that this mourning for Gods absence is an euident demonstration of his presence 2. Of Reprehension to others that say they are sure of the purchase before they euer gaue earnest of the bargaine Presumption is to be auoided so well as despaire For as none more complaine that they want this assurance then they that haue it so none more boast of it then they that haue it not The fond hypocrite takes his owne presumption for this assurance he liues after the flesh yet brags of the Spirit This false opinion ariseth partly from his owne conceite partly from Satans deceite 1. From his owne Conceit he dreames of the Spirit and takes it granted that it euer rests within him but when his soule awakes he finds there no such manner of guest the holy Spirit neuer lodged there There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes yet are not washed from their filthinesse These pure people so vaunt theâ—… assurance of saluation that they will scarce change places in heauen with St. Peter or St. Paul without boote The infallible marke of distinction which the Apostle sets on the Sonnes of God is this they are led by the Spirit Rom. 8. So many as are led by the Spirit of God 〈◊〉 sonnes of God The holy Ghost is their God and their guideâ—… and this Spirit 〈◊〉 them into all truth and guides them into the land of righteousnes But these men will Spiritum dâ—…ere lead the Spirit They are not ductible they will not be led by the Spirit into truth and pence but they will lead the Spirit as it were ouer-rule the holy Ghost to patronize their humours Let them be adulterers vsurers bribe-corrupted sacrilegious c. yet they are still men of the Spirit But of what Spirit Nesâ—…tis we may say to them as Christ to hit two hote disciples ye know not of what Spirit you are It is enough they thinke to haue oculos in coelo though they haue manus in fundo animos in profundâ—… It is held sufficient to haue eyes fixed on heauen though couetous hands busie on earth and crafty minds deepe as hell This ouer-venturous conceite that heauen is theirs how base and debauched liues so euer they liue is not assurance but presumption 2. This ariseth from Satans Deceite who cryes like Corah Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the congregation is â—…ily euery one of them You are holy enough you are sure of heauen what would you more You may sit downe and play your worke is done Hereupon they sing peace and Requiems to their soules and begin to wrappe vp their affections in worldly ioyes But Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the most grieuous storme This is carnall securitie not heauenly assurance As the Iewes went into captiuitie with Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord c. in their lips so many go to hell with the water of Baptisme on their faces and the assurance of saluation in their mouthes 3. Of Instruction teaching vs to keepe the euen-way of comfort eschewing both the rocke of presumption on the right hand and the gulfe of desperation on the left Let vs neither be Tumidi nor Timidi neyther ouer bold nor ouer-fainting But endeuour by faith to assure our selues of Iesus Christ and by repentance to assure our selues of faith and by an amended life to assure our selues of repentance For they must here liue to Gods glory that would hereafter liue in Gods glory 3. In the next place obserue the meanes how we may come by this assurance This is discouered in the text Dic animae Say vnto my Soule Who must speake God To whom must he speake to the Soule So that in this assurance God and the Soule must meet This St. Paul demonstrates The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestari to beare witnesse together Neither our spirit alone nor Gods spirit alone makes this Certificate but both concurring Not our spirit alone can giue this assurance for mans heart is alwayes euill often deceitfull At all times euill Euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely euill continually At some times deceitfull The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked Who can know it Non noui animam meam sayth Iob. I know not my owne soule though I were perfect And Paul concerning his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified And if Dauids soule could haue made a sufficient testimony alone what needed he pray Dic animae say Thou to my soule Some haue a true zeale of a false Religion and some a false zeale of a true Religion Paul before his conuersion had a true zeale of a false Religion I was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers The Laodiceans had a false or rather no zeale of a true Religion I know thy works that thou art neither hote nor cold So that when about this certificate a man deales with his heart singly his heart will deale with him doubly No nor doth Gods spirit alone giue this Testimony least a vaine illusion should be taken for this holy perswasion But both Gods spirit and our spirit meeting together are Concordes and Contestes ioynt witnesses Indeed the principall worke comes from Gods spirit he is the primary cause of this assurance Now he certifies vs by word by deed and by seale By word terming vs in the Scripture Gods children and putting into our mouthes that filiall voyce whereby wee cry Abba Father By deed the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering c. By these is our Election made sure sayth Saint Peter By Seale Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption Now our spirit witnesseth with him from the sanctitie of our life faith and reformation He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe 4. Lastly this is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life euen an heauen vpon earth to be ascertained of his saluation There are many mysteries in the world which curious wits with perplexfull studies striue to apprehend But without this he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow Vnum necessarium this one thing is onely necessary whatsoeuer I leaue vnknowne let me know this that I am the Lords Qui Christum discit satis est si caetera nescit He may without danger be ignorant of other things that truely knows Iesus Christ. There is no potion of miserie so embittered with gall but this can sweeten it with a cofortable rellish When enemies assault vs get vs vnder triumph ouer vs imagining that saluation it selfe cannot saue vs what is our comfort Noui in quem credidi I know whom I haue beleeued I am sure the Lord will not forsake me Deficit
this dutie Of Trauellers Captiues sick-men sea-men others subiect to the manifold varieties of life For Trauellers They wander in the Wildernesse in a solitary way hungry and thirstie their soule fainting in them They cry vnto the Lord in their trouble and he deliuers them out of their distresses For Captiues They sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death fast bound in affliction and yron Their prayers find a way out of the prison to God and God deliuers them out of the prison to liberty For Sick Because of their transgression they are afflicted their soule abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw neere vnto the gates of death The strength of their prayers recouers the strength of their bodies For Mariners They reele to and fro staggering like a drunken man and are at their wits end They by their prayers appease the vvrath of God and hee appeaseth the wrath of the vvaues and winds Now the burden of the Song to all these deliuerances is this O that men vvould therfore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men And because these foure dangers are short of the innumerable calamities incident to mans life therefore in the end of the Psalme much misery is heaped vp and the Lord is the scatterer dissoluer of that heape that all flesh might sing Saluation is of the Lord. And because these mercies are infinite so that vvhat Christian may not say with Dauid Thy goodnesse hath followed mee all the dayes of my life Therefore I infer with Paul In all things giue thanks So our Psalmist My mouth shall be filled with thy praise all the day long What is meant by All the day saith Augustine but a praise without intermission As no houre slips by thee without occasion let none slippe from thee without manifestation of gratitude I will praise thee saith he O Lord In prosperis quia consolaris in aduersis quia corrigis In a prosperous estate because thou dost blesse me in affliction because thou doost correct me Fecisti refecisti perfecisti Thou madest mee when I was not restoredst me when I vvas lost supplyest my wants forgiuest my sinnes and crownest my perseuerance But as Quò acerbior miseria eò acceptior misericordia the more grieuous the miserie the more gracious the mercy So the richer benefite requires the hartier thanks Great deliuerances should not haue small gratitude vvhere much is giuen there is not a little required To tell you what God hath done for vs thereby to excite thankfulnesse would be to lose my selfe in the gates of my Text. I told you this was the ground and module of the Psalme But I know your curious eares care not so much for plaine-song you expect I should runne vpon Diuision Heare but the next generall point and I come to your desire reseruing what I haue more to say of this to my farewell and last application I come from the Debt to be paid to his Resolution to pay it I will goe into thy house I will pay c. Though he be not instantly Soluendo he is Resoluendo He is not like those Debters that haue neither meanes nor meaning to pay But though he wants actuall he hath votall retribution Though hee cannot so soone come to the place where this payment is to be made yet hee hath already paid it in his heâ—…rt I will goe I will pay Here then is the Debters Resolution There is in the godly a purpose of heart to serue the Lord. This is the child of a sanctified spirit borne not without the throbs and throwes of true penitence Not a transient and perishing flower like Ionah's Gourd Filius noctis oriens moriens but the sound fruit which the sap of grace in the heart sends forth Luke 15. VVhen the Prodigall Sonne came to himselfe saith the Text as if he had been formerly out of his wits his first speech was I will arise and goe to my Father and will say vnto him Father I haue sinned And what he purposed he performed he arose and went I know there are many that intend much but doe nothing and that earth is full of good purposes but heauen onely full of good works and that the tree gloriously leaued with intentions without fruit was cursed And that a lewd heart may be so farre sinitten and conuinced at a Sermon as to will a forsaking of some sinne VVhich thoughts are but swimming notions and vanishing motions embrions or abortiue births But this Resolution hath a stronger force it is the effect of a mature and deliberate iudgement wrought by Gods Spirit grounded on a voluntary deuotion not without true sanctification though it cannot without some interposition of time and meanes come to performe that act which it intends It is the harbinger of a holy life the little clowd like a hand that Eliah's seruant saw pointing to the future showres of deuotion Well this is but the beginning and you know many beginne that doe not accomplish but what shall become of them that neuer begin If he doth little that purposeth and performes not what hope is there of them that vvill not purpose It is hard to make an Vsnrer leaue his extortion the vncleane his lusts the swearer his dishallowed speeches when neither of them saith so much as I vvill leaue them The habite of godlinesse is farre off when to vvill is not present we despaire of their performance in whom cannot be wrought a purpose But to you of whom there is more hope that say vve will praise the Lord forget not to adde Dauids execution to Dauids intention God loues the present tense better then the future a Facto more then a Faciam Let him that is President ouer vs be a precedent for vs. Hebr. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I come not I will come but I do come to doe â—…y will O GOD. You haue heard the matter and manner of the Song the Substance is Gratitude the Forme a Resolution to giue it To set it in some Diuision or Method That euery present soule may beare his part heere be three straines or staires and graduall ascents vp which our contemplations must mount with Dauids actions 1. An entrance into Gods house I will goe into thy house It is well that Dauid will bring thither his praises himselfe But many enter Gods house that haue no businesse there that both come and returne empty-hearted that neither bring to God deuotion nor carry from God consolation 2. Therefore the next straine giues his zeale he vvill not come empty-handed but with burnt offerings Manifold and manifest arguments of his harty affection Manifest because burnt offerings reall visible actuall and accomplished works Manifold because not one singular oblation but plurally offerings vvithout pinching his deuotion 3. But yet diuerse haue offered Sacrifices and burnt sacrifices that stunke like Balaams in Gods nosthrils tendring
into this infinite and boundles Sea I will onely note foure sweete streames of life in his Loue. It was Holy Sine Merits Hearty Mode Kind Despectâ—… Constant Defectâ—… 1. Holy The Loue of Iesus to vs was Sancta sanctificans dilectio a Loue holy formaliter in itselfe and holy effectiuè in making those holy on whom it was set He gaue himselfe to vs and for vs and gaue vs a faith to receiue and embrace him Sine quo nec dilâ—…cti nec diligentes fuissemus Without whom wee neither could haue receiued loue nor returned loue Now his loue did not only extend to our bodyes health but to our soules blisse So he loued vs that he saued vs. Our loue should likewise be holy whole desiring not onely our brothers externall welfare but much more his internall his eternall blessednes He that pitties not a famished body deserues iustly the name of an vnmercifull man but he that coÌ„passionates not an afflicted conscience hath much more a hard heart It is an vsual speech of compassion to a distressed man Alas poore Soule but this same alas poore Soule is for the most part mistakeÌ„ Neither the pittier nor the pittied imagins the soule pittiable Very humanitie teacheth a man to behold an execution of theeues traytours with griefe that men to satisfie their malicious or couetous affections should cut off their owne liues with so infamous a death But who commiserates the endangered Soule that must then ventor and enter on an eternall life or death The story of Hagar with her Son Ishmael is set downe by so heauenly a pen that a man cannot read it without tears She is cast out of Abrahams house with her child that might call her Master father Bread water is put on her shoulder and she wanders into the wildernes a poore reliefe for so long a iourney to which there was set no date of returning Soone was the water spent in the bottle the child cries for drinke to her that had it not and lifts vp pittiful eyes euery glance whereof was enough to wound her soule vents the sighes of a dry panting heart but there is no water to be had except the teares that ran from a sorrowful mothers eyes could quench the thirst Downe she layes the child vnder a shrubbe and went as heauy as euer mother parted from her onely son and sate her downe vpon the earth as if she desired it for a present receptacle of her griefe of her selfe a good way off saith the Text as it were a bow-shoâ—…e that the shrickes yellings dying groanes of the child might not reach her eares crying out Let me not see the death of the child Die she knew he must but as if the beholding it would rent her heart and wound her soule she denyes those windowes so sad a spectacle Let mee not see the death of the child So she lift vp her voyce and wept Neuer was Hagar so pittifull to her Sonne Ishmael as the Church is to euery Christian. If any sonne of her wombe wil wander out of Abrahams familie the House of Faith into the wildernes of this world and prodigally part with his owne mercy for the gawdy transient vanities thereof She followes with intreaties to him and to heauen for him If he will not returne she is loath to see his death she turnes her backe vpon him and weeps He that can with dry eyes and vnrelenting heart behold a mans Soule ready to perish hath not so much passion and compassion as that Egiptian bond-woman 2. Hearty The loue of Christ to vs was hearty not consisting of shewes and signes and courtly complements but of actuall reall royall bounties He did not dissemble liue to vs when he dyed for vs. Exhibitio operis probatio amoris He pleaded by the truest and vndenyable argument demonstration I loue you wherein I giue my Life for you Tot ora quot vulnera tot verba quot verbera So many wounds so many words to speake actually his loue euery stripe he bore gaue sufficient testimony of his affection His exceeding rich gift shewes his exceeding rich loue This heartines must be in our Loue both to our Creator and to his Image 1. To God so he chalengeth thy loue to be conditioned with thy Heart with all thy heart And this saith Christ is Primum Maximum mandâ—…tum the First and the greatest Commandement The first Quasi virtualiter centinens reliqua as mainely comprehending all the rest For he that loues God with all his heart will neither Idolatrize nor blaspheme nor profane his Sabboths no nor wrong his creatures The greatest as requiring the greatest perfection of our loue This then must be a hearty loue not slow not idle but must shew it selfe Et properando operando in ready diligence in fruitfull working obedience There are many â—…otent to loue God alitle because he blesseth them much So Saul loued him for his kingdome These loue God Pro seipsis not Prae seipsis For themselues not before themselues They will giue him homage but not fealtie the calues of their lippes but not the calues of their stals If they feast him with venison part of their Imparked Riches which is deere to them yet it shall be but rascall deere the trash of their substance they will not feast him with the heart that is the best deere in their Parke 2. To man whom thou art bound to loue as thy selfe where say some As is but a Tam not a Tâ—…ntum As thy selfe not As much as thy selfe As for the maner not for the measure But this is certaine true loue begins at home and he cannot loue another soundly that primarily loues not himselfe And he that loues himselfe with a good heart with the same heart will loue his brother In quâ—… seipsum proptâ—…r quod seipsum In that maner for that cause that he loues himselfe This then coÌ„mands the same loue if not the same degree of loue to thy brother that thou bearest to thy selfe This hearty loue is hardly found More is protested now then in former times but lesse done It is wittilyob serued that the old maner of saluting was to take shake one another by the hand now we locke armes ioyne breasts but not hearts That old hand full was better then this new armefull Our cringes and complementall bowings promise great humilitic but the smootherd venime of pride â—…es within We haue low lookes and loftie thoughts There are enough of those Which speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts Whose smooth habites doe so palliate and ornamentally couer their poyson as if they did preserue mud in Chrystall The Romaynes vsually painted Friendship with her hand on her heart as if she promised to send no messenger out of the gate of her lips but him that goes on the hearts arrand Now we haue studied both textures of words and pretextures of
afflicting obiects of shame and tyrannie Those â—…ares which to delight the high Quorillers of heauen sing their 〈◊〉 notes must be wearied with the taunts and 〈◊〉 of blasphemie And all this for vs not onely to satisfie those sinnes which our Senses haue committed but to mortifie those senses and preseâ—…e them from those sinnes That our eyes may be no more full of adulteries nor throw couetous lookes on the goods of our brethren That our â—…ares may no more giue so wide admission and welcome entrance to lewd reports the incantations of Sathan That sinne in all our senses might be done to death the poison exhausted the sense purified 4. In all members Looke on that blessed Body conceiued by the Holy Ghost and borne of a pure Virgin it is all ouer scourged martyred tortured manacled mangled What place can you find free Caput Angelicâ—… spiritibus tremebundum densitatâ—… spinarum pungitur facies pulchraprâ—… filijs hominum Iudâ—…orum spâ—…t is detâ—…rpatur Oculi 〈◊〉 sole in 〈◊〉 caligantur c. To begin at his head that head which the Angels reuerence is crowned with thornes That face which is fairer them the sonnes of men must be odiously spit on by the filthy Iewes His hands that made the heauens are extended fastned to a crosse The feet which tread vpon the neckes of his and our enemies feele the like smart And the mouth must be buffeâ—…ed which spake as neuer man spake Still all this for vs. His head bled for the wicked imaginations of our heads His face was besmeared with spittle because we had spit impudent blasphemies against heauen His lips were afflicted that our lips might henceforth yeeld sauoury speeches His feet did bleed that our feet might not be swift to shed bloud All his members suffered for the sinnes of all our members and that our members might be no more ser uants to sin but seruants to righteousnes vnto holines CoÌ„spâ—…i voluit vt nos Lauaret velari voluit vt velamen ignorantia a mentibus nostris 〈◊〉 in capite percuti vt corpori sanitatem restitueret Hee would be polluted with their spettle that hee might wash vs hee would bee blindfolded that he might take the vaile of ignorance from our eyes He suffered the head to be wounded that hee might renew health to all the body Sixe times we read that Christ shed his bloud First when he was circumcised at eight dayes old his bloud was spilt 2. In his agonie in the garden where he swett drops of bloud 3. In his scourging when the merciles tormentors fetch'd bloud from his holy sides 4. When he was crowned with thornes those sharpe prickles raked and harrowed his blessed head and drew forth bloud 5. In his crucifying when his hands feet were pierced bloud gushed out 6. Lastly after his death One of the souldiours with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out bloud and water All his members bled to shew that he bled for all his members Not one drop of this bloud was shed for himselfe all for vs for his enemies persecutors crucifiers our selues But what shall become of vs if all this cannot mortifie vs How shall we liue with Christ if with Christ wee bee not dead Dead in deed vnto sinne but liuing vnto righteousnesse As Elisha reuiued the Shunamites child hee lay vpon it put his mouth vpon the childes mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warme So the Lord Iesus to recouer vs that were dead in our sinnes and trespasses spreads and applies his whole Passion to vs layes his mouth of blessing vpon our mouth of blasphemie his eyes of holinesse vpon our eyes of lust his hands of mercie vpon our hands of crueltie and stretcheth his gratious selfe vpon our wretched selues till we begin to waxe warme to get life and the holy Spirit returnes into vs. 5. In his Soule All this was but the out-side of his Passion Now is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but for this cause came I vnto this houre The paine of the bodie is but the bodie of paine the very soule of sorrow is the sorrow of the soule All the outward afflictions were but gentle prickings in regard of that his soule suffered The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare He had a heart within that suffered vnseene vnknowne anguish This paine drew from him those strong cryes those bitter teares He had often sent forth the cryes of compassion of passion and complaint not till now He had wept the teares of pittie the teares of loue but neuer before the teares of anguish When the Sonne of God thus cryes thus weepes here is more then the bodie distressed the soule is agonized Still all this for vs. His Soule was in our soules stead what would they haue felt if they had bin in the stead of his All for vs to satisfaction to emendation For thy drunkennesse and powring downe strong drinks he drunke vineger For thy intemperate gluttonie he fasted For thy sloth he did exercise himselfe to continuall paines Thou sleepest secure thy Sauiour is then waking watching praying Thy armes are inured to lustfull embracings hee for this embraceth the rough Crosse. Thou deckest thy selfe with proud habiliments he is humble and lowly for it Thou ridest in pompe he iourneys on foote Thou wallowest on thy downe beds thy Sauiour hath not a pillow Thou surfeiâ—…est and he sweats it out a bloudâ—… sweat Thou fillest and swellest thy selfe with a 〈◊〉 of wickednes behold incision is made in the Head for thee thy Sauiour bleeds to death Now iudge whether this point For vs hath not deriued a neere application of this Text to our owne consciences Since then Christ did all this for thee and me pray then with August O Dâ—… Iesâ—… da cordi 〈◊〉 tâ—… deâ—…derare 〈◊〉 qâ—…rere quâ—…rendo inuenâ—… iâ—…enien do 〈◊〉 amâ—…do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redempta 〈◊〉 â—…rare Lord giue me a heart to desire thee desiring to seeke thee seeking to find thee finding to loue thee louing no more to offend thee There are two maine parts of this Crucifixe yet to handle I must onely name them being sorry that it is still my hap to trouble you with prolixitie of speech 6. The next is the Manner An offering and Sacrifice His whole life was an Offering his death a Sacrifice He gaue himselfe often for vs an Eucharisticall oblation once an explatorâ—… Sacrifice In the former hee did for vs all that we should doe in the latter hee suffered for vs all that we should suffer Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne 〈◊〉 on the tree Some of the Hebrewes haue affirmed that in the fire which consumed the legall Sacrifices there alwayes appeared the face of a Lyon
decay in Gods Spirit that begets yet because the faithfull are first in Gods intention of fauour and hee giues them that strength of grace to resist sinne and to serue him which the world hath not therefore they are called his Firstborne the excellency of his power Though we be weake in our selues yet his strength is glorified in our weakenes his Grace is sufficient for vs. 2. The name of the family was giuen to the first borne Is not my family the least of all the families of the Tribe of Beniamin saith Saul Gilead made his whole family to be called Gileadites For further exemplying of this priuiledge read Numbers chap. 26. ver 23. to ver 52. Is this dignity lost vnder the Gospell to the first borne in Christ no for euen the wicked dwelling among the righteous are for their sakes vouchsafed the name of Christians The name of the first borne hath christned all the familie 3. Priesthood and the right to sacrifice Moses sent twelue young men according to the twelue tribes of Israel to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings vnto the Lord. Those young men are thought to bee no other but twelue of the first borne of the chiefe of the Tribes to whom the right of sacrificing Priesthood did belong till the Leuites were separated for that end Take the Leuites in stead of all the first borne among the children of Israel Neither is this priuiledge lost by the Gospel Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his Father to offer vp spirituall sacrifice of thanksgiuing to him Priests but Priests to God lest the Schismaticke should take aduantage thereby to trouble the ciuill state The Propitiatory sacrifice is offered for vs by our high Priest Iesus the sacrifices of our Priesthood are onely gratulatory 4. Double portion If a man haue two wiues one beloued and another hated and children by them both if the first borne sonne be hers that is hated yet when he maketh his sonnes to inherit though perhaps hee would fauour the sonne of the loued yet hee shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated by giuing him a double portion of all that he hath for hee is the beginning of his strength the right of the first borne is his So the elect haue a double portion not onely a share in the things of this life but much more in heauen Godlinesse hath the promise both of the life that now is and of that which is to come It is a false imagination that God makes none of his children happy in this life Abraham was rich Dauid a King But if he denies them opulencie hee neuer denies them content This is the cheefe riches for we see others Esurientes in popina as the by-word is staruing in a Cookes shop wretched in their highest fortunes The godly haue so much share of this world as may stand with their eternall blessednesse in the world to come And such may bee content with a small portion here that are sure of the inheritance heereafter Iehoshaphat gaue great gifts of siluer and gold and precious things to all his children but the kingdome hee gaue to Iehoram because he was the first borne Our Law giues the first borne sonne the inheritance God will not depriue his of it Thus hath Christ promised a double portion to the faithfull He shall receiue an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternall life And indeed the Birth-right with the Iewes was a type of euerlasting life The consideration of this excellent priuiledge doth teach vs three lessons 1. That we are dedicated to God Exod. 13. 2. Numb 3. 13. Sanctifie to me all the first borne So Haâ—…nah dedicated her first borne Samuel to the Lord. Mary brought Christ to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law Euery male that openeth the wombe shall be called holy to the Lord. To robbe God of his tythes is sacriledge but to take away from him our soules this is the highest sacriledge In this we haue a sequestration from common vse we are no longer as we were They are mine saith the Lord not onely by a common right so al things are his The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it nor onely for a gratefull acknowledgement that the increase of all things comes from him But as the Israelites were Gods by a speciall claime because he preserued them in Egypt when the first borne were slaine For whose redemption he accepted the first borne of their beasts when he might haue commanded all lest this should seem grieuous to them he required but the first part Hee onely reserued what he preserued So we were all by nature in as much danger of Gods wrath as were the Israelites of the destroying Angell when the first borne of the Aegyptians were smitten dead But the Lord sprinkled the dores of our hearts with the bloud of his holy Lambe Iesus Hath the Lord spared vs then hee chalengeth vs. To take from man his owne is iniurious from God sacrilegious Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit why for they are Gods ye are not your owne saith the Apostle Thus hee confessed himselfe not his owne man There stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serue Wee are Gods possession the first borne which he hath redeemed by his owne First-borne Christ. This wee acknowledge when wee present our children to God in Baptisme Yet O strange and forgetfull inconstancy when wee haue giuen them to God in baptisme by a foolish indulgence wee take them away againe in education A Prince abhorres to haue his eldest sonne marry with a harlot this were to vilifie and ignoble that royall bloud And shall God brooke his First borne to be contracted with that vgly strumpet Sinne This were to forfeit and make void the right of primogeniture 2. Seeing we are Gods first borne let vs offer our first and best things to him The Lord hath deserued the priority of our seruice First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Our first studies our first labours must bee consecrated to God The Law required three properties in the sacrifices offered to God 1. They must be first borne vt illi reddamus prima qui nobis debil omnia that vvee should vvillingly giue him the first that had bountifully giuen vs all So vve must giue the first houre of the day the first vvorke of our hands the first wordes of our lips to the Lord. 2. They must bee cleane beasts for God abhorred the vncleane maimed or deformed Ye offer polluted bread vpon mine Altar If ye offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not euill if ye offer the lame sicke is it not euill offer it now to the gouernor will hee be pleased with it So vvee must hold vp to God cleane hands and send vp pure hearts
written on a monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious written on the Hospitall-gates yet goe to hell written on his own house yet another come to possesse it All these are but writings in the dnst or vpon the vvaters where the characters perish so soone as they are made They no more proue a man happy then the foole could proue Pontius Pilate a Saint because his name was written in the Creed But they that be written in heauen are sure to inherite it Now to apply all this vsefully to our selues some perhaps would be satisfied how wee may know our names written in heauen It is certaine that no eye hath looked into Gods booke yet himselfe hath allowed certaine arguments and proofes whereby wee haue more then a coniecturall knowledge The principall is the Testimonie of Gods Spirit concurring with our spirit Rom. 8. 16. But of this I haue liberally spoken in some later passages of this booke together with the most pregnant signes of our election Here therefore I am straightned to insert onely some there omitted effects Which are these foure If our hearts be on Gods booke If the poore be in our booke If wee well order the booke of our conscience Lastly if we can write our selues holy in earth then be bold we are vvritten happy in heauen 1. If our heart be on Gods booke and this wee shall find è conuerso if Gods booke be in our heart Mary laid vp Christs words in her heart It must not lye like loose corne on the floore subiect to the pecking vp of euery fowle but it is ground by meditation digested by faith manet alto corde repostum God saies My sonne giue thy heart to me doe thou pray My Father first giue thy selfe to my heart I aske not whether this booke lyes in thy study but whether the study of it lyes in thy heart The life of the Scriptures is not in verborum folijs sed in medulla cordis not in the letters and leaues but in the inwards of the heart It is not lectio nor relectio but dilectio not reading but leading a life answerable that assures vs. If we syncerely loue this booke wee are certainly in Gods booke Mary zealously louing Christs word is said to chuse the better part that shall neuer be taken from her 2. If the poore be in thy booke and this is reciprocall then thou art in their booke and the conclusion is infallible thou art in the booke of Life For the relieued poore by their prayers entertaine or make way for thy entertainement into euerlasting habitations And Christ at the last day calls them to himselfe that haue beene charitable to his members Come yee blessed receiue the kingdome prepared for you Your works haue not merited this kingdome for it was prepared for you but as that vvas prepared for you so your charitie hath prepared you for it Come and take it Let not thy left hand knowe vvhat thy right hand doth Doe thou write it in the dust the poore will write it in their hearts GOD findes it in their prayers their prayers preuaile for thy mercie mercy writes thy name in heauen Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God Therefore Cast thy bread vpon the waters drowne it in those watry eyes it is not lost in that Riuer like Peter thou throwest in an angle bringest vp siluer enough to make thee blessed Via coeli est pauper si non vis errare incipe erogare The poore is the high-way to heauen if thou wouldest not wander in thy iourney shew mercy Non potes habere nisi quòd acceperis non potes non habere quod dederis Thou canst haue nothing vnlesse thou receiue it thou canst keepe nothing vnlesse thou giue it Him that the poore writes not charitable on earth nor doth God write saueable in heauen 3. If thy name be written Christian in the booke of thy Conscience this is a speciall argument of thy registring in heauen For if our heart condemne vs not vvee haue boldnesse and confidence towards God Ang. VVhat if mans ignorance and vnmercifull ielousie blot thee out of the booke of his credite Si de libro vinentium nunquam propria deleat conscientia so long as thy owne conscience doth not blot thee forth the booke of blessednesse If the good spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that glory is our shame If the euill spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that shame is our glory Therefore it is that Hugo calls the cōscience Librum signatum et clausum in die Indicij aperiendum a booke shut and sealed onely at the Resurrection to be opened Conscientiam magis quà m famam attende falls saepe poterit fama conscientiae nunquam Looke to thy Conscience more then to thy credite fame may often be deceiued conscience neuer The beames that play vpon the water are shot from the Sunne in heauen the peace and ioy that danceth in the conscience comes from the Sonne of righteousnes the Lord Iesus If a hearty laughter dimple the cheeke there is a smooth and quiet mind within Vpon the wall there is a writing a man sitting with his backe to the wall how should hee read it but let a looking-glasse be set before him it vvill reflect it to his eyes he shall read it by the resultance The writing our names in heauen is hid yet in the glasse of a good conscience it is presented to our eye of faith and the soule reades it For it is impossible to haue a good conscience on earth except a man be written in heauen 4. If the booke of Sanctification haue our names written then surely the booke of Glorification hath them and they shall neuer be blotted out For God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the vvorld that wee should be holy and vvithout blame before him in loue Now as we may reason from the cause to the effect so certainely from the effect to the cause Election is the cause Holinesse the effect as therefore euery one written in heauen shall be holy on earth so euery one holy on earth is written in heauen This sanctitie is manifested in our obedience vvhich must be Ad totum I had respect to all thy commandements Per totum I haue enclined my heart to keepe thy statutes Alway euen to the end De tote to keepe thy precepts with my whole heart In Rome the Patres conscripti were distinguished by their robes and they of the Liuery in London haue a peculiar habite by themselues to differ from the rest of the Company Is thy name enrolled in that Legend of Saints thy liuery will witnes it thy conuersation is in heauen A Senator relating to his sonne the great honours decreed to a number of Souldiers whose names vvere written in a booke the sonne was importunate to see that booke The father shewes him the
their sensuall pleasures vt cogitationes accusatrices non audiant Lyran That they heare not the accusation of their thoughts but then it vvill be heard and felt Novv it may plucke a man by the sleeue and craue audience but it is drowned vvith the noyse of good fellowship Besides Hactenus est â—…ccultus testis it is hitherto a secret vvitnesse only known to him that hath it but then the booke that is now sealed shall be opened and all the world shall read it As the seale leaues a print in the waxe behinde it so the conscience an impression of past sinnes in the thoughts indeleble characters vvhich death it selfe shall not eate out Conscience here doth vvitnesse accuse or excuse but Christ shall there iudge the secrets of all hearts God the Iudge of all let vs now looke into the particulars Quis Qualis Quorum Deus Iudex vniuer sorum The three vvords answer to three questions Who God What is he A Iudge Of whom Of all God It is manifest that this honour belongs to Christ therefore Christ is God God hath appointed a day wherin he vvil iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath ordained He hath giuen him authority to execute iudgment because he is the Son of man To this consents that article of our faith in the Creed that he who suffred vnder Pilate shall come to iudge quicke and dead But it is obiected that to iudge is the action of the whole Trinity true it is commoÌ„ to all but the execution of it pertains to one God iudgeth but by the Son so distinctly Rom. 2. 16. God shal iudge the secrets of al harts by Iesus Christ God by Christ. But it is further obiected that the Saints shall iudge Ye shall sit vpon twelue thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the world This truly is a great honour to the Apostles and Saints To be Iudge of a Circuit is an honourable office vvhat is it then to iudge the vvorld But there is great difference they haue potestatem accessoriam an accessory power Christ imperatoriam a principall and imperiall power All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth He hath Honorem Primarium the prime honour they subordinatum deriued from his Christ giues Sententiam iudicatoriam they onely apprâ—…batoriam hee the sentence of iudgement they of approbation As the Iustices on the bench are in some manner Iudges not in giuing the sentence but in approuing the sentence giuen The Saints therefore may be said to iudge Vel exemplo vel testimonio vel â—…ffragio 1. By their example for their liues shal condemn the wicked as Noahs handy work did the old vvorld So the Apostles shall iudge Israel because their faith shall take froÌ„ Israel all excuse Such a iudgement Christ speaks of The Niniuits shal rise in iudgement with this generation shall condemn it The Queen of the South shall rise vp in iudgement with it and shall condemne it The goodnes of the one shal iudge condemne the badnes of the other So Christ stops the blasphemous mouthes of the Iewes accusing him to worke by Beelzebub If I doe it by him by whom doe your children cast out Deuils Therfore they shall be your Iudges 2. By their Testimony who can vvitnes that the meanes of saluation was offered them in the Gospell which they not accepting are iustly condemned Hee that reiecteth me and receiueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him The word that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last day So shal Babylon be iudged by those that would haue cured her but she would not be cured 3. By their suffrage and approuall of Christs righteous sentence Thus shall the Elect iudge the world yea euen the Angels Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels By world we must vnderstand the wicked and by the Angels Deuils And certainly the Saints haue some place in this iudgment They shall iudge the Nations and haue dominion ouer the people their Lord shall raigne for euer Christ shall set all his aduersaries before his own face and the face of his Church where they shall behold those become their Iudges whom they once esteemed and vsed as their slaues This is he whom we sometimes had in derision now hee is numbred among the children of GOD and his portion is among the Saints But vvhy is the execution of this iudgement committed to the second person in the Trinitie to Christ 1. It is fit that he who came to be iudged should also come to iudge Tunc manifestus veniet inter iustos iudicaturus iustè qui occultè vener at iudicandus ab iniustis iniustè He that came in humility to be iudged by the vniust vniustly shall come in glory to iudge all iustly 2. As it is for the honour of Christ so is it for the horror of his enemies when they shall see him whâ—…m they haue pierced intreating the Rockes and mountaines to hide them from the presence of him that sits on the Throne In maiestate visuri sunt quem in humilitate videre noluerunt Vt tantò districtius virtutem sentiant quantò contemptius infirmitatem dâ—…riserunt They shall behold him in Maiesty whom they would not daigne to looke vpon in humility The baser they esteemed his vveakenesse the heauier they shall finde and feele his mightinesse Then Christ stood like a Lambe before Pilate a Lyon now Pilate like a malefactor shall stand before Christ his Iudge Crucifie him crucifie him vvas the sentence of the Iewes Bind them hand and foote and throw them into vtter darkenesse will be the sentence of Christ. We will not haue this man raigne ouer vs was their sentence Bring those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne â—…uer them slay them before me this is Christs sentence The vngodly conspire Let vs breake his bonds afunder and cast away his câ—…rds from vs therefore vers 9. hee shall breake them with a rod of yron and dish them in pieces like a potters vessell Thus he that was once made the footstoole of his enemies shall raigne till hee hath made all his enemies his footstoole As Ioshua dealt vvith the fiue Kings hid in the Caue of Makkedah brought them out caused his Captaines of warre to set their feet on the neckes of them then slew them and hanged them on trees So shall Christ triumph ouer his enemies their neckes subiected to the feet of the Saints and their substances cast into endlesse torments 3. For the comfort of his chosen ones hee is their Iudge that is their Sauiour He that gaue the bloud of mercy to saue them from the hand of Iustice wil not now condemne them O blessed mercy that so triumphs against Iudgement yea Iustice and Mercy are met together in this Iudge Iustice vpon them that
despised him mercy to them that feared him Happy faith that shall not be ashamed at that day Abide in him that when he shall appeare we may haue confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comming The heauens shall be on fire the elements melt vvith the flame the earth be burnt Castles Cities Townes and Towers be turned to one pile the Deuils shall make a hideous noyse the reprobates shrieke and howle like Dragons all because this Iudges wrath is kindled But the faithfull shall reioyce I will see you againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy no man taketh from you The musike of Saints and Angels shall be ioyned in one Quire and all sing Blessing honor glory and power be vnto him that sits on the Throne and to the Lambe for euer The Iudge This is his authority now there are certaine properties required in a iust Iudge some of them are found in some Iudges many in few Iudges all perfectly in no Iudge but this Iudge of all Iesus Christ. 1. Perspicacitas ingenij sharpenesse of apprehension and soundnesse of vnderstanding Ignorance in a priuate person is a weakenes in a Iudge a wickednesse Ignorantia Iudicis calamitas innocentis A Iudge ignorant makes wretched the innocent It was a curse I will giue children to be their Princes and babes shall rule ouer them that is Gouernors of a childish discretion It is a woe Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a childe Iustice was anciently painted blinde to shew that no fauour be giuen to persons but it vvas not meant so blinde as not to discerne causes It is vvofull when Iudges are so blinde that they are faine to feele the right No man vvould haue his body come vnder the cure of a foolish Physician nor his estate vnder an ignorant Iudge But this Iudge of heauen and earth is so wise that hee knowes the very secrets of mens hearts All things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom wee haue to doe The wicked can haue no hope that a bad cause flourished ouer should passe vnconstrued vncensured His eyes are as a flame of fire cleare to search and finde out all secrets Accordingly he hath now put in his interlocutory then will giue his definitiue sentence 2. Audacitas animi boldnesse of courage a timerous Iudge looseth a good cause In the fable vvhen the Hart is made Iudge betweene the Wolfe and the Lambe it must needs goe on the Wolfes side The feare of displeasing Greatnesse is a sore Remora to the vessell of Iustice. Therefore the poore complaine If the foundations bee cast downe what can the righteous doe Quis metuet offendere cum Iudex metuat abscindere Who will feare to doe mischiefe when he knowes the Iudge dares not punish him Therefore when GOD made â—…oshua Iudge of Israel obserue how he doubles this charge Iosh. 1. ver 6. 7. 8. 9. Be strong and of a good courage And the people againe ver 18. We will obey thee onely be thou strong and of a good courage But this Iudge will not be danted with faces of men The Kings of the earth the great men the rich men the chiefe Captaines and the mighty-men hid themselues in the dennes in the rocks of the Mountaines Those terrors of slaues and mirrors of fooles that made the vnderlings tremble hide themselues in caues now for all their puissance are glad to runne into a hole and cowardly shrowd themselues Adducetur cum suis stultus Plato discipulis Aristotelis argumenta non proderunt Heroâ—…is maiestas deijcietur cùm filius pauperculae venerit iudicatâ—…rus terram Then foolish Plato shall appeare with his scholers Aristotle shall be confuted with all his arguments Herodâ—… pompe shall be turned to shame when that Sonne of the Virgin shall come to iudge the world 3. Honestas conscientiae honesty of conscience The Iudge that will be corrupted dares corrupt the truth Wofull is that iudgement which comes from him who hath vaenâ—…lem â—…nimam a saleable soule Fâ—…lix was such a Iudge who hoped that money should haue beene giuen him of Paul Qui vendit iustitiam pro pecuniae perdit pecuniam cum anima He that sells iustice for mony shall lose mercy and his soule You afflict the iust you take a bribe and turne aside the poore in the gate from their right They haue built them houses of â—…ewen stone ver 11. How By bribes What shall become of them They shall not dwell in them for fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery If any Iusticers thinke so to raise themselues it is but vt lapsu grauiore ruant that they may haue the sorer fall There are certaine rich stuffes forbidden by the Statute but to weare clothes cut out of bribes and laced with exactions is specially forbidden by the Statute of heauen When money can open the locke of Iustices dore the worst cause is first heard This pocket-key is fitted for all dores One spake vnhappily I haue a key in my pocket saith he that will passe me in all Countryes he meant his purse In Italie it can open the dore of life Doe you hate a man for mony you may haue him pistold or poysond In Frâ—…nce it can open the dore of loue lust you for such a vvoman money makes her your harlot In Spayne it opens the dore of Iustice the case shall goe on the rich mans side In England it can open the dore of honour mony makes a Gentleman and reputation swels with the Barnes In Rome it can open the dore of heauen for they sell Claues Altariâ—… Christum peace and pardon and heauen and Christ himselfe Graâ—…s lacerantur pauperes à prauis Iudicibus quà m à cruentissimis hostibus Nullus praedo tâ—…m cupidus in alienis quà m Iudex iniquns in suis. The robes of peace couering corruption are worse to the poore then hostile inuasion But this Iudge of heauen will take no bribes other Iudges may procrastinate put off or peruert causes Saepe non finiunt negotia quousque exhauriant marsupia they will often see an end of the Clyents money before the Clyents see an end of their cause They often determine to heare but seldome heare to determine But Christ shall iudge those Iudges Be instructed ye Iudges of the earth kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and ye perish At that day Plus valebunt pura corda quà m asâ—…ta verba conscientia bona quà m marsupia plena Pure hearts shall speed better then subtile words a good conscience better then a full purse Iudex non falletur verbis nec flectetur donis That Iudge will neither be mooued with our gifts nor deceiued with our shifts Happy soule that forsaking the loue of money hath gotten a pure heart to appeare before Iesus Christ. 4. Impartialitas Iustitiae impartiall Iustice. Tully tells vs of a Prouerbe Exuit
all stand before the Tribunal of Christ to the Statutes of the former bookes who can answere All our helpe is in this latter booke we flie to the Gospel We behold the Lambe of GOD that taketh away the sinne of the vvorld and comfort our selues that if any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate vvith the Father Iesus Christ the righâ—…ous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Now as Festus said to Paul Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar vnto Caesar shalt thou go So hast thou appealed to the Gospel thou shalt goe to the Gospel for thy tryall Vel te totaliter absoluit vel te capitaliter damnat It shall either throughly iustifie thee or extremely condemne thee The Spirit shall conuince the world of sinne saith Christ Because they beleeue not on mee Now what is the holy Ghosts iudgement here will be Christs hereafter But why are they condemned of sinne for not belieuing 1. Because other sinnes are condemned by nature and Law as murder adulterie both among Iewes and Gentiles but not to belieue is the proper sin of Christians and it is a grand sinne because they haue the doctrine of faith 2. Because infidelity is the roote of all sins as faith is of all good works the want of faith leads from transgression to presumption from presumption to despaire 3. Especially because faith takes away the guilt of all sinnes and freeth from condemnation but infidelitie retaines the guilt of it selfe and others Omnia peccata per infidelitatem retinentur per fidem remittuntur Aug. Luther hath it out of Augustine Nullum peccatum nisi infidelitas nulla iustitia nisi fides There is no sinne but infidelitie no righteousnesse but faith Not that Adultery Intemperance Malice are no sinnes but Infidelitate manente manet omne peccatum eadem decedente absoluâ—…tur omnia quoad reatum Vnfaithfulnesse remaining euery sinne remaines that departing euery sinne is pardoned and quite taken away in respect of the guiltinesse Peccata sunt tua peccata non sunt After thou becommest a Beleeuer the sinnes thou doost are sinnes but not thy sinnes because they are forgiuen thee This appeares by the purpose of Christs comming which was to dissolue the works of the deuil belieue on him thy sins are dissolued absolued thou art as if thou neuer hadst offended Non quòd peccatuÌ„ omninò non erit sed quòd non omninò impâ—…atum erit Not that sinne altogether should not be but that it shall not be imputed How quicke a riddance penitent faith makes with our sinnes They are too heauy for our shoulders faith presently turnes them ouer to Christ. Whereas there would goe with vs to iudgement a huge kennell of lusts an Army of vaine words a legion of euill deedes faith instantly dischargeth them all kneeling downe to Iesus Christ beseeching him to answere for them Therfore make we much of faith if our soules be ballaced with this they shall neuer shipwracke Aâ—…asuerus had many virgins none pleased him like Ester none pleaseth God but faith all the rest for her sake Shee is that Iudith that saueth the life of all thy good workes by cutting off the vsurping head of Satan Thou canst not be vnwelcome to God if thou come with confidence nothing more offends God then the not taking his word Sinne offends his Law but vnbeliefe offends his Gospel Though we doe not what he bids vs yet let vs be sure he will doe what he tells vs. It is good to obey the former better to belieue the latter because he is more able and more good then we Well now after this Gospel we must be iudged so Paul writes to his Romanes GOD shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel Thou canst not satisfie the Law therefore study thy soule an answere to this booke Otherwise saith Christ The vvord that I haue spoken the same shall iudge thee in the last day The Sermons thou hast heard shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne thee Hence arise three conclusions 1. It is no presumption for a Christian to belieue the pardon of his sinnes in Christ for to doe the will of God is not to presume If we doe not belieue this Christ shal iudge vs damnable by the Gospell therefore if wee doe conscionably belieue this he shall acquite vs by the Gospel Non est praesumptio credentis vbi est authoritas iubentis There is no presumption in man to belieue it when there is the authority of God to command it Of all things in a Christian God doth not loue a nice dainty and maidenly faith He loues to haue a mans modesty bashfull his humility fearefull his penitence sorrowfull his patience ioyful his compassion pitifull but he loues a faith that hath boldnesse in it That is not afraid to trouble God with aâ—…iance or suppliance but is confident ruat â—…rcus et ortus Without faith it is dangerous pressing into the Presence Chamber as it was to the marriage without the wedding garment but in faith Sequere et consequere qui cupit capit speake and speed Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you It is no sin to trust God with thy soule Paul teacheth it by example I know whom I haue beleeued that he will keepe that I haue committed to him against that day Peter by counsel Commit your soules to God in weldooing It is no sin to call God Father for he hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father It is no sin to trouble him with our suites Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Not to doe this faithfully is against the Gospel therefore to be iudged of that sinne The infallible certaintie of a true Christians saluation is knowne to himselfe and cannot be doubted vvithout sinne For if it be sinne to distrust this it is then righteousnesse to belieue it The summe of the Gospel is mans saluation by Christ he that belieues not this belieues not the Gospell and he that knowes the Gospel and belieues it not shall by it be condemned Now God in the Gospel doth not require that absolute perfection which he did in the Law vnder the perill of damnation but qualifies the rigour of the Law by the satisfaction of a Mediator So that the Gospell accepts the intent and endeuour for the act as the will to repent for penitence and the wil to belieue for faith It is then not onely a weakenes but a wickednes to distrust Gods mercy in thy saluation let not this faultiudge thee before Iesus Christ. 3. The Gospel requires probation of faith by a good life Norma fides forma vitae as we belieue we must liue Doe we belieue Christ hath redeemed vs We must liue like such as are redeemed if freed let vs demeane our selues as children of freedome It is nothing at this iudgement to say
c. Sometimes Reducentem Psalm 126. 4. Turne againe our captiuitie O Lord as the streames in the South Often Educentem Psalm 105. 43. Hee brought forth his people vvith ioy and his chosen with gladnesse Neuer Seducentem beguiling deceiuing causing to erre for that is opus Diaboli who is the Accuser and Seducer of men For the latter Into a wealthy place The greatnesse of our felicity doth farre transcend the grieuousnesse of our past misery The dimension of our height exceedes that of our depth neyther did affliction euer bring it so low as our eleuation hath aduanced vs high Hereon S. Paul Rom. 8. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall bee reuealed in vs. whether we compare or their Strength Length For their vigour or strength the affliction of man in the greatest extremitie that he can lay it on man is but finite as the afflicter The blow comes but from an arme of flesh and therefore can wound but flesh Yeeld the extention of it to reach so farre as any possible malice can driue it yet it can but racke the body distend the ioynts sluce out the bloud and giue liberty to the imprison'd soule Which soule they cannot strike Therefore saith Christ Feare not him that hath power ouer the body onely not ouer the soule And euen in the middest of this dire persecution God can eyther quite deliuer vs that the storme shall blow ouer our heads and hurt vs not or if he suffers vs to suffer that yet he will so qualifie the heat of it that the coole refreshing of his blessed spirit inwardly to the Conscience shall in a manner extinguish the torment But now this vvealthy place the spring of ioy that succeedes this winter of anguish is illimited insuppressible inexpressible infinite So strongly guarded with an almighty power that no robber violently nor theefe subtilly can steale it from vs. Some pleasure is mixed with that paine but no paine is incident to this pleasure There was some laughter among those teares but there shall be no teares in this laughter For Teares shall bee quite wiped from our eyes By hovv much then the power of God transcends mans yea Gods mercie mans malice by so much shall our reioysing exceede our passion By how much the glorious City of heauen walled with Iasper and pure gold shining as brasse is stronger then the vndefensed and naked cottage of this transient world our future comforts arise in measure pleasure and security aboue our passed distresse Thus for Strength If we compare their Length we shall finde an infinite inequalitie Paul calls affliction momentany glory eternall Time shall determine the one and that a short time a very winters day but the other is aboue the wheeles of motion and therefore beyond the reach of time For a moment in mine anger saith the Lord I did hide my face from thee but with euerlasting mercy I haue had compassion on thee Nothing but eternity can make eyther ioy or sorrow absolute Hee can brooke his imprisonment that knowes the short date of it and he finds poore content in his pleasure that is certaine of a sodaine losse We know that our pilgrimage is not long through this valley of teares and miserable Desart but our Canaan home Inheritance is a wealthy place glorious for countenance blessed for continuance vvealthy vvithout want stable vvithout alteration a constant Mansion an immoueable Kingdome Vnto vvhich our Lord Iesus in his appointed time bring vs. To whom with the Father and Spirit of consolation be all praise and glory for euer Amen GODS HOVSE OR THE PLACE OF PRAYSES PSALME 66. 12. I will goe into thy House with burnt offerings I will pay thee my vowes THE formerverse connexed with this demonstrate with words of life Dauids Affliction Affection His Affliction to be ouer-ridden with Persecutors his Affection to blesse God for his deliuerance Great misery taken away by great mercy requires great thankefulnesse I will goe into thy c. Before wee put this Song into parts or deriue it into particulars two generall things must be considered The Matter The Maner the Substance the Forme The matter and substance of the verse is Thankèfulnesse the manner and forme Resolution The whole fabricke declares the former the fashion of the building the latter The Tenor of all is Praysing God the key or tune it is set in Purpose I will goe into thy house I will pay thee my vowes So that first I must intreat you to looke vpon a Solution and a Resolution a debt to be payd and a purpose of heart to pay it The Debt Is Thankefulnesse This is the matter and substance of the wordes God hauing first by affliction taught vs to know our selues doth afterwards by deliuerance teach vs to know him And when his gracious hand hath helped vs out of the low pitte hee lookes that like Israel Exod. 15. wee should stand vpon the shore and blesse his name Dauid that prayed to God de profundis out of the depths haue I called vnto thee doth after praise him in excelsis with the highest Organs and instruments of laud. Generall mercies require our continuall thankes but new fauours new prayses O Sing vnto the Lord a New Song for he hath done maruellous things There is a fourefold life belonging to man and God is the keeper of all His naturall ciuill spirituall and eternall life Eloudie man would take away our naturall life Psal. 37. The wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him GOD keepes it The slanderous world would blast our ciuill life God blesseth our memory The corrupted flesh would poyson our spirituall life God hides it in Christ. The raging Deuill would kill our eternall life God preserues it in heauen Vnworthy are wee of rest that night wherein we sleepe or of the light of the Sunne that day wherein we rise without praysing God for these mercies If wee thinke not on him that made vs vvee thinke not to vvhat purpose hee made vs. When I consider the workes of GOD saith Augustine I am wonderfully mooued to praise the Creator Qui prorsus ita magnus est in operibus magnis vt minor non sit in minimis vvho is so great in his great workes that hee is not lesse in his least But when we consider his worke of Redemption about which he was not as about the Creation six dayes but aboue thirtie yeeres Where non sua dedit sed se he gaue not his riches but himselfe and that non tam in Dominum quà m in seruum et sacrificium not to be a Lord but a seruant a sacrifice We haue Adamantine hearts if the bloud of this saluation cannot melt them into praises But speciall fauours require speciall thanks vvhether they consist in Eximendo Exhibendo either in redeeming vs from dangers or heaping vpon vs benefites Our Prophet in fiue instances Psal. 107. exemplifieth
publishing of his benefite Mark 1. to the Leper See thou say nothing to any man of it But he went out and began to publish it much to blaze abroad the matter I know diuerse Diuines by curious distinctions haue gone about to excuse the matter by making this an admonitory not an obligatory precept But I subscribe to Caluin and Marlorat who taxe it for an offence and manifest breach of Christs commandement And Ierome on that place sayes that Non erat necesse vt sermone iactaret quod corpore praeferebat His tongue might be silent for his whole body was turned into a tongue to publish it The act was good but not good at that time Disobedient he was be it granted yet of all disobedient men commend me to him Let not then any politicke or sinister respects tye vp our tongues from blessing him that hath blessed vs. Suffocate not the fire of zeale in thy heart by silent lips lest it proue key-cold But say with our Prophet My foot standeth in an euen place in the congregations vvill I blesse the Lord. We perceiue now the motiue cause that brought Dauid into Gods house I would take leaue from hence in a word to instruct you with what minde you should come to this holy place We are in substance inheritors of the same faith which the Iewes held haue in stead of their Tabernacle Sanctuary Temple Churches places set apart for the Assembly of Gods Saints Wherein wee receiue diuine Mysteries and celebrate diuine Ministeries which are said by Damascen Plus participare operationis gratiae diuinae There is nothing lost by the Gospell which the Law afforded but rather all bettered It is obseruable that the building of that glorious Temple vvas the maturity and consummation of Gods mercy to the Iewes Infinite were his fauours betwixt their slauery in Egypt and their peace in Israel God did as it were attend vpon them to supply their wants They haue no guide why God himselfe is their guide and goes before them in a pillar of fire They haue no shelter the Lord spreads a cloud ouer them for a Canopy Are they at a stand and want way The Sea shall part and giue them passage whiles the diuided waters are as walls vnto them For sustenance they lacke bread heauen it selfe shall powre downe the food of Angels Haue they no meat to their bread A winde shall blow to them innumerable Quailes Bread and flesh is not enough without drinke behold a hard rocke smitten with a little vvand shall powre out abundance of water But what is all this if they yet in the wildernesse shall vvant apparell their garments shall not waxe olde on their backes Doe they besiege Iericho walls shall fall downe before them for want of engines hailestones shall braine their enemies Lampes and pitchers and dreames shall get them victorie The Sunne shall stand still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Aialon to behold their conquests Lacke they yet a Land to inhabite the Lord will make good his promise against all difficulties and giue them a land that flowes with milke and honey But is all this yet short of our purpose and their chiefe blessednesse They want a House to celebrate his praise that hath done all this for them behold the Lord giueth them a goodly Temple neyther doth hee therein onely accept their offerings but he also giues them his Oracles euen vocall oracles between the Cherubins I might easily paralell England to Israel in the circumference of all these blessings but my center is their last and best and whereof they most boasted The Temple of the Lord and the Law of their God To answere these wee haue the Houses of God and the Gospell of Iesus Christ. We haue all though all in a new manner 2. Cor. 5. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new They had an Old Testament we haue the New Testament They had the Spirit wee haue a new Spirit They had Commandements we haue Nouum mandatum the New commandement They had an Inheritance Canaan we haue a new Inheritance promised Vids nouum coelum nouam terram I saw a new heauen and a new earth To conclude they had their Temple we haue our Churches to which as they were brought by their Sabbath so we by our Lords day wherein as they had their Sacraments so we haue our Sacraments Wee must therefore beare the like affection to ours as they did to that We haue greater cause There was the shadow heere is the substance there the figure here the truth there the sacrifices of beasts heere of the Lambe of God taking away the sinne of the vvorld I finde my selfe here occasioned to enter a great sea of discourse but you shall see I will make but a short cut of it It is Gods house you enter a house vvhere the Lord is present the place where his honour dwelleth Let this teach vs to come 1. With Reuerence Ye shall hallow my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. The very mention of this Reuerence me thinkes should strike our hearts with our selfe-knowne guiltinesse How few looke to their feet before they enter these holy dores Eccl. 5. and so they offer the Sacrifice of imprudent and impudent fooles If they are to heare they regard Quis not Quid any thing is good that some man speakes the same in another triuiall If the man likes them not nor shall the Sermon Many thus contend like those two Germans in a Tauerne One said he was of Doctor Martins religion the other protested himselfe of Doctor Luthers religion and thus among their cups the litigation grew hote betweene them whereas indeed Martin and Luther was but one man Others when they come first into the Church they swappe downe on their seates clappe their hattes before their eyes and scarce bow their knees as if they came to blesse God not to intreat God to blesse them They vvould quake in the presence of an offended King who are thus impudent faced in the house of God But saith the Lord whose Throne is the heauen and the earth his footstoole I will looke to him that trembleth at my vvord So Iacob Gen. 28. was afraid and sayd Hovv fearefull is this place This is none other then the house of God and this is the gate of heauen Whereupon Bernard Terribilis planè locus c. A fearefull place indeed worthy of all reuerence which Saints inhabit holy Angels frequent and God himselfe graceth vvith his owne presence As the first Adam was placed in Paradise to keepe it so the second Adam is in the congregation of his Saints to preserue it Therefore enter not without Reuerence I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I vvorship toward thy holy Temple 2. With Ioy. None but a free-will offering is welcome to
God It is a common opinion in the world that Religion doth dull a mans wits and deiect his spirits as if mirth and mischiefe were onely sworne brothers But Gods word teacheth and a good conscience findeth that no man can be so ioyfull as the faithfull nor is there so merry a land as the holy Land no place of ioy like the Church Let the wicked thinke that they cannot laugh if they be tied to the Law of Grace nor be merry if God be in the company But the Christian knowes there is no true ioy but the good ioy and if this be any where it is in the Temple I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Indeed therefore we are not merry enough because we are not enough Christians Can you wish more ioy to be receiued then that Rom. 14 Peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Hilaris cum pondere virtus a ioy that can neither be suppressed nor expressed Or more ioy to be communicated then Colos. 3. in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs singing vvith grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thinke thinke thy God is here The Angels of heauen reioyce in his glorious presence and crowne it as their cheefe felicity and shall not poor man reioyce in his gracious presence as it were his most blessed society yes the light of thy Countenance O Lord shall put more gladnesse into our hearts then into the worldlings their aboundance of corne and wine Cast away then your dulnesse and vnwillingnesse of heart Come merrily and with a ioyfull soule into the house of God 3. With Holinesse It is holy ground not by any inherent holinesse but in regard of the religious vse For that place which was once Bethel the House of GOD proued afterwards Bethauen the house of iniquity But it is thus Gods Sanctuary the habitation of his Sanctity Procul hinc procul este profani Put off thy shooes d' off thy carnall affections the place vvhere thou standest is holy ground wash thy hands yea thy heart in innocency before thou come neere to Gods Altar Bee the Minister neuer so simple neuer so sinfull the word is holy the action holy the time holy the place holy ordained by the most Holy to make vs holy said a reuerend Diuine Gods house is for godly exercises they wrong it therefore that turne Sanctuarium into Promptuarium the Sanctuary into a Butterie and spirituall food into belly-cheere And they much more that peruert it to a place of Pastime making the house of praise a house of playes And they most of all that make it a house not laudis but fraudis My house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a d◅nne of theeues robbing if not men of their goods yet God of the better part sincerity of conscience What a horrid thing would it bee Beloued if you should depart from this Church where you learne to keepe a good conscience but into the market and there practise deceit circumuentiō oppression swearing drunkennesse O doe not deriue the commencement of your sinnes from Gods house What a mockery is this and how odious in the sight of heauen if you should begin your wickednesse with a Sermon ◅as the Papists beginne their treasons with a masse I taxe no knowne person but for the facts and faults Non ignota cano I doe not speake of things vnknowne I would to God your amended liues might bring me with shame againe hither to recant and vnsay it But it often so falls out that as those conspirators met at the Capitol so the Church is made the Communis Terminus where many wickednesses haue appointed to meete What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Begin not the day with God to spend all the rest vvith Satan Your tongues haue now blessed the Lord let not the euening finde them redde with oathes or black with curses Let not that saying of Luther be verifyed by you that In nomine Domini incipit omne malum in the name of God begins all mischiefe Whatsoeuer your morning Sacrifice pretend looke to your afternoone You haue done so much the worse as you haue made a shew of good and it had beene easier for your profane hearts to haue missed this admonition This Caueat before I leaue Gods house I thought to commend to your practise when you leaue it I haue held you too long in the Church speaking of the Church It was the most materiall point I propounded to my discourse forgiue the prolixity the breuity of the rest shall make amends The first straine or staire was his entrance into GODS house now hee is in what doth he what bringeth hee vve finde Burnt Offerings I haue three disswasions from punctuall tractation of this point 1. The poore remnant of the fugitiue time 2. I haue liberally handled it on former occasions 3. The necessity is not great of discoursing the Sacrifices of the Law in these dayes of the Gospell wee haue the light and therefore need not trouble our selues to call backe the shadowes Sacrifices are of great Antiquity not onely the Booke of God but euen the Law of nature hath imprinted in mans heart that Sacrifices must be offered It is written in the conscience that an homage was due to the superiour power which is able to reuenge it selfe of dishonour and contempt done it and to regratifie them with kindnesse that serued it But Dauids Sacrifice was the earnest of a thankefull heart I might amplifie it and perhaps picke vp some good gleanings after others full carts I could also obserue that Dauid came not before God empty-handed but brought with him some actuall testimony of his deuoted affection Burnt offerings To the confusion of their faces who will no longer serue God if hee growes chargeable to them If they may receiue from God good things and pay him onely with good words they are content to worship him But if they cannot bee in his fauour but it must cost them the setting on they will saue their purses though they lose their soules If hee requires ought for his Church poore Ministers or poore members they cry vvith Iudas Ad quid perditio haec why is this waste They are onely so long rich in deuotion as they may be rich by deuotion and no longer But for our selues be we sure that the best Sacrifice we can giue to God is obedience not a dead beast but a liuing soule The Lord takes no delight in the bloud of brutish creatures a spirit in bodies the impassible in sauours arising from Altars It is the minde the life the soule the obedience that he requires To obey is better then sacrifice Let this be our burnt offering our Holocaust a sanctified Body and Mind giuen vp to the Lord. First the heart My Sonne giue me thy heart Is not the heart enough no the hand also wash the hands from bloud and
couetous hogs or oppressing Tygers If thou be such heere is no more mercy for thee then if there were no Sauiour If there be no carefull obseruation of the Law there is no conseruation by the Gospell No good life no good faith no good faith no Christ. Be not deceiued God is not mocked 7. Well yet Repentance makes all euen wheresoeuer it comes or God is not so good as his word Yes God will be so good as his promise but here 's the doubt whether thou wilt bee so good as thy purpose Thou canst charge God no further then to forgiue thee repenting not to giue thee repentance sinning Promisit Deus poenitenti veniam non peccanti poenitentiam He hath made a promise to Repentance not of Repentance This is Gods tresure what is the reason the malefactor went frō the crosse to heauen Dedit poenitentiam qui dedit Paradisum God gaue him repentance that also gaue him Paradise Art thou sure God will put this almes into thy polluted hand It is dangerous ventring the soule on such an vncertainty He that sins that he may repent is like one that surfet◅ that he may take Physicke And whether this Physicke vvill worke on a dead heart is a perillous feare Alas vvhat teares are in flint what remorse in a benu◅ed conscience Tutum est poenitenda non committere certum non est commissa deflere It is safe not to doe what thou mayst repent it is not certaine to repent what thou hast done It is the fashion of many to send repentance afore to threescore but if they liue to those yeares they doe not then ouertake it but driue it before them still Be not deceiued God is not mocked You see now what trust is in colours how easily you may deceiue your selues how vnpossibly mocke GOD. Leaue then excuses to the wicked that will be guilty and God shall not know of it Bernard reckons vp their mitigations Non feci c. I haue not done it or if I haue done yet not done euill or if euill yet not very euill or if very euill yet not with an euill mind or if with an euill mind yet by others euill perswasion Be not deceiued God is not mocked If we cry with that seruant Haue patience and I will pay thee all the Lord may forbeare in mercy But if wee wrangle I owe nothing and God is too hasty to call me from my pleasures hee vvill require the vttermost farthing I haue held you long in this Disswasiue part of the Caution The Perswasiue was also much included in it and therefore I will but touch it God is not mocked God is often in the Scripture called the Searcher of the heart Iere. 17. The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately vvicked who can knowe it Who Ego Dominus I the Lord know the heart So Salomon in his prayer Thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men So the Apostles about the election of one in Iudas roome Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men Now hee that knowes the heart cannot be mocked It is hard to beguile the eye of man looking on vs how much more to deceiue the eye of God looking in vs Therefore Quod non audes facere aspiciente conseruo hoc ne cogites inspiciente Deo How vaine a thing then is it to be an Hypocrite As if God had not a window into the heart to discerne it Hypocrites saith Augustine haue Christianum nomen ad iudicium non ad remedium The name of Christians to their condemnation not comfort Their words are like an Eccho they answere Gods call but neuer come at him Good company they will admit to better their credite not their conscience Like crafty Apothecaries they haue one thing written in their papers and markes another thing in their boxes But because euery man is as hastie to condemne an Hypocrite as Dauid was to condemne the Oppressor in the Parable vvhen the Tu es homo lyes in his owne bosome I vvill touch two or three particulars If we looke into Popery we shall find it vniuersally a professed study to mocke GOD. They make shew by their abundant prayers of an abundant zeale when as if God saw not the heart they thinke the worke done is sufficient Those Qui filo insertis numerant sua murmura baccis keepe number and tale no matter with what mind no nor yet to whom whether to this Angel or that Saint to our Lord or to our Lady Yea it is recorded that the Papists in Scotland about Henry the 8. his time of England vsed to say the Lords Prayer to Saints Insomuch that when a little knowledge came into some mens hearts of this absurdity there arose great Schisme And one Fryer Toit◅ was gotten to make a Sermon that the Pater noster might be said to Saints So were the people diuided that it was a common question To whom say you your Pater-noster Call you these zealous prayers Be not deceiued God is not mocked As much might be said for their vncleane Celibate Their single life makes shew of great purenes as if their adulteries Sodomitry experimentall brothelry vnmatchable vncleannesses were not knowne They ostent their Chastitie when Vrbs est iam tota Lupanar What would they but mocke God No lesse for their fastings How deadly a sinne is it to eate flesh on a Friday yet is it no sinne with them to be drunke on a Friday A poore labourer plowes all day at night refresheth himselfe with a morsell of Bacon hee is an Heretike A gallant Gentleman hawkes all day at night sits downe to his varietie of fishes curious wines possets iunkets O he 's a good Catholike An Hypocrite he is rather Famam quaerunt abstinentiae in delicijs They seeke the credite of temperance among full tables ful pots Famam quaerunt but Famem fugiunt They desire praise but they refuse hunger But God is not mocked For our selues If there be any here because my Text depends on that occasion that robbes his Minister of temporal food and yet makes shew to hunger after his spirituall food though he may coozen man vnseene eyther by his greatnesse or craftines Let him know that Gdo is not mocked If there be any fraudulent Debter that deceiues his brother of his goods and then flatters his conscience that the merits of Christ shall acquit him so packes all vpon Christ let him pay it let him know that God is not mocked The bloud of Christ was not shed to pay mens debts but Gods debts It hath vertue enough but no such direction Thou iniurest Christ to lay such reckonings on him No Vende solue viue de reliquo Sell that thou hast pay that thou owest liue of that thou reseruest If there be any Vsurer that deales altogether in letting out that lets out his money to men his time to Mammon his body to pining his mind to repyning
praemium tantis lobâ—…ribus quaesitum lest the reward be lost which thou with much labour hast aymed at It is not enough Quaerere coelum sed acquirere non Christum sequi sed consequi To seeke heauen but to find it not to follow Christ but to ouertake him not to be brought to the gates but to enter in Many will say to Christ in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy Name But the Master of the house is first risen hath shut to the doore Either they come too soone before they haue gotten faith and a good conscience or too late as those foolish Virgins when the gate was shut If then wee haue begun let vs continue to entrance Cuiusque casus tantò maioris est criminis quantò prinsquam caderet maior is er at virtutis Euery mans fault hath so much the more discredite of scandall as he before he fell had credite of vertue Let vs beware that we doe not slide if slide that we do not fall if fall that wee fall forward not backward The iust man often slips and sometime falls And this is dangerous for if a man whiles hee stands on his legges can hardly grapple with the deuill how shall he do when he is falne downe vnder his feete But if they doe fall they fall forward as Ezekiel not backward as Eli at the losse of the Arke or they that came to surprise Christ Iohn 18. They went backward and fell to the ground Cease not then thy godly endeuours vntill Contingas portum quò tibi â—…ursus erat Say we not like the woman to Esdras whether in a vision or otherwise when he bade her goe into the Citie That will I not doe I will not goe into the Citie but here I will die It is a wretched sinne saith August after teares for sinne not to preserue innocence Such a man is washed but is not cleane Quia coÌ„missa flere definit et iterum flenda committit He leaues weeping for faults done and renues faults worthy of weeping Think not thy selfe safe till thou art got within the gates of the Citie Behold thy Sauiour calling thy Father blessing the Spirit assisting the Angels comforting the Word directing the glory inuiting good men associating Go cheerfully till thou enter in through the gates into the Citie The manner Through the gates Not singularly a Gate but gates For Chap. 21. the Citie is said to haue twelue gates On the East three gates on the North three on the South three and on the West three To declare that men shall come from all the corners of the World from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of GOD. These Gates are not literally to be vnderstood but mystically Pro modo intrandi for the maner of entrance The gates are those passages whereby we must enter this Citie Heauen is often said to haue a Gate Striue to enter in at the strait Gate saith Christ. Lift vp your heads O yee Gates and be ye lift vp yee euerlasting doores saith the Psalmist This is none other but the house of God and this is the Gate of Heauen saith Iacob There must be Gates to a Citie they that admit vs hither are the Gates of Grace So the analogie of the words inferre dooing the commandements is the way to haue right in the tree of Life obedience and sanctification is the Gate to this Citis of saluation In a vvord The Gate is Grace Citie Glory The Temple had a gate called Beautifull Act. 3. But of poore beauty in regard of this Gate Of the gates of the Sanctuary spake Dauid in diuerse Psalmes with loue and ioy Enter into his gates with thanksgiuing and into his courts with praise This was Gods delight The Lord loueth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob This was Dauids election to be a Porter or keeper of the gates of Gods house rather then dwell in the Tents of wickednesse This his Resolution Our feete shall stand within thy gates O Ierusalem Salomon made two docres for the entring of the Oracle they were made of Oliue trees and wrought vpon with the carnings of Cherubins The Oliues promising fatnesse and plenty of blessings the Cherubins holinesse and eternitie These are holy gates let euery one pray with that royall Prophet Open to mee the gates of righteousnesse I will goe into them I wil praise the Lord. This is the Gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter In briefe we may distinguish the gates leading to this Citie into two Adoption and Sanctification Both these meet in Christ who is the onely gate or doore vvhereby we enter Heauen I am the doore saith our Sauiour Ianua vitae the gate of life by mee if any enter in hee shall be saued Adoption Is the first Gate We haue receiued the spirit of Adoption Without this passage no getting into Heauen The inheritance of glory cannot be giuen to the children of disobedience they must first be conuerted adopted heires in Christ. The Grace of God is two-fold There is Gratia gratis agens and Gratia gratum faciens This second grace which is of Adoption is neuer in a reprobate not by an absolute impossibilitie but by an indisposition in him to receiue it A sparke of fire falling vpon water ice snow goes out on wood flaxe or such apt matter kindles Baptisme is the Sacrament of admission into the Congregation of Insition and Initiation whereby vve are matriculated and receiued into the motherhood of the Church Therefore the sacred Font is placed at the Church-doore to insinuate and signifie our Entrance So Adoption is the first doore or gate whereby wee passe to the Citie of glory This is our new Creation whereat the Angels of heauen reioyce Luke 15. At the creation of Dukes or Earles there is great ioy among men but at our new creation Angels and Seraphins reioyce in the presence of GOD. Our Generation was A non esse ad esse from not being to be But our Regeneration is A malè esse ad benè esse from a being euill to be well and that for euer Through this gate we must passe to enter the Citie vvithout this death shall send vs to another place No man ends this life well except he be borne againe before he ends it Now if you would be sure that you are gone through this gate call to mind what hath been your Repentance The first signe of Regeneration is throbbes and throwes you cannot be adopted to Christ without sensible paine and compunction of heart for your sinnes The Christian hath two Birthes and they are two gates hee can passe through none of them but with anguish Both our first and second Birth begin with crying Our first birth is a gate into
must not liue in glory with Christ. Thus farre the Rich man acts now comes in Gods part which turnes the nature of his play from Comike purposes to Tragike euents He behights all peace and ioy to himselfe But God said Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from tâ—…e c. The words containe an Agent Patient Passion Question The Agent is God But God said The Patient is the rich Foole. The Passion This night shall thy soule be required of thee The Question which God puts to him to let him see his folly Then whose shall those things be vvhich thou hast prouided The Agent God The Rich man was purposing great matters but he reckoned without his host he resolues thus and thus But God said to him Hence two obseruations 1. That the purposes of men are abortiue and neuer come to a happy birth if God blesse not their conception Man purposeth and God disposeth The horse is prepared to the battell but the victory is of the Lord. It is a holy reseruation in all our purposes Si Deo placuerit If it shall please the Lord. Goe to now ye that say To day or to morow we will goe into such a Citie and continue there a yeere buy and sell and get gaine Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morow Ye ought to say If the Lord will For neither tongue can speake nor foote moue if the Lord shal eneruate them as he did Zaobaries tongue in the Temple and Ieroboams arme when he would haue reached it out against the Prophet In vaine man intends that whereagainst God contends Sisera resolues on victory GOD crosseth it with ouerthrow Yet thinks Sisera Iael vvill succour me For there is peace betweene Iabin King of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite No euen there â—…he arme of the Lord is ready to encounter him a draught of milke shall be his last draught and the hand of a vvoman shall kill him that hath escaped the hand of an Armie The Iewes may say We will flie away 〈◊〉 swift horses But God saith Your Persecutors shall be swifter Senacherib purposeth to lick vp Israel as the Oxe grasse and though he found the Land before him as an Eden to leaue it behind him as Sodome But God said He shall goe home without his errand An hooke in his nostrils shall reine him back The King of Babylon sayes in his heart I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the starres of God and I will be like the most High But God said Thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit Hâ—…d made himselfe so sure of Christ that rather then to faile of cutting off the prophecied King he slayes his owne sonne Hee might so but he shall not touch Gods Sonne With what lauish promises do the Spanyards flatter themselues when they baptised their Nauie with the name of Invâ—…nsible England is their own they are already grasping it warme with gore in their clutches But God said Destruction shall inherite their hopes and the remainder of ruine shall be onely left to testifie vvhat they vvould haue done Mens thoughts promise often to themselues Multa magna many things great things they are plotted contriued commenced yet die like Ionah's Gourd when we should expect their refreshing Quia non fortâ—…it Deus because God hath not blessed them Ambition may reare turrets in emulation of heauen and vaine-glory build Castles in the ayre but the former shall haue no roofe as the latter hath no foundation Philip threatned the Lacedemonians that if he entred their Countrey he would vtterly extinguish them They wrote him no other answere but Si If meaning it was a condition well put in for hee neuer was like to come there Si S I non esset perfectum quidlibet esset But in the menaces of angry Tyrants and purposes of hastie intenders there is an If an included coÌ„dition that infatuates all Let our lesson hence be this That our purposes may be sped with a happy successe let vs intend in the Lord for the Lord. 1. Let vs deriue authoritie of our intentions from his sacred Truth which giues rules not onely to liue well and to speake well but euen ad bene câ—…gitandum to thinke well It is a wicked purpose to fast till Paul be killed to wreake malice to satifie lust Inauspicious and without speed are the intents whose beginning is not from God Let no purpose passe currant from thy heart till God hath set on it his stampe and seale of approbation Let his Word giue it a Fiat Whatsoeuer ye doe yea or intend to doe let both action of hand and thought of heart be all to Gods glory 2. Let vs in all our purposes reserue the first place for Gods helping hand Without mee yee can doe nothing saith Christ. But it is obiected that Paul spake peremptorily to his Corinthians I will come vnto you when I shall passe through Macedonia And Dauid I will goe to the house of the Lord. I answere Cor tenet quod lingua tacet they that had so much grace in their hearts wanted not this grace et noscere et poscere facultatem Domini to know and desire the Lords permission You shall neuer take men so well affected to good workes that doe not implore Gods assistance Though they doe not euer expresse in vvord yet they neuer suppresse in thought that reseruation If it please God as Paul doth afterwards in that place If the Lord permit If any will dare to resolue too confidently patronizing their temeritie from such patterns as if their voluntates were potestates let them know that like Taylours they haue measured others but neuer tooke measure of themselues that there is great difference betwixt a holy Propet or Apostle and a profane Publican 2. Obserue that God now speakes so to the Couetous that he will be heard he preacheth another kind of Sermon to him then euer he did before a fatall finall funerall Sermon a Text of Iudgement This night shal they fetch away thy soule For this is Gods Lecture himselfe reades it But God said Hee had preached to the vvordling often before and those Sermons were of three sorts 1. By his Word But cares of the world choake this Seed the heart goes after couetousnesse euen whiles the flesh sits vnder the pulpit This is the deuills three-wing'd arrow wealth pride voluptuousnesse vvhereby hee nailes the very heart fast to the earth It is his talent of lead which he hangs on the feet of the soule the affections that keepes her from mounting vp into heauen with the printed beauty of this filthy Harlot hee bewitcheth their mindes steales their desires from Christ and sends them a whoring to the hote Stewes of hell Thus is Gods first Sermon quite lost 2. By Iudgements on others whose smart should amaze him For God when hee strikes others vvarnes thee Tua
others vertues and good actions with praise It is the argument of a sullen and proud disposition not to commend them that do well Yet there is no ointment so sweet but there will bee some dead flies to corrupt it There bee certaine dogs that will barke at the Moone Critickes that spend the larger part of their time seeking knots in a bulrush The Snow is not so white but there is an Anaxagoras to make it blacke It was Gods commendation of Iob that there was none like him in the earth he had no fellow yet the deuill pickes quarrels and inuenteth slanders against him Traducers of their brethren I call not Damones but Damonis agunt I do not say they are deuils but they do the worke of deuils This mischiefe of deprauing hath also infected the Church Many a Preacher thinkes his owne glory eclipsed if the next Orbe be lightned with a brighter Starre Hence they fall to faulting and inueighing as if there were no way to build vp their owne credites but by the ruins of anothers disgrace God doth otherwise The Lord commended the vniust Steward because he had done wisely Though he had many faults yet Christ praiseth him for what was worthy praise his policy S. Paul found grosse errours in the Corinthians In this I praise you not that you come together not for the better but for the worse But wherein they did well he commends them ver 2. I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things Thus Ezekiel commends Daniel a Prophet of his owne time and thought it not any derogation from himselfe Behold Art thou wiser then Daniel As Salomon saith of beggers A poore man oppressing the poore is like a sweeping raine which leaueth no food behind it So a Minister disparaging a Minister is a breach whereby the deuill comes out and many soules go into hell Now to the words Arise go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole The verse may be distinguished into a Pasport and a Certificate Arise go thy way there is the Pasport Thy faith hath made thee whole there is the Certificate Hee giues him first a Dismission leaue to depart then a Testimonie or Assurance both to certifie the Church actually that he was cleansed of his leprosie but especially to certifie his owne conscience that he was conuerted and that the faith of his soule brought health to his body In the Pasport or Dismission there are two words considerable Surge and Vade Arise Goe Surge ad incipiendum vade ad perficiendum First let vs speake of them secundum sonum then secundum sensum First according to the Historie then according to Mysterie Allegories are tolerable when they be profitable Nor can it be much from the Text by occasion of those two words spoken to the eares of the Lepers body to instruct your soules how to Arise from the Seate of Custome the couch of sinne and to Goe on in the way of saluation Arise The Leper casts himselfe downe and Christ bids him arise Humility is the Gentleman Vsher to Glory God that sends away the rich empty from his gates loues to fill the hungry with good things The ayre passeth by the full vessell and onely filleth that is emptie This is the difference betweene the poore and beggers both agree in not hauing differ in crauing The proud are Pauperes Spiritus the humble are pauperes spiritu Blessed are not the poore spirits but the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Such as felt their wants sought and besought God for supply Euery Valley shall be filled and euery Mountaine be brought low The lowly minde shall be exalted the high-towring ambitious shall be throwne downe How should God say to the Marchant that glories in his wealth to the Vsurer that admireth his moneyes to the Gallant that wonders that his good cloathes do not preferre him Arise alas they are vp already they were neuer down A dwarfe in a great throng seeming low on his knees was bidden by the Prince to stand vp alas he was before at his highest God cannot be so mistaken as to encourage their standing vp who neuer yet had the manners to cast themselues downe Descendite vt ascendatis ad Deum cecidistis enim ascendendo contra euâ—… Descend that yee may rise vp to God for you haue fallen by rising vp against God He that is a Mountebanke must leuell himselfe euen with the ground if humblenesse hath once throwne him downe and brought him on his knees he shall heare the Patron and patterne of humblenesse comforting him with a Surge Arise The guest that sets himselfe downe at the lower end of the Table shall heare the Feast-maker kindly remoue him Friend sit vp higher If Hester fall at Asuerus feete hee will take her by the hand and bid her arise When Peter fell downe at Iesus knees saying Depart from me I am a sinfull man O Lord He presently was raised vp with Feare not from henceforth thou shalt catch men Zacheus is gotten vp on high to see Iesus see him hee may with his eye of flesh but he must descend that hee may see him with his eye of faith Come downe Zacheus this day is saluation come to thy house Descend to the ground that thou maist be raised aboue the clouds Pride euen in good things Non ditio sed perditio is no argument of possession but destruction The haughtie-minded lookes alwaies beyond the marke and offers to shoote further then hee lookes but euer falls two bowes short humility and discretion who is heard to say with Paul Quorum ego sum primus I am the chiefe of sinners such an humble confession scarce heard of But Christ had giuen him a Surge on his former humbling Arise and beare my name before Gentiles and Kings c. Let vs all thus cast our selues downe in humility that the Lord may say to vs in mercy Arise Gâ—…e This was the word of Dismission wherewith Christ sends him away Though he were healed therein had his hearts desire what could he expect more of Christ why is he not gone No he has not yet his Vade hee will not go till he is bidden Hee found such sweetnesse in the Lord Iesus that could you blame him though he were loth to depart From another mans house we say after some small tarrying Let vs saue our credites and go before we are bidden but from the Lord let vs not depart without a dismission The hearts of the people were so set on Christ that hee was faine to send them often away Mat. 14. 22. Hee sent the multitudes away Math. 15. 39. Hee sent the people away As Simeon that Swanne which sung his owne funerall Nunc dimittis Lord now thou lettest thy seruant depart in peace This makes to the shame of their faces that without other cause then of wearinesse waywardnesse or wantonnesse will not tarry for their
the other walke after that direction and they vvill bring the soule to heauen For Transition or Passing as the feete corporally so these spiritually mooue and conduct the man from place to place Indeed none can come to the Sonne vnlesse the Father draw him but when he hath giuen vs feet he looks we should goe Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare he that hath hands let him worke hee that hath feet let him goe Hence is that exhortation Draw neer to God he will draw neer to you In this foot-manship there is Terminus à quo recedimus Terminus ad quem accedimus motus per quem procedimus From the waies of darknes from the wages of darknes to the fruition of light to the counersation in light From darknes exterior interiour inferiour Outward this land is full of darknes fraught operibus tenebrarum with the works of darknesse Inward Hauing the vnderstanding darkned being alienated froÌ„ the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnes of their heart Outer darkenesse that which Christ cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or lower darkenesse Hee hath reserued the Lost angels in euer lasting chaines vnder darkenesse Vnto light externall internall eternall Outward Light Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path Inward light In the hidden parts thou shalt make mee to know wisedom Euerlasting Light They shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer and euer Blessed feet that carry vs to That light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the world and to the beames of that Sunne which giues light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death happy feet they shall bee guided into the way of peace Looke to thy foote wheresoeuer thou treadest beware the gardens of temporall pleasures Est aliquid quod in ipsis floriâ—… angat It is worse going on fertile ground then on baâ—… the smooth wayes of prosperity are slippery in rough â—…fflictions we may take sure footing Let your feet bee â—…od saith Paul your affections restrained barre lust of her vaine obiects turne her from earth to heauen Set her a trauelling not after riches but graces Keepe the foot of desire still going but put it in the right way direct it to euerlasting blessednes And this is 3. The End whither we must goe to perfection Thou hast done well yet goe on still Nihil praesumitur actum dum superest aliquid ad agenduÌ„ nothing is said to be done whiles any part remaines to doe No man can goe too far in goodnesse Nimis iustus et nimis sapiens potes esse non nimis bonus Thou maiest be too iust thou maist be too wise but thou canst neuer be too good Summae religionis est imitari quem colis It is a true height of religion to be a follower of that God of whom thou art a worshipper Come so nigh to God as possibly thou canst in imitation not of his power wisedome maiestie but of his mercie Be holy as the Lord is holy Be merciful as your heauenly Father is mercifull The going on forward to this perfection shall not displease him but crowne thee Giue not ouer this going vntill with Saint Paul thou haue quite finished thy course Aime at perfection shoot at this marke though thou cannot reach it When the wrastling Angel said to Iacob Let me goe for the day breaketh he answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me happy perseuerance When I caught him whom my soule loued I held him and would not let him goe O sweet Iesus who would let thee goe Qui tenes tenentem apprehendentem fortificus fortificatum confirmas confirmatum perficis perfectum coronas Thou that holdest him that holdeth thee that strengthenest him that trusteth thee confirmest whom thou hast strengthened perfectest whom thou hast confirmed and crownest whom thou hast perfected In the behalfe of this continuance the Holy Ghost giues those exhortations Hold fast Stand fast Hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne The same to the Church of Thyatira Tene quod habes Reu. 2. 25. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free It is an ill hearing Ye not doe but did runne well The Prophet in his threnes weepes that they which were brought vp in scarlet embrace dunghils It is iust matter of lamentation when soules which haue beene clad with zeale as with scarlet constantly forward for the glory of God fall to such Apostacie as with Demas to embrace the duÌ„ghil of this world and with an auarous hausture to lick vp the mudde of corruption Ioseph had a coat reaching downe to his feete our religion must be such a garment neither too scant to couer nor too short to continue ad vltimum to the last day of our temporary breath Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life this crowne is promised to a good beginning but performed to a good ending Striue to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height If we can comprehend with the Saints not onely the height of hope the depth of faith the breadth of charity but also the length of continuance we are blessed for euer Euen the tired horse when he comes neere home mends his pace be good alwaies vvithout wearinesse but best at last that the neerer thou commest to the end of thy dayes the neerer thou mayest be to the end of thy hopes the saluation of thy soule Omnis coelestis Curia nos expectat desideremus eam quanto possumus desiderio The whole Court of heauen waites for vs let vs long for that blessed society with a hearty affection The Saints looke for our comming desiring to haue the number of the elect fulfilled the Angels blush when they see vs stumble grieue when vve fall clappe their vvings vvith ioy when vve goe cheerefully forward our Sauiour Christ stands on the battlements of heauen and with the hand of helpe and comfort wafteth vs to him When a noble Souldier in a forraine Land hath atchieued braue designes wonne honourable victories subdued dangerous aduersaries and with worthy Chiualry hath renowned his King and Country home he comes the King sends for him to Court and there in open audience of his Noble Courtiers giues him words of grace commendeth and vvhich is rarely more rewardeth his Valour heapes dignities preferments and places of honour on him So shall Christ at the last day to all those Souldiers that haue valiantly combated and conquered his enemies in the sight of heauen and earth audience of men and Angels giue victorious wreathes crownes and garlands long white robes to witnesse their innocency and Palmes in their hands to expresse their victory and finally he shall giue them a glorious kingdome
to enioy for euer and euer Now yet further to encourage our going let vs thinke vpon our company Foure sweet associates go with vs in our Iourny good Christians good Angels good works our most good Sauiour Iesus Christ. 1. Good Christians accompany vs euen to our death If thou go to the Temple they will go with thee Many people shall say Come and let us go vp to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob If thou say Come let vs build vp the walles of Ierusalem they will answer Let vs rise vp and build So when Ioshua protested to Israel do what you will but as for mee and my house we will serue the Lord they ecchoed to him God forbid that we should for sake the Lord to serue other gods we also will serue the Lord. Thou canst not say with Elias I am left alone there be seuen thousand and thousand thoâ—…sands that neuer bowed their knee to Baal 2. Good Angels beare vs company to death in our guarding after death in our carrying vp to heauen Angelis mandauit He hath giuen his Angels charge over vs There are malicious deuils against vs but there are powerfull Angels with vs. That great Maiestie whom wee all adore hath giuen them this commission Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation An Angell counsels Hagar to returne to her Mistresse an Angell accompanies Iacob in his iourney an Angell feeds Elias an Angell pluckes Lot out of Sodome Gaudent Angeli te conuersum illorum sociari consortijs The Angels reioyce at our conuersion that so their number might haue a completion 3. Good workes beare vs company Good Angels associate vs to deliuer their charge good workes to receiue their reward Though none of our actions bee meritorious yet are none transient none lost They are gone before vs to the Courts of ioy and when wee come they shall welcome our entrance Virtutis miseris dulce sodalitium What misery soeuer perplexeth our voyage vertue and a good conscience are excellent company 4. Lastly Iesus Christ beares vs company Hee is both Via and Conuiator the way and companion in the way When the two Disciples went to Emaus Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them If any man go to Emaus which Bernard interpreteth to be Thirsting after good aduice he shall be sure of Christs company If any man entreate Iesus to goe a mile he will go with him twaine None can complaine the want of company whiles his Sauiour goes along with him Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. There we finde two Persons of the blessed Trinity our Associates the Father and the Sonne now the Holy Ghost is not wanting The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion or fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Goe we then comfortably forward and God will bring vs to our desired Hauen But Pauci intrant pauciores ambulant paucissimi perâ—…nt Few enter the way fewer walke in the way fewest of all come to the end of the way their saluation Men thinke the way to heauen broader then it is But straite is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and few there bee that finde it All say they are going to glory but the greater number take the wrong way A man somewhat thicke-sighted when he is to passe ouer a narrow bridge puts on spectacles to make it seeme broader but so his eyes beguile his feete and he fals into the brooke Thus are many drowned in the whirle-poole of sinne by viewing the passage to heauen onely with the Spectacles of flesh and bloud They thinke the bridge broad so topple in Happy eyes that well guide the feete and happy feet that neuer rest going till they enter the gates of heauen Thus much for the Pasport now we come to The Certificate Thy faith hath made thee whole Wherein Christ doth comfort and encourage the Leper First he comforts him that his faith was the meanes to restore health to his body then thereby hee encourageth him that this faith encreased would also bring saluation to his soule I might here obserue that as faith is onely perceiued of God so it is principally commended of God The Leper glorified God and that with a loud voyce there was his thankfulnesse he fell downe at Christs feet there was his humblenesse The eares of men heard his gratitude the eyes of men saw his humility but they neither heard nor saw his faith But how then saith Saint Iames Shew mee thy faith Himselfe answeres By thy workes It cannot be seene in habitu in the very being yet may easily be knowne in habente that such a person hath it No man can see the winde as it is in the proper essence yet by the full sailes of the ship one may perceiue which way the winde stands The sap of the tree is not visible yet by the testimony of leaues and fruites we know it to be in the tree Now Christ sees not as man sees man lookes vpon the externall witnesses of his gratitude and humility but Christ to that sap of faith in the heart which sent forth those fruits Thy faith hath saued thee The words distribute themselues into two principall and essentiall parts The Meanes Thy faith Effects Hath made thee whole The meanes is partly Demonstratiue Faith partly Relatiue Thy faith The Quality and the Propriety the Quality of the meanes it is Faith the Propriety it is not anothers but Thy faith Faith This is the demonstratiue quality of the meanes of his healing But what was this Faith 1. There is a faith that beleeues veritatem historiae the truth of Gods word This we call an Historicall Faith but it was not this faith King Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleeuest 2. There is a faith that beleeues Certitudinem Promissi the certainety of Gods promises that verily is perswaded God will bee so good as his word that he will not breake his couenant with Israel nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile vnto Dauid yet applyes not this to it selfe but it was not this faith 3. There is a faith that beleeues Potestatem Dicentis the Maiestie and Omnipotencie of him that speakes so the deuill that God is able to turne Stones into brâ—…d so the Papist that he can turne bread into flesh and cause one circumscribed body to supply millions of remote places at once But it was not this faith 4. There is a faith beleeues se moturam Montes that it is able to remoue Mountaines a miraculous faith which though it were specially giuen to the Apostles In my name shall they cast out deuils take vp Serpents cure the sicke by imposition of hands say to a Tree
was a Priest For it was imposed on the Priest first to offer for his owne sinnes and then the sinnes of the people which had beene needlesse if the Priest had not beene guiltie of sinne and liable to condemnation The iustification of Dauid seemes to rise higher Psal. 17. Thou hast tryed me and shalt find nothing What! hath God tryed him the searcher of the hearts that sees into all the inward cabbins and hidden concaues of the soule and shall he find nothing not great impieties not lesse infirmities nothing This phrase seemes generall yet is not totally exclusiue nothing against Saul no trecherie or iniustice against the Lords annointed So it is by Euthymius and must bee restrictiuely considered Otherwise Dauid had many sinnes originall I was conceiued in sinne actuall and publicke in slaying not a Philistine but an Israelite an Israelite his subiect his honest and worthy subiect and that by the sword of the vncircumcised and yet more by a wile sending for him home and making him drunke And to ripen this blister he adulterizeth with his wife he hath had many wiues robbes his poore neighbour of his singular comfort onely wife These were apparant vniustifiable impieties which makes him fall to a Psalme of mercy Haue mercy vpon me O Lord haue mercy vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee These were knowne to the world no doubt diuers others were knowne to his owne heart and yet more which neither the world nor his owne heart knew who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults Yet in the matter of Saule thou canst find nothing As Bishop Latimer once said in his Sermon before King Edw. 6. For sedition me thinkes for ought I know if I may so speake I should not need Christ. Dauid was no traitour but Dauid was an adulterer He was in many personall faults an offender but as a subiect he was a good subiect as a King an excellent Prince No lesse is the praise of Iob a perfect and vpright man none like him in the earth Which yet is not to be taken for a positiue but comparatiue commendation There was none like him in that part of the earth and he was perfect in regard of those vitious times Heare himselfe speake How shall a man be iust with God and ver 28. I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent Let then the Pelagian drinke neuer so deepe in this iustifying cup of their owne righteousnes and let the Papist as deeply pledge him yet perfection is reserued for another world when we shall meete to a perfect man Here we may haue it partially there gradually here so much as belongs Ad viam to our way Phil. 3. Let vs as many as are perfect be thus minded there onely that is proper Ad patriam to our countrey ver 12. not as though we were already perfect but following after c. Let vs 1. be humble in acknowledging our owne wants and sinnes who cannot to God contending with vs answere one of a thousand Nec millessimae nec minimae parti sayth Bern. 2. Labour to perfection in forgetting those things which are behind and reading forth vnto those things which are before 3. Comfort our endeuouring hearts with this sweete encouragement we shall one day meete to a perfect man To the measure of the stature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before translated Age is now better by our New and according to Beza Stature If any will here ground that in heauen we shall liue in that measure of Christs age and stature wherein he dyed I subscribe not but am silent It is not safe wading without a bottome Onely thus much there shall be nothing wanting to make our glory perfect and whether you conceaue the 33 yeare of a mans age to be the beauty and compleat perfection I dispute not This implies a spirituall stature whereunto euery Saint must grow Whence inferre 1. That we must grow vp so fast as we can in this life ioyning to faith vertue to vertue knowledge c. We must encrease our talents enlarge our graces shoote vp in talenesse grow vp to this stature For Gods familie admits no dwarfes stunted profession was neuer found If the sappe of grace be in a plant it will shoote out in boughes of good wordes and fruit of good workes alwayes expected the winter of an afflicted conscience If a table and consumption take our graces they had neuer good lungs the true breath of Gods Spirit in them 2. God will so ripen our Christian endeuours that though we come short on earth we shall haue a full measure in heauen We haue a great measure of comfort here but withall a large proportion of distresse there we shall haue a full measure heapen and shaken and thrust together and yet running ouer without the least bitternesse to distast it This is a high and a happie measure Regard not what measure of outward things thou hast so thou get this measure Trouble not thy selfe with many things this one is sufficient the better part the greater measure neuer to be lost or lessned Open both thine eyes of Reason and Faith and see first the litle helpe that lyes in great worldly riches As the partrich sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the 〈◊〉 of his dayes and at his end shall be a fâ—…e A bird that steales young ones from other birds and tenderly nourisheth them is mocked for her motherly kindnes when they are fligge Euen now shee had many running after her by and by they giue her the slip are all gone pleasures delights riches are hatched and brooded by the wicked as their owne But when God at whose command they are calls them away they take them to their heeles like fugitiues they are gone and no officer can bring them backe The rich man may shut vp his wealth for a season but as a bird in a cage if it spye a hole open it is gone and flyes farre enough beyond recouerie towring like an Eagle euen vp toward heauen were thy measure neuer so ample as full as his Barnes Luke 12. yet but a night a peece of a night all is gone The first borne of death shall deuoure his strength sayth Bildad and it shall bring him to the King of terrors what helpe is in weaknes neuer talke of helping thee with fine floure and the best grapes the richest excrements of wormes silken garments thou wilt one day say this is no succour No that is succour which will help thee in anguish of thy soule and distresse of thy consience calme the troubles of thy spirit and heale the wounds of thy broken heart when the horrour of death and terrours of sinne sharpened with a keene edge of Gods Iustice shall beseege thee now let the thing be praysed
facilitate quanta faelicitate with as much easynes as happynes Desinunt ista non pereunt mors intermittit vitam non eripit Our bodies are left for a time but perish not death may discontinue life not conclude it Intermittitâ—… non interimitur it may be paused cannot be destroyed 2. Obserue that all the dead doe not rise but Many and those Saints The generall resurrection is reserued to the last day this a pledge or earnest of it Now who shall rise with this comfort none but Saints as here Christ takes no other company from the graues but Saints The dead in Christ shall rise first Christ is called The first borne from the dead He hath risen and his shall next follow him Euerie man in his owne order Christ the first fruits afterward they that are Christs at his comming Wormes and corruption shall not hinder he that sayd To Corruption thou art my mother and to the wormes you are my brethren and sisters sayd also I know that my Redeemer liueth and one day with these eyes I shall behold him The wicked shall also be raised though with horrour to looke vpon him whom they haue pierced But as Christ did here so will he at the last single out the Saints to beare him companie 3. This sheweth the true operation of Christs death in all men We are all dead in our sins as these bodies were in their graues now when Christs death becomes effectuall to our soules we rise againe and become new creatures From the graue of this world we come into the Church the holy Citie But thou complainest of the deadnes of thy hart it is well thou complainest there is some life or thou couldst not feele the deadnesse The houre is comming now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue If this word hath raysed thee from death and wrought spirituall life in thy heart thou shalt perceiue it by thy breathing words glorifying God by thy mouing in the waies to the workes of obedience 4 Obserue that these Saints which arose are sayd to haue Slept The death of the godly is often called a Sleepe So it is sayd of the Patriarches and Kings of Iudah they slept with their fathers So Paul saith they sleep in Christ. The Coffin is a couch In quo molliùs dormit qui benè in vita laborauit wherein hee takes good rest that hath wrought hard in the worke of his saluation before he went to bed Foelix somnus cum requie requies cum voluptate voluptas â—…um aeternitate It is a sweete sleepe that hath peace with rest rest with pleasure pleasure with euerlastingnes So the godly sleepe till the Sound of a Trumpet shall waken them and then eternall glory shall receiue them 5. Lastly obserue that Ierusalem is called the Holy citie though she were at this time a sinke of sinne and a debaushed harlot Either as some thinke that she is called holy because she was once holy So Rahab is called the harlot because she was a harlot Simon is termed the Leper for that hee was a leper and Mathew the Publican for that he was a Publican Or els she was called holy for the couenants sake in regard of the Temple sacrifices seruice of God and of the elect people of God that were in it Whence we may inferre how vnlawfull it is to separate from a Church because it hath some corruptions Is apostate Ierusalem that hath crucified her Sauiour called still the holy Citie and must England that departeth in nothing from the faith and doctrine of her Sauiour for some scarce discernible Imperfections be reiected as a foedifragous strumpet But there be wicked persons in it what then Shee may be still a holy Cittie Recedatur ab iniquitate non ab iniquis Let vs depart from sinne we cannot runne from sinners Thus we haue considered the Miracles let vs now looke into the causes wherefore they were wrought These may be reduced into fiue In respect of The Sufferer dying The Creatures obeying The Iewes persecuting The Women beholding The Disciples forsaking 1. In regard of Christ to testifie not onely his Innocencie but his Maiestie His Innocencie that hee was as Pilates wife acknowledged a Iust man His Maiestie as the Centurion confessed Seeing the earth quake and the things that were done Truely this was the Sonne of God He seemed a worme no man the contempt and derision of the people forsaken of his confidence in the midst of all God will not leaue him without witnesses but raiseth vp senseles creatures as Preachers of his deitie Est aterni filius qui illic pendet mortuus He that hangs there dead on the Crosse is the Sonne of the eternall God Rather then the children of God shall want witnesses of their integritie God will worke myracles for their testimonie 2. In regard of the Creatures to shew their Obedience to their Creator they are not wanting to him that gaue being to them These demonstrate it was their Lord that suffered and that they were ready to execute vengeance on his murderers The heauen that was darke would haue rained fire on them the earth that quaked shooke them to peeces the rockes that rent tumbled on them and the graues that opened to let out other prisoners haue swallowed them quicke They all waited but his command to performe this revengefull execution Who shall now dare to persecute Christ in his members The stones are thy enemies the earth gapes for thee hell it selfe enlargeth her iawes if the Lord but hisse to them they are suddenly in an vprore against thee Goe on in your malice ye raging persecutors you cannot wrong Christ no not in his very members but you pull the fists of all creatures in heauen earth and hell about your eares flies from the aire beasts from the earth poison from sustenance thunder from the clouds yea at last also though now they helpe you the very deuils from hell against you All creatures shoote their malignancie at them that shoot theirs at Christ. 3. In respect of the Iewes his enemies to shame and confound them The rockes and graues are moued at his passion not they Lapides tremunt homines fremunt The stones rent the huge earth quakes with feare the Iewes rage with malice We see how difficult it is to mollifie a hard heart harder then to remoue a mountaine raise the dead cleaue a rocke shake the whole earth It is a great mryacle to conuert a wicked man greater then rending of rockes Moses rod stroke a Rocke thrice and did it ministers haue stroke mens rocky harts three hundreth times and cannot The graues sooner open then the sepulchers of sinne and darkenes the vast earth sooner quakes then mens hearts at Gods iudgements 4. In respect of the women that stood by that their faith might be confirmed For seeing him on the Crosse at their mercie
whose bowels neuer knew the softnes of such a nature exposed to all the tyrannie of their hands and tongs hands that like cruell Chirurgions searched euery part of his blessed body tongues that ranne nimbly through all the passages of obloquie till they had ouertaken reproch it selfe and cast it on him His body at the full will of the tormenters and his soule not without intolerable terrors as they might iudge by strange speech that came from him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Doth man triumph ouer him and doth God forsake him This might breed in their hearts a suspition either that hee was a deceiuer or else vtterly cut off To stifle this doubt in the very birth hee shakes the earth and rends the rockes that as they knew him dying Hominem vâ—…rum so they might perceaue him doing these myracles not Hominem merum but the euerliuing God These wonders blow the sparke of their faith almost dying with Christ and roote in their hearts a deepe and infallible perswasion of their Sauiour Something there is to keepe the faith of the elect from quenching though Satan raigne on it showres of discomforts Though no obiect greets the eye of flesh but discouragement yet there is a secret Spâ—…it within that will neuer suffer the faith to faile 5. In regard of the Disciples to shame and conuince them for leauing him Christ had said before Luk. 19. Si hitacerent loquerentur lapides If these speaking of his Disciples should hold their peace the stones would immediatly cry out Loe this saying is here come to passe the Disciples hold their peace the stones speake they forsake Christ the rockes proclaime him Such a shame is it for Apostles and ministers of Christ to hold their peace that if they be silent the very stones shall preach against them The walles windowes pauements of Churches shall cry out against such Pastors that vndertake the office of a sheep-heard and feed Christ his flocke with nothing but ayre And euen you that come to heare if no remorse can be put into your hearts at the relation of our Sauiours death if you haue no feeling of his sorrowes no apprehension of these mysteries no repentance of your sinnes no emendation of your liues know that the very seates whereon you sit the walles of your Temples the very stones you tread on shall beare witnesse against you Now the Lord Iesus that at his death brake the Rockes by the vertue of his death breake our rocky hearts that being mollified in this life they may be glorified in the life to come Grant this O Father for thy mercies sake O Christ for thy merits sake O holy Spirit for thy names sake To whom three persons one onely wise and eternall God be glory and prayse for euer Amen THE FOOLE And His Sport PROV 14. 9. Fooles make a mocke at sinne THE Prouerbes of Salomon are so many select aphorismes or diuinely morall Sayes without any mutuall dependance one vpon another Therefore to studie a coherence were to force a marriage betweene vnwilling parties The words read spend themselues on a description of two things the Foole and his Sport The Foole is the wicked man his Sport pastime or babble is Sinne. Mocking is the medium or connexion that brings together the Foole and Sinne thus he makes himselfe merry they meete in mocking The foole makes a mocke at sinne Fooles The foole is the wicked an ignorant heart is alwayes a sinfull heart and a man without knowledge is a man without grace So Thamar to Ammon vnder his rauishing hands Doe not this folly If thou doest it Thou shalt be as one of the Fooles in Israell Ignorance cannot excusare a toto wilfull not a tanto Christ shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that knowe not God The state of these Fooles is fearefull Like hooded Hawkes they are easily carryed by the Infernall Falconer to hell Their lights are out how shall their house scape robbing These Fooles haue a knowledge but it is to doe euill They haue also a knowledge of good but not scientiam approbationis they know but they refuse it So God iustly quites them for though hee knowe them ad scientiam he will not know them ad approbationem But giues them a Discedite nescio vos I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie A man may be a Foole two wayes by knowing too Little Much. 1. By knowing too little when hee knoweth not those things whereof he cannot be ignorant and doe well I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified But euery man sayth hee knowes Christ. If men knew Christ his loue in dying for them they would loue him aboue all thinges how doe they know him that loue their money aboue him Nemo verè nouit Christum qui non verè amat Christum No man knowes Christ truely that loues him not syncerely If men knew Christ that he should be Iudge of quicke and dead durst they liue so lewdly Non nouit Christum qui non odit peccatum Hee neuer knew Christ that doth not hate iniquitie Some attribute too much to themselues as if they would haue a share with Christ in their owne saluation Nesciunt Christum seipsos they are ignorant of both Christ and themselues Others lay too much on Christ all the burden of their sinnes which they can with all possible voracitie swallow downe and blasphemie vomite vp againe vpon him But they know not Christ who thus seeke to diuide Aquam a sanguine his bloud from his water and they shall faile of iustification in heauen that refuse sanctification vpon earth 2. By knowing too much when a man presumes to know more then he ought His knowledge is apt to be pursie and grosse and must be kept low Mind not high things sayth the Apostle Festus slandered Paul that much learning had made him madde Indeed it might haue done if Paul had bin as proud of his learning as Festus was of his honour This is the knowledge that puffeth vp It troubles the braine like vndigested meate in the stomach or like the scumme that seeths into the broth To auoyd this follie Paul fortbids vs to be wise in our owne conceites Whereof I find wo readings Be not wise in your selues and Be not wise to your selues Not in your selues coniure not your witte into the circle of your owne secret profit Wee account the simple Fooles God accounts the crafty Fooles He that thinkes himselfe wise is a Foole ipso facto It was a modest speech that fell from the Philosopher Si quando fatuo delectari volo non est mihi longè quaerendus me video Therfore Christ pronounced his Woes to the Pharises his doctrines to the people The first entrie to wisedome is Scire quod nescias to know thy ignorance Sobrietie is the measure for knowledge as the
fall into the hands of the liuing God It is then wretchedly done thou Foole to iest at sinne that angers God who is able to anger all the vaines of thy heart for it 6. Sinne which was punished euen in heauen Angeli detruduntur propter peecatum 2. Pet. 2. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell It could bring downe Angels from heauen to hell how much more men from earth to hell If it could corrupt such glorious natures what power hath it against dust and ashes Art thou better or dearer then the Angelles were Dost thou flowt at that which condemned them Goe thy wayes make thy selfe merry with thy sinnes mocke at that which threw downe Angels Vnles God giue thee repentance and another minde thou shalt speed as the lost Angels did For God may as easilie cast thee from earth as he did them from heauen 7. Sinne which God so loathed that hee could not saue his owne elect because of it but by killing his owne Sonne It is such a disease that nothing but the bloud of the Sonne of God could cure it He cured vs by taking the receits himselfe which we should haue taken He is first cast into a Sweat such a sweat as neuer man but he felt when the bubbles were droppes of bloud Would not sweating serue he comes to incision they pierce his hands his feete his sides and set life it selfe abroach Hee must take a potion too as bitter as their malice could make it compounded of vineger gall And lastly he must take a stranger and stronger medicine then all the rest he must die for our sinnes Behold his harmles hands pierced for the sinnes our harmefull hands had committed His vndefiled feete that neuer stood in the wayes of euill nailed for the errors of our pathes Hee is spitted on to purge away our vncleannesse clad in scornefull Robes to couer our wickednesse whipped that we might escape euerlasting scourges He would thirst that our soules might be satisfied the Eternall would die that we might not die eternally He is content to beare all his Fathers wrath that no pang of that burden might be imposed vppon vs and seeme as forsaken a while that we by him might be receiued for euer Behold his side become bloudie his heart dry his face pale his armes stiffe after that the streame of bloud had ran downe to his wounded feet O thinke if euer man felt sorrow like him or if he felt any sorrow but for Sinne. Now is that Sinne to be laughed at that cost so much torment Did the pressure of it lie so heauie on the Sonne of God and doth a son of man make light of it Did it wring from him sweat and bloud and teares and vnconceiueable groanes of an afflicted spirit and dost thou O foole iest at it Alas that which put our infinite Redeemer God and man so hard to it must needs swallow vp and confound thee poore sinfull wretch It pressed him so farre that he cryed out to the amasement of earth and heauen My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Shall he cry for them and shal we laugh at them Thou mockest at thy oppressions oathes sacriledges lusts frauds for these hee groaned Thou scornest his Gospell preached he wept for thy scorne Thou knowest not O foole the price of a Sinne thou must doe if thy Sauiour did not for thee If he suffred not this for thee thou must suffer it for thy selfe Passio aeterna erit in te si passio Aeterni non erat pro te An eternall passion shall be vpon thee if the Eternals passion were not for thee Looke on thy Sauiour and make not a mocke at Sinne. 8 Lastly Sinne shall be punished with Death you know what death is the wages of it not onely the first but the second death Inexpressible are those torments when a reprobate would giue all the pleasures that eâ—…er he enioyed for one drop of water to coole his tongue Where there shall be vnquencheable fire to burne not to giue light saue a glimmering ad ag grauationem vt videant vnde doleant non ad consulâ—…ionem ne videant vnde gandeant to shew them the torments of others and others the torments of themselues But I cease vrging this terrour and had rather win you by the loue of God then by his wrath and Iustice. Neither neede I a stronger argument to disswade you from sinne then by his passion that dyed for vs being enemies For if the agonie anguish and heart-bloud of Iesus Christ shed for our sinnes will not moue vs to repentance we are in a desperate case Now therefore I fitly leaue Pauls adiuration so sweetely tempered in your bosomes commending that to your consciences and your consciences to God I beseech yâ—… brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto GOD. THE FIRE OF CONTENTION OR The trouble that followes the Gospell Lvk. 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be alreadie kindled BEfore I run vpon Diuision and yet Diuision is the subiect of my Text and for methods sake I must vse some diuision in my discourse I must let you vnderstand what this Fire is that is sent and how innocent our Sauiour is that sendeth it 1. There may be Dessention betwixt the good and the good and hereof is the Deuill the author It is the Enemie that sowes those Tares This is one of the abominations that the Lord abhorreth A false witnes that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren God is neuer the immediate cause of that which he abominates If any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God To cleare Christ and his Gospell from causing this the tenour of all Scriptures admonisheth vs with Saint Peter Be ye all of one mind hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous Vnitie is the badge of Christianitie wee are all the members of one bodie The eye cannot say to the hands I haue no need of you c. We are all stones of one building therefore must not iarre one with another least we ruine the whole house Christ sayth that a kingdome diuided cannot stand The Souldiours would not diuide the vnseamed coate of Christ farre bee it from vs to rent his bodie There are three grounds of loue vertue pleasure profite Vertue all consent to be the surest and best That then which is grounded on the best vertue is the best vnitie and this is Faith Loue issuing from Faith is a bond able to tie God to man man to God and therefore man to man This knot is tyed so fast that the powers of hell cannot vndoe it All other vnities but the Communion of Saints may be broken There is no peace so indissoluble as the peace of faith So contrarily there
haue Crucem Coronatam pictured a Crosse with a Crowne on the top of it Tolle crucem si vis et babere coronam Their Hieroglyphicke taught men to attaine the Crowne by bearing the Crosse. Though the friends and factours of hell compasse vs round yet wee haue heauen within vs would we haue it within vs and without vs too that is only the priuiledge of glory Cannot Paul endure the thornes and buffets of Satan Let him quiet his heart with Gods encouragement My grace is sufficient for thee It is enough to haue the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding though we lacke the ill condition'd peace of the world Murmure not that the world denies her wanton solaceâ—… to tickle thee with vaine pleasures thou hast the ioy of the holy Ghost God is thy portion Though the lot fall short in earthly meanes wealth and worship yet he is well for a part that hath God for his portion Content thy selfe this fire must goe with the Gospell and thou art vnworthy of the immortall gold of grace if thou wilt not endure it to be tryed in the Fire Your faith is much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire and shall be found at last to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. 4. That we esteeme not the worse of our Profession but the better It is no small comfort that God thinkes thee worthy to suffer for his Name This was the Apostles ioy not that they were worthy but that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ. He refused not to be our Sauiour for the shame he was put to hee brooked a purple robe to couer his white innocencie his face which is worshipped by the Angels in heauen to be spit on his soule in the midst of all his vnutterable pangs to be derided and iested at some wagging their heads others mouing their tongues to blasphemie and if the maner of death could adde to his ignominie hee suffered the most opprobrious yet sayth Paul for our sakes he endured the Crosse and despised the shame this all this shame that he might bring saluation to vs and vs to saluation And shall we be ashamed of his profession that was not ashamed of our protection If wee be wee haue read his iudgement Hee will be ashamed of vs before his Father in Heauen The King doth not cast away his Crowne though it be the occasion of many treasons Loose not thy hope and holde of a royall Inheritance because this Title hath many enemies Hee was neuer worthy to weare a wreath of victorie that coward-like ran out of the bloudie field The vnthriftie soule is iustly starued that will not reape and gather his corne because there be thistles amongst it He neuer knew how precious a mettall gold is that will rather throw away his oare then take paines at the fornace It is pitie that euer the water of Baptisme was spilt vpon his face that forsakes the Standard of Christ because hee hath many enemies Israel had neuer gotten that promised Canaan had they beene afraid of the sonnes of Anak It is honour enough to be a Christian though others that are contemptible doe cast contempt vpon it Our Sauiour hath armed vs with a sweet prediction These things haue I spoken vnto you that in mee you might haue peace in the world you shall haue tribulation but be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world 5. Seeing the fewell is our integritie and this they specially strike at let vs more constantly hold together confirming the Communion of Saints which they would dissolue Let vs more strongly fortifie our vnitie because they so fiercely assault it and cling faithfully to our Head from whom their sacrilegious hands would pull vs Lord whether shall we goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life Where those words are found woe be to vs if we are not found Multitudo inimicorum corroboret vnitatem a micorum Let not brethren fight with themselues whiles they haue enough forraine enemies It is enough that foes strike vs let not vs strike our friends No nor yet part with our friends and Christs because some aduersaries are scattered among them What though the miscellane rabble of the prophane as the Brownists terme them be admitted among vs shall the lewdnes of these disanull Gods Couenant with his Yes say they this is their mercie Gods is more Hee still held Israel for his when not many in Israel held him for theirs The desert was a witnesse of their mutinous rebellion against God and his Minister yet the pillar of protection by day and night left them not Moses was so farre from reiecting them that he would not endure that God should reiect them though for his owne aduantage In all companies there will be euill intruders Sathan among the Angelles Saul among the Prophets Iudas among the Apostles Nicholas among the Deacons Demas among Professors Yet though Thiatira retaines a Iezebell the good are commanded but to holde their owne But wee reserue the ceremonies of a superstitious Church but we reserue no superstition in those ceremonies We haue both abridged their number and altered their nature As it was a paines not amisse vndertaken of late to reduce the feast of Christes natiuitie as neare to the right Quando and period of time as art and industrie could deuise by taking vp the loose minutes which in tract of time and multiplication of degrees had drawne out a wider distance by certaine dayes then was congruent to the first Calendar So hath our Church so neare as shee could abridged the ranke superfluities and excrescent corruptions which the Traditionall ceremonies and ceremoniall Traditions of Rome had brought in and thereby remooued her from that neerenes to her Sauiour which shee formerly enioyed striuing to reduce her selfe concerning Ceremonies for their number to paucitie for their nature to puritie for their vse to significancie Separate we not then from the Church because the Church cannot separate from all imperfection But keepe the Apostles rule Follow the truth in loue not onely the Truth but the truth in loue Diuerse follow the truth but not truely 1. Some there are that embrace the truth but not all the truth those are Heretickes 2. Some embrace the truth but not in vnitie and those are Separatists 3. Others embrace the truth in vnitie and veritie but not in heart and those are hypocrites Therefore the Apostle so often vrgeth it Be ye all of one minde haue the same affection As children of one house haue most vsually one and the same education so all Gods children must be like affected to God to Christ to the Church and one to another To God in obedience and pietie to Christ in faith and synceritie to the Church in peace and vnitie to their owne sinnes in hatred and enmitie to one another in loue and charitie Employing the graces
from patience Charitie couers a multitude of Sinnes sayth Peter All sinnes sayth Salomon Couers them partly from the eyes of God in praying for the offenders partly from the eyes of the world in throwing a cloake ouer our brothers nakednes especially from it owne eyes by winking at many wrongs offred it Charitie suffreth long the backe of loue will beare a load of iniuries There be two graces in a Christian that haue a contrary qualitie The one is most stout sterne the other most mild and tender Loue is soft and gentle therfore compared to the bowelles Viscera Misericordiae Faith is austere and couragious carrying Luthers motto on the Shield Cedo nulli I yeeld to no enemie of my faith So sayd our precious Iewel I denie my liuing I deny my estimation I deny my name I denie my selfe but the Faith of Christ and the Truth of God I cannot denie But loue is mild long-suffering mercifull compassionate and so hath a Cleare way to peace Neare Loue is also a very neare way to blessednesse and as I may say a short cut to heauen All Gods law was at first reduced to ten Precepts The lawes of nations though they make vp large volumes yet are still vnperfect some statutes are added as necessary others repealed as hurtfull But the law of God though contained in a few lines yet containes all perfection of duetie to God and man There is no good thing that is not here commanded no evill thing that is not here forbidden And all this in so short bounds that those ten precepts are called but ten Words Yet when Christ came he abridged this Law shorter and reduced the Ten into Two Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe S. Paul yet comes after and rounds vp all into one God reduceth all into Tenne Christ those tenne into Two Paul those two into one Rom. 13. Loue is the fulfilling of the law Which is Compendium non dispendium legis saith Tertullian an abridging not enervating of the law of God So Augustin God in all his law Nihil praecipit nisi Charitatem nihil culpat nisi cupiditatem commands nothing but Loue condemnes nothing but lust Yea it is not onely the Complement of the Law but also the Supplement of the Gospell Ioh. 13. Novum mandatum A new commandement I giue vnto you that yee loue one another All which makes it manifest that Loue is a Neare way to heauen Sociable It is also for it is neuer out of company never out of the best company The delight thereof is with the Saynts that are in earth and with the excellent The two maine obiects of Enuie are Highnesse and Nighnesse the enuious man cannot endure another aboue him another neare him the envious man loues no neighbour But contrarily loue doth the more heartily honour those that are higher and embrace those that are nigher and cannot want societie so long as there is a Communion of Saints Loue is the way you heare our Course is Walking As cleare neare and sociable a way as loue is yet few can hit it for of all wayes you shall find this least travel'd The way of Charitie as once did the Wayes of Sion mournes for want of passengers This path is so vncouth and vnbeaten that many cannot tell whether there be such a way or not It is in their opinion but Via serpentis the way of a serpent on the earth or of a bird in the ayre which cutteth the ayre with her wings and leaues no print or tract behind her But some Chimâ—…ra or mathematicall imaginary poynt an Ens rationale without true being Viam dilectionis ignorant as the Apostle sayth Uiam pacis The way of peace they haue not knowne Others knowe there is such a way but they will not set their foote into it Their old way of malice and covetousnesse is delightfull but this is Ardâ—…a praerupta via a hard and a harsh way Indeede Artis tristissima ianua nostrae the entrance to this way is somewhat sharp and vnpleasant to flesh for it begins at repentance for former vncharitablenesse But once entred into this Kings high-way it is full of all content and blessednes Adlaetos ducens per gramina fluctus Walke in Loue. He doth not say talke of it but walke in it This precept is for course not discourse Loue sittes at the doore of many mens lips but hath no dwelling in the heart We may say truely of that charitie it is not at nome A great man had curiously engrauen at the gate of his Pallace the image of Bountie or Hospitalitie The needie Trauellers with ioy spying it approach thither in hopefull expectation of succour But still silence or an emptie Eccho answers all their cries and knockes for hospitality may stand at the gate but there is none in the house One among the rest his hungry trust thus often abused resolues to plucke downe the Image With these words If there be neither meate nor drinke in the house what needs there a Signe Great Portals in the Countrey and coloured Postâ—…s in the Cittie promise the poore Beggar liberall reliefe but they are often but Images Muta â—…utila signa dumbe and lame signes For Charitie is not at home onely the shadow without Speâ—…illectat inaâ—…i giues faire and fruitlesse hopes We are too much wearied with these shadowes of Charitie Ambrose makes two parts of Liberalitie Beneuolence and Beneficence Many will share the former but spare the latter They will wish some thing but doe nothing They haue open mouthes but shut hearts soft words but hard bowels To these S. Iohn giues aduise Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth Opposing workes to words veritie to vanity Verball complements are not reall implements and with a little inuersion of the Philosophers sense The belly hath no eares The starued soule delights not to heare Charitie but to feele it Oculate mihi sunt manus the poores hands haue eyes what they receiue they beleeue The gowtie vsurer hath a nimble tongue and though he will not walke in loue he can talke of loue for of all members the tongue Postrema senescit waxeth old last Let a distressed passenger come to some of their gates and he shall haue diuinitie enough but no humanitie wholesome counsell but no wholesome food They can afford them exhortation but not compassion charging their eares but in no wise ouer-charging their bellies They haue scripture against begging but no bread against famishing The bread of the Sanctuary is common with them not the bread of the Buttery If the poore can be nourished with the Philosophicall supper of good morall sentences they shall be prodigally feasted but if the bread of life will not content them they may be packing But sayth S. Iames If you say to the poore Depart in peace be warmed be filled
the musician of crotchers the Seminary of equivocations The glutted Epicure dreames of dainty dishes and fat morsells The thirsty drunkard dreames of his licour and behold he drinketh but awake his thirst is not satisfied The vsurer dreames of his trunckes that he is telling his gold and starts as if euery rat were a thiefe breaking in vpon him The timorous dreame that they are flying before ouertaking danger The Lustfull imagines his desired embracings The angry that he is fighting killing spoyling The secure that they are wilstling singing dancing The ielous man dreames of his wiues errors when she lyes chastly by his side The ambitious that he is kissing the kings hand and mounted into the saddle of honour The ouercharged mind dreames of his employment For a dreame commeth through the multitude of businesse 2. Preternaturall and these are either Ad Errorem Terrorem Whereof the first is wrought by Satan Permittente Deo God suffering it The second by God mediante Diabolo Satan being a mediate instrument 1. There are Dreames for Error wrought by the meere illusion of Satan whom God once suffered to be a lying Spirit in the mouth of 400. Prophets Hee working vpon mans affections inclinations and humours causeth in them such dreames as seduce them to wickednes and induce them to wrechednes They write of one Amphiaraus an Argiue Soothsayer that by a dreame hee was brought to the Theban voyage wher 's Hiatu terrae absorbetur he was swallowed vp of the earth So Pharaohs Baker was encouraged to hopefull error by a dreame So was that monstrous hoste of Midian ouerthrowne by a Dreame of a Barley cake that hit a Tent and ouerwhelmed it which was interpreted the Sword of Gideon 2. For Terror Iob sayes that Deus terret per somnia per visiones horrorem incuiit God strikes terror into the hearts of the wicked by Dreames As a Malus genius is said to appeare to Brutus the night before his death or as the face of Hector was presented to Andromache Polydore virgil records the dreame of that bloudy tyrāt Richard 3. that in a dreame the night before the battaile of Bosworth field he thought all the deuils in hell were haling and tugging him in pieces and all those whom he had murdered crying shricking out vengeance against him Though hee thinkes this was more then a dreame Id credo non fuisse somnium sed conscientiam seelerū He iudged it not so much a dreame as the guiltie conscience of his own wickednes So to Robert Winter one of the powder-traytors in a dreame appeared the gastly figures and distracted visages of his cheefe friends and confederates in that treason not vnlike the very same maner wherin they after stood on the pinnacles of the Parliament house 3. Supernaturall such as are sent by diuine inspiration and must haue a diuine interpretation Such were the dreames of Pharaoh expounded by Ioseph the dreames of Nebuchadnezzar declared by Daniel Of these were two sortes 1. Some were mysticall such as those two kings dreames and Pharaohs two officers whose exposition is onely of God So Ioseph answers Are not interpretations of the Lord So Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel Thou art able for the spirit of the holy God is in thee The Sorcerers and Astrologers dearly acknowledged their ignorance with their liues Thus Pharaoh may dreame but it is a Ioseph that must expound it It is one thing to haue a representation obiected to the fantasie another thing to haue an intellectuall light giuen to vnderstand it 2. Others are demonstratiue when the Lord not onely giues the dreame but also withall the vnderstanding of it Such were Daniels dreames these Wisemens Iosephs in this chapter Wherein was a Vision Pro uision a vision what to doe a prouision that no harme might come to Iesus These dreames were most specially incident to the new Testament when God at the very rising of the Sunne began to expell the shadowes of darke my steries And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sons your daughters shall prophecie your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames Now the Sunne is gotten vp into the midst of heauen the Gospel into the ful strength these shadowes vanish the more light the lesse shadow So that now to expect reuelation of things by dreames were to intreat God to lend vs a candle whiles wee haue the bright Sun The superstitious Papists are s◅ill full of these dreames and find out more mysteries in their sleepe then they can well expound waking The Abbot of Glastenbury when Ethelwold was Monke there dreamt of a tree whose branches were al couered with Monks cowles on the highest bough one cowle that ouertop'd all the rest which must needs be expoūded the future greatnes of this Ethelwold But it is most admirable how the Dominicke Friers make shift to expoūd the dreame of Dominickes mother which she had when she was with child of him that she had in her wombe a wolfe with a burning torch in his mouth Say what they will a wolfe is a wolfe still that order hath euer carried a burning torch to scorch their mother the Church But there is no dreame of theirs with out an interpretation without a prediction And if the euent answere not their foretelling they expound it after the euent If one of them chance to dreame of a greene garden he goes presently and makes his will Or if another dreame that he shakes a dead friend by the hand he is ready to call to the Sexton for a graue takes solemne leaue of the world and sayes hee cannot liue Beloued God hath not grounded our fayth vpon dreames nor cunningly deuised fables but on the holy Gospell written by his seruants in bookes and by his spirit in the tables of our hearts They that will beleeue dreames and Traditions aboue Gods sacred word let them heare and feare their iudgement For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lye That they all might be dāned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Banish from your hearts this superstitious follie to repose any confidence expectant on dreames But if you desire to make any vse of dreames let it be this Consider thy selfe in thy dreaming to what inclination thou art mostly carried and so by thy thoughts in the night thou shalt learne to know thy self in the day Be thy dreames lustfull examine whether the addictions of thy heart run not after the byas of concupiscence Be they turbulent consider thy owne contentious disposition Be they reuengefull they point to thy malice Runne they vpon gold and riches they argue thy couetousnesse Thus God may be said to teach a man by his dreames still non quid erit sed qualis est not what shall be but what
immundus The world is mad that his dominion and damnation should be spoken against 2. Secretly he hinders the free preaching of the Gospell by corrupting their hearts that are deputed to that office And this he effecteth by infusion of these foure hellish ingredients Heresie against truth Schisme against peace Popularitie against simplicitie and couetice against Charitie 1. He poysons some hearts with hereticall poynts of doctrine which being lightly most pleasing to the flesh are drunke with thirstie attention Heresie is thus defined humanosensu electa Scripturae sacrae contraria palam docta pertinaciter defensa begot of mans braine contrary to the holy Scriptures openly taught and peremptorily defended By this so farre as the flesh in man preuailes against the Spirit Sathan preuailes against the truth So that if they must needs haue any of the pure gold of Gods word it shall be so sophisticated adulterate and mingled with the drosse of humane Traditions that they shall not be able to perceiue or receiue it 2. Those whom he cannot corrupt against truth he incenseth against peace Diuision shall accomplish that mischiefe which errour failed in Whom he cannot transport to Rome he ferries ouer to Amsterdam He will either keepe men on this side the truth or send them beyond it Errour on the right hand shall cast away soules if errour on the left cannot Some runne so farre from Babylon that they will not keepe neere Ierusalem as men that runne so eagerly from a Lyon that they refuge themselues in the hole of a Serpent The Schismaticke meets with the Romanist in superstition another way Thus Quibus nequit tollere veritatem negat permittere vnitatem It he cannot depriue vs of truth he will not permit vs peace 3. By perswading men to be temporisers and to catch at the fauours of great men Thus when a Preacher must measure his Sermon by his Lords humour the truth of the Lord of Hoasts is smoothered Against oppression he dares not speake because it is his Lords fault not against pride because it is his Ladies not against ryot because it is his young Masters nor against drunkennesse because they fauour it whom his Great-one fauours He must not meddle with those vlcers which he sees to sticke on his Patrons conscience That were the way to loose both present benefite and future benefice he dares not doe it Whiles he is their seruile chaplaine he must learne Turkie-worke to make thrum'd cushions of flatterie for their elbowes It seemes it was not Gods businesse that such a one made himselfe Minister for but his owne or worse He hath three Masters he serues his Lord hee serues himselfe hee serues the Deuill which of these will pay him the best wages Thus if Sathan can neither take away the truth nor peace yet he labours against simplicitie that for feare of men and hope of mens they forbeare to speake against wickednes What his kingdome looseth one way it recouers another 4. By infecting their hearts with couetousnesse and extending their desires to an insatiable wealth With this pill he poison'd Demas and Iudas before him and thousands after him The Chaire of Rome is filled with this pestilence England hath found it though many Princes will not find it When the reuenues of the Crowne amounted not to halfe the Popes yearly taxes But we are well eased of that vnsupportable burden Edward the 3. begun it for he first made the Premunire against the Pope and our succeeding Christian Princes haue quite throwne him out of the saddle God did not make his law so long but man might easily remember it comprising it all in ten Commandements But the Pope hath curtalled it made it far shorter abridging the ten commandements into two words Da pecuniam Giue money And for this the whole law shall be dispensed with Experience hath still proued that money was the Apostolicall arguments of Rome An Emperour paid for his absolution 120000. ounces of gold a deare reckoning for those wares that cost the Pope nothing In the raigne of Hen. 3. The Pope required the tenths of all the moueables in England Ireland Wales and because he feared that such moneys could not be speedily enough collected he sent ouer many vsurers into the land which were then called Caursini who would lend money to those of the Clergy that wanted but on so vnreasonable extortion that the debters were still beggar'd So that what by his violent exaction subtle circumuention by his owne vsurers for all they had was the Popes money he desired onely the tenth part but he got away also the other 9. And indeed the Pope had reason to maintain vsury for vsury maintained the Pope Neither is this infection bounded vp with that Bishop but dissipated among all his Clergie Not so much as the very Mendicant Fryers that professe wilfull pouertie but haue a wilfull desire to be rich They haue more holines in their hands then in their hearts their hands touch no money their hearts couet it But the great Belphegor somtimes giues them a purge Wherupon said W. Swinderby If the Pope may take from the Fryers to make them keepe Saint Frances rule why may not the Emperour take from the Pope to make him keepe Christs rule But whosoeuer gets the poore Laitie looseth all There was a booke called Poenitentiarius Asini The Asses Confessor wherein is mentioned this Fable The wolfe the foxe and the asse come to shrift together to doe penance The wolfe confesseth himselfe to the foxe who easily absolueth him The foxe doth the like to the wolfe and receiueth the like fauour After this the asse comes to confession and his fault was that being hungry he had taken out one straw from the sheafe of a Pilgrim to Rome whereof he was heartily repentant But this would not serue the law was executed seuerely vpon him he was slaine and deuoured By the wolfe is meant the Pope by the foxe his Cardinals Iesuites Priestes these quickly absolue one another how haynous euer their offences were But when the poore Asse that 's the Laitie comes to shrift though his offence be not the waight and worth of a straw yet on his backe must the law be seuerely executed and the holy Father the wolfe makes a great matter of it Immensum scelus est iniuria quam peregrinâ—… Fecesti stramen surripiendo sibi O the insatiable gulfe of that Sea God grant that none of that infection euer come ouer amongst the ministers of the Gospell There is nothing more absurd then that those which teach others to seeke the kingdome of heauen and to despise the world should be found to embrace the world with the neglect of heauen These are the generall fires this malicious Incendiary kindles There are also too particular and speciall which he enflameth in priuate mens hearts whereby he prepossesseth them with a preiudiciall disesâ—…mation of the Gospell for causes either direct or oblique Directly for it selfe or obliquely and by
consequence for priuate ends 1. First he begets in a mans minde a dislike of the word for it selfe This man esteemes preaching but follie he sees no good it doth to haue one pratling an houre or two in a Pulpit He is a parishioner to two parishes to the Congregation he liues with Quoad corpus to the Synagogue of Satan Quoad animam 1. Cor. 1. The preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnes but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of God It is horrible when man dust and ashes meere follie shall censure the Wisedome of God Let them haue their wils be it in their account follie yet it pleaseth God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And without this they must liue in errour and die in terrour hell fire will make them change their opinions 2. Others are wrought to hate it onely for second and simister respects The Masters of that Damosell Act. 16. Possessed with a spirit of diuination seeing the hope of their gaines gone brought Paul and Silas to scourging and neuer left them till they saw them in prison When Demetrius perceiued the ruine not so much of the Ephesian Diana as of his owne Diana gaine and commoditie in making of siluer shrines he sets all Ephesus in a tumult The losse of profite or pleasure by the Gospell is ground enough of malice and madnesse against it Cannot a tyrant be bloudie cannot an oppressor depopulate an vsurer make benefite of his money a swearer braue with blasphemies a drunkard keepe his tavern-session but the Pulpets must ring of it Downe shall that Gospell come if they can subiect it that will not let them runne to hell vntroubled Non turbant Evangelium â—…um ab Evangelio non turbentur let them alone and they will let you alone But if you fight against their sins with the sword of the Spirit they will haue you by the eares and salute you with the sword of death You see the fires that the Deuill Kindleth It is obiected 1. Satan knowes that hee can do nothing but by the permission of God Ans. Therefore not knowing Gods secret will who are elect who reprobate hee laboures to destroy all And if he perceiue that God more especially loues any haue at them to chuse If he can but bruise their heeles O hee thinkes hee hath wrought a great spight to God 2. He knowes that though with his taile he can draw stars from heauen discouer the hypocrisie of great Professors yet he cannot wipe the name of one soule out of the booke of life which the Lambe hath written there Answ. It is the Devils nature to sinne against his owne knowledge Contra scientiam peccabit qui contra conscientiam peccavit 3. He knowes he shall receiue the greater damnation and the more aggravated torments And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire brimstone where the beast the false prophet are shall be tormented day night for ever ever Ans. He sins alwaies with purposed malice of heart proudly against God and blasphemously agaynst the holy Ghost though he receiue the smart himselfe We perceiue now the Fire the Fewell and the Kindler let vs looke to The Smoke There goes lightly a Smoke before this Fire Reu. 9. He opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoake of a great fornace and the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts vpon the earth When we see smoke wee conclude their is fire Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe for the smoke without shewes a sparke of faith within When Abraham saw the smoke of the countrey going vp as the smoake of a fornace He knew that the fire was begun in Sodom This smoke is the signe of persecution ensuing and it is either Publique or Priuate Publique is two fold 1. The threatning of Tyrants this smoke came out of the mouth of Saul Act. 9. And Saul yet breathing out threatnings Such were the Romish vaunts of the Spanish ships but God quenched that fire in water and it was but a smoke Hee that could forbid the fire to burne can also forbid the smoke to become a 〈◊〉 Onely the massacre at Paris was a fire without a smoke vnles it be smoke enough as indeed it is for Papists to liue among Protestants 2. Securitie is a publique Smoke when men cry Peace peace this is the smoake of warre The carelesse liues of the old world and Sodom were portentuous smoakes of their enkindled destruction Our secure and dead-harted conuersations are arguments of the like to vs. God both auert that and conuert vs. We feast reuel daunce sin and sing like swannes the prognostickes of our owne funerals We are not circumspect to looke vp on those which watch vs with the keene eyes ofmalice our sleepâ—… giues themhope our selues danger Neglect of defence hartens on a very coward enemie Our comfort only is He that keepeth Israel doth not sluÌ„ber nor sleepe The priuate Smoke particularly laid to a Christian is a gentler more soft teÌ„tation But if this Smoke preuaile not Satan coms with a fiery trial Ifhe cannot peruert Io seph with his tempting mistres a kind smoke he will trie what a Iayle can doe If the deuill can draw thee to his purpose with a twine threed what needes he a Cable rope If Sampson can be bound with greene withes the Philistines need not seeke for iron chaines But Sathan knows that some will not like Adam and Esau be wonne with trifles that some will sticke to Christ whiles the weather is faire and there is peace with the Gospell yet in time of persecution start away When he comes with tempests and flouds then the house not built on a rocke fals If our foundation be straw and stubble we know this fire will consume it but if gold it shall rather purge and purifie it He will not goe about that can passe the next way If a soft puffe can turne thee from Christ Sathan will spare his blustring tempests if a smoake can doe it the fire shall be forborne If Ioâ—… could haue beene brought to his bow with killing his cattell seruants children perhaps his bodie had beene fauour'd So that after gentle temptations looke for stormes as thou wouldst after smoake fire Inure thy heart therefore to vanquish the least that thou mayst foile the greatest let the former giue thee exercise against these latter as with wooden Wasters men learne to play at the sharpe Be thy confidence in him that euer enabled thee and affie his promise that will not suffer thee to be tempted aboue thy strength Onely handle this weapon with more heedfull cunning and when thou perceiuest the dallyings of the Deuill play not with his baites Corrupt not thy conscience with a little gaine
master of Requests in heauen haue all our suites wee are sure either to receiue what wee aske or what wee should aske It is extensa a hand put forth and stretched out Stretched out not to receiue but to giue The Prophet speakes of Rulers that stretch out their hands for bribes and cry Giue yee but the Lords hand is put forth to offer good things All day long haue I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient people Indeed God hath a hand and woe to the man against whom it is stretched Homer sayth that all the Gods could not ward a blow of Iupiters hand His hands are not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands that cannot be sufficiently preised but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands that cannot be resisted It is a heauy hand when it lights vpon men in anger It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God When reuolting Israell fell to serue Baal and Ashtaroth Whethersoeuer they went out the hand of the Lord was against them for euill When the men of Ashdod were smitten with Emerods it is said the hand of the Lord was heauie vpon them So Dauid in his grieuous miserie Thine arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth mesore It is not this hand that God here stretcheth out Bernard sayth God hath two hands Fortitudo and Latitudo A hand of strength Qua defendit potenter wherewith he protects his friends and confounds his enemies A hand of Bountie Qua tribuit affluenter wherby he disperseth and disposeth the larges of his gifts This is the hand here put forth manus regalis and giues munus regale a royall hand full of reall mercies let vs humbly kisse it It is expansa not a shut hand but open Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing with plenteousnesse God giues richly sayth Paul Man is poore because hee is a creature the very namâ—… of creature inferres pouertie it implies a receiuing of all Quid habes quod non accepisti The Creator hath the possession of all and the disposition of all at his own pleasure Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights Bread in the Lords prayer is called Ours Giue vs this day our daily bread but ne putetur a nobis dicimus da nobis lest we should imagine it our owne from our selues we are taught daily to begge it of our father in heauen whose it is It is the Lords hand that barreth the gates of our cities that filleth our garners with plentie that sets peace about our walles and prosperitie in our pallaces that blesseth our goings out and commings in euen all the workes of our hands But what speake I of temporall things the gifts of his lest hand in comparison of length of dayes euerlasting ioyes the treasures of his right Repentance humilitie charitie and the Lady of all graces Faith come from his hand and are the faire gifts of God Ipsum velle credore Deus operatur in homine The first will to beleeue is wrought in man by God If any aske Cur illi ita suadeatur vt persuadeatur illi autem non ita Why doth this man beleeue another remaine in infidelitie Hic digitus Dei the hand of God hath bin here working faith in the soule of him that beleeueth All comes from this hand of mercy Quisquis tibi enumerat merita sua quid tibi enumerat nisi muneratua He that reckons to God his merites what doth he reckon but Gods mercies Quae bo na mea dona tua those that are my goods as Gods gifts 2. Though hands be here attributed to God yet it is but by way of metaphore not literally and in a true proprietie of speech To conceiue GOD to bee as man with humane dimensions was the heresie of the Anthro pomorphites and hee that thus grossely thinkes of God sayth Ierome makes an Idol of God in his heart But herein God stoopes to the qualitie of our vnderstandings ascribing to himselfe anger and displeasure as it were passions to the impassible whereas Nec Deus affectu capitur nec tangitur irâ—… they are not passions but perfections God hath a mouth by which he teacheth man wisedome he hath feet by which he walketh on the earth his footestoole he hath hands by which he giueth food to all flesh he hath none of these organically as men haue but in the varietie of effects which he produceth So Bernard Per effectum haec habet non per naturam 3. Obserue that in the left hand there is a double benefite Riches and Honour in the right but a single one Length of dayes yet this one farre transcends both the other For if we should restraine it to this world long life is a great blessing and more valuable then wealth and worship But taking it as it is meant for eternitie For this life is but a span long a span then now scarce the length of a finger as Psal. 23. I will dwell in the house of the Lord for euer originally to length of dayes but fitly traÌ„slated For euer the left hand is as far exceeded by the right as short mortalitie is by euerlastingnesse Aged Israel to his grand-children Ephraim Manasseh two sonnes of Ioseph when the father had placed the first borne Manasseh to his right hand and Ephraim the younger to his left hee crossing his hands layd the right vpon Ephraim and the left vpon Manasseh When Ioseph would haue remoued his hands he refused I know it my sonne I know it Manasseh also shall become a people and he also shall be great but truely his younger brother shall be greater then he The Lord doth blesse many Manassehs with his left hand in riches and honours but blessed be that Ephraim to whom his right hand is commended Lord let others enioy the treasures of thy left hand but lay thy right vpon our soules 4. I conclude Since the Lord out of both his hands powres and showres vpon vs these mercies what should we doe but be thankfull Shall wee receiue benefites by heapes and is the incense of our gratitude of so thinne a smoake Et capitur minimo thuris honore Deus All these blessings seeme to say to man Take and take heed Accipe redde caue Receiue returne beware Take warmth from me sayth apparell heat from me fâ—…yth fire strength from me sayth bread Restore thankfullnesse to the Giuer Or else beware lest the fire burne thee water drowne thee aire choake thee lest all giue destruction that should giue comfort Receiue in the name of God Returne in the Praise of God or Beware in the feare of God To whom for the blessings of both his hands be glory ascribed from all lips and hearts for euer and euer Amen THE LOST ARE FOVND LVK. 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that
was lost THE first word is Causall and puts vs in mind of some reference In briefe the dependance is this Litle Zacheus became great in Gods fauour he was ver 2. a Publican a chiefe Publican a rich Publican Yet he hath a desire to see Iesus and Iesus hath a purpose to see him A figtree shall helpe him to the sight of Christ Christ to the sight of him Our Sauiour calls him downe it is fit they should come downe in humilitie that entertaine Christ and bids himselfe to his house to dinner He is made Zacheus his gest for temporall food and Zacheus is made his guest for euerlasting cheare This day is saluation come to this house ver 9. This mercy is not without the Pharises grudging ver 7. When they saw it they all murmured saying That hee was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner Murmuring is betweene secret backbiting and open railing a smotherd malice which can nether beevtterly concealed nor dare bee openly vented The cause of their murmuring was that hee was become a guest to a sinner as if the Sunne of righteousnesse could bee corrupted in shining on a Dunghill of sinne No whiles hee did associate the bad hee made them good feeding them spiritually that fed him corporally Hee did not consent to their sinne but correct it not infecting himselfe but affecting their soules and effecting their blisse A man may accompany those whom hee desires to make better or them to make him better And that the mouth of all wickednesse might be stopped our Sauiour sayes that his comming into the world was not onely to call home Zacheus but euen many such Publicans For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue c. Wee are thus gotten ouer the threshold For let vs now looke into the house and suruay euery chamber and roome in it The foundation of this comfortable scripture is Iesus Christ and the building may bee distinguished into fiue seuerall Parlours all richly hung and adorned with the graces and mercies of God and the midst thereof paued with loue for the daughters of Ierusalem CHRIST is the Buttresse or corner stone and in him consider here His Humilitie The Sonne of man Veritie Is come Pittie To seeke Pietie To saue Power That which was lost 1. The Sonne of man Ecce Humilitatem Hee that is the Sonne of eternall God cals himselfe the Sonne of mortall man 2. Is come Ecce veritatem What God had promised his Seruants prophecied his Types prefigured he hath now performed They all foretold in their kinds that he should come he makes all good he Is come 3. To seeke Ecce compassionem He knew that we were vtterly gone that we had Nec valentis oculum nec volentis animum neither an eye able nor a mind willing to seeke him in Pittie he seekes vs. 4. To saue Ecce Pietatem He seekes vs not in ruinam to our destruction as we deserued but in salutem to our saluation as he desired Amissos quaerit quaesitos invenit inventos seruat He seekes them that were lost hee finds them he seekes he saues them he finds To saue 5. The lost Ecce Potestatem He is not onely able to strengthen vs weake nor to recouer vs sicke nor to fetch vs home offring our selues to bee brought but when we had neither will nor power to procure this yea when wee had a reluctancie against this for wee were his enemies and hated him he did recall vs gone reviue vs dead seeke and saue vs that were lost You see the Chambers how they lie in order let mee keepe your thoughts in this house of Mercie a while wherein may all our soules dwell for euer In survaying the Roomes it is fit wee should begin with the lowermost and thither the Text aptly first leads vs. The Sonne of Man Christ is called a Sonne in three respects 1. In regard of his Deitie the Sonne of God begotten of him from all eternitie coequall and coessentiall to him 2. In respect of his flesh the Son of Mary naturally borne of her 3. He cals himselfe the Sonne of Man in regard that he tooke on him mans nature and vndertooke the performance of mans redemption Man like vs in all things sinne onely excepted So that in this circumstance two things are considerable in Christ the one necessarily involved in the other His Humanitie Humilitie His Humanitie When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a Woman Ex muliere non in muliere as Gorran notes against Valentinus whose heresie was that Christ passed through the Virgin as water through a Conduit-pipe But this Preposition Ex signifies a pre-existent matter as a house is made of tymber stones bread of wheat wine of grapes Christ had therefore the materials of his bodie from the virgin Mary though not his Formale principium for the holy Ghost was agent in this wonderfull conception Neither is this a thing impossible to God though wonderfull to Man that this Christ should be the Son of Mary without man As it was possible to God in the first creation to make a Woman out of a Man without the helpe of a Woman so in this new creation to make a Man out of a Woman without the helpe of a man There is the same reason of possibilitie It is as easie to bring fire from a steele without a flint as from a flint without a steele But he that could dare essentiam nihilo can raise a nature ex aliquo God had foure diuerse manners of creating humane creatures 1. The first man Adam was made of no man but immediately created of God 2. The second that was Eue was made not of a woman but of a man alone 3. The third sort all men and women else are begotten of man and woman 4. Christ the last sort was of a different maner from all these 1. not of no precedent flesh as Adam 2. Not of a man without a woman as Eue. 3. Not of man and woman as all we 4. But after a new way of a woman without a man We are all in this sort opposed to Adam Christ to Eue Adam was made of neither man nor woman wee of both man and woman Eue of a man without a woman Christ of a woman without a man Now as this was a great worke of God so it is a great wonder to man Three miracles here Deum nasci virginem parere fidem haec credere That the Sonne of God should become the Sonne of woman a great myracle That a virgin should beare a child and yet before at after the birth remaine still a virgin a great myracle That the faith of man should beleeue all this Maximum miraculum this is the greatest wonder of all Thus you haue Diuinitie assuming Humanitie a great mystery God manifested in the flesh In mundum venit qui mundum condidit he comes downe to earth but hee leaues not