knowledge of the truth let vs hold it fast till our Lord Iesus come he will deliver vs from that houre of tentation which shall come vpon all the world to trie thē that dwell vpon the earth Thus much of the persons who alone doe fall into this sinne Now see we with what mind this sinne is committed For that is my second circumstance If we sinne willingly How desirously with what consent of mind this sinne is committed it appeareth partly in this place by this word willingly and partly by those wordes Heb. 6.6 they crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him They crucifie againe the sonne of God that notes their envy and malice they crucifie him againe vnto themselues that argues their willingnesse Their consciences their hearts filled with envy and malice doe make thē with all willingnesse commit such abomination This their willing mind to doe so ill may arise from three of their conceits One is that a man may repent when he will and this perswasion they haue because Ezech. 18.21 they find that at what time soever a sinner shall returne from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and shall doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that he hath cōmitted they shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue Here they may conceaue that late repentance is seldome true repentance and iustly may they feare lest that repentance which they frame to themselues when they are dying die with them The first lesson that Iohn Baptist taught was Repent for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 The first lesson that the Disciples taught was Repent for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Math. 10.7 And the first lesson which Christ himselfe taught was Repent too for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mat. 4.17 Here is no posting over to the houre of death Repentance must be first of all learned both by young and old It is not for a young man to say I will repent for certainely could Iudas haue repented whē he had listed he would never haue g Mat. 27.5 Act. 1.18 hanged himselfe neither is it safe for an old man to say I haue repented he hath lived long enough to knowe that God is I am and therefore is best pleased with I am he little cares for I was or I will be A second conceit of theirs making their mind so willing to doe wickedly is that the best man that is hath seaven falls every day into grosse sinnes and here they alleage that place Prov. 24.16 the righteous man falleth seaven times in a day and riseth againe But we may answer that this place is to bee vnderstood of fals into afflictions and calamities rather then of falls into actuall sinnes and so makes little for their purpose Their third conceit is that their small sinnes or hidden sinnes are no sinnes and that their greatest sinnes wherein they liue lie wallowing most dangerously are but sinnes of infirmitie And here they are perfit in the reckoning vp of Peters fal Lots incest Solomons Idolatrie Noahs drunkennesse Davids murther Sarahs lie Rebeccahs perswading her sonne Iacob to beguile his owne father the theft of Onesimus the many Concubines of the Patriarchs and the like they finde that the grace of God hath abounded aboue sinne in all these and why may it not abound aboue their sinnes also In this resolution they hold on their owne and proper walke Impij in circuitu ambulant Psal 12.8 the wicked haue their waies but they are crooked they are circular endlesse waies they walke by compasse not much vnlike their father the Divell who testifieth of himselfe that he had compassed the whole earth Iob. 1.7 they walke by compasse indeed but never towards the marke never towards the price that is set before them For how can they attaine thereto as long as they goe thus wheeling about to no purpose like the turning of a mill which when it hath laboured the whole day long is foūd at night in the selfe same place where it first began So these men in circuitu ambulant they walke by compasse and when the night shall come their last night the last houre of their liues they shall bee found not to haue proceeded one step forwards except it be in wickednesse To this point I say howsoever grace aboundeth aboue sin yet accursed are they yea ever cursed shall they bee who doe sinne that grace and blessing may abound vnto them Rom. 6.1 we are forbidden to doe h Rom. 3.8 evill where we certainely know that good may come thereof much lesse may wee make the grace of God a defence for our sinnes This must bee our shield there is no i Rom. 8.1 condemnation to the righteous though hee fall many times a day but if any man shall sinne presuming of Gods mercies let such a one knowe that his damnation is iust and himselfe is like that theefe that stealeth because hee seeth one among twentie pardoned by the Prince Thus you see with what minde this sinne is committed the heart is full of envy full of malice and the minde in all willingnesse assenteth But do not Gods children having received the knowledge of the truth sinne also willingly If they do how thē is it that they are freed from this sinne for which there remaineth no more sacrifice This doubt will be cleare if we doe but consider this one position The childe of God though he cannot fall finally in the end nor vtterly at any time may notwithstanding fall grievously may fall dangerously First by his default the graces of God may be lessened in him and therefore hath S. Paule exhorted the Thessalonians not to quench the spirit 1. Thess 5.19 the Ephesians not to grieue the holy spirit of God Ephes 4.30 By his default then the graces of God may be lessened in him yea they may be so buried in him for a time as that he may be like a man in a trance who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead Hither may you referre the estate of Peter of David and of others whom I haue already mentioned vnto you Secondly he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance and this may wee learne of Paule praying the Corinthians in Christes steed that they would be k 2. Cor. 5.20 reconciled to God who indeed were reconciled to God before Thirdly he may sin presumptuously that is he may sinne wittingly willingly wilfully Against this David praied vnto the LORD Psal 19.13 keepe thy servaunt from presumptuous sinnes that he was in danger of them appeareth by the words following let them not reigne over me Lastly he may sinne desperately and this is a fearefull sinne he may despaire of Gods mercies for a time as the incestuous mā was like to doe
time In this ranke of false teachers may be placed they who haue held opinion that the day of iudgement shal be about sixe thousand yeares after the beginning of the world as also they who abusing the places in Daniel and in the Revelation doe say that the end of the world shall be three yeares a halfe after the revealing of Antichrist But St Paule answering these false teachers of Thessalonica answereth all of the like opinion and therefore 2. Thess 2.2 to â—nstruct them against the assaults of such teachers he bids theÌ„ beleeue it for a certainety that the day of the Lord is not at haÌ„d and he giues a reason of his perswasion verse 3. For saith he that day shall not come except there come a departing first that man of sinne even the sonne of perdition be disclosed But how is it that St Paule saith the day of the LORD is not at hand When it is evident by Heb. 9.26 that Christ appeared in the end of the world to put away sinne by sacrificing himselfe And by Iam. 5.8 that the comming of the Lord is at hand and by the authorities before alleaged of Iohn Baptist of the Disciples of the Apostles yea of Christ himselfe that the kingdome of God is at hand that the ends of the world are come that the last time is come that the end of all things is at hand This being so how is it that St Paule saith the day of the Lord is not at hand Calvin saith that the answere here is easie namely that in respect of God the day of iudgement is at hand but as for vs wee must continually looke for it Beza Rollocke giue an other exposition which I take to be more naturall In those many places wherein it is avouched that the day of the Lord is at hand they obserue the word vsed in the originall to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appropinquat signifying that the day of the Lord may be this day as well as to morrow and to morrow as well as the next day many a day hereafter as well as now and this in generall only But in this place of St Paule where he saith the day of the Lord is not at hand they note the word in the originall to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instat and to signifie not only generally a time drawing nere but also precisely a limited and certaine time as such an houre such a day such a weeke such a month such an yeare such an age And in this sense St Pauls saying is very true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non instat the day of the Lord is not at hand not so at hand as that we may be able to say it shal be this houre this day this week this month this yeare this age And this is no other doctrine then Christes owne Mark 13.32 for there he saith Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Sonne himselfe Thus we see it is certaine that the day of the Lord that the day of iudgement is at hand but in what precise age or time it will happen we see it is vncertaine The Lord himselfe tels vs Act. 1.7 It is not for vs to know the times and seasons And why should we be desirous to haue eares to heare where God hath no tongue to speake It may suffice vs to be so well warned as to know that this day is at hand For if we duely coÌ„sider this point it will make vs take heed to our speeches and by no meanes to say with the evill servant Matth. 24.48 Our master deferres his comming let vs eate and drinke and beate our fellowes but rather to betake our selues to the performance of the good servants duety verse 42. even to watch For the day of the Lord commeth h 1. Thes 5.2.3 as a thiefe in the night and as travaile commeth vpon a womaÌ„ with childe even so commeth the day of the Lord. Watch wee therefore For we know not what houre our master will come But when he commeth if he shall finde vs doing good and dealing faithfully happy shall we be we shall partake the blessings of the i Deut. 27.12 sixe vpon the mount Gerizzim we shall not need to feare the cursing of the other k Vers 13. sixe vpon mount Ebal Wee shall not be afraid of the l Exod. 20.18 thundring and lightning of Sinai nor of fire to the middest of Heaven nor of mists nor of clouds nor of m Rev. 9.2 smoake ascending like the smoake of a fornace nor of the lowdest sound of a n Exod 20.18 Heb. 12.18 trumpet for all our pleasures shall bee in Sion But when he commeth if he shal finde vs doing wickedly cursed shall we be we shall be sure to possesse o Esai 61 3. mourning for ioye ashes for beauty the spirit of heavinesse for the oile of gladnes a rent in steed of a girdle whatsoever shall become of our garments assured we are our heartes shall be torne a sunder Watch we therefore for we know not what houre our master commeth And let me conclude with Saint Peters exhortation Be we p 2 Pet. 3.14 diligent that when he commeth we may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse THE FIFTH SERMON HEBR. 10. VER 28 29 30 31. 28 He that despiseth Moses law dyeth without mercy vnder two or three witnesses 29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be worthy which treadeth vnder foot the Sonne of God and couÌ„teth the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith he was sanctified and doth despite the Spirit of grace 30 For we know him that hath said vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the LORD And againe the LORD shall iudge his people 31 It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God N the former verses I haue heretofore shewed how that the author of this Epistle vseth an effectuall perswasion for our constant continuing and persevering in the faith which the Hebrewes had and wee haue in Christ Iesus or a disswasion a dehortation from our backslidings fallings away from the same faith In the wordes themselues ious meditations two things r what it is from which we are disswa willingly after that we haue receaved the â— â— our hearts the reasons brought by our vs from so sinning which in these words 1 Because if thus we sinne wee shall never be able by any sacrifice to make an atonement betweene vs and God revenging vs There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne 2 Because if thus we sinne we must looke for no other theÌ„ eternall destruction specified vers 27. by two things Iudgement and Fire For if we sinne willingly after wee haue receaved c. Of these points and many other circumstances by occasion of those words observed I haue already spoken The principall argument of the whole place
Testament because as Theophylact and Aquinas do both note the new Testament was confirmed by the blood of Christ And this is the Testament After those dayes saith the LORD I will put my lawes in their mind Heb. 8.10 10.16 and in their heart will I write them and I will be their God and they shall bee my people and I will bee mercifull to their vnrighteousnes and their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more This new Testament by which that other is disanulled and waxed old is confirmed by the blood of Christ Now may we be bold to enter into the holy place a new and living way is prepared for vs through the vaile which our Apostle Heb. 10.20 affirmeth to be the flesh of Christ With this blood of the covenant the sinner against the Holy Ghost is in my text said to bee sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with which blood though now he account it common and prophane he was sanctified I may not stand to remember you of the many significations by which in many places of the Holy Scriptures these words Sanctus and Sanctificare are expoūded diverse of them are impertinent and should bee wrested to the place we haue in hand for the vnderstanding of which it may suffice if we cōsider first that God alone is properly holy secōdly that all mans holinesse is from God God must not onely helpe but doe also all in all or else man cannot be sanctified These points are vndoubtedly beleeued of vs and neede no proofe Yet for explications sake wee may briefly note that whatsoever men doe truely call Iust the same in relation to God must be called and is truely holy and therefore that God being alone absolutely Iust must of necessitie alone be absolutly Holy that is God being Iust with that vniversall and most perfect Iustice yea himselfe being his owne Iustice it must needs be that he is as the Seraphins Esai 6.3 and as the foure beasts Revel 4.8 haue made proclamation Holy Holy Holy LORD God Almightie thrise holy that is most Holy I will not here dispute whether in those places the Spirit of God noteth the three persons in the Trinity by thrise repeating the word Holy I knowe that many of the ancient and some of our later writers haue so iudged of those places and vsed thē as testimonies to confirme so maine a point of religion Vnto whose iudgements herein I need not doubt nor will refuse to yeeld reverence Yet may I wish and I shall wish no more thē Calvin doth on Esay 6. that if at any time we are to deale with Arrians and are against them to maintaine proue three persons in one divine essence that we would be carefull to vse testimonies of greater strength For those enimies of the blessed Trinitie when they are assayled with such testimonies which may as naturally bee expounded otherwise are so farre from yeelding to the truth of that doctrine as that they become much more obstinate and overthwart But to our purpose the Seraphins and the foure beasts proclaiming the LORD God Almightie to be Holy holy holy doe testifie that all the waies of God even all his most severe iudgements are iust and vpright and holy howsoever they may seem vnto men This threefold repetition of the word makes the sense to be as if they had said God of all is most Holy and to bee hallowed of all Neither is this kind of speech altogether without example For God willing to let Zedechias vnderstand of the vtter and finall ruine of his kingdome bids the Prophet say from him vnto the prophane and wicked King Ezech. 21.27 I will overturne overturne overturne it and it shall bee no more vntill the Messiah come his right it is and I will giue it him as if the Lord had said assuredly and without repentance will I overturne and bring to ruine the kingdome of Zedechias such force doth the repetition giue the speech And as there so here God is Holy Holy Holy without doubt Holy onely Holy most holy Holynesse becommeth the house of God for ever so wee read Psal 93.5 I will not restraine it to any particular house Vnderstand it if you will of the palace and basilicke of the great King or of the Temple of Ierusalem which the childrē of God in former times had respect vnto or of any other Temples on the earth now consecrated to the service of God or of your private selues for your selues also are the Temples of the Lord the saying stands firme without contradiction Holynesse becommeth the house of God for ever And hereby hath God set a barre about his Temples as he did about the mount to keepe out beasts and brutish men For as his Temples vpon the earth none should so that other farre more sacred which is in Heaven none shall ever enter into that is vnholy and vncleane The Apostle Heb. 7.26 describing the sanctity of Christ saith that such an high priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heavens Where the latter attributes doe only expound the former and it is as if the Apostle had said to be holy is nothing else but to be harmelesse vndefiled and separate from sinners for whosoever is harmelesse vndefiled and separate from sinners he is already made higher then the Heavens Thus we see that God alone is naturally properly and absolutely Holy Wherevpon it followeth necessarily that all mans holynesse is from God Which was the second point to lead vs to the vnderstanding of this place where the wicked are said to bee sanctified It is a true rule which may be collected out of Saint Cyrils treasurie lib. 3. cap. 1. Quae in Deo sunt naturaliter ea in creaturis esse posse participatione Such things as are naturally in God may be in Gods creatures by participation as when we doe participate the effects and similitudes only of those attributes which essentially and naturally are in God So may we be said to be partakers of the divine nature when those most great and precious promises are given vs 2. Pet. 1.4 There he teacheth vs that we haue all good things from Gods free promise thereby are we delivered from the corruption of this world frō those sinnefull lusts which we carry about vs and so are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the divine nature in a sort like vnto God For by divine nature in that place is not meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods divine essence but participatio qualitatum certaine qualities which the power of God hath wrought in vs that by them his image in vs now a long time defaced may be restored againe In the Scriptures we are charged to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect to be mercifull as he is mercifull to be Holy as he is Holy Where we must not thinke we are enioyned to haue such perfection mercifulnesse holynesse as is essentially
called by Moses IEHOVAH and by the Apostle here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is the LORD Christ Christ our LORD The LORD shall iudge his people His people For there is a people not his even in the midst of the Children of Israel lineally descended from Gomer that wife of fornications Her first borne sonne was by Gods appointment named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iezreel to remember them of the house of Israel that for the much blood shed by Iehu in Iezreel the chiefe citie of the ten tribes vnder Ahab their kingdome should cease They much boasted of their name for that they were called Israel as if they could prevaile with God but they came to be of a base and vnnoble linage to be called Iezreel a people disseminated dispersed and scattered among the Gentiles for the Lord brake the bow of Israel in the valley of Iezreel The next fruit of her wombe was a woman child called in like sort by Gods direction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo-ruchamah to let the house of Israel further to vnderstand that it was the Lords absolute resolution to take no more pitie vp on them but to giue them vp into the hands of the Assyrians by them to be led into captivitie whereout they should not returne at any rime She conceaued a third time and bare a sonne called him as God hath cōmanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo-ammi yet further to signifie vnto the house of Israel that therefore hee will not bee their God because they are not his people Lo-ammi you are not my people This third imaginarie sonne of Gomer brought for a type of Israel Hos 1. is by Paule Rom. 9. applyed to the Gentiles also But how farre forth it may bee verified of either either Israelites or Gentiles that may bee considered For of both both Israelites and Gentiles saith God Hos 2.23 I will call them my people which were not my people and Hos 1.10 God saith likewise it shall be in the place where it was said vnto them yee are not my people that there they shal be called the children of the living God To shew therefore how farre forth it may bee verified both of Israelites and Gentiles that they are or are not the people of God I must distinguish To be Ammi or Lo-ammi the people of God or not his people admitteth a threefold vnderstanding First A people may bee or not bee Gods people in respect of Gods predestination that his immutable decree concerning the salvation of some and the damnation of the rest set downe by himselfe from all eternitie In which sence there is among both the Israelites and Gentiles Ammi the Lords people and there is also among them Lo-ammi a people not the Lords As many of them as God foreknew praescientiâ approbationis as the Schoolemen call it specially as to loue and like them them hath he predestinated and chosē to be his people the rest whom so he foreknewe not for otherwise to his absolute prescience all thinges are naked the rest I say whom specially hee foreknewe not them hath he ordained of old to bee no people of his Againe a people may bee or not bee Gods people in respect of the old covenant the covenant of desert and of the Law that covenant made betwixt GOD and Abraham and Abrahams seed after him in their generations In which covenant three things doe concurre a condition on Abrahams side to be performed a promise of God vpon the condition to bee expected and the signe of covenant The condition to bee performed by Abraham is Gen. 17.1 Walke before mee and be thou vpright Gods promise is vers 7. I will be GOD to thee and to thy seed after thee The signe is vers 11. Yee shall circumcise the foreskinne of your flesh and it shall be the signe of the covenant betweene mee and you In which sense the Israelites the ofspring of Abraham according to the flesh they were Ammi the Lords people chosen by God himselfe to bee a precious people vnto himselfe But the residue of the people that then lived vpon the earth farre exceeding the Israelites in multitude even all the Gentiles they were Lo-ammi a people not the Lords Last of all a people may be or not be Gods people in respect of the new covenant the covenant of grace and of the Gospell the new covenant made with the house of Israel and the house of Iudah Now no more division the separation wall is taken a way all were made one Church This new covenant is registred Ier. 31.33 After those dayes saith the LORD I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people In substance this new covenant agreeth with the old only it is called new because of the manifestation of Christ and the abundant graces of the holy Ghost giuen to his Church vnder the Gospell And here also for this new covenants sake there is the Lords people and a people not the Lords As many as are members of the Church and liue within her bosome Christians whether true professours or dissemblers all are in this sence Ammi the Lords people but Turkes Infidels a farre surpassing number they are Lo-ammi a people not the Lords By this tripartite division of such as are or are not Gods people we may point at them that shall be iudged They are the people of God his people not in respect of the old covenant for that being disanulled and abrogated is vanished away Albeit they that then liued when that covenant was of force were also iudged by the LORD But they are the Lords people both in respect of the new covenant and also in respect of Gods predestination the LORD shall iudge the whole Church and every member thereof yea them whom he hath predestinated to be heires of salvation The LORD shall iudge his people Now a word or two of the kind of iudgement Yet before I speake of the iudgement here meant giue mee leaue to remoue a scruple touching the last iudgement The whole world stands of beleeuers or of vnbeleeuers For the beleeuers it is plaine Ioh. 5.24 that already they haue everlasting life and shall not come into iudgement For the vnbeleeuers it is as plaine Ioh. 3.18 that they are already condemned Both are already iudged beleeuers and vnbeleeuers the beleeuers are saued vnbeleeuers are condemned what need then of any last iudgement I answere very great need even in regard of the iustice and goodnesse of God whose propertie it is to punish all wicked godlesse men and to honour and reward all that are religious and Godly Which since hee doth not fully doe in this world there must needs be a last iudgement when he shall fully doe it We see the course of this world Malis benè est bonis male Good men haue a Psal 73.4 bands in their death but the wicked are lustie and strong
Good men are so overlaid with miseries that their words are even swallowed vp but the wicked are in such prosperitie that b Vers 7. their eyes stand out for fatnesse Good men are even cast downe into desolation but the wicked haue more theÌ„ heart can wish c Cicer. de nat â—â—or lâ—b 3. DIOGâ—NES the Cynicke in his time seeing one Harpalus a notable thiefe liuing a long time happily was bold to say Harpalum contra Deos testimonium dicere quod in illâ fortunâ tam diu viveret Wicked Harpalus liuing long in prosperitie was some argument to Diogenes that God respected not mans affaires The like experience hath shaken even the very Saints of God It made Iob to say chapter 24.12 MEN cry out of the the citie and the soules of the slaine cry out yet God doth not charge them with folly It made Ieremie to expostulate with the LORD chap. 12.1 O Lord let me talke with thee of thy iudgments wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse It makes the Godly to whome â—â—al 73 10. waters of a full cup are wrung out many times to take into their mouthes that passionate complaint Psal 73.11 How doth God knowe it is there knowledge in the most high Loe these are the wicked yet prosper they alway and increase in riches Certainely wee haue cleansed our hearts in vaine and in vaine haue we washed our hands in innocencie for dayly haue we beene punished and chastened every morning From this experience grewe that disputation among the heathens whether God regardeth men and their businesses Tâ—LAMON puâ—s downe the state of it in one verse Tully cites it lib. 3. de nat Deor. NAM si curent benè bonis sit malè malis quod nunc abest Doubtles if God had any care of men their actions good men should be in good estate and wicked men in worse But now we haue experience of the contrarie Improbis optimè bonis malè est wicked men haue their hearts ease but good meÌ„ are in miserie TELAMON was no fitt man to make any construction of Gods proceedings We in Christianity for the thing do know it to be true Wicked Diues hath the world at will whilest poore Lazarus is hunger bitten full of soares and miserable every way The coÌ„struction we make of it is grounded vpon diverse texts of holy Scripture Giue me leaue for mine owne comfort and the comfort of the rest of you that are any way afflicted to repeate for this purpose two or three sentences well knowne vnto you It 's written 1. Pet. 4.17 Iudgement beginneth at the house of God It 's writen 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are chastned of the Lord because wee should not bee condemned with the world It 's written 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Christ IESVS shall suffer persecution This being so that the wicked flourish and the Godly are kept vnder it remaineth of necessitie that there must be a second comming of Christ a last iudgement when the Godly shall receiue fulnesse of ioy and glory the vngodly fulnesse of woe and miserie Now for the removall of the scruple which I entended I must explicate the places which it troubleth To that place Ioh. 5.24 I say that by iudgement is meant the iudgement of CoÌ„demnation The beleeuer shall not come into iudgement the iudgement of Condemnation for already he is passed from death to life already he hath everlasting life non re sed spe non fruitione sed fide We are already passed from death to life spe non re for we are saued by hope as saith the Apostle Rom. 8.24 We haue already life everlasting fide non fruitione for wee walke by faith and not by sight as the same Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5 7. The truth is as long as this flesh encombreth vs wee cannot fully possesse eternall life yet in this flesh wee haue a tast feeling of it For in this flesh wee knowe God to bee the only very God and whom he hath sent IESVS Christ and this is life eternall It 's Christ's assertion Iohn 17.3 Whereto may be added that 1. Cor. 13.9 We knowe in part and prophecy in part And that Coloss 1.13 God hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne And that 1. Ioh. 3.14 Wee knowe that we are translated from death to life Thus already are wee passed from death to life by an assured hope already we haue everlasting life by a liuely faith and therefore shall wee never come into iudgement the iudgement of Condemnation But there is a iudgement of Absolution then to be executed when the Lord himselfe shall descend froÌ„ Heaven with a shout 1 Thess 4.16 and with the voice of the Archangell and with the trumpet of God At that great day the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which liue and remaine shall with theÌ„ bee caught vp in the clouds to meet the LORD in the aire at whose right hand wee shall bee set to receiue to the eternall ioy of our hearts that happy sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world To that other place Ioh. 3.18 I say that the vnbeleeuer is coÌ„demned already in effect and substance 3. waies In the counsell of God in the word of God and in his owne conscience Hee is condemned in Gods counsell and purpose before ever he commeth into the world as Esau was Rom. 9.11 Hee is condemned in the word of God wherein sentence is already passed against him Ioh. 1.9 for that light being come into the world hee yet loveth darknesse rather then light He is condemned in his owne conscience the torment whereof like a worme ever gnaweth him and never suffereth him to be at rest So many waies are the vnbeleeuers already condemned already that is in this world their condemnation is begunne but the manifestation finishing of it shall be hereafter and therefore the meaning of the place is this they that beleeue not are already iudged in part but the full manifestation thereof shall bee at the day of wrath Then shall they see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes of Heaven with power great glory at whose left hand they must be set to receiue to their eternall horror that irrevocable sentence Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the Divell and his Angels The scruple now remoued hath remembred vs of two of Gods iudgements his iudgement of CondemnatioÌ„ for the wicked and his iudgement of Absolution for his chosen Neither of them is meant in the present clause of my Text for which I point at two other iudgements of God familiar vnto him when he dealeth with his owne people The one I call his iudgement of Protection the other his iudgement of Correction His iudgement of Protection is meant
of this attribute of God The profitable labours of the excellently learned Zanchius are not wanting to this point Wherefore to touch it but in a glance let it please you to be remembred you whose liues are but a c Iob. 8 9. shadow doe hold your liues only at the good pleasure of your maker that hee your maker the maker of Heaven and earth God eternal is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellencie and most properly said to liue Both the Testaments giue witnesse to this truth In both hee is often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the liuing God Our forefathers did ofteÌ„ swear As the LORD liueth It was a protestation much vsed by God himselfe As I liue You may hence conclude that God is life it selfe liueth of himselfe and is the sole fountaine of all life in all things living besides himselfe Giue mee leaue to hold you yet with two or three wordes You see it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God and you see to whom it is fearefull to all the wicked but especially to such as fall away from the knowne truth How much then is the condition of many in this our daye to be deplored I meane the conditioÌ„ of such against whom there hath beene much complaint made out of this place and the like for their going out from among vs if not bodily yet in heart and affection to adore that Romish Idol For the sinne of Apostacie there is no sacrifice that can make satisfaction iudgement and fire must be it's portion Wherefore leauing all backsliders revolters or fallers away from the holy religion which you professe to the secret iudgements of Almightie God suffer your selues to be put in mind of your owne estate You knowe there was a time when a cloud of blood did overshadow this land but God in his good time dispersed it Then our most gracious * QVEENâ— ELIZABETH This Sermon was preached Dec. 1602. Soveraigne succeeded in the throne finding this our country to bee but bricke shee turned it into Marble finding it in the sands she set it vpon a rocke and the rocke was CHRIST finding it a land of images ignorances corruptions vanities lies shee hath hitherto preserued it a land possest of the truth and seasoned with the Gospell of Christ That so it be preserued still good Lord if it be thy will let the happy line of her life continue even as long as Sunne and Moone O thinke vpon the comfortable blessings wherewith you are blessed vnder her I remember you not of your peace yet that is such as your fathers never presumed to hope for The freedome of the Gospell is the thing I remember you of Your consciences haue hitherto beene at libertie will you now suffer them to bee enthralled to mens traditions Your zeale hath hitherto beene rectified by knowledge can you now be content to haue the eye of your knowledge put out the preaching of the Gospell hindred and blind zeale fostered in your bosomes Your religion hath hitherto beene reformed by Gods ordinances shall it now bee deformed by those impotent and beggarly rudiments wherevnto your grandfathers were in bondage Why should your last estate be worse then your first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the conclusion to each of those Epistles writteÌ„ to the seaven Churches in the Revelation He that overcoÌ„meth not he that draweth his sword nor he that fighteth the battels of the Lord nor he that spendeth his blooâ— much lesse he that fainteth that flyeth that sleepeth that standeth or sitteth still but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that overcommeth shall never be hurt of the second death Be yee therefore of good courage and faint not your cause is Gods cause your quarell Gods quarell your enimies Gods enimies Doe yee as you haue your gracious Queene for an example Shee is the formost in this fight and hath given the first blow the first blow a great blow powerfull I hope to the â—ooting out from among vs every Popish Priest and Iesuite It shall haue the better successe if you in your places will second it and multiply strength vpon it the Magistrate by his temporall sword and the Minister by the sword of his mouth which is the word of God Gird vp your selues with strength and rush into the battel Set together vpon the common enimy Why should there bee strife or contentions betweene your selues Are yee not brethren You shall finde enough to doe with the common enimy eveÌ„ to the speÌ„ding of your best strength They are growne to such boldnesse that they will not easily be quelled Parsons * Colletonâ—s Defence p. 241. statizing or marchandizing of the Crowne diademe of England is so notoriously known that even Pasquine in Rome speakes of it Their Arch-Priest BLACKWELL if the secular Priests doe guesse aright was he bashful when he put it in print that Cardinall Allen and Father Parsons as Moses and Iosua iam diu proculdubio occupassent promissionis terram had long since out of doubt possessed this Realme of England had not the disobedience of some secular Priests their most displeasing murmuring hindred it Wanted the Iesuits boldnes when they thus * Preface to the Iesuites Catechisme threatned the secular Priâ—sts in England The INFANTA of Spaine shal be your Queene and that sooner then you looke for You see their boldnes how they blush not to divulge and publish their impious plots practises and designementes against the Lords annointed It is the more neede then that our forces should be vnited Let vs ioine heart and hand togither in Gods holy cause against that wicked race borne to the ruine and desolation of states and kingdomes Let vs practise the word and be instant in season and out of season if possibly to restore to Christ the seduced by Antichrist to gather vp the spirituall stones of Gods house already fallen and to giue streÌ„gth to such as are falling that so having fought this good fight finished our courses and kept our faith we may at the time of our departing receiue the crowne of righteousnesse which is laid vp for vs and not for vs only but for all theÌ„ also that loue the appearing of the Lord. Est Deo gratia The Table containing the particulers of this booke AMbrose 30 Ammi 158 The Anger of God threeâ—fold 149 Anthropomorphitae 173 Aphthartodocites 166 Atheists 50 Audiani 173 B. BAlaam 5 Of sinning after Baptisme 28 50 The beleeuer shall not come into iudgement 159. 161. he hâ—th alredy eternall liâ—e 161 The blasphemie against the holy Ghost 19 Boldnesse 15 Wee must loue our Brethren 81 Bribes take not 74 Bribes taken in secret 77 The Blood of the covenant 96 C. CAtharists 29. 30 The rule of Charity 80. 89 Christian Charitie hath three branches 81. 85. The bond of Charity 70 The Child of God may diminish the graces of God in him 34. He may fall into his old sins 34 He