie one Psalme and therefore intend to passe by it at this time onely giuing you this rule whereby you may the better iudge of his proofe Charitie pleaseth God immediately of it selfe Sacrifices please not but in vertue of Charitie But marke how with this his Reason hee doth perstring his fellowes You know the Pharisees were for their Corban Irenie i. â— c. 323 and taught children to disobey and destitute their parents rather then not to performe their sacrifice which Doctrine of theirs this Scribe acknowledgeth to be most peruerse a fruit of couetousnesse Of whom we may learne this good lesson that we must not perfunctorily read the Scriptures but learne by them how to argue for them by knowing what is contained in them and weying what will follow vpon them Secondly marke that whereas this Questionist came as a Tempter he so profited by Christs answere that hee went away a commender of Christ which ingenuitie of his makes it probable that of himselfe hee was well disposed but carried away with ill companie of which sort no doubt but there are many in the Church of Rome many that rather follow the streame then their owne iudgement whose vnhappinesse it is to be so vnhappily yoked which must teach vs to take heed how we sort our selues with malicious aduersaries of the truth least wee become like vnto them at least be made instruments of theirs Finally obserue that Christ hath a greater conquest ouer the Pharisees then he had ouer either the Herodian or the Sadducee for he onely put them to silence so that it was left wholy to the Auditorie to iudge whether they were fully answered or no but the Scribe that thought to speed better is driuen to a harder straight hee is driuen to confesse and that before the people that Christ had answered the truth hee that thought to procure his disgrace is made the trumpet of his prayse and glorie so strangely doth God worke in the hearts and consciences of men according to that in the Psalme He receiued gifts for men euen for his enemies that the Lord God might dwell amongst them and to this purpose are his arrowes said to be verie sharpe and to pierce the hearts of the Kings enemies Psal 45. the preparation of the heart is of man but the answere of the tongue is of the Lord Baalam went to curse the Israelites God made him blesse them Saul went to take Dauid God made him prophesie of his succession the messengers went to take Christ but they returned with this commendations of him Neuer man spake as he speaketh Saul went to persecute the Christians of Damascus but on the way hee was so changed that when he came thither he preached the Gospell So doth the rage of man turne to Gods praise and the fiercenesse of their Spirits doth he refraine hee turneth Lyons into Lambes And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of the Scribes Ingenuitie I come now to Christs Clemencie the clemencie wherewith he entertained that Ingenuitie the Text saith first that he tooke notice of it he saw that he answered discreetly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is significant as one hauing a reasonable soule The proper obiect of our vnderstanding is Truth it is naturally carried thereunto and so is the will to Good the the naturall obiect thereof But these reasonable abilities are diuerted and peruerted by our sense and sensuall appetite which beset vs and which we are desirous to please Whereupon it followes that though men be reasonable creatures yet are their resolutions for the most part carnall so that it is no small commendation for a man to bee able to sequester in his consultations the better part from the worse and notwithstanding the solicitations of the worse to follow the direction and inclination of the better as did this Scribe And what he did Christ saw his piercing eye discerned not onely the words which he spake but the fountaine also from whence they sprang otherwise he would not haue spared after his custome to haue told him plainely that hee was an hypocrite But Christ is so farre from blaming him that hee seemeth rather
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
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 if being a farre off his sight caused ioy being come so neare how much more ioy must the sight of him cause If the Type wrought so how must the Truth it selfe worke And if the Father of the Type were so affected ought not the Mother of the Truth to be affected much more Certainly she must needs haue Ioy. But what is Ioy Ioy is a pleasing euidence of the loue which we beare to any thing which we acknowledge to be good so that Ioy though it be but one thing yet it presupposeth two other things Knowledge and Loue as the rootes from whence it springs The first roote is Knowledge for where there is no Knowledge there can be no Ioy. Marke the great and the little world though each bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly frame inriched with many markable indowments yet is not the great world priuie to the indowments it hath no not the eye thereof I meane the summe of whom the Poet long since spake truely Per quem videt omnia mundus Et videt ipse nihil So that the passage in the 19. Psalme The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke c. is to bee vnderstood passiuely not actiuely or to speak it more plainly they do it as a Scripture but not as a Lecture they are a silent representation But the little world is not only passiue but actiue hee can contemplate whatsoeuer perfection is in himselfe or others it is the very nature of his vnderstanding to become all things and to beare about it selfe which it can studie at all times in it selfe a mappe of all the world Whether therefore we consider the great or the little world we may call each of them a booke but such a booke as to the reading whereof none is admitted vnder the degree of a man And herein consists the first excellency of the reasonable soule this is the first act wherein it ariseth higher than the vnreasonable man goeth beyond a beast in the knowledge of perfection and this knowledge is the first roote of Ioy. From hence springeth a second which is Loue. Knowledge is not vnfitly compared vnto a seale which is grauen not for it selfe but to set a print vpon the waxe and our heart is as waxe and easily receiues the impression of our knowledge Now the print which the knowledge of perfection leaueth in the heart is Loue according to the Greeke Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor transit in rem amatam knowne good cannot be long vnaffected because the heart is as transformable into all good as the vnderstanding into all truth the heart I say that hath his right temper and is capable of his proper obiect that obiect discerned must needs breed loue Loue which is Virtus vnieâ—s a Vertue which maketh a match betweene our soule and perfection for as Knowledge is the eye whereby the soule seeth it so is Loue the hand whereby it closeth with it Duaâ— ciuitates distingunt duo amores St. Austin So that Loue is the second act of the reasonable soule an act which distinguisheth betweene good and bad men and is the second roote of Ioy. When Knowledge and Loue haue done their part then commeth in the reasonable soules last worke and that is Ioy which is nothing else but the euidence of loue for where there is no loue there is no Ioy but we cannot but ioy in that which we loue for Ioy is the naturall fruit of loue and we cannot loue any thing but the heart will haue a pleasant feeling thereof This third act of the reasonable soule putteth a difference between happy and vnhappy men for Ioy is the vpshot of all our endeauours nothing can satisfie till wee come to it and he that hath it resteth therein We studie we loue both that we may Ioy but beyond ioy we cannot goe And this I thinke is the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so vsually receiued for the common salutation But wee may not onely consider the Nature but the Power of Ioy also great power for it is in the pleasure of Ioy how much we shall be capable of whatsoeuer good wee either know or loue the enlarging of our heart more or lesse is the act of Ioy and as much as wee ioy so much is our heart inlarged Marke then as is our Knowledge so is our Loue for we can loue no more than we know and as is our Loue so is our Ioy for Ioy is an effect of Loue but as is our Ioy so is our portion of good wee can receiue no more than our vessell will containe and the measure thereof depends from Ioy. To come now vnto the Angels words he calleth vpon the Virgin for this Affection the affection of Ioy what meaneth hee thereby Out of that you haue heard you may gather this he would haue her most sensible most capable of that diuine obiect which in his following words he presents vnto her And what the Angell commended vnto the Virgin giue me leaue Fathers and Brethren to commend vnto you Ioy. When we receiue the message of grace certainly it is Gods pleasure that we should reioyce in his blessings Lord saith Dauid lift thou vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Psalme 4. and what followeth That shall put more ioy into our hearts than they whose corne and wine is increased The want of this Ioy cost the Israelites deare Deut. 28. Because saith Moses thou seruest not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a chearfull heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and nakednesse and the need of all things Wherefore at all times Let our garments be white and let not oyle be wanting to our beads Eccles 9.8 whensoeuer the Lord doth answer the desire of our hearts O then be â—oyfull in the Lord serue the Lord with gladnesse and come before his tresence with a song for we forfeit Gods fauour if it bee not vnto vs the very ioy of our heart And no maruell for to want this affection in the midst of Gods mercies what doth it argue but that either wee want the Vnderstanding of men and discerne not our blessing or else want that Loue that should be in good men wherewith to imbrace the same or at least wee make not so much vse of Gods mercy as thereby to become happy men for happy men we are not without Ioy that affection that is here commended by the Angell And thus much of the Affection As for that Iowly obeyzance wherewith the Romanists say the Angell spake the word I thinke the mention thereof more vnworthy your learned eares than their superstitious pens that haue so childishly obserued it vnto vs. And therefore I passe from the Affection to the Motiues that must worke the same In vaine should the Angell call for the Affection except he proposed the Motiues for our affections stirre not but as
liues not by bread only saith Moses Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that goeth out of the mouth of God Gods word is the bread of life and it is that wherewith Pastors are trusted Neither may any man in the Church take vpon him the name of Pastor bee hee neuer so holy except God hath furnished him with some part of this prouision how should he be a guide that is blinde how should he be a steward that is not stockt But more particularly If a Pastors knowledge must bee food it is not enough if that which he preacheth be true hee must preach nothing but that which is profitable the Pulpet is neyther for curious nor idle questions St. Paul hath censured both and it were to bee wished that all Pastors of our Church were so discreete as they did not neede such a censure Secondly whereas of food some is wholesome and some is vnwholesome it is not enough for the Pastor to bring foode he must looke that it be wholesome food errours and heresies must be heeded and he must deliuer nothing for which he hath not good warrant he must feede the Israel of God with no Manna which comes not downe from heauen and they must drinke of no water but that which flowes from the spirituall rocke which rocke is Christ Young Students take vp much Diuinitie vpon trust but whom doe they trust promiscuous Authors both moderne and ancient they should be aduised in making their choyce and whomsoeuer they reade try before they trust try it at the touchstone of Gods word and weigh what is said in the scales of the Sanctuary which while they doe not they mistake them selues and misleade others Thirdly it is not enough that the foode be wholesome but it must be conuenient for there bee babes in Christ as well as strong men so that the Pastor must haue milke and strong meate and it is absurd to feede eyther men with milke or babes with strong meate each must be prouided for according to the power of his digestion And here appeares much indiscretion in those that fit not their matter to their auditors being more carefull eyther of their owne praise or ease of their paines than of their good to whom they speake In a word a Pastor must neyther starue nor bane nor neglect reasonably to satisfie his flocke and blessed is the seruant whom his master when hee comes shall finde so doing yea and blessed are the people for God hath giuen vnto them Pastors according to his owne heart Ier. 3. if they so feede with knowledge and vnderstanding But it is not enough that the Pastors deale so the people also must carry themselues answerably vnto him they must not only heare Doctorem but Pastorem they must not only be the wiser but the better for that he saith the knowledge which they doe treasure vp in their head must as good food bee digested also in their heart and as good foode if it nourish sheweth it selfe in the vigour of our body so good Lessons if they doe worke as they ought will shew themselues in our life and conuersation Finally as the degrees are partly extraordinary and partly ordinary so must the ordinary keepe correspondencie with the extraordinarie Ministers now are not Apostles yet they must bee Apostolicke they are not Prophets but they must bee Propheticall they are not Euangelists but they must be Euangelicall that is they must imitate them in doctrine and discipline And indeed what is a Doctor but a Prophet for both search out the true sense of the Scripture the one did it by reuelation the other must doe it by meditation And what is a Pastor but an Euangelist for both feede the flocke of Christ though both be not enabled thereunto by the same meanes And if the Euangelist and the Prophet doe share in the Apostolicke function then the Pastor and the Teacher comming so neare them must needs haue good cognation with the Apostles in the substance of their calling though not in the amplitude in that which they doe though not in the abilitie to doe it And as the extraordinary differ in degree euen so doe the ordinarie also and so haue they euer done in the Church the Bishops haue succeeded the Apostles though in a smaller modell yet in this that all orders are included in the sphere of their calling and as Euangelists and Prophets doe share in the Apostolicke function so Presbyters and Deacons haue some parts of that higher calling which is in a Bishop and they striue to bee wiser than the Holy Ghost that call for an equalitie the mother of confusion as if the same reasons did not still hold which moued the Apostles to subordinate Pastors All may no more now be trusted with gouernement than they might heretofore and schisme is a weede that will spring in all ages yea the latter times are the worser and therefore they more neede the remedie So that though the ground were onely humane which cannot bee proued the change of Ecclesiasticall policie will be very dangerous and others haue made so ill tryall of equalitie that wee shall doe well for to continue the inequalitie especially considering the Originall Ipse dedit Nazianzent inferreth Ne contradicas obserue and reuerence the distinction considering the Author and the Author is Christ. Leauing to speake further of the degrees I will now then come to speake of the originall Ipse dedit two words which yeeld two notes the person that giues He and the title of his Ordinance 1 Cor. 12. Acts 20. it is a Gift He the person is Christ It is true that the ordination of Ministers is ascribed sometimes to the first Person sometimes to the second and sometimes to the third And indeed seeing the ordination is by the gift of the Spirit all that can giue the Spirit may be reputed the originall of holy Orders this being a worke ad extra of those we must pronounce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery of the persons hath a hand in them Eccumenius In all such works we must acknowledge the Trinitie in Vnitie Vnitie in the action representing the vnitie of the essence of God and a Trinitie in the efficients representing a trinitie of the persons in God And indeed this mysterie of Trinitie in Vnitie the memoriall whereof wee solemnize this day cannot better bee studied than in the effects that giue vs a glimpse of it and of all effects none more comfortable than those of our Redemption and the meanes whereby wee are made partakers thereof wherein euery person is pleased to shew his loue to man But yet as in other workes so in this they keepe an order and that order the Greeke Fathers call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine Fathers dispensationem though with consent and concurrencie of the other two persons some one shewes himselfe principally in the worke In this worke the second Person He as head of the Church Master of the Assemblies and chiefe
into the lowest part of the earth not onely to the earth the lowest part of the world but euen to the lowest part of the earth for wee say in our Creed He descended into Hell he tooke his rising from the lowest place to ascend into the highest And herein doth Christ reade a good Lecture to vs hee teacheth vs that Humility is the way to glory and the more we are humbled the more wee shall be exalted Adam and Angels were both ambitious both did desire to climbe but they mistooke their rising and so in climbing tooke grieuous falls If wee would climbe without a fall wee must learne to climbe of Christ so shall wee bee sure to tread the steppes of Iacobs Ladder which from earth will reach as high as heauen I may not omit to obserue that the Apostle speakes significantly when hee saith that He that ascended is the same also that descended Non ascendit alius licet aliter Nestorius was condemned for an Hereticke who distracted Christs two natures and made of them two persons but as it is Gods truth so it is our great comfort that the person is but one and these are the workes of one and the selfe same person they both concerne the same person in the nature which hee tooke from vs Hee that was humbled is the same person that was exalted And so will God deale with vs crowne no other person than him that doth conflict and in the depth of our Humiliation euery one of vs may say with Iob Chapt. 19. Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God Non alius Sed aliter though the same person of Christ ascended which descended yet hee ascended otherwise than hee descended for hee descended Metaphysically ascended Physically hee descended not by changing of place but of state the Godhead that is infinite could change no place but it could exinnanite it selfe and become of a worse condition than it was But in the Ascension the person changed place the manhood remoued from earth to heauen hee that in his Incarnation being onely God became man in his Ascension went into heauen God and man hee that to make way to his passion suspended the influence of his Godhead into his Manhood did in his Ascension permit the one to indowe the other so far as a Creature was capable of the influence of his Creatour And wee shall ascend though not other men yet otherwise than wee descend wee descended morally but wee shall ascend physically in our descending wee put on other affections than before wee had wee exchange our naturall pride for Christian humility but in our Ascension wee shall change our place remoue out of this wildernesse into Canaan from earth to Heauen and the same God that is pleased here for a time to make vs sowe in teares will then yeeld vs a plentifull haruest which wee shall reape in ioy wee shall then see the fulnesse of his loue towards vs which too vsually wee misdeeme by reason of the Crosse which hardly can wee conceiue that it can stand with his good will towards vs Castigo te non quod odio habeam sed quod amem is a proposition more true than euident the combination is so strange that it is no wonder if we be hard of beleefe but God will then cleare it and we shall confesse we had no reason to discredit it One Note more and so an end Before you heard of Grace now you see that grace is a spoile a spoile taken from that enemy that tyrannized ouer vs and this is no small improuement of grace Before you heard that grace did fill vs but now you see that wee were captiues and the condition of captiues is to endure hunger nakednesse all kinde of miserie and how welcome is that grace that fils such empty persons Before you heard that this grace was a gift but here you finde that Christ payed dearely for it the more it cost him the more precious should it bee in our eyes What shall I say then to you but wish you to couple this third Sermon with the first that you may bee more feeling of the loue of God in Christ O Lord that wouldest descend before thou diddest ascend grant that wee may make our way through Humility to Glory giue vs grace to consummate thy Triumph by manfully resisting and conquering of Sathan Let vs not feare to tread on him whom thou hast disarmed yea enrich vs wee beseech thee with the spoyles which thou hast taken from him and make vs euer willing and deuout captiues of thine Let it neuer grieue vs to serue thee who hast so mercifully saued vs Let vs now ascend in heart whither we hope to ascend in place and so prepare vs on earth by a holy conuersation that wee may partake with Christ of a happy condition in the kingdome of Heauen Amen IHS A SERMON PREACHED IN WESTMINSTER BEfore his Matie the Lords and others of the vpper House of Parliament at the opening of the Fast Iulie 2. 1625. 1 KINGS cap. 8. vers 37 38 39 40. If there bee in the Land famine if there bee pestilence blasting mildew locust if there bee Caterpillers if the enemie besiege them in the Lund of their Cities Whatsoeuer plague whatsoeuer sickenesse there be What prayer and supplication soeuer bee made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know euery man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this House Then heare thou in Heauen thy dwelling place and forgiue and doe and giue to euery man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest For thou euen thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men That they may feare thee all the daies that they liue in the Land which thou gauest to our Fathers THese words are a Clause of that Prayer wherewith King Salomon did dedicate the Temple and expresse that vse thereof which commeth very neare our present case Our case is twofold we suffer from Gods wrath wee are suppliants to Gods mercy And lo two like cases are presented in these words the case of Sufferers verse 37. and in the three next verses the case of Suppliants But more distinctly to rip vp the Text We will consider therein first the manner of the deliuerie and secondly the matter that is deliuered The Manner it is a Prayer the words are conceiued in that forme In the Matter we shall see 1. Whom these words concerne and 2. Wherein they doe concerne them Those whom they concerne are the inhabitants of Canaan the children of Israel the People of God this you may gather out of the 37. and 38. Verses And they concerne them in two maine Points for they shew first that they may vnderlye the heauie hand of God secondly that they must then haue recourse vnto the Throne of Grace The heauie hand of God is here set downe first definitely it may afflict Israel eyther only in
their persons by famine and pestilence or onely in their possessions by blasting and mildew distempers of the Aire whose corruption breedeth also vermine to worke the same mischiefe Locusts and Caterpillers or ioyntly in their persons and possessions by the sword when the Enemie doth besiege them in the Land of their Cities Definitely thus is the heauy hand of God exprest It is exprest also indefinitely lest Israel should thinke that these bee all the instruments of Gods wrath Salomon addeth a more liberall phrase Whatsoeuer plague whatsoeuer sicknesse there may bee it may bee in the Land God hath many more waies to afflict Israel than are exprest This is Israels first case a bad one It hath another and a better When Israel doth vnderlye the heauy hand of God then must Israel haue recourse vnto the Throne of grace And here we will obserue first that God which sendeth calamities prouideth his Church of a remedie Secondly though the calamities bee many yet the remedie is but one the onely remedy of all calamities is penitent deuotion my text calleth it Prayer and Supplication Touching this deuotion we shall learne here the Performance and the Acceptance of it Vnto the Performance two Acts concurre one inward Penitents must know euery one the plague of his owne heart the other outward the Penitents deuotion must be attended with conuenient Ceremonies here are two specified the one of the hands they must bee strecht out the other of the eye that must looke towards the Temple of Salomon Thus must the deuotion be performed And it must be performed by euery Israelite in particular any man that will bee penitent must performe it so and all Israel must performe it so if they will be penitent the text is plaine for both The penitent Deuotion that is thus performed God will accept and touching his acceptance wee are here taught Wherein it consisteth and whereat it aymeth It consisteth in two things God will giue Accesse to penitent Prayers Then heare thou in Heauen the place of thy dwelling Secondly hee will giue redresse vnto the sufferings of the Penitent a redresse to the cause of them that is he will forgiue sinne a redresse to the effect of sinne that is Woe He will doe what they desire and giue ease to their paine But marke God dispenseth his double grace discreetly He will giue to men but according to their waies those waies not outward but inward He will giue according to their wayes whose heart he knoweth and this heart though vnknowne to all others cannot be hid from him He he only knoweth the hearts of all the children of men As God dispenseth discreetly so vniuersally He dispenseth vnicuique to euery man of eyther sort according to his wayes Well God doth accept penitent denotion But Whereat doth he ayme in this Acceptance Surely at the Amendment of Israel He doth it that Israel may feare him and be constant in this Amendment feare all the dayes that they liue And the place where they liue putteth a double Obligation vpon them first it is Ha Aretz Ha Adama a very eminent Land secondly their Tenure is francke Almoine Hee whom they must feare gaue it to their Fathers You see beloued that the particulars which I haue pointed out are many and they are pertinent yet feare not that I will be ouer long I remember the mortalitie of your hearing my speaking it shall therfore suffice that I moderately touch at them only God vouchsafe by them to touch vs all to the quicke Let vs then beginne with the Manner of the deliuerie My text is conceiued in the forme of a Prayer but in the next Chapter this Prayer is made a Promise So that I shall not mistake if I turne the words into seuerall Assertions and you shall lose nothing for in the Close I wil returne them into a Petition againe This is all I will say of the Manner of deliuerie In the Matter deliuered wee must first see Whom these words concerne and the Text telleth vs that they are the inhabitants of Canaan the children of Israel the people of God if I say no more this were enough to notifie them but it is expedient for my purpose that I moreouer dignifie them they were the peculiar of God Exod. 19. his Iewell of Men a royall Priesthood an holy Nation Rom. cap. 2. cap 9. trusted with Gods Oracles Depositaries of his Couenant they possessed the Arke and Christ according to the flesh was the off-spring of that Nation Ier. cap. 3. cap. 12. Ephes 2. you may finde more of their Honours in the New Testament and in the Old but these may suffice to shew how neare they came and how deare they were to God And yet may this people vnderlye the heauie hand of God Israel may be made as Egypt a Theater of Plagues the Paradise of God may become like Sodome and Gomorrah a monument of vengeance the Holy Ghost foretold it and the euent hath iustified it The Church hath no priueledge from Gods iudgements God spareth sinne in none Hee will visit it with scourges wheresoeuer hee findeth it Yea so farre is the Church from being priuiledged that it is though a strange one yet a prerogatiue of the Church to drinke first of the cup of Gods wrath Iudgement saith St. Peter cap. 4. v. 17. must beginne at Gods house God in the stripes of his children letteth the world see what it must expect And indeed the perswasion would not be forcible if the argument ranne thus God striketh his enemies therefore he will strike his friends who would be moued with it But if it runne thus He striketh his friends therefore he will not spare his enemies the Conclusion is vnauoydable What then is our Lesson Bee not high minded but feare Rom. 11. and Let him that standeth take heed lest he fad 1 Cor. 10. For he that falleth into sinne will fall vnder wrath the Israelites are to vs Types of morall correspondencies what befell them may befall vs. And it is happy that it may for nulla poena maxim a poena a man is neuer in worse case than when hee is most at ease such ease temporall is the harbinger of eternall paine neither doe men much intend their saluation who are not quickned thereunto by some temporall affliction A stray sheepe will neuer returne into the way except it bee forced by the shepheards staffe and God neglecteth them as bastards Heb. 12.8 who neuer feele that rod wherewith hee vseth to correct his children You see then that the Prerogatiue of the Church which I fore-specified is not onely an vndoubted Truth but whatsoeuer flesh and bloud may thinke to the contrary it is a great blessing it is a blessing that the Church may vnderlye the heauie hand of God it was Israels blessing and it is ours that wee may vnderlye Gods heauie hand May nay doe It cannot be doubted that wee may seeing it is euident that we
onely knowledge but acknowledgement Knowledge without acknowledgement is of little regard with God auailes vs but little he knoweth his wounds as a penitent that by searching sindeth what cuill he hath done and though to his owne confusion yet layeth it open before the tender eyes of God and so qui addit scientiae addit dolori Eccles 1. the penitents knowledge is the fountaine of his forrow Saint Austin wittily wresteth those words of the Preacher to this purpose Marke moreouer the word his owne for men are most willing to know and make knowne other mens wounds but vt nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo Men loue not to bee knowne to themselues yet many a man hath inward plagues which none knowes but God and himselfe But it is an absurd thing to passe ouer our owne wounds and inquire into other mens It is much to be wisht therefore that we would translate this scrutinie and spend it vpon our selues take pity vpon our owne selues Nazianz Orat. 26. and let the sense of our owne ill deseruings open a passage to the relieuing bowels of our most mercifull Father who relieueth none but those which know the euill which they haue done and suffer Esay 26. When wee come according to the Ordinance of the Church to make confession either at the entrance to common Prayer or the Eucharist euery man should haue premeditated his owne sinnes and acknowledge them vnto God in the secret of his heart and craue pardon for them But though a man must haue this passion in regard of his owne case yet must he not be without compassion toward the ill case of others If it be but a priuate mans case we must be compassionate towards him because he is a member of the same body We know the Parable of the man that went from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell amongst Theeues who stript him and wounded him the Priest and the Leuite are taxed for want of compassion towards him as the Samaritane is commended for hauing it And if we must shew compassion towards priuate mens cases how much more towards the publicke It is a grieuous complaint that God maketh against the great men of Israel Amos 6. who stretch themselues vpon Iuorie beds eate the Lambes of the flocke c. but were not grieued for the affliction of Ioseph if the whole feele the distresses of euery part of our body should any part be so senslesse as not to suffer for the whole especially seeing if the whole perish euery part perisheth whereas the whole may subsist though this or that part doe perish and fall away The miserable estate of Christendome especially the Orthodoxe Church and our own generall calamities importune mee to recommend this compassion vnto you and beseech you to include it in this dayes Humiliation and to let the one be as long liued as the other to let neither of them decay much lesse dye till God returne to his Church and this State in his wonted mercy and with his wonted blessing You haue heard the first inward act of a Penitent There is another act here specified which is outward Penitent Deuotion must be accompanied with conuenient ceremonies here are two mentioned one of the hands they must be stretcht out this is a naturall ceremony for marke a childe when he hath offended his parents as hee falleth vpon his knees so he lifteth vp his hands so doth a seruant to his master a subiect to his Soueraigne and the conquered to the Conquerour and it importeth as much as Do victas in tua vincla manus Sir I am at your mercy The word Supplicium hath its name hence because it humbleth the weaker vnder the hand of the stronger the inferiour to the superiour and maketh him supplicare submit vnto him From hence it is translated vnto Praier and made a ceremony thereof both in the Old Testament let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an euening Sacrifice Psal 141. and in the New Testament I will that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands 1. Tim. 2. This is the first meaning of this ceremony when it is applyed to penitency As God stretcheth out his hand to strike so the Penitent stretcheth out his hand for mercy Though I am not ignorant that it may also signifie the correspondency of the inward to the outward man that as the heart lifteth it selfe vp to God so must the body also by the hands This is excellently set forth in the Psalme I stretch forth my hands to thee my heart thirsteth for thee as a thirsty Land Psal 143. and in this sense Moses in the warre against Amalecke Salomon in this Dedicatory and others may bee thought in their prayers to haue stretcht forth their hands vnto God The former sense doth not exclude this The second ceremony is of the Eye that is mysticall the Eye must look towards the Temple of Salomon that is the place where God put his Name and where the cloud representing God resided betweene the Cherubins vpon the Mercy seate This brings it home to that which before I told you was to be done by the Suppliant who hath recourse to the Throne of Grace and as Tephillah the prayer made vnto the Iudge did require a ceremony of submissiue stretching out of the hand so Techinnah the prayer of Mercy requires a cast of our eye vpon the Mercy seate the ceremonies fit well the Deuotion The riches of Gods nature are infinite but wee vse to single out such of Gods Attributes as are most fit for our Deuotion to behold not excluding the rest but desiring that the rest may not hinder but further rather that Attribute vpon which wee lay hold Salomons Temple is long since ruined there is now no typicall Mercy seate whereunto wee should looke according to the example of Daniel and others But the truth abideth for euer God that was in Christ reconciling the world doth accept our prayers if wee offer them though Iesus Christ where Christ then is thither must we bend our eyes euen to the right hand of God whereat he sitteth to make intercession for vs. Out of both ceremonies ioyntly gather that the place whither we direct our Deuotion sheweth from whom the plagues come and that is from God and he sendeth them for sinne the confession thereof is plain in the acts of the Deuotion the plagues come not by chance neither are they sent without a cause The Heathen did acknowledge the Author and therefore pacified God with their solemne Supplications Christians knew him and propitiated him much better as appeares by the ancient Letanies To say nothing of the Law and the Prophets which are plentifull in teaching that all plagues come from God As God sendeth them so he sendeth plagues for sinnes being offended with our crying sinnes he poureth vpon the world grieuous plagues Maledicta terra propter te the first Curse was for mans sinne The Law runnes in the same tenour
First then God forgiues Exod. 3◠it is one of his properties so to doe to forgiue iniquities and transgressions And without all doubt God ceasing from anger which is contrary to his nature will embrace mercie which is agreeable to his nature if we repent neyther would he euer haue giuen Christ to death for vs if hee had desired our death But our God is mercifull and hath appointed vs Ministers to be sponsores misericordiae to giue assurance of his mercy to penitent sinners and our message what is it but the Gospel that is glad tidings of the Reconciliation of God and man Neyther doth he only redresse the cause but the effect also that is the Woe for Woe is the effect of sinne and where God remitteth the guilt of sinne hee will also remoue the punishment thereof eyther wholly or he will at least irae merum clementia diluere by clemencie much allay the seueritie of his wrath wher 's condonare goeth before there donare followeth after giuing doth accompany forgiuing In the text there are two words God will doe and giue which are not put in vaine for the first signifieth that God will doe that which wee request that is as the Psalme speaketh Psalme 145. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will saue them In our extremities wee call onely for ease of our paine and God will doe that But that is not the vttermost of his fauour he will also giue vs many good things he will as the Prophets speake delight to doe vs good and as if he did repent of his vengeance hee will multiply his blessings and redeeme as it were the time of our affliction with an extraordinary measure of peace and prosperitie Such promises and such performances we reade in the Scripture and our hope may entertaine them as belonging to our selues if we be deuoutly penitent Yet must you obserue as it followeth in the text that God doth dispence this double grace grace of forgiuing and grace of giuing discreetly according to mens wayes As all men are not alike deuout so God intreates them not all alike Hee rewardeth euery man according to his workes as the Scripture speakes Rom. 2.6 Faber est quisque fortunae suae Men shall finde God as God findeth them surely Gods prouidence proceedeth so if you looke vpon the second causes touching the first and St. Pauls maxime 1 Cor. 4.7 Quis te discernit a point that much troubleth the world at this day it is no time now to dispute the plainest and shortest resoluion is that of the Prophet Hosea 13.9 Perditio tua ex te Israel exme salus They that perish must blame themselues but they that are saued must giue the glory thereof vnto God But the waies according to which God dealeth with men are eyther inward or outward God dealeth with men according to their inward waies for God seeth not as man seeth neyther iudgeth according to the outward appearance but according to the inward disposition The reason is twofold 1. because vera bonitas malitia sunt tantùm in corde true goodnesse and malitiousnesse are only in the heart in the outward actions they are not farther than they are deriued from thence according to the rule in the Schooles Our actions are so farre vertuous and vitious as the will hath a hand in them A second reason is this The knowledge of the heart is the strongest proofe that can bee produced in iudgement and because Gods iudgement is the most infallible the euidence produced therin is the most vndeniable his euidence is such and none but his for He and He only knoweth the hearts of the children of men as Salomon addeth He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart and reines he is more priuie to our secret thoughts than we our selues are and as St. Iohn saith 1 Iohn 3.20 greater than our heart Therefore God in iudgement non facta numerat sed corda when he commeth to reckoning look how many good hearts hee findeth so many good men and so many ill men as hee findeth ill hearts Men in their iudgements cannot proceede so exactly for want of this knowledge of the heart they are faine to rest vpon weaker proofes which though they satisfie in humane cognizance yet may they possibly be false and the person arraigned may bee mis-deemed and mis-doomed Two things follow out of this Doctrine the doctrine that God onely knoweth the hearts The one is that God often taketh not off his heauie hand notwithstanding we humble our selues because wee doe not turne to the Lord with all our heart The second is that God taketh away many a man in the Act of his Repentance lest he should relapse and malice change his heart Wee must therefore not be out of heart if God should take away any of vs euen in the middest of this good worke As God dealeth discreetly in dispensing of his grace so that supposed He dealeth vniuersally He dispenseth the grace with euery man according to his waies as euery man is sensible of his own ill case or not sensible so God applieth or applieth not a remedie thereunto no penitent man but may speed of the grace no impenitent man may looke for it for God will deale with euery man according to his waies You haue heard what Gods Acceptance is It remaineth that you now heare whereat it aymeth it aymeth at the amendement of Israel God vouch safeth Israel grace that Israel may feare him Psal 130. And so saith the Penitentiall Psalme With thee Lord there is mercy that thou mayst bee feared Gods iudgements are not onely penall but medicinall therefore are they called Corrections because they set vs straight that went awry Eruditions because they ciuilize vs that were growne wilde Castigations because they make vs spiritually chaste that went awhooring And what is Repentance but renascentia animae a renuing of our minde by putting off the old man crucifying the flesh becomming new men Tertullian saith right Penitentia sine emendatione vitae vana quia caret fruclu suo cui eam Deus seuit In vaine is that Repentance which is not followed by a better life because it beareth not that fruite for which God planted it that is the saluation of men or it bringeth not forth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12. Mercy is shewed propter spem for hope of amendement so Parents spare their children Masters their seruants Princes their subiects and we may not expect that God will spare vs vpon any other condition therefore when we vnderly Gods heauie hand wee must say with Ephraim bemoaning himselfe Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullocke vnaccustomed to the yoke turne thou mee and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God surely after that I was turned I repented c. Ier. 31. God spares vs not that we
these prerogatiues and therfore it preacheth vnto vs that which Canaan preached to Israel Amendment of life and constancy therein The second Motiue which the place doth yeeld is the tenure thereof God saith Salomon gaue it to our fathers they held in franck Almoigne and God telleth vs in the Psalme that hee gaue it them to this end that they might keep his statutes and obserue his Lawes And should not men bee dutifull vnto God when God is so liberall vnto men Wee may thinke haply that this doth not concerne vs because we came otherwise by our Lands If we thinke so wee plod too much vpon the second causes but we must know that whether we come by them by purchase or by gift we are beholding vnto Gods blessings for the mony wherewith wee purchase and for their good will which bestow it on vs and the same God that could haue hindred vs of both can strip vs of both at his pleasure But to shut vp the matter of my Text. You see the end of Gods plagues and of his mercy They doe sollicit vs to returne in time This doth call vpon vs not to bee weary of well-doing Wherefore let vs entertaine Gods chastisements prudently let vs not contemne them because they are fearefull and the contempt of this temporall will but procure vs eternall wrath at least in this life God may rise from smaller vnto greater plagues Nor let vs despaire because God is mercifull yea he hath shewed a great deale of mercy in that multi corriguntur in paucis in presenting before vs some few mens harmes hee bids vs all beware and what should our praier be but Domine ne in supplicijs nostrie alios erudiamus Let not vs by thy heauy hand bee made examples to others cum liceat nobis aliorum cruciatibus emendari whereas if wee haue grace other mens corrections may be our instructions To you of this assembly let me say boldly That the greater we are in place and power the greater share should we haue in this worke of Repentance by our example we should teach the people compunction for sin correction of life the two most preuailing folliciters of Gods mercy and preseruers of a State God forbid that it should be with vs as it was with Israel Ier. 5. Amos 6. that God should find the great men more sons of Belial than the meaner sort it would be a shrewd prognostication of very euill dayes to come This day promiseth better things I pray God the continuance be answerable and that we repent not that wee haue resolued to repent but that euery day sinne may more and more dye in vs and grace liue more and more if we do so we may be sure that though for a time we sow in teares yet in due time wee shall reape in ioy Nothing remaineth now that I haue for your greater edifications opened and applied the pious assertions that are contained in my text but that wee should returne it againe into that forme wherein King Salomon conceiued it and make it our common petition vnto God LOrd there is great feare of a famine the pestilence hath entred already far vpon vs by the enemies of thy truth and our peace we are forced to prepare for war we knowing euery man the plague of his owne heart cast our selues downe before thy Throne of Mercy deprecating thy wrath and supplicating for grace beseeching thee to take off thy heauie hand from vs and fight for vs against our enemies because without thee vaine is all the strength of man Heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place forgiue do and giue to euery man of vs according to his waies Thou which only knowest the hearts of all men that we may fear thee all the dayes which we liue in this good Land which thou hast giuen to our fathers And bee vouch safed after this life to attend thy Throne with thy blessed Saints in the Kingdome of Heauen Amen יהוה TWO SERMONS PREACHED in WELLS at the Ordination of MINISTERS THE FIRST SERMON MATTH 28. Vers 18 19 20. All power is giuen vnto mee in Heauen and in Earth Goe ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you And lo I am with you alway euen vnto the end of the world Amen THese words contain one of the last solemne acts which our Sauiour Christ performed immediately before he ascended into Heauen and that was his sending of his Apostles to conuert the world In this act our Sauiour Christ doth informe them first of his owne right to send All power is giuen me both in Heauen and in Earth then of the errant whereupon they were to be sent Goe yee therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them c. But more distinctly About Christs right our first enquiry must be of what sort the power here mentioned is and wee shall finde that it is heauenly and my Text will teach vs that this heauenly power of Christ is lawfull because giuen vnto him and full because in it selfe vnlimited it is All power and extendeth to euery place it worketh both in Heauen and Earth Vpon this power of Christ is grounded the Apostles Embassage that must you gather out of the Illatiue Therefore In the Apostles embassage or errant we will consider their common charge and comfort In the charge we shall see 1. What they must doe they must Goe Ite 2. To whom they are sent and whereabout They are sent farre and wide Goe yee to all Nations That which they must doe is to winne them vnto Christ teach them or as the Originall hath it make them Disciples If they preuaile with any if any entertaine the Gospell then they are to consecrate their persons vnto God Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and to worke their obedience wholly conformable to euery one of those precepts which themselues had receiued from Christ Teach them to doe all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you This is their common charge Their common comfort standeth in the powerfull and perpetuall assistance of Christ Assistance He is with them and this presence is powerfull for he that is present is Ego I that haue all power both in Heauen and Earth and it is perpetuall Hee is with them alwayes vnto the worlds end Alwayes without intermission vnto the worlds end therefore not onely with their owne persons but also with their successors Vpon this common comfort they must all fixe their eyes Ecce Behold it and their faithfull prayer must hopefully expect it so much is meant by the close of all Amen These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text to our consideration I will God willing speake of so many of them as the time will permit Consider you what I say and the Lord giue you a right vnderstanding in
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
sinners euen such sinners of whom I am chiefe Now then J beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercie and forgiueth iniquitie and sinne Be mercifull J beseech thee to the impietie of thy seruant according to thy great mercie let the vngodlinesse of my heart of my mouth be blotted out of thy remembrance let it not bring vpon me the vengeance J deserue but create in me a new heart and touch my tongue with a cole from thine Altar that J which am vnworthy by reason of my scandalous crying sinne to meditate on or make mention of thy glorious Maiestie thy diuine Wisedome may haue a heart alwayes enditing good things and my blasphemous tongue may be turned into an instrument of thy glorie So shall my soule be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when J shall prayse thee with ioyfull lips and J shall sing forth thy wonderous mercie all the dayes of my life Heare me ô Father of mercie for giue me amend me and establish in me this holy purpose of my repentant heart to thy glorie and the comfort of enormous sinners for Jesus Christs sake by the powerfull operation of thy Holy Spirit Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWS IN WELLES A SCHISMATIQVE DOING PENANCE WHO HAD FOR MANY YEERES ESTRANGED HIMSELFE FROM THE COMMVNION OF OVR CHVRCH 1 CORINT 3.18 18 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise A Particular visible Church is built vpon two foundations Vnion and Communion a louing vnion of the faithfull and an holy communion in sacred things Both these must be preserued or else that Church will come to naught Now there were amongst the Corinthians that did vndermine these foundations some rent the vnion and the communion was corrupted by other-some St Paul wrot this Epistle to amend them both And marke what a distinct course he taketh He first setleth the vnion before he offereth to purge the communion And there is good reason why for though the louing vnion of the faithfull be vnprofitable if it be without a holy communion in sacred things yet is a holy communion in sacred things impossible if you take away the louing vnion of the faithfull Therefore lest St Paul should lose his labour in redressing of the communion he first taketh care of repayring the vnion The first thing then that in the Church of Corinth he reformes is Schisme and he spends well-nigh foure Chapters in reforming thereof in throughly searching into the disease and applying thereto a soueraigne remedy The words that now I haue read vnto you belong to the remedy and you shall find them to be a principall branch thereof Let vs come more closely to them Of medicinall remedies some are preseruatiue some are restoratiue The preseruatiue are for the sound the restoratiue are for the sicke You shall find them both in my Text and you shall find that they are Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue remedy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence or the preuention of Schisme you haue it in these words Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance or the recouering of a Schismatique it followeth in these words If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise But more distinctly In the preseruatiue we are to behold our naturall weakenesse and therefore to learne spirituall carefulnesse St Paul supposeth that we are prone to deceiue our selues and therefore aduiseth that no man should doe himselfe that wrong Let no man deceiue himselfe In the restoratiue we must behold first the distemper of a Schismatique and then the cure fitting to such a distemper The distemper is a carnall selfe-conceit a selfe-conceit for the man thinkes himselfe wise but the selfe-conceipt is but carnall as appeares by the limitation or extenuation rather that is added to his wisedome he is onely wise in this world Such is his distemper Whereof the first cure is an exalting humilitie The first branch is humilitie He must become a foole but he need not be disheartened there followeth an exaltation thereupon He becomes a foole that he may be wise These are the remedies And they are as I told you Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any That which hath befalne this man may be the case of the best of vs all These are the particulars which GOD-willing I shall now enlarge and apply vnto this present occasion I pray GOD we may so doe it as that we all not this Penitent onely may be the better for it The first remedy is the preseruatiue and therein the first thing that I pointed out is our naturall weaknesse This St Paul supposeth we may gather it out of that which he aduiseth for in vaine were his aduise if there were not a truth in that which he supposeth but farre be it from vs to thinke that the Holy Ghost doth require any thing in vaine let it stand then for an vndoubted truth that we are prone by nature to deceiue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verbe is deriued which is vsed by the Apostle signifieth a leauing of the right way which putteth vs in mind that in this world we are but way-faring men When we are admitted into the Church we are set in the path which will lead vs to our euerlasting home but when we are in it we may goe out of it It appeares too plainly in Adam and Eue and it is not to be expected that the children should be better then the parents especially seeing our restitution commeth short of that measure of grace which they had in their Creation It being true that we may the question is How it comes to passe that we doe goe out of the way and leaue the straight path wherein we are set the Scripture obserues two meanes the one without vs the other within vs that is the world this is concupiscence the world allures concupiscence inclines Adde hereunto a third that is the diuel he blancheth the world that it may allure more strongly and worketh concupiscence by perswasion that it may yeeld more readily and these betweene them consummate the deceipt whereby we are led out of the way But betweene these we must obserue a great difference that which worketh the deceipt from without is but an occasion that which worketh it from within is the true cause thereof the world the diuel Suadere possunt cogere non possunt they may sollicit powerfully but they cannot inforce vs vnwillingly to goe out of the way Physicall actions may be constrayned morall cannot I may haue
rules of life of which there are two sorts As there is the Heart of a naturall and the Heart of a Christian man so these rules are either Naturall or Supernaturall The Naturall are those which are inborne and ingrauen in the hearts of all men the reliques of that Image which in the Creation wee receiued from GOD these informe the naturall man though weakely of Pietie Equitie Sobrietie and concerning all these the very Heathen haue deliuered many memorable sentences But besides these a Christian hath other rules his Heart is new written with the Spirit of GOD Cap. 31. according to the promise made in Ieremie I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and wee finde the performance thereof in the New Testament preached by St. Peter Act. 2. and St. Paul Corinth 3. and to the Hebr. cap. 8. Yea euery Christian man feeleth the trueth of it in his owne soule hee feeleth those Naturall Principles rectified by Grace and much higher superadded to them so that the Christian man discernes much better then a naturall man can what is good and euill This is the furniture of the Directory power The Conscience hath besides this a Iudicatorie power and there is furniture for that also which is nothing else but a skill how to trie mens liues by those former rules and doome them as it findeth them And this skill is aswell in the Conscience of a naturall man as of a Christian man though it be of much greater perfection in the latter then in the former But wee must know that it is not the hauing but the vsing of these rules is properly meant by our Conscience For as the Schooles note well Conscientia neque potentia naturalis neque habitus it is neither a natiue nor an acquired abilitie sed est Actus Conscience is a Worke and indeed it is a worke which my Text speaketh of and whereas Conscience hath two workes the one going before our morall works the other following after though for your better vnderstanding I will touch at the former yet keeping my selfe to my Text I will insist vpon the latter These principles then whether Naturall or Supernaturall were bestowed vpon vs perpetually to assist and guide vs in our wayes One of the Heathen well resembled Conscience to a Paedagogue Epictetu◠for as the Paedagogue by the appointment of parents is alwayes at hand with a childe to direct and restraine him who otherwise through impotency of affection would goe astray euen so is our Conscience appointed ouer vs to hold the raines to guide and hold in our wilde and headstrong nature And surely wee are bound to acknowledge the mercifulnesse of GOD manifested herein hee hath graciously prouided for the preuenting of sinne who is pleased not onely to giue vs a Law but also to place in vs a perpetuall remembrance thereof vnto vs. And the reason why men sinne must needes be either because they doe not consult or doe contemne this guide so that either their sinnes are wilfull if they contemne or their ignorance is affected if they neglect this preuenting meanes afforded of GOD. But I haue not now to doe with the Consciences worke of Direction that worke of hers that goeth before our worke but I haue to doe with the worke of Iudicature the worke that followeth our workes GOD hath left it in some sort in our power whether we will or will not make vse of the former worke of Conscience and some by his grace vse it some for want of grace vse it not but GOD hath appointed Conscience a second worke which it is not in any mans power to put off the worke of Iudicature wherein GOD doeth let vs see what it is to vse or not to vse the former worke And here we must marke that as the Law which is contained in the Directory work of Conscience hath two parts a Precept and a Sanction so the Iudicatorie worke of Conscience doeth two things it playeth the Iury to arraigne vs and the Iudge to doome vs. First it testifieth whether wee haue or haue not obserued the precepts of GOD. In that respect it is resembled to a Registrie or an exact Record exhibited at an Assizes if wee doe not take notice of the counsell which our Conscience giueth vs before hand wee shall finde that our Conscience taketh notice of all that is done by vs and will make a perfect presentment thereof it will truely relate how farre we haue or haue not suffered our selues to bee led by her aduice and we shall not be able to except against the Verdict of this Iury. As it maketh a true Presentment in regard of the Precept so doeth it pronounce a iust Doome in regard of the Sanction for it pronounceth what is our due and therein wee shall finde it a Iudge not onely putting vs in minde of life and death but also sentencing vs thereunto And indeed this is the last and the highest worke of Conscience and for this cause Nazianzene doeth fitly tearme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inward and vpright Tribunall But to open this Iudicatorie work of Conscience a little more fully we must obserue that she dealeth not alike with al because she findeth not all alike The Physicians acknowledge Corpus neutrum a body that is neither sicke nor whole but the Conscience doeth not acknowledge any neutrall man that is neither good nor bad Non liquets and speciall Verdicts are not knowne to the Conscience it findeth euery man either guiltie or not guiltie Secondly it confoundeth not Tares with Wheate nor Sheepe with Goates in the Presentment not in the Doome doeth it confound the right hand with the lest Hell and Heauen Death and Life It hath an accusing and excusing Voyce a condemning and an absoluing Voyce these two sorts of Voyces it hath and no more Finally we must expect no shift no delay in the worke of our Conscience whether it play the Iury or the Iudge But let vs take these workes a little a sunder And first see that which is against vs the Apostle vseth a significant word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compound word which sheweth that Conscience doeth first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know throughly before it doeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offer to condemne vs the very word importeth an orderly course of proceeding it doeth not goe against vs without a iust ground and so is free from the corruption which is in too many worldly Iudges that resolue vpon a mans execution before they haue heard his cause But our Conscience is priuie to all our doings an eye-witnesse of all that passeth from vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it knoweth and proceedeth vpon certaine knowledge Yea it will present it so to the eyes of our soule that it will not suffer vs to be ignorant of that which it knoweth it will make vs Confitentes reos we shall plead guiltie against our owne selues And here
Therein what dost thou shew Lord but how powerfull thy grace is and what an alteration it can worke in me I acknowledge this and Lord let me feele that truth which I acknowledge make hast to moisten him that early seeketh to thee I should haue sought vnto thee in the morning of my age and happie had I beene if I had so timely sought vnto thee I had not so long continued in the wildernesse Yea the trees which now scarce blossome would then haue beene loaden with ripe fruit the seed which is now scarce in the blade would haue shot an eare and beene white for haruest But Lord I that neglected that morning to testifie my griefe therefore take holdfast of another morning as much as I can I redeeme the time the day hath dawned I suffer not the Sunne to shine in vaine so soone as I can see my way I take my way to thee I come earely I would speed betimes See Lord my desire in my haste and Lord let thy grace hasten like my desire yea preuent my desire who cannot desire so timely as I would Onely O Lord I take notice of my Day and would not haue it spent in vaine Turne my morning into high-noone let the Sunne of righteousnesse ascend vnto his greatest highth but proportion my desire to thy light and let mee so beginne betimes as that I perseuere vnto the ende let my later workes bee better then my first let my motions bee not violent which slacken as they goe on and are weakest in in the end but let them be naturall yea supernaturall motions let them increase as they goe on and the neerer my race draweth to an end the hotter let my zeale bee towards God Let me thirst the more let me the more desire those waters that moysten my drougth and refresh my wearinesse so let me appeare before thee But where art thou In thy Sanctuarie thy holy place How reuerent is that place And how vnfit am I to bee seene there Is that a place for a wildernesse Paradise is a better obiect of the eyes of God where God may see all that he hath made and see it good and blesse it being so but sinne hath no place in Paradise Gods eyes cannot endure it yea therefore were the Cherubins set with the flaming sword that sinners might not approach the place of God How senslesse then am I that being such as I am dare approach the place of God being such as it is True Lord I am senslesse indeed if I come onely as a drie as a thirstie land such an obiect is not for the holy eyes of God it is not to approach his presence But if the drie land bee also thirstie then thou callest Ho all yee that thirst come yee to the waters and he that hath no money buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price If the barren land be wearie thou callest O Lord Come vnto mee all that labour and are heauie loaden I will ease you I will giue you rest Seeing this thirst this desire is acceptable vnto God euen where there wanteth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of good workes and God whose Throne is heauen and whose footestoole is the earth will looke to that man euen to him that is poore and of a contrite heart though I want righteousnesse yet because I hunger and thirst after it I am not afraid to be seene in the Sanctuarie of God yea in the Sanctuarie to looke vpon God For I know what he will shew vnto me euen his Power and Glorie hee will shew them both to me nay he will shew them both on me His power that shall worke on me and his glorie that shall crowne me He will make me as a water garden and plant me with most generous plants by his power that so I may flourish and bee comly in the eyes both of Angels and men Yea God will shew his power and God will giue me glorie that my eyes beholding them my mouth may speake of them speake of the workes of God and tell what he hath done for my bodie and for my soule O Lord other creatures partake thy Power partake thy Glorie but all doe not see it wee that are indued with reason not onely haue them but perceiue them and it is our happinesse that we know what blessings wee haue Lord let me neuer be so stupid as not to behold thy Mercies and when I doe behold them let mee also feele how blessed I am whom thou vouchsafest to possesse them so shall I more and more confesse that thou O Lord art my God and being my God I shall make haste to thee my Soule shall make haste and so shall my bodie also my drie and wearie bodie and soule shall goe out of this world wherein there are no springs of life and thirstie and longing as they are they shall approach thy Sanctuarie and there Lord let them see not onely feele thy Power thy Glorie quenching my thirst and satisfying my Desire Amen A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSES 11 12. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger euen according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that wee may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE FIRST PART SInne and wrath by nature should go hand in hand and as deepe as we plunge our selues in to sin so deepe should we sinke in wrath Wee should if Iustice measured vnto vs as we deserue but mercie hath prouided better for vs and God is pleased to proportion the smart of stripes to the feare which we haue of them the lesse feare the more smart and the lesse smart the more we feare Thou hast left it O Lord in the power of a sinner how farre thou shalt take vengeance of his sinne Let the Law speake neuer so terribly let sinne offend neuer so grieuously let the curses be neuer so many let the plagues be neuer so manifold yea let thy countenance be ouer-cast with neuer so thicke a cloud let the burning coales that are kindled by thy wrath be neuer so scorching rore the waues of thy ouer-flowing indignation neuer so hideously and bee the whirle-wind of thy wrath neuer so tempestuous feare onely feare the feare of a penitent Soule that trembles at the voice of thy Law that melteth at the sight of thy Iudgements that accuseth it selfe that condemeth it selfe that is readie to ioyne with God to doe Iustice vpon its sinfull selfe this feare I say that least armeth it selfe against God is best armed and preuailes best by stooping most And this is powerfull weakenesse a conquering captiuitie a match ouer-matching that for which we can otherwise find no match This power O Lord hast thou giuen to repentant feare a blessed power and yet there are few that vse it though all doe stand in neede of it And why Who armes himselfe against that whereof he hath no regard Men sinne but little doe they thinke that
their sinnes offend God and if they offend they shall be punished because God is not onely sensible of his wrongs but also Iudge of our liues as he hath prescribed the precepts of his Law so hath hee added sanctions thereunto and as the precept sheweth what we must doe so what he will doe we learne out of the Sanction if we faile to obey thou O Lord wilt not faile to strike for there is Wrath with thee and from thee will that wrath breake out on vs. And woe be to vs if it breake out for thy wrath O God is a powerfull wrath And indeed how can it be otherwise if it be thine who art a God of power Can wee looke into thee and not apprehend Almightinesse in thee But our eyes are too weake to pierce so farre happily in that that comes from thee a naturall man may behold what power there is in thee Heauen and earth are the worke of thy hands nay they are the Host that attends thy Person if they are mightie thou much more for what they haue thou gauest them and in proofe thereof thou takest from them at thy pleasure As the Sunne did shine first at thy command so at thy command it hath lost his light it was from thee the fire receiued his burning qualitie and when thou forbaddest it it could not burne thou madest the waters flow thou spakest but the word and they were sollid like a wall Thou fixedst the Globe of the earth and it stood still and when thou didst vtter thy voice it quaked it trembled for very feare when thou sendest foorth thy spirit thou renewest the face of the earth and all things wither and returne to nothing if thou with-draw thy spirit How powerful then art thou O Lord at whose command is the power of euerie creature and fighteth for thee against thine enemies The Sunne can scorch them the fire consume them the aire poyson them the earth swallow them and how many spectacles haue we of such Iudgements But what speake I of these greater souldiers of thine and weapons of thy wrath How many beasts in the fields How many birds of the ayre How many fishes in the Sea haue vndertaken Gods cause against man and executed remarkable Iudgements vpon sinners But I doe not yet come home enough hee that readeth the plagues of Aegypt and considers what a destruction God wrought by frogs and flies and lice the least whereof wrested a submission from Pharaoh and his Kingdome and forced them to confesse their vnablenesse to resist can he choose but be amazed at the sight of Gods power when these creatures so farre in their owne nature vnder the power of man when he commands them to be his Executioners so farre ouermatch the stoutest of men But what looke I without vs for the sinnewes of Gods wrath What sinnewes may wee find euerie man within himselfe If God bee pleased to reward vs according to our deseruings he shall need no other we wil doe him this seruice our selues Our wits will not only faile vs but insnare vs our hearts will be so farre from eschewing that they will carrie vs headlong into all mischiefe our eyes will see fearefull visions our eares bee filled with dreadfull sounds our tongues will betray vs our feete miscarrie vs our hands offer uiolence vnto vs no power of our soule no part of our bodie wherewith we haue conceiued or acted sinne that will not lay on some deadly stroke vpon vs for sinne But of all the souldiers of God wherin we are most feelingly to behold the Power of his wrath there is none comparable to our owne Conscience which laieth on so heauie a burden and peirceth with so deadly a sting that there is no man whom it cannot crush with its waight and which will not runne mad if he throughly feele the smart thereof I will not draw a man down into hell where into notwithstanding wrath will tumble sinfull man I might there shew him vtter darknesse the priuation of that light which shineth in heauen vnquenchable fire in opposition to the Waters of life that streame in heauen the weeping and wailing insteed of the endlesse musicke that is aboue the murmuring gnashing of teeth insteed of the triumphant songs of blessed Soules finally the tormented and tormenting fiends insteed of the blessed Sainâ—s and Angels that are aboue And what are all these but euidences of the power of Gods wrath And is the power so large so palpable and yet vnknowne Can it be such and yet not discerned of man If he climbe into heauen God manifesteth it there and he finds it in earth if his thoughts fal thither neither can he descend into hell but there he shal meete it nay he must goe from himselfe or else God will force him to behold it Why then doth thy seruant Moses moue this question who knoweth it Is it not because men doe not heed it and so though they should yet take no notice of it And indeed Lord if any be ignorant his ignorance is inexcusable and yet some such beasts rather then men are there that are willing not to know what they are not willing to regard Or if men be not so grosse as thus to winke with their eyes that they may stupifie their hearts yet do their lusts dim their sight and they see so imperfectly that they they are but weakly affected with it Hence coÌ„meth it to passe that thy minatorie words and works stay so few from falling into sin and reclaime so few that are fallen there into they do not belieue that thou wilt strike vntill they feele thy stroakes are on them The Israelites would not as Moses had good proofe for fortie yeere and wee are no better then they though our triall hath beene much onger then theirs we haue no vsefull knowledge of the wrathfull power of God This question may well bee moued of vs euen of vs to whom God hath vouchsafed the same power ouer his wrath our little feare argueth our little knowledge and we may not thinke that we haue any true knowledge which doth not end in feare such a feare as can hold Gods hand or at least moderate his stroake is the onely argument that wee haue profited in that schoole of the great and lesser world wherein we haue so full so plaine a Lecture read vnto vs of the powerfull wrath of God A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSE 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that we may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE SECOND PART THou dost manifest thy power O Lord and we are the monuments of it our mortalitie is therein are grauen the capitall Letters that describe thy powerfull wrath For what is mortalitie but a reall voice in our eares or presenting rather vnto our eyes the doome of sinne Thou madest vs immortall and immortalitie was a part of thy Image which art eternall our time then had no terme it could not be defined by any kind of period But