are not ordained to liue in corners vnobserued but are set on a Mountaine as examples of goodnesse to all A Citie that is set on a hill cannot be hid God meant you notable take heed you become not notorious As Mount Sion is the ioy of the whole earth so it is the light of the whole earth If that light become darknesse how great how greatly to be condemned is that darknesse This was that great exception God tooke against Israel that through them his Name which should haue beene honoured was blasphemed among the Gentiles You are founded on a Mountaine therefore haue your conuersation honest among men that by your good works which they behold they may glorifie God in the day of visitation 2. The felicitie that comes by Christ insinuated by Sion which was a place of blessednes This is either Praemissa or Promissa already sent into our hearts or certainely obiected by promise to our faiths It is either assumed or assured Inre or in spe either that we haue or that we shall haue The happinesse wee haue already by this Mount Sion consists in three priuiledges the Fauour of God Ioy of the holy Ghost and peace of Conscience 1. In the Fauour of GOD which is to Sion as the light was once to Goshen shining there and no vvhere else Or as to Gedeon the Fleece on the Mountaine is wet with the dew of Heauen when all the earth is dry besides This Lux vultus tui the light of thy Countenance which puts more gladnes into our hearts then the aboundance of earthly fruites reioyce the couetous The wicked shall neuer see it vnlesse so much as may encrease their anguish when they must depart from it for euer 2. In the ioy of the Spirit which is hilaris cum pondere virtus a gladnes that can neither be suppressed nor expressed Sentire est cordis dicere non est oris The heart doth feele it the tongue cannot tell it It is that Stone with the new Name written in it which no man knoweth sauing be that receiueth it There is much reioycing in the world but the matter of it is mutable These lower delights are more sensitiue but more fluid They sooner cloy vs Magna foelicitas est à foelicitate non vinci It is a great happinesse not to be ouercome of happinesse Corporall delights work in vs a great hunger till they are attained But Spirituall Cùm non habentur sunt in fastidio cùm habentur in desiderio Whiles we haue them not we care not for them but when we haue them wee more eagerly desire them There is no hunger of it till we taste it In illis appetitus generat saturitatem saturitas fastidium In istis appetitus parat fruitioneâ—… fruitio parit appetitum In carnall pleasures appetite begets fulnesse fulnesse lothing in spirituall desire prepares fruition fruition begets desiring Voluptuous pleasure is like a blister it beginnes first with an itching but at last it swells breakes forth in anguish and putrid corruption There are two obseruations able to keepe vs from ouer-affecting the ioyes of this world and from vilipending the ioyes of Sion 1. First resolue euery carnall delight in the first matter and principle of it and there will be more likelihood of despising then danger of much desiring The Couetous makes gold his hope and sayes to the Wedge Thou art my confidence and what are those precious metals hee so worshippeth but veines of the earth better coloured Tâ—… Ambitious builder that erects a Babel for the honour of his owne Maiesty thinkes all eyes standamazed at his magnificence And what are those sumptuous monuments wherein hee so glorieth but monumentall witnesses of his folly a little hewne tymber some burnt and hardned earth The Adulterer admires the beauty of his harlot kneeles to a pledge of her memory by wanton sonnets Idolises her turnes his soule to an Elephant and worships this Sun Now what is that stately building of a humane lumpe but the same earth his foote treads vpon better tempered because painted worse when it wants the guest the soule that quickens it worst of all The proud dotes on his costly robes centers his eye vpon himselfe as if no second obiect was worth looking on the Tailors hand hath made him a man and his purse makes the Taylor a Gentleman And what are those curious ragges but such are giuen of wormes and consumed of mothes Consider the materials of your lower ioyes if you will persist in their dotage you shall doe it without our enuy 2. Obserue their Conclusion looke from their beginning to their end Delectatio vulnerat transit infoelicem reddidit reliquit Pleasure like an Irish man wounds with her dart and is sodainly gone it makes a man miserable and so leaues him Mors in ollâ behold laughter concluded in teares The protasis delights the apodosis wounds The Conscience receiues a long vexation for a transient delectation for an vnperfect content perfect torment This is a hard penniworth so little pleasure for so much repentance He that for a little ioy giues that Christ bought with so much paine Stultum Christum reputat mercatorem thinkes Christ a foolish buyer but the euent proues him a foolish seller Esau bitterly repented this bargaine This for the world but now the ioyes of Mount Sion are for matter spirituall for substance reall for vse vniuersall for continuance eternall 3. In the peace of Conscience There is little outward peace in the world wee haue eyther an Esau with his hand or an Ismael with his tongue bent against vs. As then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit euen so it is now So it is and so it will be to the end of the world This is the difference betwixt Mount Sion militant and Mount Sion triumphant In heauen are all comforts without any crosses in hell are all crosses without any comforts on earth comforts and crosses ioy and griefe peace and trouble misery and mercy are blended together We may say of a Christian as Lorinus the Iesuite writes of an Archbishop of Toledo who weighing the much disputed coÌ„trouersie whether Salomon was saued or damned and not being satisfied with the arguments of eyther side caused Salomon to be painted on the walls of his Chappell halfe in Heauen and halfe in hell So the Christian in respect of his outward calamities seemes to be halfe in hell but in respect of his inward comforts he is the better halfe in heauen Howsoeuer Being iustified by Faith wee haue peace with God And wheresoeuer wee are dispersed or howsoeuer distressed the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and surpasseth all commending preserueth our hearts in Iesus Christ euermore But all this in Possesso we haue already there is something more in Promisso which we shall haue Wee are now the sonnes
them Vnto them were committed the oracles of God They were first dâ—…positarij then oeconomi dispensers For out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation So Christ to the Samaritan woman Saluation is of the Iewes Now as this crediting facit ad honorem persona cui confidimus Ambr. makes to the honour of the person whom we credit This was a great credit to the Iewes so it brings them to a strict account exigendum cum vsâ—…is as in the Talents God lookes for his owne with vsury Some of them kept them in their hands but not in their hearts alijs magis profuâ—…ura quà m ipsis Erasm. for the benefit of other more then of themselues Now this booke is the Touchstone or tryall of our workes whatsoeuer wee haue eyther thought said or done is eyther with or against this Law of God How we wrangle heere to iustifie many things which there will not abide the tryall How many arguments doth a contentious man produce to countenance his wrangling Law-suites Defensio iuris Intentio legis retardatio iniuriarum The defending of his right the purpose of the Law the keeping backe of iniuries forbeare one wrong and prouoke more and Correctio iniustorum the punishing of euill doers and be not these smooth colours who can now say Peccasti in litigando thou hast done ill in going to law but still we reckon vvithout our Oast thou thinkest thy penny good siluer as the foole thought his peble a diamond bring it to the test There is vtterly a fault among you because ye goe to law one with another Whether vvill God iudge thee according to thine owne humour or according to this precept Alas he vvill then try thee Secundum legem suam non secundum legem tuam after his law not after thy lust It is opus carnis and will not abide tentationem ignis Contention strife variance are works of the flesh they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Hell fire wil confute alreasons So among others an angry word calls on a challenge they haue plausible reasons for it Their credit lyes vpon it and better lose life then reputation If being wronged they chalenge not or being chalenged they answere not the vvorld condemnes them cowards So they fight not so much against anothers life as against their owne reproach This were somewhat if it were tam bene quà m magnè propositum if the proiect were as Christian as it is Romane Now they must go to the field pray embrace forgiue then fight and kill But is this the Law that God vvil iudge by no that Law is Thou shalt not kill But perhaps they purpose not to kill yet saith God Returne not euil for euil how doth this agree with thy color humor Yet more peremptorily Aâ—…enge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath For vengeance is mine sayth the Lord. Will you steale this from him in a glorious theft hazard your soule more then your body thrusting one vpon an enemies sword the other on Gods sword Will you meet together in so bloudy a designe wherein vterque letaliter peccat saepe alter aeternaliter perit both sinne deadly often one or both perish eternally Thus your pretences may blanch it ouer with the name of honour but the law you must be tried by will finde it homicide For Vsury how is it bedawbed with arguments probabilities patronages examples Bookes haue been written to iustifie it But none of these is that law wherby the Vsurer must be iudged They doe not onely reason thus I must giue to the poore therefore I must take vsury of the rich an argument of Stand-gate hole I may robbe some that I may giue to others But they defend it by Scripture If thou lend money to the poore thou shalt not lay vpon him vsury Not on the poore therefore they inferre vvee may lay it on the rich Robbe not the poore because hee is poore faith Salomon therefore wee may robbe the rich because he is rich and can spare it Is not this a goodly strong argument So because it is said Exo. 22. 22. Ye shall not afflict the widow or fatherlesse child it must needes follow that they may trouble a woman maried or a child that hath a father There are infinite excuses but the Law of triall is Thou shalt not lend vpon vsury studie an answere to that question As much may be said for Impropriations what shall become of all our legal pleas our Alienations Prohibitions Customs Fines all fine excuses when Christ shal set the sacrilegious before him and read this Law Thou shalt not robbe God of his tythes and offerings VVhere now are all reasons and excuses This spirituall Court will admit of no corrupt customes no deuices Mee thou hast robbed by me thou shalt be condemned Lord enter not into iudgement with vs who shall be iustified in thy sight We cannot answere ex millibus vnum one of a thousand Helpe vs O thou Iudge and Sauiour let thy mercy as Iesus help vs against thy Iustice as Iudge VVe must come vnder probation defend vs from reprobation and let vs find approbation not for our workes but thy mercies O blessed Redeemer Amen Lastly others are to be iudged by the Gospell and this certainly bindeth our conscience heâ—…e for it shall iudge vs hereafter He that beleeueth not on Christ is condemned Now the Gospel requires of vs two things Faith and Obedience Faith Repent and beleeue the Gospel Obedience Ye haue obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine Which obedience must be Prompta yee haue obeyed voluntaria from the heart discreta that true forme of doctrine Lyran. Indeed Obedientia Euangelica est ipsa fides Many thinke they are not bound to beleeue the Gospel but by this they shall be iudged True it is that all are not bound to it they to whom Christ neuer spoke was neuer spoken haue an excuse not of euery sinne but of this sinne that they haue not beleeued on Christ. It is obiected The Law bound all therefore the Gospel bindes all No for the Law was giuen to mans nature so though the knowledge was lost by mans default yet the bond remaines on Gods part The Gospel was neuer giuen to mans nature but after the fall and is aboue nature Adam was the roote of mankind in respect of nature not in respect of grace When God gaue the Law to him hee bound him and all his posterity to keepe it When he gaue the Promise to him faith to beleeue it hee did not withall giue it to all mankind Neither if Adam had afterwards falne from faith should all mankind haue falne with him The first Adam was not the roote of the Promise but the second But now to our selues we must
put on obedience if for stubbornnesse he must put on patience he must serue if he will deserue this God alone cannot doe if to die he must be mortall this onely God cannot be Therefore this Mediator is made man to be himselfe bound as he is GOD to free others that are bound Man to become weake God to vanquish Man to die God to triumph ouer death This is that sacred Ladder whose top in heauen reaching to the bosome of God expresseth his Diuinitie his foote on earth close to Iacobs loynes witnesseth his Humanitie We are bankrout debters God is a sure Creditor Christ sets all on his score We are ignorant Clients God is a skilfull Iudge Christ is our Aduocate to plead our cause for vs. God is a iust Master we are vnfaithfull vnfruitfull vnprofitable seruants this Mediator takes vp the matter betweene vs. Of the new Couenant For Moses may seeme to be a Mediator of the Old Couenant I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the Word of the Lord. This Mediatorship of the New couenant is a high office competible to none but the Lord Iesus Who should appeare betweene a iust God and sinfull men but he that is mortall with men and iust with God It is a Couenant for there is something agreed on both sides we couenant to belieue and God to forgiue A New couenant there was cold comfort for vs in the old A man reading Fac hoc et vines Doe this and thou shalt liue thinks of it as if he were bidden to catch a starre from the firmament take it for his labour But in the New Crede et vine belieue liue for euer The condition on mans part is belieuing the couenant on Gods part is Sauing Now though it be true that it is as easie for man of himselfe to fulfill the Law as it is to belieue the Gospel yet the New couenant Dat credere giues a man power to belieue for faith is the faire gift of God Praecipit non adiuvat Lex offert et affert Euangelium The Law giues commandement but not amendment the Gospel brings saluation to our hearts our hearts to saluation As it chargeth vs so it aydeth vs. As this Mediator giues Fidem quam credimus the faith which we belieue mercy and remission so also Fidem qua credimus the faith whereby we belieue grace to apprehend this mercy Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Couenant which was established vpon better promises Briefely here consider the excellencie of this New and Euangelicall Couenant aboue the Old and Legall In the beginning God made man righteous for he created him in his owne Image which the Apostle saies consisted in righteousnesse and the holinesse of truth But man soone defaced this goodly and godly picture This I haue found that God made man righteous but he sought out many inuentions waves to make himselfe wicked and wretched Hence it followed that our restitution was a greater work then our constitution The house was with more ease built vp new then repaired being old and ruinous That was done per verbum enuntiatum this per verbum annuntiatum There he spake the word and all things were created here the Word was made flesh Fecit mira tulit dira passus dura verba duriora verbera There it was done by saying Dic verbum tantùm here by doing yea by dying suffering grieuous words more grieuous wounds Factus in terris fractus in terris There all begun in Adam who was Terrae filius a sonne of the earth here all in Christ who is Coeli Dominus the Lord of Heauen Spirituall life is better then naturall firmer surer There man had onely a power to stand but with it a power to fall according to his owne pleasure heere he hath a certaintie of inseparable coniunction to Christ. He so stands as neuer to fall so liues as neuer to die so is loued as neuer to bee hated There Adam and Eue were married to propagate filios carnis children of the flesh heere Christ is married to his Church to beget filios spirituales children in the Spirit and that with a bond neuer to be diuorced Thus at first God commanded that to exist which was not before now he makes one contrary to be changed into another flesh into spirit darknesse into light corruption into holinesse greater miracles then changing stones into bread Dignus vindice nodus a knot worthy the finger of God to vntie Here is the wonderfull worke of the New Couenant we were made Ex spirituoris redeemed ex sanguine cordis created by the breath of Gods mouth but saued by the bloud of his heart Therefore not sixe Cherubims as in the vision of Esay nor foure and twenty Elders as in the Reuelation of Iohn but a royall Armie of heauenly souldiers were heard praysing GOD at the birth of Iesus Christ. In summe there is but one Mediator of the New Couenant neither Saint nor Angel hath any part in this dignity Melancth Idem est multos Deos fingere ac sanctos mortuos inuocare to worship old Saints is to make new Gods He that shall pray to dead men dishonours the liuing Mediator Saint Paul saith expresly There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus Whence it is manifest that it is the same blasphemous presumption to make moe Mediators then one that to make moe Gods then one Heere the Romanists distinguish Christ is the sole Mediator of Redemption not of Intercession Opus est mediatore ad mediatore Christum VVee must haue a Mediator of intercession to this Mediator of redemption A blind answere for Paul directly there speakes of prayers and Intercession ver 1. c. But say they Our prayers are to be made to God alone tanquam per cum implenda because our desires are fulfilled onely by him but vnto the Saints tanquam per eos impetranda because they are obtained by them As if Christ were so busie that hee could not tend to heare vs or so stately that hee vvould not bend to heare vs or so vniust as to deny his owne Venite and not to performe his promise Come vnto me all that labour We oppose against them that comfortable saying of S. Iohn If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous They answere Indeed Christ is our chiefe Aduocate Saints and Angels secondary or subordinate Aduocates But the word Aduocate is borrowed of the Lawyers signifies him only that doth plead the iustice of his clients cause A stranger in the court may become a petitioner to the Iudge intreat fauor for the person guilty but Aduocates are Patrons Proctors of their Clients Angels in heauen Saints on earth are suitors in our behalfe to God but Christ alone is our Aduocate And
Pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thy selfe in the sea and it shall obey them yet reprobates also had it for euen they that are cast out with a Discedite à me plead this In thy name haue we cast out deuils and done many wonderfull workes But it was not this faith 5. There is a faith that beleeues to go to heauen though it bend the course directly to hell that thinks to arriue at the Ierusalem of blessednesse through the Samaria of prophanenesse a presumption but it was not this faith 6. There is a faith that beleeues a mans owne mercy in Iesus Christ and liues a life worthy of this hope and becomming such a prosession and it was this faith that our Sauiour commendeth When Samuel came to anoint one of the sonnes of Iesse Eliab was presented to him and he said Surely the Lords Anointed is before him He was deceiued hee might haue a goodly countenance and a high stature but it was not he Then passed by Abinadab nor is this he then Shammah nor is this hee Then seuen of his sonnes were presented The Lord hath chosen none of thâ—…se Be here all saith Samuel Iesse answered No the yongest is behind and he keepeth the sheepe Then said Samuel Send and fetch him for we will not sit downe till he come When he was come he was ruddy and withall of a beautifull countenance and goodly to looke on And the Lord said Arise and anoint him for this is he If wee should make such a quest for the principall Grace Temperance is a sober and matronly vertue but not shee Humility in the lowest is respected of the Highest but not she Wisedome is a heauenly grace similisque creanti like the Maker but not shee Patience a sweet and comfortable vertue that lookes cheerefully on troubles when her brest is red with the bloud of sufferance her cheekes are white with the purenesse of innocence yet not shee Iustice hath a hand spotlesse as the brow of heauen a heart transparant as Christall a countenance able to daunt temptation it selfe yet not she Charity is a louely vertue little innocents hang at her brests Angels kisse her cheekes Her lips are like a threed of scarlet and her speech is comely her Temples are like a Pomegranate within her lookes all the ends of the earth call her blessed yet not shee Lastly Faith appeares beautified with the robe of her Sauiours righteousnesse adorned with the iewels of his graces and shining in that fairenesse which hee gaue her Iam Regina venit now comes the Queene of Graces This is she Now as Faith excells all other graces so there is a speciall degree of faith that excells all other degrees For euery faith is not a sauing faith The King of Syria commanded his Captaines y Fight neither with small nor great saue onely with the King of Israel How should they know him By his Princely attire and royall deportment Perhaps they met with many glorious personages slew heere and there one none of them was the King of Israel Setting vpon Iehoshaphat they said Surely this is the King of Israel no it was not One drew a bow at a venture smote a man in his Charet and that was the King of Israel The faith that belieues Gods Word to be true is a good faith but not Illa fides that sauing Faith The faith that beleeues Christ to be the worlds Sauiour is a true faith but not that faith The faith that belieues many men shall be saued is vera fides non illa fides a true faith but not that faith The faith that beleeues a mans owne soule redeemed iustified saued by the merits of Iesus Christ not without vvorks answerable to this beliefe this is that faith That was the King of Israel and this is the Queene of Israâ—… all the other be but her attendants There is Fides Sentiends Assentiendi and Appropriandi a man may haue the first and not the second he may haue the first and second and yet not the third but if he haue the third degree he hath all the former Some know the truth but doe not consent to it some know it and assent to it yet beleeue not their owne part they that belieue their own mercy haue all the rest As meat digested turnes to iuyce in the stomake to bloud in the liuer to spirits in the heart so faith is in the braine knowledge in the reason assent in the heart application As the child in the wombe hath first a vegetatiue life then a sensitiue last a rationall So faith as meere knowledge hath but a vegetation as allowance but sense onely the applying and apportioning the merites of Christ to the owne soule by it this is the rationall the very life of it But thus we may better exemplifie this Similitude The vegetatiue soule is the soule of plants and it is a true soule in the kind though it haue neither sense nor reason The sensitiue soule is the soule of beasts a true soule includes vegetation but is voide of reason The rationall soule is the soule of man a distinct soule by it selfe comprehends both vegetation and sense hauing added to them the perfection of reason So there are three kindes or degrees of Faith 1. To belieue there is a God this is the faith of Pagans and it is a true faith though it neither belieue the Word of God nor mercy from God 2. To belieue that what God sayes is true this is the faith of deuils and reprobates and a true faith including the faith of Pagans and going beyond it yet it apprehends no mercy 3. To belieue on God to rely vpon his mercy in Christ and to affie their owne reconciliation this is the faith of the Elect comprehends both the former yet is a distinct faith by it selfe This faith onely saues and it hath two properties 1. It is a repenting faith for Repentance is Faiths Vsher deawes all her way with teares Repentance reades the Law and weepes Faith reads the Gospell and comforts Both haue seueral bookes in their hands Poenitentia intuetur Mosem Fides Christum Repentance lookes on the rigorous brow of Moses Faith beholds the sweet countenance of Christ Iesus 2. It is a working faith if it worke not it is dead and a dead faith no more saues then a painted fire warmes Faith is a great Queene her cloathing is of wrought gold the virgins her companions that follow her are good deeds Omnis fidelis tantum credit quantum sperat amat quantum credit sperat amat tantum operatur A Christian so farre beleeues as he hopes and loues and so farre as he belieues hopes and loues he workes Now as Moses is said to see him that is invisible because he saw his back-parts and as when we see the members of the body mouing to their seuerall functions we know there is a soule within albeit vnseene so faith cannot
and faculties run to the soule to saue that which is principall The bloud and spirits striue to saue the life of the bodie faith hope to saue the life of the soule So that at the suddaine assault of some daunger a man shall best iudge of his owne heart It may bee at other times a dissembler for mans heart is false who can know it yet at such time it will manifest it selfe and cannot deceiue If God hath beene our familiar friend and accustomed helper danger doth not sooner salute vs then we salute him by our prayers The first thought of our hearts is Iesus Christ the first voyce of our lips is Peters on the sea in such an extremitie Lord saue mee our faith is reposed on his wonted mercy and protection Wee know whom we haue beleeued Daniell cals on GOD ere hee fals to the Lions this stoppes their mouthes The wicked in such miserie are either heauie and heartlesse as Nabal whose heart dyed within him and he became as a stone Or desperate as Iulian throwing his bloud vp into the ayre with a blasphemous confession Or sottish as these here running to the mountaines vnprofitable vnpossible helpes When the blow of vengeance strikes the couetous he runs to his counting house if his bagges can giue him no succour he is distracted If any broken reed bee their confidence in these ouerwhelming woes they catch drowning hold of that so they and their hopes perish together There are some whose tongues are so poysoned with blasphemie that in an vnexpected accident the very first breath of their lips is a curse or an oath As if they would sweare away destruction which euery vngodly speech drawes on neerer If these men hadde beene acquainted with God in faire weather they would not forget him in a storme But they that will haue no familiaritie with God in peace shall haue him to seeke in extremitie When therefore some sudden perill hath threatned thee with terrour note seriously how thou art affected Though the danger came vnlook'd for let it not passe vnthought of but as thou blessest God for deliuery so examine the good or ill disposednesse of thine owne heart If thou find thy selfe couragious and heauenly minded on thy confidence in God take at once assurance of thy faith and Gods mercie Hee that nowe stood by thee will neuer leaue thee If otherwise lament thy sinnes which darken thy soules way to the mercie-seate and beseech Iesus Christ to store thy heart with better comforts If thy treasure be in heauen and thy soule hath beene vsed to trauell often thither when danger comes it knowes the way so well that it cannot misse it 2. Affirmatiuely this presents a soule amazed with feare and follie They call to the Mountaines that can neither heare nor answere When the world was destroyed with water men climbed vp to the tops of the Mountaines when it shall be dissolued with fire they will desire the holes of the rockes and to lie vnder the hils The mountaines are but swellings of the earth and the rockes are surd things that haue no eares can they heare or if they heare can they answere or if they answere can they saue when the graues must vomite vp their dead shall the rockes conceale the liuing Those fiue Kings could not be hid in the caue of Makkedah from Ioshua and shall any caue hide from Iesus Whiles guilt and feare consult of refuge how vaine shifts they imagine Adam would hide his disobedience in the bushes Saul his rebellion in the crowd of the people So the hood-wink'd foole seeing no body thinkes no body sees him Helplesse euasions when Adoniah heard the trumpets sounding at Salomons coronation he quaked and fled to the hornes of the Altar When the vngodly shall heare the Archangels Trumpe proclaiming the coronation of Christ they haue no Sanctuarie they neuer loued it in all their liues but flie to the rockes and mountaines The graue is a darke and priuatiue place yet as a prisoner that comes out of a sordid and stinking dungeon into the open ayre for his triall in a desperate cause had rather keepe the prison still So these reprobates newly raysed from the earth cry to it to receiue them againe glad to remaine though not on the face of it with pleasure in the bowels of it with rottenesse and solitude rather then in the open light to come before the iudgement seat of Christ. The graue is a drowne-bed to hell They suddainly start out of their sleepe and meet with gastly amasednesse at the mouth of their sepulchers beholding on the one side sins accusing on another side hellish fiends vexing an anguish'd conscience burning within heauen earth without aboue them the countenance of an angry Iudge below them a lake of vnquenchable fire round about howling and bitter lamentations no maruell then if at the worlds end they be at their wittes end and cry to the mountaines Fall on vs. Let all this declare to men the vanitie of their worldly hopes God is the Preseruer of men not hils rocks The rich man is brought in vpon a Premunire can his gold acquit him in this Starre-chamber The Epicure thinkes to drowne sorrow in lustie wines the oppressor mistrusts not the power of his owne hand the proud refugeth his troubled heart in his trunkes the lustfull in his punkes what is this but running to rockes and mountaines Thus madly doe men commit two errors Ier. 2. They forsake the creator which would neuer forsake them and adhere to the creatures which can neuer helpe them O Lord the hope of Israell all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and all that depâ—…t from thee shall be written in the earth Nowe at this day perhaps they would seeke to the Lord but they are answered Goâ—… to the gods whom ye haue serued Loe then of these gods they shall be wearie as in the 2. of Esay where these very words of my Text are deliuerd ver 19. They shall goe into the holes of the rockes c. it is immediatly added In that day a man shall cast his Idols of siluer and his Idols of gold which he made for himselfe to worship 〈◊〉 the moules and to the battes Euen the spirituall Idolater the Couetous shall throw his Images golden or siluer shrines for the Diana of his auarice his damned coyne to combustion with a vae Woe vnto it it hath lost my soule As the sicke stomacke lothes the meate whereof it surfetted Well let vs leaue inuocation to these Rockes worldly refuges and remember that there is one to be called on who is onely able to defend vs a spirituall holy and happy Rocke Iesus Christ. Dauid often cals God his Rocke and his refuge A rocke that beares vp the pillars of the world Their Rocke is not as our Rocke euen our enemies themselues being iudges He that builds his house of assurance on this rocke shall stand
hee thinkes of Preachers as the Deuill sayd of CHRIST that we come to torment him before his time Well then Reioyce sayth GOD Let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth But ironice hee mockes when hee sayes so Now quod Deus loquitur ridens tu lege lacrymans What God speakes laughing doe thou read lamenting If God once laughes itis high time for vs to weepe They will not heare God when he preacheth in their health God will not heare them when they pray in their sicknes They would not hearken to him in the Pulpit nor hee to them on their death bed 6. God speakes by his Spirit This spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit c. Perhaps this is that voyce behind vs as it were whispering to our thoughts This is the way walke in it This is that speaking Spirit It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you It is this Spirit that speakes for vs and speakes to vs and speakes in vs. It is the Churches prayer Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth Sanctus Spiritus osculum Patris The holy Ghost is the kisse of God the Father Whom God kisseth he loueth Now by all these wayes doth God speake peace to our consciences and say to our soules that hee is our Saluation 1. Hee may speake with his owne voyce and thus he gaue assurance to Abraham Feare not I am thy shield thy exceeding great reward If God speake comfort let hell roare horrour 2. Hee may speake by his workes actuall mercies to vs demonstrate that we are in his fauour and shall not be condemned By this I know thou fauourest mee because mine enemie doth not triumph ouer mee 3. Hee may speake by his sonne Come to mee all that labour and are heauie laden and I will ease you 4. He may speake by his Scripture this is Gods Epistle to vs and his letters Patent wherein are granted to vs all the priuiledges of saluation An vniuersall Siquis Whosoeuer beleeues and is Baptised shall be saued 5. He may speake by his Ministers to whom he hath giuen the Ministerie of reconciliation 6. He doth speake this by his spirit he sendeth forth the spirit of his sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father By all these voyces God sayes to his elect I am your saluation To my Soule Many heare God speaking comfort to the corporall care that heare him not speaking this to the soule They heare him but they feele him not The best assurance is from feeling Come neare let mee feele thee my Sonne sayd Isaacto Iacob let me feele thee my Father say wee to God The thronging Iewes heard Christ but Zacheus that beleeuing Publican felt Christ. This day is saluation come to thy house My Soule There is no vexation to the vexation of the soule so no consolation to the consolation of the soule Dauid in this Psalme calls it his Darling Rescue my soule from their destructions my Darling from the Lyons The same Prophet complained of a great vnrest when his soule was disquieted within him Ionas of a grieuous sicknesse when his soule fainted Ioseph had a cruell bondage when The yron entred his soule So no comfort to the comfort of the soule In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts haue refreshed my soule The wicked heare tell of Gods mercies communitur audimus verbum salutis but God speakes not to their soules Therefore they cannot say with Mary My soule reioyceth This ioy when God speakes peace to the soule is ineffabile gaudium a iubilation of the heart which a man can neither recitare nor reticere neither suppresse nor expresse It giues end to all â—…arres doubts and differences ouercomes the world non-sutes the deuill and makes a man keepe Hilary Terme all his life To my Soule Mine I might here examine whose this Mea is who is the owner of this my A prophet a king a man after Gods owne heart that confessed himselfe the beloued of God that knew the Lord would neuer forsake him holy happy Dauid ownes this meae hee knowes the Lord loues him yet desires to know it more Dic animae Mea say to My soule But let this teach vs to make much of this My. Luther sayes there is great diuinitie in pronounes The Assurance that GOD will saue some is a fayth incident to Deuills The very Reprobates may beleeue that there is a booke of Election but GOD neuer told them that their names were written there The hungry begger at the Feast-house gate smells good cheare but the Master doth not say this is prouided for thee It is small comfort to the harbourlesse wretch to passe through a goodly Citie and see many glorious buildings When hee cannot say Haec mea domus I haue a place here The beautie of that excellent Citie Ierusalem built with Saphyres Emeralds Chrysolites and such precious stones the foundation and walls whereof are perfect gold affords a soule no comfort vnlesse hee can say mea ciuitas I haue a Mansion in it The all sufficient merits of Christ doe thee no good vnlesse tua pars portio hee bee thy Sauiour Happy soule that can say with the Psalmist O Lord thou art my portion Let vs all haue oyle in our Lampes lest if wee bee then to buy beg or borow wee be shut out of doores like the fooles not worthy of entrance Pray Lord say vnto my soule I am thy saluation I am thy saluation The Petition is ended I will but looke into the Benediction wherein I should consider these foure circumstances Quis quid Cui quando Who What to Whom When. Who. The Lord to the Lord Dauid prayes He hath made a good choice for there is saluation in none other Thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thy helpe The world failes the flesh fals the Deuill kils onely the Lord saues What. Saluation a speciall good thing euery mans desire who would not bee saued Euery man would goe to heauen though perhaps hee runnes a course directly to hell Beatus vult homo esse etiam non sic viuendo vt possit esse Man would be blessed though he takes the course to be cursed I will giue thee a Lordship saith God to Esau. I will giue thee a kingdome sayth God to Saul I will giue thee an Apostleship sayth God to Iudas But I will be thy saluation he sayes to Dauid and to none but Saints Indeed this voyce comes from heauen comes vnto earth but onely through the mediator betwixt heauen and earth Iesus Christ. Hee is the alone Sauiour Worldlings possesse many things but haue right to nothing because not right to him that is the heire of all thinges Christ. The soule is the perfection of the bodie Reason of the Soule Religion of reason Faith of Religion Christ of faith A man can warrant vs vpon earth that
Feruour of Charitie These are couertly implied from Psal. 104. He maketh his Angels spirits his ministers a flaming fire Spirits there is the Puritie of their substance ministers there 's the Readinesse of their obedience Flame of fire there 's the heate of their Charitie Thus were the Cherubims of the Tabernacle made figuring these three vertues in the Angels Exod. 25. First they were made of Pure gold ver 18. This shewes the excellencie of their substance for gold is the purest and best of mettals To this Gods owne Word is compared We will make thee borders of gold with studdes of siluer Secondly they had two wings stretched out to witnesse Promptitudinem obedientiae Gabriel did fly swiftly Of all creatures the winged are the swiftest O that I had wings like a Doue then would I fly away and be at rest The most suddenly transient thing riches is compared to a winged creature Riches makes it selfe wings like an Eagle Thirdly they were made with their faces one towards another to manifest the truth of their loue not like proud men turning away their countenance from their brethren Lastly though one were toward another yet both toward the Mercie-seate beholding him in sight to whō they were beholden in dutie Thus we see 1. that their nature is pure and this their mansion declares which is heauen for into it shall enter no vncleane thing They are shining and singing starres When the morning starres sang together and all the sonnes of God shouted for ioy Heauen like fire Similem sibi reddit ingredientem makes that it receiues like it selfe 2. That their obedience is ready and swift their very name imports Angels Aquo dominatio ab eo denominatio for a name is giuen from some supereminent qualitie Hee rode vpon a Cherub and did fly 3. That their Charity is great appeares by their busie protecting vs grieuing at our falls reioycing at our perseuerance in good helping vs forward to saluation Let vs imitate them in foure things 1. In Puritie nothing is more pleasing to God It hath the blessing of this life of the life to come Of this life Truly God is good to Israel euen to such as are of a pure heart God is good to the whole vvorld with his common benefites better to Israel with extraordinary blessings but best of all to the Pure in heart with his sauing Graces Of the life to come Who shall stand in Gods holy place he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Thereis no ioy like to this beatificall vision to see God is the height of happinesse But so shall the wicked they shal see him whom they haue pierced Diuines vsually distinguish of that sight They shall see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud they shall see him as man not as God as their iust Iudge not mercifull Sauiour 2. In Pietie and obedience wherein the Angels are ready and speedy resolute and absolute As they helpe vs to commaund the creature so let them teach vs to obey the Creator They fly when God sends them true obedience hath no lead at the heeles Paul herein was like an Angel hauing his Commission hee stood not to conferre with flesh and bloud Quantum morae addis tantum obedientiae detrahis So much as a man addes to delay hee takes away from obedience The truely obedient man doth not procrastinate Sed statim parat aures auditui linguam voci pedem itineri manum operi cor praecipienti He instantly prepareth his eare for the message Speak Lord for thy seruant heareth His tongue giueth a ready answer to the question Simon louest thou me Lord thou knowest that I loue thee His foote is shod for the iourney his feete be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace His hand is fit for the worke Abraham stretched forth his hand to slay his sonne His heart is pliable to the Commander Paratum cor O Lord my heart is ready 3. In Charitie Angels looke vpon and loue one another and all loue vs Let this teach vs to loue them our selues Doe they seeke our peace and shall wee vncharitably warre It was the Angels song Luke 2. Pax in terris Peace vpon earth warre with none but with Antichrist the diuell The Angels haue no need of our loue vve of theirs Loue we that on earth which shall dwell vvith vs for euer in heauen Charitie 4. In humility those glorious spirits stoope to do vs seruice let vs not thinke it bad or base to serue one another in loue No one man can so farre exceede another as the Angels excell the best men doe they abase themselues to our succour and shall we in a foolish pride soorne our brethren The haughty peece lookes on the poore betwixt scorne and anger Touch mee not I am of purer mould yet Mors dominos seruis blended together in the forgotten graue none makes the finer dust we cannot say such a Ladies rottennesse smells sweeter then such a beggers Come downe thou proud spirit deny not succour to thy distressed brother lest God deny his high Angels to succour thee Thus for imitation now for application learne we other vses 1. This is terror to the vvicked who contemne and condemne the righteous Despise not these little ones for their Angels are with my Father in heauen Beware you that scoffe at poore Innocents their Angels may plague you They for their parts may be content to put vp abuses and to forgiue iniuries but their Angels may take vengeance Herod vexed certaine of the Church killed Iames with the sword and seeing it please the Iewes hee tooke Peter also They could not helpe this but their Angels did for an Angel of the Lord smote him that he died Thou maiest haue euasion from the executioners of men but no protection against the Officers of GOD. When they are bidden to strike they will lay on sure strokes Wee will destroy this place for the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it 2. They teach vs deuout reuerence so to behaue our selues as in the sight and presence of holy Angels The consideration of so blessed a company doth not onely Conferre fiduciam and afferre deuotionem but inferre reuerentiam saith Bernard When to Iacob in his dreame was presented that Ladder and the Angels ascending and descending on it wakening hee saies How fearefull is this place This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heauen Seneca said that the conceit of Cato and Plato such graue men in our company would restraine vs from euill but what are these to the holy Angels of heauen Wee are a spectacle to the Angels they are obseruers and witnesses of all our actions For this cause the vvoman ought to haue power on her head because of the Angels
decay in Gods Spirit that begets yet because the faithfull are first in Gods intention of fauour and hee giues them that strength of grace to resist sinne and to serue him which the world hath not therefore they are called his Firstborne the excellency of his power Though we be weake in our selues yet his strength is glorified in our weakenes his Grace is sufficient for vs. 2. The name of the family was giuen to the first borne Is not my family the least of all the families of the Tribe of Beniamin saith Saul Gilead made his whole family to be called Gileadites For further exemplying of this priuiledge read Numbers chap. 26. ver 23. to ver 52. Is this dignity lost vnder the Gospell to the first borne in Christ no for euen the wicked dwelling among the righteous are for their sakes vouchsafed the name of Christians The name of the first borne hath christned all the familie 3. Priesthood and the right to sacrifice Moses sent twelue young men according to the twelue tribes of Israel to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings vnto the Lord. Those young men are thought to bee no other but twelue of the first borne of the chiefe of the Tribes to whom the right of sacrificing Priesthood did belong till the Leuites were separated for that end Take the Leuites in stead of all the first borne among the children of Israel Neither is this priuiledge lost by the Gospel Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his Father to offer vp spirituall sacrifice of thanksgiuing to him Priests but Priests to God lest the Schismaticke should take aduantage thereby to trouble the ciuill state The Propitiatory sacrifice is offered for vs by our high Priest Iesus the sacrifices of our Priesthood are onely gratulatory 4. Double portion If a man haue two wiues one beloued and another hated and children by them both if the first borne sonne be hers that is hated yet when he maketh his sonnes to inherit though perhaps hee would fauour the sonne of the loued yet hee shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated by giuing him a double portion of all that he hath for hee is the beginning of his strength the right of the first borne is his So the elect haue a double portion not onely a share in the things of this life but much more in heauen Godlinesse hath the promise both of the life that now is and of that which is to come It is a false imagination that God makes none of his children happy in this life Abraham was rich Dauid a King But if he denies them opulencie hee neuer denies them content This is the cheefe riches for we see others Esurientes in popina as the by-word is staruing in a Cookes shop wretched in their highest fortunes The godly haue so much share of this world as may stand with their eternall blessednesse in the world to come And such may bee content with a small portion here that are sure of the inheritance heereafter Iehoshaphat gaue great gifts of siluer and gold and precious things to all his children but the kingdome hee gaue to Iehoram because he was the first borne Our Law giues the first borne sonne the inheritance God will not depriue his of it Thus hath Christ promised a double portion to the faithfull He shall receiue an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternall life And indeed the Birth-right with the Iewes was a type of euerlasting life The consideration of this excellent priuiledge doth teach vs three lessons 1. That we are dedicated to God Exod. 13. 2. Numb 3. 13. Sanctifie to me all the first borne So Haâ—…nah dedicated her first borne Samuel to the Lord. Mary brought Christ to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law Euery male that openeth the wombe shall be called holy to the Lord. To robbe God of his tythes is sacriledge but to take away from him our soules this is the highest sacriledge In this we haue a sequestration from common vse we are no longer as we were They are mine saith the Lord not onely by a common right so al things are his The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it nor onely for a gratefull acknowledgement that the increase of all things comes from him But as the Israelites were Gods by a speciall claime because he preserued them in Egypt when the first borne were slaine For whose redemption he accepted the first borne of their beasts when he might haue commanded all lest this should seem grieuous to them he required but the first part Hee onely reserued what he preserued So we were all by nature in as much danger of Gods wrath as were the Israelites of the destroying Angell when the first borne of the Aegyptians were smitten dead But the Lord sprinkled the dores of our hearts with the bloud of his holy Lambe Iesus Hath the Lord spared vs then hee chalengeth vs. To take from man his owne is iniurious from God sacrilegious Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit why for they are Gods ye are not your owne saith the Apostle Thus hee confessed himselfe not his owne man There stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serue Wee are Gods possession the first borne which he hath redeemed by his owne First-borne Christ. This wee acknowledge when wee present our children to God in Baptisme Yet O strange and forgetfull inconstancy when wee haue giuen them to God in baptisme by a foolish indulgence wee take them away againe in education A Prince abhorres to haue his eldest sonne marry with a harlot this were to vilifie and ignoble that royall bloud And shall God brooke his First borne to be contracted with that vgly strumpet Sinne This were to forfeit and make void the right of primogeniture 2. Seeing we are Gods first borne let vs offer our first and best things to him The Lord hath deserued the priority of our seruice First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Our first studies our first labours must bee consecrated to God The Law required three properties in the sacrifices offered to God 1. They must be first borne vt illi reddamus prima qui nobis debil omnia that vvee should vvillingly giue him the first that had bountifully giuen vs all So vve must giue the first houre of the day the first vvorke of our hands the first wordes of our lips to the Lord. 2. They must bee cleane beasts for God abhorred the vncleane maimed or deformed Ye offer polluted bread vpon mine Altar If ye offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not euill if ye offer the lame sicke is it not euill offer it now to the gouernor will hee be pleased with it So vvee must hold vp to God cleane hands and send vp pure hearts
written on a monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious written on the Hospitall-gates yet goe to hell written on his own house yet another come to possesse it All these are but writings in the dnst or vpon the vvaters where the characters perish so soone as they are made They no more proue a man happy then the foole could proue Pontius Pilate a Saint because his name was written in the Creed But they that be written in heauen are sure to inherite it Now to apply all this vsefully to our selues some perhaps would be satisfied how wee may know our names written in heauen It is certaine that no eye hath looked into Gods booke yet himselfe hath allowed certaine arguments and proofes whereby wee haue more then a coniecturall knowledge The principall is the Testimonie of Gods Spirit concurring with our spirit Rom. 8. 16. But of this I haue liberally spoken in some later passages of this booke together with the most pregnant signes of our election Here therefore I am straightned to insert onely some there omitted effects Which are these foure If our hearts be on Gods booke If the poore be in our booke If wee well order the booke of our conscience Lastly if we can write our selues holy in earth then be bold we are vvritten happy in heauen 1. If our heart be on Gods booke and this wee shall find è conuerso if Gods booke be in our heart Mary laid vp Christs words in her heart It must not lye like loose corne on the floore subiect to the pecking vp of euery fowle but it is ground by meditation digested by faith manet alto corde repostum God saies My sonne giue thy heart to me doe thou pray My Father first giue thy selfe to my heart I aske not whether this booke lyes in thy study but whether the study of it lyes in thy heart The life of the Scriptures is not in verborum folijs sed in medulla cordis not in the letters and leaues but in the inwards of the heart It is not lectio nor relectio but dilectio not reading but leading a life answerable that assures vs. If we syncerely loue this booke wee are certainly in Gods booke Mary zealously louing Christs word is said to chuse the better part that shall neuer be taken from her 2. If the poore be in thy booke and this is reciprocall then thou art in their booke and the conclusion is infallible thou art in the booke of Life For the relieued poore by their prayers entertaine or make way for thy entertainement into euerlasting habitations And Christ at the last day calls them to himselfe that haue beene charitable to his members Come yee blessed receiue the kingdome prepared for you Your works haue not merited this kingdome for it was prepared for you but as that vvas prepared for you so your charitie hath prepared you for it Come and take it Let not thy left hand knowe vvhat thy right hand doth Doe thou write it in the dust the poore will write it in their hearts GOD findes it in their prayers their prayers preuaile for thy mercie mercy writes thy name in heauen Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God Therefore Cast thy bread vpon the waters drowne it in those watry eyes it is not lost in that Riuer like Peter thou throwest in an angle bringest vp siluer enough to make thee blessed Via coeli est pauper si non vis errare incipe erogare The poore is the high-way to heauen if thou wouldest not wander in thy iourney shew mercy Non potes habere nisi quòd acceperis non potes non habere quod dederis Thou canst haue nothing vnlesse thou receiue it thou canst keepe nothing vnlesse thou giue it Him that the poore writes not charitable on earth nor doth God write saueable in heauen 3. If thy name be written Christian in the booke of thy Conscience this is a speciall argument of thy registring in heauen For if our heart condemne vs not vvee haue boldnesse and confidence towards God Ang. VVhat if mans ignorance and vnmercifull ielousie blot thee out of the booke of his credite Si de libro vinentium nunquam propria deleat conscientia so long as thy owne conscience doth not blot thee forth the booke of blessednesse If the good spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that glory is our shame If the euill spoken of vs be not found in our conscience that shame is our glory Therefore it is that Hugo calls the cōscience Librum signatum et clausum in die Indicij aperiendum a booke shut and sealed onely at the Resurrection to be opened Conscientiam magis quà m famam attende falls saepe poterit fama conscientiae nunquam Looke to thy Conscience more then to thy credite fame may often be deceiued conscience neuer The beames that play vpon the water are shot from the Sunne in heauen the peace and ioy that danceth in the conscience comes from the Sonne of righteousnes the Lord Iesus If a hearty laughter dimple the cheeke there is a smooth and quiet mind within Vpon the wall there is a writing a man sitting with his backe to the wall how should hee read it but let a looking-glasse be set before him it vvill reflect it to his eyes he shall read it by the resultance The writing our names in heauen is hid yet in the glasse of a good conscience it is presented to our eye of faith and the soule reades it For it is impossible to haue a good conscience on earth except a man be written in heauen 4. If the booke of Sanctification haue our names written then surely the booke of Glorification hath them and they shall neuer be blotted out For God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the vvorld that wee should be holy and vvithout blame before him in loue Now as we may reason from the cause to the effect so certainely from the effect to the cause Election is the cause Holinesse the effect as therefore euery one written in heauen shall be holy on earth so euery one holy on earth is written in heauen This sanctitie is manifested in our obedience vvhich must be Ad totum I had respect to all thy commandements Per totum I haue enclined my heart to keepe thy statutes Alway euen to the end De tote to keepe thy precepts with my whole heart In Rome the Patres conscripti were distinguished by their robes and they of the Liuery in London haue a peculiar habite by themselues to differ from the rest of the Company Is thy name enrolled in that Legend of Saints thy liuery will witnes it thy conuersation is in heauen A Senator relating to his sonne the great honours decreed to a number of Souldiers whose names vvere written in a booke the sonne was importunate to see that booke The father shewes him the
all stand before the Tribunal of Christ to the Statutes of the former bookes who can answere All our helpe is in this latter booke we flie to the Gospel We behold the Lambe of GOD that taketh away the sinne of the vvorld and comfort our selues that if any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate vvith the Father Iesus Christ the righâ—…ous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Now as Festus said to Paul Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar vnto Caesar shalt thou go So hast thou appealed to the Gospel thou shalt goe to the Gospel for thy tryall Vel te totaliter absoluit vel te capitaliter damnat It shall either throughly iustifie thee or extremely condemne thee The Spirit shall conuince the world of sinne saith Christ Because they beleeue not on mee Now what is the holy Ghosts iudgement here will be Christs hereafter But why are they condemned of sinne for not belieuing 1. Because other sinnes are condemned by nature and Law as murder adulterie both among Iewes and Gentiles but not to belieue is the proper sin of Christians and it is a grand sinne because they haue the doctrine of faith 2. Because infidelity is the roote of all sins as faith is of all good works the want of faith leads from transgression to presumption from presumption to despaire 3. Especially because faith takes away the guilt of all sinnes and freeth from condemnation but infidelitie retaines the guilt of it selfe and others Omnia peccata per infidelitatem retinentur per fidem remittuntur Aug. Luther hath it out of Augustine Nullum peccatum nisi infidelitas nulla iustitia nisi fides There is no sinne but infidelitie no righteousnesse but faith Not that Adultery Intemperance Malice are no sinnes but Infidelitate manente manet omne peccatum eadem decedente absoluâ—…tur omnia quoad reatum Vnfaithfulnesse remaining euery sinne remaines that departing euery sinne is pardoned and quite taken away in respect of the guiltinesse Peccata sunt tua peccata non sunt After thou becommest a Beleeuer the sinnes thou doost are sinnes but not thy sinnes because they are forgiuen thee This appeares by the purpose of Christs comming which was to dissolue the works of the deuil belieue on him thy sins are dissolued absolued thou art as if thou neuer hadst offended Non quòd peccatuÌ„ omninò non erit sed quòd non omninò impâ—…atum erit Not that sinne altogether should not be but that it shall not be imputed How quicke a riddance penitent faith makes with our sinnes They are too heauy for our shoulders faith presently turnes them ouer to Christ. Whereas there would goe with vs to iudgement a huge kennell of lusts an Army of vaine words a legion of euill deedes faith instantly dischargeth them all kneeling downe to Iesus Christ beseeching him to answere for them Therfore make we much of faith if our soules be ballaced with this they shall neuer shipwracke Aâ—…asuerus had many virgins none pleased him like Ester none pleaseth God but faith all the rest for her sake Shee is that Iudith that saueth the life of all thy good workes by cutting off the vsurping head of Satan Thou canst not be vnwelcome to God if thou come with confidence nothing more offends God then the not taking his word Sinne offends his Law but vnbeliefe offends his Gospel Though we doe not what he bids vs yet let vs be sure he will doe what he tells vs. It is good to obey the former better to belieue the latter because he is more able and more good then we Well now after this Gospel we must be iudged so Paul writes to his Romanes GOD shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel Thou canst not satisfie the Law therefore study thy soule an answere to this booke Otherwise saith Christ The vvord that I haue spoken the same shall iudge thee in the last day The Sermons thou hast heard shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne thee Hence arise three conclusions 1. It is no presumption for a Christian to belieue the pardon of his sinnes in Christ for to doe the will of God is not to presume If we doe not belieue this Christ shal iudge vs damnable by the Gospell therefore if wee doe conscionably belieue this he shall acquite vs by the Gospel Non est praesumptio credentis vbi est authoritas iubentis There is no presumption in man to belieue it when there is the authority of God to command it Of all things in a Christian God doth not loue a nice dainty and maidenly faith He loues to haue a mans modesty bashfull his humility fearefull his penitence sorrowfull his patience ioyful his compassion pitifull but he loues a faith that hath boldnesse in it That is not afraid to trouble God with aâ—…iance or suppliance but is confident ruat â—…rcus et ortus Without faith it is dangerous pressing into the Presence Chamber as it was to the marriage without the wedding garment but in faith Sequere et consequere qui cupit capit speake and speed Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you It is no sin to trust God with thy soule Paul teacheth it by example I know whom I haue beleeued that he will keepe that I haue committed to him against that day Peter by counsel Commit your soules to God in weldooing It is no sin to call God Father for he hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father It is no sin to trouble him with our suites Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Not to doe this faithfully is against the Gospel therefore to be iudged of that sinne The infallible certaintie of a true Christians saluation is knowne to himselfe and cannot be doubted vvithout sinne For if it be sinne to distrust this it is then righteousnesse to belieue it The summe of the Gospel is mans saluation by Christ he that belieues not this belieues not the Gospell and he that knowes the Gospel and belieues it not shall by it be condemned Now God in the Gospel doth not require that absolute perfection which he did in the Law vnder the perill of damnation but qualifies the rigour of the Law by the satisfaction of a Mediator So that the Gospell accepts the intent and endeuour for the act as the will to repent for penitence and the wil to belieue for faith It is then not onely a weakenes but a wickednes to distrust Gods mercy in thy saluation let not this faultiudge thee before Iesus Christ. 3. The Gospel requires probation of faith by a good life Norma fides forma vitae as we belieue we must liue Doe we belieue Christ hath redeemed vs We must liue like such as are redeemed if freed let vs demeane our selues as children of freedome It is nothing at this iudgement to say
publishing of his benefite Mark 1. to the Leper See thou say nothing to any man of it But he went out and began to publish it much to blaze abroad the matter I know diuerse Diuines by curious distinctions haue gone about to excuse the matter by making this an admonitory not an obligatory precept But I subscribe to Caluin and Marlorat who taxe it for an offence and manifest breach of Christs commandement And Ierome on that place sayes that Non erat necesse vt sermone iactaret quod corpore praeferebat His tongue might be silent for his whole body was turned into a tongue to publish it The act was good but not good at that time Disobedient he was be it granted yet of all disobedient men commend me to him Let not then any politicke or sinister respects tye vp our tongues from blessing him that hath blessed vs. Suffocate not the fire of zeale in thy heart by silent lips lest it proue key-cold But say with our Prophet My foot standeth in an euen place in the congregations vvill I blesse the Lord. We perceiue now the motiue cause that brought Dauid into Gods house I would take leaue from hence in a word to instruct you with what minde you should come to this holy place We are in substance inheritors of the same faith which the Iewes held haue in stead of their Tabernacle Sanctuary Temple Churches places set apart for the Assembly of Gods Saints Wherein wee receiue diuine Mysteries and celebrate diuine Ministeries which are said by Damascen Plus participare operationis gratiae diuinae There is nothing lost by the Gospell which the Law afforded but rather all bettered It is obseruable that the building of that glorious Temple vvas the maturity and consummation of Gods mercy to the Iewes Infinite were his fauours betwixt their slauery in Egypt and their peace in Israel God did as it were attend vpon them to supply their wants They haue no guide why God himselfe is their guide and goes before them in a pillar of fire They haue no shelter the Lord spreads a cloud ouer them for a Canopy Are they at a stand and want way The Sea shall part and giue them passage whiles the diuided waters are as walls vnto them For sustenance they lacke bread heauen it selfe shall powre downe the food of Angels Haue they no meat to their bread A winde shall blow to them innumerable Quailes Bread and flesh is not enough without drinke behold a hard rocke smitten with a little vvand shall powre out abundance of water But what is all this if they yet in the wildernesse shall vvant apparell their garments shall not waxe olde on their backes Doe they besiege Iericho walls shall fall downe before them for want of engines hailestones shall braine their enemies Lampes and pitchers and dreames shall get them victorie The Sunne shall stand still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Aialon to behold their conquests Lacke they yet a Land to inhabite the Lord will make good his promise against all difficulties and giue them a land that flowes with milke and honey But is all this yet short of our purpose and their chiefe blessednesse They want a House to celebrate his praise that hath done all this for them behold the Lord giueth them a goodly Temple neyther doth hee therein onely accept their offerings but he also giues them his Oracles euen vocall oracles between the Cherubins I might easily paralell England to Israel in the circumference of all these blessings but my center is their last and best and whereof they most boasted The Temple of the Lord and the Law of their God To answere these wee haue the Houses of God and the Gospell of Iesus Christ. We haue all though all in a new manner 2. Cor. 5. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new They had an Old Testament we haue the New Testament They had the Spirit wee haue a new Spirit They had Commandements we haue Nouum mandatum the New commandement They had an Inheritance Canaan we haue a new Inheritance promised Vids nouum coelum nouam terram I saw a new heauen and a new earth To conclude they had their Temple we haue our Churches to which as they were brought by their Sabbath so we by our Lords day wherein as they had their Sacraments so we haue our Sacraments Wee must therefore beare the like affection to ours as they did to that We haue greater cause There was the shadow heere is the substance there the figure here the truth there the sacrifices of beasts heere of the Lambe of God taking away the sinne of the vvorld I finde my selfe here occasioned to enter a great sea of discourse but you shall see I will make but a short cut of it It is Gods house you enter a house vvhere the Lord is present the place where his honour dwelleth Let this teach vs to come 1. With Reuerence Ye shall hallow my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. The very mention of this Reuerence me thinkes should strike our hearts with our selfe-knowne guiltinesse How few looke to their feet before they enter these holy dores Eccl. 5. and so they offer the Sacrifice of imprudent and impudent fooles If they are to heare they regard Quis not Quid any thing is good that some man speakes the same in another triuiall If the man likes them not nor shall the Sermon Many thus contend like those two Germans in a Tauerne One said he was of Doctor Martins religion the other protested himselfe of Doctor Luthers religion and thus among their cups the litigation grew hote betweene them whereas indeed Martin and Luther was but one man Others when they come first into the Church they swappe downe on their seates clappe their hattes before their eyes and scarce bow their knees as if they came to blesse God not to intreat God to blesse them They vvould quake in the presence of an offended King who are thus impudent faced in the house of God But saith the Lord whose Throne is the heauen and the earth his footstoole I will looke to him that trembleth at my vvord So Iacob Gen. 28. was afraid and sayd Hovv fearefull is this place This is none other then the house of God and this is the gate of heauen Whereupon Bernard Terribilis planè locus c. A fearefull place indeed worthy of all reuerence which Saints inhabit holy Angels frequent and God himselfe graceth vvith his owne presence As the first Adam was placed in Paradise to keepe it so the second Adam is in the congregation of his Saints to preserue it Therefore enter not without Reuerence I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I vvorship toward thy holy Temple 2. With Ioy. None but a free-will offering is welcome to
God It is a common opinion in the world that Religion doth dull a mans wits and deiect his spirits as if mirth and mischiefe were onely sworne brothers But Gods word teacheth and a good conscience findeth that no man can be so ioyfull as the faithfull nor is there so merry a land as the holy Land no place of ioy like the Church Let the wicked thinke that they cannot laugh if they be tied to the Law of Grace nor be merry if God be in the company But the Christian knowes there is no true ioy but the good ioy and if this be any where it is in the Temple I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Indeed therefore we are not merry enough because we are not enough Christians Can you wish more ioy to be receiued then that Rom. 14 Peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Hilaris cum pondere virtus a ioy that can neither be suppressed nor expressed Or more ioy to be communicated then Colos. 3. in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs singing vvith grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thinke thinke thy God is here The Angels of heauen reioyce in his glorious presence and crowne it as their cheefe felicity and shall not poor man reioyce in his gracious presence as it were his most blessed society yes the light of thy Countenance O Lord shall put more gladnesse into our hearts then into the worldlings their aboundance of corne and wine Cast away then your dulnesse and vnwillingnesse of heart Come merrily and with a ioyfull soule into the house of God 3. With Holinesse It is holy ground not by any inherent holinesse but in regard of the religious vse For that place which was once Bethel the House of GOD proued afterwards Bethauen the house of iniquity But it is thus Gods Sanctuary the habitation of his Sanctity Procul hinc procul este profani Put off thy shooes d' off thy carnall affections the place vvhere thou standest is holy ground wash thy hands yea thy heart in innocency before thou come neere to Gods Altar Bee the Minister neuer so simple neuer so sinfull the word is holy the action holy the time holy the place holy ordained by the most Holy to make vs holy said a reuerend Diuine Gods house is for godly exercises they wrong it therefore that turne Sanctuarium into Promptuarium the Sanctuary into a Butterie and spirituall food into belly-cheere And they much more that peruert it to a place of Pastime making the house of praise a house of playes And they most of all that make it a house not laudis but fraudis My house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a d◅nne of theeues robbing if not men of their goods yet God of the better part sincerity of conscience What a horrid thing would it bee Beloued if you should depart from this Church where you learne to keepe a good conscience but into the market and there practise deceit circumuentiō oppression swearing drunkennesse O doe not deriue the commencement of your sinnes from Gods house What a mockery is this and how odious in the sight of heauen if you should begin your wickednesse with a Sermon ◅as the Papists beginne their treasons with a masse I taxe no knowne person but for the facts and faults Non ignota cano I doe not speake of things vnknowne I would to God your amended liues might bring me with shame againe hither to recant and vnsay it But it often so falls out that as those conspirators met at the Capitol so the Church is made the Communis Terminus where many wickednesses haue appointed to meete What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Begin not the day with God to spend all the rest vvith Satan Your tongues haue now blessed the Lord let not the euening finde them redde with oathes or black with curses Let not that saying of Luther be verifyed by you that In nomine Domini incipit omne malum in the name of God begins all mischiefe Whatsoeuer your morning Sacrifice pretend looke to your afternoone You haue done so much the worse as you haue made a shew of good and it had beene easier for your profane hearts to haue missed this admonition This Caueat before I leaue Gods house I thought to commend to your practise when you leaue it I haue held you too long in the Church speaking of the Church It was the most materiall point I propounded to my discourse forgiue the prolixity the breuity of the rest shall make amends The first straine or staire was his entrance into GODS house now hee is in what doth he what bringeth hee vve finde Burnt Offerings I haue three disswasions from punctuall tractation of this point 1. The poore remnant of the fugitiue time 2. I haue liberally handled it on former occasions 3. The necessity is not great of discoursing the Sacrifices of the Law in these dayes of the Gospell wee haue the light and therefore need not trouble our selues to call backe the shadowes Sacrifices are of great Antiquity not onely the Booke of God but euen the Law of nature hath imprinted in mans heart that Sacrifices must be offered It is written in the conscience that an homage was due to the superiour power which is able to reuenge it selfe of dishonour and contempt done it and to regratifie them with kindnesse that serued it But Dauids Sacrifice was the earnest of a thankefull heart I might amplifie it and perhaps picke vp some good gleanings after others full carts I could also obserue that Dauid came not before God empty-handed but brought with him some actuall testimony of his deuoted affection Burnt offerings To the confusion of their faces who will no longer serue God if hee growes chargeable to them If they may receiue from God good things and pay him onely with good words they are content to worship him But if they cannot bee in his fauour but it must cost them the setting on they will saue their purses though they lose their soules If hee requires ought for his Church poore Ministers or poore members they cry vvith Iudas Ad quid perditio haec why is this waste They are onely so long rich in deuotion as they may be rich by deuotion and no longer But for our selues be we sure that the best Sacrifice we can giue to God is obedience not a dead beast but a liuing soule The Lord takes no delight in the bloud of brutish creatures a spirit in bodies the impassible in sauours arising from Altars It is the minde the life the soule the obedience that he requires To obey is better then sacrifice Let this be our burnt offering our Holocaust a sanctified Body and Mind giuen vp to the Lord. First the heart My Sonne giue me thy heart Is not the heart enough no the hand also wash the hands from bloud and
sowsed in a deluge and then after Noahs sacrifice is said to Smell a sauour of rest For this cause they had their Altar of Incense and God commanded a Perfume to be made to him The Lord said to Moses Take vnto thee sweet spices Stacte and Onicha and Galbanum with pure frankincense and thou shalt make it a Perfume pure and holy Both signified that we all stunke by nature and are onely perfumed by the Incense of Christs prayers and righteousnes 2. It is offensiue to his Tasting I looked after all my paines and kindnesse for good grapes and the Vine brought forth wilde grapes When hee comes to taste the vintage of our sinnes they are sowre grapes Yee turne iudgment into wormwood Iustice is pleasant vnto the Lord but iniurie bitter as wormewood So the Iewes serued Christ in stead of wine they gaue him vineger to drink He turned their water into wine they turne his wine into vineger Good workes of faith and obedience are that best wine which we should giue our Beloued that goeth downe sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak But euill deeds are sowre to his palate 3. It is offensiue to his Feeling so sharp that the Speare Thornes Whips and Nailes were blunt to it Our iniquities were so heauy to his sense that he plaines himselfe burdened vnder them as a Cart is pressed with sheaues The Lord of heauen lay groueling on the earth and as if he were cast into a furnace of his Fathers wrath sweating drops of bloud They are so harsh still to his feeling that he challengeth Saul for wounding himselfe Why strikest thou me Saul strikes at Damascus Iesus Christ suffers in heauen 4. It is offensiue to his Hearing The cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great because their sinne is very grieuous Our dissensions and quarrels are as iarring in Gods eares as if diuers distracted Musicians should play vpon diuers bad Instrument so many seuerall tunes at one time The confusion of sinnes brought the confusion of languages Gods eare could not endure the distraction of their harts therefore their owne eares shall not distinguish the dissonance of their voyces The cry of bloud and oppression makes so grieuous a noyse to heauen that vengeance must onely quiet it Our murmurings our oathes blasphemies slanders are like the croking of frogs howling of dogs and hissing of serpents in Gods hearing 5. It is offensiue to his Seeing Though thou vvash thee with Nitre yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord. Our oppressions are like running vlcers our adulteries as most sordid and filthy things The Prophet compares it to the most feculent defilement lothsome turpitude that can be vttered Thou art of purer eyes then to behold euill and canst not looke on iniquity O let vs abhorre that filthinesse which will turne the face of God from vs. Neyther are they displeasing onely to his senses but grieuous to his minde Is it a small thing for you to grieue men but you will grieue God also It is dangerous to anger him that can anger all the veines of our hearts It was the Prophet Esay's complaint of Israel They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Yea they are offensiue to his very soule Your new Moones and appointed feasts my soule hateth This he protesteth against recidiuation Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back my soule shal haue no pleasure in him This is an emphaticall speech and an argument of Gods hearty detestation The wicked and him that loueth violence his soule hateth Therefore he is said to bend his Soule to reuenge Shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this 2. Sowre to the Angels for if they reioyce at our conuersion then they grieue at our peruersion How sowre is that sinne which brings griefe vnto the thresholds of ioy They blush at our falls reioyce at our integrity Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth for them who shall be the heyres of saluation Let vs then feast them with integrity not with the leauen of iniquity 3. Sowre to the Saints the Church is our Mother and shee laments to see any childe of her wombe auerse from goodnes Therefore as a louing Mother whose husband was slaine for the safety of her selfe children if she sees any childe transgresse the rules and breake her husbands Testament she tels them of their Fathers kindnesse she describes his deadly wounds and gastly lookes and to make their facts more odious shee sheweth some garment of his embrued with bloud So the Church often offers to our considerations how Christ her deare Loue and Lord was betrayed condemned crucified tels vs our sinnes haue done this that they were the Iudas betraying the Herod mocking the Pilate condemning the Longinus wounding the band of Iewes re-crucifying Christ. Now as Dâ—…do adiur'd departing Aeneas Per ego te has lacrymas c. Per si quid vnquam Dulce fuit nobis horum miserere laborum So our Mother intreats vs yet intreating is too low a phrase for a Mother per talem cruorem per tantum amorem by so precious bloud and by so gracious loue to sinne no more at least to abhor such precipices of sinne and forbeare as it were to choake him with such cursed Leauens 4. Sowre to the sinner himselfe for it euer leaues behinde it a sting of conscience It may taste pleasing and palatable at first but Leuen is not sowrer at last Perhaps our iudgements may be out of taste as men in feuers or Satan that crafty Apothecary hath mingled the potion cunningly yet though saporem amisit venenum retinet poyson is poyson though it come in a golden cup. Esaus pottage went downe merrily but the losse of his birth-right was a bitter farewell Whatsoeuer seruice sin doth vs it shewes vs but an ill-fauoured tricke at the last It brings vs to the dore of Terror and then bids vs shift for our selues It is like Lysimachus his draught of cold water that refreshes him for a moment and captiues him for euer By Salomons rule vexation is intailed to vanity A hedgehogge must dwell in Babylon a pricking Conscience in a prophane brest Thy way anâ—… thy doings haue procured these things vnto thee this is thy wickednes because it is bitter because it reacheth vnto thine heart Salomon hath the like promotion Reioyce O young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement The verse begins with pleasure but ends with terror Sinne will be sowre at the last The Allegory thus opened the speciall treasure or Instruction remaines yet to bee drawne out Wee perceiue what the Leuen signifies and what the Lumpe Now wee must consider the relation betwixt modicum and totum a little Leuen and the whole lumpe A little Leauen leueneth the whole lumpe A little sinne infecteth a great
whose bowels neuer knew the softnes of such a nature exposed to all the tyrannie of their hands and tongs hands that like cruell Chirurgions searched euery part of his blessed body tongues that ranne nimbly through all the passages of obloquie till they had ouertaken reproch it selfe and cast it on him His body at the full will of the tormenters and his soule not without intolerable terrors as they might iudge by strange speech that came from him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Doth man triumph ouer him and doth God forsake him This might breed in their hearts a suspition either that hee was a deceiuer or else vtterly cut off To stifle this doubt in the very birth hee shakes the earth and rends the rockes that as they knew him dying Hominem vâ—…rum so they might perceaue him doing these myracles not Hominem merum but the euerliuing God These wonders blow the sparke of their faith almost dying with Christ and roote in their hearts a deepe and infallible perswasion of their Sauiour Something there is to keepe the faith of the elect from quenching though Satan raigne on it showres of discomforts Though no obiect greets the eye of flesh but discouragement yet there is a secret Spâ—…it within that will neuer suffer the faith to faile 5. In regard of the Disciples to shame and conuince them for leauing him Christ had said before Luk. 19. Si hitacerent loquerentur lapides If these speaking of his Disciples should hold their peace the stones would immediatly cry out Loe this saying is here come to passe the Disciples hold their peace the stones speake they forsake Christ the rockes proclaime him Such a shame is it for Apostles and ministers of Christ to hold their peace that if they be silent the very stones shall preach against them The walles windowes pauements of Churches shall cry out against such Pastors that vndertake the office of a sheep-heard and feed Christ his flocke with nothing but ayre And euen you that come to heare if no remorse can be put into your hearts at the relation of our Sauiours death if you haue no feeling of his sorrowes no apprehension of these mysteries no repentance of your sinnes no emendation of your liues know that the very seates whereon you sit the walles of your Temples the very stones you tread on shall beare witnesse against you Now the Lord Iesus that at his death brake the Rockes by the vertue of his death breake our rocky hearts that being mollified in this life they may be glorified in the life to come Grant this O Father for thy mercies sake O Christ for thy merits sake O holy Spirit for thy names sake To whom three persons one onely wise and eternall God be glory and prayse for euer Amen THE FOOLE And His Sport PROV 14. 9. Fooles make a mocke at sinne THE Prouerbes of Salomon are so many select aphorismes or diuinely morall Sayes without any mutuall dependance one vpon another Therefore to studie a coherence were to force a marriage betweene vnwilling parties The words read spend themselues on a description of two things the Foole and his Sport The Foole is the wicked man his Sport pastime or babble is Sinne. Mocking is the medium or connexion that brings together the Foole and Sinne thus he makes himselfe merry they meete in mocking The foole makes a mocke at sinne Fooles The foole is the wicked an ignorant heart is alwayes a sinfull heart and a man without knowledge is a man without grace So Thamar to Ammon vnder his rauishing hands Doe not this folly If thou doest it Thou shalt be as one of the Fooles in Israell Ignorance cannot excusare a toto wilfull not a tanto Christ shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that knowe not God The state of these Fooles is fearefull Like hooded Hawkes they are easily carryed by the Infernall Falconer to hell Their lights are out how shall their house scape robbing These Fooles haue a knowledge but it is to doe euill They haue also a knowledge of good but not scientiam approbationis they know but they refuse it So God iustly quites them for though hee knowe them ad scientiam he will not know them ad approbationem But giues them a Discedite nescio vos I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie A man may be a Foole two wayes by knowing too Little Much. 1. By knowing too little when hee knoweth not those things whereof he cannot be ignorant and doe well I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified But euery man sayth hee knowes Christ. If men knew Christ his loue in dying for them they would loue him aboue all thinges how doe they know him that loue their money aboue him Nemo verè nouit Christum qui non verè amat Christum No man knowes Christ truely that loues him not syncerely If men knew Christ that he should be Iudge of quicke and dead durst they liue so lewdly Non nouit Christum qui non odit peccatum Hee neuer knew Christ that doth not hate iniquitie Some attribute too much to themselues as if they would haue a share with Christ in their owne saluation Nesciunt Christum seipsos they are ignorant of both Christ and themselues Others lay too much on Christ all the burden of their sinnes which they can with all possible voracitie swallow downe and blasphemie vomite vp againe vpon him But they know not Christ who thus seeke to diuide Aquam a sanguine his bloud from his water and they shall faile of iustification in heauen that refuse sanctification vpon earth 2. By knowing too much when a man presumes to know more then he ought His knowledge is apt to be pursie and grosse and must be kept low Mind not high things sayth the Apostle Festus slandered Paul that much learning had made him madde Indeed it might haue done if Paul had bin as proud of his learning as Festus was of his honour This is the knowledge that puffeth vp It troubles the braine like vndigested meate in the stomach or like the scumme that seeths into the broth To auoyd this follie Paul fortbids vs to be wise in our owne conceites Whereof I find wo readings Be not wise in your selues and Be not wise to your selues Not in your selues coniure not your witte into the circle of your owne secret profit Wee account the simple Fooles God accounts the crafty Fooles He that thinkes himselfe wise is a Foole ipso facto It was a modest speech that fell from the Philosopher Si quando fatuo delectari volo non est mihi longè quaerendus me video Therfore Christ pronounced his Woes to the Pharises his doctrines to the people The first entrie to wisedome is Scire quod nescias to know thy ignorance Sobrietie is the measure for knowledge as the
immundus The world is mad that his dominion and damnation should be spoken against 2. Secretly he hinders the free preaching of the Gospell by corrupting their hearts that are deputed to that office And this he effecteth by infusion of these foure hellish ingredients Heresie against truth Schisme against peace Popularitie against simplicitie and couetice against Charitie 1. He poysons some hearts with hereticall poynts of doctrine which being lightly most pleasing to the flesh are drunke with thirstie attention Heresie is thus defined humanosensu electa Scripturae sacrae contraria palam docta pertinaciter defensa begot of mans braine contrary to the holy Scriptures openly taught and peremptorily defended By this so farre as the flesh in man preuailes against the Spirit Sathan preuailes against the truth So that if they must needs haue any of the pure gold of Gods word it shall be so sophisticated adulterate and mingled with the drosse of humane Traditions that they shall not be able to perceiue or receiue it 2. Those whom he cannot corrupt against truth he incenseth against peace Diuision shall accomplish that mischiefe which errour failed in Whom he cannot transport to Rome he ferries ouer to Amsterdam He will either keepe men on this side the truth or send them beyond it Errour on the right hand shall cast away soules if errour on the left cannot Some runne so farre from Babylon that they will not keepe neere Ierusalem as men that runne so eagerly from a Lyon that they refuge themselues in the hole of a Serpent The Schismaticke meets with the Romanist in superstition another way Thus Quibus nequit tollere veritatem negat permittere vnitatem It he cannot depriue vs of truth he will not permit vs peace 3. By perswading men to be temporisers and to catch at the fauours of great men Thus when a Preacher must measure his Sermon by his Lords humour the truth of the Lord of Hoasts is smoothered Against oppression he dares not speake because it is his Lords fault not against pride because it is his Ladies not against ryot because it is his young Masters nor against drunkennesse because they fauour it whom his Great-one fauours He must not meddle with those vlcers which he sees to sticke on his Patrons conscience That were the way to loose both present benefite and future benefice he dares not doe it Whiles he is their seruile chaplaine he must learne Turkie-worke to make thrum'd cushions of flatterie for their elbowes It seemes it was not Gods businesse that such a one made himselfe Minister for but his owne or worse He hath three Masters he serues his Lord hee serues himselfe hee serues the Deuill which of these will pay him the best wages Thus if Sathan can neither take away the truth nor peace yet he labours against simplicitie that for feare of men and hope of mens they forbeare to speake against wickednes What his kingdome looseth one way it recouers another 4. By infecting their hearts with couetousnesse and extending their desires to an insatiable wealth With this pill he poison'd Demas and Iudas before him and thousands after him The Chaire of Rome is filled with this pestilence England hath found it though many Princes will not find it When the reuenues of the Crowne amounted not to halfe the Popes yearly taxes But we are well eased of that vnsupportable burden Edward the 3. begun it for he first made the Premunire against the Pope and our succeeding Christian Princes haue quite throwne him out of the saddle God did not make his law so long but man might easily remember it comprising it all in ten Commandements But the Pope hath curtalled it made it far shorter abridging the ten commandements into two words Da pecuniam Giue money And for this the whole law shall be dispensed with Experience hath still proued that money was the Apostolicall arguments of Rome An Emperour paid for his absolution 120000. ounces of gold a deare reckoning for those wares that cost the Pope nothing In the raigne of Hen. 3. The Pope required the tenths of all the moueables in England Ireland Wales and because he feared that such moneys could not be speedily enough collected he sent ouer many vsurers into the land which were then called Caursini who would lend money to those of the Clergy that wanted but on so vnreasonable extortion that the debters were still beggar'd So that what by his violent exaction subtle circumuention by his owne vsurers for all they had was the Popes money he desired onely the tenth part but he got away also the other 9. And indeed the Pope had reason to maintain vsury for vsury maintained the Pope Neither is this infection bounded vp with that Bishop but dissipated among all his Clergie Not so much as the very Mendicant Fryers that professe wilfull pouertie but haue a wilfull desire to be rich They haue more holines in their hands then in their hearts their hands touch no money their hearts couet it But the great Belphegor somtimes giues them a purge Wherupon said W. Swinderby If the Pope may take from the Fryers to make them keepe Saint Frances rule why may not the Emperour take from the Pope to make him keepe Christs rule But whosoeuer gets the poore Laitie looseth all There was a booke called Poenitentiarius Asini The Asses Confessor wherein is mentioned this Fable The wolfe the foxe and the asse come to shrift together to doe penance The wolfe confesseth himselfe to the foxe who easily absolueth him The foxe doth the like to the wolfe and receiueth the like fauour After this the asse comes to confession and his fault was that being hungry he had taken out one straw from the sheafe of a Pilgrim to Rome whereof he was heartily repentant But this would not serue the law was executed seuerely vpon him he was slaine and deuoured By the wolfe is meant the Pope by the foxe his Cardinals Iesuites Priestes these quickly absolue one another how haynous euer their offences were But when the poore Asse that 's the Laitie comes to shrift though his offence be not the waight and worth of a straw yet on his backe must the law be seuerely executed and the holy Father the wolfe makes a great matter of it Immensum scelus est iniuria quam peregrinâ—… Fecesti stramen surripiendo sibi O the insatiable gulfe of that Sea God grant that none of that infection euer come ouer amongst the ministers of the Gospell There is nothing more absurd then that those which teach others to seeke the kingdome of heauen and to despise the world should be found to embrace the world with the neglect of heauen These are the generall fires this malicious Incendiary kindles There are also too particular and speciall which he enflameth in priuate mens hearts whereby he prepossesseth them with a preiudiciall disesâ—…mation of the Gospell for causes either direct or oblique Directly for it selfe or obliquely and by
consequence for priuate ends 1. First he begets in a mans minde a dislike of the word for it selfe This man esteemes preaching but follie he sees no good it doth to haue one pratling an houre or two in a Pulpit He is a parishioner to two parishes to the Congregation he liues with Quoad corpus to the Synagogue of Satan Quoad animam 1. Cor. 1. The preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnes but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of God It is horrible when man dust and ashes meere follie shall censure the Wisedome of God Let them haue their wils be it in their account follie yet it pleaseth God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And without this they must liue in errour and die in terrour hell fire will make them change their opinions 2. Others are wrought to hate it onely for second and simister respects The Masters of that Damosell Act. 16. Possessed with a spirit of diuination seeing the hope of their gaines gone brought Paul and Silas to scourging and neuer left them till they saw them in prison When Demetrius perceiued the ruine not so much of the Ephesian Diana as of his owne Diana gaine and commoditie in making of siluer shrines he sets all Ephesus in a tumult The losse of profite or pleasure by the Gospell is ground enough of malice and madnesse against it Cannot a tyrant be bloudie cannot an oppressor depopulate an vsurer make benefite of his money a swearer braue with blasphemies a drunkard keepe his tavern-session but the Pulpets must ring of it Downe shall that Gospell come if they can subiect it that will not let them runne to hell vntroubled Non turbant Evangelium â—…um ab Evangelio non turbentur let them alone and they will let you alone But if you fight against their sins with the sword of the Spirit they will haue you by the eares and salute you with the sword of death You see the fires that the Deuill Kindleth It is obiected 1. Satan knowes that hee can do nothing but by the permission of God Ans. Therefore not knowing Gods secret will who are elect who reprobate hee laboures to destroy all And if he perceiue that God more especially loues any haue at them to chuse If he can but bruise their heeles O hee thinkes hee hath wrought a great spight to God 2. He knowes that though with his taile he can draw stars from heauen discouer the hypocrisie of great Professors yet he cannot wipe the name of one soule out of the booke of life which the Lambe hath written there Answ. It is the Devils nature to sinne against his owne knowledge Contra scientiam peccabit qui contra conscientiam peccavit 3. He knowes he shall receiue the greater damnation and the more aggravated torments And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire brimstone where the beast the false prophet are shall be tormented day night for ever ever Ans. He sins alwaies with purposed malice of heart proudly against God and blasphemously agaynst the holy Ghost though he receiue the smart himselfe We perceiue now the Fire the Fewell and the Kindler let vs looke to The Smoke There goes lightly a Smoke before this Fire Reu. 9. He opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoake of a great fornace and the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts vpon the earth When we see smoke wee conclude their is fire Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe for the smoke without shewes a sparke of faith within When Abraham saw the smoke of the countrey going vp as the smoake of a fornace He knew that the fire was begun in Sodom This smoke is the signe of persecution ensuing and it is either Publique or Priuate Publique is two fold 1. The threatning of Tyrants this smoke came out of the mouth of Saul Act. 9. And Saul yet breathing out threatnings Such were the Romish vaunts of the Spanish ships but God quenched that fire in water and it was but a smoke Hee that could forbid the fire to burne can also forbid the smoke to become a 〈◊〉 Onely the massacre at Paris was a fire without a smoke vnles it be smoke enough as indeed it is for Papists to liue among Protestants 2. Securitie is a publique Smoke when men cry Peace peace this is the smoake of warre The carelesse liues of the old world and Sodom were portentuous smoakes of their enkindled destruction Our secure and dead-harted conuersations are arguments of the like to vs. God both auert that and conuert vs. We feast reuel daunce sin and sing like swannes the prognostickes of our owne funerals We are not circumspect to looke vp on those which watch vs with the keene eyes ofmalice our sleepâ—… giues themhope our selues danger Neglect of defence hartens on a very coward enemie Our comfort only is He that keepeth Israel doth not sluÌ„ber nor sleepe The priuate Smoke particularly laid to a Christian is a gentler more soft teÌ„tation But if this Smoke preuaile not Satan coms with a fiery trial Ifhe cannot peruert Io seph with his tempting mistres a kind smoke he will trie what a Iayle can doe If the deuill can draw thee to his purpose with a twine threed what needes he a Cable rope If Sampson can be bound with greene withes the Philistines need not seeke for iron chaines But Sathan knows that some will not like Adam and Esau be wonne with trifles that some will sticke to Christ whiles the weather is faire and there is peace with the Gospell yet in time of persecution start away When he comes with tempests and flouds then the house not built on a rocke fals If our foundation be straw and stubble we know this fire will consume it but if gold it shall rather purge and purifie it He will not goe about that can passe the next way If a soft puffe can turne thee from Christ Sathan will spare his blustring tempests if a smoake can doe it the fire shall be forborne If Ioâ—… could haue beene brought to his bow with killing his cattell seruants children perhaps his bodie had beene fauour'd So that after gentle temptations looke for stormes as thou wouldst after smoake fire Inure thy heart therefore to vanquish the least that thou mayst foile the greatest let the former giue thee exercise against these latter as with wooden Wasters men learne to play at the sharpe Be thy confidence in him that euer enabled thee and affie his promise that will not suffer thee to be tempted aboue thy strength Onely handle this weapon with more heedfull cunning and when thou perceiuest the dallyings of the Deuill play not with his baites Corrupt not thy conscience with a little gaine
so shalt thou withstand more Thinke the easiest tentations a Porcpose before a tempest smoake before fire signes and prodigies of a fearefull conflict to come There remaines nothing now to be considered but the Bellowes that helpe to maintaine this fire The Bellowes Are double Passiue and Actiue Some blow because they cannot others because they will not auoid it 1. The Passiue Bellowes are the godly for they must haue no peace with wickednesse No fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse We must loue their persons and pray for them as Christ for his crucifiers But if they will not be conuerted if they cannot be suppressed we may desire either their conuersion or confusion as God willes none to perish as a creature but as a sinfull creature not of his owne making but of their owne marring So we must hate not virum but vitium reprouing and condemning euill works both by our lips and liues though our good conuersation be the passiue Bellowes to blow this fire 2. The Actiue are the wicked who doe profoundly hate the good in regard of both their actions and their persons To this their owne forwardnesse is helped by the deuils instigation If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spitte vpon it it shall be quenched and both these come out of thy mouth But all men loue good naturally No not all for some haue not onely extinguished the flames of religion but euen the very sparkes of nature in their hearts But some wicked men haue loued the godly True but not for their actions not for their persons not of their owne natures But 1. either because God snafles the horses and mules and curbes the malicious rage of Tyrants Or 2. conuerts them to the faith and obedience of his truth as he tooke Saul from his raging crueltie and made him readie to die for him whose seruants he would haue killed so turning a Wolfe into a Lambe Or 3. els they loue the good for some benefit by them and therein they loue not them so much as themselues in them So Ahashuerosh loued Hester for her beautie Nebuchadnezzâ—… Daniel for his wisedome 〈◊〉 Ioseph because his house prospered by him and for this cause did the former Pharaoh affect him But otherwise with bloud-red eyes and faces sparkling fire they behold vs as Haman did Mordecai They plot like Machiauels raile like Rabshace's and conspire like Absolons These are the Deuils Bellowes here to blow quarrels among men and shall be his bellowes in hell to blow the fire of their eternall torments A man that is great both in wealth and wickednesse cannot be without these bellowes Intelligencers Informers Tale-bearers Let these seditious spirits vnderstand their employment they are the Deuils bellowes and when their seruice is done they shall be throwne into the fire I conclude All this trouble and calamitie shall be but vpon the earth so sayth our Sauiour I came to send fire on the earth In heauen shall be no distraction to breake our peace We should be too well affected to the world if it had this priuiledge and exemption but in vaine we seeke it where it is not to be found In heauen onely we shall find it in heauen onely let vs seeke it Here we may haue desideriuâ—… pacis but there onely pacem desiderij here the desires of peace there peace of our desires Now then the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your harts and minds through Christ Iesus Amen THE CHRISTIANS WALKE OR The Kings high-way of Charitie EPHES. Chap. 5. Ver. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling sauour OVR blessed Sauiour is set forth in the Gospell not onely a Sacrifice for sin but also a direction to vertue He calleth himselfe the Truth and the Way the truth in regard of his good learning the way in respect of his good life His Actions are our Instructions so well as his Passion our Saluation He taught vs both Faciendo and Patiendo both in doing and in dying Both sweetly propounded and compounded in this verse Actiuely he loued vs Passiuely he gaue himselfe for vs. And so is both an ensample for vertue and an offering for sinne He gaue himselfe that his Passion might saue vs he loued vs that his Actions might direct vs. Walke in loue as Christ c. We may distinguish the whole verse into a sacred Canon Crucifixe The Canon teacheth vs What the Crucifixe How In the Canon we shall find A Precept It is partly Exhortatory Precedent Exemplary The Precept Walke in loue the Precedent or Patterne As Christ loued vs. The Precept holy the Patterne heauenly Christ bids vs doe nothing to others but what himselfe hath done to vs we cannot find fault with our example The Crucifixe hath one maine stocke He gaue himselfe for vs. And two branches not vnlike that crossepeece whereunto his two hands were nailed 1. An offering or Sacrifice 2. Of a sweete smelling sauour to God To begin with the Canon the method leads vs first to the Precept which shall take vp my discourse for this time Walke in loue Here is 1. The Way prescribed 2. Our Course incited The way is Loue our Course Walking Loue is the Way And that an excellent way to heauen Our Apostle ends his 12. Chapter of the 1. Corin. in the description of many spirituall gifts Apostleship Prophecying Teaching Working of Myracles healing speaking with toâ—…gues All excellent gifts and yet concludes Ver. 31. â—…ut couet earnestly the best gifts And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent Way Now that excellent more excellent Way was Charitie and he takes a whole succeeding Chapter to demonstrate it which he spends wholy in the prayse and prelation of Loue. I hope no man when I call Loue a Way to God will vnderstand it for a iustifying way Faith alone leaning on the merits of Christ doth bring vs into that high Chamber of Presence Loue is not a Cause to iustifie but a Way for the iustified There is difference betwixt a Cause and a Way Faith is Causa iustificandi Loue is Via iustificatâ—… They that are iustified by faith must walke in Charitie For Faith worketh and walketh by loue Faith and loue are the braine and the heart of the Soule so knit together in a mutuall harmonie and correspondence that without their perfect vnion the whole Christian man cannot mooue with power nor feele with tendernesse nor breath with true life Loue then is a path for holy feete to walke in It is A Cleare Way A Neare Way A Sociable Way Cleare There be no rubbes in Loue. Nec retia tendit nec laedere intendit It neither does nor desires anothers harme it commits no euill nay it thinkes no euill sayth our Apostle For passiue rubbes it passeth ouer an offence It may be moued with violence cannot be remoued
Such a charming power said a worthy Diuine hath the musicke of money and wealth and such fittes it workes in a mans heart First it takes him from peacefull setlednes and from great content in his litle and puts him into dumps a miserable carking thoughtfullnes how to scrape together much dirt Next when he hath it and begins with delight to sucke on the dugges of the world his purse his barnes and all his but his heart full hee fals to dancing and singing requiems Soule take thine â—…ase eate drinke and be merry Then shall his table standfull of the best dishes his cup of the purest wine his backe with the richest robes and he conceites a kinde of immortalitie in his coffers he denies himselfe no satietie no surquedrie But at last the worldes bedlaâ—…-musicke puts him into frenziâ—… hee growes rampant Runnes into oppressions extortions depopulations rapes whordomes murders massacres spares not bloud or friendship authoritie nor vâ—…ssalage widow nor orphan Prince nor subiect Nec 〈◊〉 nec Arâ—… neither poore mans coâ—…tage nor Churches altar Yea if the Common wealth had but one throate as Nero wish ed of Rome he would cut it O the vnpacifiable madnes that this worlds musicke puts those into which will dance after his Pipe For this cause saith our Apostle continue in the Charitie thou hast begun Walke in loue Ye did run well who did hinder you Doth wealth keepe you from charitie This perswasion commeth not of him that calleth you God neuer meant when he gaue you riches that you should then begin to be couetous He did not for this purpose shew new mercie to you that you should take away your old mercies from his There are other that seeme to end in Loue who neuer all their dayes walked in this heauenly path They haue a will lying by them wherein they haue bequeathed a certaine legacie to the poore something to such a Church or such an Hospitall But this will is not of force till the testator be dead so that a man may say though the will be ready yet to will is not ready with theÌ„ for God shall not haue it so long as they can keepe it These can wish with Balaam to dye Christians but they must liue Pagans Hauing raised thousands out of their sacrilegious and inhospitable Impropriations they can bestow the dead hope of a litle mite on the Church In memoriall whereof the heyre must procure an annuall recitation besides the monumentall sculpture on the Tombe Be his life neuer so blacke and more tenebrous then the vaults of lust yet said a Reuerend Diuine he shall find a blacke prophet for a blacke cloake that with a blacke mouth shall commend him for whiter then snow and lillies Though his vnrepented oppressions vnrestored extortions and bloud-drawing vsuries haue sent his soule to the infernall dungeon of Sathan whose parishioner he was all his life yet money may get him cannonizd a Saint at Rome and robe him with spotles integritie and innocence So diuerse among them that liued More LatronuÌ„ yet in death affected Cultum martyrum Hence Epitaphs and funerall orations shall commend a mans charitie who neuer all his dayes walked two steps in Loue. But it is in vaine to write a mans charitie in a repaired window when his tyrannous life is written in the bloudy and indeleble characters of many poore mens ruine and ouerthrow Nor can the narrow plaster of a little poore beneuolence hide and couer the multitude of gaping wounds made by extortion and vnmercifulnes No God hates the Sacrifice of robberie their drinke offerings of bloud will I not offer said Dauid The oblation that is made vp of the earnings of the poore is an abomination offending Gods eye and prouoking his hand First restore the lands and goods of others iniuriously or vsuriously gotten let not an vniust peny lie rotting on thy heape and heart and then build Hospitals repaire ruin'd holy places produce the fruits of mercie walke in Loue. Otherwise it is not smooth marble and engrauen brasse with a commending epitaph that can any more preserue the name from rotten putrefaction then the carcase But for all that the memorie shall stinke aboue ground as the body doth vnder it It is a desperate hazard that a wicked man by a charitable will shal make amends for all whereas commonly an vsurers Testament is but a Testimonie of his lewd life There is small hope that they end in charitie who would neuer walke in Loue. There bee others that cannot walke in Loue through a double defect either of eyes or of feete Some haue Feet but want eyes Eyes but want feet 1. Some haue the feet of affections but they lacke eyes and so cannot descry the true and perfect way of Loue. Indeed no man can find it without God Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy pathes For it is he that directs sinners wandrers to the way These want him that should Leade them by the way that they should goe They thinke that by building vp a ladder of good workes their soules shall on meritorious rounds climbe vp to heauen They cannot distinguish betweene Viam regni and causamregnandi They suppose if they releeue Seminaries fast Lents keepe their numbredorisons pro digally sacrifice their blouds in treasons for that Romaine Harlot this is via dilectionis the way of Loue. So the silly seruant biddeÌ„ to open the gates set his shoulders to them but with all his might could not stir them whereas another comes with the key easily vnlocks theÌ„ These men so confideÌ„t in their good workes do but set their shoulders to heauen-gates alas without comfort for it is the key of faith that only opeÌ„s them These haue nimble feete forward affections harts workeable to charitie and would Walke in Loue if they had eyes Therfore Let vs prayfor them Cause them to know the way O Lord wherein they should walke 2. Other haue eyes but they want feete they vnderstand the way of loue but they haue no affection to walke in it They know that false measures forsworne valuations adulterate wares smooth-checked circumuentions painted cosenages malicious repinings denied succours are all against Loue. Noscunt poscunt They know them but they will vse them They know that humblenes kindnes meekenes patience remission compassion giuing and forgiuing actuall comforts are the fruits of Loue. Norunt nolunt They know it but they will none of it These know but walke not in Loue. It is fabled that a great king gaue to one of his subiects of his owne meere fauour a goodly citie happily replenished with all treasures and pleasures He does not onely freely giue it but directes him the way which keeping hee should not misse it The reioyced subiect soone enters on his iourney and rests not till hee comes within sight of the Citie Thus neare it he spies a great company of men digging in the ground to whom approching hee found
his arrand is to the Court He is the maggot of pride begot out of corruption and lookes in an office as the Ape did when hee had got on the robes of a Senator 2. Their flatterie or trecherie they embrace whiles they sting They lie in 〈◊〉 greene grasse and vnder sweet flowers that they may wound the suspectlesse passenger Here I will couple the Serpent with the Flatterer a humane beast and of the two the more dangerous And that fitly for they write of a Serpent whose sting hath such force that it makes a man die laughing So the flaâ—…erer tickles a man to death Therefore his teares are called Crocodile lacrimae the Crocodiles teares When hâ—… weeps he wounds Euery frowne he makes giues his Patron a vomite and euery candle of commendation a purge His Church is the Kitchin his tongue is his Cater his yong Lord his God whom at once he worships and worreys When he hath gotten a lease he doth no longer feare his master nay more he feares not God 3. Their ingratitude they kill those that nourished them And here I ranke with Serpents those prodigies of nature vnthankfull persons Seneca sayes they are worse Venenum quâ—…d serpentes in alienam perniciâ—…m proferunt fine sâ—… continent Noâ—… ita vitium ingrâ—…itudinis continetur The poyson which a Serpent casts out to the danger of another he retaines without his owne But the vice of ingratitude cannot be so smoothered Let vs hate this sinne not onely for others sake but most for our owne 4. Their voracitie they kill more then they can eate And here they would be commended to the Ingrossers who hoord more then they can spend that the poore might stâ—…ue for lacke of bread Such a man if he be not 〈◊〉 a Serpent a Deuill then man makes his Almanacke his Bible if it prognosticate raine on Swithiâ—…s day he loues and beleeues it beyond the Scripture Nothing in the whole Bible pleaseth him but the storie of Pharaohs dreame where the seauen leane Kine did eate vp the seauen fat ones Hee could wish that dreame to be true euery yeare so hee might haue graine enough to sell. He cryes out in his heart for a deare yeare and yet he is neuer without a deare yeare in his belly Salomon sayes the people shall curse him and I am sure God will not blesse him but hee feares neither of these so much as a cheape yeare 5. Their hostilitie and murderous minds they destroy all to multiplie their owne kind And for this I wil bring the depopulator to shake hands with serpents For he cannot abide neighbours If any man dwels in the Towne besides himselfe how should he doe for elbow roome There are too many of these Serpents in England I would they were all exild to the wildernes where they might haue roome enough and none to trouble them except of their owne generation Serpents They complaine eagerly against our negligence in discouering new parts of the world but their meaning is to rid this land of Inhabitants They haue done their best or rather their worst when as in my memorie from one towne in one day were driuen out aboue threescore soules harbourlesse succourlesse exposd to the bleake ayre and vnmercifull world besides those that could prouide for themselues But the Lord of heauen sees this the clamours of many poore debters in the Dungeon of many poore labourers in the field of many poore neighbours crying and dying in the streetes haue entred the â—…ares of the Lord of hoasts he will iudge it Thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and spite to requite it the poore committeth himselfe vnto thee thou art the helper of the fâ—…herlesse 6. Lastly their enâ—…itie against Man whom they should reuerence which we sorely found and cannot but thinke of quotiâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…picati pâ—…i as often as we remember that â—…ieapple Aeliaâ—…s and Plâ—…e report that when a serpent hath killed a man he can neuer more couer himselfe in the earth but wanders vp and downe like a forlorne thing the earth disdaining to receiue into her bowels a man murtherer The male doth not acknowledge the â—…ale nor the female the male that hath done such a deed Since therefore they rebell against Man whom they should honour let me yoke with them Traytours Seminaries and Renegates that refuse allegiance to their Lieges Soâ—…algnes Will they say 〈◊〉 Prince may loose Ius regni the right of his kingdome per 〈◊〉 regnandi by raigning with iniustice 〈◊〉 and so they are absolued of their obedience But how haps it that the Scripture neuer knew this distinction Saul though guiltie of all sinnes against the first Table yet exsolo 〈◊〉 â—…is châ—…ctere might not bee deposed but Dauid cals him Christum Doâ—… the Lords Annointed If the Prince be an offender must they punish Who gaue them that authoritie No â—…cit 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 quòd Deum expectâ—… 〈◊〉 It is enoâ—…gh for him that he looke for God to bee his Iudge O but when the Popes excommunication thundâ—…rs it is no sinne to decrowne Kings So super stâ—…tiously they follow the Pope that they forsake Christ and will not giue Câ—…sar his due They are the fire brands and bustuaries of Kingdomes Serpents hidden in Ladies and Gentlewomens chambers in a word long spoones for traytors to feed with the Deuill You see also now Quid 〈◊〉 There is poyson in Serpents now told you leaue that there is Wisedome to be learned from Serpents before shewed you studie that Euery vice you nourish is a venemous stinging serpent in your owne bosomes If you will haue hope of heauen expell those Serpents I haue read of a contention betweene Scotland and Ireland about a little Iland either chalenging it theirs It was put to the decision of a French-man who caused to be put into the Iland liuing Serpents Arbitrating it thus that if those Serpents liued and prospered there the ground was Scotlands if they died Irelands If those serpentine sinnes lusts and lewdnes liue â—…d thriue in your hearts Satan will chalenge you for his dominion If they perish and die through mortification and by reason of the pure aire of Gods holy Spirit in you the Lord seales you vp for his owne inheritance I haue giuen you the Raines at large let me giue but one pull at the Curbe and you shall goe The Cohibition is Be harmelesse as Doues In Doues there be some things to be eschewed many things to be commeÌ„ded one thing to be followed The Doue is a timorous and faint hearted creature Ephrâ—… is like a silly Doue without heart Be not ye so In Doues there are many things commendable but I will but name them regarding the limits of both my Text and Time 1. Beautie By that name Christ prayseth the beauty of his Spouse Thou art fayre my Lâ—…e my Doue c. Thou â—…ast Doues 〈◊〉 within thy lâ—…kes And the Church prayseth her Sauiour His eyes are as
the eyes of Doues by the riuers of water washed with milke â—…d fitly set as a precious stone in the foile of a Ring A white doue is a pleasing sight but not like a white soule 2. Chastitie Nescit aduâ—…erij flaâ—…am inteâ—…erata Columba The Doue knowes not the luxurious pollution of an adulterate bed Who euer saw Doue sicke of that lustfull disease Happie bodie that hath such continencie and blessed soule which shall be presented a pure virgin to Iesus Christ. They are virgines and follow the Lambe whether sâ—…euer he goeth 3. Fruitfulnesse Most moneths in the yeare they bring forth young The faithfull are in this respect Doues for faith is euer pregnant of good workes trauels with them and on all occasions brings them forth 4. Amitie They loue their owne mates not changing till death giue one of them a bill of diuorce Gâ—…mit â—…urtur the turtle groanes when hee hath lost his mate Nature teacheth them what Reason aboue nature and Grace aboue Reason teacheth vs to reioyce with the wiues of our youth 5. Vnitie They liue feed flie by companies Many of them can agree quietly in one house Euen teaching vs how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie That as we haue one hopâ—… so to haue one heart Therefore the holy Ghost came downe in the likenesse of a Doue of all birds and it was the Doue that would not leaue Noahs Arke But these are but circumstances my Câ—…nter is their Innocence Columba simplex est animal felle caret rostro non lâ—…dit Other fowles haue their talons and beakes whereby they gripe and deuoure like vsurers and oppressors in a Common-wealth The Doue hath no such weapon to vse no such heart to vse it They write that she hath no gall and so free from the bitternesse of anger Talem Columbam audiâ—…imus non talem hominem We haue heard of such a Doue not of such a Man Who can say he hath innocent hands and a simple heart Indeed none perfectly in Gods sight yet some haue had and may haue this in part by the witnesse of their owne consciences Samuel could chalenge the Israelites to accuse him Whose â—…xe haue I taken Whom haue I defrauded Of whose hâ—…d haâ—…e I receiued any bribe And Iob sweetly My heart shall not condemne me for my dayes If I haue lift vp my hand against the fatherles let it be broken If I reioyced at the destruction of him that hated me For that is true Innocence sayth Augustine quae nec inimico nocet that hurts not our verie enemie If my land cry against me or the furrowes thereof complaine Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockles in stead of barley How few amongst vs dare thus plead So Dauid O Lord thou knowest mine innocencâ—… O blessed testimonie This is Munus aâ—…eneus a wall of brasse about a man In 〈◊〉 sperâ—…re bonum nisi innocens nâ—… potest To hope for good in the middest of euils no man can but the Innocent He goes fearlesse of danger though not secure Impauidum ferient ruinae Neâ—… suspectus est paâ—… quod se non 〈◊〉 fecisse He cannot looke to suffer that wrong which he knowes hee hath not done Innocence sayth Chrysoft is free in seruitude safe in danger ioyfull in bonds Cum humiliatur erigitur â—…um pugnat vincit cum occiditur coronatur When it is cast downe it is raysed vp when it fights it conquers when it is killed it is crowned This is that â—…elesnes which must be ioyned with the Serpents Wisedome So Paul to his Romans I would hâ—…ue you wise vnto that which is good and simple concerning euill This is an excellent mixture sayth Gregor Vt simplicitatem 〈◊〉 astâ—…ia serpentis instrueret vt serpentis astutâ—… simplicitas coluâ—…â—…emperaret That the wisedome of the Serpent might instruct the simplicity of the Doue that the Doues simplicitie might temper the Serpents policie So â—…eda on the first of Iob. Iob is sayd to be simple and vpright simple in innocencie vpright in discreet equitie Simplex quia alijs non lâ—…dit rectus quia se ab alijs non corrumpi 〈◊〉 Simple in that he did not hurt others vpright in that he suffered not himselfe to be corrupted by others Non mulâ—…ùm distat in vitio aut decipere aus decipiposse There is small difference in that vice which either deceiues or may be deceiued The one is weakenesse the other wickednesse This is that grace to which the gates of heauen stand open Innocence But alas where shall the robbers and workers of violence appeare What shall become of the vsurer No creature in heauen or earth shall testifie his innocencie But the sighes cryes and grones of vndone parents of beggard widdowes and Orphanes shall witnesse the contrary All his money like Hempe seede is sowed with curses and euery obligation is written on earth with inke and bloud and in hell with bloud and fire What shall become of the Encloser of Commons Who shall plead his innocence Hedges ditches fields and townes the weeping of the poore the very lowings of beastes shall witnesse against him Where shall fraud cosenage racking of rents iniurie periurie mischiefe appeare You may conceale your craft from the eyes of man defraud the minister beguile your neighbour impouerish the Common-wealth vnperceiued vnpunished but know that the Lord will not hold you innocent I conclude Make you the picture of Innocencie and hang it in your houses but especially draw it in the table of your hearts Let it bee a Virgin faire and louely without any spot of wrong to blemish her beautie Let her garments be white as snow and yet not so white as her conscience Let the teares of compassion drop from her eyes and an Angell holding a bottle to catch them Let her weepe not so much for her owne afflictions as for the wickednes of her afflicters Let the wayes be milke where she sets her foote and let not the earth complaine of her pressure Let the Sun offer her his beames the clouds their raine the ground her fruits euery creature his vertue Let the poore blesse her yea let her very enemies be forced to prayse her Let the world be sommoned to accuse her of wrong and let none be found to witnesse it Let peace lie in her lappe and Integritie betweene her brests Let religion kisse her lippes and all Lawes reuerence her Patience possesse her heart and humilitie sit in her eyes Let all Christians make her the precedent of their liues and studie the doctrine that her mouth teacheth Let the Angels of heauen be her guardians and the mercie of God a shield of defence vnto her Let her tread vpon iniurie and stampe the Deuill and violence vnder her feete Let her greatest aduersaries Oppression and Hypocrisie flie from her presence Let rapine malice extortion depopulation fraud and wrong be as farre
the musician of crotchers the Seminary of equivocations The glutted Epicure dreames of dainty dishes and fat morsells The thirsty drunkard dreames of his licour and behold he drinketh but awake his thirst is not satisfied The vsurer dreames of his trunckes that he is telling his gold and starts as if euery rat were a thiefe breaking in vpon him The timorous dreame that they are flying before ouertaking danger The Lustfull imagines his desired embracings The angry that he is fighting killing spoyling The secure that they are wilstling singing dancing The ielous man dreames of his wiues errors when she lyes chastly by his side The ambitious that he is kissing the kings hand and mounted into the saddle of honour The ouercharged mind dreames of his employment For a dreame commeth through the multitude of businesse 2. Preternaturall and these are either Ad Errorem Terrorem Whereof the first is wrought by Satan Permittente Deo God suffering it The second by God mediante Diabolo Satan being a mediate instrument 1. There are Dreames for Error wrought by the meere illusion of Satan whom God once suffered to be a lying Spirit in the mouth of 400. Prophets Hee working vpon mans affections inclinations and humours causeth in them such dreames as seduce them to wickednes and induce them to wrechednes They write of one Amphiaraus an Argiue Soothsayer that by a dreame hee was brought to the Theban voyage wher 's Hiatu terrae absorbetur he was swallowed vp of the earth So Pharaohs Baker was encouraged to hopefull error by a dreame So was that monstrous hoste of Midian ouerthrowne by a Dreame of a Barley cake that hit a Tent and ouerwhelmed it which was interpreted the Sword of Gideon 2. For Terror Iob sayes that Deus terret per somnia per visiones horrorem incuiit God strikes terror into the hearts of the wicked by Dreames As a Malus genius is said to appeare to Brutus the night before his death or as the face of Hector was presented to Andromache Polydore virgil records the dreame of that bloudy tyrāt Richard 3. that in a dreame the night before the battaile of Bosworth field he thought all the deuils in hell were haling and tugging him in pieces and all those whom he had murdered crying shricking out vengeance against him Though hee thinkes this was more then a dreame Id credo non fuisse somnium sed conscientiam seelerū He iudged it not so much a dreame as the guiltie conscience of his own wickednes So to Robert Winter one of the powder-traytors in a dreame appeared the gastly figures and distracted visages of his cheefe friends and confederates in that treason not vnlike the very same maner wherin they after stood on the pinnacles of the Parliament house 3. Supernaturall such as are sent by diuine inspiration and must haue a diuine interpretation Such were the dreames of Pharaoh expounded by Ioseph the dreames of Nebuchadnezzar declared by Daniel Of these were two sortes 1. Some were mysticall such as those two kings dreames and Pharaohs two officers whose exposition is onely of God So Ioseph answers Are not interpretations of the Lord So Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel Thou art able for the spirit of the holy God is in thee The Sorcerers and Astrologers dearly acknowledged their ignorance with their liues Thus Pharaoh may dreame but it is a Ioseph that must expound it It is one thing to haue a representation obiected to the fantasie another thing to haue an intellectuall light giuen to vnderstand it 2. Others are demonstratiue when the Lord not onely giues the dreame but also withall the vnderstanding of it Such were Daniels dreames these Wisemens Iosephs in this chapter Wherein was a Vision Pro uision a vision what to doe a prouision that no harme might come to Iesus These dreames were most specially incident to the new Testament when God at the very rising of the Sunne began to expell the shadowes of darke my steries And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sons your daughters shall prophecie your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames Now the Sunne is gotten vp into the midst of heauen the Gospel into the ful strength these shadowes vanish the more light the lesse shadow So that now to expect reuelation of things by dreames were to intreat God to lend vs a candle whiles wee haue the bright Sun The superstitious Papists are s◅ill full of these dreames and find out more mysteries in their sleepe then they can well expound waking The Abbot of Glastenbury when Ethelwold was Monke there dreamt of a tree whose branches were al couered with Monks cowles on the highest bough one cowle that ouertop'd all the rest which must needs be expoūded the future greatnes of this Ethelwold But it is most admirable how the Dominicke Friers make shift to expoūd the dreame of Dominickes mother which she had when she was with child of him that she had in her wombe a wolfe with a burning torch in his mouth Say what they will a wolfe is a wolfe still that order hath euer carried a burning torch to scorch their mother the Church But there is no dreame of theirs with out an interpretation without a prediction And if the euent answere not their foretelling they expound it after the euent If one of them chance to dreame of a greene garden he goes presently and makes his will Or if another dreame that he shakes a dead friend by the hand he is ready to call to the Sexton for a graue takes solemne leaue of the world and sayes hee cannot liue Beloued God hath not grounded our fayth vpon dreames nor cunningly deuised fables but on the holy Gospell written by his seruants in bookes and by his spirit in the tables of our hearts They that will beleeue dreames and Traditions aboue Gods sacred word let them heare and feare their iudgement For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lye That they all might be dāned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Banish from your hearts this superstitious follie to repose any confidence expectant on dreames But if you desire to make any vse of dreames let it be this Consider thy selfe in thy dreaming to what inclination thou art mostly carried and so by thy thoughts in the night thou shalt learne to know thy self in the day Be thy dreames lustfull examine whether the addictions of thy heart run not after the byas of concupiscence Be they turbulent consider thy owne contentious disposition Be they reuengefull they point to thy malice Runne they vpon gold and riches they argue thy couetousnesse Thus God may be said to teach a man by his dreames still non quid erit sed qualis est not what shall be but what
word beleeuing onely so much as you list Faith is holy and catholicke if you distrust part of Gods word you prepare infidelitie to the whole Did God promise Christ and in the fulnes of time to send him Then since he hath againe promised him and appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world by that man he shall come As certainly as he came to suffer for the world so certainely shall he come to iudge the world Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation He that kept his promise when he came to die for vs followed by some few poore Apostles will not breake it when he shal come in glory with thousaÌ„ds of Angels Neither did God onely promise that Christ should come but that all beleeuers should be saued by him As many as receiued him to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name Misit filium promisit in filio vitam He sent his Sonne to vs and saluation with him Wretched and desperate men that distrust this mercie Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptised shall be saued Whosoeuer Qui se ipsum excipit seipsum decipit Did not God spare to send his promised sonne out of his bosome to death and will hee to those that beleeue on him deny life No all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ may these also be Yea and Amen in our beleeuing hearts A yeelding Deuill could say Iesus I knew yet some men are like that tempting deuill Math. 4. Si filiu Dei sis If thou be the sonne of God Si if as if they doubted whether he could or would saue them Is come There is a threefold Comming of Christ according to the threefold difference of Time Past Present Future As Bernard Venit Ad homines In homines Contra homines 1. First for the time past he came among men Iohn 1. 1. The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. 2. For the present he comes into men by his Spirit and grace Reu. 3. I stand at the dore and knock if any open vnto me I will come into him 3. For the time to come hee shall come against men Rom. 2. At the day when God shall iudge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ. Or as it is wittily obserued the Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes Leo Virgo Libra 1. In the Law like a Lyon roaring out terrible things with a voice not indurable And they sayd to Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs least we die 2. In the Gospell hee appeared in Virgo an Infant borne of a virgin Math. 1. 25. 3. At his last Audite hee shall appeare in Libra weighing all our thoughts words and workes in a balance Behold I come quickly my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shal be Is come He was not fetched not forced sponte venit of his owne accord he is come No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe Ambrose on these words of Christ Are ye come out against a theefe with swords and staues to take me Stultum est cum gladijs eum quarere qui vltro se offâ—…rt It was superfluous folly to apprehend him with weapons that willingly offered himselfe to seeke him in the night by treason as if he shunned the light who was euery day teaching publiquely in the Temple Sed factum congruit tempori personis quia cùm essent tenebrae in tenebroso tempore tenebrosum opus excercebant The fact agrees to the time and Persons they were darknesse therefore they doe the worke of darknesse in a time of darknesse Indeed hee prayes Father saue mâ—…e from this houre but withall hee corrects himselfe Therefore came I to this houre But he is said to feare dâ—…th Hebr. 5. What is it to vs Quòd timuit that hee feared nostrum est quòd sustinuit that hee suffered Christs nature must needs abhorre destructiue things but his Rationall ouercame his Naturall will Hee feared death Ex affectu sensualitatis not Ex affectu rationis Hee eschewed it secundum se but did vnder goe it propter aliud Ex impetu naturae hee declined it but ex imperio rationis considering that either hee must come and die on earth or wee all must goe and die in hell and that the heads temporall death might procure the bodies eternall life behold the Sonne of man is come Neither was it necessary for him to loue his paine though hee so loued vsto suffer this paine No man properly loues the rod that beats him though hee loues for his soules good to be beaten As Augustin sayd of crosses Tollerare iubemur non amare Nemo quod tollerat amat etsi tollerare amat We are commanded to beare them not to loue them No man that euen loues to suffer loues that he suffers Voluntarily hee yeelds himselfe saluting Iudas by the name of Friend Amice â—…r venis He suffered not his followers to offend his enemies nor commands the Angels to defend himselfe O blind Iewes was it impossible for him de paruo slipite ligni descendere qui descendit a coelorum altitudine to come downe from a peice of wood that came downe from heaueÌ„ Nunquid tua vincula illuÌ„ possunt teâ—…ere quem câ—…li non possunt capere Shall your bonds hold him when the heauens could not containe him He came not to deliuer himselfe that was in freedome but to deliuer vs that were in bondage Is come Is Christ come to vs and shall not wee come to him Doth the Sonne of God come to the Sonnes of men and doe the Sonnes of men scorne to come to the Sonne of God Proud dust wilt thou not meet thy maker If any aske Whether is thy beloued gone that wee may seeke him with thee The Church answers My beloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies You shall haue him in his Garden the Congregation of the faithfull Wheresoeuer a number is gathered together in his Name Behold Venit ad limina virtus Manna lies at your thresholds will you not goe forth and gather it The Bridegrome is come will you not make merrie with him The nice piece of dust like Idolatrous Ieroboam cryes the Church is too farre off the iourney too long to Christ. Hee came all that long way from heauen to earth for vs and is a mile too tedious to goe to him Goe too sede ede perde sit still eate thy meate and destroy thy selfe who shall blame the iustice of thy condemnation But for vs let vs leaue our pleasures and goe to our Sauiour Non sedeas sed cas ni pereas
that this mourning for Gods absence is an euident demonstration of his presence 2. Of Reprehension to others that say they are sure of the purchase before they euer gaue earnest of the bargaine Presumption is to be auoided so well as despaire For as none more complaine that they want this assurance then they that haue it so none more boast of it then they that haue it not The fond hypocrite takes his owne presumption for this assurance he liues after the flesh yet brags of the Spirit This false opinion ariseth partly from his owne conceite partly from Satans deceite 1. From his owne Conceit he dreames of the Spirit and takes it granted that it euer rests within him but when his soule awakes he finds there no such manner of guest the holy Spirit neuer lodged there There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes yet are not washed from their filthinesse These pure people so vaunt theâ—… assurance of saluation that they will scarce change places in heauen with St. Peter or St. Paul without boote The infallible marke of distinction which the Apostle sets on the Sonnes of God is this they are led by the Spirit Rom. 8. So many as are led by the Spirit of God 〈◊〉 sonnes of God The holy Ghost is their God and their guideâ—… and this Spirit 〈◊〉 them into all truth and guides them into the land of righteousnes But these men will Spiritum dâ—…ere lead the Spirit They are not ductible they will not be led by the Spirit into truth and pence but they will lead the Spirit as it were ouer-rule the holy Ghost to patronize their humours Let them be adulterers vsurers bribe-corrupted sacrilegious c. yet they are still men of the Spirit But of what Spirit Nesâ—…tis we may say to them as Christ to hit two hote disciples ye know not of what Spirit you are It is enough they thinke to haue oculos in coelo though they haue manus in fundo animos in profundâ—… It is held sufficient to haue eyes fixed on heauen though couetous hands busie on earth and crafty minds deepe as hell This ouer-venturous conceite that heauen is theirs how base and debauched liues so euer they liue is not assurance but presumption 2. This ariseth from Satans Deceite who cryes like Corah Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the congregation is â—…ily euery one of them You are holy enough you are sure of heauen what would you more You may sit downe and play your worke is done Hereupon they sing peace and Requiems to their soules and begin to wrappe vp their affections in worldly ioyes But Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the most grieuous storme This is carnall securitie not heauenly assurance As the Iewes went into captiuitie with Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord c. in their lips so many go to hell with the water of Baptisme on their faces and the assurance of saluation in their mouthes 3. Of Instruction teaching vs to keepe the euen-way of comfort eschewing both the rocke of presumption on the right hand and the gulfe of desperation on the left Let vs neither be Tumidi nor Timidi neyther ouer bold nor ouer-fainting But endeuour by faith to assure our selues of Iesus Christ and by repentance to assure our selues of faith and by an amended life to assure our selues of repentance For they must here liue to Gods glory that would hereafter liue in Gods glory 3. In the next place obserue the meanes how we may come by this assurance This is discouered in the text Dic animae Say vnto my Soule Who must speake God To whom must he speake to the Soule So that in this assurance God and the Soule must meet This St. Paul demonstrates The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestari to beare witnesse together Neither our spirit alone nor Gods spirit alone makes this Certificate but both concurring Not our spirit alone can giue this assurance for mans heart is alwayes euill often deceitfull At all times euill Euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely euill continually At some times deceitfull The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked Who can know it Non noui animam meam sayth Iob. I know not my owne soule though I were perfect And Paul concerning his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified And if Dauids soule could haue made a sufficient testimony alone what needed he pray Dic animae say Thou to my soule Some haue a true zeale of a false Religion and some a false zeale of a true Religion Paul before his conuersion had a true zeale of a false Religion I was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers The Laodiceans had a false or rather no zeale of a true Religion I know thy works that thou art neither hote nor cold So that when about this certificate a man deales with his heart singly his heart will deale with him doubly No nor doth Gods spirit alone giue this Testimony least a vaine illusion should be taken for this holy perswasion But both Gods spirit and our spirit meeting together are Concordes and Contestes ioynt witnesses Indeed the principall worke comes from Gods spirit he is the primary cause of this assurance Now he certifies vs by word by deed and by seale By word terming vs in the Scripture Gods children and putting into our mouthes that filiall voyce whereby wee cry Abba Father By deed the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering c. By these is our Election made sure sayth Saint Peter By Seale Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption Now our spirit witnesseth with him from the sanctitie of our life faith and reformation He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe 4. Lastly this is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life euen an heauen vpon earth to be ascertained of his saluation There are many mysteries in the world which curious wits with perplexfull studies striue to apprehend But without this he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow Vnum necessarium this one thing is onely necessary whatsoeuer I leaue vnknowne let me know this that I am the Lords Qui Christum discit satis est si caetera nescit He may without danger be ignorant of other things that truely knows Iesus Christ. There is no potion of miserie so embittered with gall but this can sweeten it with a cofortable rellish When enemies assault vs get vs vnder triumph ouer vs imagining that saluation it selfe cannot saue vs what is our comfort Noui in quem credidi I know whom I haue beleeued I am sure the Lord will not forsake me Deficit