they fall to their earth againe Here you must teach your children that whē all we euen al the nations of the world were in the hole of Adams side and as yet vncut out God gaue vnto Adam and so vnto vs being in his loines a law with two conditions the lawe was this that wee should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill standing in the middest of the garden of Eden as we may read Gen. 2. The conditions of this law were these the one life euerlasting if we would keepe this law figured out vnto vs by the tree of life of which it was lawfull for vs to eate euery hower the second was that in the same daye wherein wee shoulde breake this law we should dye the death It was not long after this lawe was made but Adam broke it as we may read in 3. chapter of Genesis and so death presently seazed vpon Adam and al vs his posteritie being yet in his loynes according vnto Gods word who said in the same day that thou shalt eate of it thou shalt dye the death and as it is saide 1. Cor. 15. In Adam all di and as it is said Rom. 5. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sin and so death went ouer all in whom all men haue sinned So that now if wee would looke vnto our fountaine and to our original pit from which we were first digged we should soone see our miserable estate which is nothing els but deadly And now that we might come to the bottom of this pit that so wee might the more fully and cleerely see all our miserie to humble vs vnder the mightie hand of God I must shewe you howe death hath entred vpon vs and howe it hath killed vs and giuen vs the deadly wounde euen while wee liue and yet wee perceiue it not This death hath first seazed vpon our reason and vnderstanding and put out the light of it so that nowe wee bee as blinde as a stocke to beholde anie heauenly thing For Saint Iohn sayth in his first chapter of the Gospell The light shineth in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not that is Gods word shineth into our minds and yet wee cannot see it so blinde are wee of our selues Now if we cannot see the light it selfe though it shineth into vs which light is the cause why all other things are seene as the Apostle sheweth Ephesi 5. For it is light that maketh all thinges manifest then much lesse can wee truely beholde any other thing else And whereas the Apostle here calleth our reason and vnderstanding darknes which is all the light of our soules if it were light then howe great is our darkenesse Our Sauiour sayth in the fift of Matthew The light of the bodie is the eye wherefore if the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse so wee may here say if our reason and vnderstanding which is the eye of the soule bee darkenes how great is this darkenes oh death hath killed vs it hath put out all our light in heauenly things Secondly our miserie which hath fallen vpon vs through this death is so much the greater for that though all our light be put out yet we thinke we see and therefore we doe not with the two blind men in the gospell crie out vnto our Sauiour O Lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. For the whole hath no need of the phisition and so we walke in blindnes all our dayes to our destruction and goe on without anie mistrust euen as the sheep that are driuen vnto the slaughter vntill we fall from the darknes of this life vnto that vtter darknes in the life to come where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Oh great misery A demonstration of this doctrine wee haue in the ninth chapter of the gospell after Saint Iohn where our Sauiour saith I am come vnto iudgment into this worlde that they which see not might see and that they which see might bee made blind Then some of the Pharisies saide are we blind also They could not beleeue that they were blinde and therefore our Sauiour there telleth them that their sinne remained And thus much to shew you how death hath taken the possession of the minde and reason of man in so much that it hath spoyled it of al light in heauenly vnderstanding Secondly this death hath passed from the vnderstanding and reason and hath entred vpon the will and affections and giuen them also the deadly blow so that now we cannot will or affect any thing that good is and profitable to life eternall no more then a stone that is without life vntill such time as Gods preuenting grace repaireth vs and giueth vs a new power from heauen And therefore our Sauiour saith in the sixt of Iohn No man can come to me except the father which hath sent mee drawe him And Saint Augustine vpon these words saith Non trahimus nisi nolentem Wee doe not drawe any thing but that which is vnwilling So that now we hauing lost the life of our will we must be haled and drawen by Gods grace euen as men hale and drawe a logge that hath no moouing in it or else we can neuer come to heauen This doctrine is confirmed by the saying of the Apostle Rom. 7. where hee speaketh of the same thing Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as if hee should haue saide all is dead euerie part and member of it Moreouer this death hath not onely made the will vncapable of all good things but also it hath so disturbed it that it is become like a furious or mad man repugning and striuing against all reason and therefore the Apostle sayth Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirite against the flesh and these are contrarie one to another so that yee cannot doe the same things that ye would And againe Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed cā be 3. This death hath not rested in the reason will but it hath gone further takē hold on the body also euery member of the body and strooken them all out of frame so that now our eares are the eares of folly our eies are the eies of vanity our hands are the hands of strife our mouth is a mouth of cursing our lippes are full of poyson our throate is an open Sepulchre and our feete are swift to shed bloud and generallie al our members are the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh Roman 6. euery one being captiues to sinne and standing fighting against God and our owne saluation so that now if the Lord shold streightly marke what were amisse in vs Oh Lorde who shall stande 4. This death hath not onlie
hee taketh pitie on yet respecting the vnspeakable miserie from which we are deliuered and the greate freedome into which wee are brought that is into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and to the inheritance of the Saints and to be citizens of heauen this would deserue infinit duties of thankfulnes but now this was not our deare Sauiours case alas it was no ease for him to saue vs as the monument of this day can well witnesse vnto vs at what time he finished the terme of 32. yeares seruitude and halfe hauing troden the wine presse of the Almighty borne the fierce wrath of God his father sweat water and bloud with strong cryings and teares and now hauing passed the yron gates of death hee appeared vnto vs bringing saluation through no little sorrowe and therefore now as the matter thus standeth who is sufficient for these things and who shall giue vs thankfulnes and dueties and seruice for so great deserts 4. The fourth motiue are all those sweete graces and blessings both temporall and spiritual which are bestowed vpō vs by Christ in giuing himselfe for vs. For as the Apostle sayth Rom. 8. Seeing hee spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs how shall hee not with him giue vs all things also So then when God gaue vs his sonne and Christ gaue vs himself all good things were giuen vnto vs to Haue I beene as a wildernesse vnto Israel sayth the Lord Ierem. 2. Hath the Lord been barren vnto vs or as a land of darknesse is not hee that God who hath made the light of England to shine tenne times brighter then euer it did before is not hee that God who hath planted peace in all our borders hath not hee in our daies crowned the earth with foyson of all things hath not he made the plowman to touch the mower and the treader of grapes him that soweth seede hath not hee made the hilles to droppe fatnes and the furrowes to reioyce and sing hath not he made our desert like Eden and our wildernesse like the garden of the Lorde and is not hee that God who hath taken away from vs that famine of the word which heretofore oppressed the land more then the dearth of AEgypt and made our soules like a well watred garden and giuen vnto vs abundance of spiritual blessings and set our Priests and our Leuites as in times past Now beloued seeing it is thus and our eyes are full of Gods blessings which way soeuer wee turne vs can we forget our duetie towardes our gracious God who hath opened his hand so wide vnto vs Can a maide forget her ornament sayth the Lord or a bride her attire yet my people hath forgotten me daies without number O good brethren let vs not prouoke the Lorde to speake vnto vs by his iudgements complaining as hee did sometimes of the children of Israel Esay 1. Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath sayd I haue nourished and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me And againe in the fift chapter What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it and when I looked that it shoulde haue brought foorth grapes it brought foorth wilde grapes 5 The fift motiue is that great and plentifull reward which God that cannot lye and with whom is no variablenes nor shadow of turning hath in his word promised and will hereafter performe to all his faithful and diligent seruants Though the Lord hath alreadie deserued our seruice and ten thousand times more thē we cā do in sauing our soules which were lost yet such is the magnificent franknes of our God that hee will not receiue the least dutie at our hands for nought no not so much as a cup of cold water bestowed vpon his seruants for his sake but hee will render a double reward for it O is it not good seruing of such a master where all things are still comming in and where nothing is layde out and no time spent but bringeth in double gaine both in this life and in the life to come Verely I say vnto you sayth our Sauiour Christ Mark chapter 10. verse 29. there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred fold now at this present houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life O if men would serue the Lord what plentie of al good things should we enioy Proue mee now herewith saith the Lord of hostes if I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you and power you out a blessing without measure Malac. 3. Againe Esay 48. Oh that thou haddest harkened vnto my commandements then had thy prosperitie beene as the floud and thy righteousnes as the waues of the sea Furthermore the Prophet Dauid vseth most excellent similitudes to set foorth this estate worthie of due meditation Psal. 92. The hornes of the righteous shall bee exalted like Vnicornes they shall be annoynted with fresh oyle they shall flourish like a palme tree they shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon they shall be fat and flourishing and they shall bring foorth fruite in their age that is they shall haue a power euen aboue nature loe thus shall the men bee blessed that serue the Lord and men shall say verily there is fruite for the righteous 6. The sixt and last motiue to stirre vs vp to this industrie in Gods seruice is the Lords ende and as it were the marke and butte whereat hee shooteth in sauing vs which is that wee should giue ouer our liues whollie vnto him in the zeale of good workes thereby to set foorth the praise of his glorious working towards vs. And this is expressed in the 130. Psalme But with thee is mercie that thou maiest bee feared And secondly in this our text Who gaue himselfe for vs that hee might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes And thirdly S. Peter in his first Epistle and second chapter sayth That wee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holie nation and a people set at libertie that wee should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknes into his meruailous light This is the end then of Gods redemption Now beloued shall the Lorde lose his ende by our negligence and bestow all his labour in vaine and shoote as it were at a wrong marke hath he culled and picked vs out of all the world to bee a speciall and peculiar people vnto himselfe to be zealous of good workes to excell all other in vertue and to holde out his glorious vertues vnto all the world and shall we now neglect the high caller and contemne his
for example our Sauiour himselfe who being the author and finisher of our faith vsed this helpe through all his way as wee may reade Heb. 12. Who for the ioy which was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Againe this helpe that worthie light of the Church the Apostle S. Paul vsed Philip 3. I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus But what is this marke and what is this price which is alwaies so in the eye of the Apostle that he forgetteth all other things and regardeth nothing but it This marke is that palme branch which is giuen vnto all those faithful seruants of Christ Iesus who haue ouercommed all the difficulties and hardnes of this life and this marke is that immortall inheritance and vndefiled and which withereth not reserued in the heauens of which S. Peter speaketh 1. Epistle 2. chapter and this marke is the fulnes of ioye as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psalm 16. In thy presence is the fulnes of ioye and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore and this marke and this blessed hope is the crowne of righteousnes layd vp for all Gods faithfull seruants against the day of this appearing of the glorie of this mighty God our Sauiour Iesus Christ From hence forth is layd vp for me sayth the Apostle the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to mee onely but to all those that loue that his appearing 2. Tim. 4. O if a man had a crowne alwaies in his eye what would hee not doe to come by it Why doe wee then stagger vnder our burthens and why doe we waxe faint in the Lords seruice why wee doe not looke vppe vnto our blessed hope and wee doe not set that glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ Iesus alwaies before our eyes whose presence shall wipe away all teares from our cheekes This would holde vp our hands if there were any life in vs. Cast your eyes then vpon your inheritance which shall not wither What seruice can be sufficient for a kingdome what dutie for the crowne of heauen what loyaltie for the adoption of the sons of God and what paines taking for the fulnes of ioye O you Christians that you saw and knew your happines that you might loue and serue the Lord. 2. The second motiue is taken from that exceeding loue of Christ in giuing himselfe so freely for vs and therefore now we should giue our selues and all our things vnto him againe as wee are taught of our mother the Church Canticles 6. I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine O if Christ Iesus that heauenly bridegroome hath bestowed himselfe vpon vs and giuen himselfe for vs which sometimes were more vile then the clay in the streete how can wee now denye him any seruice or any thing which is within vs shall the heire of eternitie and the son of God bestow himselfe vpon vs with a full dowrie of the kingdome of heauen and all the ioyes of the life to come and with the fruition of the diuine nature as S. Peter saith and shall not we now bestow our selues and our liues vpon him againe for that loue of Christ constraineth vs sayth the Apostle because wee thus iudge that if one bee dead for all then wee are all dead and hee died for all that they which liue should not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose againe O had not wee neede now bee a deare and louing spouse vnto our husband Christ who hath bought our loue with his owne death would not this meditation constraine any reasonable heart vnto all duetifull seruice wherefore now I speake like a troubled soule out of the affection of my heart I had rather be hanged in the ayre I had rather bee burnt in the fire I had rather bee torne with the racke yea I had rather run through hell it selfe then I would willingly offende and displease this mercifull Lorde who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee For I was dead but now I am aliue I was lost but now I am found I was forsaken but now am I beloued What doe you weeping and breaking my heart saith the Apostle for my life is not deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioye Oh we haue not halfe franke hearts to deale with God wee thinke much to serue God with our persons our soules and our bodies and as for our goods we lay them to aside they may not goe with vs into the Lords Sanctuarie for feare of losing and yet our Lorde hath not only giuen soule and bodie to raunsome vs but also hath stripped himselfe naked of al his heauenly royaltie and riches and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. O where is now that constraining loue of the Apostle to stirre vp our dull and cold hearts 3. The third motiue to stirre vs vp with al cheerefulnes vnto Gods seruice are those great and vnspeakeable paines and labours which our deare Sauiour hath taken vpon him to beare and goe thorow with for our redemption Who gaue himselfe for vs sayth the Apostle that is who gaue himselfe to endure all manner of torments calamities and sufferings for our redemption and all manner of painefull seruice for our iustification Now hath Christ our Sauiour giuen himselfe to doe so much for vs and shall wee giue our selues to securitie and liue as wee lust hath Christ watched for vs and shall wee giue our selues to sleepe hath Christ fasted for vs and shal we giue our selues to banquetting hath Christ bin tempted for vs and shall we yeeld to euery suggestion hath Christ suffered persecution shal we look to line at ease and hath Christ so liued here vpon earth for our sakes that he wold not please himselfe Rom. 15. and shall wee sport in the delights of this life and the sensualitie of our owne flesh and hath Christ not onely suffered all the troubles of this life but also tooke vpon him the torments of the life to come to free vs from that dreadfull lake of eternall iudgement now shall we cast our selues down vnder the greene boughes of the pleasures of this world and shunne the heate and burden of the day and giue our selues to idle loytering when God calleth vs foorth to labour in his vineyard O what a shame were this to Christians at whose hands the Lord hath deserued so great duties through his infinit labours and sufferings If Christ our Sauiour had redeemed vs without any paines taking as easily as a rich man pulleth out twentie pounds out of his pocket to ransome a poore captiue whom