instruction First yee must bee extraordinary persons As it is with a batte or flindermouse it is a kinde of bird but an extraordinary one It flies 1 Be extraordinary persons like a bird and so is among the fowles of the aire but it brings not forth young like a bird nor feedes them like a bird nor feedes it selfe like a bird so be you singular among Mat. 5. 47. men one of a city and two of a tribe Ordinary men do love the world to a miracle They forget they are the generation of God and so to the dishonour of their race the world and worldly things doe blot out this law of justice But as wee read of Hercules when hee wrestled with the mighty Mauritanian Antheus so often as hee threw him to the earth his mother hee soone recovered his strength againe but when beyond ordinary course he lifted him up above the ground and so held him at armes end till he was breathlesse hee soone vanquished him So when yee wrestle with your owne hearts for justice which are earth earth earth and throw Ier 22. 29. them to the ground ye never goe away conquerours for they are where they would bee Therefore lift them up extraordinarily into another element and have your conversations in heaven and yee shall soone gaine the victory to doe this law of justice The prudent searchers of nature consider the soule of man according to the three powers of it and speake though not so accurately as others of three parts of it The reasonable angry and 1 Rationalis 1 Irascibilis 3 Concupiscibilis lustfull part From the reasonable part proceeds reason itselfe judgment discretion and wisedome and this they seat in the head From the angry part issue the hot motions of fortitude and courage and this they seate in the heart From the lustfull part come desires and appetites after meate drinke and other pleasures and this they seate in the ventricle These three may represent unto us the three ages of the world In the first they Melanch post were wise then wisedome flourished arts and sciences were invented and if wee seeme to be more in this then they it is because we are Pigmies upon those Giants shoulders In the second they were valorous From Ninus to Iulius was the age of warrious Then David Sampson Achilles and Hercules were in prime But in this third and last age most are given to appetite The understanding and heart have had their times but now the Belly is the great God and as hunger after pleasure profit or honour prevailes so all lawes of God and nature are more or lesse neglected Had yee not neede then to be singular now if you would doe as you would be done unto Secondly being singular 2 Let the Spirit of Christ dwell in you extraordinary let the spirit of Christ dwell in you as well as the law of nature even that spirit wherewith hee did revive this Nature is a good mistresse if Christ be our master Nature shall well direct us in our workes of justice when by Christs spirit we are created to good works Therfore bee sure that you bee in Christ by faith that Christ be in you by the life of justification sanctification comfort and then as Christ teacheth this law of nature so you through Christ shall grow more and more abounding in the practise of it so long as you are Experience teacheth that a tree lives longer then a man or fowle or beast and wee aske the reason of it It is resolved S. Fr. Bac. Nat. Hist thus Other creatures grow to their full stature and then grow no more but in excrements as haires nailes feathers and the like but a tree live it never so long growes in proper parts and so drawes juice and sap from the roote thorough the whole body to quicken it So if you inquire why a man in Christ doth keepe all lawes better then another man I answer because he is never at his height so long as hee is heere He dayly sucks in and drawes in his growing parts of greatnesse or goodnesse the heavenly oyle and liquor of Christs spirit which Phil. 4. inables him to doe all things thorough him that helpeth him Be it in the name of Iesus Christ thus with you and ye shall not faile to doe as you would be done unto in minds mouthes and members I le Motives to observe this law give you but two incentives and so an end The not doing this will much discomfort you in the day of death In many cases betwixt you and others you have seene or heard variety of opinions and for want of judgement or goodnesse by witty evasions have beene swayed this way and that way But then let conscience have her perfect work and when it spies that by these means ye have not done as ye would be done unto it cries prickes and wounds and yee know not what to doe especially when death comes to draw you to the barie of God Therefore as Pythagoras gave a precept to his schollars not to taste of any thing that had blacke tailes so doe I advise you here and I pray God you may follow it in my christian sense The king saith according to the old picture I rule you all the souldier saith I fight for you all the husbandman saith I feede you all the priest saith I pray for you all but death saith I devoure you all And then if notwithstanding your pretence of faith in Christ you have impenitently not done as you would be done unto hell will say I will torment you all Lastly consider that the doing of this will comfort you when that day comes Put case yee have not had braines to search into every particular case to reach to the depth of every wise law to untie every knot in things to bee done or forborne yet if in indighting witnessing pleading answering judging and recording yee have done as yee would bee done unto then shall your memories blesse your understandings for seeing your understandings blesse your memories for recording your understandings and memories blesse your wills for decreeing your wills blesse your affections for maintaining the whole soule blesse the body for practising and God shall blesse all for cleaving unto his law of justice from Christ and nature And if with this you have also the law of faith and piety and follow them according to the rule of Christ then shall you heare well done good and faithfull servants enter into your masters joy To which joy our good God bring us all in his good time thorough his way of piety and justice without holinesse no man shall see thee O Lord therefore bring us thither thorough the way of piety Hee that doth not righteousnesse is not of thee O God therefore bring us thither by the way of righteousnesse also Oh let us serve thee heere in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our
there goes that Leviathan and creeping things innumerable so is it with the land there are too many master sinnes and untellable other sinnes which wound single but oppresse by heapes A King wee have by Gods blessing never better lawes never wiser and provisions never more wary but to make all right as the oratour magnified pronunciation so doe I execution Many hands make light worke and your hearts will set them on worke up and be doing I neede not provoke your willing mindes yet may I shew you what you do or should though I presse you not to what you doe not A poore oppressed Surius in vita S. Basil woman did observe Saint Basil to have some credit with the governour of his place Shee solicits him to write to the govenour in her behalfe The good Bishop presently tooke pen inke and paper and wrote to this effect This poore woman came unto me saying that my letters have great weight with thee If it be so heare her and shew it The woman carried it the governour read it and writes backe this againe Holy father for thy sake I would have had pitty upon this poore woman but I could not except shee pay all that is required of her The good Bishop writes againe once more thus Seeing thy will is ready but thy power is wanting it is a tolerable excuse but if thou couldest and wouldest not Christ will make thee so poore that where thou wouldest thou shalt not be able These words were propheticall to this unjust governour for not long after he fell into the Emperours displeasure was cast into prison and expected punishment But then he remembred Saint Basil whose intercession he sought and obtained and by that meanes his liberty Hee then came to Saint Basil called to minde the poore woman sent for her and restored to her the goods hee wrongfully withheld twofold Hee would not hazard a second punishment for an act of Injustice unrepented of My observations upon this story are these It is a great honour to be in authority it makes the Saints of God on earth to sue unto them It is a miserable place to bee upon earth oppressions may bee done to Gods poore servants It is a fearefull thing not to relieve the oppressed when it is in our power it casts the mighty from the throne and brings them to shame It is a brave thing to doe Iustice at first but better late then never better of love then when it is whipt outwith strokes It is glorious too not to refuse to doe right at last when at first wee have done wrong as hee for not one of a thousand meets with such a day You will bee pleased ever to bee better presidents of Iustice then that Iusticer and not to stand in neede of his best part his late repentance whereof you are not sure And thus the eyes of the Lord will bee upon the just and his eares will bee open to their prayers His eyes will bee upon the iust As hee that hath made a goodly picture looks upon it againe and againe that hee may supply to every defect at last so God deales with the godly that are just His eares are open to their prayers When they call he will heare when they cry he will say Ecce adsum behold here am I nor behold I wil come because hee is hard at hand to comfort them with blessings who comfort others with upright Iustice I cannot teach the meanest amongst you in your way onely I have presumed to present this story and withall to offer to your eyes if you please what you have heard with your eares The Assize of God and The Assize of Nature If these may stand you in the least stead to shew you what you are and doe and put you in minde what you must continue it is all the hearty wishes humble prayers upon this occasion of him that is and will be Your worthinesses to use in possible services ROBERT ABBOT THE CONTENTS OF THESE SERMONS in short 1 The Lords Assize from Iudg. 11. 27. 1 Which is fitted to the time or setting down a triall of 1 The life 2 The liberty 3 The goods 4 The goodname Of Israel Of AmoÌ„n 2 And propounded to perswade all trials by the Lord the Iudge Where both 1 What keepes the Lord from judging 1 When truth is witheld in unrighteousnesse 1 By deniall 2 By false accusation 3 By profit 4 By lingring delaies 5 By flattery feare hope c. 2 Wher if truth appeare judgment doe not attend upon it in full glory 2 What brings the Lord to judging 1 When such persons sit to judge as God would have 2 When the whole worke is carried for the honour of the God of truth 1 By an holy heart 2 By an holy hand 3 By an holy eie 4 By an holy mouth THE CONTENTS OF THE Second SERMON 2 Natures Assize from Math. 7. 12. 1 Where for introduction 2 knots are cleaâ—ed 1 What it is inferred upon How it is the law and the prophets 1 Whether in the law there beÌ„e more then one precept 2 Whether there bee a connexion of all vertues where one 2 Where for tractation 1 Are examined 1 Lawes of nature 2 Principles 2 of nature Are shewed 1 The praises of this law 2 The power of it 1 Briefe from Christ 2 Plaine Nature 1 In sense layed downe 1 Negatively 1 Not what we list 2 Nor what others doe to us 3 Nor what others do to others 4 Nor what themselves would 5 Nor what we have bin accustomed 6 Nor what profit honour pleasure perswades 7 Nor as the lawes of the land permit 2 Positively As would others doe to us 1 Whence this rule ariseth 2 When selfe-love is right charity 3 How this rule of justice must be carried 2 In application To all To the occasion 1 With 2 meanes to doe it 2 With 2 motives to further it THE CONTENTS OF THE THIRD and fourth SERMONS 3 The Christians Thrift in keeping from 1 Tim. 1. 19. 1 Where we are taught 1 To keepe faith where 1 How we must keep it By holding 1 The ground of faith 2 The object of faith 3 The act of faith 4 The power of faith 2 Why we must keep it 1 Faith is our life 2 Faith is our power of working 3 Faith is our workeman 4 Faith is our best light here 5 Faith makes earth heaven 2 To keep our keeping of it and to use meanes ro keep it 2 Where also we are taught 1 To keep a good conscience where 1 How we must keep it By keeping 1 The light of conscience 2 The love of conscience 3 The worke of conscience 4 The charge of conscience 2 Why we must keepe it 1 If it be gone God wil be against us 2 Without it nothing wil do us good 3 Without it nothing can do us hurt 4 It carries with it more then the whole world 2 To try our keeping of it and to use
9. flesh is weake and hee is never angry if yee follow him as deare children in workes of imitable mercy Onely know this is Gods Salvis prietate justitia rule that mercy must never bee shewed but when piety and justice can bee kept safe and sound Thus doe and yee shall this day be Iephtahs appealing to the Lord the Judge to judge betwixt the children of Israel and the children of Ammon And that yee may doe thus the Lord the Judge grant unto you who lookes upon no man in his person all men in their cause and hath made himselfe to you a patterne of executing justice and mercy and that for IESVS CHRIST his sake who is the Lambe of mount Sion the Saviour the Lion of the tribe of Iudah the Iudge and is angry with them that honour not the father kisse not the Sonne and grieve resist quench and despise the Spirit to the which coessentiall coeternall and coequall Trinity bee all kingdome power and glory henceforth and for ever Amen NATURES ASSIZE OR A SERMON ON MATH 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever yee would that men should doe to you doe ye even so to them for this is the law and the Prophets RIght Honorable Right worshipfull and beloved the last time I presented unto you the Assize of God and now I shall if God please lay before you the Assize of nature if both shall meete in Gods rule example and your imitation ye can not faile in the work of the day All scriptures are good and fit to make perfect yet have 2 Tim. 3. 17. they an accidentall difference as instruments of musick Some like Iacobs hasel rods Greg. Mar are partly pilled and partly covered some like Ahabs Heb. 5. house of Ivory are without a covering Some are like milke some like stronger meate Some are so cleare that the 2 Pet. 1. 19. 2 Cor. 3. day-starre ariseth with them in our hearts and some are darke through the vaile upon 1 Cor. 15. our minds As one starre differeth from another in glory yet are all heavenly bodies so is it with the scriptures some are large in handling weighty matters same bind up much in a word This heere is of the playner sort as all highly necessaries are So cleare that he is blind that sees it not so emphaticall that hee is an adamant that is not mooved so short that a snaile hath more blood then Plus habet limax sanguinis quam ille sensus hee hath sense that receives not much in a little Yet must you suffer a little more then a word of exhortation to convey unto your soules that little which I can commend from them They containe a sure rule of justice but every word must be scanned to bring it to the practise even of a willing people The very first word therefore 1 Therefore what it concludes is not without a knot for it may be asked upon what it is inferred Some thinke it to referre to the justice in the chapters foregoing but this Quest conclusion would be too farre separated from the premises by the God of order Some thinke it to bee redundant as many elegancies in the Scriptures are But certainely it is Answer not in vaine It is of good use and a note of an excellent conclusion to be for ever held out of it selfe Nature teacheth it the law and the prophets revive it therefore hold it doe it The last words have a 2 How this is the law and the Prophets greater knot For how can this bee said to bee the law and the prophets seeing they set downe the love of God and the promises of salvation by Christ as well as Iustice to each other Hereupon two questions are disputed in the schooles Quest Whether more then one precept Rom. 13. 9 First whether in the law there be more then one precept yea or no The doubt ariseth thus Saint Paul saith if there be any other commandement it is briefely comprehended in this thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe And Christ saith heere doe as you would bee done unto for this is the law and the prophets therefore it seemes there is but one But Answer seeing the Apostles mentioneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2. 15. Aquin. 1a 2 ae q. 99. Art 1. one law of many commandements it is resolved thus that there is but one precept with the respect to the full end charity but there are more with reference to the meanes subservient to it Secondly hence it is asked Quest Whether there be a connexion of all vertues Iam. 2. 10. whether there be such a connexion of vertues that where one is in truth there are all the rest This doubt ariseth from two texts too Saint Iames saith whosoever shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all If it bee thus in breach it is thus in complement For there is but one body of legall justice either to doe or sinne against And Christ saith here that to Io. de corb com theol lib. 5. c. 8. doe as we would be done unto is the law and the prophets If justice to men bee the law and the prophets then surely where that is in truth all that they require is by way of concatenation and chayning Wall Eth Arist Majores extravitia quà m intravirtutes together This question is expounded to be understood of perfect and gratuitous vertues which are by infusion not of such as are acquired by industry Of these it is said of the grave moralists of old that they are greater in being without vice then in being within the lists of true vertues Of those there are some that are more noble then others and therefore are they called the mothers of vertue Thus Faith is the mother of vertue in originall Matres virtutum 1 Origine 2 Educatione for out of the acts of faith these flow Charity in education for it feedes them all with faiths provisions humility in conservation for they being raked up in her ashes are kept alive and prudence 3 Conservatione 4 Regimine in government for it she doe not order them all they are not carried without a blemish Though these have thus their due glory yet where one is in truth there are all the rest in linke Some subtile doctors goe against Scotistae this being overswayed as they thinke enough by experience But though of the shadowes of vertues this be true yea and this bee as true of true vertues that some are more conspicuous then others by humane aptnesse fitnesse of the instrument office time and occasions yet Answer it is better resolved affirmatively The subject requires it a vertuous man who can not bee at one time good and bad happy and unhappy which yet he could be if hee had some vertues and wanted others Gods bounty requires it which gives not one vertue to fit receivers without the
and Hell Faith will doe it too Faith receives Heb. 11. the dead to life and sends a defiance to the greatest enemies of it O Death where is 1 Cor. 15 thy sting O Hell where is thy victory Thankes bee to God for Iesus Christ the Captaine of my salvation O who would bee without faith It is our workeman hold it Rom. 7. 4 Faith is our best light here Fourthly faith is all the comfortable light yee have in the world Without the sunne the earth would be an Aegypt and without faith we are in a region of darkenesse The wisemen Math. 4. Math. 2. came out of the east and worshipped Christ offering also gold frankincense and myrrhe why what did they see in him They saw a child not a man they saw him in a stable not in a throne in ragges not in robes crying in a cratch not thundring in the clouds how then came it about they now worshipped Faith saw God in him for the heavens waited upon him in his starre Faith saw in him a prophet a priest a king and their oblations were answerable The thiefe upon the crosse cryes out unto Christ Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy kingdome was he a Lord that was dealt with like a slave had hee a kingdome that was disgracefully thrust out of the world Could he remember him that would not remember himself when they cryed come downe from the crosse and save thy selfe Faith casts away these mists and saw glory in shame Yee know what the Centurion said verily this man was the son Mat. 27. 54. of God what a man and the sonne of God too The son of God that could not have the favour to live or dye so well as the sonne of man Surely some sparke of faith saw life in death light in darknesse It is your light hold it Lastly faith makes earth 5 Faith makes earth heaven Math. 13. Gen. 28. Eph. 2. heaven unto you and the church the kingdom of heaven the house of God the Gates of heaven and sets us on the seats of heaven heere below Before we come to the proper place and mansion which Christ hath Ioh. 16. provided for us by faith wee sit with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven Put case wee hope for it wee see it not faith is the ground of things hoped for the evidence Heb. 11. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things not seene It stands under the waight of the whole world and yet sayes heaven is mine It sees nothing but earth and sinners and beasts and trees under the canopie of the starrie heaven and yet sayes heaven is mine as if it had it already O the world of grace and glory that is in faith therefore hold faith Oh that I now knew how Application to screw my selfe into your soules to search whether yee hold faith How many thousands have it not and cannot hold it How many thousands have it a little and know not whether they hold it or no yee are to bee married to the lambe and till that day come Annulum sponsalem yee have but the wedding-ring of faith to have and to hold first for promise then for fruition Tell me then Doe yee hold the ground of 1 Try the ground of faith Rom. 8. faith Then yee are humbled soules yee have passed thorough the spirit of bondage whereby yee have been shut up in prison under Moses till the sonne hath made you free Ioh. 8. and yee walke humbly ever after for feare of loosing this estate This laies the foundation of faith deepe enough Hymeneus and Alexander 1. Tim. 1. 20. built upon the sands and so they ship-wrackt against the rockes of the world Therefore you must downe lower under the sands earth rockes to the gates of hell and then Out of the depths have I cryed Psal 130. 1 unto thee O Lord. Are yee thus in some measure or other according to your sinnes Say it if yee love faith and your salvation Are yee convinced Ioh. 16. Act. 2. of your sinnes are yee pricked at the heart for your sinnes Are yee so all this that yee are at utter enmity with all sinne Then keepe this ground of faith Doe yee hold the object of 2 Try the object of faith faith This nourisheth and keepes faith alive It is like oyle to the lampe like fewell to the fire and like sap to the tree Have you full assurance of the knowledge of the scriptures Can you say I le pawn my life body and goods and soule that though I cannot conceive all yet all in the scripture is true what I know is true and I resolve to learne more what I know not is true and I will doe my best to comprehend that too Have ye a free assent to all the truth of it and to that alone for salvation Do ye not come off basely as Agrippa almost thou Act. 26. 28 perswadest mee Have yee a beliefe to all the precepts promises and threatnings of the scriptures Doe ye say all the commandements are true I must do them all the threatnings are true and if I live in Deut. 32. sinne I must undergoe them even to burning in the nethermost hell all the promises are true and I must relieve my flagging and drooping spirit with them in despite of my unbeleeving heart Doth thy faith in the knowledge of them change thee as it did David who when hee could Psal 40. say that in the volume of thy booke it is written of mee presently cries out Loe I come to doe thy will If it be thus hold faith But doest thou not rather hate the being of the word in thy understanding Thou knowest it will strip thee of all thy lusts Doest thou not therefore say as those miscreants depart from mee I desire Iob. 20. not the knowledge of thy lawes doest thou not hate the nature of the word to will as that wills Heare that cursed voice and feare to finde it in thy selfe I will doe as I have done Ier. 44. whatsoever the word of God saith Doest thou not hate the rules of the word Art thou not sorry they are true Wouldest thou not they were false Can a fleshly-man love that flesh and bloud cannot inherit 1 Cor. 15. the kingdome of heaven Can an old sinner love that the childe shall dye an hundred Es 65. 20. yeares old so ripe shall hee bee for God and the sinner being an hundred yeares old shall bee accursed Can an usurer love that hee is not for Gods tabernacle and holy hill that Psal 15. 5 putteth his mony to usury Can an whoremonger love that whoremongers and adulterers Heb. 13. God will judge or any of those sinners that bee not deceiued neither fornicators nor 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor theevs nor covetous nor