not in our hearts nor breedes not in our nature No this gifâ— of faith is not at mans command nor vnder his arbitrement as if it were in his power to belieue or not to beleeue as he pleaseth It is the gift of God poured downe freelie of his vndeserued grace in the riches of his mercie in Christ. That it is a gift ye see clearelie 1. Cor. 12.9 where the Apostle saith And to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit As also Philip. 1.29 For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should belieue in him but also suffer for his sake So faith is the gift of the holy Spirit and this gift is not giuen to all men and women as the Apostle plainlie declareth All haue not faith This gift though it be giuen it is not giuen to all but is onely giuen to the Elect that is to so many as the Lord hath appointed to life euerlasting This gift where-euer it is and in what heart soeuer it be it is neuer idle but perpetually working and working well by loue and charitie as the Apostle affirmeth Gala. 5.6 This gift where-euer it is is not dead but quicke and liuely as the Apostle Iames testifieth in his second Chapter And to let you know whether it be liuely and working or not there is no better meanes then to looke vnto the fruites and effects that flow from it And therefore that ye by your owne effects may be the more assured of the goodnesse of your faith I will giue you three speciall effects to obserue by the which ye may iudge of the goodnesse of your faith First looke to thy heart and cast thine eye on it If thou hast a desire to pray a desire to craue mercy for thy sinnes to call vpon Gods holy Name for mercy and grace if there be such a thing in thy heart as a desire to pray if thy heart be inclined and hath a thirst to seeke after mercie and grace though the greatest part of thine heart repine and would drawe thee from prayer yet assuredly that desire that thou hast in any measure to prayer is the true effect of the right faith If thou haue a heart to pray to God though this desire be but slender assure thy selfe thy soule hath life for prayer is the life of the soule and maketh thy faith liuely And why Prayer is Gods owne gift it is no gift of ours for if it were ours it would be euill but it is the best gift that euer God gaue man and so it must be the gift of his owne holy Spirit and being his owne gift it must make our faith liuely Without this thou art not able nor thou darest not call vpon him in whom thou beleeuest not as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 For if I intreate him by prayer I must trust in him Then prayer is a certaine argument of iustifying faith and beliefe in God for I cannot speake to him much lesse pray to him in whom I trust not And though the heart be not fully resolued and well disposed yet if there be any part of the heart that inclineth to prayer it is a sure gage that that part belieueth The second effect whereby thou shalt know whether faith be in thee or no is this Obserue and aduise with thy selfe if thy heart can be content to renounce thy rancour to forgiue thy grudges and that freely for Gods cause Canst thou do this And wilt thou forgiue thy neighbour as freely as God hath forgiuen thee Assuredly this is an effect of the right Spirit for nature could neuer giue yt. There is nothing whereunto nature bendeth it selfe more then to rancour and enuy and there is nothing wherein nature placeth her honour more greedily then in priuy reuenge Now if thy heart be so tamed and brought downe that it will willingly forgiue the iniurie for Gods cause this is the effect of the right Spirit This is not my saying it is the saying of Christ himselfe in the Euangelist Math. 6.14 where he thus speaketh If ye do forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you And in the fifteenth verse But if ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses So that Christ saith He that forgiueth wrongs shall haue wrongs forgiuen him but he that will reuenge his wrongs wrong shall be reuenged vpon him Therefore as thou wouldest be spared of thy wrongs done vnto the mightie God spare thou thy neighbour I will not insist examine whether ye haue faith or not examine it by prayer examine it by the discharge of your owne priuie grugdes for if ye want these effects a heart full of rancour a heart voide of prayer is a heart faithlesse and meete for hell The third effect of faith is compassion Thou must bow thy heart and extend thy pity vnto the poore members of Christ his body and suffer them not to want if thou haue for except ye haue this compassion ye haue no faith Examine your selues by these three effects and if ye find these in any measure though neuer so small you haue the right faith in your hearts the faith that ye haue is true and liuely and assuredly God will be mercifull vnto you This faith of ours though it be liuely yet it is not perfect in this world but euery day and euery houre it needeth a continuall augmentation it craueth euer to be nourished for the which increase the Apostles themselues Luke 17.5 said Lord increase our faith And Christ himselfe commandeth vs to pray and say Lord increase our faith I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Then by Christ his owne command we plainely see that this faith needeth continually to be nourished helped and it cannot be helped but by prayer therefore should we alwayes continue in prayer That this faith should be helped and that we should be perpetually vpon our guard in feare and trembling to get it augmented the terrible doubtings the wonderfull pits of desperation into the which the dearest seruants of God are cast do dailie teath For the best seruants of God are exercised with terrible doubtings in their soules with wonderfull stammerings and they shall be brought at some times as appeares in their owne iudgement to the very brinke of desperation These doubtings and stammerings let vs see that this faith of ours would be perpetually nourished and that we haue need continually to pray for the increase of it It pleaseth the Lord at sometimes to let his seruants haue a sight of themselues to cast them downe and to let them see how vgly sinne is It pleaseth him to let them fall into the bitternesse of sinne and to what end Not that he will deuoure them and suffer them to be swallowed vp of destruction Though Hezekiah cryeth out That like an hungry Lyon the Lord is like to deuoure him and bruise him in peeces yet the Lord suffers him not to
in the institution and it is contained in these words This is my bodie The Promise craueth faith as the Command craueth obedience so the Promise craueth beliefe Therefore come not vnto the Sacrament except ye bring both faith and obedience with you If thou come not with a heart minding to obâ—y Christ at the least more then thou wast wont to do thou comest vnto thy owne damnation And if thou bringest a heart void of faith thou comest vnto thine owne damnation So let euery one that cometh vnto the Sacrament bring with him a heart minding to do better that is to obey and belieue Christ better then he did in time past Except ye bring these two in some measure come not vnto the Sacrament for whatsoeuer thou doest except it flow from faith it can profite nothing Thus farre briefly concerning the word Now it will be demanded what neede is there that these Sacraments and seales should be annexed the word wherefore are they annexed seeing we get no more in the Sacrament then we get in the word and we get as much in the very simple word as we get in the Sacraments Seeing then we get no new thing in the Sacrament but the same thing which we get in the simple word wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word It is true certainly that we get no new thing in the Sacrament nor we get no other thing in the Sacrament then we get in the word for what more wouldest thou craue then to get the Sonne of God if thou get him well Thy heart cannot wish nor imagine a gâ—eater gift then to haue the Sonne of God who is King of heauen and earth therefore I say what nâ—w thing wouldest thou haue for if thou get him thou gettest all things with him thy heart cannot imagine a new thing besides him Wherefore then is the Sacrament appointed Not to get thee any new thing I say it is appointed to get thee that same thing better then thou hadst it in the word The Sacrament is appointed that we may take better hold of Christ then we could in the simple word that we may possesse Christ in our hearts and minds more fully and largely then we did before in the simple word That Christ might haue a larger space to make residence in our narrow hearts then he could haue by the hearing of the simple word and to possesse Christ more fully it is a better thing For suppose Christ be one thing in himselfe yet the better hold thou hast of him thou art the surer of his promise The Sacraments are appointed that I might haue him more fully in my soule that I might haue the bounds of it enlarged that he may make the better residence in me This no doubt is the cause wherefore these Seales are annexed to the euidence of the simple word They serue to this end also to seale vp and confirme the truth that is in the word for as the office of the Seale hung to the Euidence is not to confirme any other truth then that which is in the Euidence and though ye belieued the Euidence before yet by the Seales ye belieue it better euen so the Sacrament assures me of no other truth then is contained within the word yet because it is a seale annexed vnto the word it perswades me the better of the same for the more the outward senses are wakned the more is the inward heart and minde perswaded to belieue Now the Sacrament wakneth all the outward senses as the eye the hand and all the rest and the outward senses being mooued no questâ—on the Spirit of God concurring therewith moues the heart the more The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the word to seale vp the truth contained in the word and to confirme it more and more in thy heart The word then is appointed to worke beliefe and the Sacrament is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe But except ye feele the truth of this inwardly in your hearts except ye haue your heart as ready as your mouth thinke not that any thing will auaile you All the seales in the world will not worke except the Spirit of God concurre and seale the same truth in your hearts which the Sacrament seales outwardly except he make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly and worke a feeling in thy heart both word and Sacrament shall lose their fruite effect which they should haue All the Scriptures are full of this the whole Scriptures of God are but a slaying letter to you except the Spirit of God concurre to quicken inwardly Therefore your whole indeuour should be to prease to feele Christ inwardly in your hearts that finding him in your hearts and seeing him in your minds both word and Sacrament may be effectuall If not your soules remaine dead ye are not translated fâ—om that death wherein ye were conceiued Therefore all the study of Christians should be when they see the Sacraments and heare the word to labour to finde and feele in their hearts and minds that which they heare and see and this I call to finde Christ quick in your owne soules This cannot be except ye sanctifie his lodging for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill Christ cannot dwell there and therfore exept ye study for continuall growth in sanctification and seuer your selues from euery thing that seuers you from Christ it is not possible that he can liue or dwell in you This is a great lesson and it is not possible to do this except as I haue said a stronger come in and possesse vs and make vs to renounce our selues Then the seales had not bene annexed to the word except for our cause for there is no necessity on Gods part that God should either sweare or confirme by seales the thing tâ—at he hath spoken for his word is as good as any oath or seale But the necessity commeth of vs there is such a great weaknesse in vs that when he hath sworne and set his seales vnto his word we are as neere to belieue as if he had neuer spoken a word So to helpe our beliefe our weaknesse and inability that is in vs for we are so vnable by nature that we can belieue nothing but that which is of our selues and the more we leane vnto our selues the further we are from God I say to helpe this wonderfull weaknesse whereby we are ready to mistrust God in euery word he hath annexed his Sacraments and besides his Sacraments he sweares the things that concerne most our saluation As in the Priesthood of Christ Psal. 110.4 he will not speake onely but he sweares and that for our weaknesse and infirmities but yet if he abstract the ministery of his Spirit all these meanes will do no good Now the last thing is how the Sacrament is peruerted how we are defrauded of the fruit effect therof Two sorts of faults peruert the
be applyed to our times Then I say praised be the liuing God our King is not diseased but surely his country is heauily diseased for so long as Papists Papistry remaine in it so long as these pestilent men remaine in it and so long as these floods of iniquity which flowes from the great men remaine there is an heauie iudgement hanging ouer this Country And in my conscience I cannot but look for a heauy iudgement vntill these things be remoued There is no great man but whatsoeuer liketh him he thinketh it lawfull And not onely is this in this part of the land but in all other parts of this Nation grosse iniquities are committed and the Church is made a prey to all men there is such disdaine and contempt of the word in the whole estate Except these things be purged I cannot looke but the Lord shall raise some if it were out of the furthest Indies to plague this land Albeit I doubt not but the liberty of the Church here and the sobs and sighes of the godly here haue delayed the iudgement from the whole land yea I am assured of it and therefore I pray God that he may so worke in your heart Sir by grace that ye may put to your hand to purge your part of the I le The Lord of his mercy establish your heart by grace that for no mans pleasure ye communicate with other mens sinnes Three maner of wayes we are said to communicate with other mens sinnes First when both with heart and hand we do one thing with them Secondly when we consent with our heart only Thirdly when we ouersee where we should reproue and forbeare where we should punish And in this way Magistrates are onely guilty Thus farre for the application Now I go forward to my text The last thing that we haue to speake of is the manner of the Kings behauiour vnder so terrible a disease we haue in the second three verses his behauiour liuely expressed As to his behauiour I speake onely of it as the text speaketh I doubt not but he reasoned otherwise and gaue other answers to Isaiah But I content me with that which the text saith Then in his behauiour we see he retyreth himselfe first to God by prayer and to testifie that he prayeth â—rom his heart it is said that he weeped bitterly Surely this is an euident argument that his prayer flowed from his heart was indited by the right Spirit for if God leaue vs to our owne natural spirit we neither know what to pray nor how to pray But as it is said Rom. 8.26 it is the Spirit of God that inditeth our prayer that raiseth these sighes and these sobbes that maketh our heart to melt in those teares that are pleasing to him So it appeareth here by the earnestnesse of his prayer that it flowed from the right fountaine and therefore it can not be but pleasing to God This prayer and manner of his behauiour assureth vs of two things first it makes vs certaine of his faith Secondly of his repentance I say it makes vs certaine of his faith For how is it possible that I can craue any thing at the hands of him in whom I trust not Or how can we call vppon him saith the Apostle in whom we belieue not Then Prayer to God is an euident argument that we trust in God So I say it is an argument of his faith and where faith is of necessity repentance must be for these two companions Faith and Repentance are inseparable As Peter testifieth in the Actes 15. chap. For so farre as the heart is purged so farre is the life renewed so faith and newnesse of life going together faith and repentance must also go together Then his prayer testifieth his faith his faith testifieth his repentance his repentance testifieth of the secret condition inclosed in the threatning and the condition being fulfilled the threatning can not strike So by this deduction it may appeare that suppose the Prophet denounced very strictly yet vnder the denunciation there was a condition which condition taketh effect in the King Thus far concerning his behauiour Now as to his gesture I shall be short in it It is said that he turned him to the wall he did this out of question for two respects First that he might weepe the more bitterly for it is said that he powred forth his soule in teares And so he desired not that he should be seene Secondly he turned him to the wall to the end that his eyes should not carry his minde from God For we know easily that when any of vs is making our prayer in any publike place there is no obiect that falleth before our senses but it will draw vs from that communing which we haue with God So it is necessarie for them that would pray earnestly to withdraw them vnto a secret place according as our maister commanded his Disciples to enter into their secret chamber Thus farre for his gesture As to the words of the prayer they are set downe in the third versâ— in his prayer he suppresseth his petition for his petition is the prorogation of his dayes according to the custome of the godly men of old as Daniel 9.4 And in place of the petition he setteth downe the reason why his petition should be heard As to the reasons they are three in number The first is Remember Lord that I haue walked in thy truth Secondly I haue walked with an vpright heart Thirdly I haue done that which is good in thy sight In all these three it would appeare that he is boasting of his owne merits for the words appeare to be full of ostentation and pride But to answer to this the Lord measureth not ostentation and pride by words but by the heart from whence the words proceede A broken a contrite and humble heart is euer acceptable to him vse what forme of words you will And a proud heaâ—t is euer displeasing to him vse what forme of words it will Now what is he doing here he is not making a vaunt or bragging of his works onely he is shewing to God that howsoeuer his plague was great yet he had a good conscience the testimonie whereof vpheld him In such sort that suppose all outward things said that God was angry at him yet he could not be perswaded in his conscience but he was his friend And therefore in his whole prayer he reasoneth as though he would say after this manner Lord thou knowest that the prophane men of this countrie will thinke it an extreme curse that I shall die without children and by this they will esteeme the deedes to be accuâ—sed which I haue done before they will curse and damne the religion that I haue reformed and the order of thy house which I haue begun And yet notwithstanding I am assured in my conscience that I haue the warrant of thy Law in all that I haue done For I sought
a knowledge of God in his word and a knowledge of God by his holy Spirit working in our hearts our consciences will then go further and excuse or accuse vs according to the light that is in the word So that the conscience is not acquired or obtained at what time we are enlightened by the working of the holy Spirit hearing of the word of God but our conscience is borne with vs is naturall to vs and is left in the soule of euery man and woman and as there are some sparks of light left in nature so there is a conscience left in it and if there were no more that same light that is left in thy nature shall be enough to condemne thee So the conscience is not gotten or begun at the hearing of the word or at that time when we begin to reforme our selues by the assistance reneâ—ing of the holy Spirit but euery man by nature hath a conscience the Lord hath left it in our nature and except that this conscience be reformed according to the word of God that same naturall conscience shall be enough to condemne thee eternally therefore I say flowing from a knowledge of the minde Last of all I say accompanied with a certaine motion of the heart and we expresse this motion in feare or ioy trembling or reioycing In very great feare if the deede be exceeding heynous and the stroke of the conscience be very heauie then the conscience neuer taketh rest for guiltinesse will euer dread But if the deede be honest godly and commendable it maketh a glad heart and maketh the heart euen to burst out into ioy So to be short in this matter for I purpose not to make a common place of iâ— ye see that in euery conscience there must be two things First there must be a knowledge and next there must be a feeling whereby according to thy knowledge thou appliest vnto thine owne heart the deed done by thee So that as the word it selfe testifieth it ariseth of two parts of knowledge according whereunto it is called science and of feeling according whereunto the Con is added and it is called Conscience Then the word conscience signifieth knowledge with application This conscience the Lord hath appointed to serue in the soule of man for many vses to wit he hath appointed euery one of your consciences to be a keeper a wayter on a carefull attender vpon euery action done by you So that that action cannot be so secretly so quietly nor so closely conueyed but will thou nill thou thy conscience shall beare a testimonie of it thy consciencâ— shall be a faithfull obseruer of it and one day shall be a faithfull recorder of that action So the Lord hath appointed thy conscience to this office that it attends and waits vpon thee in all thy actions Likewise the Lord hath appointed thy conscience and placed it in thy soule to be an accuser of thee so that when thou dost any euill deed thou hast a domesticall accuser within thine owne soule to finde fault with it He hath also placed it in thy soule to be a true and stedfast witnesse against thee yea the testimonie of the conscience resembles not only a testimonie or witnesse but the conscience is as good as tenne thousand witnesses The conscience also is left in the soule to do the part of a Iudge against thee to giue out sentence against thee and to condemne thee and so it doth for our particular iudgement must go before the generall and vniuersall iudgement of the Lord at that great day And what more He hath left thy conscience within thee to put thine owne sentence in execution against thy selfe This is terrible he hath left it within thee to be a very to torture and tormentor to thy selfe and so to put thine owne sentence in execution vpon thy selfe Is not this a matter more then wonderfull that one and the selfe same conscience shall serue to so many vses in a soule as to be a continuall obseruer and marker of thy actions an accuser ten thousand witnesses a Iudge a Sergeant and Tormentor to execute thine owne sentence against thy selfe So that the Lord needeth not to seeke a Sergeant out of thine owne soule to arrest thee for thou shall haue all these within thy selfe to make a plaine declaration against thy selfe Take heede to this for there is neuer a word of this shall fall to the ground but either ye shall find it to your comfort or to your euerlasting woe And this secret and particular iudgement that euery one of you carries about you abideth so sure and so fast within you that do what ye can if ye would imploy your whole trauaile to blot it out thou shalt neuer get it scraped out of thy soule If ye were as malicious and were become as wicked as euer any incarnate diuell was vpon the earth yet shall ye neuer get this conscience altogether extinguished out of thy soule but will thou nill thou there shall as much remaine of it as shall make thee inexcusable in the great day of the generall iudgement I grant thou maist blot out all knowledge out of thy minde and make thy selfe become euen as a blind man I grant also that thou maist harden thy heart so that thou wilt blot out all feeling out of it so that thy conscience will not accuse thee nor find fault with thee but thou shalt haue a delight in doing euill without remorse but I deny that any degree of wickednesse in the earth shall bring thee to this point that thou maist do euill without feare but still the more that thou doest euill and the longer thou continuest in euill doing thy feare shall be the greatâ—r you in despite of the diuell and in despite of the malice of the heart of man thy feare shall remaine And though they would both conspire together they shall not be able to banish that feare but that gnawing of the conscience shall euer remaine to testifie that there is a day of iudgâ—ment I grant also that there shall be a vicissitude and that feare shall not alwaies remaine but shall be sometimes turned into securitie neither shall that securitie alwâ—ies abide but shall be turned againe into feare so that it is not possible to get this feare wholly extinct but the greatâ—r the securitie is the greater shall thy feare be when thou art wakened Thirdly I grant that this feare shall not be blind for from that time a man by euill doing hath banished knowledge out of the mind and feeling out of the heart what can remaine there but a blind feare When men haue put out all light and left nothing in their nature but darknesse there can nothing remaine but a blind feare So I grant that the feare is blinde for neither know they fâ—om whence that feare cometh what progresse it hath wherunto it tendeth where nor when it shall end therefore they that are this way misled
euerlasting But alas we are come to such a lothing disdaine or reiecting of heauenlie foode in this Country that where men in the beginning would haue gone some twentie miles some fortie miles to the hearing of this word they will scarcelie now come from their houses to the Church and remaine there but one houre to heare the word but rather abide at home Wel I say too much wealth withdrawes their hearts the abundance of this word ingenders such a loathsomnes that it is a rare thing to find out any that haue that thirst desire to heare the word as they were wont to haue in the beginning And for those that are in higher places they wil here it seldom or not at all for they cannot endure to heare the thing that accuseth them and conuicts them and therefore they auoyde it But they should not do so they should not shunne Christ nor abstaine from his word that accuseth them but they should heare the word and as the word accuseth them they should accuse themselues also that thereby they may come to a confessiō of their sin obtaine mercy for the same So when Christ accuseth thee thou shouldst not run from him but thou shouldest draw neere to him thou shouldest threaten kindnesse of him and as it were make a breach and forcible entry into his kingdome It is not the way when thy sinnes touch thee and when Christ accuseth thee to run from him no thou shouldest then turne to him thou shouldest confesse thy sinne cry Peccaui and seeke mercy and after that thou hast obtained mercy this word shall become as pleasant to thee thou shalt take as great delight to come to the hearing of it as euer thou delightedst to flie from it before But alas our lothsomnesse and disdaine is growne to such an height that truly I am moued to beleeue firmly that the Lord hath concluded that we shall not enter into his rest and that onely for the great contempt of his mercy and grace which is now so richly offred For why God can not deale otherwise with vs then he dealt with our forefathers the Israelites for the negligence of his word which was but then obscurely preached for then it was farre from the incarnation of Christ and the farther that it was from his incarnation the word was euer the more obscurely preached vnder darke types and shadowes Yet notwithstanding the Fathers that heard that word preached and beleeued it not they perished all in the Wildernesse except two as ye haue sometime heard out of this place And if they perished for the contempt of so darke a light much more must ye that are their children perish for the contempt of the Sun of righteousnes who is risen so plainly shineth so cleerly now in the preaching of the Gospel except the Lord in his mercie preuent you and except ye preuent his iudgements by earnest seeking and except ye seeke a feeling and seeke inward senses that ye may see and feele the grace that is offered craue againe that he will sanctifie your hearts by repentance that ye may repent you of your sins leade an honest a godly conuersation in all time to come that both body and soule may be saued in the great day of the Lord. The Lord worke this in your soules that ye may seeke mercie seeking mercie ye may obtaine mercy and in mercie ye may lay hold on Christ and that for his righteous merits To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE PREPARATION TO THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.2 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. IN the doctrine of our triall and due examination the Apostle as ye haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus gaue vs a speciall command that euery one of vs should try and examine narrowly our selues that is that euery man should condescend and enter into his owne conscience try and examine the estate of his own conscience in what estate he findes it with God and in what estate he findes it with his neighbour He enioynes this triall to our selues and commandeth that euery one of vs should take paines about the true examination of our consciences He enioynes this work to vs why Because no man knoweth so much of me as I do my selfe because no man can be sure of the estate of my conscience but I my selfe because no man can so diligently nor so profitably try my conscience as I my selfe Therefore chiefly it behooueth euery man and woman before they do enter in to the hearing of the Word before they giue their eare to the Word or their mouth to the Sacrament it behooueth them to trie and examine their owne consciences Not that the Apostle would seclude the triall of other men for as it is lawfull for me to try my selfe so no doubt it is lawfull for my Pastor to try me It is lawfull for other men that haue a care ouer me to try and examine me but no man can do this so profitably to me as I my selfe And though we had neuer so many tryers and examiners all is nothing if we trie not our selues So whether there be a second or a third tryer and examiner let our selues be one and the first And no doubt the Apostles minde was this to let vs see clearely that he that cometh to that Table and hath not that knowledge nor is not of that ability to try him-selfe is a profane commer cometh vncleanely and therefore must needs come to his owne destruction Let euery man therefore grow in knowledge grow in vnderstanding grow in the spirit that he may be the more able to try and examine his owne conscience To the end that ye may go forward and proceede in the worke of this triall with the better speed and with the better fruites in this examination we laid downe this order First of all I shewed what that is which we call a conscience and what is meant thereby Next I declared for what causes ye should put your consciences to this triall and narrow examination And thirdly so farre as time suffered I entred into the points wherein euery one of you should try and examine your owne consciences As for conscience that ye may call that definition to your memory I will resume it shortly We call a conscience a certaine feeling in the heart resembling the righteous iudgement of GOD following vpon a deed done by vs flowing from a knowledge in the mind A feeling accompanied with a motion in the heart a motion either of feare or ioy trembling or reioycing I leaue the opening vp of these parts to your memories and I pray God that they may be well sanctified I come next to the causes wherefore euery one of you should be carefull in trying examining your owne consciences The first cause is
that I vse is this Seeing there is onely one precept left by our Master in recommendation to be obserued by vs namely That euery one of vs should loue another therefore our wise Master vnderstanding well that where loue was there needed no more lawes that the life of man by loue onely behooued to be most happie left onely the same in chiefe recommendation and taketh vp the whole Law and Gospell in one word Loue. And if the heart of man were endued with loue his life might be most happy and blessed for there is nothing maketh this life happie but the resemblance and likelihood that we haue with God The neerer we draw to God the more blessed is our life for there cannot be so happie a life as the life of God In the first Epist. of Iohn 4.8 God is loue therefore the more we are in loue the more neere we are to that happie life for we are in God and partakers of the life of God When I speake this ye must not thinke that loue in God and loue in vs is one thing for loue is but a qualitie in vs and it is not a qualitie in God There is nothing in God but that which is God so loue in God is his owne essence therefore the more that ye grow in loue the neerer ye draw to God and to that happie and blessed life For there is nothing more profitable more agreeable conuenient vnto nature then to loue and aboue all things to loue God And therefore it is that God and his Angels are most happie and blessed because they loue all things and desire euer to do good On the other side there is nothing more vnhappie nothing more noysome more hurtful that eateth vp nature more then to burne with enuie and hatred and therefore it is that the diuels are most miserable who torment themselues with continuall malice and hatred burning with a vehement appetite to be noysome vnto all creatures So as the life of the diuel is most vnhappie because he is full of enuie and malice so our life will be most happie if we be full of loue I will no further speake of loue Onely if ye haue loue marke the effects of it set downe 1. Cor. 13.4.5.6.7 verses which effects if ye haue not in some measure ye haue not true loue I end here Ye see in what points euery one of you ought to be prepared Ye must be endued with this loue and ye must be endued with faith and if ye haue these in any small measure go boldly to the hearing of the word and to the receiuing of the Sacraments This is the preparation that we allow of I grant the Papists haue a preparation far differing from this and therefore they can haue no warrant from the word of God Last of all seeing that we are commanded to trie our selues he that lacketh knowledge cannot trie himselfe a mad man cannot trie himselfe a child cannot trie himselfe therefore they ought not to come to the Lords Table All these things being considered aright he that hath faith and loue in any kind of measure let him come to the Table of the Lord. And all these things serue as well for the hearing of the word fruitfully as for the receiuing of the Sacrament Therefore the Lord of his mercy illuminate your minds and worke some measure of faith loue in your hearts that ye may be partakers of that heauenly life offered in the word and Sacraments that ye may begin your heauen here and obtaine the full fruition of the life to come and that in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON VPON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERALL 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. THere is nothing in this woâ—ld nor out of the world more to be wished of euery one of you more to be craued and sought of euery one of you then to be conioyned with Christ Iesus then once to be made one with the God of glorie Christ Iesus This heauenly and celestiall coniunction is purchased brought about by two speciall meanes It is brought about by meanes of the word and preaching of the Gospell and it is brought about by the meanes of the Sacraments and ministration thereof The word leadeth vs to Christ by the eare the Sacraments leade vs to Christ by the eye two senses of all the rest which God hath chosen as most meete for this purpose to instruct vs and bring vs vnto Christ. For that doctrine must be most effectuall and mouing that wakeneth and stirreth vp most the outward senses that doctrine that wakeneth not onely the eare but the eye the taste the feeling and all the rest of the outward senses must moue the heart most must be most effectuall and piercing in the soule But so it is that this doctrine of the Sacraments moueth stirreth vp and wakeneth most the outward senses therefore it must be if we come well prepared vnto it most effectuall to stir vp the inward senses of the dull heart But there is a thing that ye must euer remember there is no doctrine neither of the simple word nor yet of the Sacraments if Christ abstract his holy Spirit that is able to moue therefore when euer ye come to heare the doctrine whether it be of the Sacraments or of the simple word craue of God that he would be present by his holy Spirit or otherwise all the doctrine in the earth will not auaile you Alwayes this doctrine of the Sacraments stirres vp and wakens most the outward senses there is no question therefore but it is an effectuall and potent instrument to waken prepare and stirre vp our hearts Then to let you see what the word Sacrament meaneth and to remoue the ambiguity of it it is certaine and out of all question that the Latine Diuines who were most ancient did interpret the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Sacrament and they vsed the Greeke word not onely to signifie the whole action of the Supper of the Lord and the whole action of Baptisme but they vsed the word Mystery to signifie whatsoeuer is darke and hid in it selfe and not frequented in the coÌ„mon vse of men as after this manner the Apostle calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mystery This coniunction which is begun here betwixt vs Christ is called a mystery the Latine Interpreters call it a Sacrament to be short ye wil not find in the book of God a word more frequent then the word Mystery But as for the word Sacrament wherby they interprete the Greeke word we find not this word by the same Diuines to be taken so largely neither is
worketh that same operation in my soule which the carnall head doth in my bodie therefore he is called a spirituall head therefore he is called the head of his Church because he furnisheth her with spirituall motion and senses which is the life of the Church So to be short there is nothing in this coniunction carnall there is nothing grosse in it there is nothing that may be compassed by our naturall iudgement and vnderstanding And therefore whosoeuer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and vs of necessitie he must humble himselfe earnestly pray for the Spirit otherwise it is not possible to get any vnderstanding no not the least apprehension how the flesh of Christ and we are conioyned except we haue some light giuen vs by the Spirit that is except our hearts be wakened by the mighty working of the Spirit of Christ this shall remaine as a dead closed letter vnto vs. So ye are to craue that the Lord in his mercie would waken you illuminate your vnderstandings and make you to haue a spirituall light to discerne of these spirituall things Next ye must studie and be carefull to remoue all vaine cogitations earthly fantasies when ye come to heare so high a matter ye must cast off all filthie thoughts ill motions and care of the world and ye must shake off all things that clog your hearts Thirdly ye must come with a purpose to heare the word to giue diligent eare to the word with a sanctified heart to receiue it with a purpose to grow and increase in holinesse as well in bodie as in soule all the daies of your life And coming with this purpose no question the holie Spirit shall reueale those things to you which ye want And though this word passe and bring no commoditie for the present yet the holie Spirit hereafter shall reueale to thee the truth of that which thou hast now heard This then is the end of all Be present in your hearts and minds and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the world that they may receiue that comfort which is offered in the hearing of the word Now I come to the defining of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I call this Sacrament An holy Seale annexed to the couenant of grace and mercie in Christ. A seale to be ministred publikely alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus that by the lawful ministery thereof the Sacramentall vnion betweene the signes and the thing signified may stand and this vnion standing Christ Iesuâ— who is the thing signified is as truly deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourishment as the signes are giuen and deliuered to the body for our temporall nourishment Now let vs examine the words and parts of this definition First of all I call this Sacrament a Seale because this Sacrament serueth to the same vse to our soules that a common seale doth to a common Euidence As the seale which is annexed to the Euidence confirmes seales vp the truth contained in the Euidence so this Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ confirmeth and sealeth vp the truth of mercy and grace contained in the couenant of mercy and grace for this respect it is called a seale It is called An holy Seale Why Because it is taken from profane vse whereunto that bread serued before and that bread is applyed to an holy vse There is a power giuen to that bread to signifie the precious body of Christ Iesus to represent the nourishing and feeding of our soules And in respect it serueth now in the Sacrament to so holy an vse therfore I call it an holy seale This is not my word it is the Apostles Rom. 4.11 where he giueth the Sacrament the same name and calleth it a seale And further if the wisedome of Christ in his Apostle had bene followed and if men had not inuented new names of their owne for this Sacrament but had contented satisfied themselues with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle that Christ himselfe hath giuen to this Sacrament I am assured none of these controuersies and debates which neuer will ceasse had fallen out but where men will go about to be wiser then God and go beyond God in deuising names which he neuer gaue vpon mens owne inuention such debates haue fallen out A lesson by the way that no flesh presume to be wiser then God but let them stoupe keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament Thirdly I say annexed to the Couenant annexed and hung to the Charter because it cannot be called a seale properly except it be hung to an Euidence What it is by nature the same it remaineth and no more if it be not annexed to some Euidence it is onely the hanging of it to the Euidence that maketh men account it a seale not being esteemed except it be hanged to the Euidence Euen so it is here if this Sacrament be not ministred and ioyned to the preached word to the preaching of the couenant of mercy and grace it cannot be a seale but what it is by nature it is no more As by nature it is but a common peece of bread so it is no more if it be not annexed to the preaching of the word and ministred therewith as Christ hath commanded Therfore I say the seale must be annexed and hanged to the Euidence to the preaching of the word for the confirming of the Euidence otherwise it is not a seale But it is not so with the Euidence which is the word of God for ye know any Euidence will make faith though it want a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments be not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to grow vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holy vse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition that this seale must be ministred publikely Wherefore say I publikly To exclude all priuate administration of this Sacrament For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion therefore if ye administer it priuately ye lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publikely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publikely ministred because Christ Iesus who is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth to one man
to whom the Priest applieth that sacrifice And as for the rest of the Church who are absent they obtaine this remission of their sinnes by this worke generally These three things are necessarie to the substance of the Masse As for the accidents that must concurre to the making of a Masse they are of two sorts Some of them are alwaies necessarie without the which that action cannot be againe some are not necessarie and the action may be without them but not without a deadly sinne These things that are necessarie concerne partly the Priest and partly the action it selfe The accidents that are necessarie to the Priest are of two sorts One sort are such as without the which he cannot be a Priest The other sort such without the which he cannot be free from deadly sin The things without the which he cannot be a Priest are these Except he haue a power giuen of his Bishop to consecrate which power is iustified by the vnction and shauing of his crowne Except againe he haue power to speake and that the roofe of his mouth be whole that he may speake he cannot be a Priest These two are alwaies necessarie and concurre to the person Other things againe are not so necessarie as that the Priest must be free from suspension from cursing deadly sinne and all Ecclesiasticall paine and censures These things are necessarie to the person There are againe two things necessarie to the action One sort without the which the action cannot be without the Lords prayer it cannot be without the fiue words of the institution it cannot be Other things againe are not so necessarie as the consecration of the place where the Masse is said the Altar stone the blessing of the Chalice the water the singing he that should helpe to say Masse and the rest So they and we in no sort agree concerning the word what is meant by it The second point is how this woâ—d ought to be intreated wherein we are as farre asunder we say the word taken as hath bene said for the whole institution ought to be intreated after this manner First there ought to be a lawfull Pastor who hath his calling of God to deliuer it And this Pastor ought to deliuer the word lawfully what is that he ought to preach it to proclaime it publikely with a plaine speech to denounce it he ought to open vp and declare all the parts of it what is the peoples part what is his owne part how he ought to deliuer and distribute that Bread and that Wine how the people ought to receiue at his hands that Bread and that Wine to informe their faith how they ought to receiue Christs bodie and bloud signified by that Bread and Wine As also he ought to teach them how they should come with reuerence vnto that Table and communicate with the pretious bodie and bloud of Christ. This he ought to do in a familiar language that the people may vnderstand him that they may heare him that they may perceiue and lay vp in their hearts the things that he speaketh For what auaileth it you to heare a thing whispered and not spoken out or if it be spoken out what auaileth it you to heare it if ye vnderstand it not For except ye heare Christ in a familiar and plaine language ye cannot vnderstand and except ye vnderstand it is impossible for you to beleeue and without beliefe there is no application of Christ and except ye beleeue and apply Christ to your selues your coming to the Sacrament is in vaine So of necessitie if â—his Sacrament be lawfully handled the Pastor must preach the institution of Christ that it may be heard and in a familiar language that it may be vnderstood in such sort that the faithfull people may be informed how to receiue and the Minister may know his part how to deliuer and distribute This I say should be the right handling of the holy institution of this Sacrament Now what do they In place of a Minister Pastor or Bishop call him as you please who is lawfully called of God they substitute a priest surrogate an hireling who hath no calling or office now in the Church of God For the office of a priest as they vse their priesthood is no other thing but the office of Christ Iesus the office of the Mediatour betwixt God vs for they make their priests daily to offer vp Christ Iesus to the Father Now this is the Mediatour Christ his office and he did it once for all once for euer saith the Apostle so that they haue no entrance to do this ouer againe and in respect that their priests do this againe which Christ hath done already they do it without command they haue no warrant in the word of God And if they had warrant for their calling in the word of God yet they handle the Sacrament amisse for whereas they should speake forth cleerly they whisper and coniure the elements by a certaine kinde of whispering Whereas they should speake it in a knowne language that the people may vnderstand they speake in an vnknowne language and though they spake it in a knowne and familiar tongue yet in that they whisper it the people cannot be the better And what shall I say Seeing they thus handle the word though it be the very institution it selfe yet they so spoyle it in the handling that it is not an holy Sacrament Then we differ as much in the second poynt how that word ought to be handled and intreated Now the third poynt is what vertue this word hath how farre the vertue of this word extendeth it selfe In this point we grant and acknowledge that the word hath a vertue the word taken as hath bene said worketh some what euen toward the same elements of bread and wine for we acknowledge that those element by the vertue of this word are changed not in their substance and naturall properties but we grant that the elements are changed in a quality which they had not before in such sort that these elements are taken from the common vse whereunto they serued before and by the institution of Christ they are applyed vnto an other holy vse Marke how farre the holy vse differs from the common vse there is as great difference betwixt the elements this day in the action and the thing that they were yesterday For I grant that the elements are changed and yet this change proceedeth not of the nature of the elements from an inclosed vertue supposed to be in the words nor from the whispering of the words but it proceedes from the will of Christ from the ordinance and appointment of Christ set downe in his owne institution for that thing is holy which God calleth holy and that thing is profane which God calleth profane To let you vnderstand how these signes are made holy it is necessary that these two things be considered First what he is that makes them holy
Spirit of God offer the contrarie occasion will not be a thousand times more ready to comfort And therefore the Lord in his mercy giue you grace Sir that ye may haue that testimony of a good conscience to vphold you without the which there is no true comfort But alas when I looke on the misery and calamity of this Country I am almost out of hope for why Your subiects haue gotten such a custome of sinne and euil doing whereby they haue drawne on such an habite and hardnesse of heart that nothing is pleasant to them but that which is displeasing to God and nothing displeasing to them but that which is pleasing to him What is it I pray you that custome wil not bow What is it that custome will not alter What is it that continuall vse will not harden There is no potion so bitter-tasted in the beginning but if thou vse it a litle while it shall appeare not so bitter continue yet further in it it shall appeare nothing bitter at all go forward yet in it and in the end it shal become sweete suppose in the beginning it were most bitter Euen so it standeth with that miserable man that casteth his whole delight in ill doing that he hath such a custome in euill doing that nothing is pleasing to him but whiâ—h is displeasing to God and nothing displeasing to him but that which is pleasing to God For the mischieuous custome of euill doing banisheth light out of the minde· And as it banisheth light out of the minde it so banisheth all feeling out of the conscience and in stead of light cometh darknesse and in stead of feeling cometh hardnesse Now the conscience being hardened the minde being darkened what remaineth but a desperate and an obstinate condition like to the diuell who is said to be bound in chaines vnder perpetuall darknes This is wonderful that such continuall thundering of these threatnings is not able to moue them But it is no maruaile for there is no words will moue them yea it is impossible to the bloody man or oppressor to refaine from time they be once giuen ouer to sinne For from time the sinne hath gotten superiority in them as Peter sayth it commandeth them more absolutely then a Prince would command his subiect for sinne hath made them such slaues and they are so carried with impotency of their affections that they dare no more refraine from the seruice of sinne then a good seruant from his masters seruice I pray God that he so multiply the Spirit of gouernment vpon you Sir that holy vnction of Kings that we may once see this great insolency that breaketh out in so great contempt condignly punished that ye may keep your conscience pure and holy Thus much concerning the thing that is to be eschued in Ionas Now followeth another lesson to be learned in the person of Isaiah ye see Isaiah is ready to do what the Lord commandeth When the Lord biddeth him blow the blast of iudgement he bloweth it When the Lord biddeth him come he cometh when the Lord biddeth him go he goeth Then the lesson is this We that are the Trumpetters of the Lord we must not blow as our affections and men bid but as the Lord biddeth vs we must not sound the retreate when we should sound the march nor we must not sound the march when we shauld sound the retreate We must not sound iudgement when the Lord biddeth sound mercy and we must not sound mercy when the Lord biddeth sound iudgement But now the sinnes of the Land craue that all pulpits sound iudgement Therefore iudgement must be sounded There is no way to auert this iudgement but that euery man according to his calling put to his hand to reforme according to the bounds and power that is committed vnto him And the best way were that ye that are Noble men concurre with your Prince and his Maiestie concurre with heart and hand to repaire the ruines of this Country Thus farre for the second lesson Now he subioyneth the Narratiue In the Narratiue he sayth to the King That the Lord hath heard his prayer and hath seene his teares as if he would say Suppose thou lay in thy chamber turned thee to the wall yet I heard all the words that thou spake and I saw all the teares that distilled from thee And suppose it was not in the temple yet all was manifest to me This is a great comfort Then the lesson in generall is this In all places and to all estates the Lords eare is euer fastned to the cryes of his owne he seeth their teares and he heareth their words And suppose he be not alway as ready to dispatch them as he was to Hezechia yet he leaueth them not but he susteineth them in the meane time by the comfort of his spirit and in the end he granteth them their petition so farre as is sufficient And if it be according to his will he giueth them more then they sought If this be true that the Lords eare is present to heare the prayer of his owne and his eye to see their teares will not the Lord be moued at the cryes of them that are oppressed with these bloudy men It is wonderfull that no threatning nor denunciation will moue these men but if euery teare be powred in the Lords viole and euery word heard of the Lord how much more shall euery drop of bloud be in the Lords viole What is the reason that these bloody men will not giue eare The reason is this they haue layed this ground and vpon this false ground they build all their false conclusions with Atheists that there is not a God and vpon this ground they build all their mischieuous workes But I would demand of these men that haue layd this ground if there be not a God whence floweth this feare and terror of conscience this trembling and vnquietnesse which gnaweth them if there be not a God how is it that they are so tormented Suppose they haue banished knowledge out of their minde feeling out of their conscience all that should feare them out of their heart yet they haue euen this feare trembling in their soule And it is not possible to banish this feare do what they can yea the more murthers they commit the greater is their feare So where men thinke to make themselues sure by slaughter it is the high way to cast themselues in greater vnsurety and make their heart more fearefull then it was From whence come these torments but from God forewarning them of Hell and these are the beginning of hell to thee in this life Which if God would let off the all full measure they would not faile to put violent hands on themselues thinking thereby to get an outgate to their soule for they thinke if the soule were out of this bodie it should be in a better case where in the meane time
to die ye are the readier to liue he that saith the contrarie I say he speaketh an vntruth if he were the best Doctor of Physicke Therefore when sicknesse which is the messenger of death beginneth to pull your eares the first thing that ought to be propounded to the patient is to bid him make him readie for death for the readier he is to die as I haue said he is the more able to liue Then ye see Hezekiah knew that suppose he was a King yet he was mortall As to his words he setteth downe three reasons wherefore his death grieueth him so much If ye looke to the reasons there appeareth at the first no weight in them yet being tried more narrowly ye shall finde in them a greater validitie The first reason is this I am depriued of the residue of my yeares He was a man at that time of 38. or 39. yeares and of such age as he might haue liued twise as long by the course of nature as Dauid saith O! but this appeareth to be a slight reason it is slight indeede if there be no more in it He is not so much grieued at the cutting off his yeares as at the cutting off the affaires which the shortning of his yeares brought with it So there were two respects wherefore this King was so grieued at the cutting off of his dayes The first because the worke of reformation in Church policy which he had begun would ceasse And out of question this hastie cutting off made him so well prepared in his heart to die as he would haue bene if he had had leysure So in respect he lacked time and yet he was not so voide of all preparation as commonly youth is that cast off all repentance to the last age thinking there is time enough before them In these respects that the worke of reformation by the cutting off of his time would be imperfect and in respect he should not haue bene so well prepared in his heart therefore he is grieued at his death and saith I am depriued of the residue of mine yeares Well to apply this vnto our cause I thinke there is none but they see clearely that if we come not with better speede to the worke of reformation then we are like to do I feare that we leaue not this worke onely vn-ended but vn-begun for if this confusion of Church and policie grow from day to day as it doth without interruption as if there were not a King in Israel I say if this confusion endure no question but the birth of iniquitie shall so ouerburthen the land that it shall make it to spue foorth the inhabitants I will not insist I am assured there is no magistrate of any degree but he is lawfully forewarned and made inexcusable before God The second reason wherefore his death grieued him is set down in the beginning of the 11. verse where he saith I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing Then this is it that grieued him because he should not see the Lord. How can this be I am assured he had that same eye in seeing of the Lord that Dauid had How is it that he sayth he shal not see the Lord What kinde of eye Dauid had is declared in the 16. Psal. Where he sayth that he set the Lord before him in all his works he reioyceth exceedingly in his heart and he sayth I am sure that my soule shall be gathered with the rest of the soules of my faithfull predecessors who are in the presence of God where there is fulnesse of pleasure and sweetnesse of life for euer I am assured this good man was not destitute of this eye but in some mâ—asuâ—e he saw with it as his father Dauid How is is then that he sayth He shall not see the Lord He expoundeâ—h himselfe a little after ye see a cleare commentary in the end of the verse he sayth He shall not see the Lord in the Land of the liuing As though he would say I shall noâ— see him as I was wont to see him before I shall not see him in his Church as the rest of his faithfull seruants see him How this was ye know the custome of the Scriptures in this matter God was said to be seene of old when the visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene For God being in himselfe inuisible when the visible signes of his presence were seene he himselfe was said to be seene As when they saw the Temple God came in their minde when they saw the Tabernacle God was said to be seene chiefly when they saw the Arke God was said to be seene because about it appeared the glory of God For in that same cloud which replenished the inward house his glory appeared Now by reason that these visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene God was said to be seene Then the reason is this I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing That is I shal be taken from his seruice I shall not see him in his Temple as I was wont to do Surely in this as in all the rest he followeth the footsteps of his good father Dauid As we may read in all the Psalmes made in time of his greatest persecution There was nothing grieued him so much as because he had not liberty to assemble with the rest of the faithfull as Psalm 84. and 112. he sayth My heart reioyced when they said to me Let vs go to the house of the Lord. This singular godly loue of the word of God among many vertues is extreme losse to this King And for this reason he is now grieued Now let vs compare our selues with this King and trie whether ye follow him in your hearts in this poynt or not that is whether ye haue such a desire to heare the word as he had But surely he shall condemmne all estates For if ye will looke to the prophane multitude of this country how well they like of the hearing of the word their maners declare For as to the multitude if they haue any businesse remaining it is cast off vntill the Lords day and if there be any markets meetings appointmentes and traffiques all is cast off till that day And the best of you hath taken such a loathing at the hearing of the word that ye are wearie to rise in the morning to heare it if it were but an houre sooner then your diet What must this contempt worke Of necessity it must bring exceeding famine of that same food which we loathed For the Lord will not suffer his word which of it selfe is so dainty and delicate to be contemned And it cannot be but that the same word which your fathers and some of your selues haue runne many miles to heare is as dainty now as it was then And therefore it cannot be that the Lord wil suffer this contempt but either there must be greater
zeale or of force we shall be spoyled of it Thus farre concerning the second cause As to the third I shall touch it shortly and so I shall end The third cause is this he sayth he shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the earth Now what a cause is this This appeareth to be a very slight cause that he should be grieued at his death because he should see man no more For I am assured there were men in his daies whom he tooke no pleasure to see and whom he could not see without great griefe euen such monsters as are now in our dayes This generall must be restrained to this as if he would say I shal not see men that is faithfull men honest and obedient subiects to God and their King of whose company I had delight and whose protection I was I shall see these good men no more He had such a care of the Church and of the Christian subiects vnder him that in the very houre of his death he sheweth his compassion toward them and is grieued that they should lacke his protection in time coming Well the country is exceeding blessed that hath such a Prince who is endued with the care of his subiects and specially of the Church that in his death he is sorrie that they should be depriued of his protection And turne it ouer againe As cursed and vnhappy is that countrie who hath a King that hath no kind of care or respect of his subiects much lesse of Gods Church which is the best part of his subiects Therfore it is euery one of your duties that heare me see what it is to lacke this blessing to craue of God that he would distill his grace into his Maiesties heart which may moue him to take vp another manner of protection then hitherto he hath done Oh would to God it were so Thus farre for the exposition of the causes shortly In all these causes some things are worthy of praise and some things are worthy of dispraise for I stand not to iustifie him in them all They are worthy of commendation so far as they flowed from faith and tended to the glory of God and weale of his Church They are worthy of reproofe so far as they flowed from the foolish affectioÌ„ corruption of nature without the which none can be so long as we be in this life Then ye see the best goods that we haue to carry with vs of our owne is this corruption foolish affection No question Kings haue not this power to carry their iewels magnificencâ— with them but surely they carry their vices faults of their gouernment with them which shall meete them And surely if this good King caried any of this stuffe with him much more shall other Kings And as it is in Kings so is it in euery of vs we shall all carry with vs vertues or vices If we cary vertue with vs then shal we haue a good conscience to meete vs there Then to end this matter prepare your hearts and make both hand and heart voide of the loue and affection of the world that your hearts being busied onely with the loue of good things ye may cary your hearts with you when the Lord calleth And as your eares are bent to receiue this word so let it be digested in your hearts that in your death I may see the fruites and effects thereof And seeing we must either cary with vs vertues or vices the fauour of God to mercy or the fauour of sathan to iudgement should not our whole indeuour be that these foule vices may be remoued out of our hearts and should not our whole study be that our soule which is holden so fast bound in the chaines of wickednesse may be set at freedome and liberty That we may haue melting hearts acknowledging that by the bloud of Christ our sins are forgiuen that through a stedfast faith in his bloud sure hope in his mercy we may seale vp that peace which floweth from the pacification purchased by the offering vp of his owne body Now when I see mine owne conscience pacified and my soule so washed from the spots of corruption that all my sinnes are forgiuen me am I not happy and this can neuer be except in your hearts ye be as attentiue as with your eares ye are to heare me But if this matter as it is heard by the eare so it were learned remeÌ„bred by the heart we should see greater profite in sanctification and newnesse of life this day then we do and death would not be so fearefull to many as it is For the ready way to eschue the feare of death is not to delay your repentaÌ„ce but let the whole course of your life be a continuall repentance Happy is he that learneth this lesson and more then happy is he that followeth it and as vnhappy he that neuer practiseth it The Lord worke so with vs grant vs such increase of his Spirit that we may follow it and study to practise it in our life and conuersation The Lord grant this for the righteous merits of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for now and for euer Amen THE NINTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 12 Mine habitation is departed and is remoued from me like a shepheards tent I haue cut off like a weauer my life he will cut me off from the height from day to night thou wilt make an end of me 13 I reckoned to the morning but he brake all my bones like a Lion from day to night wilt thou make an end of me 14 Like a Crane or Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue mine eyes were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me IN our last sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the Prophet assureth the King of his health by a wonderfull signe which was giuen to him The manner and forme of the manifesting of the signe was this The King seeketh a signe and the Lord granteth a signe vnto him and after the same manner that he sought a signe it was giuen to him Thirdly the Lord manifesteth this signe by his owne power and vertue without the support of any creature The King seeketh a signe not that he is distrustfull of Gods promise nor yet to tempt God as the wicked do but he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe in the Lords promise He belieueth the promise yet his beliefe was weake and to strengthen his weake faiâ—h he seeketh the signe The thing that weakeneth his beliefe was this The Prophet in an houre and shorter space cometh to the King and proposeth two contrarie sentences Fiâ—st he saith to him Make thee readie thou must die in an instant of time he pronounceth the plaine contrarie and saith Thou shalt liue both these two could not stand Therefore he seeketh a signe to strengthen
is onely true peace and quietnesse to be found Therefore our exercise should chiefly stand in this to expell this enemy and monster sinne and to possesse that sauing iuice and wholsome peace that passeth all vnderstanding The second effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we know by experience that trouble of it owne nature cannot bring forth this ioy but bringeth forth the contrary effects as sadnesse heauinesse and sorrow Now where the Spirit is so disposed that we reioyce vnder trouble this is a sure argument of the blessed Spirit the Spirit of life which onely quickneth the soule and this ioy maketh vs not onely to reioyce in trouble but to glory also as sayth the Apostle For surely the crosse of Christ is our onely ioy the shame of Christ is our onely honour Hereby we perceiue the great glory that the Lord hath called vs to that not onely he maketh vs to beleeue his word but to suffer for him also onely ye haue to take heede to your troubles For this ioy accompanieth not all troubles but onely those troubles that are suffred for Christs cause for righteousnesse sake are vnderserued For those troubles that are deserued the like ioy is not to be found in them The third effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the loue of God and hatred of euill Where this loue is kindled in the soule where we beginne to know God to loue him and to taste of him for it is not possible that we can loue him except we haue a taste of his sweetnesse this loue make vs like to God for God is loue as Iohn saith If loue dwell in thine heart God dwelleth in thine heart and this loue is a sure pledge of the life of the soule where this loue is of necessity also there must be a hatred of euill Now trie and examine if the Spirit of life hath wrought these effects in thy soule in any measure if it were neuer so small it is a sure argument that this life is begunne and the life which God hath begunne he will perfect it If the loue of God were neuer so litle and the hatred of euill were neuer so little if any of these effects were but in a small measure ye may be sure that Christ dwelleth in your hearts by faith and that the soule liueth Ye that feele this as I would that ye all felt it prease to nourish and strengthen this life not weary in well doing but go forward in working the works of the Spirit Sow not in the flesh go not forward in the lusts and appetites thereof for ye may learne of the Apostle what aduantage this labour bringeth to wit shame and confusion death of the body and death of soule Rom. 6. But on the contrary go forward in nourishing of the Spirit and in well doing Sow in the Spirit and as the Apostle sayth ye shall reape an euerlasting and incomprehensible life This Spirit then is said to be nourished and corroborate in our hearts when we nourish the light and knowledge of God in Christ Iesus when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith and continue in the exercise of prayer As by the contrary we banish this light of the good Spirit and by our euill doing we banish the knowledge of God in Christ whē we put out this light diminish our perswasion and leaue off the exercise of prayer For by the same meanes whereby the soule liueth they being remoued the soule dieth Therfore those that would liue this way they ought to nourish the knowledge of God they ought to be exercised in well doing in hearing of Gods word in edifying them in their most holy faith and in continuall crauing of grace and mercy by prayer Now the King sayth he hath this life and he hath experience of the good word in this for I take this to be a different life from the other whereof he spake before to wit this is the life of the soule which proceedeth of the word of promise for this word is the power of God to saluation to all them that beleeue Rom. 1. Set your hearts saith Moses Deut. 32 vpon this word for it is not a vaine word it is your life and felicity The words which I speake sayth our Master Iohn 6. are Spirit life And from this Iohn calleth him the word of life the bread of life Peter saith whom shall we go to for in thee are the words of life It is he that hath life in himselfe Iohn 5. From this also it is said 1. Cor. 15. that as the first Adam was made a liuing soule so the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit and by reason we are made participant of this spirit by the ministery of his word therefore it is called the word of the Spirit by the same reason we that are his Ministers are counted the Ministers of the Spirit as the Apostle calleth vs 2. Cor. 3. They that would reade further of the praise of this word I remit them to the 19. Psalme where the properties of this word are exactly set downe I will end here Who so looketh vpon the precious effects of this word and on the other side looketh vpon our vnhappy behauior I am assured it would astonish any Christian heart to behold how the Lord can suffer our contempt so long as he doth For formerly whereas there was skarsly crummes of this bread of life to be had in this countrie men sought it out diligently and ran to haue it with such zeale that they compassed both sea and land they spared neither trauell nor cost but forcibly as it were thronged and thrusted in and made irruption in this kingdome But now when it hath pleased the Lord to offer vnto vs great plentie of this foode we so despise the bountie and liberality of this good God that we turne this great grace and mercie of his into iudgement and vengeance vpon our owne heads And as to the greatest part of the multitude they disdain it so spitefully that they had rather embrace the leauen of the Pharisies and draw them to that company where they can haue no other foode but songes maskes mummings and vnknowne Languages And so thinke to feed their soules by the mockery of God Now as to the Gentlemen Earles Lords and Barrons they are so drunken with sacrilegde that ere they will part with these goods they had rather part with the life of their soule yea when it cometh to this that the word cannot be entertained but by their expences they make no choyse but had rather lose their soules an hundred times ere they would bestow a halfepenny vpon the Church This is true in the greatest part so it is the Lord that wonderfully continueth the light amongst vs that keepeth a face of a ministery in Scotland There is no good entertainment but a very great pouerty in the most part
ought any wicked vowes ought to be kept vowes which are rashly vowed to be wickedly performed for in so doing they make a double fault First they do a fault in vowing rashly secondly they make a fault in performing their rash vow All these vowes are beside the warrant of the word we should promise to be thankfull to God and to performe Then the exhortation riseth vnto vs after the example of the Prophet here that seeing in this great benefit although we had neuer receiued moe benefits the Lord hath deserued so well of you ye ought euery one of you to frame your hearts to grow in thankfulnesse to him whereby he may grow in mercie and loue towards you and in hatred and anger towards his enemies And although ye be thankfull thinke not that ye deserue any thing for when ye haue done this ye cannot adde any thing to his estate ye enrich not God one whit It is not possible that he who is absolutely perfect of himselfe can neede any thing whereby his estate may be enriched yea suppose we adde nothing to his estate our best thanksgiuing is no waies acceptable to him but by way of grace if Christ Iesus step not in betwixt vs and him it is not possible that our persons or any action that floweth from our person can be acceptable vnto him Therefore it is onely by way of grace and mercie in Christ Iesus in whom he cannot be displeased with vs that our thankfulnesse is accepted by him So it is not for our merits as the Papists foolishly alledge nor by way of our deseruing that he accepteth of vs it is by way of mercie and grace that he alloweth of vs and our thankfulnesse Indeed he accepteth so of our thanksgiuing that vnlesse we praise him nothing can please him And therefore seeing all our actions are acceptable to him onely in his welbeloued let vs praise him in Christ. Ye see we will thanke him for meate and drinke after dinner and supper and why should ye not thanke him for the rest of the creatures As for this benefit of your deliuerie and preseruation both of Church countrey the Lord giue vs hearts to thanke him Now in the end of this verse he saith Let them bring presents to him that ought to be feared We haue no other presents to bring but this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing which is called calues of the lips Psal. 51. Would God that this were truly giuen although not in such measure as is required Alwaies let vs bring these sacrifices and present them to him onely who is fearefull not onely to meane men but to the greatest Princes and Monarchs of the earth And how prooueth he this He prooueth this in the last verse where he saith He cutteth off the spirit of Princes that is he spoyleth them of their wit and force and last of all when it pleaseth him he spoyleth them of the life it selfe he taketh all from them euen from these same Princes that oppose themselues most against him he spoyleth them in an instant of heart hand and all forces and maketh them a spectacle to all nations Well they will not learne in time it is terrible for Princes to fall into his hands For when they fall into his hands he is not satisfied to spoile them both of heart and hand but after he hath spoiled them both of heart and hand he taketh the very life from them Senacherib found this for his owne sonnes laid hands on him slue him Our great men thinke they will eschue his hands There is no example or proclamation of iudgement that will make them leaue off from burning slaying and murther This is not looked to by the Councell and he who should punish this ouerseeth it and they that are inferiour magistrates ouersee it so that this land is so ouerwhelmed with sinne that it cannot be discharged vntill the great God himselfe doth it Terrible is he therefore to Kings looke how terrible Kings are to meane men farre more terrible is he to them The Kings of the earth at least since the Gospell began haue euer conspired to expell Christ out of the number of Kings and so to roote out his kingdom that he should not beare rule in the earth And this conclusion hath bene laid by them So by Kings here to whom he is terrible is to be vnderstood those mischieuous Kings that will not acknowledge Christ as King nor submit their scepter to his scepter but haue all conspired and assayed their forces to put him out of their number What profit they haue gotten of this time hath tried Ye see what the King of Spaine hath gained ye see what his predecessors gained And what followeth There is a secōd assault to be made and it is not possible but the second assault must be For the diuell must be euer like to himselfe So the second assault shall come in great rage he shall push at that same stone as he and his predecessors haue done oft before Is it sure that Spaine shall make the second assault It is sure and yonder argument letteth me see it for the spirit of the diuell cannot be at rest And what shall come of this The next thing that ye shall heare God shall cut off his life he that hath spoiled him first of his heart and hand shall spoyle him of all and so the second thing that ye shall heare the great Monarch of Spaine shall die And so he shall be disappointed in the second assault and all the kingdomes which are vnder the protection of this King shall be let loose For rather shall heauen and earth go together ere God suffer his Church to be rooted out if we remaine in any part of our obedience O then we ought earnestly to prepare vs to reuerence him who is onely fearefull For if they who haue the supreame place will not reuerence him he shall take their reuerence out of the hearts of men It is onely for Gods sake that they are reuerenced whosoeuer therefore honoureth not God he shall not honour him So we ought to honour God and giue him his due reuerence and his owne place that we reuerence no man nor the lawes of any man but God and for Gods cause And so honouring God God shall honour vs and extoll vs and that in the righteous merits of his Sonne To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise both now and euer Amen THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON VPON THE 40. PSALME PREACHED IN THE time of publicke fast 1 I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined vnto me and heard my crie 2 He brought me also out of the horrible pit out of the mirie clay and set my feete vpon the rocke and ordered my goings 3 And he hath put in my mouth a new song of praise vnto our God many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is the man that maketh
exercise of patience For if the heart vnderstand that the Lord hath reiected our prayer altogether it is not possible to continue in prayer so when we know that the Lord heareth vs suppose he delay let vs desire patience to abide his good will The third thing that I marke is this his crying and weeping obteineth a prosperous issue for by his long crying he is drawn out of a terrible pit by his long crying he is drawn out of the myre and deepe clay There is no pit so deepe take it as thou wilt that can stay the eare of the euerliuing God There is no distance of place nor thicknesse of impediments that can stay the voyce of any suppliant Be the pit neuer so deepe wilt thou cry truly thou shalt be heard And it is as true on the other side whosoeuer cryeth and showteth if his pit were neuer so deepe he is not drowned hast thou this liberty to cry in crying thou risest the more thou continuest the nearer is deliuery Theâ—efore onely he is in a miserable estate who being throwne downe in a deepe and horrible pit knoweth not notwithstanding that he is there nor feeleth not his misery For as long as we haue the knowledge and some feeling of our misery be the pit as vgly as it will we are in danger but not lost but where knowledge feeling is away there we are drowned there is not one of vs all but so long as we are here we are in one pit or other The pit of iniquity circleth vs so long as we are here there is no meanes to be deliuered but by feeling our misery for feeling maketh vs to cry and by crying we are heard Thus much for the Prophets first experience Vpon this in the third verse he taketh occasion to praise God by reason of this his singular experience which gaue him the matter argument of a new song This song is called a new song by reason of the new occasion of the new deliuery which occasioneth to him the matter of new praise In the end of the verse he setteth downe two speciall vses of this praise whereunto it tendeth The first vse is it tendeth to stirre vp the Church to follow his example in praysing God The second vse of it tendeth to the edification of euery member of the Church in the feare and worshipping of God Of this verse I gather shortly two lessons and so I shall go forward The first who is it that putteth this song of praise in our mouth who maketh vs to sing this new song in our heart onely God putteth the song of praise in our mouth and maketh vs to sing this new song in our heart for by nature none hath knowledge to praise him nor will praise him The way and manner how to praise him is by a taste and feeling of his sweetnesse It is not possible that the heart can praise him except it haue a taste thereof All the benefites of the Lord whether they be spirituall or temporall should be as many occasions of praise but this silence is an argument of the hardnesse of our heart for surely if we were touched with a feeling of this sweetnesse we would burst forth in praise but our slothfulnesse sheweth the hardnesse of our heart And where this foule death continueth there is no reconciliation with God The second thing that I marke is vpon the end of this verse It is not enough to praise God thy selfe it is not enough to thanke him in thine owne heart But if thou be a true member of the Church thou must propose this benefit to the Church for benefites are not giuen as particular priuiledges to particular persons but as publicke testimonies of the fauour of God towards his Church Therefore euery benefit should be proposed to the Church that the Church may haue occasion to praise God in it Now vpon this third verse he bursteth forth into that notable sentence which we haue in the fourth verse Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proude Surely that man is exceedingly blessed who is not caried with the example of the proud and vaine in the earth for why by nature there is neuer a one of vs but we are all proud vaine Secondly how forcible euill example is all men by experience know Thirdly we know the multitude accounteth common custome and example for law Therefore of necessitie that man must be exceedinglie blessed that in such a sight of euill examples putteth his trust in God Surely these few in number that depend vpon God if they be compared with the rest of the world of all men of the earth they will be counted most miserable and vnhappy and as the Apostle sayth they were the ofscourings and sweepings of the world For as long as they are here beneath in the kingdome of patience their life is hid with Christ and will not appeare vntill the Lord appeare to be maruellous in his Saints 2. Thes. 1. At the which time their bodies shall shine as the Sunne and their soules shall shine as the Angels In hope of this estate the poore members of the Church repose in the present peregrination There are here two waies set downe There is a broad and an open way wherein rhe proud and vaine men of the earth walke There is a narrow and a strait way wherein the simple and they that depend on God walke Indeed the broad way is large easie and pleasant there is no throng nor trouble in it as would appeare for a while but the end of it is straitnesse euerlasting and terrible straitnesse On the other side the other way is strait in the entry and many impediments are in that way yet the end is large and pleasant and bringeth a ioyfull eternity I thinke that the soiourner that is certaine of a good lodging may well endure the difficulties of the way And therefore seeing we are certaine of our lodging that the way is short let euery one striue to enter into it how strait so euer it be the end is large The Lord of his mercy worke in euery one of vs that we may both know the way and walke in it till our liues end The last thing that I marke vpon this experience ye see two ends why the Lord delayeth to helpe his seruants The first and speciall end is that he may be the more glorified the more that he differeth The second end is that these hasty men that will not abide the leasure of the Lord may see themselues disappointed when they see the seruants of the the Lord so mightily deliuered For there is not one amongst a thousand that in patience will wait vpon the deliuerance of the Lord but runne to this or those meanes vnto vnlawfull meanes and euer seeke helpe for the present although it be with the hurt of conscience And these vnlawfull sorts of deliueries bring euer shame
in the end And therefore it is that the Lord delayeth his deliuerance that partly these hastie men may be ashamed and that his glory might be the greater in the deliuerance of his owne In the fift verse the Lord is praised from the publike experience of the Church for the number of his blessings which he bestoweth is to bestow vpon his Church caÌ„not be expressed There is no heart able to conceiue nor mouth able to expresse the infinite number of his blessings The eare hath not heard saith the Apostle the eye hath not seene nor hath it entred into the heart to coÌ„ceiue the ten thousandth part of the ioy prepared for the children of God for if this heart of ours were able to coÌ„ceiue any part of that ioy we should possesse more of it here then we do The little sparkes of that ioy and the feeling thereof haue such force in the children of God that they carrie their hearts out of their bodies as it were and lift them vp to the very heauens then how great shall the full ioy be I pray you when the whole soule shall be possessed fully As for the greatnesse and excellencie of the blessings of God the heart of man is no way able to conceiue or the tongue to expresse Albeit how euer we are not able to conceiue them let euery one trauell to make a further and a greater progresse in this knowledge for the more we profite in this exercise the more thankfull may we be to God Thus much concerning the first part of the Psalme In the second part I shall be short by Gods grace for this his experience which he hath found he offereth his seruice freely to God he offereth himselfe most voluntarily as one who delighted in the law of the Lord as one who hath proclaimed his mercie and iustice and the rest of his vertues in time past And he confesseth in the 6. verse that this obedience flowed not out of himselfe but of the piercing of the eare of his heart It pleaseth the Lord to prepare and open the eares of his heart that he might obey him for as to outward sacrifice and externall worshipping when it is disioyned from the inward seruice of the heart the Lord hath no liking of it Therefore it pleased the Lord to pierce the eare of his heart And of this it cometh to passe that he cometh and offereth his seruice willingly saying I heare thee crying on me Lord in thy booke In the first word of thy booke hearken and take heede ô Dauid and here he saith I am coming If we follow the literall meaning of the words this is the effect and meaning but if we follow the mysticall sence there is here a cleare prophecie of the Messiah For the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 10.5 bringeth in Christ Iesus speaking these same words of himselfe which Dauid here speaketh in the 7.8 and 9. verses And for the better vnderstanding of this prophecie the Apostle in that place setteth downe the circumstance of time when he spake these words to wit when he came into the world when he tooke on our nature and was clothed with our flesh he spake these words contained in the 7.8 and 9. verses As to the words the Apostle applyeth them otherwise to Christ then Dauid here doth to himselfe for in the words which the Apostle citeth there is a clause changed for where Dauid saith thou hast pierced mine eare the Apostle saith thou hast giuen me a bodie There appeareth to be a great difference here yet I say the sentence remaineth one howsoeuer the words differ And to let you see that the sentence is one this is my reason As the boring of the eare was a signe of obedience of the seruant to the master Exod. 21. so the taking on of our body and of our flesh in Christ is a perfect signe of his obedience to his Father And looke how sure a signe of seruice the boring of the eare was to the master as sure a token is the assuming of our flesh of the obedience of Christ to his Father So obedience is signified by the one and obedience is signified by the other as for Christ he tooke not on this seruile forme for his owne cause but for our cause and for vs was his eare bored soule and bodie sustaining that full wrath which we should haue endured eternally And yet notwithstanding so vnthankfull are we that except he bore our eare afâ—er another sort that is bore our hearts and soules as Lydias was Act. 16. we can neuer thanke him nor know him for this benefit Then the effect and summe of the Prophecie may be this Christ would testifie to vs that he is now by the benefit of the Father become our high Priest not to offer legall sacrifices the bloud of lambs and goats as before but to offer his owne bodie which was the veritie of all other sacrifices that by this sacrifice our conscience might be purged We haue the abolishing of the old Testament set down in the 6. verse the establishing of the new Testament in the 7. verse the office of Christ in the 8. verse Now as to the lessons I marke two or three shortly and so I shall end The first lesson riseth out of the 6. verse he saith in the 6. verse it is not the worthinesse of externall worshipping it is not the worthinesse of legall sacrifices that made the prayers of the ancients to be heard It was not the worthinesse of their ceremonies that made their deliuerie to be purchased It is not the worthinesse of our merits and satisfactions that maketh our prayers to be heard it is onely the bloud of the Lambe that made Dauid to be heard at that time and vs to be heard now that purchased his deliuerance then and our deliuerance now Accursed therefore is that religion that mixeth any other merits with the merits of Christ and double accursed is the religion that derogateth any thing from the honour of this merite This for the first lesson The second thing that I marke is the end why Dauids prayer is heard and our prayer is heard The end is not to abuse the goodnesse of God to the wantonnes of the flesh not to take occasion of the grace of God to prouoke him the next time to anger but the end is to consecrate soule and bodie to his seruice and to make a publike protestation euery one in his owne calling to be thankfull to him in all time to come This is the end wherfore the Lord deliuereth vs and heareth our prayers I grant there is none of vs but in one measure or other we abuse the grace of God but there is an abusing with a fighting or reluctation and there is another with a loose reine And whosoeuer abuseth the grace of God with a loose reine he casteth himselfe into the hands of God and who so casteth himselfe oft into the hands
gift which is as farre out of his hands and from him by nature as the lusts of his youth are neare him by nature And therefore he should be so much the more diligent and earnest in begging this gift the nearer he knoweth these lusts to be to him and the further he knoweth this gift to be from him by nature Of these two points as the Lord shall assist me by his holy Spirit I thinke to speake at this time And first concerning the lusts of youth I vnderstand by them whatsoeuer motions raging flames or vicious affections or whatsoeuer euill inclinations a yong man is addicted to from all these lusts and enticements youth ought to flee as there is no vice vnder the Sunne vnto the which youth is not too much subiect For our corruption so long as we liue in this world is neuer idle but in what age that euer we be our corruption is perpetually fertile bringing forth euill thoughts euill motions euill actions out of vs But chiefly our corruption is fertile in our youth in the time of our youth chiefly and most of all is our corruption fertile and abundant for then the bloud of man burneth then the affections are in a rage and he hath no power of himselfe to controlle them But he is caried hither and thither as his owne appetites command him In such sort that it may be counted a miracle a speciall worke and blessing of the Almighty God to see a youth passe ouer his yong yeares without a notable inconuenience either to body or soule or both without some notable scarre as we speake For there is no youth there is none that tooke flesh that was begotten of man but in his youth he is subiect to one vice or other and there are few but they are subiect to many but there is no youth that euer proceeded of the wombe of a woman but in his youth before his calling he is subiect vnto one vice or other The affection of the which vice what euer it be whereto he is subiect is in seruitude commandeth him as ordinarily requireth obedience of him as ordinarily as any master requireth of his seruant And the heart of that man the minde of that man the body of that man are as ready to yeeld obedience to that vice affection as any seruant or slaue in the earth is ready to yeeld obedience to his maister As for example if any man be inclined vnto aspiring and addicted in his heart to promotion if he would be in worldly honour in such sort that that vice commandeth him in this point ambition hath as ordinaâ—y a command of him as mighty and potent a command to enioyne him as any master hath ouer his seruant In like maner if a mans heart be set vpon the drosse of this world vpon the paltry that is in it couetousnesse commandeth that man as ordinarily and more constantly then any master is able to command his seruant If a man be addicted to the pleasure of his flesh to defile his body that lust commandeth that man as ordinarily and more continually then any master can do his seruant And so fareth it in all the rest of the vices looke to what vice thou hast addicted thee in seruice the affection of that vice ordinarily commandeth thee The ground of this floweth from the heart of man and from the nature of man which is corrupted in the first Adam For such is the condition and estate of the heart of man so long as we remaine in our naturall estate That the heart of euery man of euery woman that euer was begotten and borne carrieth about in it the feede of all kinde of vice and impiety That vice is not so monstrous nor that wickednes so vgly which our eares or any of our senses abhorre to heare or see but the seede of that same vice lurketh and lieth naturally in the heart It is true indeede that all these seedes do not budde out that all these seedes spring not that men burst not foorth into all high impieties in their externall and outward actions but there commeth a restraint into the soule whereby we are restrained from these same actions whereunto some men burst foorth and shew what they are to the world This restraint whereby I abstaine and thou fallest in I keepe close and thou burstest forth cometh no more of my nature nor of thine that doth the turne but of the grace prouidence of the mighty God For if God had no meanes to restraine the impiety that is in the hart of man but euery man as his hart carieth him bursteth forth in euery impiety how would it be possible that a society could be kept how would it be possible that a Church could be gathered how would it be be possible that any man could haue company or any conuersation amongst men Therefore the Lord that one society might be kept that out of this society a Church might be gathered doth restraine the impiety the seedes of impiety that lieth lurking and hid in the heart of euery man The wayes whereby he restraineth impiety and holdeth the seeds of impiety choked that they burst not out are two he restraineth the impiety that lurketh in the heart either by Discipline or by seuere punishment and good execution of lawes Or he restraineth this euill lurking in the heart by the worke of his own Spirit The restraint that coÌ„meth by Discipline and execution of lawes doth not take away the tyranny of sinne it taketh not away the absolute command and soueraignty which sin hath it holdeth wicked men in aw it maketh them to keepe an externall society and holdeth them in some honesty and ciuill conuersation but it taketh not away the soueraignty and empire of the affections The restraint againe which is made by the Spirit of God by the Spirit of Christ Iesus which we call the Spirit of sanctification the restraint that is made by this Spirit taketh away the soueraignty and tyranny which mine affections had before it came it taketh away the dominion and kingdome which mine affections had before it came In such sort that where the worldling is restrained from the outward impiety against his will I by the power of the Spirit of Christ Iesus abstaine willingly But take heede I pray you the coming of the Spirit of God into mine heart and minde suppose it take away the full empire and soueraignty whiâ—h mine affections had in my soule before it came yet it taketh not away the lodging dwelling of sin in my soule But suppose mine affections and sinne dwell not as a King dwell not as a Prince as an absolute commander to command the powers of the soule the members of the body to put his will in execution as he had wont to do before suppose he dwell not as a King yet he lodgeth in the soule as a companion he dwelleth as a companion with the Spirit of