lying in the farthest part of England if ye haue a good title to it the distance of the place cannot hurt your title so I say the distance of place hurts not my title and my right that I haue to Christ. But though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father yet the title and right that I haue to him makes him mine so that I may say truly this Christ is my property Then Christ is not made mine because I fetch him out of the heauens but he is mine because I haue a sure title and right to him and hauing a sure title and iust right to him the distance of place how farre soeuer it be can no wayes hurt my title nor right but where-euer he be he is mine because I haue a right and title to him Yea not onely haue I a title to him but this title is confirmed to me For as I get a title to him in the word and if I got not that title to him in the word I durst not come to the Sacrament so in the Sacracrament I get the confirmation of my title I get the Seale which confirmes my title Then to come to the point Christs body is sitting at the right hand of the Father and yet he is mine and is deliuered to me because I haue right to his body be it where it will he was borne for me giuen to mee and deliuered to me So distance of place hurts not the surety of my title as propinquity of place helpes not the surety of the same Though Christ would bow the heauens and touch thee with his body as he did Iudas yet this could not helpe thee for if thou hast not a title to him thou darest not call him thine So it is not the neerenesse nor proximity of place that maketh Christ mine It is onely the right that I haue to him I haue right to him onely by faith So by faith onely Christ is made mine But they thinke they haue gotten a great vantage of vs if we be so farre from Christ as the heauen is from the earth but this shall be answered by Gods grace I haue a title to his bodie his bodie is distant from my bodie yet his bodie is not distant from me that is from my soule I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned It is a strange ladder that will reach from the earth to the heauens yet let me tell you there is a cord that extendeth from the earth to the heauens and coupleth me and Christ together and this is onely true faith By true faith Christ though he be in the heauens is coupled and conioyned with me who am here on earth I will shew you this by a similitude Is not the bodie of the Sunne in the firmament It is impossible for you to touch the bodie of the Sunne yet the bodie of the Sunne and ye are conioyned How By those beames that shine on you by that light that shineth vpon you Why may not the bodie of Christ then though it be in the heauens be conioyned with me that am on earth namely by the beames by the light and gladnesse that floweth from his bodie My bodie and Christs bodie are conioyned by the vertue and power flowing from his bodie which vertue and power quickneth my dead soule maketh me to liue the life of Christ to begin to die to my selfe and euer the more I die to my selfe the more I liue to Christ. This coniunction now is the ground as I told you of all our felicitie and happinesse and I haue made it cleare to you at this time so far as God hath giuen me insight Alwaies ye see this coniunction is brought to passe by two speciall meanes by the holy Spirit by faith If there be no other meanes but these two what needest thou a carnall or a visible coniunction Faith is inuisible and the Spirit is inuisible therefore thou canst not see it nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie The power of the holy Spirit is so subtile secret and inuisible that thou canst not perceiue it nor take it vp with the eye of the bodie and it will worke great effects in thy soule or euer thou perceiuest his working In respect therefore that the meanes of this coniunction are so subtill secret and spirituall why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction with the eye of thy bodie why imaginest thou such a carnall coniunction as this which would do thee no good if thou hadst it Knowest thou not that the Spirit that coupleth vs and Christ is infinite so that it is as easie for the Spirit to couple vs and Christ how far distant soeuer we be as it is easie for our soules to couple our head and the feete of our bodies though they be distant Then seeing this coniunction is the ground and fountaine of all our happinesse and seeing this ground of happinesse is so substill and so spirituall what is your part Remoue all your outward senses remoue all your naturall motions remoue your naturall discourses and your naturall reason and follow the sight and information of the Spirit of God Craue that it would please him to illuminate your vnderstanding that by the light of his Spirit ye may see clearely the spirituall coniunction Except the eye of the Spirit be giuen you to perceiue this spirituall coniunction it is not possible that ye can get any insight in it But if the Lord of his mercie will bestow some measure of his holy Spirit vppon you out of question ye shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it and ye shall thinke the time happie that euer ye heard this word Except ye haue some part of this Spirit it is not possible that ye can be spirituall That which is borne of flesh and bloud will remaine flesh and bloud except the Spirit come in and make it spirituall Therefore ye must be borne againe of the Spirit ye must be borne in the bodie of Christ his Spirit must quicken you This is called the quickning and liuing Spirit of Christ by Iohn And so soone as the Spirit cometh what doth it It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnderstanding whereas before I knew not God now I see him not onely generally that he is a God but that he is my God in Christ. What more doth the holy Spirit It openeth the heart as well as the minde and what doth it there Those things whereon I bestowed the affections of my heart and imployed the loue of my soule are by the working of the holy Spirit made gall to me he maketh them venome to me and to be as deadly hated of me as poyson He worketh sâ—ch an inward disposition in my soule that he maketh me to turne and flie from those things whereon I imployed my loue before and to imploy it vpon God This is a great perfection Alwaies in some measure he makeâ—h me to loue God better then any other thing
end that he may draw them by the hand to repentance And now seeing they haue abused the time of his sitting he is euen at the rising And assuredly the Lord shall rise to be reuenged vpon the iniquities of the great men of this Country whose sinnes do so abound And whereby know ye this By one argument which is infallible Examine by your owne wit and iudgement which ye haue of the booke of God and by your naturall iudgement Is it possible that the ground of this country is able to beare a greater birth of iniquitie both in Hie-land Low-land Is it possible that it can be heauier loaden with mischiefe in all corners then it is now Yea the ground must be disburdened of this iniquity where the Leiutenant whoÌ„ God hath placed ouerseeth it and will not disburden the earth of her birth where the Magistrates that are inferiors neglect their duties of necessity he must extraordinarily from the heauen disburden the earth thereof And surely to let this passe if there were no more but these horrible confusions in all parts which no man can ouertake it appeareth that the Iudge of the world himselfe shall come downe shortly to disburden it And why Because I see all tokens that go immediatly before his coÌ„ming to be already passed faith is skarslie to be found yea no faith in promises much lesse faith in Christ Iesus For iniquity aboundeth so and there are so many confusions left vnouertaken by the Magistrate that it appeareth clearely â—he Iudge himselfe must needes come and that the Iudge of the world shall be the first that shall redresse this confusion And seeing it is so it becometh not vs to be idle for surely the time draweth neare And if the time shall be shortened for the elects cause now I thinke it shall be shortened for the cries of the poore of this land Therfore it is no time for vs to sleepe It is time for vs to prepare to go meete that great Iudge now whilst oyle is offered abundantly buy oyle to your lamps for so soone as the Trumpet blowes and that he is making homeward from the cloudes to his Fathers dwelling from whence he shall come it is no time to haue our oyle to seeke Now we haue this oyle of gladnesse freely offered Therfore it becometh you to prepare your selues that when he cometh whether it be at night or in the morning by night or by day he may not finde you vnawares These iniquities and wickednesse of the heart of man are so deepe that if the Ethnik might say iustlie that the labyrinths deceits of the hart of man are infinite how much more may we speak it hauing Ierem. his warrant who calleth it deepe and inscrutable aboue all things Ierem. 17. It is time therefore that we be busie in seeking the renewing breaking and humiliation of our hearts for the outward scarre suppose it appeareth to be whole where the inward is festered it auaileth nothing but maketh it to fester againe Therefore now it is time to study to haue your hearts broken for once they must be broken ere they be healed Once they must be low ere they be high For thine heart that was neuer touched with any sense of thine owne sinne and feeling of Gods iudgement knew neuer what the taste of mercy meant For there is no way to go to heauen but by the gates of hel Therefore it is time to beg of God that he would bring your hearts to that estate that ye may know your sin sorrow for it and that he may prepare your hearts so that ye may looke for the accomplishment of your happinesse in his coming And where the hart is so desirous of that day it may be welcome come when it will The Lord of heauen prepare your hearts It is not possible that this can be done O Lord except thou by the mighty power of thy Spirit humble them and hammer downe this naturall hardnes that is in them otherwise our hearts wil neuer giue obedience to thee Therfore O Lord worke it Now in the end of the verse he letteth vs see to what end the Lord rise and executed iudgment The chiefe cause that mooued him to rise was the poore and oppressed in all corners of the earth The great complaint and crie of the people in all countries was the cause why God did rise Examine then and try hath not God good cause to rise in this countrie I know wel there can not be more complaints of the poore in a countrie then in this so that it is no maruell but he rise and that suddainlie he is like vnto himselfe no was of before Then these great complaints and cries of the poore must make him to rise as ye haue it Psal. 12. And if they preuent noâ— his rising terrible shall it be to the wicked for euer with the saluation of his owne the destruction of his enemies is ioyned And out of these both saluation destruction he maketh himselfe to be glorified Then I would these bloudie men and oppressors that renowne themselues with shame and ignominie knew that the Lord will risâ— and that shortly except they preuent him whereof I see no appearance In the tenth verse he letteth vs see to what purpose the great furie of these men serueth and in the beginning he letteth vs see it with a constant affirmation Surely surely the rage of men shall turne to his praise Their greatest rage and highest furie is the highest matter of the Lords praise That same fury and rage whereby they thinke to dishonour God and ouerwhelme his Church he turneth to the contrary and maketh out of that same furie his owne glorie and the deliuery of his Church to shine The Lord is a wonderfull workman he bringeth about his purpose in such sort that he can draw out light out of darknesse and bring forth his owne praise out of their greatest rage Haue ye not seene this from time to time hath he not made his greatest enemies to testifie it and drawne a confession out of their owne mouthes Ye reade in the historie of Iulian the Apostata when he was in his greatest rage and in the top of his fury prouoking Christ to the combat in that high rage whilest he draweth his weapon to strike our head he striketh himselfe and after he had giuen himselfe a deadly wound he bursteth foorth and saith at the last Thou hast won ô Galilean so out of his owne mouth the Lord drew a confession of this praise Ye reade in the 6. of Exod. of those inchanters that opposed themselues to Moses and Aaron and counterfeited all that they did vntill it came to the plague of Lice there they stand and say It is the finger of the Lord as if they would say This plague is done by the mightie hand and power of God onely we are not able to counterfeit it Here we see they are compelled out of their owne mouth to confesse
and tasted in their hearts what it is And if they had tasted and felt in their soules what faith brings with it alas they would not call that spirirituall Iewell and onely â—ewell of the soule an imagination They call it an imagination and the Apostle describing it Heb. 11.1 calleth it a substance and substantiall ground Marke how well these two agree An imagination and a substantiall ground They call it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the braine and fantasie of man He calleth it an euidence and demonstration in the same definition See how directly contrary the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith Vpon this they infer that as it is true in generall he can not be deliuered nor giuen but that same way that he is receiued and looke what way any thing is receiued the same way it is giuen and deliuered So as they say he being receiued by way of imagination he is also in their fantasie giuen and deliuered by way of imagination For if he be not giuen say they to thy hand to thy mouth nor to thy stomack corporally he cannot be giuen but by an imagination and fantasticall opinion The reason that moueth them to thinke that Christ cannot be theirs nor giuen to them truly in effect and really except he be giuen carnally is this That thing which is so far absent and distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be giuen vs nor to be ours But by our owne confession say they to vs Christ his body is as farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth Therefore Christ his body nor his flesh cannot be giuen vnto vs except by way of imagination and so not truly nor in effect This argument framed in this sort would at the first sight seeme to be of some force But let vs examine the proposition of it The proposition is this That thing which is so farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be deliuered to vs to be giuen to vs or any wayes to be ours Now whether is this proposition true or false I say this proposition is vntrue and the contrarie most true A thing may be giuen to vs and may become ours though the thing in person it selfe be as farre distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth And how proue I this What maketh any thing to be ours What maketh any of you esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you Is it not a title Is it not a iust right to that thing If ye haue a iust right giuen vnto you by him who hath power to giue it and a sure title confirmed to you by him who hath the power though the thing that he giueth vnto you be not deliuered into your hands yet by the right and title which he granteth to you is not the thing yours There is no doubt of it for it is not the neernes of the thing to my body to my hand that maketh the thing mine for it may be in mine hand and yet not belong to me Neyther is it the distance nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine but it may be farre absent from me and yet be mine becaue the title is mine and because I haue gotten a right to it from him who hath the power to giue it So then this ground is true It is a sure title and a iust right that maketh a thing though it be far distant from vs to be ours But so it is that a liuelie and true faith in the bloud and death of Christ maketh vs to haue a sure title and a good right to the flesh and bloud of Christ and to his merites looke what he merited by his death shedding of his bloud vpon the crosse all that together with himselfe also appertaineth to me and that by a title and a right which I haue gotten to him of God which is faith And the surer that my title is the more sure am I of the thing that is giuen me by the title Now this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to confirme our title to seale vp our right which we haue to the bodie and bloud to the death and passion of Christ and so the bodie of Christ is said to be giuen to vs the bloud of Christ is said to be deliuered to vs when our title which we haue of him of his death of his bodie and bloud is confirmed in our harts For this Sacrament is instituted for the growth and increase of our faith for the increase of our holinesse and sanctification which faith the greater that it is in our hearts the more sure are we that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said that the flesh of Christ is not deliuered into my hndes his flesh is not put into my mouth nor entreth into my stomacke Yet God forbid that thou shouldst say He is not truly giuen although Christs flesh be not put into thy hand nor mouth of thy body and wherfore should it Hath he not appointed bread wine for the nourishment of the bodie may not that content you Are they not sufficieÌ„t to nourish you to this earthly temporall life Hath he not appointed Christ to be deliuered to the inward mouth of thy soule to be giuen into the hand of thy soule that thy soule may seede on him and be quickned with that life wherewith the Angels liue wherewith the Sonne of God and God himselfe liue So the flesh of Christ is not appointed to nourish thy bodie but to nourish thy soule in the hope yea in the growth of that immortall life and therefore I say though the flesh of Christ be not deliuered into the hand of thy body yet it is deliuered to that part that it should nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that Bread and that Wine are no more really deliuered to the bodie and to the hand of the bodie then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that either God giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For ye must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of God our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned with our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but he is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy Spirit all we who are faithfull men
question the Lord approueth Then the the lesson we gathered was this All office-bearers ought so to behaue thēselues in this life that in their death they may haue the testimony of a good conscience for it is not possible that the conscience can testifie well except in time he take vp a new trade of liuing except you keepe your hands free of other mens sinnes And therefore I exhorted all inferiour magistrates superiour and in speciall the supreme that the Lord by his spirit would so rule your conscience Sir that ye may keepe your selfe free from other mens iniquities Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now followeth the comfort that the King being placed in this extremity did finde the Lord sendeth him comfort from heauen The forme and manner of the comfort is set downe in there verses which I haue read but the circumstances are more particularly set downe in the 2. King 20. chap. Alwayes this order is kept in these verses First in the 4. verse is set downe the circumstance of time when this comfort was offered and vpon the circumstance of time the circumstance of place where he was when he receiued this comfort may easilie be gatherd Besides this the persons the Author the giuer of this commission the Minister and bearer are noted Vnto this verse before that he come to the comfort he vseth a preface in the end of this preface there is a narration that the Lord had heard the kings prayer had seene his teares In the third place he propoundeth the comfort And last of all we haue the confirmation of this proposition by a wonderfull signe and miracle from heauen Then to come backe to the 4. verse he touched the circumstance of time very obscurely when the King receiued this comfort for it is said Then came the word of the Lord. This particle Then is relatiue to that time which is more chearely set downe in 2. King 20. This then is to be vnderstod when the Prophet was in the middle court when the word of the Lord came vnto him and commanded him to stay look how much space there was betwixt the Kings bed where he lay and the second hall as great space is there betwixt the denunciation the recalling thereof He was not as yet passed the second hall when the word of the Lord came vnto him and commanded him to go backe and to recall that same sentence in a moment with one mouth which before he pronounced now he commandeth him to pronounce the contrary This is a wonderfull change in such a suddainnes and vpon this suddainnes there are many notable things that offer themselues worthy of consideration First of this suddainnes marke this lesson we see how pithie and effectuall the prayer of the King hath bene this prayer is so effectuall that in a moment it moueth the great God to reuerse that same sentence which he had pronounced that which heauen nor earth nor any other creature was able to alter he maketh the prayer of his owne seruant to call backe Beside this his prayer purchased health of bodie length of dayes a sure and prosperous estate and afterward all this is confirmed by such a wonderfull miracle the like whereof was neuer seene nor heard of before Looke then if the prayers of the faithfull be not wondrous effectuall It is not possible that all these effects can flow of the pithinesse of prayer seeing there is nothing so weake in it selfe but it cometh of the free nature of God whose nature is to be mercifull and it is the nature of mercie to haue pitie vpon miserie This is the reason why our prayers are in an instant of time heard And here also we may learne how well God answers to the names that are giuen him Exod. 34.6 where he is called exceeding mercifull slow to anger readie to forgiue he vttereth himselfe to be a God of great compassion and exceeding in mercie toward vs in such sort that in an instant sometimes he granteth our requests The last thing that I marke vpon the suddainnes is the strict and entire coniunction that is betwixt the faithfull soule in earth on the one part and God in heauen on the other part This coniunction is so entire and strict that it maketh God as present to our prayers as if heauen and earth were ioyned together This coniunction maketh his Sonne Christ to be as neare in time of neede as if he had placed his throne of grace in the bed where we lie To prooue this ye see how speedily his prayer mounteth ye see how swiftly the answer returneth and with such celeritie all this matter is done as if there were no distance betwixt heauen and earth So the lesson is this The faithfull soule hath God as present as if heauen and earth were ioyned together There is no distance of place no distance of roome that can make God to consume time in doing of his will but where faith is it maketh him so present that incontinently we get our dispatch Craue not therefore ô Papist any other presence then this and examine not this presence by naturall reason for where faith hath place naturall reason must ceasse Examine not these things by reason of nature which are aboue nature Thus far concerning the circumstance of time Now of the circumstance of time I gather the circumstance of place where the King was when he receiued this comfort For if the Prophet was commanded to turne backe when he was in the second hall it behooueth the King to be at home lying on his owne bed And this by the way is a great signe of the fauour of God toward him that his sicknesse taketh him at home where he might be best eased without the trouble of others This is by the way Now as to the third circumstance The Author of the comfort no doubt was God for there is no good gift but it floweth from him The minister that he vsed is his owne Prophet He vseth the ministerie of his Prophet in applying of the comfort not that he was forced to vse the ministerie of man in doing of this thing but so it pleaseth the Lord to ingage and binde himselfe to his instruments that he will not worke beside them so it pleased him to binde him to his preached word that beside his word he will not worke And therefore he calleth his word a Sword a fire an hammer and an arrow and that from the diuerse effects that he worketh by his word As he bindeth him to his word so he willingly bindeth him to his seruants who are the Ministers of his word to worke by their ministerie In such sort that he will not be bound to the word pronounced by euery man and woman but by them whom he sendeth And therefore they are in an error who thinke that by their owne reading of the Scriptures in their priuate houses they are able to get as
yet in setting foorth of this wonderfull iudgement and in the 8. verse he letteth vs see that this great and terrible iudgement was wrought by the power and force of God onely it was done extraordinarily from the heauen by himselfe onely So that the whole world saw the finger and hand of God in it Then in the beginning of this eight verse I say he maketh it knowne that he did it onely and in the end of the verse he letteth vs see what his iudgements wrought in the hearts of men In the 9. verse he letteth vs see the time when it was that it pleased him to worke it and to what end he wrought it In the 10. verse he letteth vs see whereunto the great furie and rage of the wicked serued and in the end of that verse he meeteth with an obiection which the Churâ—h might haue made And in the last two verses is contained the conclusion of the Psalme Then to rerurne to the 8. verse in the beginning thereof the Prophet maketh it knowne that it was God onely that did this worke immediately without the imployment of any creature And therefore this manner of execution testified to the whole world that God onely was the chiefe doer of it Then the chiefe reason that moued God to do this extraordinarily and immediatly with his owne hand is this Although our God hath infinite wayes and as many meanes in his hand at all times ready to destroy his enemies yet such is the malice of man and the enuy of the Diuell that possesseth man to the glory of God that so long as God worketh his worke ordinarily and imployeth this or that instrument in doing of his worke so long man spoyleth God of his Glory and spoyleth him of a part of his praise So that man will sometime ascribe the glory to his owne industry and wit or to fortune or to one occasion or other so that ere they suffer God to haue his whole glory they will giue a part of it to any creature of the earth For this cause the Lord worketh extraordinarily and from heauen that the mouthes of all the world yea of the very enemies may be compelled to say and this confession must be wrung out of them that it is the finger of God that wrought this without the support of any creature After what sort he wrought this ouerthrow I wil not dispute in particular whether it were by lightning thunder earthquake vpon this I insist not The generall is sure and certaine that it was a worke that flowed from heauen immediatly Now he sayth in the end of the verse that this terrible iudgement brought forth two effects in the hearts of men First it brought forth a wonderfull feare and secondly it brought forth a great silence their tongues were taken from them The earth feared and was still By the earth the inhabitants of the earth is vnderstood or if we will hold vs in our particular the remanent of Senacheribs army is vnderstood I meane the remanent of the armie that were saued from the iudgement This remanent beganne to feare and be afraid with a terrible feare and the tongues of them that were so stout the night before held themselues quiet They that lifted and hoissed their armes the night before prouoked God as it were to the combat after the sight of this iudgement they haue their hands to seeke and they who boasted so much of their valiantnesse and filled the very earth with their blasphemies the night before when they saw this terrible iudgement were silent and had not a word to speake It is wonderfull the Lords manner of doing and proceeding is a hid manner of doing against his enemies and few perceiue the fashion of the bringing about of his iudgements For ye see he taketh his enemies in an instant at vnawares whilest a man is in the height of his pride he bereaueth him of his counsell he bereaueth him of his force and spoyleth him both of heart and hand in such sort that he hath no wit to deuise more then an Asse and hath not a hand to performe any more then if he wanted hands So he bereaueth him of his policy exquisite iudgement And how is this done It is by a blinde feare that he striketh them with he casteth them into such anguish and blindnesse of minde that they neither see God who is the striker nor can finde any way out but are cast into a desperate estate and vtter darkenesse remedilesse And so it commeth to passe that these miserable men lay violent hands on themselues thinking that the soule which now is in prison as it were will be in a better estate if it were out of the body but alas they are deceiued So I say the iudgement of God when it lighteth how long soeuer it be delayed terrible shall it be when it lighteth on the enemie It is a fearefull thing to cast our selues willingly into the hands of a consuming fire Therefore now seeing ye haue courses in hand ye should take good heede to your courses looke well about you and be diligent to know whether ye be on Gods side or against him Ye againe that are not practisers and meddle not with high matters take heede how ye walke in your owne calling Looke vnto your trade ye that are Merchants looke vnto your dealing ye that are Lawyers how croked or how straight ye are ye that are Lords and Iudges with what conscience ye proceed in your vocation and marke this Looke to his word looke what profite ye haue made of his word examine your calling by his word And if ye examine your calling by his word this way ye shall find the fruite or losse of your calling but if ye depend on the testimony of your conscience without the examination and rule of his word ye will be deceiued for many do this and say I am not troubled in conscience I am sure my conscience presseth me not when in the meane time they runne a wicked course trie not their calling by the blessed word of God but looke onely to the estate of their conscience which in such euill affaires flatters them they thinke themselues sure enough O but thou art deceiued and why Thy conscience may be deceiued as well as thou And how Thy conscience can giue thee no better warrant of thy doing neither to accuse nor to excuse but as she is informed So that if she be rightly informed she will giue thee a right warrant but if she be euilly informed she will giue thee as euill a warant and flatter thee So that of a slight informatioÌ„ she wil giue as slight a testimony There is no right information but that which proceedeth of the word therefore seeing now ye haue the word so clearely taught vnto you ye should trie and examine your callings by this word See what this word biddeth you do try in particular and say What warrant of
Lord. c. THE FIRST SERMON VPON THE PREPARATION TO THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.2 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. WElbeloued in Christ Iesus The Apostle in the words which we haue read deliuereth his counsell and giueth his aduice and not onely giues his aduice but giues his admonition and command That we should not come to the Table of the Lord that we should not come to the hearing of the word rashly but that euery one of vs should come to this holy worke with reuerence that we should prepare and sanctifie our selues in some measure And seeing we go vnto the King of heauens Table it becomes vs to put on our best array In a word he deliuereth the whole doctrine and matter of this preparation when he saith Let euery man and let euery wowan trie and examine themselues As if he would say Let euery one of you trie and examine your soules That is trie the estate of your owne hearts and condition of your owne consciences Marke and behold in what estate your heart is with God and in what estate your conscience is with your neighbour He biddeth not your neighbour to try you he biddeth not your companion to try your heart but he biddeth your selfe in person to trie your owne conscience he biddeth your selfe trie your owne heart because none can be certaine of the estate of your heart or of the condition of your conscience but your selfe Now he excludes not others from the triall of you neither for it is lawfull for the Pastor to trie you but others cannot trie you so narrowly as ye your selues may for no man can know so much of me as I knâ—â— of my selfe No man can be certaine of the estate of your heart and condition of your conscience and yet you your selues may be certaine of it As for others men may iudge of your heart and conscience according to your works and effects and except your workes and effects be very wicked and altogether vicious we are bound in conscience to iudge charitably of your hearts and consciences Therefore there is none so meete to trie the spirit of man to try the heart or conscience of man as is the man himselfe Now that this triall may be the better made ye haue first to vnderstand what it is that ye should trie what ye call a a conscience which the Apostles commands you to trie Next ye are to consider for what reasons causes ye should try your consciences Thirdly last of all ye are to know in what chiefe points ye should try and examine your consciences Then that we speake not vnto you of things vnknowne it is necessary for euery one of you seeing there is none of you that lacketh a conscience to vnderstand what a conscience is as neerely as God shall giue me grace I will bring you to the vnderstanding and knowledge of a conscience I call a conscience a certaine feeling in the heart resembling the iudgement of the liuing God following vpon a deed done by vs flowing from a knowledge in the minde accompanied with a certaine motion in the heart to wit feare or ioy trembling or reioycing Now we will examine the parts of this definition I call it first of all a certaine feeling in the heart for the Lord hath left such a stampe in the heart of euery man that he doth not that thing so secretly nor so quietly but he makes his owne heart to smite him and to strike him he makes him to feele in his owne heart whether he hath done well or ill The Lord hath placed this feeling in thy heart why Because cause the eyes of God looke not so much vpon the outward countenance and exterior behauiour as vpon the inward heart For he saith to Samuel in the first booke 16.7 The Lord beholds the heart So 1. Chron. 28.9 he saith to Salomon The Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all imaginations and thoughts Also Ieremie 11.20 The Lord tries the reines and the heart And the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.5 saith The Lord shall lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest So in respect that the Lord will chiefly haue to do with the heart therefore in the heart he placeth this feeling which is the chiefe part of conscience I say next that this feeling resembleth the iudgement of God for this feeling was left and placed in our soule for this end and purpose that we might haue a domesticall and familiar iudgement within our selues to resemble and describe the secret and inuisible iudgement of the high God a particular iudgement to goe before that generall iudgement in that generall and great day where euery man shall be iustified or condemned according to the particular iudgement that is within his owne conscience In the meane time this conscience is left in vs to arrest vs in this life thereby as it were to ease the liuing God at that last iudgement For the bookes of our owne consciences in that last day shall be opened and euery man shall receiue according to the report of the decree that is within his owne conscience therefore I say that our conscience resembles the iudgement of God The third thing that I say is this It followeth vpon a deed done by vs our conscience nor our heart strikes vs not before the deed be done our heart strikes vs not before the euill deed be committed no it goeth not before the deed but the stroke of the conscience and feeling of the heart followeth immediatly vpon the deed in such sort that the deed is no sooner done by thee but thy conscience applies it to thy selfe and giues out the sentence against thy selfe therefore I say it is a feeling following vpon a deed done by vs. And next I say flowing from a knowledge in the minde for except the conscience haue information and except the heart know that the deede which is done is euill the heart nor the conscience can neuer count it to be euill therefore knowledge must go before the stroke of the conscience thy heart can neuer feele that to be euill which thy minde knoweth not to be euill So knowledge must euer go before feeling and according to the measure of thy knowledge according to the nature and qualitie of thy knowledge accordingly shall the testimonie and stroke of thy conscience be For a light knowledge a doubting and vncertaine knowledge makes a light and small stroke as on the other part a holy and solid knowledge drawne out of the word of God maketh a heauie stroke of the conscience So the conscience must answer to the knowledge If we haue no other knowledge but the knowledge which we haue by nature and by the light and sparks which are left in nature our conscience will answer no further but to that knowledge but if beside the light of nature we haue
in their soules of all men in the earth they are most miserable For as long as thou maist keepe in thy mind a sparke of this knowledge and spirituall light in the which thou maist see the face of God in Christ wherein thou maist see a remedy in the death and passion of Christ and wherein thou maist see the bowels of mercy offred in the bloud of Christ if thou haue any sparke of this light albeit it were neuer so little to direct thee and albeit this knowledge were neuer so much wounded yet there is mercy enough for thee in Christ but if thou close vp all the windowes of thy soule and of thy heart and make them to become palpable darknesse that thou neither knowest from whence the terror cometh nor yet perceiuest any remedy that is the miserie of all miseries We haue many things in generall to lament concerning the estate of this our Countrey wherein we liue Also particularly There is not one of you but hath great cause to take heede to your consciences now while ye haue time that ye banish not altogether this light which is yet offered vnto you and whereof some sparks yet remaine For I see the most part of men run headlong to banish the sparke of light that is in them and will not rest so long as there is any sparke of it left vntill it be vtterly banished And when they haue so done alas what can follow but a blinde and terrible feare in their consciences which they can neuer get extinguished a feare without remedie a growing feare and not a decaying feare a feare that will deuoure them wholly at the last Therefore euery one of you be carefull of this light that is within you take heede that the foule affections of your hearts draw not your bodies after them see at the least that those affections banish not this light And so long as the Lord offers you this light in time craue that of his mercy he would giue you the grace to embrace it to take a new course and yet to amend your liues while time is giuen you The body shall leaue the soule and the soule shall leaue the bodie but the conscience shall neuer leaue the soule but whither soeuer the soule goeth to the same place shall the conscience repaire and looke in what estate thy conscience is when thou departest out of this life in the selfe same estate shall it meet thee in the gteat Day So that if thy conscience was a tormentor to thee at the time of thy death if thou get it not then pacified it shall be a tormentor to thee in that generall Iudgement Therefore this matter would be well weighed euery one of you should studie to haue a good conscience that when the soule is seuered from the body leauing your conscience at rest and peace with God it may be restored vnto you and meete you againe with as great peace and quietnesse Thus far concerning conscience what it is I beseech the liuing Lord so to sanctifie your memories that ye may keepe these things and that euery one of these things may be so imprinted in your hearts that ye may be mindfull of them all your liues The second thing that we are to speake of is this We are to consider wherefore we should trie our consciences for what causes we should examine our owne soules consciences I will declare the reasons briefly It behooueth euery one of you to trie your conscience Why Because the Lord will make his residence in no other part of the soule but in the conscience He hath appointed his dwelling to be in the heart of man and in the will and conscience of man and therefore it becometh you to make his dwelling place cleane and to take heed vnto your hearts Next though the Lord of heauen made not his residence there yet in respect the eye of God is an all-seeing eye and able to pierce through the very thicknesse of mans flesh how darke and grosse soeuer it be and to enter into the very secret corners of thy conscience for vnto the all-seeing eye of God the most secret corner of thy conscience is as cleare and manifest as any outward or bodily thing in the earth can be to the outward eye of the bodie In respect therefore that this eye is so piercing and that he casteth his eye onely vpon our hearts it behooueth vs to try our hearts Thirdly he is the Lord of the conscience There is no Monarch on earth that hath any soueraigntie or lordship ouer the conscience onely the God of heauen onely Christ Iesus King of heauen and earth is Lord of the conscience he hath power onely to saue and lose Therefore when thou comest to this Sacrament of the Lords Table thou oughtest carefully to looke vnto thy conscience to try and examine the state of it Last of all which is a chiefe reason It behooueth thee to proue thy conscience because the welfare and health of thy soule dependeth vpon thy conscience If thy conscience that is within thy soule be well if it be at peace and rest thy soule is well if thy conscience be in a good estate thy soule must needs be in a good estate if thy conscience be in good health of necessitie thy soule must be in good health for the good health and happinesse of the soule dependeth vpon a good conscience therefore it concerneth euery one of you to try well your consciences There was neuer any law made or deuised that forbad vs to haue a care of our healths it is lawfull for vs to seeke such things as may procure and preserue it but the health of thy soule standeth in the health of thy conscience and in preseruing thereof therefore by all lawes thou oughtest to attend thy conscience If thou keepe thy conscience well thy soule is in health and if thy soule be in health let troubles come what will vpon thy body thou wilt endure them all but if thy soule be diseased with an euill conscience thou shalt not be able to beare out the least trouble that shall come vpon thy body whereas if the conscience were at rest and in good health that trouble could not happen vnto thy body but the strength of a good conscience would beare it out Then haue ye not reason and more then reason to take heede to your consciences to try and examine your consciences in what estate and disposition they stand Now because it is a fruitlesse thing to tell you that health is necessary and not to shew the way how this health may be obtained and preserued therefore to keepe your consciences in quiet and good health I will giue you these few lessons First of all be sure that thou retaine a stedfast perswasion of the mercies of God in Christ Iesus examine when thou liest downe and examine when thou risest vp in what estate thou art with God whether thou maist looke for mercy
euery yeare of thy whole life For that conscience that should rest for euer with the liuing God that conscience â—hich must euer behold the face of the Sonne of God it cannot be ouer-well cleansed we cannot looke ouer-narrowly to it The more curious we be in searching out of this conscience we are the better occupied I spake of our owne consciences I speake not of our neighbours Thirdly I come to the points wherein euery one of you should trie examine your selues Euery one of you ought to trie and examine your consciences in two things First whether thou be at peace with God who is the Lord of heauen or not Next examine thy conscience whether thou art in loue and amitie with thy neighbour or not Wouldest thou know whether thy conscience be at vnitie and peace with God or not Thou shalt know it this way the God of heauen can haue no societie nor companie with that soule which is alwaies vncleane that is euery way defiled no he cannot Now I speake not so precisely that I make a soule to be fully sanctified and perfectly holy in this life no in this life there are wonderfull iniquities grosse sinnes and great faults wherewith euen the righteous are defiled but this is my meaning There is no soule can be at peace with God or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie but in some measure it must be sanctified and made holy For God cannot make residence in a soule that is alwaies as a stinking dunghill and therefore of force in some measure it must be sanctified there must be so much made cleane in one corner or other of that soule wherein the Lord of heauen by his holy Spirit may make his residence Now let vs see whereby the heart is sanctified Peter Act. 15.9 saith That the soule of man is purified by faith that the heart of man is purged by faith So faith openeth and purgeth the heart By faith in Christ Iesus and in the merits of his bloud we haue peace with God Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 5.1 Now then this point cometh in That ye are to proue your selues whether ye be in the faith or not as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith Examine if your soules be seasoned with this faith for if ye haue not faith in Christ Christ is not in you and if Christ be not in you ye are in an euill state ye are in the estate of the reprobate and damned So euery one ought to looke carefully and see if he haue a beliefe in the bloud of Christ or not whether he belieue to obtaine mercy by his merits and sanctification by his bloud or not For if thou haue no measure of this faith thou hast no measure of peace with God by reason our peace with God is ingendered and groweth daily more and more by true faith in Christ. Now this faith where it is true where it is liuely and couples the heart with God as I haue alreadie said it must breake forth in word and deede it can by no meanes be held in but it will breake forth It must breake out in word in glorifying the God of heauen who hath forgiuen vs our sinnes it must breake forth in word by giuing a notable confession of those sinnes wherein we haue offended him It must breake out in deed in doing good works to testifie to the world that thing which is within thy heart to testifie to the world that thou who hast this faiâ—h art a new man that by thy good example of life and conuersation thou maist edifie thy brethren the simple ones of the Church of God and that by thy holy life thou mayest draw sinners to repentance that they seeing thy good light may be compelled to glorifie God in thee Then in the first point of triall let vs looke to these three to the heart to the mouth to the haâ—d Take heed that there be an harmonie betwixt these three for if the heart be inwardly coupled with God there is no doubt but the mouth will outwardly glorifie him and if thy heart and mouth be renewed and be one of necessity thou wilt expresse it in thy conueâ—sation There must be an agreement betwixt the heart and the hand thy conuersation must be changed with the heart and be holy honest and godly as the heart is So that if thy conuersation be good it is a sure token that thou art at one with God but if thy conuersation be not good speake what thou wilt thy heart is but defiled this true and liuely faith hath no place in it Then wouldest thou know when thou art at one with God When thy conuersation thy heart and thy mouth say all one thing then without question thou hast the worke of faith wrought by the holy Spirit in thy heart which maketh thee to be at peace with God This is the first point wherein ye should trie your selues The next point is loue ye must trie whether ye be in loue and charitie with your neighbours or not for as thou art not coupled with God but by the hand of faith so thou art not coupled with thy neighbour nor ioyned with any member of Christ in this world but by the hand of loue amity and charity Take away loue thou art not a member of this body for loue is the maister sinnew and couples all these members of Christs bodie together and makes them to grow vp in a spirituall and mysticall vnity loue is the onely marke whereby the children of God members of Christs bodie are knowne from the rest of the world loue is that holy oyle that refresheth our soules and makes vs like vnto God and the moâ—e we grow in loue the more God by his Spirit dwelleth in vs for God is loue So that except in some measure loue towards thy neighbour dwell in thy heart thou canst haue no societie with thy neighbour and far lesse with God If the manners of men were examined by this rule we should find a multitude of godlesse people in this Country who haue their hearts raging with malice one against another and where the diuell and the malicious spirit dwelleth there is no place for the holy Spirit And although the Lord hath gone about by all meanes possible early and late to instruct them and to infuse into them this precious loue and amity towards God and their neighbour and so to alter their conditions yet they will not suffer themselues to be wakened vntill the great vengeance and malediction of God fall vpon them This loue this honest and godly conuersation floweth alwaies from the roote of faith So that if thy heart haue faith in any measure be it neuer so little in that same measure thou must haue loue towards thy neighbour and this loue is neuer idle but is vttering it selfe in one effect or other And
in respect that faith is the ground whereupon all the rest depends and in respect that this fayth is such a Iewell as without the which it is not possible for any of you to please God without which all your deedes are abhomination before him without the which you are in the greatest miserie which miserie is so much the more terrible in that you are ignorant of it is it not good reason that ye know and vnderstand how this faith is first wrought and then nourished in your soules by the holy Spirit that seeing how it is created and the maner how it is brought about ye may examine your consciences and see whether ye may be in the faith or not My purpose was to haue insisted longer on this matter then this time will suffer Now therefore as time will permit and God shall giue grace I wil let you vnderstand how the holy Spirit imployes his trauaile in the heart and minde of man and what paines the holy Ghost taketh in creating and forming this Iewell of faith in your soules Yet before I enter this worke to let you see the trauailes of the Spirit of God in working of this fayth in your hearts it is necessarie and more then necessarie that ye vnderstand first your owne miserie and infirmitie and that ye know how the Lord was induced to recouer you out of your old estate and to recreate you who were lost by the fall of your father Adam Then to consider of this matter more deepely I offer to your remembrances this ground That man vniuersally and euery one particularly being corrupted and lost and that by our first fathers fall for if there were no more but that same first fault and sinne of his we are all of vs iustly condemned to a double death both of bodie soule for euer Man thus vniuersallie and particularlie being vtterlie lost without any hope at all of recouery left in his soule without any sense of the recouery of that former estate or repairing of that Image which he had lost through sinne long before he being I say lost by this sinne and left in this desperate estate in himselfe what doth God The euerliuing God onely wise whose waies are vnserchable hath found out a way how that man this way lost yet he may be saued herein he sought counsell from whom Not from any â—reature but he counselled with himselfe The persons of the Trinitie tooke counsell of themselues one God was moued to seeke counsell from himselfe onely moued in himselfe for he had not an externall principall without himselfe to induce him So he seeking this counsell at himselfe and being moued in himselfe thereto as Ephes. 1.9 what doth he When all men should haue died for euer it pleased him of his infinite mercy to select out of all and to elect a certaine number out of the lost race of Adam that should haue perished for euer In this his counsell and decree moued I say of himselfe and seeking counsell from himselfe onely he selects a certaine number out of this rotten race which certaine number he will haue sanctified he will haue iustified he will haue glorified And therefore to bring to passe the worke of their saluation what doth he He appoints his owne naturall sonne for he had but one naturall son he appoints the second person of the Trinity his owne naturall sonne God in power glory and maiestie as high as himselfe equall with God the father in all things he appoints him to worke this worke to bring to passe this worke of our redemption and eternall saluation This is but the mystery of it in some measure disclosed And therefore in the fulnes of time for he dispenseth all things according to his wisedome at such time as he appointed he makes his sonne to come downe to seise himselfe in the wombe of the Virgin to take on our flesh to take on the likenesse of sinne he tooke not on sin but he tooke on the likenes of sin What call I that likenes Our flesh is the likenesse of sinne he tooke on our flesh and nature the likenes of sinne which was perfectly sanctified the very moment of his conception in the very wombe of the Virgin He tooke on this flesh that in this flesh and nature sinne might be banished and cast out of vs for euer And whereas we should all of vs haue gone one-way for there was no exception of persons by nature Christ Iesus our sauiour hath elected vs and according as his Father in his secret election before the beginning of the world had elected vs the same Christ Iesus in his owne time calleth vs and maketh vs partakers of that saluation which he hath purchased and he repaires not onely that image which was lost in our forefather Adam he placeth vs not in a terrestriall paradise where Adam was placed at the beginning and what more could haue bene sought by vs but he giues vs a farre more excellent image then we lost he placeth vs in a more high and in a more celestiall paradise then we lost For so much the more heauenly is the paradise which he giues vs as the second Adam is more excellent then the first and as the Sonne of God and God himselfe is farre aboue any creature that euer was man or Angell Therefore it comes to passe that by the benefite of the second Adam Christ Iesus our Sauiour the Sonne of God whereas had we remained in that Image wherein our forefather was created we should haue setled our selues in the earth for euer we could not haue craued a better paradise then an earthlie paradise for earthlie tabernacles By benefit of the Son of God I say it cometh to passe that we are plucked vp out of the earth to the heauen and to a heauenly paradise And what haue we to do with heauen Are we not made of the earth to returne to the earth Becomes not an earthly paradise an earthly body Yet the Lord in his mercy sendeth downe his Sonne to draw vs vp out of the earth to the heauen This is so high a thing that it cannot be easily considered For this drawing of vs to a heauenly paradise is a thing more then could haue bene thought on That we should liue the life of Angels in heauen how could the heart of man thinke on this Yet it pleased the liuing Lord in the great riches and bowels of his mercie and in the exceeding greatnes of the power of his mercie towards vs the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians cannot get words enough to expresse this he knowes not how to begin nor how to end when he speakes of the riches of that mercie and if ye looke well into that Epistle to the Ephesians ye shall finde more high and excelleÌ„t stiles giuen to the riches of that mercie in that Epistle then in any other part of the Scripture It pleased him I say of his owne mercie not to giue vs simply the
Image which we lost nor to leaue vs in this earth but it pleased him to giue vs a better Image and beside that to place vs in heauen there to remaine with him for euer Now resteth his mercie and grace here No But that this saluation which he hath alreadie purchased brought about by his Sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus might be wholly accomplished hauing nothing wanting in it as he redeemed vs in his owne person perfectly so he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge makes vs sure of it in our consciences and to this end what doth he As by his death he purchased our full redemption so he makes it knowne vnto vs he intimates it vnto vs by our inward calling letting vs both finde and feele in our heaâ—ts what he did in his body for vs. For our Lord when he makes his seruants to proclaime this redemption and to intimate it to our consciences he workes this Iewell of faith in our soules which assures vs that the Son of God hath died for vs. For what could it auaile vs to see our redemption to see our saluation and our life a farre off if a way were not found out and a hand and meanes giuen vnto vs whereby we may apprehend that saluation applie it to our selues What can it auaile a sicke man to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shop except he may haue it and apply it to his sicke bodie So to the end that this worke of our redemption and saluation may be fullie and freelie accomplished looke how freelie he hath giuen his onely Sonne to the death of the crosse for vs as freelie hath he found out this way and meanes and offered vs this hand whereby we may take hold on Christ apply him to our soules This meanes to conclude is faith There is not a way nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Christ to our soules but onelie the instrument of faith therefore faith cannot be enough commended Turne to faith and it will make thee turne to God and so conioyne thee with God and make all thine actions well pleasing vnto him There is no good action that we do though it seeme neuer so good before the world but it is abhomination before God if it be not done in faith and will further our condemnation hauing faith all the creatures of God are seruiceable vnto vs they must all conspire to the furtherance of the worke of our saluation As on the contrarie wanting faith there is none of the creatures of God but shall be enemies vnto vs and conspire to our damnation For faith conioynes vs with the God of heauen and makes vs heauenly This Iewell of faith seasons all the gifts and graces which God giueth vnto vs all the riches of the earth is of no value to my soule without faith And what auaileth it any man to haue all the knowledge and wisedome in the earth without faith For the diuell hath all this knowledge and is not the better What auaileth it me to conquer all the Monarches kingdomes and whole riches in the earth what can all these auaile my soule Nothing but accuse me if I want faith Therefore all the benefits and gifts of God without faith auaile nothing but to augment our miseâ—ie All the gifts and graces of God are abused without faith faith onely maketh thee to vse the benefits and graces of God rightly Faith only should be sought kept and entertained here in this life hauing faith all the rest of Gods graces are profitable vnto thee for this Iewell keepeth them all in order and maketh them all fruitfull whereas wanting this iewell there is nothing here on earth but it will testifie against thee Let vs then speake of this faith how it is wrought in you I take my ground out of the Euangelist Iohn 6.44 where our Sauiour saith No man can come to â—e except the Father which hath sent me draw him In the which words we see clearly that except we be drawne except we be compelled except we be thrust except of vnwilling we be made willing by God the father it is not possible for vs to come to his Sonne What is the reason of this that the Spirit of God must draw vs and make vs willing or euer we come to God Because by nature we are not onely wounded and lanced by sinne and iniquitie but as the Apostle sheweth Ephes. 2.1 We were wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes yea obseâ—ue how voide any dead bodie is of a naturall life so voide are our soules though they be liuing the naturall life so voide are they of the life of God of that heauenly and spirituall life whereunto we in this life do aspire vntill such time that the Spirit of God draw our hearts and minds that is quicken our hearts and minds No it is not a drawing as we commonly speake it is a very quickning of a dead thing It is a quickning of that thing which was void of the life of the Spirit Then except the Spirit of God draw vs that is quicken vs with that spirituall and heauenly life it is not possible for vs to come to heauen And except he nourish this life which he hath begun it is not possible that we can stand in this life So the Spirit of God is said to draw vs that is to begin this life in vs and by the same holy Spirit to continue and nourish this life in vs. Now by the drawing of the Spirit our soules are quickned and by the drawing of the Spirit I vnderstand no other thing but the framing and creating of faith in our soules which makes vs new creatures Now let vs see what order the Spirit of God keepeth in drawing vs and informing and creating this faith in our soules First of all I deuide the soule into no more parts then commonly it vseth to be deuided that is into the heart and the mind Our mind then being â— cloud of darknesse altogether blind naturally there being nothing in that mind of ours but vanitie error and ignorance whereby we vanish away can neuer long continue in any good resolution or purpose what doth the Spirit of God The first worke that euer the Spirit of God doth he taketh order with the mind and what doth he to the mind He banisheth darknesse he chaseth out vanitie and blindnesse that naturally lurketh in the mind and in stead of this darknesse he placeth in the mind a lâ—ght a celestial and heauenly light a light which is resident in Christ Iesus onely Then the Spirit chaseth out that cloud of mist and darknesse and placeth light in the mind And what worketh he by this light We getting sanctified vnderstanding incontinent he makes vs to see God not onely as he is God the Creator of the world but also as he is God the Redeemer and hath redeemed vs in his Sonne Christ Iesus Now before I obtaine this light
It resteth also vpon the truth and power of God but especially vpon the promise of grace and mercie in Christ. The soule of the Papist being destitute of the feeling and taste of mercie dare not enter into this particular application and so he cannot be iustified Yea no doubt so many of them as are iustified in the mercie of God get a taste of this mercie and kindnesse before they depart this life Thus farre concerning the effects Then ye haue onely this to remember The opening of the heart the pacifying and quieting of the conscience they worke an assurance and a strong perswasion of the mercy of God in Christ. The more that the heart is opened the more that the conscience is pacified the more that the taste of that sweetnesse continueth and remaineth the more art thou assured of Gods mercie So then wouldest thou know whether thy faith be strong or not whether thy perswasion of Gods mercie be sure or not Looke to thy conscience If thy conscience be wounded assuredly thou wilt doubt and if thou doubtest thou canst not haue such a strong perswasion as otherwise thou wouldest haue if thy doubting were remooued Not that I will haue faith to be so perfect in this life that there be alwaies no doubting ioyned with it I require not that perfection but I say that a wounded conscience must euer doubt and the more we doubt the lesse is our perswasion So the more that thou woundest thy conscience the lesse faith thou hast Then thou must come to this point Keepe a sound conscience entertaine peace in thy conscience and thou shalt keepe faith and shalt haue thy perswasion in that same measure that thou hast of rest peace in thy conscience the more that thy conscience is at peace and rest the greater shall thy faith and perswasion be So this ground is certaine A doubting conscience causeth a weake faith and the more the doubting in thy conscience is the weaker is thy faith Then true it is that the Apostle saith That faith dwelleth in a good conscience that faith is locked and closed vp in a good conscience So that if ye keepe a good conscience ye shall keepe a strong faith and if ye wound your consciences ye shall wound your faith Now to make this more sensible How can I be perswaded of his mercie whose anger I feele kindled against me and against whom my conscience sheweth me that I am guiltie of many offences No question so long as the sence of his anger and feeling of my offences remaineth I cannot haue a sure perswasion that he will be mercifull vnto me but when I get accesse vnto his presence and a sight that he hath forgiuen me then I begin to be surely perswaded So then keepe a good conscience and thou shalt keepe faith and the better that thy conscience is the surer will thy faith be Then the whole exhortation that we gather from this point dependeth vpon this That euery one of you in what ranke soeuer ye be take heed vnto your consciences for losing it ye lose faith and losing faith ye lose saluation Are ye in the ranke of great and rich men Ye ought to take heede vnto your consciences especially in respect that the Lord hath placed you in a higher calling Ye haue many things wherein ye ought to controll your consciences ye ought to craue the aduice of your consciences before ye attempt any great worke in respect that ye are bound in manifold duties to God and to your inferiours And no doubt if some great men had aduised well with their consciences such dissolutions had not fallen out in their owne houses such oppressions of the poore deadly feudes with men of their owne ranke would not haue burst forth in so high a measure But the Lord seeing them take so little care vnto their consciences depriueth them of faith and of the hope of mercie and their end will be miserable Ye shall see that the God of heauen will make those who liue so dissolutely spectacles of his iudgements vnto the world for the Lord leaueth not such men vnpunished By their examples it wâ—re very necessarie that men of inferiour ranke should take heede vnto their consciences and â—herefore let euery man according vnto his calling examine his calling by the rule of his conscience Let the Iudges before they giue and pronounce forth iudgement aduise with their consciences and the law thereof and in iudgement not to follow their affections but to follow the rule of their consciences Likewise they that are of inferiour degree vnto Iudges let them controll their doings by their consciences and giue not the poore subiects iust cause to complaine of them Let them not terrifie them from the pleading of Iustice by exorbitant prices and extraordinarie kind of dealings but let them moderate all their actions so that they agree with the rule of their consciences that so far as in him lieth Iustice ceasse not Likewise the Merchants let not them looke so much to this or that as to the conscience that is in them what in conscience they may do according to the measure of knowledge that God hath placed in them and whatsoeuer they do let them beware that they do not against their knowledge I grant their knowledge will not be so learned as it should be and this maketh many deformed actions yet let no man do against his knowledge but let euery man do according vnto the measure of knowledge wherewith God hath indued him And though it be not well reformed yet do not any thing by guesse but aduise well with thy conscience and follow thy knowledge for that which is done doubtingly is sinne So whatsoeuer thou doest let not thy eye thy hand nor any member of thy bodie do against thy knowledge for this is a step to that high sinne against the holy Ghost This is the ready way to put all knowledge out of your mindes for if men do against knowledge and continue in doing against knowledge at the last they will become a masse of darknesse the Lord will scrape out all knowledge out of their mindes and all feeling of mercie out of their hearts Therefore let euery man follow his knowledge and according to the measure of his knowledge let his actions proceede It hath pleased the Lord to powre this liquor this precious ointment into vs though we be earthly and fraile vessels miserable creatures yet it hath pleased our gracious God to powre such a precious liquor into our hearts and mindes and to credite such a Iewell in our keeping that by vertue thereof we may take hold on Christ who is our iustice our wisedome sanctification and redemption Though we be miserable creatures yet the Lord of his mercy hath a respect to vs in Christ in giuing vs this precious liquor wherby our soules may be seasoned to life euerlasting In this that he poures it into our hearts we see cleerly that it growes
despaire And though Dauid cry I cannot away with this consuming fire I cannot endure the fire of the Lords iealousie yet he despaireth not But the Lord casteth his seruants very low To what end To the end that they may feele in their hearts and consciences what Christ suffered for them on the Crosse in soule and body Yea we would thinke that there had bene plaine collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne and that his suffering had bene no suffering except we felt in our soules in some measure the hell which he sustained in fullmeasure So to the end that we might clearely vnderstand the bitternesse of sinne that we might know how farre we are indebted to Christ who suffered such torments for our sinnes and that we may be the more able to thanke him to praise his holy Name he suffers his owne seruants to doubt but not to despaire he forgiues their doubtings he forgiues their stammerings and in his owne time he supports them and brings vs vnto the waters of life These doubtings as I haue often said may lodge in one soule with faith for doubting and faith are not directly opposite onely faith and despaire are opposite and therefore faith and despaire cannot lodge both in one soule For despaire ouerthroweth the pillars of hope and where there is no hope there can be no faith But as for doubting it may lodge it will lodge and hath lodged in the soules of the best seruants that euer God had Marke the speech of the Apostle We are alwaies in doubt saith he but we despaire not So doubting and faith may lodge both in one soule And from whence floweth this doubting We know that in the regenerate man there is a remnant of corruption for we haue not our heauen in this earth though we begin our heauen here yet we get it not fully here And if all corruption were taken away what should there want of a full heauen here So it is onely begun in this life and not perfected therefore there remaines in the soule a great corruption which is neuer idle but continually occupied This corruption is euer bringing forth the birth of sinne more or lesse euery sinne hurts the conscience a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion so comes in the doubting For there is not a sinne that we commit but it banisheth light and casteth a mist ouer the eye of our faith whereby we doubt and stagger in our sight and were it not that the Lord in his mercie taketh vs vp giueth vs the gift of repentance and maketh vs euery day as oft as we sin to crie as oft for mercie and so to repaire the losse that we haue of faith to repaire the losse that we haue of the feeling of mercie we would wholly put out that same light But it pleaseth the Lord though we be euery day sinning to giue vs the gift of repentance and by repentance to repaire our faith to repaire the sense and feeling of mercie in vs and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein we were before Therefore if God begin not continue not end not with mercie in that very moment that he absâ—racts his mercie from vs we will decay So we must be diligent in calling for mercie we must be instant continually in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie Thus much for thâ— doubting Now howsoeuer it be sure and certaine that the faith of the best children of God is often subiect to doubting yet it is as sure and certaine that it is neuer wholly extinct albeit it were neuer so weake yet it shall neuer vtterly decay and perish out of the heart wherein it once maketh residence This comfort and consolation the Spirit of God hath set downe in his word to support the troubled heart That howsoeuer faiâ—h be weake yet a weake faith is faith and where that faith is there will euer be mercie Ye haue in Romanes 11.29 that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance But among all the gifts that are of this sort faith is one of the chiefest therefore it cannot be reuoked againe Ye haue in Iude 3. That faith was once giuen vnto the Saints Once giuen that is constantly giuen neuer to be changed nor vtterly taken from them The Lord will not repent him of this gift but the soule which he hath loued once he will loue perpetually It is true and certaine that the sparkles of faith which are kindled in the heart by the Spirit of God may be obscured and smothered for a long time they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption and with our owne ill deeds and wickednesse into which we daily fall It is true that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time so that when thou lookest on thy selfe vpon the iudgements of God that hang ouer thy soule and bodie when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life and on the anger of God against this dissolute life in the mind in the heart and conscience of him that hath so smothered and oppressed his faith it will oft times come to passe in his owne iudgement hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely that he will thinke himselfe to be a reprobate to be an outcast and neuer able to recouer mercie Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse manner after that the Lord hath called thee looke how soone the Lord beginneth to waken thee againe incontinent thou fixest thine eyâ—s vpon thine owne life and entrest into a deepe consideration as well of the weight of thy sinne as of the weight of the wrath of God which thou seest following thereupon and art loath to remit these cogitations to thinke vpon the deepenesse of the mercie of God Resting on these considerations it cannot but come to passe that in thine owne iudgement thou art an out-cast And yet God forbid it were so for though these sparks of the Spirit be couered by the corruption that is within thy soule yet these sparkles are not wholly put out And to let you see that they are not extinguished though they breake not forth in the outward effects that the world may know thee to be a faithfull man as heretofore yet these sparkles are not idle thou shalt find them not to be idle in thee As for confirmation of my argument that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules that yet the sparkles are not idle ye see that though the fire be couered with the ashes yet it is a fire there is no man will say that the fire is put out though it be couered No more is faith put out of the soule though it be so couered that it neither giue heate nor light outwardly An example of this we haue clearely in the Prophet Dauid after his lamentation in that Psalme of Repentance Psal. 51.11 he prayeth
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
little vertue in the syllables or pronouncing of the words themselues So we denie that there is any vertue inclosed in the syllables or resident in the word But we say that there is a power conioyned with the word and this power is not resident in the word but is resident in the eternall word in the essentiall word whereof Iohn the Euangelist maketh mention Chap. 1. The word which was from the beginning that is the Sonne of God Christ Iesus We say there is not a dram weight of this vertue power resident in anie creature that euer God created but it is only resident in Christ Iesus And therefore there floweth no vertue from the sillables nor from the words that are spoken but from Christ and his Spirit who giueth the vertue to those words So we differ in this we say that there is not any vertue resident in the sillables we say that the sillables and pronouncing of the sillables worke nothing but we say that the vertue is resident in the person of the Sonne of God and he worketh by his owne word Now we say that there cannot be such a monstrou change as to say the whispering of so many words should change the owne substance of the bread pull downe the substance of the bodie of Christ and put his bodie in so narrow a compasse we say that cannot be And this I shall proue by these three rules namely By the veritie of the flesh of Christ Iesus By the articles of our beliefe And by the true end of the institution of this Sacrament And so we shall see by Gods grace the infinite absurdities that follow vpon their opinion The first principle that I lay is this Seeing that Christ Iesus the Sonne of God in the time appointed tooke true flesh of the wombe of the Virgin vnited himselfe with our nature in one personall vnion to the end that our nature which fel altogether from integritie in the first Adam might recouer the same in the second Adam yea not onely the same but so much the greater as our second Adam excelleth the first in all degrees And in respect he tooke on him a bodie like vnto ours in all things sinne excepted of necessitie it must follow that the definition of a true bodie and the inseparable properties thereof must be competent to him But these are the inseparable properties namely to be in one certaine place to be finite circumscribed visible and palpable for all these concurre quarto modo as the Logicians say to a bodie so that they cannot be separate from the subiect without the distraction thereof Then I reason on this manner A true humane bodie is in a certaine place Christ Iesus bodie is a true humane bodie therefore it is in a certaine place I call a place a certaine condition of an instrumentall bodie whereby it cometh to passe that where-euer the bodie be of necessitie it is limited within that place and while it is there it cannot be elsewhere If you would haue the probation of my Proposition from the Doctors reade Augustine to Dardanus speaking of this same bodie of Christ. Take away a certaine roome from the bodies and they shall be in no place and if they be in no place they are not The same Augustine writing vpon Iohn in his 30. Treatise saith The bodie in the which the Lord did arise of necessitie must be in a place but his diuine efficacie and nature is diffused euery where And in his third Eple he saith How much soeuer the bodie be or how little soeuer the bodie be it behoueth to occupie the bounds of a place And besides these tâ—e historie of the Acts proueth most euidently Christ his bodie to be in a certaine place as Acts 3.21 the words are these Whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things be restored which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets Though I need not to insist in the probation of these things yet I proceede Secondly then I reason after this manner A humane bodie is finite and circumscribed but the bodie of Christ is a humane bodie What warrant from the Doctors haue I for this I leaue many purposely and will alledge onely Augustine who writing to Dardanus Belieue saith he Christ to be euery where in that he is God but onely to be in heauen according to the nature of a true bodie And in his 146. Epistle I belieue saith he the bodie of Christ to be so in heauen as it was on the earth when he went vp to heauen But it was circumscribed in a certaine place on the earth Ergo it is so in the heauen And consequently it cannot be in the Masse-bread and in heauen both at one time The last reason is this A humane bodie is visible and palpable but Christ hath a humane bodie and he is corporally present as they say therefore Christ his bodie is visible and palpaple I proue my Proposition by Christ his owne words taken out of Luke 24.39 In the which place to perswade the Apostles of the veritie of his bodie and to proue euidently that it was not fantasticall he vseth the argument taken from these two qualities and he commandeth his Apostles to feele and see giuing them thereby to vnderstand that as these two senses are the most certaine of all the rest so are they most able to discerne whether he was a bodie or a Spirit As if he would haue said If I be visible and palpable ye may be out of doubt that I haue a true bodie For as the Poet saith which Tertullian citeth also to this same purpose Tangere enim tangi nisi corpus nulla potest res By these arguments it may be euidently seene how this Transubstantiation may no way stand with the veritie of the bodie of Christ Iesus And as it fights wiâ—h the flesh of Christ Iesus so it repugnes dirâ—ctly the articles of our faith For in our Beliefe we professe that Christ ascended out of this earth to the heauen where he sits at the right hand of the Father where he gouerns and directs all things in heauen and earth from the which place he is to come at the last day to iudge the world This article teacheth vs that he hath changed his dwelling which he had amongst vs on earth and is ascended into the heauens where he sits at the right hand of his Father and shall remaine there according to the testimonie of Peter which I cited out of the Acts 3.21 vntill the last day If he sit at his Fathers right hand and be to remaine in heauen vntill the last day then is he not corporally in the bread But the article of our beliefe saith That he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and Peter saith in that place that the heauens must containe him vntill the last day Therefore this Transubstantiation is directly against the articles of our Beliefe and the manifest
second thing that ye haue to learne here is this ye see Kings may haue the Plague There is no Prince in the earth exempted from the iudgement of God when he pleaseth to apply them Thus farre for the name of the disease The second thing that is noted here is the time when the King fell into this disease there is no certaine time set downe here but the time specified is relatiue to the last history It is relatiue to that time when the King of Ashur took armes against him which was the 13. yere of his reigne So it was the 14. yeare of his reigne that he fell into thâ—s disease for this godly King reigned 29. yeares 15. of them were giuen him after his disease In the 14. yeare of his reigne the warres beganne and this time is relatiue to that history so it must be in the 14. of his reigne that he fell into that disease whether the disease was after the siege or during the same the iudgement of the learned differs although in 2. Chron. 32. chap. it appeareth that he fell into this disease after the siege and time of his deliuery For we reade in that history that the King in the meane time of this siege was building vp the ruinous walles was stopping the conduites of the waters was sending messengers to Isaiah and was resorting to the Temple These were all arguments of a wholesome and well disposed King and there is no argument of infirmity here So it appeareth that it was after the siege that he fell into this disease Now take heede where my note riseth he is scarsly freed from the fearefull warres when he falleth into a terrible plague We see then that the estate of the godliest and best Princes is to be subiect to continuall tentation griefe and vexation so that the issue of one trouble is the beginning of another So it pleaseth the Lord to exercise them And to what end I pray you To the end that this life with the pleasures and glorie of it may become bitter to their taste and so they may be moued to seeke for a better And this lesson appertaineth to all Christians for if thou be a Christian thou must looke for trouble of necessity thou must take vp thy daily crosse and follow Christ. As for the fed carcasses of this world the Lord in his righteous iudgement hath appointed them for slaughter But if thou be one of them whom he hath not appointed for slaughter thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise either in soule or in body in familie or fame one way or other thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise For there is no way to pierce the clouds but by a continuall tribulation And seeing it is so it becommeth vs not to haue our hearts here gruntling vpon this earth but it becometh vs to haue our hearts hoissed and our minds lifted vp to the heauens where our Maister reigneth in glorie and to vse the things of this world as they may best further vs to the next world or otherwise terrible is the iudgement and incommoditie that the things of this world shall bring vpon vs. Thus farre concerning the time As to the greatnesse of the disease I find it noted in the verses which I haue read by sundrie things First the Prophet sheweth the greatnesse of the disease whereas he saith he was sicke euen to the death Secondly the greatnes of his disease is aggrauated while as the Prophet getteth command in the name of the Lord to assure him of death And thirdly the byle it selfe which broke out was deadly and sheweth also the weight of the disease Now in this extremitie the Prophet visiteth him and in the name of the Lord enioyneth him two things first to take order with his house next to prepare him for death and to pull his heart the more from all present things and all earthly comfort assureth him of death shortly and for his further assurance he doubleth the word saying Thou shalt die and not liue It is so hard a thing to haue the hearts of Kings pulled from their wealth and from their glorie The Prophet in visiting of the King learneth vs a point of dutie towards our diseased brethren a point wherunto we are bound by nature by charitie and by all sorts of lawes but chiefly we who haue the care of soules and represent Esay in our office at this time chiefly we are bound to visite our brethren for at such times the Diuell is most busie the bodies of men are abstracted from the hearing of the preached word and old sinnes begin to reuiue and returne to their memories and therefore at that time there is great need of comfort We are also informed here by the Prophet how to propound our comfort lest we spend our time in idle and vnprofitable talke as worldly men do To wit first of all that we bid the patient take order with his house that is make his testament and lay aside the worldly part that so his heart may be readie to go when the Lord calleth on his soule The most part of the world are so negligent in this point of dutie that there are very few that haue their heart free when the Lord knocketh but they are compelled to leaue their heart behind them where their treasure is or where they loue best and that because they set themselues here as in a permanent Citie And in their life time they will not so much as once thinke of death but dreame to themselues length of dayes and which I wonder most of there is not a man about them that will do so much as once to put them in mind of death yea not when the Lord beginneth to strike but some say it will trouble him and make him heauie others come in and say they would do it but they cannot for teares and sorrow The Doctor saith Nature is strong enough be of good comfort So that if the Pastor leaue this point of dutie there is not a friend almost that beginneth to admonish a man vntill his outward senses begin to leaue him Now as it becometh the Pastor to propound this so it becometh the Patient to obey it for this command is not giuen by man but by God For Esay giueth it in the Name of God and it is not onely giuen to Kings but it reacheth to all masters of families whosoeuer for the Lord hath willed them to haue a care of their families not onely in their life time but in their death also that by this meanes all occasion of quarrels and debates might be cut off after their death The Patriarches the godly Kings they haue left their example registred concerning this point so that I will not insist at this present further in it Now the worldly part being set aside and the conscience put at rest the soule is prepared to heare of death and so the Prophet cometh in the
naturall light much more supernaturall who thinketh that the Lord hath taken away his hand suppose he striketh not Indeede he hath withdrawne his hand to let vs see the force of our prayers and to try vs how we would vse this benefite but seeing it is so highly abused if there were no other thing but the birth of iniquity wherewith the land is ouerburthened ere the Lord want any meanes to punish the committers and ouerseers of these iniquities he will rather punish the land from heauen immediatly or else make it to spue out the inhabitants For suppose the Lord spare yet he will not forgiue this contempt But this sparing is of the Lords benignity he letteth them hoord vp sinne against the day of wrath I insist no further in it Now followeth in order the Kings thankefulnesse vnto the Lord for the benefite which he hath receiued And forsooth this King is greatly thankefull and he hath set downe and left in register his song of thankefulnesse to testifie that he is not like to vs he hath set downe a notable song of lamentation and thanksegiuing that we reade of none better in any King except that which is in the 51. Psal. He hath set downe a song of lamentation to testifie his infirmitie and disease and he hath set downe a song of praise to testifie his thankefulnes toward God This song standeth of three parts In the first part he letteth vs see the great trouble and perplexity whereinto he was fallen what he said and what he did in his trouble In the second part he maketh a rehearsall of the greatnesse of â—he benefites that he hath receiued and promiseth to put his trust in him to make his dependance on God and on no other In the third part he letteth vs see that he is mindefull to be thankfull as long as he liueth and all his dayes to praise him and not to be forgetfull of him I thinke these be the three parts of the song Now ere we enter into the first part it is necessary that ye vnderstand the course of this Kings life and the manner of his behauiour in his whole life that marking the course of his life at least if ye will not follow the course of other common Christians ye may learne to follow a King Take heede then vnto the course of his life In the 14 yeare of his reigne he was threatned by the King of Ashur he was threatned by two sundrie Ambassadours and God his Master and he himselfe was in their face blasphemed After this in his great extremity what doth he He and the Prophet go to the Church and addresse them to prayer this is one part of his exercise And vpon his instant prayer what commeth to passe He purchaseth a wonderfull deliuerance and vpon this deliuerance what doth he He and the Prophet praiseth God So here ye see prayer and prayse are his chiefe exercises Now he is not so soone deliuered but he falleth in the hands of a terrible plague and death is so present sent to him that he seeth no outgate Now what doth he He and the Prophet both pray I doubt not What followeth vpon this He is deliuered What followeth of the deliuerance He and the Prophet thanke God So here also ye see prayer and prayse What further Vpon this deliuerance he falleth into pride ambition he braggeth of all his iewels and treasures as if he had conquered them by his owne industry What followeth vpon this The Prophet threatneth him Vpon this threatning he is humbled After humiliation the Prophet comforteth him and vpon his comfort he thanketh God and saith The word of the Lord is good but yet let there be peace and rest in my dayes Now take heede to the whole course of this Kings life and ye shall see his whole life to be nothing els but a falling and rising a praying and praysing of God continually For as long as we cary about with vs these decaying houses of clay as Iob saith are clogged with them yea as long as the dregs of iniquity remaine in our soules we shall be subiect to a continuall falling and rising by the grace of God and not of our selues Of the which this his continuall praying and praysing of God springeth He prayeth for strength in his battels and he prayseth God for his victory and deliuerance Now take vp the lesson and learne of a King what should be a Christians excercise that seeing this mortality wherein we dwell the corruption wherewith we are beset for our sanctification is but begun and very imperfect in this life maketh vs to slide and seeing we are subiect to daily trouble and our life is but a continuall fighting should not this be our exercise continuall praying and praysing of God praying God for strength in the time of our falles and troubles and praysing him for our victories He that shall follow the life of this King shall obtaine the like end And suppose his life be a continuall fighting yet the Lord shall euer raise him and comfort him with his Spirit He that omitteth this exercise of prayer is most vnhappy for if he craueth not strength he is vnworthy of rising There is none of vs but we are all subiect to this estate And therefore if we would rise we must pray yea pray instantly and continually So I recommend prayer praysing vnto you all Thus farre concerning the course of the Kings life Now to come to the first part of the song In the first part he letteth vs see the great trouble perplexity and perturbation of minde wherein he was he letteth vs see what he said in this trouble Ere he enter to the words in the beginning of the 9. verse he noteth the circumstance of time when he was cast into this trouble and perturbation of mind and forsooth the circumstance is worthy of noting In the circumstance of time it is said In the cutting off of my dayes when was that to wit at what time the Pâ—ophet told him that it behooued him to die Then this trouble and perturbatioÌ„ came on me From the time he had once said it behooued him to die he fell into this feare suppose a godly King and as well reported of as any other King in the Scriptures yet as soone as he heareth the sentence of death pronounced he trembleth and feareth exceedingly And surely it cannot be otherwise for death is a violent separation and tearing asunder of that which the Lord hath appoynted to be conioyned to wit the soule and the body If the body had remained in the first estate and continued vnder obedience these two had neuer bene separated but by reason of disobedience and breakeng of the law of God in came sinne in cometh the violent separation in cometh death which is the reward of sinne as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. It is true indeede for this is necessary to be knowne that there haue bene
city country are defiled with these vices procuring so farre as in them lieth an euill end to their owne soules It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God and yet so many as let them loose to these vicâ—s must fall into his hands For it cannot be but the wrath of God from heauen must be powred vpon such vngodlinesse And there is none who hath powred forth his loue and taken himselfe to these vices but surely â—xcept he be wonderfully preuented he shal perish in his sinne And this is not one of the least iudgements of God For Iohn 8. it is counted one of the most terrible iudgements when the Lord threatneth the Pharisies that they shall perish in their sinne If the word which is now sounded might haue bene able to haue called men backe surely it hath bene clearely and continually sounded but when I looke to the effects it appeareth well that this word hath bene sounded to the hardning of the greatest part and to seale vp their iudgement against the day of the Lords wrath which day they haue blotted out of their minds and put out of their knowledge that they should not see it The Lord nourish this light by his Spirit in vs whereby we may see that there is a heauen and that there is a hell that seeing the danger we may prease to eschue it and seeing the felicitie we may haste vs to embrace it Would God it were so Thus far for the first part of the similitude He goeth forward and he saith He hath cut him off from his beame or from the throombs that go about the beame as ye call them As if he would say after this manner As the Weauer doth cut off the web from the throombs of his beame so the Lord hath taken resolute purpose to cut off my life from his beame In this changing of the persons he letteth vs see a great discretion and knowledge in himselfe he ascribeth the cutting off to God but he taketh the cause to himselfe he ascribeth the chastisement to God but he taketh the sinne which is the cause of the chastisement to himselfe and he acknowledged God to haue his beginning in this worke and himselfe to haue his hand in it also he acknowledgeth God to be a doer as in all works God hath his working And there is no worke so abhominable as it floweth from the instrument but as it floweth from God it is both holy and iust So this wise King taketh the cause of his chastisement from God to himselfe Happie is he that in time condemneth and iudgeth himselfe that he may eschue the condemnation of God Thus far concerning the first part of our diuision Now in the end of this verse and of the verse following the King setteth downe the great furie and rage of his sicknesse It was a pestilent feauer and so the raging furie behooued to be exceeding great He vttereth the vehemency of his disease in the words following and he speaketh as if he would say after this manner If God hold on as he beginneth by the same sicknesse ere night he will make an end of me And in the verse following he saith I propound to my selfe and I looked for it That like a deuouring Lion he should bruise my bones he should bruise them shortly yea ere night For I take all this to be spoken on one day The words indeed the terrible disease of the bodie excepted vttereth more For it is not possible that so good a King could haue spoken so of God except he had felt some other thing then any distresse in his bodie So in vttering of these voyces he letteth vs see that he had the paines of soule and trouble of conscience ioyned with the disease of his bodie and that he felt God to be as it were a consuming fire it is not possible that he could haue vttered such voices of God as to call him a deuouring Lion except he felt another kinde of feuer then any naturall feuer Ye see Dauid when he is in the like extremitie of bodie and soule he crieth Psalme 6. that his bones are vexed and do quake for feare Of all the diseases that can come vpon any person no question the disease of the soule and conscience is the greatest And of all the diseases and troubles that ouertake the conscience no question this is the greater when with the sight of sinne which is enough and more then enough for any to sustaine when with this sight there is a feeling of the wrath of God ioyned O! then this sicknesse is insupportable when with the sight of sinne is ioyned a touch and feeling of the wrath of God Mercifull God if the horror be not exceeding great and terrible so tâ—at it is a wonderfull matter that the soule can stand vpon any assurance of faith but it should incoÌ„tinently run to desperation Yet it is true that there is neuer a one of the chiefe seruants of God but he hath had experience of this either lesse or more and he hath bene touched with the feeling of that hell which the reprobate shall haue in a full measure The ends why the Lord suffereth his deare children to be in such extremities are these to let them see expresly what Christ hath suffered while as he suffered the full weight of his Fathers wrath inflamed against their sinnes And not onely against their sinnes but also against the sinnes of all the elect He casteth them I say into this extremitie to let them see what Christ hath suffered for them how far they are bound to Christ and how precious that redemption purchased by his bloud should be vnto vs. For it is not possible that any man can make much of that benefite which they know not to be a benefit so it is not possible for you to make much of heauen except you haue had some taste of hell And therefore it is that he sendeth his seruants to heauen euen by the gates of hell to let them see that there was no conniuence betweene the Father and the Sonne For it might haue bene thought as many of the wicked thinke that there had bene a conniuence betweene God the Father and his Sonne Christ And therefore I say he letteth them taste of these distractions and pangs of hell that they may say I see he hath felt hell in another sort that hath redeemed vs from hell And where that I cannot sustaine this which is tempered in a small measure it hath bene a great burden indeed which our Sauiour hath sustained whilst he sustained hell for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole elect O then this exercise is to let them see how far they are bound to God The dissolute life of the prophane multitude letteth vs see clearely that there is neuer a one of them that haue knowne the meaning of this article and this is a sealed letter to manie of you all Therefore it is that
in his soule that in the 17. verse he calleth it bitter bitternesse he hath no words to expresse this bitternesse what euer it was Where the iudgements of God make such a print in the soule it is long ere sinne can blot it out and so long as the memory of the iudgement remaineth it is easie to be thankfull it is easie to go forward in doing some part of our duty it is easie to stand in aw that we fall not into the hands of God but when we blot out this memory we returne to that same puddle out of the which we were deliuered Therefore I commend to you to craue of God a sanctified memory that ye may kepe fresh the iudgements of God which either ye haue seene in others or felt in your owne bodies that the feeling of these iudgements may serue you to be thankfull to him and may make you to stand in aw and beware to fall into the hands of a consuming fire Now this King finding this benefite so sweete he is compelled to burst forth in the praise of the word of God which brought forth so good an effect And first he praiseth it generally from the good it doeth vnto all men Then he prayseth it in particular from his owne particular experience comfort which he receiued in his owne person This doctrine is necessary and notable for these times First then he praiseth the word from the good it worketh in all flesh By these things sayth he men liue that this by the force of these words it commeth to passe that we enioy the benefite of this naturall life wherby we liue in this body vpon earth For the Lords word calleth on things that are not as though they were and his word maketh them to be By his word he created heauen and earth by his word he gaue man life and breath and whatsoeuer is necessary to him By his word he assigned to him the earth the seasons and bounds of his habitation To this end that man being created according to the image of God he might seeke God and no doubt he is not farre from euery one of vs For as the Apostle sayth Act. 17. In him we liue moue and haue our being And as this is true in this naturall life so is it as true in the entertainment of this life for by the benefit of this word we are sustained For our life standeth not onely in meate and drinke but in euery word that proceedeth out of the Lords mouth Mat. 4. that is in euery thing wherunto the Lord giueth power to nourish For it is the Lords word that giueth power to nourish vs. And suppose meate and drinke were remoued the Lord is able to make stones to nourish vs. This good King acknowledged this good effect to come of the word and therefore he praiseth the word Now after he had praised it from the generall effect he goeth forward and praiseth it from his owne particular experience and he saith in the conclusion of these things The life of my soule standeth that is in thy saying and doing in thy truth and mercy in thy promising and keeping thereof standeth the life of my soule as if the King would say Not onelie haue I this naturall life which I liue in this miserable bodie by the benefite of the word but I haue a more precious life the life of my soule and spirit which discerneth me from the rest of mankind which putteth me in a better estate then the rest of the world which maketh mine heauen to begin here which neuer shall end For as there is a life and death of the body so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the body may be conioyned with the death of the soule and the death of the body may stand with the life of the soule The life of the body standeth in the presence of the soule the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life Except the soule be borne againe by the Spirit of life ye shall neuer see the face of God before the soule be quickned by the Spirit of life it remaineth a dead carion dead in sinne dead in the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle saith Ephes. 2. Colos. 2. And consequently there remaineth but a carriō both in soule body the soule being as void of a spirituall and heauenly life as a carion is of a naturall life The words of the Apostle in that place in sundry places are Dead in sinne dead in trespasses and in the vncircumcised lusts of the flesh Where death hath place life must be wholly extinguished and where death hath place there can neither be halfe life quarter life nor a breath of life But so it is that death hath place in our soule by nature Therefore by nature there cannot be so much as a sparke of that heauenly life in it And if there be not so much as a sparke of life in it where is that halfe or quarter life whereof the Papists speake They will not haue it dead but lamed or crooked The Apostle saith in plaine tearmes that it is dead and therefore that spirituall life must be wholly put out and consequently all kind of will to good and all sight of God in Christ is banished away this death of the soule remaineth perpetually in vs vntill such time that the participation of the Spirit of life which is in the body of Christ Iesus free vs from the law of sinne and from the law of death which is in our owne nature Rom. 8. Now would ye know whether your soule liueth or not Would ye perceiue whether this Spirit of life be begun in you or not I will giue you certaine effects whereby ye may examine the life of the soule There are many effects giuen vs in the Scriptures as namely Gala. 6. But I leaue them choose three speciall effects whereby euery one may discerne of the life of the soule There is first that inward peace of conscience There is next that ioy and reioycing vnder trouble There is thirdly a loue of God a loue of vertue and an hatred of vice where euer any of these three hath place there the soule liueth where thou findest thy conscience refreshed and thy soule recreate from the great terrors manifold pangs of sinne no question the soule liueth for this is the effect of the right Spirit and this is the right peace whereof the world is ignorant that passeth all naturall vnderstanding The more thou makst this peace to grow the more thou liuest in thy soule The more this peace groweth the more sinne decayeth the more thou castest out all that baggage of sin that troubleth the quiet estate of the conscience In a word the onely thing that troubleth the soule that disquieteth the conscience and that we haue to cast out is sinne For sinne is the onely thing that seuereth vs from God in whom there
light This spirituall light is so proper to the Church that it discerneth her from all false Churches vpon the face of the earth for as the Apostle saith Faith which is no other thing but this light appertaineth not vnto all but this gift of iustifying faith is nothing else but that very light which is giuen to those who before all eternitie were appointed for saluation This speciall reuelation is not obtayned or purchased by any naturall force for so it were common to all men It is not purchased by naturall wit or vnderstanding for the wisdome of this world cannot know those things that are of God Yea the wisedome of the world is the greatest enemie to the wisedome of God and the wit of the world esteemeth the wit of God to be plaine foolishnesse This light is not gotten by the sight of the works of God or by looking vpon this great Vniuerse we get a light indeed by looking on the works of God but this light conueigheth vs not a far off we lose it in the threshold in the very entrie it is choked by our affections and the vile appetites that are in vs do choke it Now we get not this supernaturall light onely by the outward ministerie of the word no seuer me the Spirit from the word the word is nothing else but a minister of death to my soule and a slaying letter it serueth for nothing but to be a further testimonie of my iust condemnation Therefore this heauenly light whereby we are made heires of heauen and the children of God is purchased by the word and Spirit of God ioynctly By the word striking and piercing the eare outwardly and the Spirit penetrating the heart inwardly So where these two are conioyned that heauenly light is wrought and it is an earnest-pennie of thy euerlasting saluation Of this light and reuelation it cometh to passe that God is well knowne in Iudah that is in his owne Church and of this knowledge it cometh to passe that his Name is great in Israel that is his praise is highly extolled and his name renowmed among all them that know him rightly By the Name of God is vnderstood God himselfe as he maketh himselfe knowne in the wonderful works which he worketh as when he hath mercie on his Church he is called a mercifull God when he keepeth his promises he is called a true God when he deliuereth her mightily he is called a potent God And so as many works as he worketh so many Names he hath Now of this reuelation cometh the knowledge of God For except the Spirit of God take away the ignorance of our hearts it is as impossible for me to know God rightly as the dumbe element Except this veile of ignorance which sticketh so fast vnto our hearts be taken off that in time the mighty power of God may be reuerenced there remaineth no further sight then serueth vnto our eternall condemnation Therefore the Spirit must concurre mightily to take off this veile of ignorance that our hearts and minds being renewed we may begin to be new creatures in Christ Iesus Of this knowledge it cometh to passe that God is reuerenced and his praises are sounded for it is impossible that these who know God aright but they must praise him and reuerence his Name God is not like the great men of this countrey for they where they are best knowne there are worst loued But God by the contrary where he is best knowne he is best loued And this loue of God can neuer be idle but it must burst foorth into his praises So these two are ioyned together the Spirit of God bringeth knowledge which knowledge is helpefull to faith and true faith euer praiseth God Then examine your knowledge from the effect the praise of God and see whether the knowledge of God be in this countrey or not This conclusion must hold fast where God is highly praised he is well knowne and the contrary must hold as fast where God is no waies praised he is not knowne there Assume now But so it is that he is no waies praised in this countrey Therefore he was neuer well knowne of vs his goodnesse and mercie was neuer well tasted of vs. And surely if multitude of benefits or multitude of miracles might haue made God knowne to vs we haue had our large part Yea to omit all the rest I thinke though there were no more but this deliuerie past it is a sufficient argument to mooue the hearts of all creatures to praise his name But such is our horrible ingratitude that for lacke of praise we bring not onely a curse vpon the benefit but a curse vpon our owne persons And therefore mine exhortation is now as then That with such hearts as the Lord hath giuen vs we be readie to sound his praise for this great deliuerie the thankfull memorie of this last benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the next therefore with thankfull hearts let vs praise him And where they are not so disposed as the worthinesse of the benefit requireth let vs beg mercie for our euill disposed hearts let vs desire pardon for our vnprepared hearts and wish that it would please the Lord to sanctifie them further and further to his owne praises that being couered with his mercifull protection we may at all times rest vnder his wings and sauegard so that we shall be sure to assaile the enemy when he pleaseth Thus farre for the first benefit The second benefit wherein the Lord shewed himselfe gracious toward his people is this he made his residence with this people which he did with no other nation of the earth he taketh his abiding at Shalem as the tokens and ensignes of his presence did testifie God maketh his residence with no sort of people in the earth but with his Church he hath espied out and select to himselfe a people among all the nations of the earth and with them he hath made his residence It is no strange language to say that God hath chosen a people to himselfe and doth make his residence with such a people For albeit the maiestie of God fill and replenish both heauen and earth and his power reach euery where yet is it as true our God dwelleth euery where he hath selected a sort of people a number of persons with whom he maketh his residence And among all nations he selected this nation of the Iewes vnto whom he gaue the visible ensignes of his presence and in whose hearts he dwelt Now it hath pleased him in mercie to translate his Tabernacle to make his residence with vs and he hath chosen a few of the hearts of this countrey where he hath begun his dwelling place for God dwelleth now in the hearts and consciences of his owne by his holy Spirit and surely so he hath dwelt with vs these 30. yeares and in such puritie that he hath not done the like with any nation in the earth He hath
as sure of the promise as if the debt were already payed Hope againe maketh not the thing promised present but looketh on still vntill it be present and wayteth on continually vntill it possesse it and when it is obtained then faith and hope ceasse For what neede we saith the Apostle to hope for the thing we see or haue in our hand Now looke how sure our faith is as sure of necessity must our hope be A sure promise maketh a sure faith a slacke promise will neuer make a constant faith The promise of God is onely sure therefore the hope and faith that is grounded on God is onely sure This sure Hope liueth in this world by way of patience for impatiencie cutteth the pillars of hope Impatiency carieth vs to despaire and to lay violent hands on our selues So hope liueth by patience and patience by hope Now the matter of patience is trouble vpon trouble Affliction engendreth patience saith the Apostle Rom. 5. For a bed of ease is not a matter of patience a prosperous course is not a matter to assay our hope so trouble vpon trouble is the matter exercise of patience long putting off delay of things hoped for is the exercise of true patience Now of this deduction I gather one proposition That is a sure constant Christian hope which being exercised by trouble vpon trouble by long processe and delay of time yet remaineth constant Who euer is indued with such an hope he may wait on still he hath a sure and constant hope But so is this hope whereof we speake the hope of the gaine Therefore he had a Christian and sure hope For his troubles ye heard them the other day he was pursued by the treason of his sonne backbited by his seruants yet he abideth patiently Indeed sometime he bursteth forth through impatience but in an instant he took vp himselfe to testifie his long putting off and delay he sayth here In waiting I waited Then I say ye haue it prooued that Dauid had a sure firme and constant hope The surer that an anchor is and the more deepe it is fixed it will be the worse to plucke vp Let the storme rage as it pleaseth continue as it wil the anchor that is deeply fixed wil hardly be plukt vp The anchor of our soule sayth the Apostle is Hope Therfore the more sure deeply it is fixed it wil be the worse to pull vp Our whole study diligence care should be to see when in what place we should cast this anchor of hope Cast we our anchor on any man the storme shall not rise so soone but it shall vnloose Cast we it vpon any creature it can be no surer then the creature it selfe Therfore when the storme cometh it will rise vp In summe cast we it any where below vnder the cloudes it must vnloose in time of storme Then this anchor differs from other anchors it must enter within the veile and reach in in Sanctasanctorum It must take hold on Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father Thâ—re is no sure ground for our anchor except it enter within the veile And if we obtaine accesse that we enter within the veile there is no storme nor continuance of storme blow as it pleaseth that wil raise it vp consequently cause vs to make shipwraâ—ke of our soules â—he Lord of his mercy grant vnto euery one of vs vnderstanding that we may cast the Anchor of our hope aright As for the second thing concerning the exercise wherein he was exercised enduring his wayting on he noteth in the end of the veâ—se that he was imployed in crying and in the last Psalme he was busied in praying sighing and sobbing enduring the time of his long wayting This was his exercise And if this exercise had not coÌ„tinued it had not bene possible that his patience should haue continued By this exercise he entertaineth patience and by patience he entertaineth hope For as to this sighing and mourning it is no waies contrary to the nature of hope no more then ioy is for this mourning and sighing riseth of the long delay and absence of the thing hoped for as on the other part the ioy riseth of the approching and drawing neere in our expectations of the thing hoped for So this sighing crying and praying was his exercise and they are the onely meanes to purchase strength to stand and continue in hope As touching the third thing ye heare what end issue this long waiting of his tooke to wit a prosperous and a happy end The Lord enclined his eare to him and not onely enclined he his eare but granted him his hearts desire Vppon this ground I marke one or two things and so I shall go forward The first thing I would haue you to learne is this learne of Dauid your kinde of exercise in extremity of troubles Learne of Dauid the right meanes whereby ye may entertaine patience in greatest calamity The meanes that he setteth downe here are crying sighing lamenting and praying vnto God and in other parts of the Psalme he addeth also many other meanes though these be speciall And if thou wouldest do well in these great agonies thou shalt call to memory the examples of the seruants of God who haue passed the like straites If thou do well thou shalt call to memory the testimonies of the fauour of God shewed to thy selfe if thou hast felt any in thy life past If thou do wel thou shalt call to memory that the decree of the Lords election is vnchangeable call to memory that his power is omnipotent call to memory the singular workes of the Lord toward his Elect. Let this be thine exercise in trouble If this way thou be directed thou mayst be assured thou shalt obteyne that issue end that Dauid did Thus for the first lesson The second thing I marke here is this I see here that the Lord though he put off and delay the effect of his prayer and granteth not his desire at the first yet he heareth him I shall giue you a certaine argument whereby thou mayst know that the Lord heareth although he delay the effect of thy prayers Continuest thou in prayer hast thou this strength giuen thee to perseuer in suiting any thing Thou mayst be assured he heareth for this is an argument that he heareth thee for naturally our impatiency carieth vs to desperation Our lust is so great specially in spirituall troubles that we cannot continue in suiting When thou therefore continuest in suiting thou mayest be sure that this strength is furnished of God and cometh from heauen If thou haue strength he letteth thee see that he heareth thy prayer though he delay the effect and force thereof yet pray continually This doctrine is so necessary for the troubled conscience that I thinke it is the meetest bridle in the Scripture to restraine our impatiencie It is the meetest bit to hold vs in continuall