GODS not onely all-seeing Psal 13â— but also fore-seeing Eye GOD himselfe answereth the question in Ieremie concerning mans Heart Who can search that intricate and wicked labyrinth I the Lord. The LORD onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the Heart and we are much better knowne to him then we are to our selues This Inequalitie being obserued marke now the Apostles Inference Is our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things If we regard the Iudge in our bosome how much more must wee regard the Iudge of Heauen and earth if we stand in awe of the knowledge which wee haue of our selues how much more must wee reuerence the piercing eye of GOD Nay if Cain and Iudas and such other wretches were so distressed and perplexed when they were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely condemned by themselues and it is so fearefull a thing for wickednesse to bee condemned by its owne Testimonie Wisd â—â— How will they bee at their wits end when they shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arraigned before CHRIST comming in the glory of his FATHER and all his holy Angels with him when the Bookes shall be opened and the lury giue euidence vnto the Iudge according to those things that are written in those Bookes The miserie must needes be answerable and it is fit that our feare bee answerable to the miserie Certainely it is the drift of the Apostle to worke an Affection in vs sutable to the obiect that he setteth before vs. And we shall doe well to make that vse of it vse of the Inference which he maketh arguing from a condemning Conscience vnto a Condemning God whom no Iudge can equall in Omnipotencie no Iury in Omnisciencie My Text intreateth not onely of a Condemning but also of an Absoluing Conscience and it maketh a comfortable Inference thereupon And here we are first to obserue the absolute comfort of a good Conscience that from thence we may ascend vnto the Comparatiue The absolute is Boldnesse boldnesse in Iudgement for so you must vnderstand it sutably to the Argument The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedome of speech A guiltie man is tongue tied as you may perceiue in the Parable of the Marriage Feast the man that wanted a wedding garment was no sooner asked Friend how camest thou in hither but he was euen speechlesse The eloquentest man will become mute out of the guilt of his Conscience It is no small comfort that a seruant can vtter his owne defence in the presence of his Lord. The Syriacke Paraphrase rendreth the word by Reuelationem faciei a guiltie man hangeth downe his head hee hideth his face so the Scripture describeth Cain And indeed confusion is inseparable from guilt The Philosopher can tell vs that Blushing in children is nothing but the vaile of Consciousnesse and men that doe not easily blush supply that defect by hiding their face But Innocencie needeth no such couert it shameth not to bee seene the cheerefulnesse of the countenance doeth speake vnto the world the guiltlesnesse of the Conscience St. â— Corinth 1. Paul calleth this boldnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Gloriation because it is the onely thing wherein a man may glory yea and ioy too for A good Conscience is a continuall feast Preâ— 25. Whatsoeuer mans state is in this world he can neuer be defrauded of this glorious ioy Hee that hath a good Conscience hath more comfort vnder the Crosse then hee that hath an ill Conscience can finde in the middest of all his pleasures for Conscientiam malam non sanat preconium laudantis nec bonam vulnerat conuitiantis opprobrium This is the generall comfort and therefore it is found aswell in the Iudgement of the Heart as of God But from the absolute consideration hereof let vs come to the Comparatiue If we feele this boldnesse in the inward Iudgement we shall feele it much more in the outward if the imperfect verdict of our owne Heart so cheere vs what cheere shall wee conceiue out of the perfect verdict of GOD But the boldnesse that we haue to God-ward doeth appeare specially in three things First in Prayer in that a good Heart bringeth vs to GOD Hebr. 10. in full assurance of Faith and the answere of a good Conscience maketh intercession for vs to God 1 Pet. 3. Secondly at the day of Iudgement when a man of good Conscience will not feare the wicked nor bee troubled hee standeth confident like a Lyon while the other flie A good Conscience is that same Oyle which the wise Virgines had to trimme their Lampes when they met the Bridegroome which made them stand with boldnesse before the Sonne of man Thirdly in Heauen when they shall appeare before the Throne of GOD there to attend with Angels and Saints Blessed are the pure in heart saith CHRIST for they shall see God Argue then thus If it bee comfort to behold GOD by Faith what comfort will it be to behold him by sight If it bee comfort to finde a Quietus est when we call our selues to an account what comfort will it bee to receiue our discharge from GOD if it be comfort to mee to talke familiarly with my owne Soule what comfort will it be for me to talke familiarly with GOD We must argue from the one to the other as from a finite vnto an infinite thing and so conclude the greatnesse of the one from the little taste that we haue of the other To draw towards an end The scope of this Scripture is to teach vs what vse we must make of our Conscience We should consult it before we set our selues about any morall worke and assure our selues that it is a more faithfull Counseller then are our lusts they draw vs whither themselues incline and what themselues abhorre from that they withdraw vs but the Conscience will deale most faithfully with vs it will diswade vs from nothing but that which is euill and perswade vs to nothing but that which is good And happy were wee if we would make it our guide Naturall men were lesse vnhappy if they did so for they would lesse offend GOD and should bee lesse punished Christian men were much more happy for their guide would teach them more to please GOD that they might bee more blest But if this doe not mooue vs let vs feare the aggrauating of sinne the more meanes the more guilt the more guilt the more stripes And what vse will a man make of other meanes that neglecteth this domesticke that sitteth so close to him as his owne Heart And yet see I report mee to euery mans owne Conscience whether he bee ruled lesse by aime then hee is by his owne Heart Our Conscience is furnished both with the Law and with the Gospel and how could we so enormously violate either if we would hearken vnto her if we would suffer her to direct our actions But this is rather to bee wished then
greater then the latter the Men against whom hee offended were his Vassalls God was his Soueraigne vnequall Obiects make vnequall sinnes and as is the sinne so must our apprehension be greater of greater sinne The apprehension then of the greater did cleane take away the apprehension of the lesser as when a man is afflicted with two paines the sharper drownes all sense of the duller so that though King Dauid were not without feeling of the wrong done to his Subiects yet was hee more feeling of the wrong done vnto God especially considering the amplification of the many fauours which God had vouchsafed him the more he was indebted to God the more reason he had to bee sensible of the offence which hee had giuen to him and so in comparison to greiue only for that And so should we in our Repentance make the measure of Gods fauours to vs the measure of that Repentance which the sinnes against our Neighbors doe at any time draw from vs. And thus much for the first branche of the Confession I come now to the second Wee haue heard Whom King Dauid offended wee must now heare How farre that appeareth in these words I haue done this euill in thy sight To offend God is to doe him wrong but to offend him in his sight is to improue that wrong vnto Contempt and that is to doe wrong in the highest degree But more distinctly As before you heard there was some thing common in the wrong and something proper so must you obserue the like in the contempt also To offend a man before his eyes is not only to wrong but also to contemne him take an example from your selues he that abuseth a mans wife doth him great wrong but if it bee done before the husbands face how much doth that scorne multiply the wrong there is much odds betweene a Seruants abusing his Master and abusing him to his face for this is not onely to displease but also to despise him If it bee so betweene man and man how much more betweene Man God That which is common to all wrong we may not denie vnto that wrong which we doe vnto God Especially if you consider the inequalitie of the eyes for as the eyes are so is the eye-sore Let a drunkard see one drunke and an adulterer one committing of adulterie though in cold blood out of some reliques of Conscience he will be moued yet nothing so much as he ought because the Obiects of his eyes are such as himselfe is But the eyes of a sober a chast man are affected with such spectacles answerably to their sobrietie and chastitie the more vertuous they are the greater impression of griefe doe these vices make in them And this leadeth vs to that which is proper vnto God in this Contempt doth aggrauate the same For there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Coram oculis tuis before thy Eyes And thy eyes implie three properties that are peculiar vnto God For His eyes are 1. most piercing 2. most pure 3. most powerfull Most piercing A man that breaketh wedlocke saith the Sonne of Sirach saith thus in his Heart chap 23. who seeth me I am compassed about with darknesse the walles couer me what need I feare such a man onely feareth the eyes of men and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne beholding all the waies of Men and considering the most secret parts He knew all things or ere they were Created so also after they were perfected he looked vpon them all Psal 139. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme concerning this peircing Eye of God Saint Paul comprehendeth it in few words All thinges are naked before his eyes Heb. 4. 1. Sam. 16. And herein standeth the prerogatiue of Gods Eye aboue mans Man can see onely the Face God looketh on the Heart Man beholdeth the Operation Ruffinus God the verie Intention of the worke So that though Dauid committed this sinne in secret carried the matter as he thought very cunningly yet was God too sharpe sighted for him by Nathan brought to light what hee thought was hid in darkenesse and in vaine shall we affect these couerts we can neuer be out of Gods Sight The second prerogatiue of Gods Eye is that it is most pure it can abide no iniquitie Such as bee wicked cannot stand in his sight The best of men are compast with infirmities and though they bee not as bad as others yet it is possible they may be and this possibilitie may hold them in from being so censorious as otherwise they would they that brought the Adulteresse to Christ Iohn 8 when Christ bid Him of them which was without sinn to cast the first stone at her slunke away one by one and their owne guilt checked the forwardnesse of their Iudgement But God is as farre from the possibilitie as from the Act of sinne and therefore may his Holinesse make him more free in the abhorring of sinners The last prerogatiue is the Powerfulnesse of Gods Eye for it is the eye of a Iudge the Iudge of all the world a Iudge which is armed as well with power as right to take vengeance euen of the greatest Monarches in the world put the Case that all King Dauids Subiects had beene priuie to his fall yet had they no right to call him to an Account but God could doe what they could not his eye was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eye that could take vengeance and chastise the King according to his deserts Lay now together all these prerogatiues of Gods Eyes and see how they exaggerate King Dauids contēpt It was great immodestie to sin before the eye in that it was so piercing an eye not to feare a witnes that was so through a witnes from whom he could not conceale any part of his fact nor the least circumstance that did cloath his fact greater immodestie to sinne before so pure an eye from which he could expect no extenuation of his fault because it was free from all communion in corruption it must needs as fully abhorre as it did throughly discerne the fault but the greatest immodestie was the sinning before so powerfull an eye the eye of his Lawgiuer before whom he was to appeare and from whom he was to expect his doome to be carelesse of such an Eye must needs bee the hight of Contempt for whom will hee regard that regardeth not his Iudge such a Iudge that hath so Piercing so Pure so Powerfull eyes The Eyes of the Iudge doe exaggerate the contempt so doth the enormitie of the sinne also for it is not onely Malum but Hoc Malum Sinnes are of diuers degrees some of Ignorance some of Infirmitie these men daily commit before the eyes of God and they ought daily to repent of them because they testifie their neglect of Gods Eyes but there are sinnes of a higher straine which men cōmit with a high hand the
is not the first time that we are beholding to Gods grace the very word Regeneration may teach we had this cleane heart and right spirit when we were first created for wee were created after Gods image sinne lost it grace restored it now you know that if a Tenant forfeit his Lease and a Land-lord after re-entry restore it to him againe this is a worke of his goodnesse which is more then a worke of his ability for many are able and doe it not therefore if any being able doe it the inducement is not his ability but his goodnesse the like must we conceiue of God it was his pittying mercie that imployed his almighty power to repaire what we had ruined to recouer what we had lost to restore what we had forfeited a cleane heart and a right spirit Finally both the creating and the renewing are actus continui workes that God neuer intermitteth otherwise we should quickly come to nothing or rather which is worse then nothing become fire-brands of hell for wee dayly forfeit by sin and God may daily take aduantage of our breach of his Couenant Adde hereunto that our Regeneration is not in facto but in fieri and therefore needeth a perpetuall influence and supportance for this cause though Dauid were now in the state of grace yet doth he begge grace of God though God had created in him a cleane heart yet doth he desire that God would create a cleane heart in him and though he bad renewed in him a right Spirit yet doth he pray that God would renew a right Spirit within him so doth he wisely prouide against forfeitures and religiously beg the increase of that which he had receiued But I conclude sicut rogauit Dauid it a debet vnusquisque nostrûm saith S. Hierom Dauids prayer is a praier that beseems vs all we all beare about vs a body of sin and we should all desire that it might be abolished We should indeed but who doth who doth enquire into the vncleannesse of his heart and the crookednesse of his spirit or who taketh notice whether there be in him at all any part of Regeneration nay who doth shew that there is any Nazianzene Oratione 43. writing de Encaeâ—ijs doth giue a good obseruation how a man should know whether his heart haue any part in this Creation or his spirit in this Renouation yesterday thou wert a time seruer to day thou art not ashamed of thy Sauiour Christ yesterday thou didst affect the praise of men to day thou settest more by an honest life yesterday thou wert delighted with vain spectacles to day thou art giuen to diuine meditations c. if thou find such a change Haec mutatio dextrae excelsi God hath put to his mercifull power to make thee a new man if it be otherwise with thee and the day following find thee as bad as thou wert the day before thou hast no part in Regeneration A fearfull case because the Psalmist mouing the question to God Psal 24. Who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place answers Euen he that hath innocent hands and a pure heart Wherfore be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds put on the New-Man Eph. 4.25 which after God is created in righteousnes true holines or because this is a worke too hard for any one of vs Let vs euery one pray with K. Dauid in this place Create in me a clean heart ô God renew a right spirit within me AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from mee KIng Dauids desire set forth in the first part of this Psalme is that hee may be restored vnto and preserued in the state of grace How he desires to bee restored you haue hitherto seene you haue seene how hee sueth first in generall that Gods Mercie would relieue his Miserie Gods great mercy his deepe miserie Secondly in speciall how hee brancheth his owne sinne and Gods grace hee confesseth sinne which himselfe committed and that which he inherited from his parents and hee beggeth a two-fold grace that the cure may be proper to each kind of sinne finally he would not haue a plaister narrower then his sore nor a medicine that could not throughly remedy his disease Thus he desires to be restored But to be restored is not enough a Penitents desire must carrie him farther for how shall it appeare that hee doth vnfainedly sorrow for sinne and affect goodnesse except he be as desirous to continue in as to bee brought vnto the state of grace 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Nay Saint Peter will tell vs that it were better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after wee haue knowne it to returne like dogges to our vomit and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Wherefore the second desire was necessarie for King Dauid and must bee exemplarie vnto vs. Let vs come then to it It is set downe in this and the following Verse and conceiued in a double prayer first in deprecation and secondly in supplication a prayer against that which King Dauid deserued and a prayer for that without which King Dauid could not perseuere we will meddle now onely with the former prayer But in the passage I may not forget a good note of Saint Bernards where he commends King Dauids method Serm. 3. de Penticost and obserues that after hee hath prayed Create in me a cleane heart O Lord renew a right spirit within me he prayeth seasonably Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me When we offend we fall into sinne and out of fauour and when we repent wee must not desire to be receiued into fauour vntill we are first acquitted from sinne otherwise wee shall betray that we wish there were no Sanction of the Law but as for the transgression of the Law we are not much moued therwith wheras the least sinne must be more irkesome to a repenting soule then the most grieuous punishment But let vs breake vp this prayer wherein I will note two things 1. the Manner and 2. the Matter the manner is a prayer against the matter is that which King Dauid deserued Now that which he deserued comprehends two fearefull iudgements 1. Reiection and 2. Depriuation I will cleare these two tearmes vnto you While we are in the state of grace wee haue communion with God and God hath communion with vs God receiueth vs into his family and we attend him we weare his liuerie and are knowne to belong vnto him the first giueth vs free accesse vnto his presence and the second is a participation of his holy spirit Sinne as much as lieth in it dissolues both these communions for we deserue by it first that God discharge vs of his seruice giue vs no longer place in his family which is that which I called Reiection Secondly we deserue that God take from
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
viatoris I wil follow this point no farther By this time I doubt not but you conceiue that the Israelites in their answere were ouer confident they presumed too much of their abilitie Râ—m 8. especially of the extent thereof they did not know what was impossible to the Law by reason of the flesh And yet mistake not there is a vertue in this vice Neither is their confidence so blameable but there is something commendable in it When a father willeth something to be done by his child the child doth not so much consider what it can doe as what it would doe and therefore vndertaketh euen beyond its strength The father that seeth it doth not so much dislike the vanitie of the attempt as hee liketh the willingnesse to obey he delighteth in the good nature of his child and desires that his abilities may be answerable to his endeauours And in this sort did God take the answere of the Israelites as it appeares in the speech which he made to Moses when he presented the like words vnto him I haue heard saith he the voice of the words of this people they haue well sayed all that they haue spoken so he commends their confidence But to giue them to vnderstand that they vndertooke more then they were able to performe Deut. 5. God addeth a wish O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes For nullius momentiest subitus affectus nisi accedat perseuerandi constantia As the parable of the two Sonnes Matth. 21. plainely sheweth God foresaw that all this profession of the Israelites was in them but a flash of a temporarie faith Psal 79. such as out of temptation appeares in most of vs. For if we be preuented with grace yea in many good things out of the light of nature we assent vnto the truth of Gods Law and our hearts incline to the good thereof Yea if we sit Iudges in other mens cases and are not transported with preiudice and acceptance of the persons we manifest this assent and inclination to the Law of God in generall in our dooming of other men but we doe not cast vp our owne accounts When our owne case commeth a foote and wee are exercised with any particular temptation then Gods wish is necessarie O that there were in them such a heart It is necessarie euen for those that haue beene so forward to say and that commendably All that the Lord hath commanded we will doe Let vs then know that the strictnesse of Gods charge serues onely to exercise our faith in Christ to inflame our loue towards God and to encourage our hope of perfection in heauen Multum ille in hac vita profecit qui quam longe sit a perfectione Iustitiae proficiende cognoscit But I draw to an end This answere did the Israelites make vnto the message that was sent from Mount Sinai what answere then must wee make vnto the message that commeth to vs from Mount Sion The yoke that Moses put vpon them was grave an heauie yoke Acts 15.10 Matth. 11.30 the yoke that Christ putteth vpon vs is suave an easie yoke The easier our charge the readier should be our acceptance it could not bee so commendable in them to vnder take beyond their abilitie as it will bee shamefull in vs if wee come short of them in expressing our forwardnesse to obey God For if their state were glorious ours doth much more exceed in glorie 2. Cor. 3. What remaineth then but that we oblige our selues chearefully to the Couenant of Grace and penitently bewaile our manifold defects in obseruing our obligation and that in our conflicts when wee are driuen to cry out O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee c. Rom. 7 2â— wee answere Thankes be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord I conclude all with that passage in the Psalme Lord thou hast commanded that we should keepe thy precepts diligently and let Dauids wish bee euery one of ours Oh that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes The seuenth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 9. And the Lord said vnto Moses Loe I come vnto thee in a thicke Cloud that the people may heare when I speake with thee and beleeue thee for euer YOu may remember that I brake this whole Chapter into two parts a mutuall stipulation that passed betweene God and the Israelites and a preparation of the parties for so great a worke as was the promulgation of the Law I haue spoken of the mutuall stipulation it followeth that I now come on to the preparation This preparation is first ordered then the parties being orderly prepared doe meet each other The order for Gods preparation is set downe in this verse for the Israelites in many Verses following Touching Gods preparation we must obserue first that hee will vouchsafe his presence at this great worke I come to thee Secondly touching Gods presence the Text will teach vs the Manner and the End The Manner is such as beseemeth the person and fitteth the businesse as it beseemeth the person so it is maiesticall as it fitteth the businesse so it is mysticall both are included in the thicke Cloud The End of Gods presence was partly to grace Moses who was to be the Law-giuer that the people may heare when I speake with thee and partly to dispose the people aright who were to receiue the Law that they may beleeue thee for euer These be the points and they are remarkeable therefore are they prefaced with a note of attention Loe which will also direct our application it is remarkeable that God was present it is remarkeable that his presence was full of maiestie and mysterie the countenance which God vouchsafeth Moses is remarkeable and remarkeable is that disposition towards Moses which God requires in Israel I beseech you therefore in the feare of God to marke these points diligently whilst I cleere them vnto you briefly and in their order I come God vouchsafeth his presence at the worke and is this strange Must this haue a Loe put vpon it Is it strange for God to doe that which hee cannot chuse but doe Acts 7.49 For hee filleth heauen and earth heauen is his throne the earth is his footstoole reade the 139 Psalme and see whether a man can be any where without the presence of God Hee beareth vp all things by the word of his power saith the Apostle therefore it is not strange that God should be present at this work who is euery where it is rather strange that God should be said to come to it as if he changed the place of his presence which he cannot doe because he is infinite Obserue therefore that though God be euerywhere alike in regard of his being yet in regard of his being manifest he is not euery where alike now it is not his being but his being manifest that is meant in this place therefore
to loose all those that will make vse of the flight amongst which these Iewes were none For who hath forewarned you saith Saint Iohn vnto them Before I come to the question I must a little describe the persons they were Sadduces and Pharisees There are but two extremities of Religion into which men run Superstition and Atheisme these fell the one that is the Pharisees into the one extremitie and the other that is the Saduces into the other extremitie Now sinnes are of two sorts some whose nature is in opposition to the flying from the wrath to come and some which are such as they doe not exclude the same A Drunkard an Adulterer a Murderer are grieuous sinners and in danger of the wrath to come but the Principles are not corrupted vpon which the forewarner must worke when hee perswadeth then to flie they doe beleeue the iudgement to come and in cold bloud will easily belieue that there is euill in their liues therefore vpon such good counsell may worke and wee see daily that many such are reclaimed But there are many whose sinnes are opposite vnto this counsell of flying either because they thinke there is no wrath to come as the Saducee or that they are out of danger of it as the Pharisee vpon such it is hard working Now come to the question Who hath forewarned you I am not ignorant that sundrie Writers ancient and later suppose that this is Quaestio admirantis and make Saint Iohn Baptist who receiued all others quietly when these persons came to stand amazed and wondring Is it possible hath Gods grace preuailed with Saduces with Pharisees and will they also bee Christs Disciples Is Saul among the Prophets Can hee that thought there was no Hell be brought to flie from Hell and hee that thought himselfe righteous prouide against the Iudgement day Surely such examples are rare not that God doth not yeil◠some to shew nothing is impossible to his grace but he yeildeth but few because men should take heed of such sinnes and wee see by experience how Pharisaisme in Papists and in Atheists Saducisme frustrate the labours of many painfull Forewarners the corrupt Principles of their conscience hinder their preuayling Who forewarne them to flie from the wrath to come But I take the Question rather to bee Negatiue and that as Christ often so Saint Iohn here doth detect their hypocrisie and telleth them that they aimed little at that which was intended by Baptisme The Kingdome of God happily in their sense they could bee content to enter into by the Baptisme of Saint Iohn for their Messias was to bee a worldly King or if so be they thought vpon wrath which they desired to escape it was wrath present not wrath to come the wrath of men not the wrath of God they would shake off the yoke of the Romanes they feared not the paines of Hell when they perceiued that Saint Iohns Baptisme sorted not with their desire it is obserued that they despised it to their destruction and when Christ asked them Whether it were of heauen or of men they durst not answere him from Heauen least Christ should come vpon them with Why did you not then belieue it Adde hereunto that it is not likely Saint Iohn would haue reproched them with these words generation of Vipers had there not bin hypocrisie in them I conclude then that the Question containeth a negation and that S. Iohn herein doth set forth the second euill of these Iewes They wanted meanes of forewarning which might apply to them the Remedie which God hath appointed against the wrath to come Matth. 21. v 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 31. p. 501. Nazianzen obserueth well It is not the Nation but the disposition that maketh a Pharisee euery Countrie may haue Pharisees and Saduces for it is not the name of a Nation but a conuersation and therefore this question may concerne vs and we must inquire into our selues whether wee haue either a Pharisees or a Saduces disposition And indeed wee shall find too many of both Heretickes Atheists vpon whom Forewarners cannot worke and if we be better disposed wee must acknowledge Gods great mercie that as hee hath appointed wrath so hee hath appointed a Remedie wee must learne both of our Forewarners and so learne both that we be the better for them and scape the vengeance that is to come The summe of all is sinnes and punishments are not inseparable God hath set a space betweene them and appointed a Remedie to the one for the auoyding of the other for the knowledge hereof hee referres vs to our spirituall Pastors and we must take heed we haue neither Saduces nor Pharisees eares which may make vs vncapable of their forewarnings O Lord that hast appointed Forwarners to thy Church so blesse their paines that they may fixe our thoughts on and resolue our reason of that wrath which is to come not only the sight of it but also the flight from it Let vs not despise the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering nor with hard and impenitent hearts treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Eccles 18. but knowing that thy goodnesse leadeth vs to repentance let vs so thinke vpon the wrath that shall be at the end that we may flie from sinne to grace and so bee thought worthy to escape this euill and stand in the last day with comfort before the Sonne of man stand for euer to giue glorie vnto thee the Father of mercie through Iesus Christ our only meanes to obtaine this mercie in the Communion of the holy spirit who only teacheth vs to make the right vse of this mercie Amen The third Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. Bring forth therefore fruites worthy of Repentance SAint Iohn Baptist hath in his Sermon hitherto shewed the Iewes of their bad case in regard both of sinne and woe If he had here ended he should rather haue seemed to bee a minister of Moses then an harbinger of Christ and although happily he might haue awakned the worme of Conscience to bite them with the terrours of the Law yet should hee not haue answered his fathers prophecie by giuing light to them that sit darknesse Luke 1. and in the shaddow of death and guiding their feete into the way of peace wherefore to shew that hee came indeed in the spirit of Elias and meant to turne the hearts of the fathers towards their children Malachi 4.6 and the children towards their fathers before the Lord came and smote the earth with cursing as he vnpartially gaue the Iewes to vnderstand the euill of their case so doth he carefully endeauour to set them in a better course The ground and scope of his words is in effect this Euerie Iew is to haue a double being in the Couenant an hereditarie a possessorie in that he is the of spring of Abraham he hath a title to the promises but possession of that whereunto
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
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
hoped for all are not so prouident as to let their Conscience preuent sinne Well howsoeuer wee neglect the first worke of Conscience wee cannot auoid the second if wee will not take notice of it it will take notice of Vs it taketh notice of all our doings whether they be good or bad proueth a comfortable or vncomfortable Iury vnto vs. Neither is this all Our selues are trusted not onely to giue in the verdict but also to take it whether it bee against vs or for vs. And as our Conscience will not spare to doome vs according to the Law if wee bee guiltie our selues shall pronounce what our sinnes deserue So will it not faile to assure vs of all the Blessings of the Gospel if it finde vs innocent and we shall rest assured of the trueth of our owne Iudgement And why GOD will second our Heart his worke will keepe correspondencie with ours whether it condemne or absolue Onely for the greater terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly let vs not forget the inequalitie if wee sincke vnder our owne Iudgement we shall sincke more vnder GODS and if our owne doe yeeld boldnesse GODS will yeeld much more Wherefore redde te tibi forget not the preuenting worke of thy Conscience to bee ruled by it Bernard Meditat. neglect not the enquiring worke of thy Conscience to prognosticate of thy future state according to it Let euery one of vs endeauour with St. Paul to haue an vnoffensiue Conscience toward God and men that he may solace himselfe in that true peace thereof in this world and haue the consummation thereof with Aeternall Blisse in the world to come Amen Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. FINIS A Meditation vpon Psalme 19. VERSE 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer FAst and Pray Lord I doe fast and I would pray for to what end doe I with-hold sustenance from my body if it be not the more to cheere vp my Soule my hungrie my thirstie Soule But the Bread the Water of life both which I find no where but in thy word I partake not but by exercising my selfe therein This I begin to doe and faine would I doe it well but in vaine shall I attempt except thou doe blesse blesse me then O Lord blesse either part of me both are thine and I would withhold neither part from thee Not my body I would set my tongue on worke to speake of thee not my Soule I would exercise my heart in thinking on thee I would ioyne them in Deuotion whom thou hast ioyned in Creation Yea Lord as they haue conspired to sinne against thee so doe they now consort to doe their duetie to thee my tongue is ready my heart is ready I would thinke I would speake thinke vpon thee speake to thee But Lord what are my words What are my thoughts Thou knowest the thoughts of men that they are altogether vanitie and our words are but the blast of such thoughts both are vile It were well it were no worse both are wicked my heart a corrupt fountaine and my tongue an vncleane streame and shall I bring such a sacrifice to God The halt the lame the blind the sicke though otherwise the beasts be cleane yet are they sacrifices abominable to God how much more if we offer those beasts which are vncleane And yet Lord my sacrifice is no better faultring words wandring thoughts are neither of them presentable to thee how much lesse euill thoughts and idle words Yet such are mine the best of mine they are such I cannot denie it but grieue at it I should I doe that hauing nothing else to offer God hauing nothing that is required of him this that I haue should be such as he cannot like What remedie None for me if any it is in thee O Lord that I must find it and for it now doe I seeke vnto thee Thou onely O Lord canst hallow my tongue and hallow my heart that my tongue may speake and my heart thinke that which may be acceptable vnto thee yea that which may bee thy delight Doe not I lauish Were it not enough that God should beare with that hee should not punish the defects of my words of my thoughts May I presume that God shall accept of me Nay delight in me Forget I who the Lord is Of what Maiestie Of what felicitie Can it stand with his Maiestie to vouchsafe acceptance VVith his felicitie to take content in the words of a worme in the thoughts of a wretch And Lord I am too proud that vilifie my selfe so little and magnifie thee no more But see whether the desire of thy seruant doth carrie him how wishing to please I consider not how hard it is for dust and ashes to please God to doe that wherein God should take content But Lord here is my comfort that I may set God to giue content vnto God God is mine and I cannot want accesse vnto God if God may approach himselfe Let me be weake yet God is strong O Lord thou art my strength Let me bee a slaue to sinne God is a Sauâ—our O Lord thou art my Sauiour thou hast redeemed me from all that wofull state whereunto Adam cast me yea thou hast built me vpon a Rocke strong and sure that the gates of Hell might neuer preuaile against me These two things hast thou done for me O Lord and what may not hee presume of for whom thou hast done these things I feare not to come before thee I presume my Deuotion shall content thee bee thy eyes neuer such all-seeing eyes I will bee bold to present my inward my outward man before thee be thy eyes neuer so holy eyes I will not flie with Adam to hide my nakednesse from thee for I am able to keepe my ground seeing I am supported by my Lord I doubt not but to prooue a true Israelite and to preuaile with God For all my Woe for all my sinne I will not shrinke nay I will approach approach to thee for thou art my Redeemer The neerer I come to thee the freer shall I bee both from sinne and woe O blessed state of man who is so weake so strong so wretched and so happie weake in himselfe strong in God most happie in God though in himselfe a sinfull wretch And now my Soule thou wouldest be deuout thou mayst be what thou wouldest sacrifice to God thy words sacrifice to God thy thoughts make thy selfe an Holocaust doubt not but thou shalt be accepted thou shalt content euen the most glorious the most holy eyes of God Onely presume not of thy selfe presume on him build thy words build thy thoughts vpon thy Rocke they shall not be shaken free thy words free thy thoughts thoughts and words enthrauled to sinne by thy Sauiour and thy sacrifice shall be accepted So let me build on thee so let me be enlarged by thee in soule in
our choyce that we pitch vpon a good guide wherein the Scripture bids vs take heed of two Rockes the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must neither our selues forge a Religion neither receiue any that is forged by others for guiding of our conscience as we must not be without Law so must we take heed what Law we vse And indeed we may vse none safely but The Law of God in such cases Lanes 4.12 that of the Apostle is true There is but one Lawgiuer no Law but his bindes vnto that for performance whereof we may securely expect that he will performe what in the Couenant for his part hee hath promised vnto vs. Many commendations wee read in prophane Writers of the the Lawes of Solon Lycurgus Zaleuchus and others but these must all be as imperfect as the Law-giuers whether we respect the Precepts or the Sanctions none comprehending exactly the Dutie of Man and therefore not being able to set Man in the way to the attaining of his Soueraigne Good This is peculiar to the Law of God But what is meant by the Law of God Surely the Law deliuered by Moses whereof the Prophets were but Interpreters and their Interpretation shewes the largenesse of the Text namely That the Gospell is included in the Law for the Decalogue cloathed with the Ceremonies what is it but Implicitum Euangelium The substance of the Gospell which is Saluation by Repentance and Faith in Christ And so must we vnderstand not onely Moses his commendations of the Law Deut. 4. but King Dauids also Psal 19. and 119 the truth whereof cannot be acknowledged if the Law and the Gospell be taken Oppositè and not Compositè if we oppose the one to the other and doe not by the one put comfort into the other Certainely in this place we must so vnderstand the Law because it is made the Way to Blisse And marke that here One Law of God is opposed vnto the three degrees of Sinne The Counsell of the wicked The way of Sinners and The Seat of the Scorners one to three to giue vs to vnderstand that what those three promise is performed in this One no true Counsell but in this Law no good Course but that whereinto wee are set by this Law and if we will be Doctors and despise the folly of others we must sit in Moses Chaire we must professe no other but the Law of God And thus much of that Whereunto we must be dedicated Let vs uow see How Wee must first receiue it in the Inward Man the word vsed by the Psalmist is Chephetz which signifies Voluntatem and Voluptatem and notes where and what entertainment wee must first giue vnto The Law Where in our Will so we finde in the tenour of the Couenant This shall be my Couenant Iere. 31.33 which I will make with the House of Israel saith the Lord I will write my Lawes in their Hearts c. God will not haue a seruile Dedication hee will not bee serued by compulsion and therefore those that serue him are called Psal 110. A willing People Neither can the seruice be reasonable wherein the Will is wanting for the Actions are not counted ours wherein the Will hath no part seeing it is by vertue of the Will that a Man is Dominus actionum suarum a free Agent neither is any Action free but that which is done willingly though we cannot partake of the Law but by our Vnderstanding yet is the principall obiect of the Law our Will for Theologia is Scientia not Theoretica but Practica wee learne not the Law for to know it but to doe it Adde hereunto that Inclinatio voluntatis is Inclinatio totius suppositi it is not without cause that God requires the Will seeing the Will hath power to sway the whole Man especially if the Will be Chephetz ioyned with Delight for so God doth require the Heart hee will haue it seasoned with Loue Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and Loue is the fulfilling of the Law King Dauid opens this Delight 1. Tim. 1.5 Psal 19. when he tels vs that the Law was sweeter than Honey and the Honey-combe the meaning of it is we must not be mercenarie but the pleasure we take in it must-be the cause why we entertaine it And marke the phrase His delight is in the Law Multi habent Legem in Corde sed non Cor in Lege saith Hugo de S. Victore Many treasure vp the Law in their hearts that doe not solace their hearts in the Law they only know it these also delight in it Saint Austin obserues a Distinction betweene In Lege and Sub Lege Qui est in Lege secundum Legem agit He whose heart is in the Law followes the direction of the Law Qui est sub Lege à Lege agitur he whose heart is vnder the Law Rom. 7.22 entertaines it rather of constraint then with a willing minde but wee must Delight in the Law of God in the Inward man as the Apostle speaketh For as ground is fruitfull not by receiuing but by liking of the seed Euen so man becomes not Religious by knowing but by affecting of the Law Amor est virtus Vniens by Loue doth a man become one with the Law yea himselfe is turned into a liuing Law for men are alwayes busie about that wherein they take Delight and the Law being receiued into the inwaâ—d man will ouer-spread the whole man which is implyed in the next branch He meditates on that Law To Meditate on the Law is First to ruminate on the Scripture and sound the depth of it for the Law is deliuered in few words wherein there are contained great Riches of sense which by Meditation we must worke out Christ hath giuen vs a patterne Mat. 5. Where he vnwraps the sense of seuerall Commandements of Murder of Adulterie of Diuorce In the sixth of Saint Iohn how much matter doth he draw out of the Storie of Manna And what mysteries doth Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrewes find in the Ceremonies of Moses This is the first branch of Meditating the vnfolding of the Riches of that sense which God hath treasured vp in his Law This is the worke of our vnderstanding But the vnderstanding doth but prepare matter for the Affections There is a second branch therefore of Meditating which is the seasoning of our Affections with that which we know And as the vnderstanding prepares matter for the Affections so what vse of our Affections but to quicken our Actions Therfore as a man which takes into his mouth a morsell of good meate chewes it and by chewing doth discouer the sweetnesse and kindly nourishment that is in it and hauing rellisht it swallowes it downe and by meane conueiances disperseth it into euerie part of his body that euery part may be made more vigorous and Actiue thereby So
this World passeth away and All these things must be dissolued and how should the little World euer come to a stand when the Great World makes away so that wee must prouide for another place Wee must nay euery man doth will he nill he he doth for his Life is but a Way he is euery day euery houre euery moment onward somewhat toward Heauen or Hell But the Way notes not only a Course but a setled Course There are many startings aside both of Good and Bad the best many times slep aside into by-paths but that is not Via eorum the Iust mans way for he commeth to himselfe againe and with greater alacritie returnes to his Religious Course And the wicked out of fashion or fancie doe oftentimes trie the right way but that is not Via eorum it is not the wicked mans way for he quickly distastes it and takes againe his former Roade therefore the Scripture doth not by the Way vnderstand that which we doe by sits but that which wee doe constantly and wherein wee perseuere So then it is Common to all men to go a Way and hold a setled Course but yet the Course which all take is not the same the Text will tell you that though a Way bee Common yet not the same Way Here are two mentioned The Righteous mans Way which I told you is a righteous way and the Way of the wicked which I told you is a wicked Way The Scripture doth mention a Straight and a Crooked a Narrow and a Broad Way the way of the Eagle and the way of the Serpent a way vpward and a way downeward a way to Life and a way to Death the way of God and the way of the Diuell the Straight Narrow Eagles Way the way vpward to Life which is Gods way that is the way of the Righteous or the righteous Way the Crooked Broad Serpentine Way the way downeward to Death which is the way of the Diuell that is the Way of the wicked or the wicked Way I neede say no more of these Wayes that heretofore haue said so much of the difference betweene Good and Bad men It shal suffice to haue added thus much vpon occasion of this word Way and the â—arietie thereof specified in this Verse Let vs come on then to the Iudiciall Prouidence that worketh vpon these Wayes And here I told you there is also some thing Common and some thing Proper both these Wayes are wrought vpon by the prouident Wisdome and Power of God he Discernes them hee Rewards them both were there no other proofe the triuiall Verse confirmes it Entèr Praesentèr Deus est vbique Potentèr His Eyes behold all the wayes of Men and his Eye lids trie them all that which is applyed to Baltazzar Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin Dan 5. concernes euery one more or lesse Dauid hath made the 139. Psalme in describing this Generall Eye and Hand of God and the Sonne of Syrach hath excellently exprest it Chap. 23. and we shall really denie God and be plaine Manichees if we did exempt any thing from him and not subiect all things to his Iudiciall Power T is true that some things he permits vnto the Creatures but it is neither an ignorant nor an negligent Permission he knowes whereabout they goe and holds the bridle in his owne hand most maiestically doth God in Esay let Zenacharib vnderstand as much Chap. 37 in an answer that he giues vnto that insolent Message I know thine abode and thy going out and thy comming in and thy rage against me because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke in thy Nose and my bridle in thy Lips and turne thee backe the way by which thou camest But I need not enlarge this point of Gods Generall Iudiciall Prouidence for it will be farther confirmed by the particular branches thereof If these particulars be true the Generall cannot bee denied because the Generall is included in the Particular Though then it bee Common to both Wayes that they come vnder Gods Iudiciall Prouidence yet come they not vnder it both alike it workes vpon either after a speciall manner first vpon the way of the Iust Nouit Deus The Lord knoweth that Way The Knowledge of God here meant being not Generall but Speciall we must enquire what manner of Knowledge this is I cannot better informe you then by paralleling Gods speciall Knowledge of Man with Mans speciall Knowledge of God for Hee which knowes God is also knowne of him 1. Cor. 8. Et qui ignorat ignorabitur 1. Cor. 14.38 Now the speciall Knowledge that Man must haue of God stands in two points in Distinguendo Colendo he must first learne to distinguish God from all others and that Contra and and Supra he must oppose him to all that seemes but is not God hee must not thinke him like vnto Idols that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hands and handle not c. For hee must beleeue that God is priuie to the Wayes of men and disposeth all things at his Pleasure As we must thus oppose God to those which seeme but are not Gods so must we preferre him also before all to whom that name is communicable bee they Angels or Men for though there bee some thing like in both yet doth God infinitely exceed in that wherein he is like This is the first branch of our knowledge which stands in Deo Distinguendo in distinguishing God from all others The second branch stands in Deo Colendo in our Carriage towards God and that also consists of two branches Contemplation and Dilection our Eye must euer bee on him our Heart must euer be towards him Psal 27 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord saith King Dauid and that will I still require that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the faire Beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy Temple and how busie is the Eye of the Spouse in the Canticles in viewing her Beloued from top to toe As the Beautie of God drawes the Eye of Man continually to behold it so being beheld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man cannot behold it but he must fall in loue with it It was wittily replyed by an Ancient Father Saint Basil as it is thought vnto Iulian the Apostata when hee wrote vpon an Apologie of Christian Religion presented vnto him 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainly it is impossible for him that knowes God as a Christian ought not to thinke hee is bound to loue him in the highest degree with all his Mind with all his Soule with all his Heart with all his Strength as the Law speakes This being the speciall Knowledge that we must haue of God we must obserue that Gods speciall Knowledge of Vs is answerable hereunto He Knowes His first Distinguendo as in the departure out of Aegypt
Psal 145. Psal 25. of the hight of it it reacheth vnto Heauen sometimes of the depth of it it fetcheth men from Hell sometimes of the width of it it is ouer all his workes sometimes of the length of it it hath bin euer of old His tender Compassions faile not they are renewed euery Morning Lamen 3. But all this is to bee vnderstood in Christ his Incarnation his passion the whole Redemption that hee wrought is indeed Magna Misericordia a wonderfull Mercy Saint Paul mentioning the breadth the length the depth and the hight of it teacheth vs that it passeth all knowledge Ephe. 3. Neither is it Great onely but in this Greatnesse we must obserue Magnitudinem Multitudinem Saint Chrisostome doth excellently amplifie this poynt in regard of both branches Ores nouas inauditas Behold and wonder the first fruits of those that come to Christ are those which were most desperately enthrauled to Satan Magi Publicani Meretrices latro blasphemus the Conuersion of such persons is an vndoubted Argument of the Magnitude of his Mercy And touching the Multitude beleiue his answer to Saint Peter Mat. 18. â—â— who asking Christ Whether hee should forgiue his Brother seauen times replied Not only seauen times but seauentie times seauen Eze. 18.21 At what time soeuer a Sinner doth repent from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lord. And verely were it not for this double Greatnesse that is in Gods Mercy few should bee saued for Psal 130. If thou Lord shouldest bee extreame to marke what is done amisse who were able to stand but with thee there is Mercy we would despaire of our cure if there were not such physicke of our great sores if there were not such a soueraigne medicine but this is our comfort Where sinne aboundeth Grace aboundeth much more Rom. 3.20 There is no sinne either so great or manifold which cannot be remedied by the Mercifull bowells of Christ It was Cains voice Gen. 4. my sinne is greater then can be forgiuen but a Father Saint Austin I thinke replieth to him Mentiris Cain this thy complaint is a blasphemous derogation from the vnmeasurable bowells of Christ and the Nouatians were long since condemned by the Church which straightned the power of the Remission of sinnes which Christ hath left vnto the Pastors Marke now the Correspondencie of the branches of this Text. Wee found Magnitude and Multitude in the Miserie of Dauid and they did need a Magnitude and Multitude in the gracious operations of Mercie and here we doe finde in the third place that Mercy is so well stored that it can doe as much as is required by Miserie Whereupon two thinges follow It is vnbeseeming diuine Mercy to bee scant in giuing and humane Miserie is foolishly modest that is spare in asking But this Diuinitie must not be abused it was neuer intended to encourage Presumption but God would haue it published to keepe men from Desperation It is wholesome Doctrine for them that are Miserabiles which labour and are heauie laden with the burden of their sin but it is dangerous to them that are onely Miseri such as are grieuous sinners but haue no sense of their wretched state The last point in the Text is Secundum Misericordiam Haue mercy vpon me according to that which is in Thee not that which is in Mee Nothing to moue God but onely the free goodnesse of God certainely to moue Mercy nothing else can be pleaded by Miserie Dauid had done many good things Omnes voluntates Dei as Saint Paul saith Acts 13. hee had restored Church and Common Weale and made many sweet Songs to the honor and prayse of God But he remembreth none of all these in his Prayer he doth not desire to speede for any of those And why Bona Opera Deo placere possunt Deum placare non possunt while wee doe them though imperfect yet are they well pleasing vnto God thorough Christ but if we doe contrary vnto them we may not pleade them for Satisfactions for our sinne No Gods Rule is Eze. 18. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned therefore Dauid prayeth discreetly when he referreth God to his owne Goodnes and pleades nothing of his owne Worth and we must in the like Case lay before God only our beggery and commend that vnto Gods Mercy the lesse we haue the more wee shall find in him if wee are not ashamed to confesse our owne basenes and his Goodnesse But it is time to draw to an end Audi peccator orantem peccatorem whosoeuer thou art that art a sinner learne from King Dauid the argument of penitent Prayer It must represent a feeling Miserie and a tender Mercy and the feeling of Misery must make vs seeke vnto tender Mercy It was a strange errour in Saint Peter that when he had seene a glimpse of Christs Glorie Luke 5. â— brake out into these words Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull Man hee should rather haue desired that Christ would approach him for with whom should a Patient desire rather to be then with his Physitian or a Sinner then with his Sauiour Surely Saint Peter at another time Iohn 13.2 though at first he made dainty that Christ should wash his feete yet when Christ told him except I wash thee thou canst haue no part in me replied Wash Lord and not my feete onely but my hands and my head also There is none of vs that doth not daily runne in arrerages to God that doth not staine that garment of Innocencie which he receiued in his Baptisme and what should we do then being in such a case but that our selues may be written in the booke of life desire that our sinnes may be blotted out of the Booke of death that we be not cast out of heauenly Hierusalem â—euel 7.14 as an vncleaÌ„e thing wash our garments white in the blood of the Lambe No doubt but as King Dauid so wee shall haue Paroxismes sharpe sits of despaire when our Conscience curiously suruaieth our Miserie But the eyes of our soule must not dwell there we must lift them vp vnto the Mercy-seate et abyssus abyssum inuocet let the depth of our Misery seeke a reliefe in the depth of Gods Mercy be our sins neuer so many bee they neuer so great we shall find more bowells of tender Mercy greater loue kindnesse there then our Sinnes can need Yea not onely finde them there in God but seele them also streaming from thence to the full reliefe of our distressed soules We shall feele them so acquitting so cleansing vs that we shall be assured that we are vessells of Mercy though we deserue for our sinnes to be Vessells of Wrath. I Shut vp all with this Prayer O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but
vnto vs confusion of faces to our God also belonge Mercies and forgiuenesse though we bee plunged deepe in Miserte and Sinnes Cause thy face O Lord to shine vpon vs thy seruants and let not our sinnes seperate betweene thee and vs remit the Guilt purge the Corruption of vs miserable sinners which doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne Righteousnesse but for thy great Mercies though our sinnes witnesse against vs yet deale with vs according to thy Name for great are thy Mercies AMEN PSAL. 51. ver 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is euer before mee THis Psalme as heretofore you haue heard consists of two Vowes both were made by King Dauid one for himselfe another for his Kingdome the first doth expresse his Desire and his Promise his Desire to bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace his Promise if hee speede hereof to performe religious seruice vnto God In the former Petition of his Desire there are two remarkeable things the Matter contained in it and the Manner of King Dauids redoubling it of the Matter I haue already spoken wherefore I now come on vnto the Manner And herein we must obserue first the Inference then the Amplification that is how that which followeth is brought in vpon that which goeth before and how King Dauid enlargeth himselfe in vnfolding the Confession of his owne Miserie and Petition for Gods Mercy In the Inference we shall learne that as God hath Mercy so it is for such as are sensible of their Miserie in the Amplification we shall learne that hee which is sensible must shew himselfe not onely ingenious in displaying his owne wretchednesse but bee assured also of the Remedie which is prouided by Gods Goodnesse But to looke more particularly into the former branch of the Amplification behold therein how King Dauid doth rip vp his sinnes the Branches the Root thereof the sinne which himselfe hath committed and the sinne which hee hath deriued from his Parents hee layeth open both both the Debt and the Vsury so Saint Chrysostom calls them Homil. ad Neophytos Hee beginneth at the sinne which himselfe hath committed he vseth not the querulous Prouerbe of the Iewes the fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes Ier. 34.29 and the Childrens teeth are set onedge the remembrance of his wofull Inheritance doth not make him forget his owne graceles Purchase no hee mindes this first hee first amplifieth the Debt which himselfe hath contracted In laying open this he obserueth two things the naturall Properties thereof and the supernaturall Euent which followeth thereupon the naturall Properties are two a Malignity and an Impiety he handles the Impietie in the next verse the Malignitie in this that I haue now read vnto you Malignity is a vexing euill first there is euill in his sinne hee toucheth a double euill euill of the Heart and euill of the Head of the Heart noted by the word Peshang which signifieth a rebellious inordinatnes of the will of the Head noted by Chata which noteth an erring Iudgement or misleading aduise these two euills are in sinne enormous sinne and where they are there they vexe for they are Coram or Contra before vs or Against vs the word beareth both significations and therefore it is translated both wayes and if we couple them as well we may then you shall finde that enormous sinne committed doth haunt our thoughts and afflict our wills Neither onely doe they so but they doe so incessantly so saith the Text they are Semper Coram Semper Contra Alwaies before vs and Against vs alwaies vexing both our Head and our Heart Of this King Dauid is ingeniously feeling and testifieth the truth of it in his owne Case in his owne Case I say for the sinne which he remembreth is his owne My transgressions My sinnes the disease of mine owne Head and mine owne Heart therefore saith King Dauid I am feeling feeling in my Head and feeling in my Heart for Agnosco I Acknowledge it Acknowledging importeth a worke of the Head which is Noscere to know and a worke of the Heart which is Agnoscere to Acknowledge the vse of knowledge the applying of it to our Liues Neither is King Dauid only feeling hereof but ingenious also in publishing the same for he did Acknowledge it in this Psalme These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text and whereunto God willing I shall now speake more fully and answerably vnto this * The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of Welles Occasion But I must first touch at the Inference and shew you how these and the following words are brought in vpon those that goe before Haue mercy vpon me O Lord c. saith King Dauid for I acknowledge my transgressions c. Obserue then Mans deuotion must follow Gods direction neither may we hope otherwise to speede then we are waranted by his Promise Now God doth not promise Mercy but to those that are feeling of their Miserie in the beginning of the Leiturgie we heare daily out of Ezek. Eâ—c 18.21.22 At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his Heart I will put al His wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord Ioel. 2.13 and therefore out of Ioel we are called vpon to Rent our Hearts and not our Garments and turne vnto the Lord our God because hee is gentle and mercifull patient and of much mercy and such an one as is sorric for our Afflictions Mâ—t. 5.6 to this purpose doth our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell pronounce them Blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnes saying Mâ—â— 11. â— they shall be satisfied and inuiteth those that Labour and are heauie laden saying he will refresh them Although then wee doe yeeld that the Mercy of God is infinite and that it is readie to releiue all wretches yet wee may not forget that in obtayning it there are Partes nostrae as Chrysostom speaketh there is some thing that God requires on our part hee requires that we approue vnto him our Repentance Saint Austin sets it forth in a prettie Dialogue betweene God and King Dauid Quidergo quaeris miserecordiam pecatum impunitum remanebit what saith God vnto King Dauid doest thou seeke for mercy so that thy sinne may remaine vnpunished Respondet Dauid respondeant Lapsi King Dauid replied and all sinners must ioyne in this answer with King Dauid Non Domine Nay Lord my sinne shall not bee vnpunished I know his Iustice whose mercy I implore my sinne shall not passe vnpunished but therefore would not I haue thee punish it because I doe punish it my selfe and so Chrysostome I see my sinne O Lord therefore doe not thou see it I register it in this Psalme therefore doe thou blot it out of thy Booke Agnosco ignoscas therefore pardon because I am penitent 1. Cor. 11. And indeed it is the Apostles Rule That if we would
our nature and so farre as it doth diminish it of something maketh it nothing for nothing can truly be sayd to be farther then it is partaker of God of the being which he giueth vnto it who only can say I am that I am Besides the Truth that is opposed to Vanity there is another which is opposed to Hypocrisie and that is the correspondency of our outward actions to our inward affections for as our outward affections must haue their stamp from God so must they endeauour to print their true stampe vpon our Actions for as the seede that is sowne in the ground beareth the like seede aboue ground and the fruit is not vnlike the Tree no more should it be in our moralities wee should not sustayne one person in our bosome and another in our countenance bee painted sepulchers full of dead mens bones we should be Iacobs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plaine men Nathaniels without all guile Mat. 23.17 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome the character of an honest man is to be single minded Gen. 25.27 single tongued he that hath a heart and a heart a tongue and a tongue hath not truth in his inward parts This being the nature of Sincerity if wee will try the world by it I thinke we may iustly breake out in to King Dauids complaint in another Psalme Helpe Lord there is not a godly man left Veraces defecêrunt a filijs hominum truth is perished from among the sons of men the periuries which are frequent at Assizes and Sessions Psal 12.1 the deceit of Citizens which haue denominated deceit it selfe for from them is astutia deriued quia nihil lucrantur nisi admodùm mentiuntur whose thrift is fitly called craft because did they not circumueÌ„r they would come short of much of their wealth As for Statesmen all Chronicles do witnesse that they vse the Foxes case more frequently then the Lions skin and Policie is one of the words that is degenerated from a laudable to an infamous signification and is become a Synonymon for Machiauelisme This is the cause that Leagues and Contracts though confirmed with neuer so religious bonds are rather snares whereby one State seeketh to intrap another then pledges of their mutuall security But the quintessence of all falshood is the Popish Aequiuocation and Mentall Reseruation then which the Diuell neuer hatched a more pestilent fraud to bane Societies and desame Christian Religion The reason of all these obliquities and aberrations from Truth is for that euery man squareth vnto himselfe a measure of his owne but that measure of Sincerity which here God hath squared out is euery where neglected The Papist hee maketh the Catholique cause his measure the Politician his Greatnesse the Citizen his wealth the Iurour the preseruing of his Customes or pleasuring his friends these and some such like to these cautions and conditions doth the world patch vnto Truth without which they will not entertayne it The way to reforme all is to trie our Sincerity by the rule here set down by truth in the inward parts first that Truth that is opposed vnto Vanitie for hereby must wee correct our inward affections reduce them to the temper which God first gaue them and keepe them within the bounds which Gods Law doth set vnto them and when we haue done this then must we come on to the Truth that is opposed to Hypocrisâ—y let our conuersation be the looking glasse of our affections and let not any thing appeare in the Outward man that is not in the inward so shall wee be sincere wee shall haue truth in our inward parts And let this suffice for the nature of Sincerity Such Sincerity is of great regard that appeareth first in the Affection wherewith it is entertained The Affection is Desire and Desire is a compound affection of Louing and wishing for wee cannot desire that which we doe not loue and what wee loue if wee want it for that wee wish so that Sincerity is a louely thing And indeed how can it choose but be louelie that holdeth together all Societies Domesticall Politicke Ecclesiasticall without which iealousies must needs arise and so destruction follow euery man commits himselfe securely to him in whom he suspecteth no guile as where he doth suspect it hee thinketh himselfe safest when he hath least to doe Secondly as it is louely where it is so where it is not there it is longed for for man being by nature sociable cannot but wish for that qualitie in euery man without which there can be no society therefore those whom otherwise wee hate because wee cannot but haue to doe with them wee wish them all this Vertue Truth in the inward parts which should make all sorts of persons carefull to nurture those that are committed to their charge Parents their Children Masters their Seruants Pastors their People Magistrates their Subiects in this Vertue and sharpely to correct their pronenesse to the contrary the World groaneth vnder the mischiefes of falshood yet as if it yeelded no mischiefe euery where may you find a Schoole thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery such master breedeth such a scholar as maketh him a proofe that he hath profited in his Art But the Affection only doth not shew the regard it is improued much by the Person in whom this Affection is found I shewed you that Sincerity is louely and longed for but it skilleth much who the Person is that loueth it and longeth for it for our nature is corrupt and with our nature our affections wee mistake euill for good and we misplace our affections often vpon euill rather then good It is not so with God as hee is so he affecteth he is most Holy and such are his Desires also what he loueth is louely indeed because he cannot loue amisse and what he longeth for that we want because if we did not want it he could not long for it And indeed he must needs loue Sincerity because it is the Image of himselfe for he is Truth and there is nothing counterfeit either in him or from him yea his Truth is the ground of all our Faith our Hope our Charity were it not for that these could haue no ground Faith could haue no ground without his Truth in promising Hope could haue no ground without his Truth in performing Charity could haue no ground without his Truth in louing Therefore there is Truth in him and who what is in Him he loueth in others for euery thing delights in his like when God had made all things and beheld that they were good he presently kept a Sabaoth which importeth nothing else but the sweet content that he tooke in the worke of his owne hands If in all things specially in those that did best resemble him and he is resembled in nothing more then in diuine vertue so that Sincerity must needs bee exceeding louely in his Holy Eyes As it is louely so it
is longed for also when it is wanting in our nature By the Fall amongst other endowments this was lost Psal 62. â— The Sonnes of men are become vanity the sonnes of noble men are but a lie God then beholding them must needs finde wanting what in the Creation hee bestowed vpon them and what hee findeth wanting that he desireth may be recouered Behold how hee sheweth himselfe as a Father that might deale with vs as a Iudge what hee might exact hee desireth and desireth as a Father the supply of that the want whereof hee might punish as a Iudge hee taketh more delight to see vs recouered mercifully then iustly to perish in our sinnes The words must not be vnderstood exclusiuely Hee desireth Truth in the inward parts as if he desired it not also in the outward The inward is his Peculiar a closet whereinto none can enter but himselfe and as his residence is specially there so doth his eye principally looke into that wee may not thinke that the Holinesse that will content the Creature will content the Creator also when we go about to reforme wee must goe as deepe as Gods eye goeth and not thinke that all is well vntill all is well there But when we are prouided for that Mat. 5.29 wee must Let our light shine also before men the outward parts must haue Truth in them also God that is the Author of societies loues the bands of them also and by commanding the obseruation and commending the obseruers testifieth his good will towards them to the confusion of all Equiuocaters that diuorce the Inwards from the Outwards and care not how much fraud they vse outwardly while they please themselues with a counterfeit truth inwardly Wee must entertaine both such a truth in the Inward parts as manifesteth it selfe in the Outward and giueth good content both to God and Man But marke God that desireth Truth in the inward parts commendeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not bid vs root out our Affections but order them aright he calls not for stupidity but simplicitie he wills vs to flie all serpentine wiles but to entertaine a singlenesse of mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril vnleauened affections are much set by of God and sincerity is a vertue that yeelds sweet sauour vnto him Finally our Repentance our Confidence must specially be seasoned with this vertue for vnto them is the Text specially applyed And let this suffice for the regard that is yeelded to Sincerity I come now to the meanes by which it may be had and that is by diuine instruction of our Heart The Heart is here meant by the hidden part which elsewhere is called the Hidden man of the Heart why it is called Hidden in some sort I told you before as also why it is called a Part and not Parts the entrall is single and it hath a couering as it appeareth in the anatomizing of our bodies But by the entrall is meant the Vnderstanding the thoughts whereof are knowne onely vnto God They that write of the Temple of Salomon doe many of them parallel it with our persons which are temples of the Holy Ghost as that was partly vncouered and partly couered so haue wee an Outward and an Inward man and as that part of the Temple which was couered was partly Sanctum and partly Sanctum Sanctorum so haue we in our Inward man a couert seate of our desires which must be holy as you haue hitherto heard and a couert seate of the rule of our desires which must be more holy and that is our Heart there doth God reside as in his most Holy place and from thence by our conscience giueth order to the whole course of our life This place or power must be furnished with Wisedome The Apostle doth teach vs to distinguish betweene the Wisedome of this world and the Wisedome of God whereof the former is seeming the latter is Wisedome indeed This Wisedome is nothing but that guiding knowledge wherewith the Conscience must be furnished our desires haue no reason of themselues that which they haue they haue by participation of the higher power which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the guide of the inferiour powers now you know the vertue of a guide is Wisedome take away Wisedome hee will bee but a bad guide a bad did I say nay a blinde guide for Wisedome is his Eye and you know what our Sauiour Christ saith Mat. 6.22 The light of the body is the Eye if therefore thine Eye be single the whole body shall be full of Light if thine Eye bee euill the whole body shall be full of darknesse This Wisedome is nothing else but those good and sound Principles of Direction which should giue order to our affections which of them should stirre when and how farre did not Wisedome giue this order out of a true iudgement past vpon the Obiect Feare would stirre where Hope is called for and we would Ioy where wee should Grieue but that each affection taketh his proper turne and obserueth its iust measure wee are beholding vnto Wisedome But whence is this Wisedome Iob 38.36 Iob moued the question who hath put Wisedome in the inward parts or who hath giuen vnderstanding to the heart hee answereth himselfe fully in the 28. Chapter and the summe of his Answere is that God is the giuer thereof The reason may be taken from the nature of Wisedome which is answerable to the name thereof C. 6. â— 23 so saith the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisedome is as the name thereof importeth and it is not reuealed vnto many Fuâ—lâ— Misâ— l. 1. c. 5. Now it hath its name from Tzaphah which signifieth to couer And indeed true Wisedome had a double Couering in the dayes of King Dauid a Couering of Ceremonies that darkened the things and a Couering of Infidelity that made most men incapable of them only God could remoue these Couerings cleare the Mysteries of Religion and giue men eyes for to discerne them not that God vseth not the ministery of men and by men informeth vs of our duties but they can goe no farther then the Outward man Ambros Cathedram habet in Coelo qui docet corda none but our Master which is in Heauen can open our hearts and worke these good instructions into our consciences This is the tenour of the Couenant of Grace Behold Ier. 31.32 the Day is come saith the Lord that I shall make a new Couenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Iuda I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and so saith Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.17 Ibid. v. 18 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie libertie from both the Couerings so that Men with open face behold the glory of the Lord. And indeed who should repaire these guifts when they
it so was it no small punishment to bee depriued of it King Dauid confesseth as much Psal 84. when hee breaketh out into those passionate speeches How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liuing God and againe As the hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth after God euen the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God I amplifie this ancient respect vnto the Place that therehence you may gather the greatnes of the losse thereof But what is this to vs those types be long since past but they had a truth which shall remaine vntill the worlds end and that is Gods gracious presence in the Gospel learne it of S. Paul who describing the dignity of the Gospel setteth it forth in these words God which cōmanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts 2. Cor. 4.6 to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ and againe wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 are changed into the same image from glory vnto glory so that our Churches haue a residence of God a residence much more glorious then that of the Iewes and the losse thereof if by any meanes it bee brought vpon vs wee are not to esteeme it vnworthy a deepe sorrow But as the presence noteth a place so doth it note a state also that doth accompany the place I will reduce it to two heads Gods speciall prouidence and his gracious acceptance Where God is pleased to reside he taketh a speciall care of the persons his care may be reduced vnto two heads mentioned in the 80. Psalme God is a Sun and a Shield that is he blesseth and defendeth them that are his people It is a pleasant thing saith the Preacher to see the Sun the corporall Sun how much more the spirituall the Sun of Righteousnes King Dauid will tell you how much more there bee many saith hee that aske Psal 4. Who will shew vs any good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs and thou shalt put more ioy into our hearts then they whose Corne and wine and oyle is encreased and no maruell for in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy Psal 16. and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Is God a Sun vnto his Church then euery good and perfect guift will come downe vpon it from the father of Lights They are happy that dwell with the Sun but hee that is happie would be safe also and he that is the Sun is also a Shield hee hideth his seruants in his Pauilion Psal 27. in the secret of his Tabernacle he doth hide them hee that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty Psal 90. hee shall not be afraid of terror by night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day Read the whole Psalme it is nothing but a description of the Shield In the entrance to the 18. Psalme Dauid compareth God to all kind of Munition and Saint Paul Ephes cap. 6. teacheth that God doth furnish vs with compleat Armour Who can doubt then that God is a Shield vnto his You see what is Gods speciall prouidence ouer his Church beside that the state doth containe a gracious acceptance also Psal 34.14 They that are neare are deare the Eyes of the Lord are vpon them and his eares are open vnto their prayers they find grace in his eyes with Noah and hee smels their sacrifice he pittieth their defects ouer-valueth their good endeauors punisheth them lesse but rewardeth them more then they deserue Finally as hee appropriateth as it were himselfe to them so doth he them vnto himselfe I cannot stand to amplifie these things onely marke this if the losse of the place bee a punishment there is a great accesse made to it by the losse of the state if it be a punishment not to come neere God what a punishment is it to bee out of such a Sun-shine to be without such a Shield what a punishment is it that neither wee nor our workes should find any grace in the eyes of God wee must put these things into the scales when wee weigh our Iudgement But not these things onely the manner of the Reiection doth aggrauate it not a little that is intimated in the word Cast out it is actio indignantis wee must set before vs a person highly displeased and behold with what countenance hee throweth from him that which he detests Dauid was a King and he knew well the mood of an angry King what wofull effects it produceth against those with whom they are angry I reduced them to two heads disgrace and danger take for example Ahasuerus wroth against Haman vpon Queene Hesters petition first hee was disgraced his eyes were couered that hee might not see the Kings face and danger came not far behind disgrace for he was presently hanged on a gallowes If the casting out of a Subiect by the command of a mortall King draw with it this double euill how is it improued when it is acted by the King of Heauen But I will open it vnto you in a Resemblance or two This casting out is called a diuorce now you know that if a husband for adultery put away his wife shee forfeits her honour and her dower she is branded for an infamous person and destituted of her maintenance Ose 2. Christ as the Prophet speaketh doth marry vs vnto himselfe and thereupon communicateth vnto vs his honourable name wee are called Christians and endoweth vs with his whole estate maketh vs heyres of the kingdome of heauen how great is the disgrace then how great is the danger that doth accompany the diuorce the disgrace that declareth vs vnworthy of our name and danger that cutteth off our title to so glorious an inheritance A second similitude is the discommuning of vs we were Gods peculiar treasure a kingdome of Priests so is our Prerogatiue expressed Exod. 19. yea we are made as the Gospell speaketh a Kingdome of Heauen what greater worth what greater wealth can bee conceiued then is in such a state but if God be prouoked to pronounce Lo-ammi against them Osea ◠you are not my people I will not be your God our worth our wealth vanish both they melt with the heat of that fierie doome I might amplifie it by other Similitudes the cutting off the oline the Vine branch mentioned Rom. 11. and Ioh. 15. by the histories of Cain and of Saul by the censures of cutting off from Gods people remembred in Moses and Christs let him be vnto thee as a publican and a heathen but I will not tire out your patience Onely this I would haue you obserue that
true the soueraigne good There is one thing moreouer meant by this phrase which is peculiar vnto Dauid and doth somwhat concerne all those that are in authority 1. Sam. ca. 16 and that is an heroicall spirit Numb 11. God gaue him one when hee anointed him first to be King so did he vnto Moses Exod. ca. 19. and the Elders which were chosen to assist him Though euery child of God must by a noble spirit testifie his parentage and that Kingly degree whereunto he is called of God yet they that are set ouer others must haue a principall spirit in a higher measure answerable to their charge must their gifts be seruilitie beseemes none lesse then those who are appointed guides to lead others out of thraldome The next point is King Dauids prayer vphold or stablish His late wofull experience had taught him that he was labilis and fragilis that he was apt to take a fall and with the fall a bruise therefore hee had good reason to pray God to hold him vp to strengthen him yea the best are mutable creatures as they were made of nothing so of themselues they would turne to nothing againe Therefore hee that standeth must pray that he may not fall that his house rest not vpon the Sands to be blowen downe by the winds or borne downe by the Waues but vpon a Rocke which will hold out against them both Secondly this word importeth that he that hath recouered a fall Clem. Alex. Stromat lib. â— desires that he may no more relapse Vilificat libertatem qui iterùm vult amittere it is a shrewd argument that he setteth light by a free spirit that doth not desire as well for to keepe it as for to haue it and the desire for to keepe it doth argue at how deare a rate we set it Thirdly Saint Bernards rule is true Quae modo sunt modo non sunt is qui verè est non acceptat nec in caducis istis potest vera aeternitas sibi complacere Vertue be it neuer so eminent pleaseth not God except it bee lasting he will haue euery one striue to resemble him as well in constancie as in sanctitie Finally this comfortable sense and generous spirit are the two supporters of perseuerance for what should moue him to fall from God that is heartned with the comfortable sense of Gods fauour and established by a generous spirit to doe him seruice Therefore Gregorie the Great giueth vs a good note In 〈◊〉 Psal that if wee meane to perseuere wee must take heed that we doe not seuer these Solet quibusdam contingere c. it falleth out too often saith he that men luld a sleepe with the ioy of saluation forget how feeble their knees are and begge not to be held vp with a free spirit and so slip before they are aware wherefore he addeth Ita me correctum sac gaudere de veniâ vt tamen nunquam desinam esse suspectus de culpâ Let me neuer so ioy in the pardon of my sinnes as that out of the consciousnesse of my owne frailtie I should not desire to be strengthned against sinne The last thing I noted vpon this Text is Who is the giuer of these gifts and it appeareth to bee God for to him King Dauid prayeth and what better proofe then that euery man seeketh it of him and thanketh him Serm 6. Dei onâ—â—e 〈◊〉 Cap. 6. 1. Cor. 1.31 if that he haue it What meane we saith Saint Cyprian by all the Lords Prayer Nisi vt in eo quod esse cepimus perseueremus Whereunto agreeth Saint Augustine and the Apostle telleth vs that he that glorieth must glorie in the Lord Vntill we come to God we can find no ground of stabilitie how glorious were the Angels in Heauen How holy was Adam in Paradise Both left vnto themselues are monuments of the frailtie of a creature If they how much more we that come so short of their gifts Wherefore God hauing shewed vs how little stedfastnesse there is in the foundation of nature Psal 94. buildeth vs vpon a surer foundation he buildeth vs vpon himselfe Hee is become our refuge and the strength of our considence And as he only can establish vs with a free spirit so only he can restore vnto vs the ioy of his saluation The earth may breath forth vapours and intercept the sun-shine but not the Earth but the Sunne it selfe must dispell those vapours that with his brightnesse hee may cheere the earth againe our sinnes may cloud the light of Gods countenance only Gods mercie can make it breake through that cloude and shed a comfortable influence into our soule I say only God that for sinne withdrew it from vs. It is not meant that hereupon we should grow idle but wee must not ouer-value our endeuours Heb. 3.12 wee must take heed that our Lampes goe not out That there be not in any of vs an euill heart of infidelitie to depart from the liuing God Psal 127. we must gird vp our loines and we must watch But yet wee must still remember that Except the Lord build the house they labour but in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the Citie the watchman waketh but in vaine Tutiores saith Saint Austin Esay 46. Viuimus si totum Deo damus non nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte committimus wee are most secure while we value our owne endeauours at nought and giue all the glorie of our stabilitie to God Heare yee me O house of Iacob and all that remayne of the house of Israel which are borne of mee from the wombe and brought vp of me from the birth therefore vnto the old age I am the same euen I will beare you vnto the hoarie haires I haue made you I will also beare you and I will carrie you and I will deliuer you If God put his feare into our hearts we shall not depart from him if hee keepe vs none shall be able to take vs out of his hand Reade Colos 1. Philip. 1. I conclude though we can say with Saint Paul 2. Tim. 4. I haue fought a good sight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence-foorth there is laid vp for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day yet let vs with the foure and twentie Elders Cast downe our selues and our crownes before him that sitteth vpon the Throne and the Lambe saying Reue. 4.4 Prayse and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore AMEN PSAL. 51. VERSE 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and Sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee WHen I brake vp the first part of this Psalme I told you that it was a Vow and therefore obserued therein the parts of a Vow a Desire and a Promise for when a man voweth there is something that he
worth is meant by his Praise for Praise is the due of worth God is most worthy and therefore most rightly to bee praysed What God deserueth Dauid will yeeld for he intends to be Praeco a proclaimer of Gods praise He will shew it forth Narrando and Enarrando the word signifieth both he wil not only deliuer a plaine history of it but he will also make a feeling CoÌ„mentarie vpon it This he will do but wherwith That also is set downe in the Text he will doe it with his Mouth with his Mouth that others might heare and that Mouth shall bee his owne it shall bee the Interpreter of his owne heart You haue heard his good intent but it is a true proâ—erbe Man purposeth God disposeth therefore for the doing of what hee intended Dauid presumeth not of himselfe but imploreth the helpe of God O Lord open thou my Lippes The Lippes are as the doore of the mouth a doore shut vp naturally in regard of the seruice of God and therefore he had reason to desire that it may bee supernaturally opened Lord open thou God onely hath the key which will open this doore so open our Lippes that they may shew forth the prayse of God These points which I haue touched offer themselues to our consideration in the parts of my Text but if we lay together these parts there wil arise two other good Obseruations out of the whole The first is the true vse of our abilities when wee receiue them from God we must vse them to glorifie him if God open our Lippes our Mouth must shew forth his Praise The second Obseruation is implied which is If our mouth be vsed to worse purposes then certainely some other then God doth open our Lippes I haue laide before you the Contents of this Scripture God so open my Lippes and your eares that my mouth may shew forth and your hearts be affected with Gods Praises and our duties that shall be opened therein The first point that I specified was the Praises of God The word Praise as many other elswhere doth signifie not the Act but the Obiect or to speake it plainely not the due but the merit of goodnesse so Saint Paul telleth the Thessalonians that they are his hope his ioy 1. Thes 2. â—9 his crowne in the day of the Lord hope that is the thing hoped for ioy that is the thing wherein he shall ioy and Crowne that is the thing for which he shall be crowned so here the Praises of God is that for which God deserueth to be praised so strict a coniunction is there betweene the Act and the Obiect and so inseparable should the one be from the other that the name of the one may very fitly be vsed for the other he that is good should receiue praise and he that receiueth praise should bee good Gene. 1.31 God saw all that hee had made and loe it was verie good and presently hee kept his Sabbaoth whose natiue vse is glorifying of and glorying in that which is good And herein should God be a Precedent vnto man hee should not put asunder what God hath conioyned but as the very word here admonisheth let Praises be a Synonymon for goodnesse But when we come to determine what Goodnesse is vnderstood in this word Praise some will haue vs looke backe vnto the Verse going before and will haue the goodnesse here meant restrained to the Righteousnesse there specified to the Euangelicall Righteousnesse the mercie of God in Christ whereof Dauid had good proofe And indeede that is the prime Goodnesse of God and calleth for the highest degree of Praise God deserued praise when hee made man of the dust of the earth so goodly a creature of so base stuffe but hee deserued much more praise when hee redeemed sinfull man from the flames of hell and made him with his owne Sonne an Heire of the Kingdome of Heauen to bring so forlorne a wretch to so exceeding happines must needs bee a matter worthy of extraordinary Praise Ephes 1.6 S. Paul maketh praise the end of that great Worke and in the Reuelation the Angels and Saints all fall downe before the I hrone and giue glorie for the same for that it was a worke not onely of Almightie Power but also of vnspeakable Grace therefore had they reason to giue glorie for the same This is true but yet Praise must not in this place bee so restrained Dauid before his fall had more contemplations of God then one and made his Psalmes accordingly and indeede the verie word here vsed for Praise is Tehillah and hath good cognation with Tehillim the Title of the Psalmes therefore may we well extend the one as farre as the other the argument of the Praise as farre as the Argument of the Psalmes and then you shall find that there is no Booke in the Bible whose Argument will not come vnder some one or other Psalme of Dauids he hath Psalmes of the Creation Psalmes of Redemption Psalmes Historicall and Propheticall Legall and Sapientiall Psalmes hauing beene so copious and in such varietie hauing indited Psalmes before his fall it is not likely that after his fall hee will confine his thoughts and not be so large in Gods praises nor intermeddle with all sorts of them Certainely when God is called the praise of Israell Psal 22. ver 3. it must be conceiued in that widenesse which is mentioned Psal 145. All thy workes praise thee O Lord for God is totus laudabilis nothing is in God nothing commeth from God that is not praise worthy So that there is something to be obserued in the word Tua thy praise that is the praise which is proper vnto Thee Gregorie Nyssen writing the life of another Gregorie called Thaumaturgus giueth a good note Nulla vera est Laus c. There is no praise truely so called which consisteth not in that which the person praised may accompt to be his owne now that I accompt his owne which abideth with him for euer By this rule praise is proper only vnto God for with him onely in Goodnesse is there no variablenesse nor shadow of change He that praiseth man cannot praise him but as a mutable creature so good to day that he may be bad to morrow hee waxeth and he waneth euen like the Moone yea and when hee is full of goodnesse as the Moone of light yet are there Maculae in Lunâ as staines in the Moone so haue there beene blemishes in the best of those which haue beene but meere men the Scripture that hath Chronicled the Patriarches liues hath Chronicled their faults also God onely is as the Sunne 1. John 1.5 he is Light in whom there is no darknesse at all as he is constantly so is he entirely Holy Therefore Praise when it is applied vnto men is a word of limitation it implieth inconstancie or defect it neuer so praiseth but leaueth some place for dispraise but when it is applied vnto
God it is a phrase of Equipollencie Exod. 23. it is all one with God which is fairely insinuated vnto Moses wheÌ„ he desireth to see Gods face you shal find in the pursuit of that story that Gods glory Gods goodnes are aequipollent tearmes and it must be our endeauour as far as humaine frailtie will permit herein to resemble God to be nothing to doe nothing but that which may deserue praise And let this suffice concerning the first point the praise of God Let vs now see what King Dauid intends to doe about this praise his intent is to shew it forth I told you the word doth signifie Narrare and Enarrare to deliuer Gods praises by way of Historie and then vpon that he studieth to make a feeling Commentarie In King Dauids Psalmes you may find all kind of Histories you may well call them an abridgement of the Historicall Bookes yea and of the Propheticall too which are a kind of Historie there are few Narrations that tend to the praise of God whereat he hath not touched But his speciall commendations stands in the Enarration in the Commentarie that hee maketh vpon Diuine History he maketh vs see herein that which otherwise we would not heede he maketh vs sensible of that which otherwise wee would not regard Take a touch of it in some particulars Hee hath made many Psalmes of the Creation reade the 8. reade the 19. reade the 104. see how powerfully hee doth worke the obseruation thereof into the hearts of men in the 8. Psalme marke those words O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth and againe What is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the sonne of man that thou visitest him And how powerfull are those words Psalme the 19. The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth speech c. but beyond all goeth 104. Psalme Blesse the Lord O my soule O Lord my God thou art verie great thou art clothed with honour and maiestie c. the 107. Psalme is about Gods Prouidence but marke the Burden that is added to euerie branch Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wondrous workes that he doth for the children of men The same method doth he vse in opening the Redemption Psalme 103. the Law Psalme 19. and 119. the Deliuerance out of Aegypt in many Psalmes it were endlesse to goe ouer all particulars take it for a generall rule you shall find in him neuer a Historie whereupon he doth not make such a Commentarie wherein hee doth not point out some thing that is obseruable and endeauour to make vs sensible thereof and to entertaine it as matter of Gods Praise and this is that which he meaneth by shewing forth Wherby with all hee teacheth vs that the occurrents of Gods Prouidence which befall our persons fall out in our times or any way offer themselues vnto vs must be looked into with such a reflecting such an adoring eye that we must take notice of and giue honour vnto God for his power his wisedome his goodnesse his iustice his mercie that shineth herein and sheweth it selfe vnto the world Thus wee must learne to shew forth the praise of God Dauid addes moreouer wherwith he will shew it forth with his mouth with the Mouth that others might heare the Praises And indeede ore fit Confessio as fraudis so Laudis Luke 12.9 men therewith as they must confesse their sinnes so must they set forth Gods praises shew them forth vnto the world for he that will not confesse God before men God will not confesse him before his blessed Angels The Church is a Body and what befals any member may befall euerie one be it matter of hope or feare sorrow or ioy therefore ought euerie man to communicate to the other his case and his knowledge to worke in them by the same meanes the like affection which hee feeleth in himselfe yea though we doe not feele it yet should we haue a fellow-feeling each of the others affections wherof wee cannot ordinarily take notice except each be informed by the others Mouth The Mouth being the ordinarie meanes of communication the trumpe whereby wee doe mutually stirre vp our selues vnto the Prayses of God But when mention is made of the Mouth wee must not exclude the Heart for though the instrument be the Mouth yet the Musitian is the Heart he causeth the tune of the voice to sound and addeth the Dittie to the Tune and certainely the Musicke will neuer be wel-come to God should any part of man be wanting thereunto Psal 103. therefore Dauid thus cals vpon himselfe Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his Holy name Gregorie the Great worketh this obseruation out of the word Meum my mouth there be many saith he that praise God but not with their owne mouth such as are the couetous the wantons c. They personate some other they seeme to take vnto themselues another mans tongue when they vtter that which they conceiue not in their own hearts But let such men know that their Praiers shall neuer haue accesse vnto Gods eares whose hearts are estrainged from Righteousnesse Wherefore let vs imitate Dauid in another place 〈…〉 who said that his Soule should be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when hee praiseth God with ioyfull Lippes Where withall we learne a good propertie of him that praiseth and that is hee performeth it with pleasure and indeede no man can sincerely praise 〈…〉 but he must delight in that which hee doth praise for praysing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssen speaketh a louing disposition And Saint Austin â—auâ—at Deum veraciter qui eum amat he praiseth God sincerely that loueth he loueth him vnfainedly and if our delight be not in him we must not thinke that we doe as we ought praise him In a word you heard before that Deus was totus Laudabilis wholy to be praised and we must be toti Laudantes haue no part of body or soule that must not be an instrument to sound forth Gods praise our whole life should be a Psalme thereof And let this suffice touching King Dauids Intent The Intent is good but men may intend more then they can doe good men haue beene ouer consident in their good meanings Saint Peter thought he would neuer forsake Christ and hee would die in his desence yet when he was put to it hee not onely cowardly shrunke from him but also fearefully denied him wherefore Dauid is well aduised hee presumeth not of his owne strength but hath recourse vnto Gods helpe O Lord open thou my lippes The Lippes are the doore of the mouth a doore that is shut vp therefore neede to be opened and it is worth the marking that the word which we translate open is not onely of the same originall with a doore in the Hebrew tongue
but it is also a word which the Prophets doe vse in foretelling the miracles of Christ for he was amongst other things to open the mouthes of the Dumbe and in the Gospell working such a cure hee vseth the word Ephata 〈…〉 be thou opened loosing the tongue by the eare But we must vnderstand that in the corporall cure there was an intimation of the spirituall and indeede Christ had neuer come into the world to cure the corporall had it not beene thereby to bring vs to an higher conceite of him that he was the Physitian of our soules and came to enable them to speake the language of Canaan And this is the opening of the lippes which King Dauid here desires This is a great worke great in regard of the difficultie that is in the thing 〈◊〉 6 or the inabilitie that is in vs. There is a difficultie in the thing for we cannot praise God farther then we know him but how little a portion is heard of him 〈…〉 We may speake much saith the sonne of Syracke yet come short when we glorifie the Lord exalt him as much as wee can for euen yet will he sarre exceede and when you exalt him put forth all your strength and be not wearie for you can neuer goe farre enough There are yet hid greater things then these be Psal 14â— 13 for we haue seene but a few of his workes Dauid in few words tels vs that his praise is aboue Heauen and earth that is the conclusion which he sets downe after he had summoned all creatures to praise the Lord. Seeing God then is aboue all praise it is certaine that he cannot bee worthily praised of vs by reason of the difficultie of the worke But were there lesse difficultie in that yet is there great inabilitie in vs inabilitie from our Affections inabilitie from our Conscience From our Affections there are two preualent ones that hinder vs in this worke first Spes Lucri secondly Metus periculi the wages of iniquitie will hire a Balaam a Iudas ro curse Gods people the subiect of Gods praise and though he be the top of Gods praise to betray the Sauiour of the world how many in all Ages haue beene so farre bewitch with worldly honour and profit Haue fallen downe and worshipped the Idoll of mens fancies and blasphemed God and his truth The hopc of gaine is a great tongue tie The feare of danger is a greater the verie Apostles themselues fot a time felt the strength thereof and after their time it made many Renegadoes and Apostata's Iob 2.4 Skin for skinne and all that a man hath will he giue for his life he will redeeme that though it be with cursing of God himselfe the world hath had had too many spectacles of such feare of danger But if we can master both these vnruly Affections yet will the conscience of sinne be a bridle to our tongues it will make vs silent In Leuit. c 13. or put vs to silence Cyril of Alexandria moralizing those words of Moses that he that is a Leaper shall haue his mouth couered saith that he which is in the leaprosie of sinne hath lost all authoritie of speaking for how should he teach another that hath not taught himselfe Comment in Nazian Psal 137.3 And Nicètas to this purpose wittily allegorizeth those words of the Psalme How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land A sinner is truely a stranger and hee that is in the state of sinne is farther from God then Babylon from Hierusalem therefore doth his conscience tell him that he is in no case to make melodie to the Lord. Certainely Chap. 6. Esay when in a vision he heard the Seraphins sing the Lords song Holy Holy Lord God of Hoasts heauen and earth are full of thy glorie was thereby put in mind of the fault of his owne lippes and the lippes of the Iewes which made him crie out Woe is me that am a man of polluted lippes and dwell in the middest of a people of polluted lippes neither was he quiet vntill a Seraphin touched his lippes with a coale from the Altar But put the case some man may be so foole-hardie that though he be a sinner yet will he not be silent he shall bee put to silence the vncleane spirit gaue glorie vnro Christ when he said I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God But Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace Marke 2. and Saint Paul refused the testimonie of a spirit of diuination Acts 16. though hee spake honourably of him and of his followers these men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluation yet did hee command him out of the Damsell and suffered him to speake no more Neither is this checke giuen onely to wicked spirits but euen vnto euerie wicked man saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes Psal 50. or that thou shouldest take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Eccles 15.9 and hast cast my words behind thee Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner for he that is vnholy doth defile that which is holy Hagga 2.82 therefore no man may presume to touch sacred things with prophane hands nor with a prophane tongue to speake sacred words By this time you perceiue that the shewing forth of the praises of God is a great worke and whether wee looke vpon the difficultie that is in the thing or the inabilitie that is in man Dauid had reason to pray Aperilabia open my lippe But to whom doth he pray To the Lord Lord open thou my Lippes And he hath a good ground to pray so Proueth 16 1. Solomon teacheth that the preparation of the heart is from man but the answere of the tongue is from the Lord he is the key-keeper of our mouth if he shut no body can open and if he open no body can shut â—â—â—d 4. God tels Moses that this is his power Who maketh mans mouth or who maketh the dumbe haue not I the Lord And verily were it no more but our naturall speech that we desire wee must seeke it of him Acts 17 2â— in whom onely we liue moue and haue our being and who in the person of Zacharie sheweth Luke 1 that hee giueth and taketh away euen that speech at his pleasure How much more must we accompt him to be the fountaine of our supernaturall speech Certainely Christ giueth the glorie thereof vnto him 〈◊〉 50. Actâ— 2 the Lord saith he hath giuen me the tongue of the learned and it was from God that the fierie tongues descended vpon the Apostles Psal 8.2 and inabled them to speake it is God that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hath perfected praise Men may be otherwise satis loquaces of eloquent of free speech who when they come to the seruice of God seeme to be
indeed a repentant confession is in the Scripture called a giuing glory vnto God Finally these broken Spirit and heart are the Sacrifices which God calleth for for he is a Spirit and what can be more sutable vnto him then that which is spirituall therefore euer in the legall hee did ayme at the spirituall as you may gather out of the new Testament the Gospell is set forth in termes of the Law to preach is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to play the Priest Rom. 15.16 the people conuerted are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sacrifice and Oblation the skilfull handling of the Scriptures 2. Tim. 2.15 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly to diuide the Word yea Heb. 4. the Word it selfe is by Saint Paul said to bee sharper then any two edged sword or Sacrificers knife piercing euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the Spirit the whole passage is full of sacrificing phrases I may not omit one thing wee are called a spirituall Priesthood 1. Pet. 2 5. yea the whole body of the Church is so called a Priest must not bee without his Sacrifice and here are the Sacrifices which God will haue euery one offer euen euery lay man may offer these Sacrifices vnto God We may nay we must offer them but how will God accept them surely very well A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise Men vse to make little account of yea they make themselues sport with those that are broken hearted and of a contrite Spirit that mourne like doues and lament in the bitternesse of their soules Dauid complaineth in his Penitentials yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the 22. and other Psalmes that when they were humbled then they were derided And indeed in the iudgement of flesh and bloud these things seeme to be of no value they seeme to be contemptible but he that doth vse them shall finde that he shall neuer be confounded of God Ioel. 2 13. the reason wee haue in Ioel rent your hearts and not your garments c. for the Lord is gratious mercifull long suffering Esay 24. c. he will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoking flaxe hee that would not despise Ahab in his humiliation nor Manasses will much lesse despise a Mary Magdalene a Saint Peter a Publican verily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will neuer set them at naught But the word hath in it a Litote more is meant then is exprest God is so farre from despising that he maketh great account thereof I told you that it is vouchsafed the double effect of Sacrifices First it yeeldeth a sweet smell vnto God Luke 15.7 for there is ioy in heauen for one sinner that repenteth yea more ioy then for ninety and nine that need not repentance and in the Prophet Esay 66. to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite Spirit C. 57. and trembleth at my Word Secondly it yeeldeth a smell of rest vnto man for so we read in Esay I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and te reuiue the heart of the contrite ones De interiore domo c. 37. Saint Bernard coupleth them both together Animam poenitentiae lachrymis afflictam Spiritus Paracletus libenter consolatur frequenter visitat ad veniae fiduciam plenè reformat Therefore let vs learne of Saint Austin this good lesson Aug. cont 5. Hereses quaeramus lapidem quo percutiatur incredulus percussus quassetur quassatus comminuatur comminutus in puluerem conuertatur conuersus in puluerem compluatur complutus seratur satus ferat fructum non quod igne absumatur sed quod in horreo condatur But I may not dwell longer hereon There are two other notes which I drew the one out of Gods desire of the other out of his delight in these Sacrifices I call them Paradoxes And so indeed they seeme to flesh and blood God requireth a broken a contrite heart and spirit as his Sacrifices then there is a certaine religious man-slaughter And so there is a man may holily kill himselfe breake his heart and crush his spirit as it were to dust Mat. 5.29 but this must be done not corporally but spiritually as elsewhere we are willed to plucke out our offending eyes and cut off our offending hands we must mortifie not our nature but the corruption that cleaueth to our nature such slaying God allowes for indeed it is a quickening life in sinne is death and the death of sinne is life The second Paradoxe is That we neuer please God better then when we please our selues least seeing God doth not despise a broken and a contrite heart for we are full of imperfections of which God would haue vs rid our selues therefore he is glad when he seeth vs play the good Husbands weeding our fields good Physitians purging of our corrupt humours carefull not to foster or fauour ought that may offend him or cause our owne ruine Now this we cannot doe without much disquieting and afflicting of our selues omnis medicina salutaris facit dolorem our corupt nature will repine at such alterations But to draw to an end What our Sauiour Christ said when he went to raise Lazarus this sicknesse is not vnto death that must wee conceiue of all those whom we see to haue broken and contrite hearts Mat. 17. rather as he that was to be dispossest was immediately before the diuell came out miserably torne and turmoyld and euen left for dead vntill Christ put out his hand and raised him vp safe and sound Euen so shall wee feele the greatest conflicts with sin when we are euen ready to be set free by grace Saint Austin setteth himselfe out for an excellent monument hereof in his Confessions Secondly seing God is delighted with this Sacrifice we are forbidden to despaire of our owne vnworthines as to presume of our righteousnes this Text doth warrant vs this comfort when in these fits wee seeme to be furthest from God God bringeth vs then nearest vnto himselfe for this pang is a fore-runner of health but senslesse sinners haue no part in this consolation Thirdly God in this morall seruice hath equalled the rich and the poore hee doth hereby take off their eyes from their worldly estate wherein they differ and sixeth them on that wherein they are equall In these Sacrifices the poore may bee as forward as the rich and if there bee any disaduantage it is on the rich mans side for he thinking that hee hath something to giue besides himselfe doth giue himselfe to God the lesse specially in this kind of seruice which rich men desire not to bee acquainted with God herein taketh downe their pride because he passeth by all their wealth and setteth his estimate vpon humiliation As for the poore that hath nothing to giue but himselfe God
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
regard of those that must obserue the Law all are not equall and Christ himselfe telleth vs that there are Mandata minima Matth. 5. Wherefore the doubt had a good ground but the Scribe knowing that the Law had three maine Heads the Morall the Politique the Ceremoniall and that from euery of the heads sprang manifold branches moreouer supposing that Christ was illetterd Matth. 13.54 and not seene in these studies thought that it was the onely way by such a Question either to disgrace his knowledge if he could not suddainely lay together the varietie of Commandements and out of an aduised comparison passe a true iudgement and so they should lessen his reputation with the people Or if he did answere to the Question and clearely expresse himselfe then hee should set those that held the contrarie tenant against him and so at least wise they should doe him some mischiefe which was the vp-shot of a Tempter And to that â—nd hee doth not onely Socratically mooue this question hoping for an ironicall conclusion and to put a scorne vpon Christ but politickly also hoping to distract his Auditors and raise him vp many aduersaries But foolish man that he was he looked onely vpon Christs out-side of his inside hee knew nothing Had he knowne who Christ was he would neuer haue made such an aduenture Hee that gaue the Law vnderstood the Law to the full and hee knew the degrees of obseruance which prescribed them vnto men the euent proued it and the Tempters successe was farre other then hee exspected as hereafter you shall heare There is one note more De magno mandato quaerit saith Chrysostome qui minimum non impleuit Matth. 23. the Scribes and Pharisees did vse to bind heauie burdens and lay them upon other mens shoulders which they would not lift at with the least of their fingers ambitious of profound knowledge but carelesse of any degree of true pietie Wee haue many such that busie their wits in the most learned Inquiries of Gods Predestination of the day of Iudgement of the mysteries in the Reuelation of Chronologie Genealogie sacred Antiquities and in the meane time soaring in these contemplations aloft take no heede vnto their steps but are spectacles to the world of no small Morall infirmities Wherefore Chrysostome aduiseth well Quaerat de maiore Iustitia qui impleuit minorem let vs practise our lessons as wee learne them and not paine our wits in studying a greater vntill wee haue brought our Hearts to obey a lesser commandement otherwise we shall bee but like the Alchimists that all their life are making of Gold and goe to their graues starke beggers You haue heard both of the questionist and the question and how well the question fitteth the questionist the temptation representeth the tempter Examples are not vnfitly compared vnto looking Glasses wherin we may behold as well what to eschue as what to follow in this we haue found little to be followed much to be eschewed GOd graunt we may make the right vse of it and that we doe not in our liues shew our selues to be either Scribes or Pharisees either counterseitly holy orignorantly learned But let our inside be no worse then our out-side and let vs presume of no more then we are sure is good either in our life or learning Finally let vs in simplicitie of heart become the Disciples of Christ and let our ghostly edification be the end of our enquires So shall we be free from the iust censure that was deserued by this questionist and that for this question a question otherwise good but tainted by the ill meaning of so bad a questionist The second Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. Iesus said vnto him Thou shalt Loue c. THese words containe an answere to a question the question was mooued by a Lawyer the answere thereunto is shaped by our Sauiour Christ Hauing heretofore vnfolded the Question it followeth that I now come on and vnfold the answere vnto you wherein first wee must obserue that Christ doth vouchsafe an answere vnto a tempter Iesus said vnto him to him who before is said to haue come to tempt Christ Secondly we must see what the answere is which Christ doth vouchsafe it is such as doth fully yea abundantly resolue the question and which withall doth discreetly and powerfully defeate the malice of the questionist this later point is implied but the former is expressed in the Text. At this time I will meddle onely with the Answere to the question I will shew you the particulars contained therein and handle as many as the time will permit In the Text we doe find that Christ doth fully yea abundantly resolue the doubt for he not onely affirmeth which is the great Commandement in these words Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c. but hee confirmeth it also in these words On these two Commandements depend the Law and the Prophets To resolue the Question fully doth not content he doth resolue it abundantly also hee teacheth the Pharisee more then he did aske he asked but after one Commandement Christ teacheth him two as well that which enioyneth the Loue of our Neighbour as that which enioyneth the Loue of God hee giueth an Answere with a vantage but this vantage proueth in the end a disaduantage to the Pharisee as hereafter you shall heare But more distinctly to breake vp that which Christ affirmeth to be the great Commandement We find that therein God inioyneth Loue thou shalt Loue. As he doth enioyne it so he teacheth where it must bee seated and on whom we must bestow it It must bee seated in the inwardman the Heart the Soule the Mind And it must be bestowed vpon the Lord our God and our Neighbour Neither is it enough to bestow it on them except in bestowing it we obserue an Order and a Measure An Order for we must first loue God and then our Neighbour Therefore in my Text is that called the first and this the second Commandement A measure for we must loue God more then our Neighbour God with all our Heart Soule and Mind this first saith the Text is the Great Commandement But we must loue our neighbour only as our selues therfore doth the Text tell vs that this 2 nd is not equall it is only like to the first CoÌ„mandement Let vs come to the particulars whereof the first was this Christ doth vouchsafe an Answere and that to him whom he knew to be a Tempter Though the person deserue to be reproued to bee reiected yet Christ beareth with him and doth not refuse to satisfie his demand Wonder not at it long before he dealt no worse with the Arch-tempter in the 4. of S. Mathew you shal find that he replied vnto him euen a third time And in so doing taught vs that wee must not bee ashamed to auouch Gods truth though it be to the Diuell himselfe nay we haue a more comfortable note included herein
For if Christ dealt so graciously with those that came dissemblingly to learne of him what confidence may wee haue that hee will answere vs if in singlenesse of heart and humility of spirit wee open vnto him the scruples of our conscience and desire his resolution no doubt but hee that biddeth vs to seeke Math. 7.7 will helpe vs to sinde and we shall receiue of him that biddeth vs aske and hee that biddeth vs knocke will open vnto vs. But this poynt of answering questions in Diuinity deserues to bee stood vpon a little longer and our iudgement set right that it erre not herein Wee must then learne of the Preacher that There is a time to speake and a time for a man to hold his peace Chap. 3. this distinction in the Prouerbs is fitted vnto answeres Answere not a foole according to his foolishnesse lest thou be like vnto him answere a foole according to his foolishnesse Chap. 26. lest hee bee wise in his owne conceipt So that there is a time when a mau may answere a question and a time wheu a man may not answere it and how shall wee bee able to distinguish these times Surely the time when wee may not answere is knowne either by the question or by the questionist If the question be either friuolous or curious it must haue no answere for wee must not feed mens either idlenesse or saucinesse Tit. 2 Touching friuolous questions wee haue S. Pauls rule foolish questions auoid And for curious questions we haue our Sauiours example Ioh. 21. Christ bad Peter follow him Peter asked Christ what shall Iohn doe Christ taketh him short What is that to thee follow thou mee If wee looke into the Schoolemen and the Casuists wee shall find that their wits haue beene idly busie yea and often wickedly too in answering such questions as were very vnfit to bee demanded yea the resolutions vpon Cur and Quomodo Why and How in debating articles of Faith beyond the bounds which are set downe in the Scripture haue bred the greatest distraction in Christendome while each side with words and with bloud shed maintaineth his determination of that poynt which if it had neuer beene heard of the Christian Faith had beene neuer a whit the lesse sound and the Communion of Saints had beene preserued Aug. expla 56. Take this then for your first rule that if a question bee either not behoouefull or aboue our reach it must receiue no answere nay ordinarily we must not giue answere to them that study questions which nothing concerne their calling especially if neglecting theirowne dutie they are too inquisitiue after that which concerneth other men The world is much sicke of this disease and you shall heare oftner of idle and curious questions then of those that concerne the health of mens soules and the ordering of their calling Christians are herein as ill imployed as were the Iewes Though there bee no defect in the question yet there may bee in the questonist in regard of his ill disposition bee it Obstinacie or Impietie though his question bee good hee deserueth no answere An Hereticke saith Saint Paul after one or two admonitions auoid 〈◊〉 3 10. knowing that such a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he carrieth his doome in his owne bosome and doth wilfully withstand the truth he must not bee answered because of his obstinacie Math 7 Touching Impietie wee haue Christs Rule Giue not holy things vnto dogs and cast not your pearle among Swine lest they trample them vnder their feeet and turne againe rent you yea prophane Atheists moue questions touching God or sacred things which they disbelieue that they may therewith make themselues wickedly merry our silence must take from them all occasion to blaspheme and such questionists must receiue no answere Truth is neuer mute for want oâ— arguments of defence but sometimes silent out of holy wisedome whereas falshood hath nothing in reason to reply but yet it will be euer prating To our purpose then the premises conclude that it will be time to speak and that wee may answere though it bee a foole so the question bee profitable and the questionist be not prophane But Chrysostome setteth downe the two vsefull ends of our answere Hom in Math. 26. when we answere a foole it must be either for the publique confusion of proud folly and to make Pharisaicall spirits see they know not what they thinke they know or for the edification of the standers by those which with meeknesse will receiue the truth we may not suffer such to continue perplext through ignorance At these ends did Christ ayme in his Answere And so haue I sufficiently shewed you why Christ doth vouchsafe an answere though he that moued the question came as a Tempter Let vs now come on to the Answere that Christ vouchsafeth whereof the first branch is Thou shalt loue Wherin I will open two points 1. What is enioyned and 2. to Whom That which is enioyned is Loue and he that must loue is noted in this word Thou Chap 6. in Deuteronomie you shall find that this Thou is Israel Loue is in the number of those things quae melius sentiuntur quam verbis exprimuntur man may better feele then say what it is yet this is out of all question that it is an Affection and whereas our affections are either sensuall or rationall Loue is found in either of them There is a sensuall Loue wee see it in Beasts they loue their mates their of-spring their benefactors But wee haue not to doe with this loue farther then to note that this in man though it bee not the rationall loue yet should it be guided by the rationall And were it so as commonly it is not as appeareth by the enormous wantonnesse and monstrous lusts that haue beene that are in the world men would not proue themselues to bee worse then beasts as euery where they doe Coâ—â—dies Tragedies other Poems haue too much of this stuffe and it is the argument of two many true Histories This Loue if regulate though it bee not illicitus amor yet doth it not rise to the pitch of that Loue which is commanded here â—ut the Loue here meant is that which is in vs as we are reasonable creatures or rather religious as appeares after in Thou The Diuines commonly call it Charitie and so will I for distinction sake Though I hold that the exception of the Rhemists taken to the word Loue in our Translations is but a meere Cauill and I could easily proue it such To vnderstand what this Rationall Loue or Charitie is we must remember what God said when he had made Adam It is not good for Man to be alone let vs make him a helpe like himselfe For though that be spoken of Mariage-Charitie yet doth it containe the ground of all other For euen by the law of creation euery man is subiect to some want the supply wher of
the Text wee sound another merit and that is meritum dignationis the interest therein vouchsafed vs. Were there none but meritum dignitatis there were ground enough of our loue but this meritum dignationis the interest that we haue doth quicken vs to take notice of the worth that is in the thing Euery man naturally loueth that which is his owne and if the thing bee good it doth him the more good to looke vpon it Let a man walke in a faire Meadow it pleaseth him but it will please him much more if it bee his owne his eye will be more curious in prying into euery part and euery thing will please him the better so it is in a Corne field in an Orchard in a House if they bee good the more they are ours the more contentedly doe they affect vs for this word meum is suauissima amor is illecebra it is as good as an amatorie potion Then marke put tuus to Dominus and if so bee the Lord be louely how much more louely should hee bee in our eyes if hee bee our Lord and doth appropriate that infinite good that hee hath vnto vs hee holdeth of none but of himselfe and who would not ioy to bee owner of that good which is independent Hee is whatsoeuer heart can desire and who can but reioyce in hauing him in hauing of whom wee can want nothing Put tuus to Deus and see how it doth improue the motiue of loue there also Had wee nothing to doe with so tender hearted a Father so sweet natured a Sonne so gracious a Comforter as is the holy Spirit we could not but loue them if we did know them But when wee doe heare that these bowels of the Father doe yearne vpon vs that wee are the Spouse whom the Sonne of God doth wooe and that the holy Ghost vouchsafeth to make his Temple of vs how can wee bee but loue-sicke how can our Hearts choose but melt and our Affections gaspe and bray like the Hart after those Persons which haue in them so strong so manifold persuasions to loue But alas wee that in regard of our carnall loue are easily transported by any seeming good are altogether senslesse when wee are sollicited by our spirituall good so senslesse that God is passionate in his Prophets when hee doth taxe our more then bruitishnesse herein Isay 1. Hearken O heauen heare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against mee the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ier. 3. Can a mayd forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet hath my people forgotten me dayes without number Wee doe loue our corporall benefactors at least while they are doing vs good but our spirituall benefactor wee forget euen while hee is doing vs good for when is hee not doing it wee cannot looke vpon our soules our bodies our state but wee see the perpetuall influence of his goodnesse and yet Tuus worketh little here and though God vouchsafe vs a great interest yet are wee little moued therewith Wee can loue a man in whom there are so many defects to allay the regard of his goodnesse and from whom we may receiue as much wrong as fauour how much more should we loue God in whom there is no defect and from whom thou canst receiue nothing but good I haue shewed you the reason of loue which is included in the name it followeth that I now come on to the dutie that is required and that is Loue. Wherein we are first to obserue that God speaketh not vnto vs as vnto seruants but as vnto friends hee would not haue vs in his seruice expresse a spirit of seruitude in feare but of adoption in loue hee would not bee feared as a Lord but loued as a Father O derint dum metuant is a Tyrants voyce God will haue all his seruants ingenuous hee will haue our seruice as naturall as is our allegiance Wherein the King of Heauen giueth a good patterne to all Kings and Gouernours in earth Though God hath qualified vs many wayes to doe him seruice yet doth hee in this word diliges Loue shew what hee doth principally respect and his eyes are vpon nothing so much as our Loue not on our wit our wealth our honour c. yea all other things are valued according to our Loue and without Loue they are nothing worth And why Loue is that which setteth all a worke for he that loueth will keepe Gods commandements hee will doe no euill But wee may not forget that seeing this Loue hath for its obiect him that is so farre aboue vs wee must not seuer it from Reuerence which must qualisie the loue which we owe to our Superiors in expressing our affection wee must not forget our distance yea and our feare in regard of our flesh may bee seruile to awe it and keepe it downe though it must bee also filiall in regard of the spirit to keepe it in heart I should now if the time would giue leaue shew you how those things that are required in loue must be applyed vnto this obiect The first propertie of Loue is Vnion and we should endeauor to become one with the Lord to bee transformed into him and as neere as a Creature can partake of his Creator partake of the diuine nature Wee should desire Vnion also with God with God the Father by Adoption with God the Sonne by a spirituall Wedlocke with God the holy Ghost by entertaining him as his Temple wee should so grow one with all three persons From this Vnion our Loue should come on to a Communion Communion in that infinite good which you heard is in the Lord for though Vnion bee a great aduancement of our Nature yet doth our comfort stand in the Communion neither did God euer intend the Vnion but for the Communion As wee must haue Communion with the Lord so with God also as Children wee must communicate in the inheritance of our Father as a Spouse in the honour and state of a Bride-groome as the Temple in the ornaments and endowments thereof Yea in this Communion there must appeare Beneuolentia Benesicentia there must appeare an intercourse of good will and good deeds betweene the Lord God and vs otherwise wee doe not loue as wee should This is not all the seate of Loue must be exercised also the Heart for the loue of God must bee free God doth not respect forced Loue. The Minde God will bee knowne before hee is loued and hee will haue them that loue him to meditate vpon him hee will not regard an vndiscreete Loue. Thy Soule must bee exercised if thou dost not long after him earnestly and take sweet content in him thou dost not loue Finally thy Courage must bee employed thou must bee as resolute to compasse this spirituall Vnion and Communion as carnall wooers are
in pursuit of their Loue De vera virgiaitate it is Saint Basils Similie And why not seeing for the most part they are the worse for their louing and wee are sure for ours to bee the better But I must leaue the enlarging of these things to your owne priuate Meditations You may remember I told you that though the Person onely is here exprest yet things are also included so farre as they haue reference to this person we must respect euerie Creature as it is Gods and grieue at the abuse of the meanest of them But our speciall regard must be vnto those things that worke or witnesse this spirituall Loue. Worke it as Gods word and his Sacraments these things wee must haue in a singular regard by reason of the heauenly power which they haue to worke Loue the more we vse them the more it will appeare wee desire to Loue. As these things worke Loue so there are other things that testifie it our praysing of God our praying vnto God our readinesse to please God though we suffer for it the more wee are exercised in these things the more it will appeare we are in Loue. But though God kindle Loue in vs by his Creatures yet must we not loue him for them for that were Amor Concupiscentiae but wee must by them be led to loue him and that is Amor amicitiae Mea tibi oblata non prosunt saith Saint Bernard sine me nec tua mihi sine te though we come to know God by his Creatures yet must our Loue immediately fixe on him As those things which haue reference are included so are those things excluded which haue no reference and whatsoeuer things which doe not lead to him draw from him of all which this must bee kept as a a rule Pereant qui quae inter deum nos dissidium volunt wee must haue nothing to do with whatsoeuer will separate betweene God and vs. You haue heard what the Person is Confess l. 8. and what it is to Loue him When Saint Austin put these two together hee fell into that humble admiration O Lord who am I That thou shouldest command me to Loue thee And verily a man may well wonder Hath not God Angels Archangels Cherubins Seraphins to loue him And what grace is it then for him to stoope so low as man Yea and whereas the best abilitie of man is too base to bee employed in his seruice hee doth this honour as to stoope to the meanest of our abilities hee commands our Dust and Ashes this wormes meate our vilde selues to Loue him that is to be as it were consorts with him for amor nescit inaequalitatem therefore God doth as it were deifie that which hee doth so farre honour â—sal 8.4 When Dauid looked vpon the interest which God hath giuen vs in his Creatures when he put all things in subiection vnder our feete the beasts of the field the fishes of the sea c. he breaketh out into Quid est homo Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the Sonne of man that thou so regardest him What an admiration then should arise in vs when we see what an interest God hath giuen vs in himselfe Especially seeing he hath no neede of vs and all the gaine is ours can wee forbeare with amazednesse and wonderment to vtter the same words O Lord what is man Nay out of the sense of euerie mans owne interest to say Lord what a man am I that thou shouldest be so mindfull of mee And what a Sonne of man am I that thou shouldest so regard me Dauid when he describeth the temporall blessednesse which he wisheth to Israel Psal 144. concludeth Happie is that people that is in such a case but he addeth to our purpose yea Happie are the people whose God is the Lord The prerogatiue that Man hath aboue other creatures yea that the Christian hath aboue all other Nations should make vs set it at a higher rate then commonly we doe A word of the day and so I end This is All Saints Day and it is Loue that doth characterize a Saint for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in Psal 44 Nyssen de Anima Resurrect yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue in Earth a Communion of Saints in Faith Hope and Charitie but in Heauen there is no Communion but only in Charitie Faith and Hope are done away Nay in Earth our Communion with God standeth properly in Charitie for there can bee no mutualnesse betweene God and Vs but only in that and to bee mutuall is a propertie of Charitie as I told you at the entrance of this Sermon Wee beleeue in God but God doth not beleeue in vs wee hope in God God doth not hope in vs but if Man loue God God loueth him againe and therefore Loue is the proper vertue of Saints it is that which both in Earth and Heauen doth knit vs vnto God Psâ—l 18. What shall we say then to these thing seeing Charitie beginneth a Saint on Earth and consummateth him in Heauen I will vow with King Dauid I will loue thee my Lord my strength c. And that I may performe this Vow I will pray with Saint Austin Lord so inspire my heart that I may seeke thee seeking may find thee and finding may loue thee ANd grant O Lord thy Grace vnto vs all so to exercise our selues in this Loue that we may haue the honour to bee thy friends both in Earth and Heauen AMEN The fifth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 39. Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour THere are two Persons exprest in my Text on whom wee must bestow our Loue. First The Lord our God and Secondly our Neighbour I spake last of the former of these persons It followeth that I now speake of the later so farre as I am occasioned by these words Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour Wherein it will appeare that Loue is not only due to God but also to his seruants as many as can returne Loue for Loue that is all Rationall Creatures so farre as God hath conioyned vs we must not seuer our selues for euerie creature loues his like Amitie is inseperable from societie at least it should be For my fuller vnfolding and your better vnderstanding of these wordes I will therein distinctly consider first â—o whom then what is due The Person is called a Neighbour that which is due to him is Loue. But farther in the person we must see first that in him there is found the ground of that Loue I will discouer it when I haue opened the Name Secondly that euery man hath his interest in this ground the text pointeth out this when in a reference to euery man it calleth the person Thy Neighbour As this must be obserued in the person so in the Dutie we must obserue that we that haue the interest must performe the Dutie this interest belongeth to euery man and so doth the
benè amatur quod amandum est vt sit in nobis virtus qua bene viuitur so that hee liueth iustly and holily which passeth a true iudgement vpon the obiects of Loue and such a one is hee onely that hath his Charitie well ordered for hee nec vtitur fruendis nec fruitur vtendis hee doth not mis-applie his Loue. But where is he In Cant. cap 2. vers 4. Nunc confusam in plerisque inordinatam licet videre Charitatem it is Gregorie Nyssens complaint and this inordinatenesse began very early Saint Iude telleth vs of the Angels that they kept not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Originall which is in effect they did not obserue the subordination of these Commandements they would haue no dependencie vpon God and so shut him out of their Loue Adam did no better who being made after the Image of God affected another likenesse and so cast off the first of these two Commandements The children of God that coupled themselues with the daughters of men were most infamous for this disorder of their Charitie And who is not guiltie of it where bee the Parents that begin not their loue at their Children and care for no more of the loue of God then may stand with their thriuing for them Saint Paul insinuates as much concerning man and wife when hee telleth vs that the vnmarried care for those things which belong vnto the Lord but the marryed take care for those things wherein they may please each the other as if that were ordinarily their principall care And how seruants forget their loue of God while they seeke to please their masters you may perceiue in euery shop where apprentises are inured to lying false-swearing deceiuing and all to aduance their masters commodity It were infinite to runne ouer all degrees of persons but if you list to doe it you shall finde that all their Charitie is out of order for want of this Order and that they place the precedencie of their loue amisse And it were well if men went no farther then to preferre Man before God there is as much disorder in our loue of Things yea the disorder in the loue of Persons groweth from the disorderly loue of Things O ciues ciues quaerenda pecuniaprimum est Virtus post nummos Prophane men thinke that gaine is the best godlinesse and couetous men will sell euen their soules for a morsell of bread Esau sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage yea Iudas sold our Sauiour Christ for thirtie pieces of siluer De doâ—â— Christ 〈◊〉 1 cap 23. Saint Austin distinguishing things telleth vs that some are supra aboue vs as God some intra within vs as our owne soules and selues some iuxta euen with vs as our neighbours some infra below vs as the world and worldly things wee may adde some contra our deadly enemies as are the Diuell and the powers of darknesse Of these Loue is due to God aboue vs to our Selues to our Neighbours wee finde them all three in the Commandement of Loue but we finde not there those things which are below vs much lesse those things which are opposite to vs. And yet when we come to consider what Order the world keepeth in Loue we shall finde that these two which God neuer thought worthy of our Loue haue the greatest share therein and wee haue no leasure to loue the other so great is our loue to these at least our forwardnesse in the loue of these maketh vs backward in the loue of the other our meate our money our pleasure our profit that were by the Creation subiected vnto vs are become masters of our affections yea the cursed serpent can so charme them that wee will denie him nothing and men like a generation of vipers doe his will as if the Diuell were their Father so farreis Charitie disordered The more reason haue we to listen to this Method of Lone which is here taught by our Sauiour Christ and thinke that there is more in these two words First and Second then wee did happly apprehend Certainly the knowledge of them is of great consequence for it is the true rule of vertue and the obseruance of them is of great difficultie for our corrupt nature can hardly be brought vnto it wherfore we must imprint deeply in our mindes that which wee haue heard and pray God that wee may haue grace to doe what we are taught LOrd wee confesse that our Loue hither to hath beene peruerse and that nothing can rectifie it but thy Spirit Wee beseech thee that hee may so informe our iudgement and reforme our affections that we consecrate the first fruits of our Charitie vnto thee and that thou mayest haue the precedencie therein But let not our Charitie rest there but descending from thee let it light on those to whom thou directest it yet so that but for thee and in thee we may loue nothing beside thee So shall wee bee thy beloued if wee bee such Louers and bee admitted into the blessed societie of those whom thou hast honoured with the name of thy friends in the Kingdome of Heauen The seuenth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength This is the first and great Commandement IN bestowing our Charitie wee must obserue an Order and a Measure an Order because concerning it we find in this Text a First and Second commandement a Measure because of the two Commandements the one is great the other is but like vnto it Hauing the last Lords day opened the Order it followeth that this day the Measure be opened vnto you For entrance hereunto wee must take these two Rules First though Charitie bee a common due to God and our Neighbour yet must they not both bee serued by the same Measure and why the Persons are vnequall God is infinite our Neighbour is finite and wee may not dispense equall portions to vnequall persons The second Rule is That the Order layeth the foundation of the Measure and therefore is the Order correspondent vnto the Measure hee that hath the praecedencie in must haue the praeheminence of our Charity and whom wee must loue last wee must loue least God is first in Order therefore must hee haue the greatest measure thou must loue him with all thy heart all thy minde c. thy Neighbour is but second therefore hee must haue a lesser measure thou must loue him as thy selfe The time will not suffice me so farre as is meete to handle both these Measures wherefore I will confine my paines to the former and that is exprest in these words all thy heart minde soule If wee must loue the Lord our God with all these then wee must loue him perfectly but that perfection is no other then the perfection of a man for thou must loue him with heart mind and soule so that we haue two points to handle first the
vnto the comparison if then the question be whether of the two wee loue more to whether of them wee will sticke in a case where both cannot bee held or vpon which of them wee will fall foule when it is not possible for vs to keepe in with both if then wee can with Moses esteeme the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt wee conforme our selues to Christs first rule 〈◊〉 11 26. If when God calleth Heb. 11.8 wee can with Abraham forsake our countrey and our Fathers house though it bee to goe to a Countrey which wee know not wee conforme our selues vnto his second rule And if we can bee as resolute as Leui was Deut. 33. who said vnto his father and his mother I haue not seene them neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor know his owne children that he might keepe the word and obserue the Commandement of God euen that Commandement which is deliuered else-where Deut. 13 If thy Brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or thy Daughter or the wife of thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule entice thee to Idolatry thy eye must not pitty him thou must not conceale him thou shalt surely kill him and let thine owne hands be first vpon him if thou canst I say bee so resolute then doest thou conforme thy selfe vnto Christs third Rule The examples which hitherto I haue alleaged shew onely what must be a Christian mans obseruance of Christs rules quoad sua suos so farre as concernes a mans goods or his friends but Christs rules goe a step farther Luke 14.26 for they mention a mans owne life also and tell vs how little wee must set by that in comparison of our loue of God Christ knew well that Satan hath a shrewd temptation to stumble thee when thou hast profited so farre as tua and tuos and that is to trie thee how well thou dost loue God quoad te Iob. 2.4 in comparison of thine owne person skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life affinitie consanguinitie amitie farewell all so our life may bee preserued but our loue of God must ouercome this temptation also and wee must take in this case Saint Paul for an example who being disswaded from going to Hierusalem because bonds and imprisonment did expect him there made this answere What doe you weeping and breaking my heart Acts 21.13 I am contented not onely to be bound but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus A great resolution and yet not so great as our loue of God requireth of vs. For though dying seeme to be a bitter work yet to die for the name of Christ addeth much sweetnes vnto it and why it maketh a plain martyrdome and of that S. Paul hath giuen this definition that it is nothing else but dissolut esse cum Christo To be dissolued doth litle content nature but what would a man rather desire then to be with Christ for to be with him is to be as he is that is most happy so that hitherto loue is not come to its height for a man may so far loue God and loue God for himselfe because his own good goeth pari passu with the loue of God Moses went farther Blot me out of the book of life rather then thou shouldst not make good thy word to Israel a strange wish and that of a thing impossible for it is impossible that any child of God should be excluded from eternal life so that he may seeme to haue wished rashly and vainly but this CoÌ„mandement wil excuse him as it will S. Pauls like wish when I come to speak of the loue of our neighbour this Commandement containeth the best Commentary on his words for they import no more but his absolute loue of God so absolute that were there no Heauen where with his loue should be rewarded yea though Hell were the place wherein notwithstanding his loue of God he should be eternally tormented yet would he not withhold Gods due he would loue God with all his heart And indeed so high must wee ascend in loue if wee will ascend to that pitch which is contained in this Commandement though our loue shall haue a reward a most plentifull reward and wee may after the example of Christ and the Saints looke vpon it and encourage our selues with the hope of it yet that must not be the first motiue of our dutie God may challenge it without a reward and wee must acknowledge it to be a iust debt Thus if we loue God we loue him as we ought that is we loue him aboue all things and wee loue him for himselfe for that must needs follow when wee loue him for no other thing no not for our owne sakes but are willing to hazard all euen our selues and all for the loue of him From this measure when wee depart wee doe offend against our loue of God how much more if wee loue those things which are contrarie to him and can bee contented that others offend him or are so gracelesse as to offend him our selues But I must draw toward an end The last point which I obserued in my text was the reason why this is called the Great Commandement I need giue you no other reason then the doctrine which you haue heard concerning our loue of God for you haue heard enough to perswade you that the Commandement is very great yet I will point at some few reasons The Commandement then is Great first in regard of the Obiect for what can be greater then the Lord our God secondly in regard of the Act for it maketh our neerest approach vnto God both in Vnion and Communion with him Thirdly in regard of the Qualitie it is the sweetest commander of all our abilities Fourthly in regard of the Soueraigntie it giueth law to the whole man Fiftly in regard of the Efficacie it worketh the greatest effects Sixtly in regard of the Commoditie it hath the most precious promises Finally in regard of the Continuance it out-liueth all other graces for Charitie neuer faileth 1. Cor. 13.8 other graces doe not out-liue this mortall life No wonder then if S. 〈◊〉 call it a Supereminent way and in a comparison preferreth it before all gifts not only of Edification but of Adoption also 1. Cor. 13. And what is the vse of all this but to make vs see how little wee performe of this Commandement and how little cause wee haue to boast of the best that we doe therein Who is he that can denie that his abâ—lities are diuided and that he loueth more things then God yea most things more then God and those not only idle but euill things also And if wee cannot excuse our Diuision much lesse our Remissenesse the dayes are come which Christ foretold and the Charitie euen of the Church is growne key-cold yea euery one is come to
his libertie out of the Loue hee bare to his Master and his Wife and Children Christ in his owne person maketh the allusion and we may accommodate it to our owne persons In a word a man doth heare Theologically when the Law which is perfect conuerteth his Soule the testimonie of the Lord that is sure Psal 19. maketh him wise of simple the statutes of the Lord that are right reioyce his heart and the commandement of the Lord that is pure doth illighten his eyes so that this hearing-eare is of God Deut 29. as also the Voice is and therefore Moses tels the Israelites that God hath not giuen them eares to heare and Christ in the Gospell saith qui habet aures ad audiendum audiat for vobis datum est it is not to euery body giuen to heare but of them to whom it is giuen Christ hath pronounced Blesse are the eares that heare that which you heare Hauing heard what the Voice is and what it is to Heare we must now ioyne them together and indeed speaking is for hearing in ciuill societie neither would God euer haue giuen men tongues if hee had not giuen them eares And if for this life hee so prouideth how much more doth he prouide so for the life to come Surely S. Paul saith that he receiued grace and apostleship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 1 5. 1. Thes 2 13. that men might heare him with faith and he calleth the word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of hearing that is a word which must be heard Esay goeth a step farther and calleth the word of God Cap 53 1. Rom 10 16. Schemugnah Saint Paul rendreth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearing who hath belieued our hearing So it is in the originall the meaning is who hath belieued the word that we Preach to the end that men might heare it The word of God is still to sound in mens eares and men are still to heare the sound thereof How iniurious then is the Romane discipline Luke 11. Matth. 23. which like the Iewish Lawyers takes away from people the Key of knowledge and shut vp the kingdome of heauen against men Which heretofore made it a mortall sinne to read Gods word And now clogs the libertie it grants with such cautions that very few especially of those that are with in the reach of the Inquisition dare bee acquainted with it yea and those clogs content not but now it is thought fitter vtterly to denie libertie As such teachers are iniurious so are there some schollars impious that may but will not heare whether out of contempt or neglect they are impious murtherers of their owne Soules for this Voice onely is the Voice of life and it quickneth by the eare although wee must not so limit the conueiance thereof by the corporall eare that wee exclude the eye for our eye also since Gods word is written by reading may conuey Gods Voice vnto the eare of our Soule and men by this second meanes are not a little edified in Gods truth the Fathers especially Chrysostome doth commend reading earnestly to the people yea the Law hath commanded it long since when it willed the Iewes to write the Law vpon their doore posts certainely the Iewes euen at this day inure their children to a daily reading of the Law so soone as they come to yeeres of discretion and it were to be wisht that Christians did imitate them therein But marke that as the Israelites must heare Gods Voice so they must heare it absolutely for God doth not yet acquaint them with the contents of his Voice he speaketh indifinitely hee requires obedience not to this or that Commandement not to this or that Article of faith but to whatsoeuer he shall purpose And well may God require such obedience for he is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth of himselfe yea Truth it selfe so that a man need not feare that at any time or in any thing God can bee deceiued or will deceiue vs neither can agree with the Omniscience and Holinesse of his nature Secondly God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almightie and the soueraigne commander of man so that his word is not onely Truth but a Law where the word of this King goeth there goeth power it admitteth no disputing no resisting As he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth so we may safely captiuate our wits vnto his wisedome as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so we must dutifully submit our wils vnto his commands vpon these two foundations are built our absolute obedience vnto Gods indefinite Voice The word my voice is a word of limitation Ioh. 10. Christs sheepe heare his voice the voice of a stranger they will not heare Gods voice must bee reputed obiectum adaequatum of his people hearing wee must neither stretch nor shrinke it neither adde thereto nor take there-from These two Attributes of Truth and Power are so proper vnto God that they are not communicable to any creature Omnis homo mendax Psal 116. euerie man may deceiue or be deceiued and Omne sub regno graniore regnum est the greatest Soueraignes vnto men are subiect vnto God therefore mens words must be tried before they must be belieued wee must not credit all their words and we must yeeld obedience vnto men no farther then may stand with our obedience to God This must be obserued because the glorie that is due onely to God is too often communicated to men so Disciples take their masters instructions as Diuine oracles and follow them in errour out of a preconceipt that they are not men likely to erre But Saint Pauls rule is Omnia probate 1. Thes 5 1. Iob. 4. quod bonum est tenete proue all things but hold that which is best and Saint Iohn trie the spirits whether they be of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Amicus Plato magis amica veritas we must neuer dote so vpon any man as to forget that he is a man that is a creature subiect vnto errour If this caution had beene obserued and the Disciples had in all ages examined their masters Doctrine by his word that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither should the Church heretofore haue beene neither would it now be pestered with those many Sects that dictract the same As Disciples haue their caution so haue Subiects also they must dutifully obey their superiours but alwayes with a sauing sauing the Allegiance which they owe vnto the Superiour of Superiours that is vnto God so long as there is no contradiction betweene the commandements of God and superiour men subiects must obey though the obedience be vnsauorie and the command rigid but so soone as there appeares a contradiction endure they must patiently the Sanction of the Law but perform the Precept they must not Were this caution obserued by Subiects did they consider the subordination of all earthly Powers to the power of
sight of the eye is the sight of the whole bodie but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in possession it was neuer Basil lib â— de Baptismo Aug de Ciuit Deiliâ— 20 cap. 10. Leo de anniuersaria assumptione Serm. 3. no more then the whole bodie could euer see Wee must not then confound the Hierarchicall and the Mysticall Priesthood no more then we may the externall and the internall Kingdome each must keepe within his bounds And as we must in our priuate be religious as Priests in seruing God so wee must not without a lawfull calling and a mans lawfull calling is not as Anabaptists dreame his owne conceited abilitie but a Mission and Commission from lawfull Superiours without such a Calling I say we may not intermeddle with Pastorall Functions Finally the publike Kings and Priests must neither of them abuse these titles neither of them must wrest this place The Romanists are carefull to remember Kings that they play not Priests they amplifie Vzziahs example that was stricken with Leprosie for being so presumptuous I would they did aswell remember Christs speech whose Vicar the Pope claymes to be Iohn 18.36 Luke 12.14 My kingdome is not of this world and that Man who made me a Iudge to diuide inheritances they would not so often being Priests vsurpe vpon the sword But let them take heed Christ told Saint Peter Math. 26.52 and they will find it one day true The Priest that medleth with the sword shall perish by the sword the Kings ouer whom the Pope hath long tyrannized shall one day worke his ruine And thus much of the Eminencie of the Churches state I come now to the Sanctitie of their persons Israel shall be an holy nation and indeed Kings who are Priests such as you haue heard described how can they chuse but bee Holy especially seeing the persons that communicate in those titles are the First-borne Exod. 13. for the First-borne by the Law were holy to the Lord. And what is the oyle wherewith they were anointed Exod 30. Cap. 2 Cap. 1 18. but oleum sanctitatis holy oyle what are their persons but Temples of the Holy Ghost Ieremie calleth them Gods first-fruits and Saint Iames telleth vs that all Christians are a kind of first-fruits to God 2 Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5 27. The Church is by the Apostle said to be a chast virgin without spot or wrinkle in the Reuelation the Spouse is clothed in fine white linnen Reuel 19 8. Esay 26. which is the righteousnesse of Saints in the Prophet she is called The land of righteousnesse finally in our Creed the holy Catholike Church â—sal 101. King Dauid required vertue in his seruants He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue mee how much more God To whom the Psalmist speaketh thus Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall abide vpon thy holy hill God answereth Hee that leadeth an vncorrupt life c. But what is Holinesse Origen will teach vs the holinesse of a man must be conceiued as the holinesse of a beast a vessell a vestment now those things were separated from prophane vses and dedicated to sacred so must a man be first seperated from earth and earthly things he must not set his affections vpon them though he be in the world Col. 3.2 Iohn 17. yet hee must not be of the world hee must not loue the world nor the things in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1. Iohn 2.15 Ephes 5.11 he must haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse This is his separation the first branch of Holinesse The second is Dedication his life must be deuoted vnto God Christianitie is an imitation of the Diuine Nature a reducing of himselfe to the Image of God in which he was created 2. Pet. 1. Ephes 4. 1. Pet. 2. to righteousnesse and holines of truth a shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called vs into his maruellous light If a man professe himselfe to be a Painter and take vpon him to make the picture of a King and mis-shape him doth hee not deserue iust blame yes surely for hee occasioneth strangers to thinke meanly of the Kings person because of his ill fauoured portraiture and shall a Christian escape punishment whose life is to be a visible representation of Christ if Infidels blaspheme Christ while they iudge of him according to his counterfeit hee shall not Wherefore faciamus de terra coelum faith Saint Chrysostome In Matth. 12. Tem. 2 p. 332. let vs represent Heauen in earth let vs so liue as that men may say that God is in vs of a truth Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorisie our Father which is in Heauen Holinesse is the true characterizing qualitie of a Christian it distinguisheth betweene the faithfull Iust Martyr ad Diognâ—t p. â—97 〈◊〉 in Apolog. p. 61. and infidell they differ not in place in apparell in diet c. but in charitie in pietie in obedience in patience in euery Christian vertue whatsoeuer shew a man make if he want these vertues he is but like the Iuglers Ape which being attired like a reasonable creature and dancing curiously to his Masters instrument deceiued the people of Alexandria vntill one espying the fraud threw a few Dates vpon the Stage which the Ape no sooner espied but he tore all his vizard and fell to bis victuals to the scorne of his Master which gaue occasion to the Prouerbe An Ape is an Ape though hee bee clad neuer so gaily Nyssen applies it vnto men that call themselues Christians professe that they know God Tom. 2. de professione Christiana and that their hope is in Heauen but no sooner doth any vanitie come in their way but their heart doth betray where there treasure is but let them remember the Prouerbe It is a snare for a man to deuoure that which is holy Origen applies it to the sacriledge that a man committeth that vowed himselfe in Baptisme to the Lord and giueth himselfe vnto the World I conclude this point with Gods words in the Law Lenit 11.44 Math. 5 4â— Be yee holy for I am holy and with Christs words in the Gospell Bee yee perfect as your Father in Heauen is perfect sinne must not raigne in our mortall bodies because we are an holy Nation You see how the Good which God offereth to Israel is specified you must next heare how it is amplified that appeares in the words Eritis mihi As the Proprietarie is so doth the value of a thing rise hee addeth to the worth at least to the esteeme thereof though man only to the esteeme yet God also to the worth for hee can proportion the creatures worth answerable to his esteeme he whose glorie shineth in the heauens and handie worke in the firmament doth declare his glorie much more in the
the more choice God had the more grace hee vouchsafed to them whom hee chose so that wee must resolue the words thus Although all the world be mine yet thou shalt be to me and so the Offer will appeare absolutely free What shall we say then vnto these things Surely as God hath little cause by reason of our vilenesse to ioy that wee are His so wee haue great cause by reason of our happinesse to ioy that God is ours who would be ambitious after any woddly thing that may be partaker of this gracious prerogatiue And all Nations may partake of it It is true that these words were spoken to Israel and therefore the Iewes at this day count all Nations slaues beside themselues appropriating vnto themselues this Prerogatiue but their pride should blush when it considers that God hath so many hundred yeares stript them of their spirituall ornaments and made them corporall slaues to all the World 1 Epist 2. Saint Peter applies this very text vnto Christians and the foure and twentie Elders confesse thus vnto Christ Reuel 5. Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of enerie kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests These words then belong to Vs Rom. 11.20 yet must wee not bee high-minded but feare Gen 49. if Israel lost his primogeniture so may we God may say to vs as Iacob said to Reuben for his sinne Non excelles thou shalt bee disinherited Hos 1.9 Gnammi may become Lo-Gnammi they are Gods people may cease to bee his people What is the way to preuent it Surely dutie to consider of this gracious Prerogatiue and indeuour carefully to partake thereof If we esteeme it as it deserues and desire it as we ought we shall not faile to haue it and by it be entred into the houshold of Saints those Saints whose memory wee solemnize this day for they became such by this Prerogatiue and this Prerogatiue will make vs such if wee bee Gods peculiar treasure here on earth wee shall be it much more in the kingdome of heauen by how much our gold shall be freer from drosse and no cloud shall dimme our precious jewels If we be Kings here in the state of grace our kingdome is but like that of Dauid full of warre but when wee come to heauen our kingdome shall be like that of Salomon it shall bee a kingdome of peace And our Priest-hood which is now often interrupted and neglected often shall neuer depart from before God and wee shall sacrifice to him day and night Finally holy wee are now rather in the good purpose of our minde then in the performance of our life but then we shall bee Trees of life euer laden with kindly fruit fit to honour to cheare both God and men LEt vs all pray for and God grant vnto vs all such a beginning of this gracious Prerogatiue in this life that we may haue the full consummation thereof with all the Saints departed in the life to come Amen Remember me O Lord with the fauour of thy people visit me with thy saluation That I may see the felicitie of thy chosen and reioyce in the ioy of thy people and glorie with thine inheritance Psal 116. The fifth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 5. Now therefore if yee will obey my voice c. Then shall yee be c. IN the first message which from mount Sinai God sent by Moses vnto Israel I haue told you heretofore that there are contained two remarkable points the first sheweth what God requires the second what God offers I told you then also that the Text leadeth me to consider these two points first seuerally then ioyntly I haue already considered them seuerally I haue shewed you what they meane it remaineth that I now consider them ioyntly that I shew you how they depend one vpon the other And this Obseruation I draw from the reference of these two particles If and Then If yee shall obey my voice c. Then yee shall be vnto me c. But to deale more distinctly Out of this reference we may draw too good Obseruations The first Wee must not exspect what God doth offer except we performe what God doth require for thus speaketh the Text If yee shall heare my voice and keepe my Couenant Then shall yee bee vnto me c. The second We may not slicke at that which God requires because that which God offers doth infinitely exceed it that will be euident if wee compare them as they are laid downe in the Text Yee shall be vnto me a peculiar treasure aboue all people a Kingdome of Priests an holy Nation If you heare my voice and If you keepe my Couenant Now there is no comparison betweene these Out of these two Obseruations doe arise two other for this reference will teach vs that Our faith and our Charitie must goe before our Hope for wee must heare Gods voice which is the worke of faith and keepe Gods Conenant which is the worke of Charitie before we can exspect to be Gods peculiar treasure a Kingdome of Priests an Holy Nation which blessings are the matter of our Hope And backe againe Our Hope must keepe in heart both our Faith and Charitie for he that is thus resolued that he shall bee Gods peculiar treasure a King to him and his Priest finally Holy to the Lord no doubt no danger will stay him will quell him from hearing Gods voice and keeping Gods Couenants he that so hopeth will beleeue and loue God These are the particulars wherewith I will endeauour God willing to order and quicken yours and mine owne faith hope and charitie I pray God wee may all so listen to them as those that meane to liue by them But before I open them vnto you I must acquaint you with a difference of Gods spirituall promises of them some are Absolute some are Conditionals wee may not confound them Absolute are all those prophecies of the Messias to come and the worke of Redemption foretold and presigured in the Old Testament whereof in the New we read the full accomplishment they take vp the first part of our Creed and of all these absolute promises Gods saying in Esay is true My counsell shall stand and I will accomplish all my will Cap 46. mauger all the infidelitie of man and the machinations of Satan without great absurditie yea impietie cannot these promises bee conceiued to depend on the will of any ereature Angell or man Conditionall promises are those which concerne particular persons or states participation of Christ incorporation into the Church fruition of crernall life of all these the rule of Saint Austin is true Quifecit te sine te non saluabit te sine te euerie person euerie state must put their hands to this worke or else it would neuer goe forward My Text doth containe a Promise of this later sort a Conditionall not an Absolute
our Faith Hope Pedagâ—g lib. 1. cap. 6. saith Clemens Alexandrinus est sanguis sidei it is the bloud of Faith and you know what the Law saith in sanguine anima in the bloud is the life of that thing whose bloud it is certainly the life of our faith is in bloud of Hope for the more we let out this bloud the weaker groweth our faith and he that despaires will quickly become an Apostata Therefore that wee may bee constant in our faith when the windes blow and the waues beate and wee are tost in the Seas of this World with perplexing doubts wee must take sure Anchor-hold in Heauen wee must draw vp our soules in that golden chaine of Hope and by it bee as it were present with our future felicitie 1. Pâ—◠〈◊〉 and then wee shall find that it is as Saint Peter calls it Spe viua a liuing hope it will answere its definition Spes est futurae pollicitationis religiosus assensus Hope most deuoutly resteth vpon the promises of God the performances whereof are yet for to come it is vnto vs a second faith As it doth thus keepe our Faith in heart so doth it our Charitie also for it biddeth our charitie not to consider what it leaueth but what it shall haue Spes semper in â—nteriora tendit non retrò respicit it forgetteth the World which wee haue forsaken and still presseth forward vnto the blessed estate whereunto wee are called Christ for Heb. 12.2 the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame and Moses and the Prophets that forsooke their countrie their kinred their profit their pleasure were animated hereunto by hauing an eye to the recompence of reward I had vtterly fainted Psal 27. saith King Dauid but that I verily looke to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Gregorie Nyssen hath a wittie conceit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Afflictions are but the flowres of eternall felicitie wee must them willingly gather the flowres for the fruits sake And indeed many abhorre the flower because their hearts are not stedfastly set vpon the fruit wherefore when our charitie to Godward groweth cold let vs rowse it and warme it as Dauid did his Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the helpe of my countenance and my God Saint Chrysostome meditating vpon those word of the Psalmist I trust in God why say yee then to my soule flie hence as a bird to the mountaines giueth vs a good obseruation Spes omnia componit Hope calmeth all things he falleth vpon diuers particulars which dishearten men from the seruice of God banishment into a Wildernesse who will bee disquieted with it that hopeth that God will accompanie him there Dreadfull Armies besieging vs what need we feare seeing our Hope is confident that hee that is with vs is mightier then they that are against vs the racke and threatning vs torture the foresight of our Crowne will make vs senselesse of our most bitter Crosse In a word No man euer trusted in God and was confounded he that buildeth vpon this principle whatsoeuer hee suffereth for God will neuer bee disheartned But I may not forget to put you in minde of a good saying of S. Austines Qualis res talis spes Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and the life to come if our hope rest vpon the earthly thing it is but an earthly hope it becomes heauenly if it bee carried vnto those things which are heauenly God dieteth his children in regard of things earthly he would haue them hope for them as if they did not hope as those that can be contented to want them when God thinketh it not fit to bestow them but the Hope which must support both Faith and Charitie it must be a resolute hope of this plentifull reward that is promised in my Text of the gracious prerogatiues of the Church we must looke for them assuredly and without wauering long for them such a Hope will keepe our Faith waking and our Loue working donec spes fiat res till God make good his word I draw to an end That which God offers in reward of that which hee requires doth as in the last Sermon I told you amount to as much as Ius primogeniturae the Birth-right of Gods first-borne You know the storie of Esau he had it in a Type and sold it for a messe of pottage Saint Pauls admonition giuen thereupon to the Hebrewes shall be mine to you Chap. 12. v. 16. Let there bee no such profane person amongst you Esau when hee had so despised his birth-right found no place of repentance though he sought it with teares and we if we neglect the hope of so great saluation offered vs in refusing the condition which God requires of vs shall weepe and sue in vaine with those wretches in the Gospel after the doore is shut and find no entrance into the Kingdome of Heauen Wherefore I will close vp my Sermon as the Sonne of Syracke closeth vp his Behold saith hee with your eies how that I haue had but little labour and haue gotten me much rest Worke therefore your worke betimes and in his time he will giue you your reward ANd God grant we may so performe that which God requires that wee may obtaine what hee doth offer and in due time find that faithfull is he that promiseth and that saying in the Psalme to bee true In keeping of his Commandements there is great reward The sixt Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 7 8. And Moses came and called for the Elders of the people and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him And all the people answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe c. ON the two Verses immediately going before we heard of a gracious message which God by Moses sent vnto Israel on these two verses we shall heare that Moses deliuered it and the Israelites returned an answere to it Touching the deliuerie of the message we must obserue First To whom Moses maketh his report and Secondly how hee doth discharge himselfe therein He maketh his report vnto the Gouernours of the Tribes for he called the Elders of people And in his report hee dischargeth himselfe fully and clearely fully for he reported All which God had commanded him vnto them and cleerely for what was commanded him he laid before their faces Touching the answere wee are to consider First Who maketh it then What manner of answere it is that is made They that make it are the Congregation the People answered and said And in them wee find here two commendable things Vnanimitie and Alacritie Vnanimitie for they ioyned together in the answere All the people answered and said Alacritie for not one stucke at it euery one was as forward as another they answered all
they doe presume First see their modestie You must call to mind that in the message sent them there were two parts the one shewed what God required of them the other what he offered to them In their answere they shew much modestie in regard of both parts I will shew that modestie first that respects what God doth offer Obserue then that in their answere they passe that ouer insilence they doe not capitulate with God for it And indeed the stipulation of our dutie must bee absolute and not conditionall though Gods promise to vs bee conditionall and not absolute And why we owe our dutie to God absolutely and Gods mercie is not due to vs but out of his gracious promise So that to capitulate would imply a deniall of our natiue obligation and that we would not obey were it not for the adoptiue besides wee should seeme to doubt whether God will be as good as his word as God hath reason to doubt of vs that we will not be so good as our word So that to put a difference betweene Gods fidelitie and ours this branch of the Israelites modestie may beseeme vs all it may beseeme vs rather assuredly to expect then vnmannerly to capitulate for that which God doth promise so deale children with their Parents Subiects with their Soueraignes and we much more ought so to deale with God our Father and our Soueraigne in Heauen Our eies yea and our hearts too must be more vpon that which God requires then vpon that which God doth promise Not that we may not hearten our selues with that which God doth promise yea and remember God of it also in our Prayers after the example of the Patriarch Iacob Gen. â—8 But if wee bee silent wee doe in godly humilitie insinuate that we hold our selues vnworthy of it and we shall speed neuer a whit the worse For what wee forbeare to doe out of this consciousnesse of our vnworthinesse God will supply out of his abundant goodnesse hee will set an honourable estimate vpon our dutie and will take it as worthy of whatsoeuer hee doth promise We cannot vnderualue our selues so much as God will ouerualue vs. The second branch of their modestie is that replying to that which God requires they doe not limit him but yeild their obedience as farre as he requires it Yea if you compare the clauses you shall find that God spake but indefinitely If you will heare my voice If you will keepe my Couenant but they doe answere vniuersally All that the Lord hath said we will doe they submit themselues vnto Gods charge in the largest sense And indeed this is true Pietie not to carue out our owne obedience but to let God carue it out we must absolutely captiuate our wits vnto his wisdome and surrender our wils wholy vnto his pleasure his Law must be the bounderie of our life Hitherto you haue seene that in their answere there is much modestie much modestie you haue seene they doe not presume But I told you that if we looke vpon the words a second time we shall find that there is ouer much confidence in them we shall find that they doe presume They presume first of their Abilitie faciemus we doe not thinke Gods commandements impossible we will doe that which God commandeth wee thinke wee may aduenture to promise so much Cap. 4. Saint Iames checkes mans confidence in a smaller matter goe to saith he you that say to day and to morrow we will goe to such a place and there buy and sell c. whereas you should say if we liue if the Lord will If our Abilitie bee so small in regard of those things which are here below and concerne this animall life that we may not presume of our selues but vnder such a condition how much more must we adde a condition when wee speake of those greater matters those that concerne our spirituall life here wee should adde if Gods grace be sufficiently vouchsafed me if hee shall be pleased that his strength bee made perfect in my weaknesse For Auxilium speciale is more extraordinarie then generale and we must begge the speciall the generall will not suffice is this case If King Dauid confessed and did as it were wonder at Gods grace that himselfe and his people offered their goods so willingly vnto God how much more commeth it of grace and grace to be wondred at that a man doth wholly and cheerefully deuote himselfe vnto the seruice of God Therefore we must all remember that Item which Christ gaue to Saint Peter a great vndertaker in this kind Marke 1â— the spirit is willing but the flesh is weake and imitate Saint Paul a more modest vndertaker who affirmeth of himselfe I can doe all things Phil. 4. but it is through Christ which strengthneth me Wherefore what the Israelites omitted we must in all these vowes supplie If God shall conuert if God shall incline our hearts otherwise our vndertaking will sauour of too much confidence and we shall be guiltie of presuming It was too much that they presumed of their abilitie but see their confidence goeth farther they presume of the extent of their Abilitie also faciemus omnia we will doe all that the Lord commandeth vs. Certainely if they will doe so much they will doe more then euer any man did or can doe except him that was both God and man our Lord Iesus Christ To make this plaine vnderstand that in the Law there are two parts the Affirmatiue and the Negatiue and either hath something in it which is impossible to be done in this life The Affirmatiue requires that wee Loue God with all our hearts with all our minds with all our strength and our neighbour as our selfe The Negatiue Ne concupiscas Thou shalt not lust It is confest by all that are not Pelagians or Pelagius like that neither of these can be performed in this life Touching the Affirmatiue I will say no more then that which Saint Bernard obserued that whereas in our Charitie thereis Affectus and Actus the Affection and the Action we must exspect in heauen the integritie of our Affection as the reward of the best endeauours of our Action while we are in this world and if the integritie of our affection be aboue the reach of this life much more the integritie of our Action which flowes from the other and is correspondent to it I will insist a little longer vpon the other clause the negatiue part of the Law The rather because if I can make it plaine that wee cannot performe the negatiue it followeth vndeniably that wee cannot performe the affirmatiue For as one instance to the contrarie ouerthroweth an vniuersall affirmatiue so if we be tainted with the least spot of concupiscence our Charitie cannot be entire Obserue then that I may treade the steps of the Romanists and ouerthrow their conceite of Morall perfection in this life out of their owne principles that in regard of the negatiue
the Chaldie Paraphrase insteed of the Hebrew I come saith fitly to this purpose I will appeare and because God doth not alwayes appeare to men alike therefore when hee doth more notably appeare vnto them hee is said to come Touching the varietie of Gods appearing or manifesting himselfe to the world take a similitude from the Sunne The Sunne doth manifest it selfe first by daylight and that is common to all that dwell in the same Horizon vnto which the Sunne is risen some haue more then the daylight they haue also the Sunshining light which shining light of the Sunne is not in all places where the day light of it is finally the Sunne is manifest in the heauens in his full strength for the very body is present there which none can endure but the Starres which become glorious bodies by that speciall presence of the Sunne amongst them In like manner God in whom all things liue moue and haue their being doth manifest himselfe vnto some by the workes of his generall prouidence of which manifestation Saint Paul speaketh when he saith Acts 14. God left not himselfe without witnesse to all nations in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse This manifestation of God is like the daylight Psal 145 v. 15. it is common to all it is an vniuersall grace The eies of all things looke vp vnto thee O Lord and thou giuest them their meate in due season There is a second manifestation and that is peculiar but to some it is like the Sunne-shine it is that manifestation which God vouchsafeth his Church of which Esay speaketh Arise shine Chap 60. for thy light is come and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee but darknesse shall couer the earth and grosse darknesse the people for in comparison of the Church the rest of the world sitteth in darknesse and in the shadow of death The third and last manifestation is that which God maketh of himselfe in heauen to the Angels and Saints the cleerest and fullest whereof a creature is capable and those which partake this presence of God become thereby glorious Saints more glorious then the starres which receiue their resplendent lustre from the aspect which they haue to the Sunnes bodie The manifestation that we haue to doe withall is of the second sort it is not so cleare as that which the Saints enioy in heauen it is not so darke as that which is common to the world but it is of a middle temper proper to the Church militant to whom God is said to come when hee doth so manifest himselfe vnto her From hence we must take notice that as there are those who are in better case then we are so there are who are in worse case and therefore we must thanke God for our present aduancement and remember that wee make forward to that neerenesse vnto God which is reserued for vs in heauen This may suffice for our vnderstanding of this phrase I come The next point is the manner of his comming In the thick cloud Before I speake distinctly hereof I will giue you a note vpon the Cloud Some make a question whether it be the same Cloud which guided the children of Israel through the wildernesse or some other they thinke some other greater and thicker but they thinke so without great reason for after that the guiding Cloud once rested on the Tabernade we heare no more of any Cloud vpon Mount Sinai neither did Moses after that ascend vnto Mount Sinai but God deliuered his minde vnto him in the Tabernacle where the Cloud then rested and God promised to dwell amongst the people after the Tabernacle should be built by bringing the Cloud and his glorie thither which was accordingly performed Exod. 40.34 Exod. 19.43 â—â— before that the people remooued from Mount Sinai yet after that time wee reade of no other Cloud vpon Mount Sinai Insteed then of coyning a new Cloud obserue rather how by degrees God approched to his people at their first comming out of Egypt he kept aloft in the aire the people had not yet shaken off their Egyptian disposition neither were they sitted for any nearenesse to God When they rose higher in their thoughts and had contracted with him God descended lower and came neerer vnto them he descended to the top of Mount Sinai Afterward when they had yet better exprest their affection to entertaine God by building the Tabernacle God vouchsafed to come lower to them he chose to reside in the midst of their Campe. And let vs take this for an vndoubted lesson the better wee preuented by grace prepare our selues for God the nearer will God approach to vs. I now come to speake distinctly of the manner I told you that the manner of Gods appearance was first maiesticall because in the thicke Cloud in this Cloud that you may see the maiestie of God obserue first that God was in it for there was the Angell of God that Angell in whom is Gods Name so we reade Exod. 23. verse 21. and who is called Gods presence Exod. 33. verse 14 15. so that the Cloud was Gods chaire of State or his Chariot or Pauillion as the Scripture doth call the Clouds when God putteth them to this vse And as God was in the Cloud so was the Cloud enuironed with an host of heauenly Courtiers becomming the maiestie of such a King learne it out of the sixtie eight Psalme The Chariots of God are twentie thousand euen thousands of Angels the Lord is amongst them as in Sinai in his holy place And besides these attendants we find obserued two other Ceremonies of State As Kings giue notice of their comming by the sound of Trumpets so this Cloud was attended by the voice of a Trumpet exceeding lowd And as before Kings there is wont to bee carried the instrument of Iustice and Vengeance the Sword so was Gods appearance in this Cloud attended with those dreadfull Meteors Lightning and Thunder Lay together those particulars and you will confesse that God appeared in awefull maiestie when he came in the thicke Cloud The Israelites confessed as much Deut. 5.24 Behold the Lord hath shewed vnto vs his glorie and his greatnesse we haue heard his voice out of the midst of the fire Mortall Kings neuer put on greater state then when they goe to their Parliaments the reason that moueth them is the same that moued God that men should feare to offend them whom they see armed with so great power and the greater regard be had vnto their Lawes As the thicke Cloud doth set forth Gods maiestie so is it also full of mysterie The first mysterie to be gathered out of it is obserued by God himselfe he clothed himselfe with a thicke Cloud to put the people in mind that hauing seene no shape of him they should not presume to make any image Let our lesson be Voluntas Dei non essentia
they may be saued But if looking into our heart wee find sauing grace there for Gods Spirit doth witnesse vnto our spirit that wee are the children of God when we contemplate in our selues this second Act of Election we haue reason to thinke our Prerogatiue much more improued by how much an inward is better then an outward Iew the Circumcision of the spirit better then the Circumcision of the flesh to be baptized with the Spirit better then to be baptized with water to eate Panem Dominum eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ better then to eate only and drinke only Sacramentall Bread and Wine finally to be a doer is better then to be a hearer of Gods Word The farther Christians goe beyond Christians in these gifts the better must they thinke their state and these spirituall differences betweene man and man better then whatsoeuer other differences there may be found betweene them Although the world vseth to bee little sensible of this greater good but most sensible of the lesser wealth honour c. wherein euerie man thinketh it a great matter to bee aduanced aboue his Neighbours When wee looke vpon the second word in the definition of the Church that is God wee see to whom wee are beholding for our aduancement and to whom wee must giue the glorie of it the glory of the first Act of Election Dauid concludes the remembrance thereof with Prayse yee the Lord Psal 147. And of the second Act also the glorie must be giuen vnto Him for so doe the Angels the Beasts the Elders c. after they haue mentioned it Reuel 5. Reuel 5. If the question be moued Quit te discreuit Who hath differenced thee our best answere will bee I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord and let him that glorieth glorie in the Lord. I told you I haue not to doe with the whole Church but with that part which is militant for such are the Elect which are on the Earth Heauen is the place for our Crowne Earth for our Crosse where Michael and the Dragon stroue there must their Angels striue also and the heele of the womans seed must bee bruised in the same place where it must breake the Serpents head The Fathers doe wittily obserue that the Church came out of Christs side when he died as Eue out of Adam when he slept Now out of Christs side when it was pierced issued Water and Bloud Monuments of our two Sacraments which remember vs that we must drinke of the same Cup whereof Christ dranke and be partakers of the same Baptisme wherewith he was baptized euery one must take vp his owne Crosse and follow his crucified Sauiour Saint Austine is resolute Ad Bonifacium Comitem Si Ecclesia vera est ipsa est quae persecutionem patitur we are bastards and no sonnes if wee suffer not for Christ and suffer we cannot but on earth for when wee part from the earth wee part from our enemies the Flesh the World and the Deuill flesh and bloud cannot enter into Heauen Satan is cast out thence and the world shall then bee vnto vs as if it were not therefore the Church Peregrinam agit in terris she is here a Pilgrim here she is like the desolate widdow here shee grieueth for the wickednesse of the world and because she is not alike wicked with them therefore doth the world implacably worke her woe Read this dayes Epistle Wisdome â— In this militancie of the Church the Elect of God become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they find that they need and they seeke for helpe the word implieth asmuch The Church is compared vnto a Doue for her simplicitie and for her meeknesse shee is compared vnto a Lambe As a Doue she is nothing suspicious for Vt quisque est vir optimus ita difficillimè credit alios esse improbos Good men looke to find plaine dealing as themselues deale plainly As a Lambe the Church is as apt to be a prey as shee is not apt to prey vpon any shee is a fit subiect for the Shearer and the Slaughterer though it selfe be harmelesse and vsefull Looke vpon the enemies of the Church they are the Serpent and the Lion The Serpent is full of fraud fraud which circumuenteth our wits with sophistrie and transporteth our affections with vanitie coloured and blanched with a shew of Truth and Good The Lion is full of Crueltie and delighteth in bloud watchfull vpon all opportunities and neuer giuing ouer the least aduantage And the instruments of the Serpent and the Lion I meane wicked men are Serpentine and Lion-like deceitfully compassing their owne end and spending their power only in crueltie This hath beene the cariage of the enemies of the Church euer since God put enmitie betweene the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent But it was neuer more remarkable then in Popish Equiuocation and that which they call their Holy Inquisition the very markes of the Beast and by them they make their nearest approaches to that Father of Lâ—â—s and that ancient Murderer sure I am they haue cut the heart strings of all both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall true Policie The Church being thus besteed when from her enemies she reflects her eyes vpon her selfe findeth her owne inabilite her need of succour and as the Apostles in their perill so she in hers cals for helpe Helpe Lord or else we perish so said they so saith shee And my text telleth vs that she hath recourse vnto God Psal 121. I lift mine eyes vnto the Hils saith Dauid from whence commeth my helpe Our helpe standeth in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heauen and Earth Psal 46. and God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble And see how full the helpe is He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High Psal 9â— shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie the whole Psalme is an excellent commendation of the Churches choice but specially that Verse Verse 13. Thou shalt tread vpon the Lion and the Adder the yong Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample vnder feet though we be as simple as Doues yet God is able to make vs as wise as Serpents and hee will make vs confident as Lions though of our selues wee be as meeke as Lambes And why we haue a Serpent to oppose vnto a Serpent euen him that was figured by the Serpent whom Moses lifted vp Christ the wisdome of God him we haue to oppose to the groueling Serpent that feedeth vpon earth and earthly men If you be stung by this latter Serpent doe but looke to the former and you shall presently bee healed for hee is able to take that craftie one in his owne wilinesse Wee haue a Lion to oppose vnto a Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda to the roaring Lion and out of the eater he can draw meate by death he ouercame him that had the power
which I enioyed with thee before the foundations of the world were lay◠Himselfe then receiued nothing which hee had not for euer but in him wee receiue the honour to be loyned in one person with God Christus esse voluit quod homo est vt homo esse poss it quod est Christus Cypr. de vanit Idol in that person to conquer sinne death and hell after the conquest to receiue all power both in heauen and earth and possessed of this power to sit vpon the Throne of God It is not the Godhead but the Manhood in Christ and so it is Wee that haue receiued these Blessings So that we must begin the obseruation of Gods fauour vnto vs at that dignitie which our nature hath attained in Christ These different words Natus and Datus Borne and Giuen imply that they were not both of one time The Manhood beganne when Christ was incarnate but the Godhead was long before It was though it were not manifested vntill the time of his birth So that being and being manifest make the difference for that the Manhood receiued then his beeing but the Godhead only his beeing manifest And yet wee must not make such a difference without taking heed of Nestorius his errour For if the words be soundly vnderstood if they bee vnderstood of the Person not of the Natures we may apply Natus and Datus to eyther of them the Godhead may be said to be borne and the Manhood may bee said to bee giuen That the Godhead or rather God may be said to be borne it is cleare Luke 1. The holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Sonne of God And the Virgine Mary by the Fathers is as you heard called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Bernards obseruation is true speaking to the Virgine Mary as it were in the person of the Angell Quod natum est ex ipso Deo erit tuus quod ex te nascetur erit eius vt tamen non sint duo Filij sed vnus licet aliud ex te aliud ex illo sit ita tamen non cuiusque suus sed vnus vtriusque Filius So that vnderstand it of the Person and Natus will agree with Filius vnderstand it also of the Person and Datus will agree with Puerulus for the Childe was giuen also and had a being before euen as ancient as the Sonne of God to whom he is inseparably vnited Whatsoeuer attribute of God may be verified of Man so long as we meane no more but the Person But if our meaning doe once point at the Natures then Natus is peculiar to the Childe which beganne in time and Datus to the Sonne which was before all time so the Diuines ancient and later doe vsually distinguish these words Thirdly note that Natus goeth before Datus Christ is before hee is bestowed And the Holy Ghost would haue vs to consider two distinct Acts of God 1. The Constitution of our Sauiours Person 2. And then the Donation thereof vnto Vs And it is requisite that our meditations confound not Gods Workes Wee must multiply our meditations as Gods works are multiplied The Constitution of the Person is as a means which God prouideth and prouideth for an end which was his Donation So that Christs Incarnation is not to be taken as a speculatiue but a practick thing God therein did not onely reueale his Wisedome and his Power which wee may speculate with our wits but thereby doth giue vs a taste of his Goodnesse also to affect our hearts So that wee may not separate Datus from Natus lest we proue ignorant how vsefull this Incarnation is and so depriue our selues of the comfort thereof Lastly if Datus be the end of Natus and he that is Borne is Giuen vnto Vs we must make St. Paules Conclusion God that spared not his onely Sonne but gaue him for vs what is there that he will not bestow vpon vs He hath nothing nearer and dearer he that is vouchsafed this may presume to speed of whatsoeuer else We cannot haue a better encouragement to pray nor anchor-hold of our prayer nay we cannot learne better how to demeane our selues towards God than by imitating Gods dealing herein with vs. Let Natus or rather Renatus goe before Datus in vs Let vs first bee new-borne before wee giue our selues to God Except we be prouided of this gift we are not fit to make a Present and if wee be prouided and vnfainedly make this Present vnto God what haue wee that shall not be deuoted vnto him our honour our wealth our friends Hee will neuer deny ought vnto God that first giueth himselfe to him And thus much for the odds betweene the two Natures implied in the words Borne and Giuen Moreouer we must obserue that the Childe borne and the Sonne giuen if they be separated from Vs they make an Article admirà ble but comfortable it is not except you adde vnto it Vs. When this Clause is put vnto that our Faith is Faith indeed and taketh place as well in our heart as in our head and we listen diligently vnto the Annunciation which the Angel made vnto the Shepheards Behold I bring you glad tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the People for vnto you is borne a Sauiour which is the Lord Christ In a word you haue the true Description of Immanuell God with vs which then proued true when this Childe was borne vnto Vs and to Vs this Sonne was giuen Finally marke the Tense of these words Natus Datus it is the Praeter-tense they speake of Christ as if hee were already borne Christ was not borne in sixe hundred yeares after The reason is the stile is Propheticall The Prophets speake of things to come as if they were present or past they speake of the Workes of God answerably to the Nature of God In the Nature of God there is no time because it is eternall When Moses asked after Gods name he receiued this answer I am that I am In the Reuelation that Name is resolued into all the parts of time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it imports that all parts of time are together in God they are all present in him As it is with his Nature so it is with his Workes Nothing falleth out in time that was not decreed before all time and whatsoeuer is in the decree is euer present to God And because present in the decree therefore as concluded God may speake of it as a thing past because the Conclusion is before his eyes he may speake of it as a thing present and as his hand shall produce it he may speake of it as a thing to come And the holy Ghost vseth libertie to speake of such things so diuersly But for their speaking of Christs birth as if it were passed when it was yet to come there are moreouer two speciall Reasons The one is for that the efficacie of his birth began immediately vpon the fall As in Paradise Adam
once Which word I told you imports two things that the shaking hath beene once before for both Worlds were shaken at the giuing of the Law St. Paul taketh notice of it Heb. 12. and you may reade it in the Story deliuered by Moses The Gospell as St. Paul 2 Cor. proues at large beeing much more glorious than the Law was not to come short of it in solemnitie when it was to be promulged therefore because the Worlds were shaken then they were to be shaken now Once more Some gather out of St. Pauls words Heb. 12. not onely the Earth but also the Heauen that the later was much the greater shaking But though once more yet no more but this once for there is no more new Doctrine to bee broached in the World no second Messias to come We must obserue this not only against the Iewes but also against the Heretickes The Montanists thought that as there were three Persons in God so euery one should haue his Time the Father vnder the Law the Son during the Gospell and then the holy Ghost Montanus sending the Paraclete into the World The Alcaron was built vpon the same ground whose Author though hee giue honourable testimonie vnto Christ as being a great Prophet yet he would make the world beleeue that God was to send a greater after him Vers 3. and that was Mahomet But we keepe our selues to St. Iudes Fides semel tradita the one Faith that was once deliuered to the Saints 2. Epist 10. We obey St. Iohn who biddeth vs If any man bring vs any other Doctrine we should not so much as bid him God speed Wee follow St. Pauls counsell Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from heauen bring any other doctrine wee hold him Anathema The Church of Rome chargeth vs with nouelty but we may rather charge them with many additions to the Truth they call to vs for Miracles to confirme our Doctrine but Miracles would argue another shaking of the World wee hold there shall bee no more And what need there any more seeing wee hold no other doctrine than that which was confirmed by the shaking of the two Worlds in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles They haue patcht their fancies thereunto therefore are they driuen to abuse the World with their forged Miracles and to counterfeit a second shaking When I say there shall be no more shakings I meane during the militancy of the Church for immediately before the Triumph thereof there shall precede another shaking Christ hath opened it at large in St. Matthew Cap. 24. I will not insist vpon it it is not to my purpose you may there see how both the Worlds shall be shaken against that time Heb. 12. but then we shall haue regnum immobile And of this last shaking the world is now too full of Prophesies and Resolutions but be ready for it not rash in determining it I come to the holy Ghosts answer to the second Question how soone And we finde here that it shall be very soone it is but a little while to the time of the shaking But that little time must bee vnderstood according to a Theologicall not according to a Mathematicall measure Theologie measureth our Time in proportion to eternity but the Mathematicks according to our mortall life In regard of eternity St. Peters Rule holds 2 Pet. 2.8 A thousand yeares are but as one day c. But in regard of our mortall life Omnis mora properantilonga est patienti verò longissima the deferring of our hope is the languishing of our soule To support our selues wee must passe from Mathematicall commensurations to Theologicall and then we shall finde that Modicum and Longum may stand together and Iacobs saying be true Bernard Gen. 47.9 that euill dayes are but few From Haggai's prophesying vntill the comming of Christ past better than foure hundred yeares the holy Ghost cals that but a little while And wee must inure our selues to this diuine Chronologie when wee thinke of the second comming of Christ the Apostle tels vs that vpon them that liue in the time of the Gospell the end of the world is come and these are the last dayes yea the last boure 1 Cor. 10.11 the Iudge is at hand he is at the doore yet there haue passed 1600. yeares But let vs not thinke it long let vs remember that of Habakkuk Hab. 2.4 The iust must liue by his Faith patient Faith and if any man make haste saith the Lord my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Wherefore if at any time our impatient heart wearied with the tediousnesse of this life shall breake out into these words Tu autem Domine vsque quo how long Lord dost thou cease to put an end to this miserable World Reu. 22. Let vs rest satisfied with Christs answer Behold I come quickly and congratulating the abridgement of our momentany afflictions and desiring that according to his promise the cloud thereof may speedily bee dissolued let vs put this clause into our daily prayer Euen so Lord Iesu come quickly God so prepare vs that we may haue the comfort of the Person that is to come comfort of his first and second comming Amen THE SECOND SERMON And the desire of all Nations shall come THe summe of this Scripture as not long since I obserued vnto you is the exceeding grace which the first comming of Christ should assuredly doe vnto that Temple at Hierusalem which in Haggai's daies was building by Zorobabel the Prince Iosuah the high Priest and the rest of the Iewes The generall parts which I pointed out were 1. the Presence of Christ in that Temple 2. the Assurance thereof giuen to the Builders The Presence was to be extraordinary I gathered it partly from the preparation thereunto whereof I then spake and partly from the description thereof which remaines to be spoken of The description is of the Person that was to come and the good that bee should doe Of the good that he should doe I shall speake God willing hereafter at this time my purpose is to speake onely of the Person that was to come The Person then here meant is in plaine termes our Sauiour Christ But he is set forth here in most comfortable words words most comfortable to all the world for he is stiled the desire of all Nations and what is that but the soueraigne good of all That which all desire the Philosopher could say is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe Good And againe if it be desired of all then is it common to all for appetitus non est frustra there was neuer any desire engrafted in the nature of man but the good whereunto that desire doth bend doth certainly belong vnto it If it bee so in nature it is much more so in grace the holy Ghost doth neuer inspire into vs any longing but it doth destinate vnto vs that good which he inclines our hearts to long for
will I seeke thee early O yee heauens aboue drop downe the dew and yee clouds raine righteousnesse let the earth open let instice and saluation grow forth let them both grow forth together But the longer we liue commonly the worse we are aetas parentum peior auis and our children will be worse than wee are as wee are worse than were our fathers The Scripture witnesseth that Christs desire is vnto vs his delight is to bee with the sonnes of men yea he spreads his loue as a banner ouer his Church to make himselfe more desirable to her And how kinde hearted was he who being to eate the Paschall Lambe a type of his bitter passion and that immediately before his death could say Desiderio desideraui I haue earnestly desired to eate this passcouer with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this indeed argued vnspeakeable loue of Christ to man And should it not bee answered with the like affection of man towards Christ it should yea and indeed it would be if we did know what want we haue of him if we did feele the burden of our sinne if wee did see how little wee haue of heauenly grace This sense this sight would set an edge vpon our dull appetite and Christ which is here stiled the desire of all Nations would be to euery one of vs our desire But let vs take heede who when we may haue him doe not desire him lest the time come when wee shall desire him but may not haue him Christ may remoue our Candlesticke and his Kingdome and then the Iewes doome may be ours and wee may desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and shall not see it This God forbid and that he may forbid it HEe poure the grace of his holy Spirit into our soules that may so illighten our mindes and warme our hearts that discerning clearly and ardently affecting that soueraigne good which God is pleased should be common to vs all we may not only during this feast but euer congratulating our happinesse sing Hosanna blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest THE THIRD SERMON And I will fill this house with glory THE description of Christs presence in that temple which was built by Zorobabel Iosua and others doth set before vs first his Person then his Workes Of his Person I spake last it followeth that I now come on to his Workes They are two Bounty and Security The Bounty is set forth first absolutely then comparatiuely Of the comparison hereafter if God will my purpose is now God assisting me to open so much of the Text as sets forth Christs Bounty absolutely it is comprehended in these words I will fill this house with glory Wherein obserue what is conferred and on whom The gift is glory the receiuer the house both are amplified the house by the meannesse this house the gift by the greatnesse I will fill it with glory Out of both is made manifest the exceeding grace of Christ who honoured that so much that had so little to make it honourable That God who is pleased that we all should bee his houses may so honour vs let vs listen attentiuely that wee may entertaine affectionately the honour which he vouchsafeth to vs. Come wee then to the particulars the first is the thing conferred Glorie Glorie if it be true glory is a resplendencie of some Good solid and eminent The foundation of glory must bee that which is good for where there is no true good there can be no glory shame there may bee according to that of the Apostle Rom. 6. What fruit had yee then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed and St. Iude The wicked fome out their owne shame But of good things some are transitorie and vaine some heauenly and eternall not the former but the later kinde is the foundation of Glory Caboth Calal The Hebrew mother of tongues which speaketh of things most properly by one word noteth waightinesse and glory as likewise with them one word signifieth things vile and light The Apostle seemes to allude hereunto 2 Cor. 5. Our momentanie affliction doth worke vnto vs an exceeding eternall waight of glory Waight of glory that is waighty glory glory that hath some substance or solidnesse in it whereunto he opposeth light afflictions though they seeme grieuous yet doe they consist of no enduring substance nubecula sunt they quickely passe and vanish away Esay 40. And indeed of such shadowes or dreames rather are all worldly things made All flesh is grasse withering grasse the glory thereof is as a flower Psal 93. a fading flower The sonnes of men are vanity the sons of noble men are but a lye if they were put in the scales together they would weigh lighter than vanitie it selfe But of faith hope and charitie the Apostle speaketh better Heb. 3. Heb. 11. 2 Cor. 8. 1 Cor. 13. he giues them the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of substance and he telleth vs that wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold fast the substance finally the Wise man tels vs that righteousnesse is full of immortality So that in those lasting not these fleeting things must we seek the foundation of true glorie The Apostles rule is we may not glory in the flesh not in the flesh as it is the good creature of God Ier. 9. I meane in the mortall state thereof the strong man may not glory in his strength the wise man in his wisedome the rich man in his riches how much lesse may we glory in the lusts of the flesh sinfull lusts which are the workmanship of the diuell No such boasting can be good 1 Cor. 5. as St. Paul tels the Corinthians in his censure of the incestuous person Psal 53. and Dauid checketh Doeg in those words why boastest thou thy selfe thou Tyrant that thou canst doe mischiefe But yet if we looke vpon the face of the world we shall finde that not onely transitory things but also wicked lusts are the foundation of most mens glory and wee may renew the Apostles words mourning words There bee many which walke Phil. 3. of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame which minde earthly things But our glory must haue a better foundation it must be a solid good Neyther is it enough vnto glory that the Good be solid it must be also eminent An ordinary good may bee laudible it cannot bee honourable it may make a man accepted but not admired no man is thought worthy of glory that is not more than an ordinary man For glory is an attendant vpon heroicall vertue and that is vertue in the highest degree such as was the chastitie of Ioseph the patience of Iob the fortitude of Iosua the pictie of Dauid and the wisedome of Salomon A man must partake of the diuine nature and draw as neare as
me Christ in the Gospell Feare not little flocke it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Luke 12.32 As the Text doth amplifie the place from the meanenesse 1 Reg. 8. so doth it the gift from the greatnesse thereof I will fill fill this house with that glory The phrase is allusiue to Gods typicall presence in the former Temple for therein rested the Cloud and it filled all the house all that part of the house which was called the holy place When the second Temple was built there was no such thing God was pleased to reserue it for the truth that he that is the fulnesse of all should fill that Temple And indeede God was neuer more there than when hee was there in Christ if euer hee was then an Oracle to his Church I adde out of Ezechiel cap. 43.12 that by his presence omnis circuitus Templi was made sanctum sanctorum For ought we reade Christ neuer came into that place of the Temple which was called sanctum or sanctum sanctorum the holy place or holiest of holies but this he did being borne that holy thing Luke 1. Dan. 9. and anointed the most holy he made all places of the Temple where he came holy yea and most holy he filled them with the glory of his person and the glory of his function The truth I say filled euen the worst part of the Temple which the type did not But I shall meete with this point in the next Sermon wherefore I will dwell no longer now vpon it This historicall sense which I haue hitherto opened doth present vnto vs a mysticall which I may not neglect God doth not delight in materiall houses built with timber and stone the Temple was but a type of the Church Christs house are you saith St. Paul to the Hebrewes cap. 3. and to the Ephesians cap. 2. he tels vs of the foundation the corner stone Saint Peter 1 Epist 2. sheweth vs that we as liuing stones comming vnto the precious stone Christ make vp a house vnto God So that whatsoeuer blessing is contained in this text belongeth vnto vs and vnto the Temple but in reference vnto vs. A thing to be obserued because the world hath alwaies beene shallow-witted in looking into these intentions of God they haue rested on the types without due reflection vpon themselues whereas God therein would only helpe our memorie and condescend to our infirmitie and that vpon a Principle which preuaileth much with vs which is this Sense is the best informer of our reason and solliciter of our will And did wee make as good vse of it in things belonging to God and our soule as wee doe in things pertaining to the world and concerning our naturall life Christ should not haue beene occasioned to vtter that sentence The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light Well then let vs gather some few such morals as this text will yeelde The first is That where Christ commeth hee bringeth a blessing Iacob did so to Laban Ioseph to Pharaoh Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar There is not a good man that maketh not the place whither he commeth the better for him How much more the chiefe of Saints our Sauiour Christ the very type of him 1 Chro. 13. I meane the Arke made Obed Edoms house to prosper If the shadow wrought so much what good may we expect from the substance it selfe The second morall is That God in Christ taketh vpon him to bee the glorie of the house so that where Christ is there the glorie is The Church of Rome is plentifull in earthly ornaments of their Church and wee are carefull that the Word of God should dwell richly in ours it were well if both were ioyned together I wish we had more of their ornaments and they had more of Christs truth But if they must bee kept asunder through the malice of the Diuell our case is better that haue fewer ornaments and more truth than theirs that haue lesse truth and more ornament For CHRIST is properly the glory of a Church where hee is though it bee in the wildernesse there is glory and there is no glory where he is not though the temple be as goodly as Salomons The third is the particle this this house containes the comfort of poor soules For though in the sense of our meanenesse we haue all reason to say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder the roofe of my house yet saith the Lord Esay 66. Heauen is my throne and the Earth is my footestoole where is the house that yee build vnto me and where is the place of my rest hath not my hand made all these things saith the Lord But to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word And it was the very life of Kings Dauids penitentiall prayer Psal 51. A broken and contrite heart O Lord wilt not thou despise Wherefore I conclude this point with the exhortation of St. Iames Let the brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted bee hee neuer so meane a house Christ will not disdaine euen in his glory to come vnto him he will come and bring his glory with him The fourth is That hee will not only bring his glory but fill that house But it is as the soule filleth the body euery part according to his proportion some part is filled as the head some as the hand some as the feete so that euery house may bee full and yet one house containe more than another As it is most behoofefull for vs so doth Christ dispence his grace vnto vs. But this filling may be vnderstood eyther inhaerenter or immanenter in Christ or transeunter and redundanter to vs that is eyther that he which commeth into the house is full of glory or else that the house whereinto hee commeth is by him transformed into glory Take a simile from the Sunne the beames of the Sunne doe fill the ayre and the firmament but you easily perceiue that they doe it in a different fashion they fill the ayre but so that the ayre altereth not in nature but continueth the same onely it is the place wherein the beames of the Sun do appeare But as for the firmament the Sunne sendeth his beames into that so that it maketh many a light body of it many a starre and St. Paul telleth vs 1 Cor. 15.41 that they differ each from the other in glory Christ doth fill our house both waies if you looke to our Iustification he brings glory to vs as the Sunne doth the light vnto the aire the brightnesse whereof doth grace the ayre yet it remaines inherently still in the beames and is not transfused into the substance of the ayre Euen so Christs righteousnesse passeth not out of his person and yet it is the ornament of our person it is inherent in him it is imputed to vs
imaginations of my heart the Lord will not spare that man c. You see then that an inordinate good bringeth no true peace And it is as true that a perfect peace cannot spring from a scant good By a scant good I meane that good which belongs onely vnto a ciuill morall life Many keepe themselues within the bounds of naturall reason they exceede not in meates and drinkes neyther in thriuing nor aspiring are they scandalous or iniurious in their carriage towards men In so doing they doe well but they doe not well enough they haue a peace but it is onely humane and not diuine it might suffice were they onely men but beeing called to bee Christian men it should not content them Religion must carry them farther than they can reach by reason Abraham Isaac Iacob c. were Worthies of a higher pitch than Socrates Arisâ—ides Plato Aug. c. could be Pecistinos Domine propterâ—te irrequietum est cor nostrum donee quiescat in te The full rest of our soules cannot be attained by Reason onely Religion must bring vs to it And yet when wee looke abroad in the world how many shall we find that thinke they haue done enough if they goe so farre as they are ledde by Reason but care little for Religion which is the life of a Christian These forget the double communion which they must haue the one in things of this life the other in things of the life to come the first worketh peace on earth a ciuill peace but it is the later that worketh the heauenly peace which we should principally affect the good which will not reach so farre is a scant good therefore the peace that attends it must needs be imperfect peace Seeing then neyther the inordinate nor the scant good can worke that peace which our Prophet speaketh of we must seeke out a good which is ordinate and full the enioying whereof is the peace here meant Now such a good both ordinate and full is onely God and the participation of him is the peace noted in my Text. But this exposition is yet too short and too darke though I neede speake no more of the good for that is the glory which before I opened and the desire of all Nations yet of the enioying thereof which is the peace I must speake more Obserue then that as God is but one so did he make all at one and at one they were by communion with him that is but one Separate them from God and by and by they fall at odds they fall one from another yea and one vpon another vntill they are consumed So that there is no coniunction lasting no comfortable vnion which is not consolldated and souldered with and in God Apply this in speciall to men Gods image in vs is the ground of our vnion with him for where there is no similitude there can bee no vnion therefore the losse of Gods image was the cause of our rent from him and as the Prophet speaketh finne separateth betweene God and vs. And this separation interrupted the peace wherein wee were created by a foure fold Warre First it armes Gods iustice against vs who prouoke him by sinne hee whets his sword he bends his bow prepares the instruments of death against such rebels he hath his full vials of wrath ready to bee poured out against the vngodly Vpon this followes a second warre a warre in our bosomes for seiudice nemo nocens absoluitur a mans conscience is a thousand witnesses against him yea and iudges also it vexeth him with accusation with condemnation yea and execution also caeco verbere pulsat it is a hell that goeth before hell a neuer-dying worme Besides this we haue another ciuill warre the law of our members rebels against the law of our mindes and carrieth vs captiues vnto sinne We are full of fleshly lusts that fight against our soule 1 Pet. 2.11 yea that are such weapons of vnrighteousnesse as fight against God against our Neighbours Which is a fourth warre springing from this third So St. Iames cap. 4. teacheth from whence come warres and fightings amongst you come they not hence euen of your lusts that warre in your members Men that haue vnruly affections within them will suffer none to be at quiet that come neare them the couetous will dispoyle other men of their goods the malicious will bereaue them of their liues the ambitious will supplant them the crafty defraud them there is not an euill roote within vs from whence our Neighbour shall not gather some cuill fruite This foure-fold warre sprang out of our first separation from God and our true and full peace must put an end vnto this foure-fold warre First it must take away the guilt of our sinne and propitiate God it must make an attonement for vs and free vs from the curse for if thou O Lord Psal 130.3 marke what is done amisse O Lord who is able to abide it if hee enter into iudgement no flesh can be righteous in his sight Psal 143.2 But the first degree of our peace is that which turneth our Iudge into our Father and maketh the eies wherewith hee beholdeth vs no lesse gracious than pure The second degree of peace is that which killeth the worme and quieteth our conscience making it of an accuser to become an excuser of a condemner an absoluer and of a tormenter a comforter being no longer priuie to our selues of the guilt of sinne we feele not the horrours of hell in our soules A blessing to bee highly esteemed because fearefull are the examples of those who hauing felt the sharpenesse of such horrours haue beene so disconsolate notwithstanding all worldly comfort that they haue beene driuen to seeke a release of their paine by butchering themselues The third degree of peace is the purging of the corruption of our nature that the conflict betweene the worser and the better part may cease So that though sinne remaine yet it raigneth no longer in vs all our powers and parts are brought in subiection vnto Christ and we yeeld vp our members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse Rom. 6.19 Whereupon followeth the fourth degree of peace which abolisheth all dissention between men and men it maketh them all of one minde of one heart to loue together as brethren and as to haue a fellow-feeling one of anothers state so likewise a louing disposition to aduance each the others good neither couetousnesse nor malice nor any other wicked affection shall disturbe the common good as much as lyeth in vs we will haue peace with all men These bee the foure degrees of peace which must concurre to make vp Shalom which is peace in the Hebrew tongue but such peace as is intire and perfect and we vnderstand it too shallowly if we doe not comprehend these foure degrees in it Hauing found out what the peace is we must in the next place see where it shall rest the place is
a ground in the entrance to their decrees But when we come to enquire where the Lord saith so here we differ we differ about the Register of Gods Word wee acknowledge none but Verbum scriptum the written Word they adde vnto it Verbum non scriptum vnwritten Traditions but when we presse them with where is that to be found here they iarre between themselues To omit smaller differences this is a maine one that they cannot tell in whom the infallibilitie of relating these traditions is placed as likewise of interpreting the written Word The Councell of Constance and Basil placed it in the generall Councell to whom they gaue power euen ouer the Pope to ouer-rule him and giue Lawes vnto him and to this doth the French Church sticke though otherwise it hold the Romish faith But the Italian faction and specially Iesuites place it in the Pope and giue him authority ouer the Councell to controule it to giue Lawes vnto it and without it to make Lawes that shall binde the whole Catholicke Church and besides the Pope they hold that there is infallibilitie in none no not in a generall Councell Some place it ioyntly in both in a generall Councell that hath its approbation from the Pope wherein he presides by himselfe or his delegates and whose Canons he confirmes But while the Aduocates of the Pope strongly ouerthrow the reasons brought for the Councels infallibilitie and the Aduocates of the Councels ouerthrow the reasons brought for the infallibility of the Pope we may fairely collect from both that the infallibilitie is in neyther and if in neyther then not in both For as a cipher added to a cipher maketh but a cipher it maketh no significant figure so if the Pope may erre as the one side holdes and the Councell as the other side holds the fallibilitie of eyther added to the fallibilitie of the other cannot amount to the summe of an infallibilitie But we hold that which they confesse that the Word written in the Canonicall bookes is vndoubtedly signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hostes as for the Apocryphall Scriptures not onely the Fathers but their owne men haue branded them for Bastards before euer wee challenged them therefore doe not wee recommend them to the people further than they agree with the Bookes Canonicall Neither doe we burden the peoples consciences with their Vnwritten Word whereupon themselues are not yet resolued eyther Where or What it is Wherefore Thus saith the Lord must limit the Pastors message and the Peoples faith must not desire any thing beyond it for it is a sure foundation The best of men speake but in veritate mentis without simulation or dissimulation without equiuocation or mentall reseruation but God speaketh in certitudine veritatis no myst of errour can ouercast his wisdome or his holinesse his Word is tried to the vttermost Psalme 12 Heb. 12. as siluer tried seuen times in the fire there is stablenesse in his promise immutablenesse in his counsaile What should change him within him nothing can for he is the Lord neyther can he be changed by any thing that is without him for he is the Lord of Hosts therefore he speaketh thus in the Prophet Mal. 1. Ego Deus non mutor immutability is reciprocall with Gods nature Iames 1 With God there is no variablenesse or shadow of change God is not as man that hee should lye neither as the sonne of man that he should repent Hath he said it Numb 23. and shall he not doe it Yea he spake the word and it was done hee commanded and it stood fast The Lord breaketh the counsell of the Heathen and bringeth to naught the deuices of the people Psalme 33. but the counsell of the Lord shall stand for euer and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages What neede we then feare Iulians scoffe who derided the Christians for that they had nothing to say for their faith but Thus saith the Lord. Orat. 3. Nazianzene replieth well vnto him you that allow Ipse dixit in the schollars of Pythagoras and though Suidas thinke that God was meant by Ipse yet Cicero saith Ipse erat Pythagoras may not except against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beleeue in the followers of Christ It is more lawfull to captiuate our iudgement vnto the authority of God than of man and if they might doe it in the principles of Philosophy which are examinable by reason much more may we doe it in the Articles of Faith vnto the secrets whereof no approach can bee made by the wit of man Wherefore Thus saith the Lord may well passe for an indemonstrable principle of our Faith and an irrefragable rule of life If there were no more in the signature but Thus saith the Lord this were enough to secure the Faith of a Christian man But Thus saith the Lord of Hosts is enough to stoppe the mouth of an Atheist let Iulian himselfe teach them hee derided Thus saith the Lord but hee had a wofull experience of the Lord of Hosts for being mortally wounded by Christs hand as himselfe confessed he breathed forth his impure soule with those words Vicisti Galilaec O Galilaean thou hast ouer-mastered mee Secondly if Thus saith the Lord of Hosts bee the signature we are hence to learne that the function of the Ministry is not onely for promulgation to instruct you in Gods will and in so doing to open vnto you the riches of our knowledge but it is for application also we thereby binde or loose the soules of men and remit or retaine their sinnes which the world little thinketh vpon For whereas there are two things considerable in a Minister his Sufficiency and his Authority the people listen much to his Sufficiency but take little heed to his Authority and therefore come they to Church rather to iudge than to be iudged forgetting that many may bee as skilfull but none can be as powerfull in this kinde as is a Minister A Iudge or Iustice of Peace may haue lesse Law in him than a priuate man but he hath much more power and they that appeare before him regard his acts according to his power so should it be in the Church But men feare the Magistrates that are vnder earthly Kings because the paines which they inflict are corporeall our hands our feete feele their manicles and their fetters And did our soules as truly feele as indeede they should the Pastors binding and loosing of them wee would make more account of these officers of God than we doe And it were good we did so for they so binde as that they can loose againe but if we neglect them when our Lord and Master commeth he will command all contemners so to be bound hand and foote that they shall neuer be loosed againe Wherefore let the power of the Keyes work more vpon your soules and consciences than vsually it doth I speake in regard of your religious submission to them If any
be otherwise minded will they nil they they shall one day finde that they haue no exemption from them Thus saith the Lord is our warrant regard not our persons regard that Lord whose Embassadors wee are receiue the words wee speake so long as we speake his Words not as the words of men but as the Word of God Finally couple Thus saith with the Lord of Hosts The Lord of Hosts noteth Gods Power Thus he saith noteth his Will Our soules shall finde little rest on Gods Power if it be not sure of his Will for God can doe many things which he will not doe though he cannot will any thing which he cannot doe Luke 3.8 God could raise vp Children vnto Abraham of stones but hee would not but the many miracles which he hath wrought shew that hee can doe what he will The coupling then of these words Thus saith the Lord of Hosts imports Gods willing power and powerfull will which amount vnto an authority fit to build our Faith vpon and to giue law vnto our Conuersation I haue sufficiently shewed you What the warrant is wee must now in few words see Why it is repeated so often For I dare say you shall not finde any passage in the Scripture where Thus saith the Lord is so often read in so few lines The reason is the weightinesse of the matter whereunto it is annext Mortall Princes vse not to signe Bils the contents whereof are triuiall matters many things are done by vertue of their Authority whereunto their signature is not vsed Euen so ordinary matters passe in the Word of God without nay speciall vrging of his Authority when that is prefixt the point is of great regard and if it be often ingeminated it giueth vs to vnderstand that we must take speciall notice of euery clause of it What must wee gather here then but the weightinesse of euery branch of this Text And indeede if you haue not forgotten what hath been obserued on euery part thereof you will easily confesse that there is not one of them which is not so weighty as to deserue Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Was not the shaking of Heauen and Earth the shaking of all Nations a weighty point and therefore deserued it not to be signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hosts If the shaking did deserue this signature much more did the Comming of the desire of all Nations especially seeing he came to fill the Temple with glory and as it deserued so it was signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hosts If the giuing of Glory were a matter of great moment what shall wee say of the degree of Glory Surely it required a great ability so great as we would hardly haue beleeued had we not bin heartened by Thus saith the Lord of Hosts and it must proceed from so great bounty as may be testified by the same Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Finally the peace wherein we possesse whatsoeuer good is contained in Christs presence doth so passe mans vnderstanding that to establish his heart in the beliefe thereof he needes this signature Thus saith the Lord of Hosts At length to conclude You haue heard in the former Sermons What in this Whom you must beleeue you must not separate Whom from What that which we must beleeue doth no doubt most pleasantly affect vs because it is our good but he whom we must beleeue doth most firmely secure vs because he is the Author of that good As then when wee gather fruit from a tree we doe not fixe our eyes onely vpon the boughes from whence we immediately gather it but also thinke vpon the roote which feeds those boughes and maketh them to bee fruitfull so in our religious meditations we must couple the Author with the Matter of blessings that God may be glorified as well as our soules are benefited If we say with Saint Paul I know whom I haue beleeued then we shall be secure that he will safe-keepe whatsoeuer any of vs committeth vnto him hee will keepe our soules keep our bodies and all that which himselfe hath bestowed vpon them Grace and Peace Christ will keepe them vntill his day his second day the day wherein the great and the little world shall receiue their last shaking Then shall the desire of all Nations which at first came in Humility returne againe in Glory hee shall returne to fill his House his Church with glory conformable to his owne Glory Then hee will open vnto vs all his treasures of siluer and gold and therewith adorne his Spouse which being Triumphant shall infinitely exceed her selfe as she was Militant Then shall our Peace come to the full and none shall be able to take our blessednesse from vs because none shall be able to separate betweene vs and Christ They shall not if we build our Faith vpon Gods reuealed Will vpon his Almighty Power vpon my Text Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Now let vs that are a handfull of his Host while we are militant so giue glory vnto the Lord of Hosts that we may hereafter bee triumphant and hauing palmes in our hands and crownes on our heads with harpes and tongues wee may sound and sing ioyntly and cheerfully Halleluiah Praise ye the Lord and with the whole Host of the Kingdome of Heauen saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heauen and Earth are full of thy Glory Amen יהוה A SERMON PREACHED Vpon the ANNVNTIATION day LVKE 2.28 Haile thou that art highly fauoured the Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women THis is a part of the Gospell appointed for this day and this day goeth commonly for the Annuntiation day whether the day haue his right place in the Calender I leaue to be disputed by Chronologers what is meant by the Annuntiation is an argument fitter for Diuines certainly for the Pulpit the third part of this Chapter treats thereof and it is conceiued in forme of a Dialogue In the Dialogue there are two speakers the Angell Gabriel the Virgin Mary and each of them maketh two speeches the Angell to the Virgin and the Virgin to the Angell The Angell in his first congratulates the Virgin whom hee informeth from God that she shall bee the mother of Iesus Christ Good newes but strange strange that a Virgin should be a mother this Virgin the mother of that Childe The Virgin thought so nay she said so whereupon the Angell addeth his second speech importing that though the thing be wonderfull yet the meanes are powerfull these must be thought vpon as well as that and she must resolue that nothing shall hinder it because it is the Holy Spirit that will doe it So spake the Angell The Virgin replies vnto him to his first speech shewing her willingnesse to vnderstand the message which hee brought that is gathered out of her question Quomâ—do c. to his second shewing her readinesse to obey so soone as shee vnderstood it that appeares in her submission Ecce c.
as we ought value our spirituall state the eminency is very great which God vouchsafeth euery one of vs and that wee may ioy in it so much as we should this degree of Gods blessing must bee weighed by vs. But I will pursue this Text no farther onely a generall Vse there is that we must make of the whole and that is taught vs by this blessed Virgin her selfe her Magnificat is an excellent patterne thereof see therein how her words are correspondent to the Angels The Angell biddeth her Haile that is be glad and what saith she My soule doth magnifie and my spirit doth reioyce The Angell telleth her that shee is highly beloued of God and she doth not magnifie her selfe she reioy ceth not in her selfe but My soule saith she doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour The Angell goeth on The Lord is with thee and she sings on The Lord indeed hath regarded the lowe estate of his handmaid Hee that is mighty hath magnified mee Finally she heareth that she is Blessed amongst women and she gathers that because she is so graced of God not for her own worth that from thenceforth all generations shall call her Blessed A better patterne of meditating vpon Gods mercies we cannot haue nor learne a better vse of the Auemarie I would the Church of Rome that are so deuoted to the Virgin would of her learne this good lesson if they will not let vs not neglect so good a patterne But I must end The summe of all is As the blessed Virgin so euery one of vs must haue a comfortable feeling especially of Gods free Loue that is the liuing spring of his gracious presence of that singular presence wherewith hee honoured the Virgins wombe and that common which is vouchsafed to all beleeuing hearts the least whereof must bee deemed to be no small prerogatiue O Lord it was thou that shewedst the Virgin light wherefore with cords of deuotion we binde our sacrifice to the hornes of thy Altar yea thou art a God to euery one of vs therefore we thanke thee Thou onely art our God and therefore we praise thee and let vs euer set thee before vs that dost vouchsafe to come so neare vnto vs that our heart may be glad and our tongue reioyce in thee so long as we liue here and when we depart hence our flesh also will rest in hope till wee come both body and soule into thy presence where is the fulnesse of Ioy and bee crowned with that right hand whereat there are pleasures for euermore Amen IHS TWO SERMONS PREACHED in the Cathedrall Church at WELLS THE FIRST SERMON On Palme Sunday MATTH 26. Vers 40.41 What could ye not watch with me one houre Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation the spirit indeede is willing but the flesh is weake THese words were read vnto you out of this dayes Gopell 〈…〉 therein you heard that they were vttered by Christ to his Disciples Christ out of his owne foreknowledge and out of the Prophet Zachary gaue the Disciples to vnderstand that no sooner should himselfe their Captaine fall into the enemies hands but they would all shew themselues to bee but cowardly followers St. Peter with the rest though more forward than the rest answered that they would bee so farre from flying in his danger that they would spend their liues in his iust defence Hereunto Christ replyed that they would not be as good as their word nay that they would shamefully contradict their words by their deeds and it fell out euen so for scarce had an houre passed but they began to betray their weaknesse Christ taketh them in the very beginning of it and from it taketh an occasion first to reproue Vers 40. then to aduise them Vers 41. Hee reproueth them for their present defect What could yee not watch with mee one houre and aduiseth them to preuent a future reuolt Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation c. More distinctly in the reproofe wee must note the matter and the manner the matter is the Disciples drowsinesse they did not Watch that is amplified by the circumstance of time and of persons of time they held not out for the space of one houre And of persons the persons of Disciples and the person of Christ drowsinesse was intolerable in them because they had promised so much especially in Christs company to whom they did owe more than to Watch. As was the sinne so was the reproofe that foule this sharpe it is vttered in few words but they goe to the quicke for the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is Elleipticall and implies Christs wondering at their vnanswerablenesse to their presumptuous vndertaking The next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 point out their ignorance of themselues Could ye not this is more than you thought on so Christ reproues But he doth not leaue them so as he disliked what was past so would he haue them better prouided against that which is to come you may perceiue it in his aduise which is respectiue to their disease they presumed much but could doe little Christ biddeth them therefore bee more carefull and lesse confident more carefull Watch lesse confident Pray do the vttermost of your endeauour but build onely vpon Gods succour But why need they be more carefull and lesse confident Christ yeeldeth the reason of both where there is danger there is need of care they were in danger to enter into temptation Watch lest yee enter into temptation But if they be carefull why may they not be confident there is good reason their helpe standeth not in themselues The Spirit indeed is willing but their flesh is weake therefore they must seeke to God and seeke by prayer Pray You see the contents of this Scripture which wee must now farther open and apply vnto our selues I begin with the Reproofe whereof the matter is the drowsinesse of the Apostles their drowsinesse is noted by not watching It was night when Christ spake this and so a time to sleep adde hereunto that they had newly supped and had heard the dolefull sermon of Christs departure all which serue to increase the heauinesse as of their mindes so of their bodies But it was the night wherein Christ was to be betrayed and wherein themselues were to be exposed to danger and therefore it was a time to watch The care of our duety sometimes and sometimes of our safety maketh vs forbeare many things which otherwise we might lawfully vse sometimes we fast from our ordinary fare sometimes we put off robes of state and cloath our selues with garments of heauinesse and eate the bread of mourning so is there a time when we should deny our eyes their beloued sleepe and then not to deny it is a sinne a great sinne as great as to fare deliciously when wee should fast and attire our selues gorgiously when wee should mourne the Scripture condemneth all three the apparrell
Exod. 34. the fare Esay 22. both apparrell and fare in Ioel Ioel 2. Ionah 2. and in Ionas the couch is added to them Amos 6. We must then note that euery thing hath his appointed time Eccles 3. and it is not a sinne to be drowsie for nature requireth refreshing but to bee drowsie at an vnseasonable time when grace doth not ouerrule nature and the body is not made seruiceable to the soule willing to do her duety to God this is a sinnefull drowsinesse And such was the drowsinesse of the Apostles and it was extraordinarily in them for the Text doth amplifie their sinne by two circumstances first of the time then of the persons the time the space of one houre When God requireth that our bodies should attend our soules though he did require more time in that attendance than reason conceiueth can stand with the strength of nature we should not sticke at it because the same God that strengthened Moses in the Mount twice to fast forty dayes and forty nights and Elias not onely to fast but also to walke so many dayes without eyther sleepe or meate can support vs employed in his seruice so long as therein hee is pleased to employ vs. But if he limit the time within the strength of our fraile nature what excuse haue we if we faile in our duety the time required of the Apostles was but an houre and who doth not vpon all occasions of profit and pleasure put off his sleepe more than an houre The couetous man riseth early and goeth late to bed to increase his wealth the voluptuous man in gaming and rioting is well content to adde the night vnto the day and though it be a winter night the ambitious will be contented to trauaile in it rather than misse the preferment whereunto he doth aspire And doth not then the naturall man condemn the spirituall when the one watcheth so long and the other cannot watch so short a time But why seeke I so farre the Apostles are condemned by their very enemies Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serues non expergisceris the high Priests sate vp all this night in consultation Iudas and their seruants were busie all night about the execution of their wicked designes the Apostles cannot watch no not an houre will not their enemies rise vp against them condemne their drowsinesse They will especially if this houre were the very first houre of the night which might best be spared for the farther the night goeth on the more weaknesse commeth on and lesse blameable is drowsinesse in the dead than in the beginning of the night now happily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Hebraisme and is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elsewhere so that it noteth not onely the space of an houre but also pointeth out which houre it was but howsoeuer wee vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is out of all question that the Disciples drowsinesse ouertooke them the very first houre which addeth much to the aggrauating of their fault As the circumstance of time so also of persons makes to the amplification of the sinne as well the persons who are drowsie as his person in whose company they were so First of the drowsie persons they were the Apostles all the Apostles were drowsie but Christ singled out three Peter Iames and Iohn to accompany him vnto that place in the Garden in which himselfe chose to pray wherein Christ shewed that hee had more than an ordinary conceit of them and did expect more than ordinary seruice from them And well might it be so for hee had shewed them more fauour than the rest they onely were with him when hee was transfigured in the Mount and saw his glory As he shewed them most fauour so they were most forward to offer their seruice St. Peter Mat. 16.33 Though all the world be offended with thee yet will not I be offended Iames and Iohn Matth. 20.22 Wee 〈◊〉 drinke of the Cup whereof thou shalt drinke and bee baptized with the Baptisme wherewith thou shalt be baptised Had they been only Disciples they were bound to doe what their Master commanded but the more trust he reposed in them the lesse were they to faile him especially seeing they were so farre indebted for extraordinary fauour and had vowed their liues in his defence all these things are included in the drowsie persons necessary voluntary obligations but neither worke though there was so much reason why they should yet did not these Apostles Watch nothing is remarkeable in their persons that makes not their drowsinesse more inexcusable And if their sinne bee amplified by their owne persons how much more by the person of Christ it was a fault not to watch in danger a greater fault not to watch the space of one houre especially seeing they were Apostles such Apostles but what accesse is made to this sinne when they neglect to watch in the company of their Sauiour Had Christ sent them alone to the place then because of Vaesoli this fall had not been strange for it is not strange to see a man disheartened with danger and ouerwhelmed with woe but Christ went with them his presence was enough to keepe them in heart Though I walke saith Dauid in the middest of the valley of death I will feare no euill for thou art with mee O Lord thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee Psal 23. and this good Shepheard was now with the Apostles why then were their hearts heauie Nay he was not onely with them but he was watching and praying and was not his example a strong meanes to keep them from being drowsie As iron whetteth iron so doth the face of a friend quicken his friend Had he been onely a companion in the work their eyes should haue been on him they should haue blushed not to imitate him but hee was their Captaine their Master and what a shame for a Seruant to sleepe when his Master waketh and when his Master watcheth to shew himselfe drowsie And yet this commeth not home enough for this Companion yea this Captaine did watch did pray for them it was for them that he stood out he presented himselfe to God and prepared himselfe for the Crosse but he did both for them himselfe needed neither we wretched sinners needed both God layed our burthen vpon him our teares our sighes our groanes our stripes our death It is a generall rule of Piety that we should weepe with them that weepe how much more should we be affected with the like passion if any one bee distressed for vs It was a strange stupidity in Ionas when God pursued him with a tempest to get vnder hatches and there sleepe securely while the poore Mariners toyled out their bodies in rowing and brake their hearts in praying to their gods to free them from the tempest how much more stupid are these Apostles who lay them downe to rest
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
and so doe King Dauids Penitentialls God commands wicked seruants to bee beaten Deut. 28. I will conclude thi◠point with two short admonitions one out of the Prophet Heare the rod and who sends it Micah 6. the other is out of the Psalme As the eye of a seruant looketh to the hand of his master and the eye of a mayden to the hand of her mistresse euen so our eyes looke vnto the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs Psal 123. Other ceremonies were vsed by Penitents in the Old Testament and in the New especially who were wont to humble themselues vsque ad inuidiam coeli as ancient Writers doe Hyperbolize but with no ill meaning they did so farre afflict themselues for sinne that the very Saints in Heauen might enuie their deepe Humiliation But tantae seneritati non sumus pares those patternes are too austere for these dissolute times onely let mee obserue this vnto you that Repentance must be an Holocaust all our inward our outward senses should concurre to testifie our godly sorrow for sinne wee should suffer not one of them to take rest themselues or giue rest to God By this you may perceiue that Penitentiall Deuotion is an excellent Vertue but not so common as the world thinketh The last thing that I noted vpon this Deuotion is that it must be performed by euery one in particular and by the whole Congregation in generall for the same remedy serueth both the publike must take the same course which euery priuate man doth and euery priuate man must take the same course that the publicke doth The reason is because the Church is corpus Homogeneum and therfore eadem est ratio partis totius in the peformance of those religious dueties no man must thinke himselfe too good to humble himselfe neyther must any man thinke himselfe vnworthy to appeare before the Throne of grace In our priuate occasions wee must come by our selues and wee must ioyne with the publicke when the publicke wounds call vs thereunto as now we do and we haue comfortable Precedents for that which we doe in the Prophet Ioel and Ionas Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie can neuer be more comfortably sung than at these religious meetings when as one man with one voyce and heart we present our deuotions before God I doubt not but as hopefully as humbly It is true that God in Ezechiel cap. 14. threatneth that if Noah Daniel and Iob were in Ierusalem as I liue saith the Lord God they shall deliuer neyther sonne nor daughter they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnesse when I send but a pestilence into the land how much more when I send my foure plagues The like is threatned in Ieremy cap. 15. But we must obserue that then God was risen from the Mercy Seat and in punishment of their many contempts had giuen the Iewes ouer to their owne hearts Iust But God be thanked this Assembly sheweth that we haue not so far forsaken God neyther hath God who hath put these things into the mind of the King and State so forsaken vs but wee may hope for Acceptance Which is the next part of my text What Israel performeth that will God accept for hee is as mercifull as iust Blessed are they that mourne saith Christ for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5. for Christ came to heale those that were broken in heart Luke 4. You aske saith St. Iames cap. 4. and haue not hee addeth a reason because yee aske amisse but if you aske aright then Christs rule is true Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Mat. 7. He that shall confesse to Gods name and turne from his sins shall finde Acceptance with God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the teares of repentance are not only not displeasing but pleasing to God as incense But Gods acceptance consisteth of two Acts the first is God will giue accesse vnto their Prayers Heare in heauen his dwelling place The prayers were to be made towards the Arke but God heareth in Heauen And what is the cause of this change why God should not heare there whither we direct our prayers Surely we must ascend from the Type to the Truth that is but a manduction to this It was a maine errour of the Iewes to diuorce them and haue in most esteeme the least part rest in the Type passing ouer the Truth Heauen is the place of Gods habitation only because the place of his manifestation The Septuagint render the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place fitted for God to distinguish it from the Church below which is but a place a fitting The Chaldee rendreth it domum Maiestatis a maiesticall house And surely the place of Gods dwelling is locus amplus et angustus a large a stately Palace adorned with holines glory And when wee thinke vpon God wee must not conceiue of his state by things below but by things aboue the earth is but as a point vnto the visible heauens much more in comparison of the Heauen of Heauens and they though they are the goodliest place created yet are they not a worthy habitation for the infinite maiestie of God onely he vouchsafeth there most to manifest himselfe The Church that is resembled to heauen and called Gods dwelling place must be remembred hereby that God must not dwell therein or in any member thereof angustè or sordidè We must inlarge our hearts to receiue God and purifie them that they may somewhat beseeme the Residentiary therein which is God Finally it is no small fauour that God doth vouchsafe to heare that beeing in heauen hee doth vouchsafe to heare vs that are on earth for sometimes hee hideth himselfe as it were with a Cloud Lam. 3. so that our prayers cannot haue accesse vnto him and our sinnes separate between him and vs and he is as if he heard not not that the eare of iealousie heareth not all things but he is not pleased to giue a gracious signification that hee doth heare But the spirituall clamor of the contrite expressed from the secret closet of the inward man hath the power of a loud voyce and piercing which can enter the heauens and approach acceptably vnto God God will not onely heare and giue accesse to the Prayers of the penitent but redresse their sufferings also Quando non geniculationibus nostris jeiunationibus etiam siccitates sunt depulsae saith Tertullian what calamitie was there euer which wee haue not diuerted by our penitent deuotion The Prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Iames 5. But God doth redresse the sufferings of Israel orderly first he redresseth the cause which is sinne and then the effect which is woe He will forgiue and then He will doe and giue neyther may a sinner looke for peace except he first speede of mercie
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
banes not of Learning only but of Religion also St. Paul is one worker but there is another also which is Gods grace God doth not endow vs and then leaue vs to our free will if hee did so our endowing grace would quickly perish or doe nothing therefore hee giues a second grace to the operant he addes a cooperant That must worke also The reason is euident whether you cast your eies vpon the common workes of pietie or else vpon the speciall workes of the Ministrie See it first in the speciall workes of Pietie If our vnderstanding and our heart be left in their pure naturals the one will neuer perceiue the other wil neuer sauour the things that are of God therefore must the one be lightned the other must bee purged by grace otherwise they will neuer comprehend their obiect they will neuer bee able to doe any supernaturall worke How much lesse will they bee able to doe it their naturals being corrupted as by sinne they are But before in the endowment we found a man indued with grace and here we finde mention made of grace againe wherefore wee must obserue that God vouchsafeth a man a double grace an habituall and an actuall a grace that giueth him abilitie and a grace that setteth his abilitie on worke Touching habituall grace that is true which St. Basil hath De Spiritu sancte c. 26. it is semper presens but not semper operans it may be in vs and yet be idle he expresseth it by a similitude of the eye sight wherewith a man may see oftner than he doth see De Natura gratia c. 26. St. Austin vseth that simile more fully to our purpose vt oculus corporis etiam plenissimè sanus nisi candore lucis adiutus non potest cernere c. as the sharpest eye-sight can discerne nothing except it haue the help of outward light no more can a man perfectly iustified liue well except he be holpen from aboue with the light of the eternall Iustice Neither is this cooperation of grace a transeunt but a permanent Act so the same Father teacheth Sicut Aer praesente lumine non factus est lucidus sed fit quia si factus esset non fieret sed etiam absente lumine lucidus maneret sic home Deo sibi praesente illuminatur absente autem continuo tenebratur Gods grace in man is like the light of the Ayre the one steeds our bodily eye so long as it is maintained by a perpetuall influence of the Sunne and the other steeds our soules so long as it is excited and helped by the holy spirit and grace will be as vnfruitfull without this helpe of the Spirit as the light of the ayre will be fading if you intercept the influence of the Sunne So that a mans soule must be like vnto the Land of Canaan vpon which the eyes of the Lord were from the beginning of the yeare to the ending to giue it the former and the later raine Deut. 11. our sufficiencie and our efficiencie must be both from God Neyther is this second grace needfull only for the work of Pietie but for the workes of the Ministrie also the Lampes that burne in the Temple must continually bee fedde with oyle St. Paul though hee calleth vs Labourers yet he calleth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is another Labourer with vs. And indeed as Moses told God If thou wilt not goe with vs send vs not hence so vncomfortable were the worke of the Ministrie were it not for Christs promise Lo I am with you vntill the worlds end if he did not hold the starres in his hand they would quickly become wandring quickly become falling stars Besides our selues therfore we must acknowledge another Worker Hauing found the two workers wee must now see what was eyther of their preheminencie First the preheminencie of St. Paul He laboured more than all the word all must be vnderstood not collectiuely but distributiuely He was not so arrogant as to equall himselfe to the whole either Church or Ministrie but to any one he might wel equall himselfe he might well affirme that not any one did equall him in labour But it is a question whom he meaneth by All whether only false Apostles or also true There is no doubt but he went beyond all the false Apostles if he went beyond the true And he went beyond the true it is euident if you consider the circuit of his trauell which is described Rom. 15. and in the Acts especially if you adde that he planted Churches wheresoeuer he came and enlarged the Kingdome of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as himselfe speaketh Adde hereunto his many Epistles sent to so many remote places and persons so profoundly opening the mysteries of saluation and resoluing the hardest knots thereof But aboue all things take notice of the two Supporters of his paines with which no man euer bore himselfe out more resolutely they are the prouerbiall Sustine Abstine How did he despise all profit all pleasure that would take no salary for his paines but laboured with his owne hands that hee might make the Gospell of Christ free that when he might lead about a Wife a Sister as Cephas and the other Apostles did made himselfe an Eunuch for the Kingdome of heauen You see what his Abstine was or despising of profit and pleasure As for his Sustine enduring of afflictions that was no lesse remarkeable reade but the eleuenth of the second to the Corinths there we finde them collected to our hands and what kinde of Affliction is there which wee doe not finde there if you reade it you will say he was a manifold Martyr I cannot dwell longer vpon this point only this I obserue though no man can suffer or abstaine more than he should or labour beyond his dutie supererrogations of any of those kindes are Popish dreames as they expound them yet may one man goe farre beyond another and some there are which are Miracula hominum they may rather be admired than imitated And such was St. Paul Neither was he such a Pastor only but such a Christian also and indeed his Sustine and Abstine must be referred to his grace of Adoption though they did attend his grace of Edification But if that will not suffice see how he did buffet his bodie and keep it vnder lest while he preached to others himselfe should become a reprobate 1 Cor. 9. when he was buffeted with the messenger of Sathan 2 Cor. 12. hee neuer left importuning Christ with his prayers till Christ answered him My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakenesse his constant care was to keepe an inoffensiue conscience towards God and men Acts 26. But aboue all places reade and exemplifie those two memorable descriptions of a true religious heart striuing against sinne Rom. 7. and making towards heauen Phil. 3. you cannot better see his Pietie and learne to bring your owne to
the Sunne a God and giue the price of the Creatour vnto his creature whereas they should haue argued from it vnto him and conceiued the eminencie of his goodnesse from whom such good things did proceed And wee shall not be farre from Idolatrie if the comfort of peace and Religion affecting vs our hearts ascend no higher then the immediat cause thereof which is our King and wee doe not giue glorie vnto God which out of his loue to vs hath set him vpon the Throne if we doe not discerne that The Lord hath made our Day What our sinnes were that might haue hindered it I need not tell you the Pestilence that did attend the dawning of the Day was an intimation from God how vnworthie wee were but his pleasure was that we should fall into his hands not into the hands of our enemies For as we were vnworthie so they were inraged witnesse their treason that immediatly was discouered manifold plots of treason but all defeated by the prouidence of God Wherefore we must say not only that wee haue a Day but also that the Day which we haue was made by the Lord and conclude Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name be prayse Deus fecit is not enough to the making of a Festiuall the Church must come in with Haec est dies when God goeth before in working something in the Time the Church must not bee behind in giuing the due estimate to the time we must not esteeme all dayes alike when God doth not worke alike vpon all But nothing is required of vs to the making of a Festiuall but only acknowledgment of Gods Worke take a view of all the Festiuals of the Iewes you shall find that they did no more no more then commemorate that on such a day God did doe such a worke And the Christian Church hath trod the very same steps and hath not thought it fit to suffer any of the remarkable workes of God to passe vnregarded whether they concerne the whole Church or any particular State they haue stamped vpon the time of those workes Haec est Dies This is not a day to bee forgotten and therefore haue enioyned the Anniuersarie Commemoration thereof Yea and euery priuate Family and person that hath receiued any extraordinarie blessing from God may make vnto himselfe such an Aniuersarie and refresh the memorie of that time wherein God hath done him some great good And let this suffice for the discreet distinction of times Let vs now see how religiously we must solemnize them Though to the making of the Day no more be required of vs then this acknowledgement Haec est Dies This is the Day yet to the vsing of it more is required here wee must consider What must be done and How That which must be done I reduced to two Heads First we must take full comfort in the Day and secondly pray for the happie continuance thereof In expressing the comfort the Psalmist vseth two words which are fitted to the two principall parts of man his bodie and his soule so the vse of them in the Originall Language teacheth and Venerable bede doth so distinguish them Exultemus corpore laetemur animo let the bodie as it were dance for ioy and the soule reioyce Both partake of the Day the bodie principally of the Ciuill Day and of the Spirituall Day the Soule is the principall partaker yet so as that each in either doth congratulate the other if the Day bee Ciuill the soule congratulates the bodie the bodie which is exultant for his day if the day be spirituall then the bodie congratulateth the soule the soule that is gladded at the heart for her Day So then the bodie cannot exult but the Soule will bee glad neither can the soule be glad but the bodie will exult there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the word Nos let Vs Exulte let Vs reioyce noteth that what is proper to either part redounds to the whole person And the Holy Ghost in coupling of both these words doth put vs in minde that neither part must be wanting in performing of this worke because either part doth share in the Day and so you shall find that King Dauid doth oftentimes rowse his soule and rowse his bodie also to performe this Eucharisticall Sacrifice he remembreth Carnem Cor his flesh and his spirit his glorie that is his tongue and all that is within him And no maruell for he would recommend himselfe as well to God as to men and wee must thinke that our workes of Pietie are imperfect if either part be wanting But as when the Moone and the Sunne doe meet aboue the Horizon and each doth contribute his light to the making of a Day the light of the Moone is not sensible in comparison of the light of the Sunne so should the impression which is made by worldly things which are as changeable as the Moone be dimme or darkened as it were by the impression made by spirituall things which are more constant then the Sunne And the ioy of our bodies must so be tempered as may not hinder the predominant gladnesse of our soule all the world must see that though wee prize both the Dayes the ciuill and the spirituall yet the rate which we set vpon the spirituall doth infinitely exceed that which wee set vpon the Ciuill If this lesson were well learned the world should not haue so many wofull experiments of those who being put to their choice whether they will lose had rather enioy the ciuill day with the losse of the spirituall then by sticking to the spirituall hazard the ciuill but we must chuse rather to be glad in soule then exult in bodie if we cannot doe both together But whether we doe expresse our comfort by one only by the bodie or also by the soule we must keepe both parts vnto their proper Obiect that is to the Day though wee expresse our affections by meats drinkes triumphs and other solemnities yet may we not while we signifie our ioy by them exulte or ioy in them And yet behold the most part of men little thinke on the Day their thoughts and senses are taken vp for the most part with the Accessories eating drinking c. they doe these things more freely and are more frolicke then ordinarie the state of the Common-Weale or of the Church commeth little into their thoughts it is not much remembred at their Feasts To remedie this the Church hath appointed that we should begin this solemnitie in the Church there first heare in how good case we are and breake forth there into spirituall prayses and thankesgiuings and make a religious acknowledgment of our blessed Day Of our blessed Day but not forgetting the Author thereof God that hath made vs such a Day No hee must bee the principall Obiect of our reioycing If wee exclude him or giue him not the first place we shall not be farre from the sinne of the
may read enough in the life of SOLOMON to iustifie this point But this was not the sinne onely of the Old Testament it quickly entred vpon the New no sooner had the Apostles planted the Christian Faith but impure Heretickes poysoned the Religion at the root and by wicked notions of God and Goodnesse seduced many simple ones vnto all dissolutenesse of life as we read in IRENIE and EPIPHANIVS Yea no sooner was the Gospel restored in these latter dayes but Anabaptists and Libertines trod the very same steps and turned Heauen into Hell and God into the Diuell As for our selues Beloued our Positions are sound and good but our Conuersation should be answerable otherwise the Apostle will tell vs That we denie God euen when we professe him deny him in deeds when we professe him in word yea whereas GODS Image is not Verball but Reall if we will goe for GODS Children and doe the workes of the Diuel how farre are we from this sinne of the Iewes You that are the Penitent should especially lay this to your heart for this brings your sinne vnto his heighth and if you thinke how prophane it is to beare our Incest with Periurie you may haue grace to acknowledge your guilt guilt of supposing GOD to be like vnto your selfe for such doing can hardly goe without such thinking especially if a man continue long therein When a sinner is come to this passe GOD can hold no longer he ceaseth his patience which the Iewes abuse and proceedeth to vengance against which they cannot except He that toucheth GOD in his Wisedome as doth the first kind of Atheist toucheth him neare but GOD beares it He that toucheth him in his Prouidence as doth the second kind of Atheist toucheth him nearer yet can GOD endure that also But he that toucheth him in his Holinesse as doth the third kind of Atheist toucheth him nearest his wrath for such a touch must needs breake out As the Will is the supremest facultie of the reasonable Soule so Holinesse the perfection of the Will is the chiefest of vertues therefore man should be certainly GOD is most tender of it if any impeach that he will certainly reproue them Reprofe is either verball or reall GOD reproues verbally or in word by his Ministers of that we heare as often as we heare from them the doome of sinne for it is Praeiudicium ante iudicium they tell vs what we are and how we shall faire and GOD will make good their words when he entreth into Iudgement But when we are not the better for the Verball then GOD commeth to the reall Ps 29. and then we shall find that Dei dicere is facere The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce mightie in operation it breaketh the Cedars of Libanus Hebr. 4. and diuideth betweene the sinnewes and the marrow it not onely rips a man vp to the verie heart root but is able to crush him all to pieces King DAVID describeth the effects of it Psal 39. When thou ô Lord with rebukes doest chasten man for sinne thou as a moath makest his beautie to consume This he vttereth more at large in the 90 Psalme yea read all the Psalmes that are Penitentiall and you shall find vpon the rebuke of GOD what a comfortlesse Soule what a healthlesse Body King DAVID had And if the Children of GOD feele such effects at GODS rebuke which notwithstanding haue euer some sparkes of comfort how doth it crush nay grind forlorne wicked ones If the voyce of Sion the rod of a man the correction of a father be so terrible that DAVID cryeth out O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger â—s 6. neither chasten me in thy heauy displeasure how dreadfull is the voyce of Sina the iron rod the destructiue wrath of GOD to whom shall wretched man flye what shelter shall he take there is no vmpier to qualifie the doome nor any defender to beare off the stroake certainly it is a fearefull thing so to fall into the hands of the liuing God You that are the Penitent are yet but vnder the verball you are not come to the reall reproofe happy shall you be if you make so good vse of this as to preuent that But be sure that the neglect of correction doth vndoubtedly prognosticate destruction to a sinner such destruction as shall not onely be iust but also take away whatsoeuer exception for God will set mans sinnes before his eyes The Hebrew hath nothing but I will order or marshall before thy face the Septuagint supply out of the first clause These things hast thou done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy sinnes St HIEROME out of the second clause thou thoughtest me like vnto thy selfe supplyes Thy selfe Proponam tibi te I will set Thee before thy selfe they are easily reconciled for the person is vnderstood in regard of his sin so that Thee and thine iniquitie is all one In professed wicked men there is not the distinction that is in the Regenerate of Ego Rom â— Peccatum the Old and the New man such a one is not a double but a single man But to come to the point the word ordering or marshalling doth giue vs to vnderstand that we delight in doing of sinne but not in beholding of it behold we can the seeming profit and pleasure that doth accompanie it but the breach of the Law or wound of our Soule we endure not to behold because there is pleasure in the act and remorse in the remembrance thereof But what we cast behind vs GOD will set before vs. The word marshalling importeth two things First that the sinnes are many but confused so that we doe not discerne either the great number or the vnequall measure of them whereupon it followeth that we cannot iudge either how grieuous or how vgly they are but GOD will so dispose them that we shall take notice of euerie one and euerie one according to his pitch Good things well digested are the better discerned and yeeld the more content and euill things displayed will the more vndeniably conuict vs of folly and more vncomfortably distresse vs with our want of grace These two conuiction and confusion doe necessarily accompanie the marshalling of our sinnes and if one sinne of murder wrought so vpon CAIN one sinne of treason vpon IVDAS that the one could not rest the other hanged himselfe in what case thinke we shall the wicked be when GOD shall set all their sinnes before them It is good then for men to vnburden themselues as neare as they can of all sinne seeing there is so much euill in the sight of any one sinne and we cannot auoid the fight of any especially if it be such as this Penitents sinne an enormous sinne and a crying sinne See it therefore now and let repentant teares wash out the characters thereof least remaining of record you be forced to see it when there will be no meanes of blotting it out A second thing that
vpon whom this Law was made blasphemed but in his rage as appeares yet he dyed for it Wonder not at GODS seueritie he measureth no more to himselfe then he doth to Parents Exod. 21 to Magistrates He that curseth his father and his mother the parents of his flesh must be vsed so and shall not he be vsed so much more that curseth the Father of his Spirit He that speaketh euill of the Ruler of the people must be vsed so and shall not he that speaketh euill of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The comparison maketh Quicunque in GODS case to be most iust To which root we shall refer your Blasphemie that are the penitent I know not in charitie we hope the best we hope that it commeth from a mixture of grosse ignorance and vnruly passions for these doe rayse euill thoughts and murmurings That it doth so let it appeare in your repentance St Paul in conscience of his Fall by ignorance gaue himselfe no better a title when he had occasion to mention it then Maximus peccatorum the most grieuous of sinners euen when he lead a most holy life he could not forget his fall in the hight of GODS grace And of St Peter the Ecclesiasticall Storie reports that at the crowing of the Cocke the Remembrancer of his Fall euerie night during his life he did wash his bed and water his couch with his penitent teares GOD make you so mindfull and so sorrowfull otherwise you will betray that your Blasphemie sprang from malice and then be sure that the same GOD that commanded such seueritie to be executed here on earth will himselfe execute much greater vpon all those which through irrepentance goe to Hell Yea haply he may euen in this world make you a Spectacle of a forlorne wretch to the terrour of others as he did Sennacherib Hercdot â—â—b 8. vpon whose Statua there is this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let euerie one that looketh vpon me learne to be godly Such a Spectacle I say may he make you if by often recounting and bewayling of this crying sin you doe not quench the fire of his wrath and preuent his iudgements For God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine The last point is that it must be done without all indulgence Moriendo morietur he shall surely dye surely be stoned We may not with Eue turne surely into ne fortè lest the Diuel worke vpon vs and we prouoke GOD as Saul did in Agags case and Ahab in Benadads You haue heard the Law A word of those to whom it was giuen and so I end In the entrance of my Text you find that it was giuen to the Israelites the Israelites were the people of GOD and surely it concernes them if any to be most zealous of his glorie who is their Glorie But did it concerne them onely Then it is dissolued because their Common-weale is at an end Take therefore a Rule That if a Law which in the institution thereof was Nationall to the Iewes in the equitie of it be Oecumenicall euerie Christian nation is bound to giue it a Reuiuor though they may varie the punishment as they find it expedient for their State And indeed this hath receiued such a reuiuor in most Christian States Iustinian the Emperour of Constantinopâ—e made it capitall The wise Gothes inflicted an hundred stripes for it and in disgrace shaued the delinquents head and beard and imprisoned him during life Fredericke the Emperour cut out the tongue of all that offended in this kind St Lewis of France caused their tongue to be bored with a hot Iron wishing that his owne tongue might be so vsed if euer he did blaspheme Philip of Vuloys caused their lips to be slit And touching our owne State I haue nothing to say in excuse thereof for that it hath all this while left this sinne onely to Ecclesiasticall censure and hath not prouided some corporall punishment for it but that of Solon who being demanded why he made no Law against Parricide answered that he thought none in his Common-weale would euer be so impious to commit it So I thinke our State thought there would neuer rise such lewd persons amongst vs But seeing there doe it is high time we had some sharpe occasionall Statute to represse them If holy Iob were so carefull to sacrifice for and sanctifie his sonnes ne fortè lest peraduenture they had sinned with what zeale should we be stirred vp when we see the fact is most apparent I conclude Let all Blasphemie be put out of all our mouthes yea and hearts also and let vs pray GOD to set a watch before our lips and keepe the doore of our mouthes that his grace may rule in our hearts that he may be our feare and his prayse may be our talke that praysing him here on Earth we may be admitted into the number of his Saints which with heart and voyce prayse him for euermore in Heauen A penitent Prayer for a Blasphemer MOST Sacred and most dread Almightie Euerlasting God to whom the Angels continually doe cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Hoasts the glorie of whose admirable and comfortable wisedome reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily and sweetly ordereth all things J the vnworthiest of men the most grieuous of sinners humbly sorrowfully prostrating my deiected disconsolate both soule and body before thy holy eyes pray that the sighes and groanes of a broken and contrite heart may not be excluded from thine offended eares Lord J haue beene deepe in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Sathan hath filled my heart therewith and out of the aboundance thereof my tongue hath sent forth many flashes euen of the fire of Hell as a brood of the Serpent J haue set my mouth against Heauen J haue blasphemed the holy the reuerend Name of my God and vilified his vnchangeable vnchallengable Prouidence Haddest thou dealt with me as I deserued fire and brimstone from Heauen should haue consumed me or the Earth should haue gaped and swallowed me downe quicke into the pit of Hell J deserued to be made a spectacle of thy iust vengeance that gracelesse wretches seeing my iudgement might feare my offence J confesse this ô Lord J confesse it vnfainedly penitently but woe is me if J haue no more to confesse but these my euill deserts Thy long-suffering towards me putteth me in better hope yea this medicinall confusion whereunto thou now puttest me puts me in good hope that thou hast not forgotten to be mercifull vnto me neither hast thou shut vp thy tender mercie in displeasure Lord J doe not despise this goodnesse of thine that leads me to repentance that workes in me remorce of conscience And from that penitent Blasphemer that proued a most worthy Apostle from his mouth doe J take vnto my selfe that saying worthy of all men to be receiued That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue
saith the Apostle that you are the Temple of God speaking of our whole person But lest question should be made of any part in the sixth Chapter he distinctly expresseth both Body and Soule He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit with him that is cleere for our soule And lest we should vnder-value our worser part Know you not saith he that your bodyes are the Temples of the Holy Ghost So that no question can be made of either part of our person both are liuing stones 1 Pet. 2. and built vp into a Spirituall House And if we be Spirituall Houses then God is in vs of a truth 2 Cor. 6. for so the Apostle collecteth Ye are the Temples of the liuing God saith GOD and I will dwell in them and walke in them St Peter is not afraid to say 2 Pet. 1. We are made partakers of the Diuine nature and the Fathers that we are deified Although there be no personall vnion betweene vs and GOD as there is in CHRIST yet such a mysticall one there is that Philo Iudaeus his words are verie true Deus est animae bonorum incola malorum tantum accola though GODS generall influence be wanting to no Creature yet his gratious inhabitance is the prerogatiue of the Church And all they to whom GOD commeth so neere haue presently erected in them an Oracle and an Altar the Spirit by the Word reuealeth their eyes to see the maruailous things of GODS Law they are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They haue an vnction that teacheth them all things 1 Iohn 2. 1 Cor. 2. yea they haue the verie mind of Christ yea the same Spirit that erecteth the Oracle erects an Altar also an Altar of Incense in their hearts which sendeth forth Prayers intelligibiliter suaueolentes Spirituall but acceptable vnto GOD. as Origen answereth Celsu◠obiecting to the Christians that they had no Altars And how can we want an Altar of burnt sacrifice when our broken and contrite hearts offer vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD which is our reasonable seruice of him This is enough to let you vnderstand that we are if we are Christians Houses of God answerable vnto Christ I would it were enough also to perswade vs so to esteeme our selues as such grace requireth at our hands for what an improuement is this to our persons and what a remembrance should this be to euerie one to keepe his Vessell in honour but more of that anon I must first speake a little of the description of the Market it is in my Text called an House of Merchandize GOD that made vs Men made vs also sociable and vsed our wants as a Whetstone to set an edge vpon that propension but we should liue together as Merchants ordered by commutatiue Iustice whose Standard is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it requireth that men barter vpon euen tearmes otherwise one man will deuour another and the Common weale cannot continue To preuent this mischiefe GOD hath appointed distributiue Iustice the vertue of the Magistrate who dispencing praemium poenam Reward and Punishment should set euerie man a thriuing but suffer no man to thriue to the preiudice of others The euill of the dayes wherein we liue doe giue me occasion to complaine not onely that there is varietie of corruption in Trades dangerous because some are ouer-thriuing but also of the decay of Trades no lesse dangerous because there are so many thousands that haue no meanes to thriue at all Gouernours giue order for Houses of Correction and no doubt but if they were better vsed vagrants might be restrayned thereby but there must be moreouer an increase of Trades that must employ the Common-people multiplying as they doe in this blessed time of peace while the Gentleman depopulates the Countrey and the Vsurer and Victualer are become the chiefe Trades-men of Incorporations what wonder if contrarie to GODS Law and the Kings the whole Land be filled with miserable poore There is no true at least no full remedy for this euill but they to whom the care of distributiue Iustice is committed must reuiue and quicken the Commutatiue and make our Land according vnto that good opportunitie which GOD hath giuen vs an House of Merchandize This by the way vpon occasion of the phrase where out you may gather that in the Market the world taketh vp most of our thoughts and our dealing there is for worldly things Hauing sufficiently opened the description of the Temple and the Market The difference betweene them is euident to a meane conceit he will easily apprehend that the one place is Heauenly the other Earthly the one for the Communion of Saints the other for the Common-weale in the one place we need be no more then Men in the other we must shew our selues to be the Children of God And is it not a great fault to confound these things which GOD hath so distinguished Surely it is and it was the Iewes fault CHRIST doth open it as he doth forbid it for if we may beleeue the Rabbines the Law was pronounced in the eares of Malefactors while stripes were layed vpon their backes and it is most likely that while CHRIST expelled the Merchants with his whip he spake these words vnto them Make not my Fathers House an house of Merchandize Let vs come then to this Prohibition The best places are subiect to abuse Heauen was and so was Paradise no wonder then if the Temple be And seeing abuse can be excluded no where we must be watchfull euerie-where yea the better a place is the more doth the Diuel solicit vs to abuse it because he will doe GOD the more despite and worke man the more mischiefe Therefore the better the place is the more circumspect must we be It is a soule fault to dishonour GOD any where but specially in his owne House In estimating our owne wrongs we aggrauate them by this circumstance Esay 26 Ier. 11. and shall we neglect it when we ponder the sinnes we commit against GOD Nay rather the greatnesse of our contempt ariseth with the greatnesse of his Maiestie which appeareth in that place and the more gratious he sheweth himselfe there the more gracelesse are we if we yeeld him not a due regard Now what doth that due regard require at our hands Surely that we bring not so much as the world into the Temple we may not doe legitima in illegitimo loco saith St Austin we may not doe lawfull things in a place appointed for better vses Caelum est Caelum ingrederis Nilus the Temple is Heauen as you are taught before when thou entrest the Temple thou must suppose thou art entering into the Kingdome of Heauen Now in Heauen there is neither eating nor drinking marrying nor giuing in marriage buying nor selling therefore we must neither thinke of nor meddle with these things while we enter into that place 1 Cor. 11 Haue you not
body That the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strongth and my Redeemer AMEN A Meditation on Psalme 62. VERSE 9. Surely men of low degree are vanitie and men of high degree are but a lie to bee laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanitie ALthough there is odds betweene man and man as they act their parts vpon the stage of this world some being Noble and some Ignoble some abounding and some wanting some commanding and some obeying yet were all made of the same mould and into the same is euerie man resolued in his due time herein betweene rich and poore there is no odds except this be the odds that the better are herein the worse so much worse as a Lie is worse then vanitie Poore men what they are they appeare their state speaketh their vanitie they beare it ingrauen in euerie of their wants for what are wants but the steps of vanitie Vanitie whereunto man is subiect by reason of his fall euen so farre subiect as that it ceaseth not incroaching on him till hauing exhausted that little which he hath it lodge him in the graue In hunger and nakednesse in contempt and heauinesse who doth not read vanitie But this is but the out-side thereof the inside is worse the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vaine and men vanish in their owne discourse which hath much folly little solidnesse witnesse the looking glasse thereof the talke of most men most vaine talke The vnderstanding is not so vaine but the Heart is much more vaine how idle nay how euill are the desires thereof So much as is manifest is able to confound vs but how intollerable is that which is not manifest Certainely that is most vaine But the vpshot of Vanitie standeth in the vanitie of our Hope our hope is felicitie at that we aime and of nothing are we more disappointed then of that for when we come to reape the fruit of our discourse of our desire wee find our selues deluded and our end is wretched And indeed Vanitie is not onely a bare want but an euill that accompanieth that want If our vaines bee destitute of good humours yet are they not emptie wind will take vp the place of good bloud and where that is it tortureth with ach the crampe and sundrie diseases euen so vanitie is not onely a want of spirituall substance but it is withall a painefull wind a disquieting emptinesse Such vanitie followeth the nature of man if any one be a Sonne of Adam hee is subiect to this vanitie And no maruell for from Adam it was propagated and it is as naturall to his issue as their nature is that nature which they deriued from him after hee ceased to be a Sonne of God For where God is there substance is and where God is not there is no substance This we grant we thinke no better of the common sonnes of Adam But the sonnes of Noble men are they no better Are they also vanitie Their state promiseth better things then so there appeareth in them few steps of vanitie If we looke on their out-side it may seeme so for they haue food to satisfie their hunger yea sawce to their food that they may eate with pleasure their bodies are warme clad not onely so but their garments speake their wealth they are well garded with attendantes countenanced with Alliance and aduanced to all degrees of honour helps they haue to preuent sicknesse before it come and when it is come they haue helps for to cure it What doe they want And if they want not how are they vaine Surely in this that all this is but a Lie it seemeth it is no substance had it not all his first originall from nothing And how can it then but returne to nothing againe And what stay can that bee which it selfe is fleeting Be our garments neuer so rich they weare but wee weare faster that are couered-with them they doe but hide from our eyes the euidence that we doe grow old they keepe vs not from growing old could we as often put on a new body as we doe a new garment then garments might be some remedie against vanitie but we keepe on still and neuer shift our body it is neuer the yonger for our new coate Gay cloathing is but a Lie And as for food that is much more a Lie As a man is not the better for his garment so hee is nothing the worse but the delicate fare of great ones is so farre from being a preseruatiue against death that nothing speedeth it faster excesse in quantitie varietie in qualitie of meates at rich mâ—ns â—ables or rather in rich mens stomackes what are they but the rootes from whence springeth sicknesse and the armes as it were wherewith death layeth hold vpon them Then is not meate a Lie Friends it may bee will steed vs better none lesse then great mens friends in whom especially enuie raigneth which is the forge of ruine so that the greater friends are the lesse commonly may they be trusted Fidelitie is not a vertue of the Court but of the Countrie brand then such friends with a Lie for their friendship is no better then a Lie But if they faile vs our honour will support vs hee that is in authoritie is his owne Piller he may rest securely vpon his owne power no man lesse hee is like a faire Castle abâ—ue ground well planted with Ordinance and furnished with Munition you would thinke it impregnable but it is subiect to a Mine and often is ouer turned before he that giueth the blow can bee perceiued Many haue beene brought to their end by their secret cunning from whom they receiued greatest respect in the eyes of the world If any dignitie be priuiledged it is the Throne of Kings but what are their Thrones but the stages of Treason Hee is but a stranger in Chronicles that doth not read that all kind of honour is Cronicled for a Lie What remaineth Onely seruants and will they stand by vs when others faile Nothing lesse of all mens theirs is a most mercinarie fidelitie their seruice doth not out-liue their wages yea how often doe they sell their Masters life in hope of better wages Let them weare their Cognizance their true Cognizance is a Lie If clothes if meate if friends if honour if attendants if euery of these bee but a Lie what is all worldly greatnesse Is it any more then a Lie Nay how great a Lie is that to the making vp whereof concurre so manie Lies So that the Great men whose out-side seemeth to lift them vp aboue ordinarie men gaine nothing by their aduancement but this that whereas ordinarie men appeare to be what they are that is Vanitie Great men are so but doe not appeare and therefore their state hath another but no better name it is a Lie The case of all then high and low is bad if it
hath bestowed vpon thee length of dayes thy time is not reckoned by nights but by dayes And some men that liue long all their life long neuer see the Sunne their time is night it is an vncomfortable time No sense hath his contenting obiect they are all couered with darknesse yea and if it be a waking night insteed of contenting euerie sense is haunted with discontenting obiects Such nights doe many liue in this world which haue presented vnto them many eye-soares and at whose eares doe enter many heart-breake sounds whose perfumes are the damps of loath-some prisons whose bed is little case whose sustenance is the bread and water of affliction whose robes are fetters and manicles finally whose consorts are wretches no lesse forlorne then themselues Such a night how many liue yea of what length are such nights of theirs But Lord thou hast vouchsafed my life to bee a Day the Sun is vp to me and I haue the pleasure of beholding the light my eye wanteth not content my eare hath her pleasures and euerie sense is cherished according to his kind I haue not beene pinched with famine I haue not been consumed with sicknesse theeues haue not spoyled me I haue not beene exposed to the tyrannie of malice my life hath beene a day yea many dayes for my prosperitie hath not beene like the good day of an Aguish man which hath been succeeded with painfull fits but euerie day hath beene a day the Sunne hath not set the clouds haue not ouer-cast the Sunne so that all my whole life seemeth to haue beene but one day But there are Winter dayes and Summer dayes short and long It had beene well if my life had onely beene a day though that had beene but a Winters day at least manie Winter dayes But to haue my day yea my dayes and haue them at length how much better doth it make my state In a Winter day as the Sunne stayeth not long so it warmeth not much but in a Summer day the longer it staieth the more it warmeth then my length of daies are attended with the warmth of daies and to haue both length and warmth what more can a man desire for this life Yes a man would haue the stinting of them hee would not haue them end vntill himselfe say enough And so farre hath Gods mercie gone with me he hath satisfied me I neuer had my appetite satisfied more to the full with the most delicate meates then my heart is sariat with my daies It is enough Lord now let me die But I forget thou hast done much for me in my naturall life how much more hast thou done for me in my spirituall My spirituall life also hath beene a Day it hath beene I say a day and no night The Soule hath a night no lesse then the bodie and much heauier is the night of the soule then that of the bodie the darknesse is more vncomfortable the terrors thereof are more intollerable How vncomfortable is it for a man who naturally desireth to be happie to be ignorant both where hee must seeke it and how he must come at it and so to wander all the daies of his life in vanitie And did he walke onely in Vanitie the discomfort were not small for it is no small discomfort still to hope and yet still to haue his hope faile But for a man to haue vexation of spirit added vnto vanitie whereas we abhorre nothing more then miserie out of the guilt of conscience to be harrowed with the fore-runners of eternall miserie how intollerable is this How vncomfortable how tedious is this spirituall night Or rather how desireable how comfortable is that day which hath freed me from that night I was in it I was borne borne in it for Lord no man commeth out of his mothers wombe but he is borne in the night and the day doth not dawne to him vntill he is new-borne out of the Churches wombe Therefore doe the ancients fidy call Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illumination because then he that commaunded light to shine out of darknesse doth shine vnto vs in the face of Iesus Christ and we are translated out of darknesse into his marueilous light It is my blessing that I am light in the Lord made light not light of my selfe but illightned by him Lord if thou hadst not illightned me I could neuer haue seene thou that restoredst his sight that was borne blind corporally hast wrought a greater miracle in restoring my sight that was borne blind spiritually Let others boast in whole or in part of the strength of nature I doe I wil confesse that the eyes of my mind are a gift of grace these eyes that see that which I see and cannot but be blest in seeing it in seeing Gods saluation a blessed sight that discouers that obiect How glad was Abraham when he saw the Ramme which was an exchange for Isaac his sonne How glad was Hagar when shee saw the fountaine wherewith shee refreshed both her selfe and her babe And were they glad at the sight of these things How glad then should I be that see a Lambe the Lambe of God that offereth himselfe to be a ransome for me How glad should I bee that see the Well the well of liuing waters which onely can quench my thirst Isaacs danger was nothing to mine well might his soule for a time bee parted from his bodie both were to goe to a blessed rest but my danger was that soule and bodie both must haue burned euerlastingly in hell Hagars thirst was nothing to my thirst shee trauelled in the hot sands and I in the middest of many tyring sinnes no corporall paine can so spend our spirits as the conflicts doe of a troubled soule How willingly then doe I behold the Lambe Behold the water Euen the Lambe and water that are my Iesus Many saluations there are but no saluations of God but in him there is no name vnder heauen giuen by which we may be saued but onely the name of Iesus he is indeed a Diuine Sauiour the highest degree of saluation is placed in him Let others make their peace by other meanes I will be ransommed onely by this Lambe let others quench their thirst in puddle streames I will drinke at this well this saluation of God which God hath made me see For Lord thou hast not dealt with me as thou diddest with Moses to whom thou shewedst from mount Nebo the land of Canaan but sufferedst him not to enter in what thou hast shewed me thou bestowest vpon me and hee that hath eyes to behold thy saluation by seeing doth enioy the same It is not so true in Nature as in Grace Intellectus fit omnia certainely this is euerlasting life euen to know thee to be the onely God and whom thou hast sent our Sauiour Iesus Christ for by beholding with open face this thy saluation we are changed into the same Image from saluation to saluation by the spirit of Christ O
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
sinne hath abridged what had no bounds it hath brought our life within a short compasse it is measured by dayes and dayes are aâ— the first so the least part of Time which thou hast made And these dayes are not infinite in vaine should a man desire to number that which cannot bee numbred Iacob said his dayes were few Dauid that his were but a span long Saint Iames that no mans life is more lasting then a bubble a man would thinke a litle Arithmeticke would cast vp so small an account a man seemes to need no better a master then a man for what man is he that is ignorant of this principle That man is mortall and that it cannot be long before he returne to dust And yet Moses that was learned in all the sciences of the Aegyptians amongst which Arithmeticke was one desireth to learn this point of Arithmetick onely of thee O Lord why Is it because as Iob speaketh thou hast determined the nuÌ„ber of his dayes Would Moses haue thee reueale to euerie man the moment of his end Such speculations may wel beseeme an Aegyptian an Israelite they doe not beseeme Thy children O Lord know that it is not for them so to know times and seasons which thou keepest in thine owne power and are a secret sealed vp with thee we should not prie into that counting house nor curiously inquire into that summe It is not then a Mathematicall numbring of daies that Moses would be schooled in but a morall he would haue God not simply to teach him to number but to number so and so points out a speciall manner a manner that may bee vsefull for the children of God And indeed our petitions must beare this mark of profitable desires and we should not aske ought of thee but that by which if we speed wee may become the better he that so studieth his mortalitie learnes it as he should and it is onely thou O Lord that takest him out such a lesson But what is the vse O Moses that thou wouldest haue man make of such a knowledge Euen to applie his heart vnto wisedome O happie knowledge by which a man becomes wise for wisedome is the beautie of a reasonable soule God conereated him therewith But sinne hath diuorced the soule and wisedome so that a sinfull man is indeed no better then a foole so the Scripture calleth him and well may it call him so seeing all his carriage is vaine and the vpshot of his endeauours but vexation of spirit But though sinne haue diuorced wisedome and the Soule yet are they not so seuered but they may be reunited and nothing is more powerfull in furthering this vnion then this feeling meditation that wee are mortall For who would not shake hands with the world that knows we must shortly appeare before God Yea who would not prouide for that life which hath no end that seeth that this hastneth so fast vnto an end Finally who would suffer the arrowes of Gods wrath that summon vs vnto Iudgement to passe vnregarded seeing the due regard thereof is able to turne a Tribunall into a Throne of grace Surely affliction if we discerne the hand that infflicts it is the best schoole of wisedome yea of the best sort of wisedome the wisedome of the heart it turneth knowledge into practise and maketh vs more tender hearted then we are quicke sighted it doth not onely discerne that God is a consuming fire but melts at the very sight of him it doth not onely know that Gods word is a hammer but feeleth the force thereof in a broken and contrite spirit it conceiue feares so soone as it heareth threats and is no sooner touched but it is reclaimed And this is Wisedome the true wisedome of a mortall man whose best helpe against mortalitie stands in the awful regard of Gods offended fauour Seeing then O Lord this is the fruit of that desired knowledge and hee is best seene in the length of his dayes that is most humbled with the sense of thy wrath and he needs least to feare death that doth as hee ought most feare thee vouchsafe to bee his master that desireth to bee thy scholler and let grace teach what nature doth not discerne that I moulder into dust because I corrupt my selfe with sinne so shall I bee wearie of my naturall folly that negotiates for death and affect true wisdome that is the Tree of life with this I shall endeauour to furnish not onely my head but my heart also and that which now is the seate of deaâ—h shall then become the receptacle of life that life which beginnes in thy feare which is the onely in-let of euerlasting ioy A Meditation vpon Lament 5. VERSE 21. Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and we shall bee turned renew our dayes as of old WEe are mutable and what wonder Seeing we are creatures we cannot know that we were made of nothing but wee must acknowledge that to nothing we may returne againe and indeed thither we hasten if we bee left vnto our selues For marre our selues we can but we cannot mend our selues wee can dedestroy what God hath built but we cannot repaire what we doe destroy Wretched power that is onely able to disinable vs and hath no strength but to enfeeble him whose strength it is I read of Adam the first monument of this vnhappie strength but I may read it in my selfe I as all his sonnes inherit as his nature so this selfe ruining power But when experience hath made me see how valiant I haue been against my selfe inflicting deadly wounds precipitating my person and misguiding my steps I become disconsolate and helplesse in my selfe what then shall I doe To whom then shall I seeke To the fiends of hell that sollicited me to sinne To the worldly vanities by which my lusts were baited Well may they adde to my fall raise mee againe they cannot they will not such euill trees beare no such good fruit and if they did they would rather haue me a companion in their sinne and in their woe then seeke to free mee from or ease me in either of them But happily the good Angels as they are more able so they are more willing to pittie to relieue mee but they behold thy face O Lord and stirre not but when thou sendest them and they only to whom thou sendest can be the better for them these heauenly spirits that attend thy Throne moue not but at thy becke and doe no more then thou commaundest I see then that if I stray it is thou that must fetch me home it is thou Lord that must lift me vp when I am slipt downe to the gates of death and my wounds will be incurable if thou bee not pleased to heale me Thou Lord hast made me know in what case I am and onely canst redresse my wofull case I seeke to thee and to thee onely To thy wisedome I commend my head illighten it shew me thy way thou that of nothing
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
and the gold is his The second remembrance is grounded vpon Christs will and in sense hereof wee may learne of King Dauid thankefull deuotion When Nathan brought him a message of more good than euer hee expected hee went vnto the Tabernacle and first villifieth himselfe Who am I 2 Sam. 7. O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto then he magnifieth Gods mercie This was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy seruants house for a great while to come then he doth as we must all doe turne Gods promise into a prayer And now O Lord God the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and concerning his house establish it for euer and do as thou hast said God did it for Dauid he will do it for vs whereas they that are temples of grace haue a farther hope to be temples of glorie if we beleeue his power and desire the accomplishment of his will wee shall in due time experience a comparison which is beyond all comparison we shall be cloathed with a later house in heauen the glory whereof shall infinitely exceede the glorie of the former house of God which we are vouchsafed to be while we liue here on earth WHich God grant vs for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the holy Ghost be rendred all honour and glorie Amen THE FIFT SERMON And in this place will I giue peace THe exceeding grace that Christ would vouchsafe to Zorebabels Temple I reduced to his bountie in giuing and the securitie of his gift Of the bounty I haue spoken it followeth that I now come to the security that is exprest in those words that now I haue read vnto you Wherein we will see first seuerally by what name the securitie is called it is peace secondly where is the resting place thereof in this place then ioyntly how the place commeth to bee possest of that peace wherein wee shall consider that this worke is a free-gift whereof the only giuer is our Sauiour Christ I will giue saith he peace in this place These be the particulars whereof God willing I shall now speake briefly and in their order First then of the peace Peace is nothing else but a free enioying of whatsoeuer good we haue But the good which we haue may be eyther ordinate or inordinate full or scant and so the enioying thereof may bring vnto vs a peace true or false perfect or imperfect If the good be ordinate the peace is true and if full then it is perfect but the peace is false if the good be inordinate and the peace cannot be perfect if the good be scant I will speake somewhat of the false and imperfect peace that thereby you may the better conceiue the true and perfect Wee must know that vnto flesh and bloud many things doe rellish as good which indeed are nothing so for the true character of good is a conformitie to Gods will the warrant whereof is his word from which all sinfull lusts doe swarue and yet in them doe carnall mindes place their good and the enioying of them is the worlds peace For what is carnall securitie but a plunging of a mans selfe into all kinde of wickednesse without remorse of conscience or feare of iudgement Amos cap. 6. doth describe such persons as stretcht themselues vpon iuorie beds dranke wine in bowles eate calues from the stall cheared vp their spirits with musicke This was their good a sensuall good yea and a senslesse too for they tooke not to heart the affliction of Ioseph but approaching to the seate of iniquitie put farre from them the euill day This is a false peace grounded vpon an inordinate good Our Sauiour Christ maketh the like description of the old world Matth. 24. they were eating drinking marrying and giuing in marriage when the floud came and tooke away those vngodly ones Hee speaketh not of ordinary marriage Gen. 6. which is Gods institution but alludes to the storie of the sonnes of God marrying with the daughters of men And as their marriage was irregular so was their eating and drinking too for they were feasts congratulating their irregular wedlocke much like the feasting of the children of Israel when they worshipped the golden calfe Exodus 32. The Wise man speaking of Idolaters passeth this censure vpon them cap. 14. liuing in the great warre of ignorance those so great plagues they called peace But this is not Gods it is the diuels peace qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dum vult cudere cudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh men like bedlems who gashing themselues with kniues laugh in the beholders face risu sardonio they laugh and dye By this security doth the diuell lull men asleepe in their sinnes that they may the better bee ouertaken with an vnexpected ruine for when they â—ry peace peace then as the Apostle foretold 1 Thes 5. commeth sadden destruction In the middest of their pleasure they goe in a moment downe into hell Iob. I would wee had not too many spectacles of this peace that of the Poet may be truly verified of vs I am patimur longae pacis mala saeuior armis Luxuria incubuit the peace which God hath granted vs from forraigne enemies what hath it wrought but this sinfull peace peace in sinne neuer did this land by prophanenesse by iniustice by riot more offend God and neuer was it more senslesse thereof And the Church may well complaine in the words of the Prophet Esay 38. in pace meâ amaritudo amarissima this calme of ours is a very storme a storme of sinne that will bring a storme of woe The Prophet Ieremie cap. 48. hath an excellent resemblance of a vessell of wine which while it is settled vpon the lees hath a good taste and smell but stirre the lees you marre the wine it will then become muddy and vnsauourie The wicked thinke they haue no lees nothing that can interrupt or alter their state but when God commeth to poure them from vessell to vessell they will finde the contrary they will finde that Christs saying in the Gospell is true Matth. 13. Voluptuousnesse and couetousnesse are nothing but bryars and thornes and they will iustifie that saying of the Preacher Eccles 1. All is vanitie and vexation of spirit Gods heauie hand hath beene long off from vs but it vseth to come vpon irrepentant persons with redoubled strokes Esay 57.21 Seeing then non est pax improbo it is no peace which the wicked haue in their prosperitie and that which they haue they cannot long enioy I will conclude with the admonition of Moses Deut. 29. Take heede lest there bee amongst you a roote that beareth gall and wormewood and it come to passe that when any man heareth the words of the curse denounced against the breakers of the Law he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the