should have been taken from him but left all other thoughts and did cleave to his masters side with an inseparable resolution As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee So must we be to Christ in whom God hath manifested his good will to us and say as Peter did To whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life Gods Mercy is like Daniels goodly tree Dan. 4. whose height reacheth unto the heavens and the sight thereof to all the earth whose pleasant fruit all mortal men do taste and eat and under the shadow of whose fair leaves they take rest and comfort To the defence and succour of this tree must we run in storms and extremity and not then only but at all times lest with ungrateful Popelings we go about in the fairest sunshine to lop the branches Of pions memory is that last speech uttered with the fierce zeal of a dying Martyr burnt in a Tun in Smithfield in the presence of Henry the Fourth King of England Mercy Lord Jesus Christ mercy And of him that with lifted-up hands and singers flaming with fire cried to the people None but Christ none but Christ for ever Cry then ye braving Merit-mongers and say not with the Laodicean Church We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when as your consciences tell you as theirs did Ye are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Learn with the Prophet Jeremy to say It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Make it the height of your ambition with the Apostle to be found in Christ Lam. 3.22 not having your own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith And since the bowels of Gods compassion and good will to us do yearn upon us and the merits of our blessed Saviour are so effectual as to justifie in his sight let all the world conclude with David Thy loving kindness is better than life Psal 63.3 And with the Angels here acknowledge our salvation to proceed from Gods good will Our Justification thus effected a main work of Gods goodness towards man there follows upon the very neck of it our Sanctification And here we find the Well of Gods Mercy to be like Jacob's deep to which whosoever cometh with a thirsting soul may freely drink of the water of life Since then O God thy Mercy and thy Goodness is of that depth that no Mortal is able to found it and it able to satiate all with thy good Spirit that as by thy Son we are justified in thy sight so by thy Spirit we may be sanctified for Holiness becometh that house wherein thou dwellest O Lord. Know then that by an eternal constitution of Gods predestinating will some were ordained to be vessels of dishonor some of honor Those of dishonor are Reprobates and câ—st-aways who spend their days in prophaneness and end in never-ending pains But those of honor are the Elect who being made to be perpetually glorified among the blessed Angels that kept their first station have here their conversation tanquam in coelo as in heaven and following the conduct of that sanctisying Spirit that makes them holy and acceptable to the most Holy end in never-ending happiness The first are passed in silence our speech must be of the latter whom God by special grace vouchsafes to grace with such endowments as fit them for glory There are none begotten by a natural generation exempted from the contagion of sin neither can any in truth glory of a pious conformity of their wills Papists presume upon a natural ability to gain acceptation at the hands of God and Pelagians have given that goodness to remain in our wills which doth not both which whilst the wheel is turning and the sum of all their misfortunes is cast up sleep supinely in carelesness and boast vainly in security Divine truth hath discovered our nakedness and shame so that the naked truth without all contradiction is that what characters of goodness were imprinted in our nature by the hand of our Creator were by the hand of man that catcht hold of the forbidden fruit quite obliterated and blotted out insomuch that unless the same power take us in hand again and put upon us the stamp of a new creation we shall never alter those crooked and wry dispositions which by our offending disobedience we have contracted The life of a Christian doth challenge an higher parentage than from earth when the beauty thereof is marred and the emoluments departed And here the Lords good will hath not been deficient but superabundant above what we are able to ask or think for out of the plentiful treasures of his grace hath he supplied our defects First he sent his Son and behold now he sends his Spirit His Son to free us from condemnation from which otherwise we cannot be free his Spirit for our regeneration which is an act of Divine power whereby being born of God we are reduced to the obedience of his Name Isa 63.18 1 Pet. 2.9 and made like unto him Holy as he is holy hereby becoming the people of his holiness as saith the Prophet and as that Saint of God the Apostle Peter speaks A chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people What was written upon the plate of the holy Crown of pure gold belonging to the Priest in the Levitical law is by the singer of God engraven in Capital letters in the hearts of his Saints HOLINESS TO THE LORD Exod. 99.30 Which inward holiness makes them zealous of good works that are like to Pearls as one saith found here below but carry a resemblance of Heaven in their brightness and orient colours To which end our Saviour gave this precept Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Those sacred actions of obedience that have their original dependencie upon the Divine operation of Gods Spirit in the heart please God wonderfully He is glorified by them and in them his soul takes great pleasure Cui prius non beneplacitum erat in hominibus Theophil nunc pro beneficiis refocillationibus hominum habet opera in quibus quietem habet faith Theophilact on these words God who at first was highly offended with men for their apostacy accepts the good deeds of men though himself be the Author of their good for favours and refreshings wherein he is well pleased As I breathe Christians I cannot but admire the good will of God who dwelling in that light unto which there can be no access would vouchsafe to shine upon us who are darkness in the very abstract or would lift up the light of his countenance upon us whom sin had made so contemptible In good earnest I am transported much more
from One unchangeable God on whom if we rest contented not overruled with prejudicate opinions never shall fear distract us Plura sunt quae nos terrent Senec. ep 13. saepius opinione laboramus quà m re I borrow this from Seneca Many things terrifie us and we are oftner vext and pain'd in opinion by furmises than in very deed by truth But it is otherwise with the well-inform'd Christian who ponders all events and examineth the causes the defect whereof sets some at their wits end 'T is ignorance and rashness that makes way for misprision and misprision for fear The best things sometimes scare us Gods merciful goodness not understood puts us to a stand his very favourable presence which should move joy did and shall move fear in some I do not think there lives that man this day on earth so resolute did God appear not in flaming fire in thundering and lightening to render vengeance but in a soft wind as to Elijah or as here another way to Jacob in every respect full of respect but would be sore afraid Devout Jacob whose dream portended nothing but happiness at the end of his Divine rapture was afraid What he saw and fear'd was no other but a welcom prediction of his future glory and perpetual safety and yet was afraid That magnificent greatness and blessed eminency to which the Lord promised to advance him left him not undaunted Yet this must I needs say he was more afraid than hurt 'T is a certain truth though God terrifie his children yet he harms them not No disadvantage is taken to undo them by it but to raise their spiritual fortunes After the fall of their courage one way at the brightness of his Majesty he puts spirit into them another way to further their exaltation thorugh a sense of his mercy Thus he doth with this religious man whose fear gave the occasion of my writing Here men may admire so good a man would be taken napping and then fear when he had most reason to rejoice The Father of Heaven did from Heaven look upon him with a benigne aspect yet he trembles Observe what ensues and cease to wonder Religious hearts are in a continual awe of God yet not bereft of comfort 'T is their blessedness Pro. 28.14 that they always fear Happy is the man that feareth always So it is to be referr'd the well ordering of our conversation aright Piety puts all things straight in us that rectifies all the passions of the soul directeth our hearts to the fear of the Lord which brings in time a crown of rejoycing Hence he requires it of us upon our Allegiance to his Supremacie Royal which should we deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timor were no less than Rebellion than Atheism The Greeks therefore derive the Name of God from a word that signifies fear intimating that God above all must be feared of all as well as acknowledged Hereupon the Heathen Latine Poet grounded his invention Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor Fear first made Gods on earth Divine Truth sometime calleth God by the name of Fear Jacob sware by the Fear of his father Isaac Gen. 31.53 that is by that God whom his father Isaac feared If any desire to know what kind of fear this of Jacob's was I dare not entangle better thoughts in the perplexing briars of School-niceties sprung out of the rank grounds of acute Philosophers but will use my endeavours to satisfie expectation by painting out a smoother way of far less danger and of more profit This holy Pilgrim as he was deckt with the ornaments of Grace so was he clogg'd with the infirmities of Nature As he was of a good heart so withal without disgrace of a timorous disposition His fear might well consist with his goodness It was not carnal or worldly arising out of an afflicting distrust of Gods providence Nor yet humane begotten by an excessive desire to this fugitive life Nor servile as proceeding from self-love so from the threatned judgments of an angry God for the violations of his pure sanctions This with the rest is sever'd from grace Gregor Mag. Ignorat mens gratiam libertatis quam ligat servitus timoris saith Gregory in his Pastorals The grace of liberty proper to the sons of God is unknown to the mind tyed to the slavery of a base fear A Divine calls it Esau's with which Jacob had no medling he bought his brothers birthright not his vices Jacob's fear was natural initial filial Natural whereby he declined hurtful objects when presented to him initial whereby for the love of God he rejected all desire of sinning filial whereby his obedience to the Highest Power was kept sound and entire None of the sons of men are exempted from the first since the first man The first man had it not actually in his Integrity because there was nothing to hurt him his Apostacie gave it a being in time Our blessed Saviour the Lord Jesus had it but without sin 't was long of sinful men he was so weak so infirm Who foreseeing the bitter Cup he was to drink to the Worlds health Aug. Enchir. cap. 24. his heart drew back his soul was heavy even unto death Austin defines it Fugitantis animi motum the motion or passion of a yielding mind which is no more separable from us than our nature This makes good that expression of it in the Book of Wisdom A betraying of the succours which Reason offereth Wisd 17.12 So powerful is our weakness above the strength of Reason that the very suspition or conceit of approaching evil puts us oft out of heart Nothing almost lays open our imperfections to the worlds eye more than it Faintness of heart at the sight of unavoidable mischiefs seifeth upon our choicest metallâ—d men upon our most heroick spirits Wherefore Origen upon the Book of Judges notes it to be Humanae fragilitatis indioium Orig. in cap. 7. lib. Judic Hom. 9. a bewraying note of humane insufficiency Take it in the excess it unmans a man and makes him like a Sword-fish to which Themistocles compar'd a Coward which hath a weapon but wants a heart Take it in the mediocrity and just temper it subscribes to what Reason dictates and then doth us good If Religion moderate it as it allays the â—orce of its corruption so it gives it a purer essence and brings us off with a greater grace This I believe in part was Jacob's case who frightned with the suddenness of such an unaccustomed spectacle as was presented to his view gave place to fear which be knew not speedily how to shun Yet without doing Jacob wrong we may not say this was his onely fear but as he was by nature thus inclin'd so was he by a spiritual emanation of grace above nature indued with initial fear All that are born of God have by the transcendent working of his Almighty power all that is old in them renewed and
understood so Sin spiritually The Regenerate mans actions are as contrary to those that he did before as fire and water so that it may be said of him as it was once of Troy being taken Senec. Thalamis Troja perlucet novis every act word and work are all altered every chamber made new and swept to entertain the Object of the regenerate It was a strange change that Satan mentioned and motioned to our Saviour of turning stones into bread But nothing so strange as the work of Regeneration and Renovation a turning of stony hearts into hearts of flesh In this great work the substance of the Soul is the same only the qualities and operations are altered In Regeneration our natures are translated not destroyed no not our constitution and complexion The melancholy man doth not cease to be so after conversion only the humor is sanctified to a fitness for godly sorrow holy meditation c. and so of the other The fountain of blessed Immortality is the new birth which is the unmaking of a man and the making of him up again The whole frame of the old corrupt conversation is to be dissolved that a better may be erected The dignity and necessity of this work are motive enough to labour it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a being heaven born as the word imports from above and without it Heaven will be too hot a place to hold us A man with Job may come to curse the day of his first but shall never have occasion to curse the day of his new-birth Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit vers 5. he nannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit vers 6. is Spirit Justification There is a twofold Justification by 1. Infusion 2. Imputation Justificare est ex imputatione justitiae Christi pro justo reputare Inquit Lorinus Jesuita in Psal 45. St. Paul saying we are justified by Faith without works Rom. 3.28 And St. James saying that we are justified by works and not by Faith only Jam. 2.24 may be thus reconciled His Sermon of Christ crucified pag. 68. There hath been saith Mr. Fox a long contention and much ado in the Church to reconcile these two places of Scripture but when all is said that may be said touching them there is none that can better reconcile these two different places than you your selves to whom we preach And how is that I will tell you saith he do you joyn the lively Faith that St. Paul speaks of with those good works that St. James speaks of and bring them both together in one life and then hast thou reconciled them for so shalt thou be sure to be justified both before God by St. Pauls Faith and before men by St. James works That we are justified only by the righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith is the very Basis Foundation and State of Christian Religion whereby it is distinguished from all other Religions whatsoever Jews Turks Pagans and Papists explode an imputed righteousness yea Papists jear it calling it a putative Righteousness Let us therefore hold fast this comfortable and faithful word and transmit this doctrine safe and sound to posterity It was Luthers great fear that when he was dead it would be lost again out of the world Christ is in the midst of his Church whose righteousness is communicated to every true Believer who only comes within the Sphear of his activity The more vertuous the central Agent is in any thing the larger will his Semidiameters be and consequently his circumference The more powerful the fire is the further will it cast its heat circularly By Christ all that believe Act. 13.39 are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses For what saith the Scripture Rom. 4.2 Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness Therefore we conclude Rom. 3.28 that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Vnion with Christ This Union is neither natural nor corporal nor Political nor personal but mystical and Spiritual Unitas not compaginat uni Our unity with Christ makes us one â—ith him and yet it is no less true and real than that of God the Father and God the Son For as the Holy Ghost did unite in the Virgins womb the divine and humane natures of Christ and made them one person by reason whereof Christ is of our flesh and of our bones so the Spirit unites the person of Christ his whole person God-man with our persons by reason whereof we are of his flesh and of his bones Our Union with Christ is exprest in Scripture by five Similitudes 1. By marriage Christ the Husband we the Spouse 2. By a body Christ the Head we the Members 3. By a building Christ the Foundation we the Superstructure 4. By ingraffing Christ the Vine we the Branches ingraffed into him 5. By the Similitude of feoding Christ the food we the body nourished As the Spirit of man quickens no seperate part Ezek. 37.9 neither could those dry bones live till they came together bone to his bone and the wind breathed upon them Aug. so nor Christ any that are not united to him Christ and his Members make one spiritual body Whiles Christ layes hold on us by his Spirit we lay hold on him by Faith Hence the Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 And the fulness of Christ Eph. 1.23 Yea hence we have the honor of making Christ perfect O happy union the ground of communion Omnis communio fundatur in unione O happy Interest the ground of influence Hence we have communication of Christs Secrets 1 Cor. 2.16 The Testimony of Jesus 1 Cor. 1.5 Consolation in all Afflictions 2 Cor. 1.5 Sanctification of all occurrances Phil. 1.21 Participation of Christs merit and Spirit and what not I am the vine ye are the branches Joh. 15.5 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 For we are Members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 Sanctification Justification and Sanctification are inseperable concomitants indeed they are not to be confounded but withall they ought not to be severed distinguished they must be divided they cannot and therefore they are fitly called Twins in the womb of Free Grace Hence it is that we find those two frequently joyned together 1 Cor. 6.11 Ezek. 36.26 Mic. 7.19 One bade his Fellow at the Sun-rising look towards the West instead of the East where he might the better see the appearance of the Sun upon the tops of the Turrets even so the assurance of Election is best seen in Conversion and Sanctification 2 Pet. 1.10 Malac. 4.2 Sanctification is an universal healing of all the
It was a custom amongst the Persians Plùs quali animo astimatur quà m quid datur Aelianus None might come to their King or Prince without gifts Syneta a poor husbandman meeting in the field Artaxerxes King of Persia presented unto him an handful of water out of the next river and was rewarded by the King with a Persian garment a Cup of gold and a thousand Darices of silver But what had man wherewith to move God to be favourable to him When Alexander gave a whole City to one of his servants and he out of modesty denied it his speech was He did not dispute what was fit for him to receive but what did beseem him to give The like may be said of Christ the great gift of God and effect of his love and favour to mankind Bernard once preaching upon the Incarnation and Nativity of our Saviour Christ said The shortness of the time constrained him to shorten his Sermon And let none quoth he wonder if my words be short seeing on this day God the Father hath abbreviated his own Word for whereas it filled heaven and earth as the Prophet speaks it was on this day so short that it was laid in a manger Christ easeth us of a threefold burthen 1. Affliction 2. The Law 3. Sin Which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear x Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift 2 Cor. 9.15 But there are also other gifts of God which are mainly of two sorts Dona 1. Aedificantia 2. Sanctificantia The former wicked men may enjoy the Saints have only the latter Paracelsus called the vertue of the Weapon-salve Donum Dei so are the Graces rather of his Spirit There is in Grace 1. Vita originalis habitualis which is from death of sin 2. Vita actualis renovata which is quickning from deadness Again Grace is 1. Inchoata incompleta 2. Perfecta completa consummata Philosophers and Divines say Justa aâ—eudo sumus justi There is an Esse naturale by union of soul and body And an Esse spirituale by union of the soul and Christ The habits of the former Vertues are got by frequent acts but Grace by Divine infusion Grace coming into the soul of man Pembl vind Grat. pag. 7. like Light into the air which before dark is in all parts at once illuminated or as Heat into cold water that spreads it self through the whole substance or as the Soul into the body of Lazarus or the Shunamites child not by degrees but all at once infused and giving life to every part So is our New man born at once though he grow by degrees that is the soul in conversion is at once re-invested with the Image of God in all its faculties so that though the actions of Grace do not presently appear in each one yet the habit the seed the root of all Divine virtues is firmly reimplanted in them and by the strength of this grace given they are constantly disposed to all sanctified operations Well said the Roman Theodosius That living men die is usual and natural But that dead men live again by repentance and grace is the mighty work of God alone Gregory the Great seeing the Merchants of Rome setting forth many beautiful British Boyes to sale sighed and said Alas for grief that such fair faces should be under the power of the Prince of darkness and such beautiful bodies should have their souls void of grace The body is better than food the soul than the body grace than the soul and only Christ than grace Whoso carries this Moli or Herb-of-grace Vlysses-like frustrates all charms Without grace Trees excell us in length of life Beasts in strength and Devils in knowledge Martial reports of a Fly that by a drop of Amber falling upon it grew in such request that a great sum of money was bidden for it so grace makes us esteemed of God Act. Mon. William Tims convented before Bishop Bonner Tims said the Bishop thou hast a good fresh spirit it were well if thou hadst learning to thy spirit Yea my Lord said Tims and it were well also that as you be learned men so ye had a good spirit to your learning A sinner wants grace Non quia Deus non dat sed quia homo non accipit Whereupon it follows in a Schoolmans inference That Gods not giving is not the cause of a sinners not receiving but rather his not receiving is the cause of Gods not giving Which made Ambrose count a sinner worse than a serpent Serpens aliis infundit venenum injustus sibi If thou begin 1 To hate and fly sin 2 If thou feelest thou art displeased with thine infirmities and corruptions 3 If having offended God thou feelest a grief and sorrow for it 4 If thou desirest to abstain from all appearance of evil 5. If thou avoidest the occasion 6 If thou travailest to use thy endeavour 7. If thou prayest to God to give the grace These are so many testimonies and pledges of Grace and the Spirits ruling within thee Furthermore if there be any life in the body at the heart it will beat at the mouth it will breath at the pulse it will be felt So where there is the life of Grace in any Bish Andrews it will appear to himselfe by his good thoughts and holy desires which he hath in his heart and it will appear to others by the gracious words that proceed from his lips and from the good works that proceed from his hands And if it cannot be perceived by any or all these waies then certainly there is no life of Grace in a man It is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace Heb. 13.9 Corruption Corruptio in Physicis opponitur generationi Ames Sicut igitur in generatione forma perfectio rei in generatur Sic in corruptione eadem forma et perfectio de perditur Forma autem et perfectio hominis quae moralis est et spiritualis consistit in conformitate debità ad imaginem voluntatem Dei ad quam in creatione primâ fuimus generati invocatione sumus regenerati Mutatio igitur ab isthâc perfectione ad peccati deformitatem et confusionem rectè ac propriè dicitur corruptio We must distinguish saith Bernard inter morbum mentis et morsum Serpentis inter malum innatum malum seminatum Sathans suggestions and our own corruptions We must with the man in the Gospel cast off our cloak and run after Christ and if we approach to heaven with Moses take off our shoes viz our filthy lusts because the lighter the swifter But this must be in the strength of God Austin striving against corruptions in his own strength heard a voyce In te stas et non stas This Corruption of nature hath a regency and dominion in wicked men and a residency and dwelling in the best and will have Being like a
things hoped for and alwayes goes before Hope follows after 4. Lastly Faith is our Logick to conceive what we must believe Hope our Rhetorick to perswade us in tribulation unto patience In a word the difference between Faith and Hope in Divinity Sodullus Minorit is the same as is between Fortitude and Prudence in Policy Fortitude not guided by Prudence is rashnesse and Prudence not joyned with Fortitude is vain Perfectionem legis habet qucredit in Christum Ambr. in Rom. 10.4 Chrysologue so Faith without Hope is nothing and without Faith Hope is meer presumption Whosoever touched the consecrated things that belonged unto the Tabernacle was holy so is he that toucheth Christ by faith Accedere ad Christum est credere qui credit accedit qui negat recedit Vertues seperated are annihilated Neither in the flint alone nor in the steel alone any fire is to be seen but extracted by conjunction and collision Faith is so well eyed and so sharp sighted that as the Eagles eye being aloft in the clouds can notwithstanding espye sâ—â— frutice 〈◊〉 sub 〈◊〉 piscem so faith here on earth can notwithstanding search into the deep things of God in heaven most perfectly seeing those things which humane sense can no way perceive So heaven by joyning faith and good works together Herein a faithful man exceeds all other that to him there is nothing impossible he walks every day with his Maker and talks with him familiarly he lives in heaven though be be seen on earth when he goes in to converse with God he wears not his owne cloathes but takes them still out of the rich ward-robe of his Redeemer and then dares boldly prease in and challenge a blessing The Celestial Spirits not scorn his company yea his service he deals in wordly affaires as a stranger and hath his heart ever at home his war is perpetual without truce without intermission his victory is certain he meets with the infernal powers and tramples them under feet the shield that he bears before him can neither be missed nor pierced if his hand be wounded his heart is safe he is often tripped never foiled and if sometimes foiled yet never vanquished iniquity hath oft craved entertainment but with a repulse if sin of force will be his tenant his Lord he cannot be his faults are few and those he hath God will not see he is set so high that he dare call God Father his Saviour Brother heaven his Patrimony and thinkes it no presumption to trust to the attendance of any else There is no more love in his heart than liberty in his tongue what he knowes he dare confess if torments stand between him and Christ he contemns them banishment he doth not esteem for he seeth the Evangelist in Pathmos cutting in pieces Esay under the saw Joâ—as drowning in the gulf the three chrildren in the furnace Daniel in the lyons den Stephen stoning the Baptists neck bleeding in Herodias platter he emulates their paine their strength their glory he knows whither death can lead him and outsâ—ceth death with his resurrection Abels faith is a never-dying Preacher Perkins on Heb. 11. Oportet in fide stare in side ambulare in fide perseverare Orig. Invoco te tanquam languidâ imbecillà fide Cruciger sed fide tamen Lawrence Saunders a Martyr in a letter to his wife wrote thus Fain would this flesh make strange Act. Mon. of that which the Spirit doth embrace O Lord how loth is this loytering sluggard to passe forth into Gods path were it not for the force of faith which pulleth it forwards by the reines of Gods most sweet promise and hope which prickes on behind great adventure there would be of fainting by the way Aristotle said Anxius vixi dubius morior nescio quo vado But Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Terra fremit regna asta crepant ruat ortus orcus Si modò firma fides nuilae ruina nocet The just shall live by faith Heb. 10.38 Vnbeleif Infidelity is a grievous sin As faith is the greatest vertue so infidelity is the greatest vice It is a barre to keep out Gods blessings Christ could do nothing among his own brethren for their unbelief sake As wine a strong remedy against hem-lock yet mingled with it doubleth the force of the poison so it is with the Word when mingled with unbelief Unbelief rejects the remedy frustrates the meanes holds a man in an universal pollution and leaves him under a double condemnation One from the law wherein Christ found him and another from the Gospel for refusing the remedy In a word it shuts a man up close Prisoner in the lawes dark dungeon till death come with a writ of Habeas Corpus and hell with a writ of Habeas animam Yea this leads the ring-dance of the rout of reprobates Therefore let us labour to pluck up this bitter root out of the hearts of us all Take heed brethren Heb. 3.12 lest there be in any of you an evil hert of unbelief Hope Philosophers call it extensionâ—â—â— appetitiâ—s naturalis Spâ—i objectum est boâ—um futurum arduum possibile adipisci Aquinas The object of Faith is verbum Dei of Hope res verbi Alsted Hope is a grace of God whereby we expect good to come patiently abiding till it come As joy is an affection whereby we take delight in the good that is present Spes in humanis incerti nomen boni spes in divinis nomenest certissimi as proceeding from faith unfained which can beleeve God upon his bare word and that against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible Hope makes absent joyes present wants plenitudes and beguiles calamity as good company doth the time This life would be little better than hell saith Bernard if it were not for the hopes of heaven Sâ—d superest sperare selutem and this holds head above water this keepes the heart aloft all flouds and afflictions as the cork doth the line or bladders do the dody in swimming It 's the grace of Hope that sets a man in heaven when he is on earth A Christian could not go to heaven on earth Dr. Holdsworth and take a spiritual slight but for hope The promise brings down heaven to the heart it inverts that speech of St. Paul he saith while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord. But hope turns it and makes it while we are in the body it teacheth us how to be present in heaven Here is the benefit of hope Alexander an Heathen had such a notion about an earthly hope Juvenes multum babeâ—t de futuro parum de praeterito ideo quia memoria est praeteriti spes autem futuri parum habent de memoriâ sed multùm vivunt in spe Idem which had no ground neither but the great things his owne
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he burst out into an holy heat he wrought with a kind of anger against himself and others because the work went on no faster i. e. animum accendit Hic in bonum sumitur est studii ardentis non irae Buxt Chrysostome saith of Peter that he was like a man made all of fire And Basil was said to be a Pillar of fire such was their Zeal When Polycarpus had heard of any false doctrine broached by any he was wont to stop his cares saying Ah my Lord why hast thou reserved me to these times And would presently go his way Old father Latimer said we had good things in England onely deest ignis viz. Zelus Give God thine affections else thine actions are still-born and have no life in them The best way to keep fire alive is under ashes So Zeal which is the fire of the spirit is best preserved in an humble soul remembring it self to be dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 Job 42.6 Jesus Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tins 2.14 and purify unto himself a pecullar people zealous of good works Luke-Warmness A luke-warm Christian is one that standeth indifferently affected neither eager for the truth nor an open adversary thereunto Neither a Zealous professour nor a professed enemy to Religion but a neuter Such saith a Divine are our civil Justiciaries Quoties Judaeos foeliciter degere videant cognatos corum se appellant ut pote à Joseph oriundi Quando verò cos rebus adversis constictari intelligant adfirmare nihil eos ad se pertinere Politick professors neuter-passive Christians a fair day mends them not and a foul day pairs them not peremptory nover to be more precise resolved to keepe on the warm side of the hedge to sleep in a whole skin suffer nothing do nothing that may interfere with their hopes or prejudice their preferments Thinking they can at once keep correspondency both with God and the world And therefore Camelion-like turn themselves into any colour and accommodate themselves to any company Such of old were those Assyrian Colonies 2 King 17.41 that feared the Lord and withal served their graven images And such like were their successors the Samaritanes of whom Josophus recordeth the Jewes while they flourished should be their dear Cousins but if at any time under-hatches they would not once own them Such were the ancient Ebionites of whom Eusebius tells us that they would Keep the Sabbath with the Jewes and the Lords day with the Christians And still we have now a days more than a good many in utrunque parati unresolved and ready to be any thing with the time Such Profligate Professours and temporizing Gospellers the Lord holds in such special detestation that they are held worthy to be set in the front and to lead the ring-dance of such reprobates as shall be hurl'd into hell Yea the Lord will spew such parasites out of his mouth as too loathsome morsels for his stomack to brook or bear with I know thy works Rev. 3 15. Vers 16. that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then beause thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth Vigilancy True Christian watchfulnesse is an earnest care and bending of the mind to live every day as one would live upon his dying or upon his judgment day which may fall out to be every day for ought that we know 1. There is a watchfulness in reference to God We should watch 1. What God doth 2. What God saith 2. And we should watch in reference to our selves We should watch 1 What we do 2. What we speak 3. What we think Every thought word and work must be accounted for and brought to judgment And therefore it is as much our wisdom as it is our duty to watch over them VVhilst Ishbosheth slept upon his bed at none Baanah and Rechab took away his head Scilicèt ut paratum intentum momentis omnibus quò vellet subitò educeret Sueton. Whilst the Crocodile sleepeth with open mouth the Indian Rat gets into him and eateth his entrails Our enemy is alwayes ready to annoy us should we not therefore be vigilant It was a piece of Julius Caesars policy never to fore-acquaint his souldiers of any set time of removal or on-set that he might ever have them in readinesse to draw forth whithersoever he would Christ who is called the Captain of our salvation deales in like manner Meritâ— semper sonare auribus nostris debet haec vox vigilaete This word Watch should be ever sounding in our eares running in our minds Bucer in Mark cap. 13.37 It fareth with the best as with a drowsie person who though awakened and set to work is ready to fall asleep at it So Peter James and John those pillars as they are called Gal. 2. fell asleep at their very prayers Mat. 26.40 Such dull mettal are the best men made of and so weak is the flesh be the spirit never so willing so ill disposed is our most noble and immortal part the soul to supernal and supernatural employements Meditation and Prayer are the creatures of the Holy Ghost Jude 20. and that we may not run out into extravagancies or put up yawning petitions we must watch and pray yea watch while we are praying meditating c. against corruption within the sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 and temptations without whether from the world the things whereof are so neer us and natural unto us Or from the Devil who is ever busiest with the best as flies with sweet-meates and with the best part of their best performances as in the end of their prayers when the heart should close up it self with most comfort Keep thy heart with all diligence Pro. 4.23 otherwise it will presently be a dunghill of all filthy and abominable lusts and the life a long châ—in of sinfull actions a very continued web of wickednesse Take heed where you set gun-powder sith fire is in your heart Austin thankes God that the heart and temptation did not meet together Beside Satan will be interrupting as the Pythoniss did Paul praying Act. 16.16 as the fowles did Abraham sacrificing Gen. 15.11 as the enemies did Nehemiah with his Jews building Who therefore praid and watcht and watcht and praid What I say unto you I say unto all Watch. Mark 13.37 Security There is a twofold security 1. Spiritual and good 2. Carnal and sinful The one ariseth from the actings of a vigorous faith grounded upon the promise and Word of God Hope in God is the security and settlement of the soul Spes illa solùm firmitatam hahet qua Deo nititur God is the Saints Anchor-hold they cannot be removed by any storm when once they have fastened upon him He is the hope of all the ends of the earth and hope in him
shall never end but in a full enjoyment of him in heaven But the latter is accompanied with the neglect of good meanes and with a presumption of a good end Security is a life led sine curâ it abandoneth the fear of God chaseth a way faith ripeneth sin and hasteneth judgements For it willingly sleepeth in sin as unwilling to be awakened blesseth it self in iniquity and therefore the curse must needs be neer For a man to become so secure as not to have any feeling of the danger wherewith he is inclosed such a one seemeth to be strangely metamorphosed into a man of iron When Callipolis was taken by the Turks Turk Hist fol. 186. and the newes thereof brought to Constantinople such was the madnesse of the Greeks that they made small account thereof and to extenuate the matter when they had any talk thereof in jesting-wise commonly they said That the Turks had but taken from them a pottle of wine But for that it proved a right great losse and much concerned the State as the issue made to appear For the manner of the taking of Babylon Heredotus reports that upon one of their great Holy-dayes when all the City were in their dancing and disports Ex inopinato eis Persae astiterunt Chron. 35. on a sudden the Persians came upon them they came into the City and took a part of it when the other part sung out their song and danced on and knew not that the enemy had surprized them To shake us out of security consider 1. Our whole life is a Temptation 2. A godly man is never without a treasure and a thief to steale it 3. No place admitteth security 4. The further sin goeth the more deadly it is 5. No wise man contenteth himself with present â—ase nor liveth by things present but providently forecasteth for after times A man is never lesse safe Bern. si vis securus esse time securitatem fortuna quem nimiùm fovet stultum fâ—cit than when he seemes furthest from danger fear of security being the guard of safety great fortunes being the recks of ruine If thou wouldest be secure then fear security for whomsoever fortune too much cherisheth she makes a fool Which the wisest King expresseth thus Pro. 10.2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing Herein not much unlike to Merchants who having had good successe at Sea adventure for more and so lose all So that it is too true that as much light hurts the eyes so too much felicity clouds the understanding making the conceit of a safety the cause of sorrow Hence is that golden rule of Solomon Pro. 28.14 Beatus est home qui semper est pavidus In the dayes of Noe Mat. 24.38.39 that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noe entred into the Ark and know not untill the flood came and took them all away When they shall say peace and safety 1 Thes 5.3 then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaâ—l upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Fortitude He that will not strive against the wind will not reach the Port it becomes men as well to oppose misfortunes as children to cry over them A valiant man undertakes without rashness and performs without fear he seeks not for dangers but when they find him he beares them with courage and success he hath oftimes looked death in the face and passed by with a smile and when he sees he must yield he both welcomes and contemns it he forecasts the worst of all events and encounters them before they come in a secret and mental warre he is the master of himself and subdues his passions to reason and by this inward victory works his own peace he is afraid of nothing but the displeasure of the highest and runs away from nothing but sin he looks not how strong he is but how innocens his sword is to him the last of his trials and he draws still as defendant not as challenger where no man better manageth it with more safety with more favour be had rather have his blood seen than his back and disdains life upon base conditions he had rather smother an in jury than revenge himself of the impotent and it is a question whether he more detests cowardliness or cruelty he talks little and brags lesse he lyes ever armed with wise resolution he is neither prodigal of blood to mis-spend it idely Posse et nolle nobile nor niggardly to grudge it when either God calls for it or his countrey his power is limited by his will and he holds it the noblestrevenge that he might hurt and doth not he is so ballasted with wisdome that he floats safely in the midst of all tempests When Modestus the Praefect would have wonne Basil to that heresy first he gave him fair speeches Alas Sir saith he this language is fit to catch little children Know you not saith the Praefect who we are that command it No body saith â—asil whilest you command such things Your goods shall be confiscated Answ He needs not fear confiscation that hath nothing to lose nor banishment to whom heaven is his onely countrey nor torments when his body will be dasht with one blow nor death the onely way to set him at liberty You are mad said the Praefect Opto me in aternum sic delivare said Basil I have torne garments and a few books and so I live in the world as one that is always ready to leave it As for my body it is so weak one blow will make it insensible of grief and tormments Ignis crux bestiarum conflictationes said Ignatius yea let all the torment men and Devils can invent fall upon me so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus Christ And again Frumentum dei sum Lyons teeth are but like a Milne which bruiseth but wasteth not the good wheat onely makes it fit to be good bread Polycarp being bidden by the Proconsul to defie Christ and he should be safe answered Octoginta sex annos illi jam inservivi c. Rather dy a thousand deaths than deny my Lord Jesus Contemptus à me est Romanus favor furor said Luther Again Mallem vivere cum Christo quam regnare cum Caesare And again in the cause of God he was content Totius mundi odium impetum sustinere He said to God concerning outward things Valdè protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari ab eo Sr. Anthony Kingston coming to Hooper and telling him life was sweet Act. and Mon. and death bitter His answer was The death to come is more bitter and the life to come more sweet The Earl of Murray said by John Knox a Scottish divine when interred here lyes the body of him who in his life time never feared the face of any man Thou therefore endure hardness as a good souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2 3. Fear
New-years gift which was a New Testament and an Hand-kercher with this posie about it Fornicatores adulteros judicabit Dominus God judgeth them sundry kind of wayes 1. His judgment is on their souls which are translated from God to the Devil Hos 4.11 2. On their bodies Fornicatio quaesi formae necatio 3. On their goods Prov. 29.3 4. On their good names One principal thing that the Orator cast in Catelin's dish was Cane pejus angus his beastly and incestuous life 5. On their children Corpus opes animum famam vim lumina scortum Debilitat perdit necat aufert eripit orbat Long lasteth not the summer-fruit of wanton love or rather lust blasted most time in the blossom and rotten before it be well gathered Demosthenes went to Lais the Strumpet for a nights lodging Laeta venire Venus eristiâ— abire solet she asked 10000 Drachmes Nay soft saith he Nolo tanti emere poenitere Concupiscence is like an hot fire and our bodies like a seething pot Now this pot is cooled four ways especially By taking away some of the fuel under it Even so the less we eat and drink Incrementum gastromargiae initium luxuriae the less is the heat of lust It is Fasting-spittle that Kills this Serpent If we stuffe our Corps like Cloak-bags making our Mouths as Funnels our Throats Wine-pipes and our Bellies barrels there must follow some vent The pot is cooled by stirring of it So the furious heat of lust is abated by stiring of our bodies and exercise of our minds Unchaste folly for the most part is begot of an idle brain and hatched in a lazy body So sang the Poet Quaeritur Aegistus quâ re sit factus adulter Ovid. In promptu causa est desidiosus erat The Crab-fish when as the Oyster doth open slips in a little stone that she cannot shut herself again and so devours her If the Devil find us idle and gaping he takes his opportunity to confound us Let every generous spirit then resolve with Maximinus Quò major sum eò magis laboro quò magis laboro eò major sum We may cool the pot by casting some cold water into it In like manner abundance of tears are a good means to quench the outragious flames of this unruly fire The Amalekites we find in Sacred history burnt Ziglag and took the women captive which when David and the people found they lift up their voice and wept until they could weep no more 1 Sam. 30. and after that they smote them as the Text saith from the twilight until the evening of the next morn Lust is an Amalekite it burns our Ziglag sets on fire this little City captivating our senses and making us prisoners unto it But if we with David weep so that we can weep no more if we cast cold water into the pot if our eyes be fountains of tears and we weep day and night assuredly we shall pursue this cursed Amalekite and overcome our untamed affections we shall smite them from the twilight of our youth to the evening of our old age Also as a showre of rain extinguisheth the force of fire Chrysost so doth meditation of the Word the fire of lust in the soul The pot is cooled by taking it altogether by the fire so we may the sooner cool this hot lust which so boileth in us if we shun opportunities and occasions of sin Ne sedeas sed eas Ne pereas per eas Whereas other vices are conquered by strugling and striving with them the best way to subdue this vice is to fight with it after the manner of the Parthians who did fight flying Tu fugiendo fuga nam fuga sola fuga est 1 Cor. 6.18 Flee Fornication Simpilicity It is taken in an ill sense Pro. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity By which understand such as are easily drawn into a fools Paradise These may be called the best sort of bad men These simplicians are much better than scorners and far beyond those fools that hate knowledge All sinful men are not alike sinful It is taken in a good sense and so it signifies one that hath a plain heart void of wiles and wrinkles Simplicitas sine plicâ having not the wit and skill to contrive any mischief or harm to others It comprehends 1. Faithfulnesse without deceit 2. Humility without pride 3. Gentlenesse without fierceness 4. And uprightnesse without respect of persons Being opposed to fraud vain-glory morosity and partiality Christ was a simple man all the treasures of wisdom were hid in him he was wiser than Solomon than any Politick Achitophel than any Matchiavel whatsoever yet a simple man He would not imploy his wits and wisdom about such things as might be hurtful to any So must all Christians be though God have given them never so sharp a wit Simplic husp aesâ—ns Deus est offâ—nditur astu Mant. Eclog. 7. so searching a head never so great wisdom experience and learning yet they must not use it to the hurt of any but to the good of all so neer as they can Jacob was a plain man Gen. 25.27 I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil Rom. 16.19 In simplicity and godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 Subtilty It is sometimes taken in good part 1. For a singular wit or natural policy for one that is more provident and wise than others with this were the serpents indued at their creation Gen. 3.1 This was a good quality for God made every thing good but Satan abused it to a bad end 2. For sacred sagacity a sharp wit a deep reach a spirit that searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 of this Pro. 1.4 And sometimes it is taken in ill part for guile and deceit craft and wicked willnesse whereby men are made fit to deceive others A number there be that have the Serpentine wisdom and want the Dove-like simplicity They think they cannot be wise men unless they be crafty and hurtful men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are more like the Devil than Christ The Devil hath a plaguy wit á subtil pate of his own but he never doth any good with it but all the mischief he can So do those that are the Devils brood they have wit enough but what good do they with it Nay what hurt How dangerous be they in a town or a Countrey And certainly as a murderer desiring to wound deeply that he may strike deadly will look that his weapon be sharp Diabolus à te ornari quaerit so the Devil as at first chooseth the sharpest and subtilest wits for his instruments of mischief that having seduced them he may by them prevail the more for seducement of others O full of all subtilty and all mischief Acts 13.10 thou child of the Divel thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt
that the Rabbins say If the Heavens were parchment and the Sea ink it would not serve to write down the praises of it Eutychides drew his Gally neer where the Persians had entrenched themselves Sir W. R. and spake to the Ionians a people camped amongst them more for fear than favor and bid them remember liberty The like did Themistocles to the Eubaans which much prevailâ—d to make them either dissert or mutiny Christian liberty consists in Deliverance from evil in respect of the Law 's 1. Breach for There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus He was made a curse to deliver us from the curse 2. Bond which obligeth us in our own persons to very perfect righteousness to attain everlasting salvation Non â—stis sub lege sed sub gratiâ according to the tenor of the Law Do this and live But now we may with the Publican and Prodigal condemn our selves and appeal from the bar of Gods justice to the Court of his mercy Freedom in good in respect either of the 1. Creator having free access to God in the blood of Jesus Christ hath an easie yoke the service of God is not a bondage but a freedom 2. Creatures in that all things are pure to the pure For the dominion of the creatures lost by Adam was restored again by Christ All are yours you Christ's and Christ God's In maximâ— libertate minima licentia Therefore let us not be worse because we should be better Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5.1 13. and be not intangled again in the yoke of bondage For brethren ye have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Scandal Scandalum est rei non bonae sed malâ— exemplum Tertul. Aquin. adificans ad delictum Est dictum aut factum minùs rectum prabens occasionem ruinae A Scandal or Offence properly Scandalum est quo quis impellitar in ruinam evertitur Cameron is a stone or block or rub in the way whereat a man stumbles and either hinders or hurts himself In borrowed sense it is any offence cause or occasion given or taken whereby a man hurteth or hindereth himself or others in matter of Religion and Salvation whether by word or deed There is Scandalum Datum Acceptum 1. Offence is given By wicked and false Doctrine corrupt and false Opinions c. Thus were the Sorcerers a slumbling-block to Pharaoh and the false Prophets to Ahab Yea and good men are apt by untryed counsels to give offence as Peter to Christ Mat. 16.23 2. By wicked and bad example of life So were Eli's sons scandalous And thus good men by improvidence may give great offence as David by his soul sins made the enemies to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 3. By discouraging with threats reproaches or oppositions the good way of God Thus Saul wasted the Church 1. Offence is taken sometimes from evil things as when men provoke themselves to liberty in sin by examples of good men in the Scripture as Noah David Peter c. Whereas these should rather put us upon watchfulness and fear 2. Sometimes from good things Bonares neminem scandalizaâ— nisi malam mentem Tertul. Even the best things a man may turn to his bane And thus was the word out of Christs own mouth to the Jews and Pharisees Mat. 15.12 Joh. 6.60 Nay unto some Christ himself is a rock of offence and a stone to stumble at 1 Pet. 2.8 3. Sometimes men take offence ungiven from the inevitable occurrences of Gods providence all which he turns to the good of his Church And thus many cast themselves back by the Heresies in the Church by the dissentions in opinions by persecution and oppression of the ungodly by the paucity and contempt of such as cleave unto Christ by the prosperity of wicked men by the use or not using Christian liberty Sicut ubicunque fuerit triticum necesse est ut inveniatur illic zizania sic ubicunque fuerit bonum Dei illic erit scandalum inimici Chrys in Mat. 6 Hom. 33. Sicut necesse est ignem calere nivem frigere ita est necesse ut iniquitas mundi erroribus plena scandala pariat c. Hieron in Mat. 18.7 What is there spoken is Necessitate consequentiae because of the wickedness of men it will certainly be so And God justly permitteth the same for causes to him best known But yet by what follows it appears that Gods permission neither forceth mans will nor excuseth any evil act Peccare non tantum in se perditionis habet Hom. 25. in Epist ad Rom. quantum quod reliqui ad peccandum inducuntur saith Chrysostom To sin hath not so much perdition in it as to induce others to sin To shew in the glass of the Word the hatefulness of this evil To give offence or take it 1. It 's against the rule of Christian charity in a most high kind The former wounds thy brother the latter thy self not in body but in soul and conscience 2. Thou sinnest against Christ 1. Cor. 8.12 It is not only to destroy a member but to reach at the head so strait is the union betwixt Christ and his members Mat. 25.45 Nay it 's an high sin against the blood of Christ and vertue of his death Rom. 14.15 3. A sin it is that pulls most severe woes upon the sinner The Serpent was more punished than Eve Eve than Adam Jesabel than Ahab and Jeroboam than Israel Adde what a dreadful curse also it is to be given up to admit strong delusions and to be carried away against the care of a mans own salvation by any occasion whatsoever A plague inflicted on the limbs of Antichrist 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. But especially if they gather offence from that which should be the occasion of their holiness and happiness as Christ and his Word Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles 1 Cor. 10.32 nor to the Church of God Constancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which is but almost done is not done saith Basil Et non quaruntur in Christianis initia sed finis saith Hierom. Temporary flashings are but like Conduits running with wine at a Coronation Or like a Land-flood that seems to be a great Sea but comes to nothing Tutius recurrere quà m malè ourrere was an Emperors symbol Better run back than run amiss But to run well till a man sweats and then to sit down and take cold may cause a consumption It was excellently resolved by a Martyr The Heavens shall sooner fall than I will deny my dear Lord. And another Though ye may pluck my heart out of my bowels yet shall you never pluck the truth out of my heart Hierom of Prague said Make the fire in my sight for had I feared it I had never come hither Castalia Rupea
said You may throw my body from this steep hill yet will my soul mount upward again Your blasphemies more offend my soul than your torments do my body Fabrianus said That every drop of his blood should preach Christ and set foâ—th his praise Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury said Act. â—on Forasmuch as my hand offended in writing contrary to the heart my hand shall be punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall first be burned Which accordingly he did and held his right hand so stedfast and unmoveable saving that once with it he wiped his face that all men might see his hand burned before it touched his body It is the Evening that crowns the Day and the last Act that commends the Scene Be thou faithful unto death Apoc. 2.10 and I will give thee a crown of life Inconstancy The unconstant man treadeth upon a moving earth and keeps no place He hath not patience to consult with reason but determines meerly upon fancy No man so hot in the pursuit of what he liketh no man sooner weary He is fiery in his passions his Heart is the Inne of all good Motions wherein if they lodge for a night it is well by morning they are gone and if they come again he entertains them as guests not as friends He is good to make an Enemy of ill to make a Friend In an unconstant man Senec. lib. de Tranquil there is first Nusquam residentis animi voluntatio uncertain rollings of spirit and then vita pendens a doubtful and suspensive life For our actions do oft bear the image and resemblance of our thoughts A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes Jam. 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perseverance God's elect child cannot fall finally Because he is held up by God's immutable will God's constant love and will is ever to be look'd upon as the onely cause of our safety which keeps our wills by grace against these over-mighty enemies And wretched were we if our wills were put to keep themselves by grace saith one For if Adam without sin resisted not the Principalities c. that opposed him how much less we that are burdened with a body of sin Because he hath an established faith his salvation is certain because saith is the evidence of things not seen Because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus He is free from the law of sin and death If a son then no more a servant How dares flesh and blood say if a son yet again a servant Once a son and no more a servant once a son and a son for ever If a son then an heir A son saith Christ abides in the house for ever Aug. He that makes men good makes men to persevere in goodness Gods grace in his children is winning infallibly holding inseparably and leading indeclinably Dr. Field Perseverance in good beginneth not in the will but in Gods protecting grace that upholds the will from desisting Hence to every new work the will needs a new grace as Organs give sound no longer than while the bellows are blowing them Predestination gives a sure perseverance for none shall pluck Christs sheep out of his hand And though they may fall their slips are not final Sin reigns not in them wholly Or say they are punished it is a temporal Hell not eternal They are scourged that they may not be damned There are drops of displeasure for small sins and there is hot wrath for great sins but no whole displeasure without a whole reign of sin which cannot be We persevere in grace because built on the Rock Christ the Rock keeps us we keep not the rock yea the Rock keeps us that we keep the Rock For if it did not so the Rock did not keep us for if our keeping of the Rock were not kept by the Rock we should never keep it nor be kept But the Scripture saith we are kept from falling because we are grounded on the Rock and therefore the Rock doth keep us even from falling from the Rock faith a certain Author in his Ground of Arminianism Natural and Politick We should be like the Sun till Noon ever rising But there be many like Hezekiah's Sun that go back many degrees whose beginnings are like Nero's five first years full of hope and peace Or like the first moneth of a new servant Or like to the four Ages first golden then silver brasen iron Or to Nebuchadnezzars image begin gloriously but end basely Look to your selves this is a fearful sight a fearful condition Can he be ever rich that grows every day poorer Can he ever reach the goal that goes every day a step backward from it Alas how then shall he ever reach the goal of Glory that goes every day a step backward in Grace Successivorum non sâ—mul est esse perfectio saith Aquinas which accords to that of Tertullian Perfectio ordine posthumat But Multorum est incipere finire paucorum The Galatians began well so do many but Paul finished his course so do few Like the Diurnal-river in Peru so called because it falleth with a mighty current in the day but in the night is dry because it is not fed with a Spring but caused meerly by the melting of the Snow which lieth on the mountains thereabouts De Origine scribit Erasmus in vita ejus p. 1. Animum ejus plusquam adamantinum fuisse inde Adamantius dictus quem nec vitae austeritas nec perpetui labores nec dura paupertaâ— nec aemulorum improbitas nec suppliciorum terror nec ulla mortis facies à sancto instituto vel tantillum dimovere potuit Antiochus mustering all his Army in the presence of Hannibal much of their furniture being of glittering gold asked him If all this were not enough for the Romans meaning to overcome them Hannibal answered Enough were they the most covetous men in the world meaning to animate good souldiers Certainly Per finalem perseverantiam pertingitur ad praemium Innocent 3. l. 2. de sacr Altar Myst c. 41. Luk. 9.62 qui perseveraverit usque ad finem hic salvus erit No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God He that endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 10.22 Gal. 6.9 Therefore let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Apostacy The just man falls seven times a day but he riseth again Ille propriâ— est aâ—ostata qui fidem veram antea professus ab eâ in totum recedit Apostata idem sonat quod desertor transfaga If a man fall on the bridge he may rise again if he fall besides it he is drowned All falling after knowledge is not the unpardonable sin Noah fell Lot David Solomon c. It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The
Elect cannot sin against the Holy Ghost They that so sin must fall 1. Toti The Elect fall but in particular either in their understanding or in their will They that commit this sin fall wholly in their understanding and will too They obscure the light which they have received choke the good motions that were in them and with their whole will might and main run against the truth they professed 2. A toto from all the former gifts not from some one part of the Celestial doctrine and calling but from the whole doctrine concerning salvation Capit aresceâ—e sed non exarâ—it mota fuâ—t sed non amota concuâ—a sed non excussa aut extincta Tertul. maliciously resisting it A man may fall on his knees yet not on the whole body So a man may fall from some one fundamental point though not from the whole body of the heavenly calling 3. In totum wholly and finally without recovery These fall and never rise again because God denieth them his hand But Gods hand is still under his and his goodness lower than they can fall His supporting grace preserveth them from utter râ—â—idivation his Almighty power from utter destruction There is an invisible hand of Omnipotency that strikes in for his own Quâ—m â—â—it non 〈◊〉 Vatab. in Psal 37.24 Conâ—eritur annulus â—su Cowper Per paucos invenies qui â—edeant ad gradum pristinum Bern. Greg. Bpist Heb. 3.12 they can never fall below the supporting hand of God which will help them up again A Scottish Divine said he found the Zeal of his People so by little and little fall away that his last conflict was not with the Profane but justiciaries and such as were unrebukeable in their lives To escape the pollutions of the world and be again intangled therein and overcome is but a taking of Satans chain from the legge and â—ying it to the neck Minoris excessus est veritatem non cognoscere quà m in eadem non cognita manere Aliudque est quod ab errante committitur aliud quod per scientiam perpetratur Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Good Works De bonis operibus Faith only justisieth Fides sola est quae justificat fides tamen quae justificat non est sola Calv. Bern. but not faith alone It is the eye onely that seeth and no other member besides and yet the eye alone without the head or seperated from the head seeth not at all So faith onely justifieth us in the sight of God but that faith which doth thus justify us is not alone Frustra sibi de sola fide blanditur qui bonis operibus non ornatur We must have oyl in our lamps alwayes As under the law they were to bring pure oyl-olive beaten for the light to cause the lamp to burn alwayes So should we shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorify God So said Gregory Epist ad The â—d Justitiam quam mente geretis oportet coram hominibus luce operum demonstretis Nihil prodest verbis proferre virtâ—tem Cyprian factis destrâ—ere veritatem Turks and Pagans who plainly deny Christ do not derogate so much from the glory of Christ as do profane professours of his name Where the tongue professeth Christ and thy heart is given to impiety this is not professio sed abnegatio Christi Ille verò est beatus qui rectè credit Bern. rectè credendo benè vivit benè vivendo fidem rectâ—m custodit Sicut corporis vitam ex motu dignossimus ita â—idei vitam ex bonis operibus True it is all fields are not alike fruitful But a naked profession without the power of godlinesse will help thee no more than change of garment helped wicked Ahab in the campany of good Jehosaphat for through it the arrow of Gods vengeance pierced him among the thousands of Israel Efficatius est vitae quà m linguâ—â—testimonium Haâ—eâ—t opera suam linguam Good works are witnesses of the saving and renewing power of Christ they are testimonies of our being in Christ though not meritorious necessary they are not for which eternal life should be conferred yet by which eternal life must be obtained This is a faithful saying Tit. 3.8 and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Obedience Quod non lego non credo Triplex Preceptum Ludolphus Helvetius 1. Cautelae 2. Probationis 3. Instructionis Others 1. Obligationis 2. Tentationis 3. Instructionis Let Ministers have a care of negligence Gods gifts groan under our disuse or misuse and God hearing gives them the wings of an Eagle so that such may say as once Zedekiah did when went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee God dries up the arme and darkens the eye of idle and Idol-shepherds And let every Christian be careful for the careless neglect of the Gospel shall pull damnation on us Say we rather with Samuel speak Lord for thy servant heareth Or with the Dutch Divine Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus illi Sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let the Lord utter his minde and he shall have ready obedience whatever come of it What God hath joined together let not us put a sunder the most of us with Malchus have but one eare to hear the promise but not the precept of the Gospel Mr. Hardy we like well to gather the Rose and suck the honey of a promise but the condition we hate as the pricles and sting we would gladly have the Priviledge assured and yet we abhorre the duty required but be not deceived if we will have the one we must do the other God will not fulfil his part unless we perform ours and therefore it is in vain to expect an accomplishment of his promise but on his own termes In fine mercy is the spring from whence the promise floweth but duty is the channel in which it runneth down to us Mine care hast thou pierced saith the Psalmist but the Apostle hath it thus Psal 40.6 with Hebr. 10.5 A body hast thou fitted me Christs obedience began at his care but his whole body was obedient when he offered himself upon the crosse Hearing is good but to obey that which we hear is better Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but be that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Christ shall come from heaven to render vengeance to them that obey not the Gospel I was not disobedient saith Paul to the heavenly vision The ancient Israelites were banished out of Gods rest because they obeyed not his voice Let us by their example learn to obey God that we be not excluded out of his
childhood youth c. A Christian must go by degrees to heaven as they went up by steps and staires into Solomons Temple They go from strength to strength Psal 84. â— End or Result Duplex Finis 1. Consummans 2. Consumens The end is The first in intention The last in action In good things Sathan would disjoin the end from the meanes he tells us we may come to beaven and not labour for it here in this life And in things to be avoided he seperates the means from the end he telleth Eve she may eat of the forbidden fruit and not dye he telleth us that we may live here voluptuously and yet not be punished with hell fire-hereafter Better is the end of a thing Eccles 7.8 than the beginning thereof Comforting the Comfortless To comfort such mourners in Zion as do groan under the sense of sin and fear of divine wrath is as difficult a work saith Luther as to raise the dead and scarce one of a thousand can skill of it For though every Christian should have seeding lips and an healing tongue to comfort the feeble-minded taking-them down into Christs wine-seller and there drinking to them in a cup of consolation propounding unto them the sweet and precious promises which are Pabulum fideâ— the food of faith yet few can do this to purpose because they are either unskilful in the word of truth or unexperienced They utter them more from their brains than either from their breasts or bowels Haud iâ—nara mali miseris succurrere disco Virg. I mean their own experience This made Christ himself a more compassionate high Priest Heb. 5. And that eminent servant of his St. Paul had by this means got an excellent faculty in comforting the disconsolate 2 Cor. 1.4 So had Luther as having himself from his tender yeares been much exercised with spiritual conflicts as saith Melanchton To move us to this Christian work Consider 1. The compassion and sympathy that should be betwixt us in respect of our neer linking together in the body of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isoâ—â— Eph. 4.25 2 Corin. 11.29 2. We have received comforts from God to this end 2 Cor. 1.4 3. Sorrow is a gulfe how many hath it swallowed up for want of comfort 2 Cor. 2.7 4. We our selves are yet in the body and may suffer what others now feele Heb. 13.3 The nayle in the wheele that awhile ago was aloft is now below in the mire and dirt so we that now enjoy prosperity may on the turning of an hand be in adversity 5. God himself becomes our debter by promise to recompence it into our bosomes Psal 41.1 2. 6. The soules of the afflicted shall blesse us 2 Tim. 1.16 17. The comfort lastly we minister to others is reflected upon our own soules In spiritual things none is a loser by communication No man loseth knowledge by instructing the ignorant nor abates his own Zeal by inflaming the Zeal of others nor impairs his own comfort but increaseth it by ministring comfort to the distressed Yet a great number there are who are little affected with the miseries of their brethren saying at least in their hearts as the chief Priests and Elders to Judas What is that to us Whereas the beastliest amongst bruit creatures even swine seem to be affected with the outcryes of their kind Men onely more brutish than they triumph in the miseries each of other and are not moved with their outcryes as bitter as that in the Prophet Jsa 38.14 But what barbarous and savage inhumanity is it of them that as David saith add affliction to him whom God hath wounded A generation there is rife in all places dallying with the heaviest afflictions of Gods Children But see how bitterly David in a spirit of Prophecy curseth such men Psal 109.16 Let them tremble at it whose practice it is The main work of a comforter is 1. To strengthen the sorrowful man 2. To abate the strength of his sorrows Those who undertake the office of comforting others should observe three things especially 1. The nature of the affliction 2. The degree or measure of it 3. The temper of the person afflicted Comforts digged out of the Scripture alone have virtutem pacativam a setled property to compose the soul when distempered and to lodge a blessed calme and Sabbath of rest in it far above all Philosophical consolations Whereunto when Cicero had ascribed very much Nâ—scio quomedo imbecâ—llior est medicina quà m morbus yet he is forced to conclude That the disease was too hard for the medicine And this well appeared both in Socratâ—s who died doubtingly and Cato who desperately slew himself after he had first read Plato's discourse concerning the immortality of the soul So foolish a thing it is to flie in distresse of mind to creature-comforts and not to run to the name of the Lord that strong tower Besides there is an holy cunning in catching up words which drop from the lips of men in affliction and 't is our wisdom to make improvement of them as the servants of Benhaded sueing for their Masters life did of Ahabs 1 King 20.33 For instance Mr. Caryl makes mention there was an ancient professor as he hath been informed in much distress of conscience even to despaire he complaining bitterly of his miserable condition to a friend let this word fall That which troubles me most is that God will be dishonoured by my fall This word was hastily catcht at and turned upon him to the asswaging of his griefe Art thou careful of the honour of God and doest thou think that God hath no care of thee and of thy salvation A soul forsaken of God regards not what becomes of the honour of God Therefore be of cheere if Gods heart were not towards thee thine could not be towards God or towards the remembrance of his name Comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 Christian Conversation Hippocrates took an oath of his followers to keep their profession unstained and their lives unblameable When our life is contrary to our profession it is a slander to the Gospel and a dishonour to Christ Votum bonum hominum est dei sed dei propter authoritatem gratiae 〈◊〉 3. l. 3. de 〈◊〉 altar myst c. 8. hominis propter libertatem arbitrii hinc Apostolus Non ego sed gratia dei mecum iâ—â—rum Coadjutores dei sumus The whole life of a Christian saith Austin is an holy desire Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est and this is alwayes seconded with indeavour without the which Affection is like Rachel beautiful but barren A Christian must not onely have a good heart but a good life shewing forth the graces of the Spirit We must study to honour God and honour our profession The life of Christianity consists in a regular walking which includes four things viz. 1. As the walking of the body is a moving from one
but the dunghil Gifts are in some men tanquam in Organo in others tanquam in domicilio Schoolm But as Diamond is the best cutter of Diamond so that takes most with the heart that comes from the heart All men must give an account for their idle words and Ministers for their idle yea Idol silence A Ministers Motto is Holynesse to the Lord this must be written in his forehead Dxod 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good Ministers should be as fixed stars in the Churches firmament by the influence of their lips feeding by the regular motion of their lives confirming and by the light of both inlightning many A good Minister must be as Moses for his meeknesse and a Phineas for his Zeal Athanasius was called a load-stone for his sweetnesse Magnâ—s Adamas Ministers must be to their slocks as Moses to Aaron instead of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vici Dei Ex. 4. Aut pâ—â—cantem aut praedicantem and an adament for his stoutnesse The Apostles had fiery tongues but yet cloven Barnabas and Boanerges the son of consolation and of thunder make a good mixture The good Samaritan poures into the soares both wine to search and oyl to supple See further the requisites of a Minister laid down by the Apostle 1 Tim. 3. Where he is very exact in forming him John Baptist was the voice of on crying Nazianzen saith he cryed louder by his life than doctrine He was tota vox his apparel diet conversation c. Paul was insatiabilis Dei cultor as Chrysostom calls him And it was Austins wish that Christ when he came might find him either praying or preaching And certainly there can be no better posture or state for the messenger of our dissolution to find us in than in a diligent prosecution of our general or particular calling Quid magis Ecclesiae curandum quà m ut idoneus praesit Episcopus Those that despise or want the Ministery have the chariot without the horses and horsemen 2 King 2.12 the letter without a guide Act. 8.31 they forget whither their wresting of mysterious places conduceth Ministers are the supporters of a people So Aaron was to bear the names of the children of Israel before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial so upon his heart A good Minister is a friend in court which we say is better than penny in purse He is like a candle which spends it self to give light to others Or like a cock which by the clapping of his wings awaketh himself and by his crowing others He is the very glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 The Ministery is Onus ipsis etiam Angelis tremendum Chrys A burden too heavy for an Angels shoulders except God put under his arme Austin was termed Hereticorum malleus but so sensible was he of the greatnesse of his undertaking that he wept when he first entred into any government of the Church Act. Mon. 1578. Bradford was hardly perswaded to become a Preacher Latimer leapt when he had laid down his Bishoprick being discharged as he said of such an heavy burden And Luther was wont to say that if he were again to chuse his calling he would dig or do any thing rather than to take upon him the office of a Minister See the sands the gulfs thorow which a godly Minister must sâ—â—le if he do his duty the world hates him if he do not God will curse him By the first he is in danger to lose his goods his name his life By the second his soul his heaven his God But let us imitate Christ and his Apostles Peter converted souls Paul subdued Kingdoms Auctin brought great fame to Hippo Ambrose to Miâ—ain Ignatius to Antioch Policarp to Smyrna Dionisius Areopagita to Athens Irenaeus to Lyons Cyprian to Carthage Gregory to Nissa Theodoret to Cyrus c. Shall we succeed them in chaire and not in care Say to Archippus take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord Col. 4.17 that thou fulfill it Pastour As Shepherds oftentimes go to seek the lost sheep in a coate made of the sheeps own wool So Christ came to seek man in mans clothes And mark in what fit places he looked for him In the womb he sought man amongst men In the stable amongst beasts In the Temple amongst hereticks in the crosse amongst thieves He looked also into the grave where he found some of his sheep fallen into the ditch See the paines Christ our Shepherd took to find us Mat. 23.37 How willing he is 1. He groanes for them O Jerusalem Jerusalem 2. How he loved them how often would I have gathered thee 3. His kind entertainment as a Hen her young ones Surely three Arguments that he was willing to find us Pastor oves 1. Educit de lacu miseriae Psal 40.2 2. Conducit per viam justitiae Psal 32.8 3. Perducit ad pascua vitae Psal 16.11 Shepherds as the Roman Postellers observe must have three things 1. Scrip. 2. Staffe 3. Whistle Where note by the way that Romish Prelates and Priests are first for the Scrip Cùm non pascunt sed pascantur Non â Pasco derivantur sed à pascor pasceris Acsi victuri assent sine â—urâ cum pervenirent ad curam then for the Staffe and last of all for the whistle for the truth is they are all for the Scrip and Staffe and nothing for the Whistle So long as they are full fed with the Priests of the Grove fare well and rule the rost it makes no matter in what Pasture the sheep feed of what puddels they drink or in what ditch they starve These shepheards feed themselves and not the flock being more like Pasties than Pastours These love the fleece more than the flock A good Pastour must resemble the Planet Jupiter Rom. 13.13 he must be 1. Benevolus in affectione well-willing in affection 2. Calidus in dilectione hot in love 3. Humidus in compassione moist in compassion 4. Diurnus in Conversatione dayly in conversation He must also discern the wholesome grasse from the hurtful and not suffer the flock to taste of that He gave some Pastours Ephes 4.11 John 21.15 16. Feed my lambs feed my sheep The Word of God The Divine glasse is the Word of God the Politique glasse is the state of the world many look on this neglect that The Prerogative of God extendeth as well to the reason Sacra Scriptura regula credendi certissima tutissimaque as to the will of man So that as we are to obey his law though we find a reluctancy in our will so we are to beleeve his Word though we find a reluctancy in our reason It s happy when the Word falls into hearts as showers of rain into a fleece of wool which fall gently and are received as gently Pythagoras his ipse dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was enough to satisfie or silence his whole
cutting off of the foreskin of the flesh set out that of the fore-skin of the heart neither was to be omitted not that of the flesh because faederally enjoined nor that of the heart because Mystically signified by that of the flesh and being the substance of it Circumcise the fore-skin of your heart Deut. 10.16 Circumcision made without hands c. Pascal Lambe As Israel was corporally and typically delivered by the blood of Paschal Lambe so are we spiritually and truly purchased by the blood of Christ our hearts being sprinkled therewith Exod. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the hysop-bunch of faith and our bodies washed with pure water For there was not onely an effusion but an affusion namely to the lintel and door-cheeks with a spunge of hysop And as the blood so sprinkled did assure them of their deliverance from the plague and judgment of God that though never so many were slain among the Egyptians yet none of their first-born should lose their lives the destroying Angel should not enter into their houses even so the blood of Christ sprinkled on our consciences by the spunge of faith keepes away the Devil from us Where this blood is sprinkled the Devil can there have no entrance or possession Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 Manna The Hebrew Manna is quite different and contrary to that of the Apothecaries Exod. 16. which is a Syriack dew and will neither melt with the sun nor putrify in the night neither is it hard nor fit for food which the Israelites Manna was but for Physick onely To this speaks Dr. Browne Pseud Epid. p. 300. what Meteor that was that sed the Israelites so many years they must rise again to inform us Nor do they make it out who will have it the same with our Manna nor will any one kind thereof or hardly all kinds we read of be able to answer the qualities thereof delivered in Scripture that is to fall upon the ground to breed worms to melt with the sun to tast like fresh oyl to be grounded in Milns to be like Coriander seed and of the colour of Bdellium Thus heâ— Certainly it was delicate fare as might beseem Angels to eat if they did eat any at all Such as the Poets fain to be their Nectar and Ambrosia The Nanna came down in the dew so doth Christ the bread of life in the Ministery of the Word Man did eat Angels food Psal 78.25 I am that bread of life John 6.18 Religion and Religious Exercises Religio TRue Religion is a grace of God whereby we know and worship the true God according to his own will In which description here is to be observed The original It is a grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So I call it to distinguish it from all false religions which are not from God nor supernal but from men and nature and therefore are called Will-worship Col. 2.23 The Object of true Religion and that 's the true God and things of God and in all the matters of Religion we must keep God in our eye the special way of glorifying God here upon earth and the onely means appointed to make us like unto God Neither is it any thing else but the way unto God and the happy meanes to bring us into communion with God which is true beatitude 1 Joh. 1.3 The Act of it and that 's twofold 1. That whereby we know God And this is the first act of Religion because ignorance leads men every way but unto God Gal 4.8 Act. 17.23 Where there is no true knowledge of God there can be no true worship of God Rom. 10.14 And besides the knowledge of his Divine Nature must frame the right manner of his Worship We must both know what he is in himself and what he is to us Exod. 20.2 Hebr. 11.6 2. The second Act of Religion is that whereby we religiously worship the true God onely for it teacheth that all Divine worship belongs to him alone 1 Sam. 7.3 Mat. 4.10 God is of the nature of those things which must be had alone No man can serve two Masters at once one woman cannot have two husbands at once Now God is our alone Master and a jealous husband who admits of no corrival Furthermore whatsoever is to be worshipped is superior to him that worshippeth But only the true God is superior to the soul of man Saints are our equals Angls our fellow-servants Rev. 19.10 And all the other works of God much more the works of men are far mans inferiors Object The last thing observable in the description is the rule and measure of true Religion which is the will of God Deut. 10.12 Mic. 6.8 Isa 1.22 That 's a Religion not pleasing to God 1. Which hath a wrong rise or spring With too many Religion is passeable as Coyn because it hath the States stamp upon it viz. Custome and formality and not chosen upon mature deliberation 2. Which harh not subjection to the Principles of it viz. Regeneration Faith Sanctification c. Which are Principia constitutionis 3. Which hath other ends than God hath propounded or intended in the same The two heads of Religion or the two main hinges upon which all Religion turneth are 1. Purity of Doctrine or soundness of opinion 2. And cleanness of practice or holinesse of life Here 's the character of a Christian in his compleatnesse these two constitute a perfect man These were typified in the old law by the Vrim and Thummim set in the breast-plate of the High-Priest This Motto fitted not onely the Priests of the Old Testament or the Ministers of the New but befits every Christian every true beleever should bear this upon his breast It is an ill hearing and a sad spectacle when these two are seperated Themselves are in an ill condition and they are fit instruments to make others worse Unfound Doctrine frets like a canker and an unclean life is catching like a leprosie We are aptest to take an unfound Doctrine from those whose lives are clean and we are aptest to imitate their unclean lives whose Doctrine is found The jealous and just God hateth and plagueth halting betwixt two dow-baked duties lukewarmness neutrality and all mixtures in Religion his soul loathes all such speckled birds plowing with an Oxe and an Asse mingled seeds linfey-wolsey garments Levit. 19.19 Those were wretched times Jerem. 2.28 When it was said The tale of Proteus can no longer be a fable when the business of Religion in England may be the Moral Turk Hist fol. 211. according to the number of thy Cities are thy gods O Judah When people multiply to themselves as many religions so I may say as Pigeons 't is more than possible they pursue none to purpose It is said of Tâ—merlanâ— he disliked of no man for his Religion whatsoever so as he did worship but one onely God Creatour of heaven and earth and
Deut. 8.10 The fed hawk soon forgets her Master Therefore when thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware lest thou forget the Lord. Let us be careful we forget not Gods word neither let slip any one sermon without some profit There are several helps to memory Attention Men remember what they heed and regard Attend to my sayings saith wisdom keep them in the midst of thine heart that is in such a place where nothing can come to take them away Where there is attention there will be retention the memory is the chest and Ark of divine truths and a man should see them carefully locked up Affection That 's a great help to memory men remember what they care for Delight and love are ever reviving and renewing the object upon our thoughts Application and appropriation of truths We will remember that which concerneth our selves Hear this and know it for thy good This I must remember for my comfort Meditation This is a covering of the word that the fowles of the air do not snatch it from us As an apple which is tossed in the hand leaveth the odour and smell of it behind so often revolving the word upon the thoughts Mary kept Christs sayings and pondered them in her heart Conference with others The Disciples that travelled to Emmaus conferred together The Bereans that came from St. Paul his sermon took their Bibles and conferred together Many eyes see more than one that which one hath forgotten another may remember Repetition will be as a nail to fasten the things we have heard Prayer Our corporal meat will do us no good except God bless it no more can the food of our souls And beg the Spirit of God whose work it is to bring things to our remembrance And observe the accomplishment of truths such occasions observed will make old truths come to mind afresh Practise Christians can remember the circumstances of that sermon In sucoum sangâ—inem by which they get profit This is the digesting of our spiritual meat and the converting of it into our substance It is never our own truly and indeed till it be practised Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard Heb. 2.1 Nè praeteâ—flâ—amus lest at any time we should let them slip Abstinence Nature is contented with a little Natura pauâ—is contenta For who perceiveth not that at all things are seasoned by the desires Darius in his flight when he drunk of the water that was dirty and polluted with dead Carkasses affirmed he never drank sweeter or more pleasant The reason is because he never abstained from drink untill he was thirsty Cicer. Quest. Tusâ— It is necessary that every one be so far forth continent as may destroy the vices not the flesh for oftentimes in the pursuit of the enemy Greg. therein we kill the Citizen whom we love And oftentime while we do as it were spare our fellow-Citizen we further the enemy in the skirmish Abstaine from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 Testimony Testimonium est fallibile in fide humanâ in fide divinâ infallibile The witnesse of the Holy Ghost is the work of faith the witnesse of our spirits the sense of faith wrought This is better felt by experience than expressed by words known altogether and onely to them that have it The state of Gods children is full of sweet certainty and assurance he that having a cause to be tried and hath two sufficient witnesses doubts not of the day Now Gods Children have two witnesses Omni exceptione majores 1. Their own spirit which is not to be condemned for if conscience a natural thing be a thousend witnesses much more the spirit which is a supernatural power given of God 2. The Holy Ghost which cannot deceive or be deceived witnesseth with our spirits Besides what an honour is this to the Saints that the Holy Ghost should bear witness at the bar of their consciences There are several wayes of bearing witnesse to Christ 1. By openly publishing the truth of Christ promulging of the Evangelical truths concerning the Messiah 2. By leading lives answerable to the Christian profession holinesse and uprightness of conversation doth attest and credit the Doctrine of Christ 3. By suffering especially death it self for Christs cause and the Gospels To such the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is eminently applied Under the law one witnesse was allowed sufficient in case of Religion Deut. 29.16 17. Malitia tua te adduxit ad mortem non nos Lyran. Vâ—erque Diabolum habet isle in linguâ ille in aâ—re Dav. Detractores Canini dentes Diaboli Paâ—isien But two were required in civil cases Cap. 19.15 Witnesses of old were wont to put their hand upon the head of the offendor and say It is thy own wickednesse which condemns thee and not we We may neither raise an evil report nor receive it neither be the tale-bearer nor tale-hearer The one carries the Devil in his tongue the other in his ear Not only those that make a lye but those that love it when it is made to their hands are shut out of heaven Rev. 22.15 Every man hath two great witnesses either for or against him 1. Conscience within him 2. God above him Other faculties may rest but no passage shall be able to scape the record of conscience Conscia mens ut cuique sua est Ovid. ita concipit intra Pectora pro facto spemque metúmque suo This is Gods deputy-judge holding court in the whole soul bearing witnesse of all a mans doings and desires and accordingly excusing or accusing absolving or condemning comforting or tormenting But yet the witness of God is the most desireable witness The witnesse we have on earth is nothing worth unless we have a witnesse in Heaven If we have not the inward witnesse of our own conscience it is little advantage though we have a thousand outward witnesses Conscience is more than a thousand witnesses but God is more than ten thousand consciences As the witnesse of good men is more desirable than the witnesse of all other men and the witnesse of a good conscience is more desirable than the witnesse of good men so the witnesse of God is more desirable than without which we cannot have it and with which we shall have it the witnesse of a good conscience Job 16.19 Behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high Contemplation A contemplative life without practice is like unto Rachel Jacobs wife beautiful and bright-sighted but yet barren It is good therefore to have Rachels beautiful face to be seconded with Leah's fruitful womb If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them John 13.17 Consideration Cras tibi respondebo said Melanchton to his adversary Eccius It is but little that can be learned in this life without due and deep consideration which is an
must affect and love her And if at any time she prove hard and unkind to her husband or crooked and perverse he must remember whereof she was made of a bone therefore hard of a rib and therefore crooked Os quod in sorte tuâ cecidit rodas Drus But howsoever she prove whether kind or unkind there 's no putting of her away but as the Rabines Proverb is The bone that is fallen to our lot we must gnaw Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself Eph. 5.33 and the wife see that she reverence her husband Poligamy It is when a man or woman couples himself or her self in marriage to more than one Qui primus unam costam in duas divisit Hierom. The first author of Polygamy we read of was Lamech noted for a prophane and wicked person As was also Esau another Polygamist Some of the fathers were herein faulty as Abraham Jacob David c. And this was not their priviledge as some would have it But whether it were their ignorance or incogitancy or mistake of some text of Scripture or the commonnesse or long custome of the sin it having so long continued was perhaps grown so fashionable it seemed to be no sin or however sure they could not as to this though otherwise good men wash their hands in innocency It is a sin against the light of nature and against the first institution of marriage He that made them at the beginning Mat. 19.4 5. made them male and female Therefore they twain shall be one flesh Jealousie It concerneth our own proper good whereof we feare another doth partake It is the gall that corrupteth all the honey of our life It is a mixt affection of zeal or fervent love Non amat qui non zelat Aug. and carries wrath and rage with it also anger and grief More properly it is a fear or doubt Cum metuimus nè amatae rei exturbemur possessione lest any forraigner should participate or share with the lover in the thing possessed or beloved It hath these properties 1. It is exceeding watchful and quick sighted a wanton glance is soon noted 2. It is violent it puts a man into a feaver-fit of outrage he is ready to take any revenge 3. It is irreconcilable implacable It will not regard any ransome c. Jealousie saith Vives begets unquietnesse in the minde night and day Nature not more able of an acorn to make an oke than some men of a surmise to make a certainty he hunts after every word he hears every whisper and amplifies it to himself with a most unjust calumny of others he mis-interprets every thing is said or done most apt to mistake or misconstrue he pries into every corner follows close observes to an hair Turks Spaniards Italians Mulierum conditio misera nullam honestam credunt nisi domo conclusa vivat The truth is Mala mens malus animus ill dispositions cause ill suspitions It may be they have been formerly too blame themseves Burt. Melanch pag. 602. and they think they may be so served by others He that turned up the trump before the cards were shuffled expects therefore Legem talionis like for like Jealousie is the rage of a man Prov. 6.34 35. Cant. 8.6 c. Jealousie is cruel as the grave Divorce Amongst the Romans if after the marriage any discontent had fallen out between the man and his wife Godw. Antiq. then did they both repair unto a certain Chappel built in the honour of a certain Goddesse called Dea viri placa à viris placandis whence after they had been a while there they returned friends But upon just causes divorcements were permitted There were two manner of divorcements the one between parties onely contracted the second between parties married The first was properly called Repudium in which the party suing for divorcement used this form of words Conditione tua non utar The second was called Divortium wherein the party suing for it used these words Res tuas tibi habeto or Res tuas tibi agito Both these kindes were termed Matrimoniis renunciationes a renouncing or refusal of marriage This Moses permitted amongst the Jewes meerly for the hardnesse of the mens hearts and for the relief of the women who else might have been misused by their cruel husbands The Athenians were wont to put away their wives upon discontent or hope of greater portions Solon their Law-giver who permitted it being asked whether he had given the best Laws to the Athenians Answered the best that they could suffer Picus est imago ingrati mariti the Pyanit is an emblem of an unkind husband for in autumn he casts off his mate lest he should be forced to keep her in winter afterwards in the spring he allures her to him again and makes much of her The Lord the God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away Whosoever shall put away his wife Mal. 2.16 Mat. 5 32. saving for the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery Parents Beneficia naturâ aentur primò domesticis deinde extraneis Agentia naturalia agunt semper in propinquiora deinde in remotiora si calefacit ignis si frigefacit aqua si scindit gladius si dividit serra in partes propinquiores deinde in remotiores agunt 1 Tim. 5.4 Hence the Apostle let children learn first to shew piety at home and to requite their parents for that is good and acceptable before God The Storks feed their ancient parents Kites expel them Boughs bend toward their root Obed was to Naomi a restorer of her life and a nourisher of her old age Cornelius was the staffe of his fathers age and thereby merited the honourable name of Scipio among the Romans Epaminondus rejoyced in nothing more than that he had lived to chear up the hearts of his aged parents by the report of his victories The blessing of Parents is highly to be regarded Praerogativa parentum Ambr. disciplina filiorum Though there be a difference between our blessing of our children and of the Patriarchs Our benedictio is but bona dictio or bona praecatio their 's was an actual and real bestowing of things on them yet the curse or blessing of Parents is in all ages to be respected Whom they curse justly God curseth and whom they blesse God blesseth Therefore let children so behave themselves that they may have their parents blessing especially at their departure out of the world Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Eph. 6.1 Father The fifth Commandment requires honour to Fathers 1. Oeconomical viz. 1. Parents 2. Husbands 3. Masters 2. Political viz. 1. Betters in office 2. Elders in yeares 3. Ecclesiastical viz. 1. Tutors 2. Pastours Ambrose reports a tragical accident how there was a poor man in extream necessity
watcheth stands sits upon thorns while he is here O mihi â—am longè mantâ—at pars ultima vitae because he panteth and desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ We may desire life upon a threefold account To 1. Bring more glory to God 2. Get more grace 3. Do more good to others Epaminondas saith aptly We may salute Young men with Good morrow or welcom into the world Old men with Good night because they be leaving the world Only those of middle age with Good day Our pilgrimage on earth is called a Day for 1. The shortness of this life 2. That after this our day is spent we shall no longer work Magna vitae pars elabitur malè Senec. Epist. 1. agentibus maxima nihil agentibus tota aliud agentibus Similis an ancient man who lived seven years well caused this to be written on his tomb-stone Hîc jacet Similis cujus aetas Multorum annorum fuit Diu vixi diu peccavi ipse Septem duntaxat annos vixit Many and great are the miseries of this life Cogita unde veneris et crubesce ubi sis et ingemisce quò vadis et contremisce A mans life when it declines casts of the lees Qui bene latuit bene vixit Vivere est bene valere Non anto â—illam fortunam rudeâ—â—viâ—â— aptam Aurum sitisti aurum bibe Bernard speaking unto man saith Think from whence thou camest and be ashamed where thou art and sign for sorrow whither thou goest and themble with anguish Like unto him saith Austin Intelligas ergo in quantum sit ingressus tuâ—â— flebilis progressin tune debilis egress◠〈◊〉 horribilis The meer natural mans life is comforted in three things especially 1. Quiet rest 2. Liberal diet 3. Good apparel When one brag'd unto Lacon of the multitude of his ships and shipping he answered he little esteemed that felicity that hanged upon ropes and depended on cables But such is all mundane prosperity Crassus that so greedily hunted after the Paâ—â—â—â—ans gold perishing miserably had his head cast into a vessel of gold with this inscription or Motto Thou that hast thirsted after gold now drink thy fill Tertullian reports of the Indians and Ethiopians that they made no more account of gold than dirt Wise Solomon saith there is a time to be born and a time to die you do not hear him say a time to live Death borders upon our birth and our cradle stands in our grave We lament the losse of our Parents how soone shall our 〈◊〉 bewaâ—le ours Out of those words of Job c. 1.21 Nâ—ked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither It plainly appears the life of man is nothing else but a coming and a returning here is nothing said of staying or â—â—â—ding We have here no continuing City while we are here we can hardly be said to continue here and after a few dayes we shall not be here at all It is but a coming and going Natura hic nobis diversorium commorandi dedit But this riddle passeth the worlding as the fisher mans did Homer Quae cepimuâ— reliquâ—mus quae non cepimus nobiscum portamus Mat. 10.39 Conâ—es â— Vita isâ—a in corpore umbra est vitae et imagâ— non veritas Ambr. in Psal 118. Jam. 4.14 it is but a â—â—oud and an ebbe and then we are carried into the Ocean of eternity It were well if the world were as our Tent yea as our Inne if not to lodge yet to bait in What shall a wicked man say when death comes fiercely and pulls him by the throat and summons him to hell Who can but tremble the messenger being terrible but the message worse Then the raging despairs of an evil conscience finding no peace within lesse without Contrariwise the gracious soul hath no leisure to care for sufferings that beholds her crown which if she were enjoyned to fetch it thorow the flames of hell her faith would not stick at the condition Austin doubted whether to call it a dying life or a living death Nescio an â—icenda sit vita morâ—alis an vitalis mors The whole course of life is but a flying shadow a little spot of time between two eternities So that it is improper to ask when we shall die but rather when we shall make an end of dying for first the infancy dieth then the childhood then the youth then age and then we make an end of dying This life in the body is a shadow and an image of life not the truth of it What is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Age of Man De dinturnitaâ—e vitae humanae bifariam loquiâ— possumus Viz. 1. Ante Diluviam Zanard de gen et corrup cap. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disceptabis â—rem 2. Post Diluvium Loquendo de eâ ante diluvium notum est multos per multa secula vixisse ut sacra nos docent historia At loquendo de vita humana post diluvium jam audivimus dominum dicentem non permaâ—abit spiritus meus in homine quicaâ—o est suntque dies hominis centum viginti annorum But since then Scripture makes mention of seventy years So Solon in Lacresus and to the same sense speaketh Macrobius also saying Septiâ—s dein Anni 〈◊〉 Physicis creditur meta vivendi hoc vitae humanae perfectuâ—â— spaoium termiâ— natur c. The Fathers lived longer but as mans wickednesse increased so their dayes decreased and now their lives are daily shortned the generations dispatcht away that the world may sooner come to an end Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is Psal 39 4. that I may know how fraile I am Old age This once come saith the Philosopher youth is no more to be expected as when once winter is come no more of the past summer As in an house Stillicidiâ— praecedunt râ—inam so in a man gray haires sore-signify deaâ—lâ— Therefore when the Palm-tree is full of blomes the map of age is figured in the forehead and the Calenders of death appear in the furrowes of the face then it is high time for a man to be think himself of death Annus octogessimus me admonor ut sarcenas colligam said Varre It is high time for me to pack up and to be gone out of this life Cleanthes was wont sometimes to chide himself Ariston wondering â—hereat Qui canos quiâ—â—â— habet sed mentem non habet asked him whom chidest thou Cleanthes laughed and answered I chide an old fellow who hath gray haires in deed but wants understanding and prudence worthy of them Such are sick of Ephraims disease Hos 7.9 Quò magis senâ—scunt cò maâ—is stultâ—sâ—unt Or of our neer neighbours disease if that of Erasmus who conversed among them be true The elder they are the foolisher they are
safe in any place without Gods protection In 1. Field Witnesse Abosolom and Saul In 2. House Witnesse Pharaoh In 3. Bed Witnesse Ishbosheth In 4. Chamber Witnesse Jezabel In 5. Church Witnesse Senacherib Joab God snatcht Lot out of Sodom David out of many waters Tutus sub umbrâ leonis Paul out of the mouth of the lyon Jonah out of the belly of hell c. Cur timeat hominem homo in sinu dei positus He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee Job 5.19 Affliction Water properly is that element cold and moist contrary to fire Psal 42.7 Fluctus fluctum trudit But frequently signifies amongst many other things afflictions and troubles which threaten dangers as waters threaten drowning Often in the Psalms and elsewhere it is so used And I conceive that ever after Noah's flood that dismall destruction great and grievous afflictions were set forth by the rushing in of waters and overwhelming therewith Afflictions are that Sea that all the true Israelites in their journey to the everlasting Canaan must go through But yet these rivers of Marah are sweetned they are to the godly pleasant and they going through the vale of misery use it for a Well whereout they draw living water Psal 84.6 There are light crosses which will take an easy repulse Others yet stronger that shake the house sides but break not in upon us Others veliement which by force make way to the heart Others violent that lift the mind off the hinges or rend the barres of it in peices Others furious that tear up the very foundations from the bottome leaving no monument behind them but ruine Anton. Pius The wisest and most resolute moralist that ever was looked pale when he should taste of his hemlocke Christ went to Jerusalem the vision of peace by Bethany the house of grief so must we to heaven God useth to lay the foundation low when he will build high afflict much when he will destinate to some excellent end As in the creation first there was darknesse then light Or as Jacob first God makes him halt and then the place becomes a Peniel Therefore take knowledge of the low deeps into which Gods Children are brought That soul that feels it self hand-fasted to Christ though it meet with a prosperous estate in this world it easily swells not and if it meet with the adverse things of the world it easily quails not for it hath the word of Christ and Spirit of Christ residing in it Whereby you shall behold their faith victorious their hope lively their peace passing all understanding their joy unspeakable and glorious their speech alwayes gracious their prayer full of fervour their lives full of beauty and their end full of honour Apollonius writes of certain people that could see nothing in the day but all in the night In mirabil Histor Many Christians are so blinded with the sun-shine of prosperity that they see nothing belonging to their good but in the winter night of adversity they can discern all things Christians are never more exposed to sins and snares than in prosperity Though winter have fewer flowers yet also fewer weeds And fishes are sooner taken in a glistering pool than in a troubled Fen. Besides while the wind is down we cannot discern the wheat from the chaffe but when it blows then the chaffe flies away only the wheat remains Witnesse that masculine resolution of him Ful gentius who in the midst of his sufferings used to say Plura pro Christo tolleranda Here we live in the valley of Achor from Achan that was troubled that day wherein he was stoned Lorin Cap. 2. Prolcgom in Eccles Josh 7. Petrus Tenorius Archbishop of Toledo having a long time considered the weighty reasons on each side whether King Solomon were damned or saved and not knowing how to resolve the houbt in the end caused him to be painted on the walls of his Chappel as one that was half in heaven and half in hell The darker the foil the lighter the Diamonds Fealty A child of God in respect of his manifold afflictions he meets with here seems many times to himself and others to be in hell But having also tasted the first-fruits of the Spirit and the consolations that accrue unto him thereby he seems to be half in heaven Our light affliction 2 Cor. 4.17 which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Hurt It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt saith Laban to Jacob Gen. 31. though indeed it never was farther than given him from above Rideo dicebat Caligula consulibus quòd uno nutu meo jugulare vos possim Vxori tam bona cervix simul ac jussero demctur And Caesar told Metellus that he could as easily take away his life as bid it be done But these were but bravado's for that 's a royalty which belongs to God only to whom belong the issues of death Wicked men do not only pull manifold miseries upon themselves but are many wayes mischievous to others and have much to answer for their other mens sins How many are undone by their murders adulteries robberies false testimonies blasphemies and other rotten speeches to the corrupting of good manners What hurt is done daily by the Divels factors to mens souls bodies lives estates Besides that they betray the land wherein they live into the hand of divine justice whiles they do wickedly with both hands greedily When Christ gave his Disciples a commission to preach the Gospel he promised that they should take up Serpents and if they drank any deadly thing it should not hurt them No more shall the deadly poyson of sin hurt those that have drunk it if they belong to God Provided that they cast it up again quickly by confession and meddle no more with such a mischief Foolish and hurtful lusts drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ita demorgunt ut in aqua summitate rursus non ebulliant Loss What tell you me of goods in heaven say many let me have my goods on earth A bird in the hand is better than two in a bush The Grecians comprehend both life and goods in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew perhaps men had as lief lose their lives as their goods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fronte nubila Mat. 19.22 He came hastily but went away heavily This is an hard thing it made the young man go sorrowful away that Christ should require that which he was unwilling to perform If heaven be to be had upon no other terms Christ may keep it to himself Many now adayes must have Religion to be another Diana to the Crafts-masters however are resolved to suffer nothing Jeroboamo gravior jactura regionis quà m religionis The King of Navarre told Beza that in the cause of Religion
armour and weapons of a Christian souldier Eph. 6. Adde the Cannon-shot of deep sighs proceeding from a penitent heart the Arrows of bitter Tears and the two-edged sword of the Eternal Word Heb. 4.12 We are not to encounter with flesh and blood nor to fight with the Unicorns of Assyri◠nor the Bulls of Bashan nor the Beasts of Ephesus Neither absolute Atheists nor dissolute Christians nor resolute Ruffians But we are to war with Principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses that are in high places Let Christians gather courage and be of good comfort What if the Serpents brood do bite the Beasts of Ephesus yell the fat Bulls of Bashan push gore and the Red Dragon rage storm march in hellish fury Christ is thy Captain and stronger than they all He can charm the old Serpent take away his sting and grind all our enemies to powder Put on the whole armour of God Eph. 6.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye may be able to stand against the wile◠of the Devil Temptation There are three things wherein the greatest exercise of a Christian life confists 1. Prayer wherein man is seeking unto and working his heart towards God 2. Meditation wherein he is preparing himself by holy thoughts and divine considerations for his nearer addresses unto God 3. Temptation wherein he wrestles and strives with those enemies of his soul And truly mans life is a continual temptation Yea sometimes the violence of Satan's and the Worlds temptations are such that a child of God is weary of life instance in Job 10.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fastidit tanquam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His soul would gladly be rid of the body that it might be beyond the reach and assults of the Devil and his assistants While we breathe in this Pilgrimage our life cannot be without sin and temptation because our progress is made through temptation Temptation is nothing else but Exploratio per experientiam saith Parisiensis Aug. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pierce through Tentare est prop iè experimentum sumere de aliquo Diabolus semper tentat ut noceat in peccatum praecipitando secundum hoc dicitur proprium officium ejus tentare Aquin. Temptations are either 1. Good or 2. Ill. Of the good there are two 1. Men tempt and prove themselves 2. God tempts and proves men by sending afflictions Of ill temptations of suggestion there are three 1. Men tempt men 2. Men tempt God 3. Satan tempts men There are also temptations of 1. Affliction 1 Jam. 3.12 2. Persecution Mat. 13.21 Luk. 8.13 3. Concupiscence Jam. 1.14 The temptations of Concupiscence and the temptations of Sathan differ thus 1. The temptations of Satan are usually to things against Nature or against the God of Nature as Blasphemy Self-murther Sodomitry c. 2. They are usually sudden and fierce and violent like lightening leaving not a man time for deliberation 3. Those evils that are instantly disliked and in no measure assented to or approved So that a man doth not sin in the temptation till he be in some degree drawn away by it Again the Deviltempts 1. Either by way of seducement in which he excites our concupiscence rubs the fire-brand and makes it send forth many sparkles carrying us away by some pleasing object in this our concupiscence carrieth the greatest stroke Jam. 1.15.2 Or by way of grievance injecting into us horrid and hideous thoughts of Atheism Blasphemy Self-murther c. And herein himself for most part is the sole doer to trouble us in our Christian course and make us run heavily nowards heaven In every temptation there is an appearance of good whether of the body Omnis tentatio est assimilati◠boni Schoolm mind or state The first is the lust of the flesh in any carnal desire The second is the pride of the heart and life The third is the lust of the eyes To all these the first Adam is tempted and in all miscarried The second Adam is tempted and overcometh The first man was tempted to a carnal appetite by the forbidden fruit to pride by the suggestion of being as God and to covetousness in ambitious desire of knowing good and evil Satan having found all the motions so successful in the first Adam in his innocent estate will now tread the same steps in his temptations of the second 1. The stones must be made bread here is a motion to a carnal appetite 2. The guard and attendance of Angels must be presumed on here 's a motion to pride 3. The Kingdoms of the world must be offered here to covetousness and ambition Satan usually keeps his greatest and most violent temptations unto the last He tempts most at death One coming to visit a sick friend asked Hath Satan been with you yet The party answered No To whom the other replied Look to it he 'll have a bout with you ere you die When he thinks we are at the weakest then he cometh with his strongest assaults The Lord by Jeremy saith unto Jury c. 4.14 How long shall wicked thoughts harbour◠in thee He asketh not wherefore they come but wherefore they stay For many good men are oftentimes overtaken with evil thoughts but yet will not yield their consents thereunto Yet let a Giant knock while the door is shut Turpiùs ejicitur quà m non admittitur hospes he may with ease be still kept out but if once open that he gets in but a limb of himself then there is no course left to keep out the remaining bulk Intorto capite sequetur corpus We may admit if not pull in more with one finger than after thrust out with both shoulders Let us therefore be sober and vigilant 1 Pet. 5.8 Put on the whole armour of God Eph. 6. and resist him Jam. 4.8 Comforting our selves both in the example of Christ Heb. 2.16 4.15 and of Christians 1 Pet. 5.9 in Gods care for us 1 Cor. 10.13 and promises made to us in temptations 2 Cor. 12.9 10. Isa 27.1 Rom. 16.20 And let us be earnest in prayer Tactu qualitativo that either Satan may not tempt us or that he may not touch us at least as Cajetan expounds it 1 Joh. 5.18 with a deadly touch so as to alter us from our gracious disposition Simon Luk. 22.31 32. Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may fift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Demoniack If God chastise us with his own bare hand Lunaticus speculum miseriae humanae malitiae Satanae Pareus in Mat. 17.15 Act. 16 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vteres Pytlones or by men like our selves let 's thank him and think our selves far better dealt with than if he should deliver us up to the publike Officer to this Tormentor to be scourged with scorpions at his pleasure The Seventy Seniors usually call those who are possessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Devil spake
a thing of evil is made good as in Regeneration Create in me a clean heart 3. When the bodies shall be raised out of the dust at the Resurrection The first is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Resurrection is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a new creation There be several Pillars for the Resurrection to lean upon Resurrectio mortuorum fiducia Christianorum 1. The Power of God Idoneus est reficere qui fecit 2. The Justice of God Psal 58.11 3. The solemn Funerals that be in all Nations When we go to a Burial we go to a lowing of seed 4. The Resurrection of Christ 1 Cor. 15.20 Facilius est restituere quà m constituere The First-fruits the Head the Husband is in heaven therefore the second fruits the members the Wife shall be there also Adde hereunto 1. Bonitas Dei Absit ut Deus manuum suarum operam ingenii sui curam afflatus sui vaginam libertatis suae haeredem testimonii sui militem Tertul. Spiritus sancti templum in aeternum destituat exitium 2. Exempla resurgentium in the Old and New Testament Christ raised up three The one in demo the daughter of Jairus the other in feretro the Widows son of Naim the third in sepulchro which was Lazarus when he began to stink These are praeludia nostrae resurrectionis 3. Dulcis titulus mortis 1 Thess 4.13 14. Joh. 11.12 The dead are but asleep Quaedam partes ab animantibus divulsae Zanard de gen corrup arte medici iterum reliquis uniuntur Imo D. Aug. super Psal 101. Refert à quibusdam traditum Pelicanum restro pullos suos occidere sed post seipsum sauciando sanguinem effundere eoque super pullos effuso eos ad vitam revocare Deus pari modo nuntium nobis mortem mittit ut ad vitam restauraret In Ireland there are birds called Martins as some write which if they be hung in a dry place when they are dead Grimst p. 34. they renew their feathers every year The husbandman prizeth as much the corn sowen in the field as that which is in the garner Tertul. Dies moritur in noctem tamen rursus cum suo cultu universo orbi reviviscit Hinc Job 17.12 Post tenebras spero lucem Fear not saith God to Jacob Gen. 46.4 to go down to Egypt for I will go down with thee and I will also surely bring thee up again The like may be said to every godly person going down to the grave All shall rise again good and bad Cain shall rise with the same hand wherewith he slew his brother Jezabel with the same body that was eaten up by the dogs Rabsekeh with the same tongue wherewith he railed on the God of Israel Judas with the same lips wherewith he traiterously betrayed our Saviour Christ Such like as these shall rise with horror of conscience But the godly that have stuck to Christ shall rise with comfortable consciences Sive comedo Hierom. sive bibo sive aliquid aliud facio semper vox illa terribilis sonat in auribus meis Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Marvel not at this Joh. 5.28 29. for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Judicium Vltimum After the Resurrection comes Judgment Death were nothing if there were no Judgment The Assises were nothing if there were no Execution Dies judicii exinde probatur Si non sit judicium tum non est Deus justus Si non est Deus justus tum non est Deus si non Deus tum non est mundus si non sit mundus tum nulli sunt homines Sic ratione probatur Then shall be signes in the Sun The Sun of Righteousness appears in three signes Viz. 1. Leo Roaring in the Law as the people could not endure the voice thereof 2. Virgo Born of a Virgin in the Gospel 3. Libra Weighing our works in his ballance at the last and dreadful Audit Which Bernard uttered elegantly saying Christ comes three manner of ways Viz. 1. Ad homines 2. In homines 3. Contra homines Christ ha tha fourfold Exaltation and the last is the greatest Viz. In 1. Mount Tabor his Transfiguration 2. Jerusalem his Resurrection 3. Mount Olivet his Ascension 4. The Clouds his coming to Judgment If the Queen of Sheba condemned the men of that age how shall she condemn us She was a Queen and we but Subjects she left her kingdom and country we sit under our own vines under our own fig-trees in our own soil in our own country she came from the farthest part of the earth to Solomon but Christ cometh from heaven to see us she was moved only by his fame we both hear Christ in his Word and see him in his Sacraments she coming to Solomon brought presents Christ coming to us gives us rewards she came to behold Solomon a meer man but we may behold Christ God and Man A greater than Solomon greater in wisdom for never man spake as he did He did all things well therefore greater in might He made the deaf to hear the blind to see the lame to go c. never man did as he did Greater in Majesty for Solomon in all his royalty was but a type of our King coming in the clouds Without repentance surely this Queen shall arise up with a witness in judgment against us and condemn us at the dreadful day Poena damni poenalior est quà m poena sensus If Esau Erugiit clamore magno to see his younger brother Jacob to have got the blessing roared with a great cry out of measure how loud will the Reprobate roar when he shall behold the Saints figured in Jacob to have got the benediction of the Heavenly Father Venite benedicti If Belshazzar at the sight of an hand-writing against him which only concerned the losing of his temporal Kingdom was so changed in his look and troubled in his thoughts that the joints of his bones were loosed and his knees smote one against another how shall the Reprobate be perplexed in his wits and crossed in his will when he shall see and hear Christ thundring out against him Ite maledicti Memento 1. Peccati ut doleas 2. Mortis ut desinas 3. Divinae justitiae ut timeas 4. Misericordiae ne desperas Above all remember those four last things viz. 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Heaven 4. Hell But the chiefest is Judgment for all the rest attend it Death is usher to Judgment going before and Hell the execution following after Death would not be so fearful if Judgment did not follow Hell would not be so painful if Judgment went not before Italians in great Thunder use to ring their Bells and
discharge their Canon-shot that the roaring of the one may lessen the terror of the other In like sort Satan hangs tinkling cymbals in our ears and delights us with the musick and vanities of this world that we may forget the sonnd of the last Trumpet There is a threefold Judgment saith Aquinas 1. Discussionis 2. Condemnationis 3. Absolutionis It 's good for every man to judge himself in the two first He must examine himself and upon examination condemn himself The certainty of Judgment may teach us not to be too curious or careless It is a kind of sacriledge to pry into Gods holy place his secret Sanctuary Non judicium luti sed figuli To determine who shall be saved and who shall be damned is not belonging to the Clay but the Potter in whose power it is to make of the same lump one vessel of honor another to dishonor Austin desired to see three things especially viz. 1. Rome in her glory 2. Paul in the Pulpit 3. Christ in the flesh So let us desire three things 1. The conversion or else confusion of Rome and Babylon 2. The consolation of Israel and all Gods chosen 3. The coming of Christ not in the flesh but unto Judgment Oh that happy and merry Day Act. Mon. said Robert Samuel Martyr It is called Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 Because 1. It is of things eternal Eternal life or eternal death 2. The Sentence of that Judgment is eternal Elect and Reprobate go eternally to the place appointed 3. The Judge is Eternal 4. The persons judged are eternal some to enjoy eternal happiness and some to suffer eternal punishment The Judgment it self is not eternal it lasteth not ever but the fruit and event of it is eternal Oh that the cogitation of this Judgment were deeply fixed in the hearts of us all Momentaneum est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat What shall the Fornicator get enduring an ocean of torture for a drop or dram of pleasure The total sum is The breach of all the Commandments If these Accounts be not crost in this life we shall never have our Quietus est in the life to come The times of ignorance God winked at Act. 17.30 31. but now commandeth all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Eternal Life Electra in Senec. movet hanc quaestionem Mortem aliquid ultra est Cui respondet Aegisthus Vita si cupias mori Ethnicus resurrectionem vel saltem vitam aeternam agnoscit Contemnenda est omnis injuria praesentium malorum Cypr. fiduciâ futurorum bonorum We that have received the first-fruits of the Spirit sigh and sob by these waters of Babylon because we cannot sing the Lords song in a strange land but then we shall sit and shine in the Kingdom of Heaven with Albs of innocency on our backs Palms of victory in our hands Crowns of glory on our heads and Songs of triumph in our mouths Then shall we enter into the Holy of holies then shall we celebrate the Sabbath of Sabbaths then shall we sing the Song of songs which none can learn but those that are redeemed from the earth Vita aeterna est vita vera Prima vita primum bonum ultimum malum Secunda vita primum malum ultimum bonum habet Hug◠de sanct vict The first life hath first good and afterwards that which is evil The second life hath first evil and afterwards good This life Christus 1. Promisit Luk. 12.32 2. Promeruit Rom. 6.23 3. Praeparavit Joh. 14.2 4. Inchoat Joh. 6.47 5. Reddet Joh. 11.25 This is the promise that he hath promised us Dav. in Coloss 1 Joh. 2.25 even eternal life Caelum Heaven is three-fold where 1. Fowles are the airy heaven Gen. 1.30 2. Starres are the firmament Gen. 1.17 3. Souls are the glorious or heaven of heavens 1 Kings 18.27 Heaven is not obtained by chance as the Milesian fisherman got the golden tripos Assurance of heaven is to be got three manner of wayes 1. By faith 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls 2. By conformity to Christ Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be made conformable to the image of his Son 3. By the sealing work of the Spirit Ephes 1.13 After that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise cap. 4.30 unto the day of redemption In the world if a man purchase a Lordship his heart is alwayes there he pulls down he builds he plants Christ hath bought the Kingdom of Heaven for us and hath paid for it at an high rate even with his most precious blood Anselm where he hath prepared mansions for us that are Denisons All our joy therefore should be there Corpore ambulantes in terra corde habitantes in Caelo Nonius chose rather to lose all his honours and fortunes than to quit his Opal Ring to Anthony But a far fairer Jewel is the Kingdom of God so sweet and precious that it deserves the selling of all we have and running into any hazard for it Luther gave his opinion the day before his death that in heaven we shall know one another because Adam knew Eve at first sight Lay up for your selves treasures in heaven Mat. 6.20 where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal Heavens Glory The Christalline walks of that new City are not for muddy feet nor shall lust-infected eyes look within those holy doors Rev. 21.27 There is a room without for such cap. 22.15 a black room for black works God will not set a golden head on earthen feet give the glory of heaven to him that delights in the glory of earth The Angels those Caelestial porters that carry the souls of the Saints as they did the soul of Lazarus to Abrahams bosome have no commission to pull a wicked mans soul to heaven Trajane erected many monuments and buildings insomuch that Constantine the great in emulation was wont to call him Parietaria the Wall-flower because his name was upon so many walls Babels Tower raised an head of Majesty 5164 Heyl. Geog. paces frow the ground having its basis and circumference equal to the height the passage to go up went winding about the outside and was of an exceeding great breadth there being not only roome for horses carts c. to meet and turn but lodgings also for man and beast and as some report grasse and corn-fields for their nourishment Pharos a watch-tower in Egypt was built by Ptolomie Philadelph all of white marble Plin. l. 36. c. 12. The work of those famous Pyramides though it do not appear who were the founders was
and Charon the ferry-man of hell And Aetua which they fancied to be hell Saxum ingens volvunt alii And hell it self to be a continual rowling of stones upon dead bodies with many other fancies Inque tuo sedisti Sisyphe saxo Ovid. Metam l. 10. But to let them passe such a woful place there must needs be 1. That so the wicked may receive proportionable punishment both in soul and body That of Jerom was not true Infernum nihil esse nisi conscientiae horr orem to the sins they committed here upon earth 2. Therefore of necessity there must be an hell to keep men to all eternity that by their everlasting torments Gods justice might be satisfied which otherwise it could not be 2 Thes 1.5 3. The very tetrors of conscience that are in wicked men at least when they are dying declare there is a hell a place of torment provided for them There are many words in Scripture by which hell is exprest 1. Sheol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we lye buried there in a second death 2. Abaddon all are there in a perishing state 3. Tsalmaveth or the shadow of death death never triumphs so much in its strength as it doth in hell It s the strength and power of death 4 Etachtithrets signifying both the lowest and most inferior earth whence hell is called the bottomlesse pit And also it imports fear vexation and trembling hell is a land of trembling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a land of fear 5. Bor shachath that is the pit of corruption though the wicked shall be raised immortal yet filthinesse shall be upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Erets Nesciah the land of forgetfulnesse God will remember them no more to do them any good but to their torment and confusion he will remember them for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. Erets choscec a land of darknesse Darknesse was their choyce in this life and it shall be their curse in the next 8. Gehinnom whence the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the valley of Hinnom in which the Idolatrous Israelites did sacrifice their children with horrible cruelty There are other terms which set out Hell this place of the damned As Unquenchable sire Dicitur stagnum quia ut lapis mari ita animae illue immerguatur Anselm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Kings 23.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 3.17 A Furnace of sire Matth. 13.42 A Lake of fire Rev. 19.20 Eternal fire Jude 7. Utter darknesse Matth. 22.13 The blacknesse of darknesse Jude 13. Chains of darknesse 2 Pet. 2.4 Damnation Mat. 23.33 A place of torment Luke 16.28 Wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 A Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 Tophet Isa 30.33 A bottomlesse pit Rev. 9.1 The second death Rev. 2.11 Destruction Matth. 7.14 Everlasting punishment Matth. 25 46. Corruption Gal. 6.8 So that Hell is a place of torment ordained by God for Devils and reprobate sinners wherein by his justice they are deprived of his favour and confined to everlasting punishment both in soul and body If any ask whether Hell were created of God I answer Consider Hell as a place simply And it is very probable that Angels falling hell making was both together it was created at first by God when he distinguished all places but as it is Hell a place of torment it was not so by creation Satan and mans sin brought that name and use unto it And thus Tophet may be said to be prepared of old as a punishment for sin and a place for justice to be inflicted upon sin committed against God For the locality of Hell all agree in this that there is such a place only where that place of the damned should be Omnia entia sinita necesse est in aliquo ubi there are variety of opinions about it Gregory Nyssen and his followers hold it is in the air groundlesly grounding on Ephes 2.2 and cap. 6.12 Isidore but nothing probable will have it under the Globe of the earth A third confutable enough in the valley of Jehoshaphat from Joel 3.12 A fourth opinion owned of many learned men but without foundation from the Word is that Hell is in the very center of the earth Others with Keckerman that Hell is in the bottome of the Sea this they build upon that phrase Matth. 8.29 Luke 8.31 Aug. lib. 2. Retract c. 24. This indeed seems to carry some show of reason but cannot be the sense of the place Those that write with most sobriety say only in general Gehennam esse locum subterranenm The truth is Scripture doth not relate the very particular place where Hell is and perhaps it is concealed to prevent curiosity in many to keep faith in use and exercise as also to rouze men from security and to make them fearful of sin in every place yet there is warrant enough for the belief of two things in general 1. That there is such a place as Hell that is a place distinct from Heaven 2. That this place wherever it is it must be below Heaven Prov. 15.24 Luke 8.13 Rev. 14.11 Job 11.8 Deut. 32.22 Psal 55.15 If any should aske any farther I answer in anothers words Vbi sit sentient qui curiosiùs quaerunt where it is they shall find one day who over-curiously enquire At least I may say as Socrates did I was never there my self nor spoke with any that came from thence Let us labour more to avoid Hell than endeavour to find out the place where it is else Hell where-ever it is will find us out Though we know not the place for certain yet we may certainly know this that sin is the very high road to Hell and the direct way thither Prov. 7.26 And let us take heed of sin in every place seeing we know not where the particular place of Hell is Hell follows sin at the heels If we sin against God God knows how near Hell we are A guilty and galled conscience joyned with a profane wicked life is the lively picture of Hell it selfe Gebenuâ nihil grovius sed ejus meâ—â— nibil uâ—â—lius Hell is called by the Latins Infernus ab inferendo from the Devils continually carrying in souls to that place of torment I conclude with Chrysostom There is nothing more grievous than Hell but nothing more profitable than the fear of it Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared Isa 30.33 he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Hells Torments We silly fishes see one another jerked out of the pond of life by the hand of death but we see not the frying-pan and the fire that they are cast into that die in their sins and refuse to be reformed Cast they are into utter darknesse Vtinam ubique
saith Bernard Offenso Dee c. Bern Jer. 17.5 When God is offended with me Who shall pray for me to make man my refuge I am inhibited under the pain of a dreadful execration Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. To commit our cause to the blessed heavenly Courtiers that are indeed ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 We have no such warrant c. Therefore his conclusion it Talis ergo requirendus ad orandum qui sit idoneus ad placandum we must therefore seek to such a one to pray for us who is of a competent ability to make God propitious to us And such alone is the Angel of the Covenant the mâ—â— Christ Jesus For none cometh to the Father but by him none are reconciled to God but by his passion by his intercession And such an High-Priest became us Now the Lord Jesus Christ the great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight Christian Religion hath for its object Christ and him crucified which to know is in the end life without end All our happinesse is enwrapt in him for in him alone 1 Cor. 1.30 and by him shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed he is made to us of God wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hence he became our High-Priest to reveale to us the will of the Father whereby we may become wise unto salvation thus he is our wisdom To bestow upon us everlasting righteousnesse whereby we may be justified in the sight of heaven thus he is our righteousnesse To infuse into our hearts the saving graces of his quickning Spirit whereby we may be holinesse to the Lord so our sanctification Lastly to pour out his righteous soul a sacrifice for sin whereby to redeem us from the power of our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us thus our redemption So that of this fulnesse we do all receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1.16 and grace for grace Gratia N.T. pro gratia V. the grace of the new Law the Law of faith for the grace of the old Law Theophil the Law of works saith Theophilact that is the grace by which we receive the remission of sinne next the grace by which we receive at last everlasting life saith August which is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. August Rom. 6. ult First the grace of God towards his Son after the grace of the Son toward us to make us the sons of God say Divines But with Musculus I say Musculus that our receiving of grace for grace is of grace upon grace intimating the pouring out upon us an over-flowing measure and a copious multiplication of supernatural gifts without discrimination First we receive one then another than to that with an augmentation of all according to the divine dispensation wherefore the Father of mercies is said to blesse us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 1. electing us in him before the foundation of the world adopting us in him his Son to be his sons in him making us uccepted in him as in his beloved redeeming us through the precious blood of him as of a Lamb without spot vouchsafing us the forgivenesse of our sins for his sake according to the riches of his grace unfolding unto us by the divine illumination of his Spirit the secret mysteries of salvation and sealing us by the same Spirit to the glorious day of our full and perfect redemption John 14 6. Sequemur Demine te perte ad te te quia veritas per te quia vita ad te quia vita Bern. Our High-Priest himself tells us that He is the way the truth and the life whereupon Saint Agustine Ambulare vis est via falli non vis est veritas mori non vis est vita wilt thou walk uprightly He is the way wilt thou not be deceived He is the truth Wilt thou not die He is the life The like saith Saint Ambrose Si Caelum desideras via est si errorem fugis veritas est si mortem times vita est If thou desirest heaven He is the way if thou declinest error He is the truth if thou fearest death He is life He hath laid open the gates of heaven for them to enter that believe in him that walk in him He is the way he hath dispel'd all the clouds of ignorance and mists of error that we might see the truth and embrace it He is the truth he hath swullowed up death in victory that we might in him triumph over death and the grave and live in him with him and by him and He is the life All these is our High-Priest to us the way truth and life in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth bodily He is holy harmlesse undefiled seperate from sinners Davenant in Colos 2. and made higher than the heavens For such an High-Priest became us Which leads me to his gracious qualities Thy gracious assistance therefore my blessed Saviour deny me not but supply my wants out of the largenesse of thy bounty fill my heart with heavenly meditations then guide my pen to set forth thy praise being holy harmlesse c. Quo major est cujusque virtus eo difficilius est de ipso dicere Bertius in Oraf by how much more eminent are the good parts of any man by so much the more difficult is it to report exactly of his deserved commendations The glorious shine of my Saviours worth the Sun of righteousnesse doth so dazle I professe my weak understanding that as I cannot fully comprehend his admired worth so I cannot but be defective in delineating his matchlesse qualities wherefore foreseeing I shall come short perhaps of the Readers expectation but certainly of a perfect decyphering of such a High-Priests character as the Spirit hath exprest be so charitably affected as either to passe it over with a friendly connivance or to taxe it with an easie censure In confidence therefore of Divine assistance and Christian good-will I proceed under correction because of polluted lips to treat of the holinesse of our High-Priest He is holy as he is God for God cannot be tempted with evil James 1.13 There is no unrighteousnesse in the holy one of Israel Hearken unto me saith Job cap. 34.10 ye men of understanding far be it from God All sin is offensivum Dei adversivum á Deo that he should do wickednesse and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity Hither tends that part of Davids prayer Psal 5.4 Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednesse neither shall evil dwell with thee Either therefore we must confesse him
12. and from the guilt of original sin 2. They are confirmed in the joyful expectation of a perfect holinesse he that was so careful to have his natural body so exquisitely fitted will not certainly neglect his Mystical body the Church being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh but will sanctifie and cleanse it that he may present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wricnkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5.26 27. Therefore to make us so such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmlesse As our High-Prie st was thus in his original innocent so was he in the whole course of his life undefiled Men and Devils did indeed conspire to bring him within their compasse but could not prevail their guilded Pills of corruption plausible to flesh and blood could not be swallowed down of him his unblemisht foul was of a purer condition than that it should be infected by those foul spirits The Master of Sentences gives a double reason for it Lomb. Sent l. 3. 1. Because it was hypostatically united to the eternal Son of God 2. Because the Spirit was given unto him sine mensura without measure he was full of grace and truth John 1.14 Now it is a rule delivered by Romes Angelical Doctor that Quanto aliquid receptivum propinquius est causae influenti tanto abundantius recipit Aquin. by how much any that receiveth is more near to the flowing cause by so much doth it the more plentifully receive Wherefore the holinesse of our gracious Mediatour is such as being God and man inseperably that he could not possibly be defiled by actual sin The Apostle saith directly that he knew no sin that is experimentally in his own person he is called a Lamb undefiled and without spot Pilate that gave him over into the hands of sinners to be crucified ingeniously confest he could find no fault in him at all that good thief as a father calls him that was crucified with Christ made a good confession when he said We receive a due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse hence there is added to his sacred name the title of righteous Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2.1 for the end why he came into the world was to fulfil all righteousnesse thereby to save sinners Qui caeteros salvos faceret debuit ibse peccato vitio carere saith Augustine Wherefore August Daniel 9. he is said to be the most holy and to have everlasting righteousness So that he gave most compleat and perfect obedience to the Law of God in every point applauded by a voice from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased This actual righteousness void of all tincture of evil was not only for himself but was efficacious for us for as many as believe in him to the end of the world for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 For this cause did the Prophet Jeremy foreshew the name whereby he should be called and that is THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE Legis finis interficiens perficiens Aug. Jer. 23.6 This makes good that Apostolical assertion we read 2 Cor. 5.21 That he was made sinne for us that is a Sacrifice to expiate our sin who knew no finne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So that we have as solid justification to life by his obedience as ever we were subject to death by Adams disobedience for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one Rom. 5.19 shall many be made righteous From this Fountain of grace do flow those streams of peace like those in Paradise that make glad the City of our God Peace with God with our selves with men with all the creatures haven and earth are met together in a blessed league For in him it pleased the Father should all fulnesse of divine graces dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him I say whether they be things in heaven or things in earth Col. 1.20 This serves also for another purpose to be a pattern for our imitation to be holy as he is holy to be undefiled members of that body whereof he is the head to walk before him and be upright with Abraham that believed in him The title of Christian which we all have by him should make us so to adhere to him in a conformity to his life Vt quia sine ipso nihil esse possumus per ipsum possimus esse quod dicimur that because without him we can be nothing by him we may be in truth what we are said to be the words are Bernards I must tell you what Saint Peter told them to whom he wrote his first Epistle Bern. 1 Pet. 2 9. Vilelatens viâ—tus quid â—â—m submeâ—sa tâ—vebris Proderit c. Claud. ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues or praises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him who hath called you out of darnesse into his marvellous light They are the words of Gregory the great in his Epistle to Theodorus Duke of Sardinia Justitiam quam mente geritis oportet coram heminibus luce operum demonstretis the integrity or righteousness ye bear in your mind ye ought besure to express and shew it before men by the light of works which doth justly accord with our Saviours mind Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven The greatest light in the firmament of the Church which is the heaven upon earth Hierom said that he did deligere Christum habitantem in Augustino is Christ himself the light of the lesser lights is but borrowed from him not to be concealed but to be seene to the eyes of the world after the example of the greatest light who hath lest us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 And believe me none are blessed but they alone that with our undefiled High-Priest are in some measure undefiled in the way who after him walk in the Law of the Lord. Ye shall hear how Saint Bernard on the Canticles Censures him that doth not frame his life to the obedience of the Gospel of Christ Dignus plane est morte Bern. in Cant. qui tibi Christe vecusat rivere he is without all doubt worthy of death who denies O Christ to live to thee Good reason then it is that we who are the redeemed of the Lord washed in his blood should in an honourable respect of our potent Redeemer conform our selves to the like strickt godly life he did and not to wallow in the sordid sins of the damned crue from which that we might be withdrawn according to the working of his mighty power Such an High-Priest
again is twofold 1. Essential 2. Personall Gods essential glory is that infinite majesty which is common to the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in the unity of the divine essence This glory is no other than God himself which the most profound or delicious Oratory of men or Angels cannot sufficiently express Which Moses earnestly desirous to behold but a thing impossible directed his suite unto God in these words I beseech thee shew me thy glory The Personal glory of God Exod. 33 1â— is that which is proper to each person of the Deity For example It is the Fathers glory to be from no other to beget a Son from eternity which is Jesus Christ the Righteous It is the Sons glory that he is coessential with the Father coeternal with the ancient of dayes without beginning without ending that he assumed our humanity to make us partakers of his divinity It is the glory of the holy Ghost that he proceeds from the Father and the Son that his majesty is equal with theirs that he is the sanctifier of the elect that he is the sole supporter and comforter of afflicted soulâ— and that he is with the Father and the Son one and the same God over all blessed for ever Amen The humane glory of God I call that which is ascribed and rendred to him by men with a strong concurrence of all the powers and faculties of soul and body and especially on this ground as a Saviour to sinners a Physician to the sick a Redeemer to the Captives a perfect way to wanderers a Pastour to the lost sheep of the house of Israel life to them that were dead and salvation to them that were condemned was sent from heaven in compassion of our wretched condition appointed the Son of God to be all these unto us For as many saviours were sent from God to save the Israelites from bodily oppression so was Christ from his Father to ease us of the unsupportable burden of our inquities wherewith we were heavily laden As the Prophet was sent with a bunch of figs Physician-like to cure Hezekiah's malady Isa 61. so was Christ with the comfortable ointment of his ever blessed Spirit to mollify our bruises to close our wounds to cleanse our putrifying sores to bind up our broken hearts and with his saving righteousness to heal all our mortal infirmities As Moses was sent from God to deliver the children of Isr ael from the Aegyptian bondage so Christ from his Father to proclaim liberty to the captives the opening of the prison to them that are bound and with his stretched out arme to redeem mankind from Satans servitude As the Lord made a way thorow the red sea to bring his People to the land of Canaan so hath he appointed Christ to be the living way through the red sea of whose blood we that wandred in the labrinth of our own wicked imaginations must passe into the land of the living As God sent David to be a shepheard to his people of Israel so did he Christ the Son of David to be that good shepheard that should lay down his life for his sheep the Israel of God As Elisha was sent of God as an instrument to put life into the Shunamites dead child so Christ came to be our life through whom by faith we who were doâ—d in sins and trespasses shall live everlastingly As Jonas was the Lords messenger of Ninevies salvation if they did repent though condemned So Christ the Angel of the Covenant is Gods messenger of eternal salvation to mankind condemned for sin if we believe in him All which the Angels knowing and men obtaining the Angels sung and men may prosecute what they have begun Glory be to God on high If we return not glory to the highest for this unparallel'd and incomparable love of his we may be justly censured for ingrateful miscreants and for ever debar'd of the grace of God and deservedly shut out of the Court of heaven Hazard not therefore your Christian reputation and hopes of glory through neglect of God but be as the glorious Angels making melody in your hearts and giving glory to God on high This glory due to God by man imports two things 1. Pious admiration 2. Religious honour The sending of the Son of God to be manifested in the flesh for our redemption must work in us an admiration of the infinite wisdom of God of his infinite power and of his infinite goodness Admire 1. Gods infinite wisdom who could find out a means to work our salvation when men and Angels saw none it came not into the apprehension of mans shallow brain to contrive how possibly an infinite satisfaction due to God by man Ephes 1.8 could by man be given unto the infinite justice of God Yet his unsearchable wisdom hath brought it about wherein according to the Apostolical verdict he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence For saith Anselm God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might pay an infinite price Admire 2. Gods infinite power who of two things the divine and humane natures most distant and different in themselves could make one so nearly that one and the same should be God and man Others may admire our Creation but let us admire our Redemption though both acts of infinite power It is admirable that our flesh and our bones were formed of God but yet 't is more admirable that God would become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones It is a mystery out-reaching our capacities wherein is contained the greatest sublimity and the greatest humlity the greatest power and the greatest infirmity the greatest majesty and the greatest frailty What is higher than God lower than man more powerfull than God weaker than man more glorious than God more frail than man Yet God by his alsufficient omnipotency hath conjoyned them together that we might be conjoyn'd to God for ever Admire 3. Gods infinite goodnesse in promising a Saviour to us when in Adam we had lost all goodness And in performing his promise in the fulness of time without the least shadow of variation when yet we were enemies God was then manifested in the flesh See see God himself whose pure eyes cannot indure to behold iniquity did descend to us because we by reason of the weight of our ponderous sins could not ascend to him In which extraordinary act he made an exact demonstration of his unlimited goodness 1. In his mercy 2. In his Justice In his mercy The Creator that was offended assumed the flesh of the creature offending Man had forsaken God and turned to Satan and yet God that was forsaken makes diligent search after the forsaker is not this infinite mercy far exceeding the limits of the finite understanding and thought of man Our nature is become more glorious by Christ in the union than it was deformed by Adam in the transgression We have
received more in the second Adam than we lost in the first Where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom 5.20 In Adam we lost our native innocency in Christ we receive absolute perfection and integrity in Adam we lost Paradise on earth in Christ we receive the Kingdom of heaven the true Paradise of God at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore How then can that infinite mercy repel us from him when we come unto him being now made partakers of his nature much rather being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 And this is called the glory of his grace whereby we are made accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.6 7. Gods goodness appears in his justice worthy of admiration for the God of mercy as he was inclined so was he content to pardon sinners if it might stand with the unblemisht reputation of his exactest justice That therefore his justice might not suffer his mercy brought to passe the incarnation of his Son thereby to satisfy his justice and appease his wrath Rom. 3.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Him hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past hence he is said to dy for us that is in our stead which taketh away condemnation Cap. 8.34 and bringeth peace to undoubted salvation Cap 5.10 Here is plenary satisfaction to God for us and a peaceful reconciliation betwixt God and us Hence 't is said that he was made sin for us that is a sinner 2 Cor. 5.21 which cannot be but either interna pollutione by an inward infection which was impossible to him vel externâ reputatione by an outward repute and estimate which was no otherwise than by undergoing the punishment due to us which he hath done as was meet by which Gods justice is everlastingly immutably and fully satisfied and we perfectly saved Hence he is said to bear our iniquities Isa 53.4 which is not tollerantia patientiae the bearing of patience though he did bear them patiently but by bearing them he took them away behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world neither is it sola poestas auferendi peccata 1 Pet. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely an authentick power or authority of taking away our sins but which is far more he actually bare our sins in his one body on the tree that is submitting himself to divine censure and justice did suffer the punishments of our offences by which we passe from death to life for by his stripes we are healed by his death we are saved Hence he is said to have paid for us the price of our Redemption we are bought with a price faith the Apostle whereby is intimated our captivity and subjection unto the just vengeance of the Almighty We were debters unto him and were broke like bankrupts upon the matter despoil'd of all good we had and disenabled to pay the price of our redemption which the Son of God undertaking saith of himself Mat. 20 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 that he came to give his life a ransome for many whereof the Apostle making use saith that Christ our Mediatour gave himself a ransome for all The Apostles All are those Many mentioned by the Evangelist Hence he is said to be an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes 5.2 Such a one as hath wrought a perfect reconciliation and an eternal peace betwixt God and us his justice satisfied our sins pardoned our souls saved Such a one as all sacrifices before him were but his shadows and for any to be after him is but needless and most unlawful for he after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God and by that one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Thus to satisfie the justice of God and secure us Heb. 10.12.14 the Sonne of God is sent from God into the world and went stitch-through with the work of our redemption So that it is compleat and cannot admit the least exception nothing in it being defective nothing superfluous To close up this point admire the wonderful temper of Gods mercy and justice which no creature could find out before God did manifest it and none now it is made manifest can fully apprehend it In sending us a Saviour God was merciful that he might be just and just that he might be merciful For in his mercy he sent him he gave him to us in his justice he made him a curse he punished him with death for us which he triumphantly overcame he made him sin for us that knew no sinne to the end that through his mercy again we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Cor. 5.22 Wherefore with holy David unto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare Psal 75.1 The works of thy mercy the works of thy justice are exceeding wonderful in our reparation Thy Name thy nature is near unto us in thy Son Nomen i.c. Numâ—n who being the true IMMANVEL God with us hath wrought and accomplished our deliverance Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the glory Tibi gloria nobis lucrum let the glory be thine now the gain is ours Glory be to God on high Thus much concerning the first thing imported in this Glory which is a pious admiration of Gods infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness The second thing imported in this Glory is a religious honour due to God which is evermore the necessary consequent of pious admiration We honour our Benefactors the best we may as the benefit bestowed and the love of the Benefactor doth require and the greater the benefit the greater is the Benefactors love and the greater his love the greater honour is due to him from the receiver Great out of doubt is the Gift God sent to us freely confer'd upon us it is a Gift of an heavenly nature of the highest vaine his own only begotten Son him hath God given that aâ— many as believe in hiâ— should not perish but have everlasting life Seeing then that he graciously vouchsafed to honour us so highly so lovingly we cannot in modesty in honesty in piety but highly honour him again who is the highest Being then upon the point of honour I must fixe upon those two points wherein this honour doth consist which are 1. Obedience not fained but real 2. Divine worship or adoration of him First then because God hath sent a Saviour into the world to visit us his people from on high and to redeem us from below the nethermost hell we are to render all sincere obedience to him
Our creation our preservation do both plead for and challenge it at our hands a regular conformity to his will for we are his people and the sheep of his pasture but much more our redemption the end whereof is that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Luke 1.74 75. in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life This obedience is 1. Internal wrought and seated in the heart 2. External profest and made conspicuous by outward expressions For the former it is internal wrought in the heart for the outward motions of our service and observance to God have their proper dependance upon the good operations of the heart as it is affected moved and ruled by the Spirit of grace In nature the heart is primum vivens the first part in man that lives and communicates natural life and motion to the rest So in grace the heart is the very first that receives new life from above according unto which all the other parts become instruments of righteousness and Gods glory from being instruments of sin and Gods dishonour The heart then once subdued to the obedience of God the rebellion of our nature being suppressed and the love of God shed abroad in them by the holy Ghost which is given unto us there is by the effectual working of the power of the most High begotten in us an ardent love of God which is that spiritual flame of pure heavenly fire that makes us zealous of good works that actuates the whole man in piety putting us awork in the serious disquisition of the affairs of heaven and making us fiery hot in the Christian pursuit of Gods glory and our eternal quiet The Apostle defines it to be the fulfilling of the Law so that upon it depends our obedience there being no obedience without it Wherefore to conclude this with S. Bernard on the Canticles Dilexit nos Deus dulciter sapienter fortiter dulciter quia carnem induit sapienter Bern. quia culpam cavit fortiter quia mortem sustinuit Sic nos diligamus Deum dulciter ne illecti sapienter ne decepti fortiter ne compressi deficiamus God loved us sweetly wisely sirmly Sweetly because he assumed our nature wisely because he eschewed and declined our sin firmly because he sustained death for us In like manner let us love God sweetly lest allured wisely left intrapped and firmly lest constrained and fore urged we revolt and apostatize from him Let our affections then be once heartily endeared unto him as they ought to be and the whole world shall not remove our standing nor make us forsake our obedience due to God For the latter This honour consisting in obedience as it is internal wrought in the heart and seated there by love so it is external profest by outward expressions It must not be lockt up in perpetual silence nor buried in endless obscurity but our lips must be open to shew forth his praises and our light must so shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This honorable obedience is exprest two ways 1. By good language 2. By good actions First it is exprest by good language The heavenly host of Angels be assembled together to give the good time of the early day to the Son of God now made the Son of Man Sing and rejoice not only because the vacant places of Apostate Angels were to be filled up and supplied with the redeemed Israel of God but also because we are by his most happy Incarnation made most happily the sons of God of the sons of wrath and partakers of their happiness of being partakers of great misery Wherefore joy was proclaimed from Heaven in the sweetest dialects by the Divine Heralds of Honor because the Author and Giver of Joy was come then into the world which was the best day that eâ—er than beheld made more glorious by the glorious rising of the Sun of Righteousness Joy again is commanded because enmity betwixt God and man the just cause of sorrow is removed Questionless Glory in the highest degree and largest extent is to be rendred unto God which our first Parents by their unlawful transgression would have taken away And if the Angels thus sing and rejoice how much more are we engaged in the performance of the like since he took not upon him the nature of Angels but the nature of Man since unto us that Child was born and for us that Son was given Sing and fear not then as the Angels said because he was born who hath taken away all cause of fear The Israelites did lift up their voices with Jubile 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 when the Ark of the Covenant was brought unto them which was but a shadow or figure of the Lords Incarnation how much more ought we to rejoice unto whom the Lord himself is come and hath honored us with the assumption of our flesh unto him Abraham rejoiced when he saw by faith the day of the Lord afar off how much greater ought our rejoicing to be now that he was Immanuel God with us He rejoiced when he saw the Lord in an humane shape assumed for a time appearing unto him what should we do now that Christ hath coupied unto himself our nature by an everlasting covenant and inviolable union Our souls ought to magnifie the Lord our God and our spirits to rejoice in God our Saviour A new song is expected of us being the old things are passed and all things become new With the Heavens ought we in a more special manner to declare the glory of the God of Heaven and sound forth in the choifest language and with most chearful heart from generation to generation the everlasting praises of our God for the wondrous work of our Redemption God commands us Good Angels invite us all things prompt us to make our tongues as pens of ready writers to set forth that good matter is indited in and by our hearts concerning the King of Kings Psal 45. whereby we may make his name to be remembred in all ages and the people to praise him for ever and ever Secondly This honorable obedience is exprest by good actions To speak well and do ill is simulata sanctitas counterfeit sanctity deliverâ—d by some to be duplex iniquitas a double iniquity Being that the true Light is gone into the world from the Father of Lights who dwelleth in that Light which is unaccessible We who are the Children of Light by profession ought not to be imployed in the works of Darkness by dissimulation Our behaviour and conversation must be candid and unstain'd if our souls have received the true stamp and character of goodness For this purpose God gave Christ and Christ gave himself that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Enoch walked with God and Abraham pleased
the hearts of all that should read those stories Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Now if any Anabaptistical Humorist who hath a company of Phanatique toyes whiffling about his understanding should censure me for inforcing Bowing and Kneeling I have no more to say to him than this Being that God is the Creator and Redeemer of soul and body that therefore as well with the body as the soul we are to worship him by kneeling bowing and that especially when the act of our Redemption is presented unto us by visible signs as it is in the Lords Supper I conclude this with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible and onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen I follow still the Angels strain and pitch my thoughts on the second part the words are these And on earth peace From the time of Mans capital apostasie effected by the cunning project of the subtile Serpent all the creatures of God were at odds with Man affected with reciprocal enmity The fiery Dragon had set the world on fire Combustion and Confusion the two extremities of distempered Passion came on after Hence by reason of the perpetual opposition of the creatures Iniquity did abound and the love of many waxed cold The burden of these disturbances was so ponderous that all things did groan under it So many blustering storms did succeed one upon the neck of another as that the world seemed to despair of peace Mans wicked disobedience was taken so ill at Gods hands as well he might as that he was incensed against him and his posterity and for their sake cursed the earth Here then we find Man in hostility with God with himself with his brethren with all Gods creatures both in heaven and in earth So that he is excluded felicity whereof he was before possessed inviron'd with that deplorable misery which he then could not and we now cannot without Christ Jesus avoid His rebellion against God caused the creatures to rebell against him He neglecting his Creator is both by the Creator and creature neglected His falling from the Lord made the Lord and the servants fall out with him Because the sons of Adam had such aspiring minds as to seek after that which is proper unto God Peace is therefore departed from the sons of Adam Now there was no peace within none without until the Prince of peace Jesus Christ by grace put a period to the mutinous disposition of ill-affected humors until he had so salved the matter betwixt God and us as that all things might work together for the good of us that are the elect of God Wherefore as the Dove after the â—sswaging of the waters of the Deluge brought an Olive branch into the Ark of Noah so Christ as innocent as a Dove came unto the world and brought Peace and Reconciliation with him into the Ark of God which is his Church floating in a restless Ocean of intestine troubles Who was no sooner come but the Heavenly Courtiers invite us men on earth to give glory unto God in Heaven because that the God of Heaven did by his own Son send peace on earth to men For when he came he brought peace to us when he departed Zanch. he left his peace with us Qui pacem dicit dicit uno verbo omnia bona saith Zanchius Who names but peace comprehends in one word all that 's good And indeed all that 's good did in and through Christ descend to us from the Infinite Good out of the inexhaustible treasures of whose uncomprehended fulness we have all received Since then O my God that my soul and discursive faculty must now be fixt upon all that 's good refine I beseâ—ch thee my diviner thoughts and let not all that 's good be in any wise tainted by any unhallowed imperfections of mine Assist with thy Divine power in setting out this Olive-branch of Peace fetcht from Heaven that may in time spring up unto eternal life Our Saviour the Everlasting Son of the Father and blessed Peace-maker of Heaven and Earth wrought for believing men such as shall receive him by faith for whose sake he came into the world a foursold inviolable Peace Viz. 1. Peace with our God 2. Peace with our selves 3. Peace with one another 4. Peace with all the creatures First he wrought our peace with God What befell Adam for his insolent behaviour and disobedience against the Author of his life no son of Adam that hath but the least sense of misery can be ignorant of Upon the apprehension of the transgression he found himself and we since our selves miserably plung'd in a depth of inselicity for by the offence of that one man that first man all became enemies to God and God an enemy to all Thus God and man stood off at a distance never to come together but by a mediation Whereupon the God of mercy that delights not in the death of a sinner unwilling to see so noble a creature perish everlastingly provides and sends a Mediator that Son of his who was in his own bosom to reconcile us unto himself to bring us unto the bosom of his Father ratisying such a league as may if it were possible outlast Eternity Hence it was he took our flesh upon him whereby being God and Man he might bring man to God Oh the hardness of my stony heart saith Bernard in a heavenly extasie Bern. Vtinam Domine sicut Verbum caro factum est ita cor meum carnem fiat I would to God my God and Lord that as the Word was made flesh so were my heart hereby to be seelingly apprehensive of thine infinite mercy in granting pardon to my sin and peace unto my soul through the Lord Jesus It is the Apostles speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Christ is our Peace Eph. 2.14 our Peace in the very abstract By him our eternal quiet is procured Gods consuming wrath appeâ—sed and by his light are our feet guided into the way of peace A Jesuite spake it and to speak truth 't is Gods received truth Ex inimicis amicos ex servis filios ex filiis irae haredes regni fecit nos per Christum Deus God the God of peace hath made us through Christ that of being his enemies his friends of being his servants his sons of being sons of wrath heirs of a Kingdom not subject to mortality Buâ—lest an headstrong credulity arising out of a flattering misconceit should draw some into a precipitate presumption of concluding themselves to be reconciled to God and restored to favour though they persist in sin and infidelity Learn this Orthodox truth grounded on that of the Apostle That they only who are justified by faith and sanctified by his Spirit have peace with God Rom. 5.1 through our Lord Jesus Christ Happy is that soul alone that hath faith it hath Christ Happy
body whereof Christ is the head Be we then exhorted as sensible of being in the presence of God to the love one of another which as learned Scaliger defines it Appetitus unionis Scaliger Exercitation a desire and inclination to a quiet union Charity is the soveraign preservative of peace and nothing makes us more like God than it saith one As all things are fill'd with his goodness so the universal is partaker of the good mans spreading love Let me also dehort from malice and envie which is a grand enemy to peace Invidia siculi non invenere Tyranni majut tormentum the Sicilian tyrants never invented a more cruel a more cursed torment Give it no countenance no harbour for it ever thirsteth after revenge and attributes to it self what belongs to God vengeance It is like Vipers wine which being drunk will never leave working until it discover it self and those intestine humours that depend upon it by stirring up strifes for hatred stirreth up strifes Prov. 10.12 Pliny Nat. Hist lib. 8. cap. 28. Mark the monstrous nature of this unnatural humour whereas all plants and other creatures have their growth and increase to a period and then their declination and decay except only the Crocodile Dalington in his Aphorism who ever groweth bigger and bigger even till death as Plinie did observe So saith ingenious Dalington have all passions and perturbations in the mind of man their intentions and remissions increase and decrease except only malicious revenge for this the longer it lasteth the stronger it waxeth and worketh still even when the maligne humour of avarice and ambition are setled or spent And would you know how this Crocodile-like sin growes bigger and bigger I will tell you It is Galens observation Galenus ' that when a humour is strong and predominant it not only converteth his proper nutriment but even that which is apt for contrary humours into its own nature and quality Of like force is this strong and wilful vice it not only feeds upon agreeable motions but makes even those reasons which are strongest against it to be most for it and so swells immeasurably big If therefore any one be troubled with this malady whereby this peace of Christians is disquieted I will give him a receipt of a medicine taken out of St. Cyprian which will cure him Venena fellis evome Cypr. lib. de Zelo livere discordiarum virus exclude purgetur mens quam serpentinus livor infecerat amaritudo omnis qua intus insederat Christi dulcedine leniatur Disgorge thy self of the poyson of thy gall cast out the venome of discords purge thy mind which is infected with serpentine envie and let all bitternesse which setled in thy heart be gently mittigated with the sweetnesse with the meeknesse of Christ Jesus It is the voice of God Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Levit. 19.17 1 Joh. 3.15 Eph. 4.31 32 Homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec minum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tremelius of Cranmer he that hateth his brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him This may somewhat satiate and allay the boiling heat of a revengeful mind Lest then this sin kill your souls following the Apostles counsel let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even at God for Christs sake hath forgiven you For Christs sake then in the bowels of compassion forgive and forget all offences Cyprian 1. Forgive Demittentur tibi debita quando ipse dimiseris accipientur sacrificia cum pacificus ad Deum veneris saith Cyprian Thy sins shall be forgiven thee of God when thou forgivest other thy sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving shall be acceptable to the Almighty when thou shalt come peaceably before him Xenophon No mercy shall be shewed to them that shew no mercy 2. Forget Xenophon reports of Trasibulus that after he recovered his countrey he ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forgetfulness of all injuries as indeed not worth keeping in mind the part truly of a generous spirit and heroick disposition which may well befit the best Christian to imitate O let Abrahams speech to Lot beget in every one of us ever hereafter a well grounded resolution of preserving peace Let there be no strife between me and thee for we be brethren saith he Religion tyes us beside reason to keep and maintain the Kings peace on earth if we will have the peace of Kings in heaven I have read of one Archidamus being chosen to decide a controversie between two that disagreed being sworn to stand to his judgment I lay this injunction upon you that neither of you depart this place until ye be reconciled to each other The like charge I lay on all Chistians by authority from heaven that at least ye depart not this life but in peace having your hearts cleansed from the leaven of malice and hypocrisie and filled with Christian amity and brotherly love I charge you as Joseph did his brethren at their departure from him see that ye fall not out by the way Ye are in the way to heaven go close together as hand in hand so heart in heart until you come to your journeys end heaven Now for a conclusion of the point I will use the same prayer for you which Paul did for the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3.12 The Lord make you to encrease and to abound in love one towards another and towards all men And thus much concerning Civil peace The second is Ecclesi astical the peace of the Church which is interrupted either by Heresie or Schisme Gal. 1.8 9. the one breeding dissention in Doctrine the other disorder in Discipline Against the authors and upholders of the first Saint Paul hath pronounced an Anathema If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed Against the abettors of the second it is his judicial and Apostolical sentence seperate them from among you As faction divides so infection devours the Church of God if not prevented We who are Messengers of peace ought to walk like Paul and Titus Eodem spiritu iisdem vestigiis in the same spirit touching faith in the same steps touching good life Acts 4.32 It was reported of the Beleevers that they were all of one mind and one heart Oh! I would to God that all of us that bring the message of peace in our mouths who should be the sons of peace and brethren of unity were so affected as to suppresse all pragmatical dispositions in us Beleeve me my brethren fiery spirits apter for innovation than administration become not the servants of Christ Jesus The principles of Religion which Hereticks call into question are infallible grounds where on we should build our faith not disputable points
sic jubeo then there is Reason that thinks of the means to compass the intent of the Will which being found there is a Power which is still in action till the Will as I may so say gets its will and obtains its end whence is drawn a similitude to express the profound mystery of the Trinity The Father is compared to the Will for he is the beginning of the action the Son to Reason for to him is given the dispensation of all things and he is the Wisdom of the Father the Holy Ghost to the Faculty or Power of effecting it who is the Perfecter of every act called The Power of the most High These three saculties are in the soul of man yet one soul not three and 't is a question never satisfactorily decided since first moved Whether these essentially and really differ from the soul or no If then these three faculties of the soul be one soul and one soul these three faculties why may not the Essence of the Godhead be communitated to three Persons and these three Persons remain one onely God Thus the glimmering light of Nature hath given us some light in this matter Lombard lib. 1. dist 12. E. which as the Master of Sentences saith Etsi sensu non percipiam tamen teneo conscientià Though unperceptible to mine outward sense yet in my conscience I hold for true Rules of Divinity exceeding our capacity are to be embraced by Faith not to be discussed by Reason And thus much for the Person sent the Spirit of the Son I proceed to the Person sending which is said to be God God the Father by his Son sent forth the Spirit of his Son In which discourse as much compendiousness as may be All that we enjoy in the time of our pilgrimage here on Earth are sent us from God the Giver of every good and perfect gift What Earth cannot afford us Heaven supplies The mission or donation of the Holy Ghost comes not within the reach of any mortal or immortal creature Wherefore the Father considering we cannot have a we being in this life but our condition should be without him miserable He sent us the Holy Ghost the onely Comforter of our distressed souls the onely Supporter of our future hopes of happiness to strengthen us and fill our hearts with joys unspeakable O the wonderful mercy of Almighty God! Qui misit unigeâ—â—tum immisit spiritum promisit vnltum quid tandem tibi negaturus est Bâ—rn de temp Nihil unquam ei negasse credendum est quem ad vitull bortatur esum Hierom. He sent his Son to save us and his Sons Spirit to comfort us God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts He denies us nothing that may further our good but sends us all things even his Spirit who deserve a denial of all things It is believe it it is his Mercy that is over all his works He makes our misery the object of his goodness our necessities the object of his bounty hence the Apostle discourseth thus God gave us his Son when we were enemies and how shall he not with him give unto us all things even to the Spirit of his Son God sent forth the Spirit of his Son It is counted a great gift that Jacob sent by the hands of his servants to paciâ—ie his brother Esau Gen. 32.14 15. It is counted a great gift that Joseph sent to Jacob his father Gen. 45.22 23. and that he gave to Benjamin It is counted a great gift that Pharaoh gave to Joseph giving him rule over all the land of Egypt Gen. 41.43 It was a Princely gift that Hiram King of Tyre sent to King Solomon 1 King 9.14 and that the Queen of Shtha gave him 1 King 10.10 It was a Princely and magnificent gift that King Ahasuerus sent to Mordecai by the han is of Haman it is registred Esth 6. It was a gift royal that the three Wise-men presented to our Saviour Christ Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense Mat. 2. But it is a far greater and more magnificent gift that the God of Heaven sends into the hearts of the children of men the Spirit of his Son Those are but poor gifts in respect of this for infinite is the difference betwixt them and it They are subject to mutability loss and corruption but God sends forth the immortal and eternal Spirit of his Son very God of very God into our hearts They could not sanctifie them to whom they were sent and given but this doth cleanse those souls from all pollution of sin to whom God sends him They only made them great in the eyes of men this makes men great in the eyes of God Who but a blind man cannot discern the tender affection and exceeding care of Almighty God our heavenly Father towards us who gives us all things to the utmost of his power he thinks nothing too good for us He gives us his Spirit and in giving him he gives himself God over all blessed for ever What greater gift can God give to the sons of men what greater gift can the sons of men expect of God Enough enough Lord thou art God Alsufficient we can ask no more and thou canst send no greater than the Spirit of thy Son into our hearts I will not part from this point till I clear one doubt In that God sends the Spirit of his Son some infer that God and the Holy Spirit are unequal the Sender must ever be greater than the Messenger the Giver than the Gift But by their leaves 1. This is a Principle underâ—â—able That there is no inequality in the Deity 2. Common experience in Civil affairs is able to demonstrate this That equals may send forth equals it is usual 3. S. Cyril Cyrils rule is most forcibly true That Missio obedientia non tollunt aqualitatem Mission and submission nullifie not equality The Father sent his onely begotten Son into the world in the form of a servant and was obedient unto death even the cursed death of the Cross Yet equal to the Father He thought it no robbery Phil. 2. So the Holy Ghost in equality is not a jot diminished nor his authority any thing abated though sent of the Father The Father is not greater than the Son nor the Holy Ghost less than either because all three are one and the same God Infinite in Essence and Lord of all and in Unity there is no Inequality Here I put a period to my discourse of this point and proceed to the next to wit to the Mission or sending of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Son God sent forth the Spirit of his Son The sending of the Spirit is either in a visible or invisible manner Visibly he is said to be sent when there are significant signs of his presence Not that the Spirit in its own nature is visible to the eyes of man When he confers his saving graces by the use of external Symbols working
exceeded the capacity of Nicoâ— Cum primum nascimur in omni continuo pravitate versamur Tully though a Master in Israel to become like him did not he mould out hearts anew and fill them with the invaluable riches of his mercy and the treasures of his graces we had been of all creatures the most miserable Sinful was our conception sinful was our birth and striful is all our life Nature makes us sons of wrath being deprived of the life of grace as soone as we are sons of nature Damnatus homo antequam natus Aug. there is none that doth good no not one All are sold under sin whence the Apostile upon his own experience averreth that in him that is in his flesh or natural estate dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. We are born dead as soone as we come into the world alive spiritually dead naturally alive Now in whom no good thing dwelleth by nature they are by nature void of grace and who by nature are void of grace do not by nature participate of spiritual life whereof whosoever is not partaker is by nature spiritually dead and who by nature are spiritually dead are destitute of the Spirit of grace who is the sole Author of life and finisher of our salvation All saving graces and heavenly benedictions flow from him in whom the fulnesse of all graces dwells and all return to him again as rivers come from the sea and to the sea return Uâ—lesse therefore God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to sanctifie 〈◊〉 to cleanse us to put new spirit and life into us which is a work of the highest power to which nature can never actain we shall come short of performing the least act that may be any wayes advantageous for our falvation A dead manâ—s not in action hath no living motion neither is there in his power any possibility of regaining life a so is every one spiritually whose heart is not quickened and moved by the holy Ghost to whom it is alone possible to raise from the death of sinne whose property it is to infuse grace and make the hearts and souls of men beautified with the richest furniture and most precious 〈◊〉 of divine 〈…〉 Tomles for himself to dwell in And thus the passage is clear and open for another observation grounded on these words which is this That the heart of the child of God is the seat or dwelling place of the holy Ghost Of all things in man God desireth the heart of man My son give me thine heart for as naturally evil actions proceed from it so must all good being first set awork by the first mover unto all good the good Spirit of God It is in man by nature according to the dictates of natural Philosophy Primum vivens the first in man that lives and divine Philosophy informs us that it is so in grace too For the convernon of the whole man depends upon the conversion of the heart to God there new life is begun Nature gives it a vital faculty distributing to all parts the vital spirits whereby they are embled to work and so doth grace for in what good soever any part of the body is imployed the power of effecting it is derived from the heart which as it is called Principium vitae in the body of man so it is made by the grace of God the original of a holy life and the first subject of grace without which all our best services are but glittering sins for with the heart we beleeve and with the heart we work out our salvation The Chymicks compare the heart to the Sun call'd by them Cor mundi the Sun is in the midst of the great world this in the midst of the little world man The Sun is the sountain of heat in this wherewith all sublunary creatures are cherished and quickened so from the heart to apply things otherwise than they do wholly taken up with the sanctifying Spirit doth proceed such a heat and fervent zeal as that every part is made nimble in the execution of what God commands us It makes the feet swift in running to the house of prayer the hands pliable to minister to the necessities of the poor the tongue voluble in uttering the praises of Almighty God â— 1. 〈◊〉 the eares ready to hear with joy the Gospel of peace preached the eyes to be busied in looking up to heaven from whence cometh our salvation the whole man to be wholly taken up in heavenly contemplations of God and his works and holy exercises of devotion Hence the heart may challenge a principality over all the members of the body all are at its service and it exerciseth dominion over them all Arist in lib. de gederatione tanquam rex in regno as King in his Kingdom saith the Philosopher and it is ruled by the Spirit say Divines Naturalists raise a large discourse and ample dispute upon this Argument and as yet the controversie lies undetermined but this one principle of Divinity alotting the heart to the holy Ghost for his chief mansion in man doth end the controversie for in what part of man the holy Ghost doth principally reside and on what part of man mans conversion doth principally depend must of necessity be the principal part of man But to return more particularly to the rule hitherto amplified that the heart of man is the seat of the Spirit my discourse shall be limited 1. To the proof here of by Scripture 2. To a declaration of those circumstances whereby the being of the Spirit in our hearts may be discovered and by necessary consequence without all peradventure coucluded It is the general voice of the Scripture which is without exception that the Spirit dwelleth in the elect Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but iâ— the spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you And in ver 11. it is thus written That if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit which dwelleth in you The Apostle in 1 Cor. 3.16 propounds this question the ignorance whereof is reputed grosse absurdity Know ye not that ye aâ—d the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you It is part of Pauls divine prayer for the Ephesians in Ephes 3.17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts by saith that is that Christ may possesse their hearts and the whole man by his Spirit working saving faith in them This dwelling is an admirable good expression of the being of the Spirit in us which is not in regard of substance which the heaven of heavens cannot contain being infinite much lesse can the body or soul of man bounded within strait limits comprize but in regard of a special operation out of the reach of a created power It carries with it an intimation of the holy Ghost abiding
up to Jerusalem Here then in this part of the History we have set down unto us 1. The time of Pauls journey Then three years after 2. His journey I went up to Jerusalem 3. The end or purpose of his journey To see Peter 4. The time of his residence there fifteen dayes I abode with him fifteen dayes All these prove manifestly that the Gospel was not revealed unto him by flesh and blood whether those of his own Nation or the Apostles but onely by the revelation of Jesus Christ Then after three years that is when three years were expired after his inspiration Not seeing so much as an Apostle much lesse hearing in preaching the Gospel up and down Damascus and Arabia he went up to Jerusalem In Arabia If Arabia the happy made now more happy by the Gospel if Arabia the stony mollifying the stony hearts of the inhabitants if Arabia the desart Christ takes possession of it by Paul his messenger Three years did he continue preaching the Gospel in Arabia and Damascus ere he came to Jerusalem The Apostle we see yields an account of his time spending both of years and of days to teach all especially the Ministers of Gods Word to keep an account of their time This is the doctrine in general drawn from the example of the Apostle That we must have a care how we spend our time that it be not consumed in trivial affairs matters of no weight of no consequence but on high and profound matters such as well as belong to our everlasting salvation as those of our ordinary calling God hath appointed that every man should have a double calling one respecting God another man The first without the last cannot be the last without the first may be but miserable Our service unto God sanctifies the creatures service unto us And as we cannot be without the first except we turn Atheists so not without the last except we turn beasts A Christian of all other hath most to do he having so many improvements of reason so many reasons of faith which is above reason had he no other calling he of all other hath least reason to be idle And that for these reasons If he consider the preciousness of time Time is precious as every gist of God is Time is the most precious flower in the garden of this world Tempore saith Simonides fiunt sapientes Simonides in time men are made wise men and Thales makes time to be omnium Sipientissimum therefore precious time It learns it teaches it alters all things In the fulness of time was our Redemption wrought and in the end of time shall be accomplished Head and hands make a perfect natural man counsel and action a perfect civil man faith and good works a perfect spiritual man for all these things there must be a time Therefore precious time The book of nature doth furnish with a knowledge of the power and wisdom of a most powerful of a most wise God in time hence time makes a perfect humanist God gives us a head for contemplation hands for action and time for all things In this book of nature there are delivered unto us Principles of morality God gave us time enough to learn them but we through sin made it short and our selves forget him his and our selves and therefore he writ the moral law rather in tables of stone than in the table of our hearts as more faithful registers of his Law and withal to shew that our hearts are harder than stones Stones suffering ravings in time our hearts never therefore our hearts being so hard God must raise himself children out of stones Hence comes counsel and action and an understanding heart all in good time There is a book called the book of God out of which Ministers are to preach the Word and to be instant in season and out of season To preach with Paul to pray daily with Cornelius Centurion of the Italian band to conferre like Philip with the Eunuch Treasurer to Candaoâ— the Ethiopian Queen and to be always in action The calling teacheth them to be still calling of men to repent and beleeve The Prophets are called Seers and Watchmen of Israel to shew that Ministers should have their spiritual eyes alwayes open ever in the act of seeing Neither is this book made for Ministers only but for all with David to meditate upon day and night God gives time for this also Another reason is if we consider our brittle estate the shortness of our life-time Here we are clad with clods of dirt our mud-wals begin to moulder in our conception Our whole life is but an active death Earth we were earth we are and to earth we shall must returne God not we can tell how soon Job 14. Martis habet vices quae trahitur vita gemitibus Gen. 47. Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to live yet uncertain our life is but little enough Jacob was an hundred and thirty years old when his son Joseph set him before King Pharaoh yet like a good old man did he say few and evill have the dayes of the years of my pilgrimage been We are but poor pilgrims in this world Pilgrims remain not long in one place no more do we no more can we in this world Our life is but a vapour Jam. 4.14 so is death soon come soon gone How like then unto death is our life and a vapour is the Hierogliphique of both This should animate us and set us forward to lay hold on eternal life Josh 10. in time while time is Time will stay for no man Joshuah could command the sun and moon Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou I soon in the valley of Ajalon but he could not command time to make a stand Hesekia by his prayer unto God 2 King 20. made the sun run back ten degrees in the firmament but time runn'd on forward We have as much to do as we can do while we live Another reason is if we consider what advantage the grand enemy of our salvation Satan gets by our idlenesse Then is his only time to clap wicked suggestions into our hearts When we are most idle than the devil is as busie as a butler about us then doth he make an assault with his wicked spirits hell's black guards to tempt us to under go this or that devilish complot When our minds are wandring in the ayre we know not where nor what about the devil enters in True it is there is a time for all things but no time to be idle A time to be born Eccles 3. a time to dy a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted a time to kill and a time to heale a time to break down and a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to cast away stones and a time to
these words I am discoursing on Which are a pious Exhortation directed to the Elders of the Church containing a twofold Caution 1. The one respecting themselves Take heed therefore to your selves 2. The other the Church of God And to all the Flock The arguments produc'd to back this Exhortation to a diligent Providence of Gods people are 1. Because they are Overseers of the Flock 2. Because they are called to the performance of that office by Divine election and constitution in these words Over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers 3. Because Gods intent in calling them to that office was to feed the Church of God 4. Because it is not a thing of a small value that is committed to their charge but that which God with his own blood purchased Which he hath purchased with his own blood Before I meddle with the two main particulars the onely matter intended my meditation shall reflect a little upon the ground hereof implied in the illative particle therefore which ever hath relation to a precedent matter Paul protells that he hath declared the whole counsel of God to them and that he is pure from the blood of all men in that he did conceal nothing from them that concerned their salvation Seeing then he leaves them in so good a state acquainting them with the Lords pleasure and counsel he chargeth the Elders to beware of themselves and of the flock Take heed therefore to your selves c. Where you may note how piously Paul is devoted to Religion how zealously affected to Gods Church how provident for their welfare Loth he was to depart until he had setled the affairs Ecclesiastical A Synod therefore assembled he lays himself open to all Like an indulgent Parent departing from his children could not part without an exhortation for preventing future perils He did undoubtedly conclude as well he might the improvidence of Ministers should be fatal to the Church Neglective carelesness hath evermore a dead stroke in the corruption or fall of Religion Where pride pranked with outward semblances goes for gravity where outward observances and ceremonious complements pass for inward zeal and devotion where humane eloquence perhaps impertinent to the matter in hand runs current for profound learning and is preferr'd before the demonstration of the Spirit where Hagar gets the preheminence of Sarah I mean where Philosophy shall coin Articles of Faith and prescribe rules to Divinity where Vice walks in the habit of Vertue where Avarice is counted Thristiness where gain of money and revenue is more desired than gain of souls Gods Vineyard must needs be neglected and without question down comes Religion Take heed therefore to your selves The Apostle in this illation hath yet a further reach In the precedent verse he doth aver that he is pure from the blood of all men and for his justification alleageth that he hath kept back from them no part of Gods counsel which he was pleased to reveal for their endless felicity Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the flock Do ye so likewise Hence it is requisite that you be industrious in the search of heavenly mysteries See that Earth make you not to forget Heaven and so slacken your care but let your studies be spent in finding knowledge that is able to save your souls and them that hear you in doctrine in exhortation in reproof aiming at the perfection of the Saints of God and his glory It is an unquestionable truth That the blood of them who receive little or no instruction of their Pastors or who fall away from the Truth through the Pastors neglect or careless carriage in their vocation will be required at the Pastors hand Ezekiel in his 33. chap. confirms this assertion O son of man I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth Fulmina non verba Eras and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand If you intend the good of Zion if you prefix for your scope the glory of God if you hope for salvation quit your selves my Brethren from the guilt of blood of murdering souls through your negligence Attend to Pauls exhortation Take heed to your selves c. First take heed to your selves The prime care of a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ is how to behave himself in the Church of Christ which is the house of the living God It is an hard task I must confess he is put to a painful work that he takes in hand for the finishing whereof there must be a concurrence of conscience and skill If conscience be without skill the good will and honest intentions may win applause egregiam certe laudem but the Church is not profited If skill and no conscience whilst he teacheth others he himself becomes a reprobate Those instructions he imparts to others will in the end prove his own overthrow Take heed therefore to your selves It is the speech of Evagrius Scholasticus in his Ecclesiastical history Libr. 3. concerning an Emperor That an Emperor is not to be counted of thereafter as he governeth others but as he guideth and ruleth himself It behoveth him to suffer no lascivious motion to root within his breast but valiantly to encounter with Intemperancie and to make his life a pattern of vertue or a lanthorn for his subjects to follow after thereby to lead them to godly instruction This I may apply to the true Divine and true Man of God He must have an observing eye as well upon himself as others All his actions must be so ruled as that we may read piety in each of them and that they may serve for patterns of imitation to the people Surely Nunquam aliorum salutem sedulo curabit qui suam negliget saith one It can never enter into my heart to think much less to believe that he shall be careful for the salvation of others who shall neglect his own It is an argument beyond probability that that man will never respect any good that slights his proper except upon such terms as Moses wished his name blotted out of the book of life or as Paul himself accursed for his bretrhens sake But these were elevated to the highest pitch of zeal which few ever attained unto These were studious both of their own and others safety and of others safety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their own See then as saith the Apostle that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Eph. 5.15 Extraordinary circumspection transporting us above the common sphere must be used or else we shall be condemned of extraordinary folly The wise mans eyes are in his head faith Wisdom It is a point of the greatest wisdom for a man to have his wits
ever about him and far most of all for a Church-man Subtile and powerful are they with whom he hath to do the gifts where with he ought to be furnished withall are not to be reputed vulgar yet so are they to be tempered as that they outstretch not the capacity of the vulgar upon occasion His work is not stinted to the Body the Soul is the subject he works upon The dignity therefore of the Soul far exceeds that of the Body And as the commodity arising from their spiritual industry redounds more to the Spirit of a man the finer metal than the Body the baser substance though indeed to both So in a Divine indeed must the Divine habiliments of the mind seasoned and moderated with the grace of Gods holy Spirit that they may work with the more agility and with the greater efficacie and far surpass the best endowments generally of the common sort He hath more precious things in hand than any wherefore his sufficiency must be correspondent to his charge and his care proportionable to his sufficiency Salvation is the end of his intentions and that that crowns his actions Wherefore look about you Tuke heed unto your selves In our selves we must take heed of two things 1. Of our Doctrine 2. Of our Life Take heed unto thy self saith Paul to Timothy and unto the doctrine continue in them 1 Tim. 4. uit for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee As our life is not contemplative alone spent in the bare speculation of Divine oracles like Moses conferring with God but also practical spent in actions with men pertaining to holiness So we must behave our selves in both with that moderation and convenient wariness as that the one may be an help and furtherer to the other to remove all obstacles that may be prejudicial to the acquiring of the happiness of Eternity both in our selves and others The ornaments of the Priests robe in the old Law Lib. de sacr Altar myst c. 17. were significant intimations hereof as is observed by Pope Innocent It was sumptuously garnished with Onix stones Bells and Pomgranates By the Onix stones are intimated Truth and Sincerity by the brightness of their truth of Doctrine which must be as clear as the Sun by their solidity and integrity of Conversation both springing up out of sound Learning The Bells note our incessant sounding forth the praises of the Lord in his holy Temple by preaching in season and out of season Woe be to me saith Paul if I preach not the Gospel The Pomgranates are signs are symbols of good works The order gives occasion of a further observation There was a Bell and a Pomgranate a Bell and a Pomgranate and a Bell betwixt every Pomgranate figuring how that good works in the Ministerial order must be ever intermingled with good words the matter of these yields matter for amplifying this discourse They were made of pure gold pure metal abstracted from all dross to signifie the necessary concurrence and sweet harmony of an undefiled life and true doctrine both appearing exceeding good to the eye both sounding exceeding well to the ear If all of our Function excel in purity of life and foundness of doctrine then are we all spiritually true Bell-metal Hence it is said by the Evangelist that Christ began to do and to teach whose steps we must follow He did much but he did no sin to shew that our conversation should be blameless and in his mouth was found no guile to shew that we should speak nothing but the truth Take heed of your Doctrine First that it be found agreeable to the Scriptures If any teach otherwise let him be accursed The Word of God is the foundation of revealed Truth whereupon we must build Take heed of vain Philosophy whose precepts may seem specious but in them may be comprehended the doctrine of devils Many turbulent spirits delighting to be pragmatical and factious have obtruded into the Church for doctrine the commandments of men and for their own ends attempt to corrupt Religion and bring in Innovations and new-fangled devices causing an apostasie from the Truth and drawing disciples after them But I trust ye have learned otherwise not to be guided by the ostentation or umbratical shews of any plausible tongue but by the most perfect rule of Divine truth the Word of God Believe it Schismatical wits if not prevented breed an infection in the Church worse than the plague Let the Word of God then be the ground of our proceedings lest we wander out of the way and affirmatively conclude what God denies To this end by Canonical constitutions they are to be duly examined who plead for admittance into Holy Orders that so they may both satisfie themselves by experience and certifie others whether or no they be orthodoxally learned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach Pious therefore was that resolution of a most Reverend Father in God Never to admit any into this holy Function but such of whose Knowledge in Divinity he should receive some competent intelligence The part of a most wise and judicious Prelate The admission of illerate men into the Ministery hath been the bane of our Religion and the disgrace of our Profession as we all well know For where there is no Knowledge the people must perish Gods service and worship must be disregarded There are some are probably suspected of heterodoxal doctrine who upon examination or serious dispute or preaching care should be taken they may be hindred from propagating their inventions Others there are whose Insufficiency is so gross that to hear them speak to the purpose is as great a wonder as it was to hear Balaam's Ass The Church suffereth under both It is most convenient therefore that whoso desire to take this Vocation upon them should have solid Learning and be able to exhort to reprove to instruct the people of God and should solemnly protest to teach and maintain nothing contrary to what the Word of God shall warrant Let us therefore take heed unto our selves that our Doctrine be sound for The Priests lips preserve knowledge Secondly What we teach must be plain as well as found There is no goodness to be hoped no proficiency to be expected by teaching where what is taught is not understood Our speech must not outstretch the common apprehension Prudentibus vicis non placont phalerata sed fortia said Bishop Iewel Bonaventure's words in prenching were not inflantis sed inflammantia Not strong lines but a plain phrase tends to Edification the end of Preaching Many times in difficult Terms lies enwrapt a pestilent Heresie Hereticks at least Novelists coin such obscure sentences as that they may walk unseen as it were in a cloud of obscurity But this is not the way to gain souls to God the plainest manner is the best My speech and my preaching saith Paul was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration
ye not then defiled with the contaminating and for did customs of the world but as ye are separated from all others to an holy emploiment so do not ye degenerate but let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Know that the eys of all men are fixt upon you If covetousness pride luxury drunkenness or any other vice reign in any of you if any of you be of a dissolute life whose conversation is not ruled by the doctrine ye teach ye are but miserable creatures Be assured Pope Innoc. lib. 3. de S. Altar myst that Quisquis sacris indumentis ornatur honestis moribus non 〈◊〉 quanto venerabilior apparet hominibus tanto indignior redditur apud Deum saith one God contemns him and will reward him according to his work For It is not every one that cries Lord Lord that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but only they that do the will of my Father saith Christ Take heed therefore to your lives If you preach well and live ill you do but build with one hand and pull down with another And thus much for the Caveat as it respects our selves Now of the Caveat briefly as it respects the Church of God Take heed to all the flock c. A Minister hath the custody of many souls and if any perish through his means he is liable to Gods judgments As therefore we come provided with Knowledge so with a resolution to propagate and diffuse it Knowledge in the best of us not communicated to the building up of the Church in holiness is like costly materials prepared for the erecting of some sumptuous building yet to no use the loss whereof is irrecoverable It stands us upon therefore to be instant in season and out of season to be Instructers of the flock committed to our charge both in doctrine and manner of living The reason hereof rendred in my Text is substantial in that we are made Overseers of the flock The word interpreted Overseer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence saith one Nomen Episcopi plus sonat oneris quà m honoris But I take it here in a larger signification than it is commonly used All Ministers are Overseers of that Flock the charge of whose souls is committed to them They are their Spiritual Tutors unfolding unto them the secret mysteries of Divine knowledge They must inform them if ignorant reform them if erroneous reprove them if dissolute confirm them if weak in the faith They are called Watchmen to watch for their souls salvation that they be not carried away with every wind of dectrine that they run not into absurd enormities but that they hold fast the profession of the faith in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives They are called Pastors whose calling is to use all diligence to feed their flock and protect them from eminent mischiefs by a careful foresight or present needful power The Symbole of this say some is the Bishops Crosier the Spiritual Shepherds staff which is acutus in fine ad pungendum pigros rectus in medio ad regendum debiles retortus in summo ad colligendum vagos sharp in the end to prick up the slothful and make them nimble right in the midst to govern the weak but crooked in the top like a hook to gather the dispersed or such as go astray They are called Gods Stewards whose office is faithfully to provide all things necessary for his family They are called the Light of the world whose property is to discover things hid in darkness They by their knowledge dispel the clouds of ignorance by their holy conversation the works of darkness All things that are discovered are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light hence they shew the house of Judah their sins Eph. 5 13. and the house of Jacob their thrnsgressions They are called Stars Fixt in the right hand of God tanquam in firmamento suo as in their heaven Stars have their light from the Sun so you not originally from your selves but derivatively from the Sun of Righteousness Your knowledge proceeds from the revelation of Jesus Christ who was in the bosom of the Father and must be communicated to the world And to this end they move perpetually about the world so ought you about the Church that all therein may be partakers of the light of life Wonderful are the effects and powerful the operation that the Celestial bodies have by their influences upon the Elements and upon those things compacted by them So questionless the effects wrought by the powerful preaching of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation by such whose conversation is in heaven as Divine stars are far superior unto them The operation I am sure more effectual because more spiritual For as the Stars beget life in things void of life and cause vegetation by their heat So they by their precepts beget saith in those that are dead in sins and trespasses which is the soul of the soul by which we live unto God for Faith cometh by hearing and the just lives by his faith Furthermore by the propagation of the Gospel by preaching the Church of God grows and all therein as tender plants and trees of righteousness bring forth the fruits of eternal life Lastly The fixt Stars candem sempet inter 〈…〉 disstantiam they keep the same proportion of distance to each other The like harmony must be among us that all of us together may declare the glory of God They are called Angels to whom God hath given charge over his people to protect them Heb. 1. ult For as they are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation so are Ministers wherefore saith the Prophet How beautiful are the feet of those that bring the glad tidings of peace What shall I say more They are called Fathers All these names import labour in them to whom they are ascribed So that great must be the pains that we must take with the Flock the Church of God over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers A word to the people I beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake 1 Thess 5.13 Apud Graecos majori in honore babebantur Philosophi quà m Oratores Illi enim rectè vivendi c. Lactantius The Grecians gave greater respect to their Philosophers than to their Orators because these taught them how to speak but those how to live well And sâ—ffer the word of exhortation Heb. 13.22 God must send ere man can go And here is Gods care of man his love to man God comes not in his own proper person He speaks not in his own proper voice So great is the Majesty of the one that
in the salvation of penitent and beleeving soules the glory of his justice in the condemnation of obdurate and perverse malefactors As it is a perfect law so it is a law of liberty oppos'd to the Mosaical which is lex senvitutis a law of thraldome The liberty of this law in respect of our twofold condition is twofold 1. Gracious here in the life of grace wrought by Christ the Son of the everliving God if the Son make us free we are free indeed Joh. 8.36 Wherefore we have a free accesse at all times to call upon the Father of mercys imploring his powerful assistance in holy actions and invincible protection from all evil 2. Glorious in the life of glory called Vindicationis libertas the liberty of compleat redemption the creature being delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God Phrasis qulgatissima est Deum colere Non secus at que agri fertiles inprimis optimi sic Dei cultus fâ—uctus fert ad vitam aternam uberrimos Of this twofold liberty there are these parts 1. A liberty from sin our submission to the Gospel and faithful embracing of the promises of God in Christ frees us both from the raigning power of sin and from the condemning power For being made free from sin we become servants to God and have our fruit unto holiness and the and everlusting life Rom. 6.22 2. A liberty from the yoke of the ceremonial law and bondage of the morall From the yoke of the ceremonial law which was so ponderous as that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear but now by Christ and the law of faith it is blotted out quite abolished and taken out of the way And from the bondage of the moral law in these ensuing particulars 1. From the curse and consequently from the punishment of sin the transgression of the law Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Rom. 8.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Apostle certifies us that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus 2. From the rigour and exaction of the law requiring of us for our justification perfect righteousness inherent in us and perfect obedience to be practis'd by us 3. From the terrour and coaction of the law which ingendereth servile fear in those who are under it and compelleth them through the horror of torment as bond-slaves by the whip or rack to the outward though unwilling performance of it But those that are under the law of grace are zealously addicted to good works and services of God which are over done by them with the free consent of a plous mind the original cause whereof is not any natural disposition but the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us 4. from the instigation of the law for which reason saith Pareus on 1 Cor. 15.56 it hath got the name of the strength of sin whereby sin appears more sinfull which is not caused by any fault in the law in it self good and condemning sin but through the viciousness of our unregenerate nature that takes occasion from the sacred prohibitions of it to transgresse which irritation is accidentall not essentiall to the undefiled law of the righteous Lord. Another part of this liberty is a liberty from death which is twofold the first and the second They that are effectually in subjection to the Gospel the glad-tidings of peace are free from the first death as it is a punishment And from the second over them the second death shall have no power Tollitur morâ— non ne fiat sed ne obsit Aug. To them the nature of the first death is changed and made but transitus ad vitam a passage from death to life it is the end of sin and misery and the beginning of our unspeakable happiness the high-way from the vale of teares to the Kingdom of glory and Celestiall joyes the Period of a mortall life and the innitiation of a life immortal Last of all there is a liberty from Sathan and the world granted to the sons of God adopted in the Son of God the Son of God hath over come the strong man Not imperium Principis but Carnificis à Lapide and bound him as being stronger than he thorough death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil and delivereth them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 Get thee behind us Satan as Christ said to Peter and let the wicked world follow thee which Christ hath over-come Joh. 16. ult And since O loving Saviour we live free men free from sin reigning condemning free from Satan and the world under the easy yoke of thy Evangelical Law and under the protection of thy wings We will with thy disciples follow thee whithersoever thou goest and run after thee whither thy good Spirit shall lead us Thus it is apparent how the Gospel of Christ is a perfect Law of liberty into which whoso looketh and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the work shall be blessed in his deed From the bottome of the stairs or ladder we now go up the steps the first whereof is speculation whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty Joh. 5.39 Audite saeculares comparate vobis Biblia animae Pharmaca Chrysost Prono capite propenso collo accurate in trospieere 1 Pet. 1.12 It was a good advice blest be the mouth that gave it Search the Scriptures which is made good by the reasons rendred for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me saith our Saviour hence this search must not be slight this speculation not vain this looking not perfunctory our Knowledge of Christ and eternal life depending on it This is intimated in the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying an exact and accurate prying into a thing as if one to find out somewhat difficult to find out should stand in this posture with his body or head bended towards the earth his eyes contracted and fixed upon some object as if he did intend to look it through and so to inform himself fully Thus when we attempt to look into the abstruse mysteries of divinity to acquaint our selves with the sacred Principles of Religion a superficial view is of no avail Profound matters require a serious and frequent meditation an indefatigable study hence the Apostle St Peter describing the desire of the Angels to know the hidden mysteries of salvation expresseth it by the same word the Angels desire to look narrowly into the things revealed to us by the Holy Ghost a work worthy their and our pains not to be posted over with a careless run but to be stuck close unto and prosecuted until finished and the mind in
Decalogus explicatus a living Decalogue his life is a comment on the commandments He walks up to his principles and priviledges answering his Gospel-light with a Gospel life Ille plus didicit quiplus facit A grain of grace is better than many pounds of gifts Obedience is better than sacrifice These lead to the top of all which is blessednesse This man shall be blessed in his deed Mark this against the Papists the Apostle doth not say for but in his deed 'T is an evidence of our blessednesse though not the ground of it the way though not the cause There is a blessednesse annexed to obedience not for the works sake but out of the mercy of God see then that we so carry as that we may come within the compasse of the blessing His disciples were more blessed in hearing Christ than his mother in bearing him Luke 11.28 DECVS SANCTORVM OR THE Saints Dignity PSAL. 149.9 This honour have all his Saints HOnor Christianorum Crux Christi The Cross of Christ is the Christians glory God forbid that any of Christs flock should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ There is pain indeed but there is pleasure too the pain is outward but the pleasure inward the pain is for a moment lasting but the pleasure time out of mind everlasting There is trouble in the Cross but hold out unto the end and the consequence of it will be rest world without end All afflictions are but light in comparison of that exceeding and eternal weight of glory that crowns them Besides the joy of the Holy Ghost is wrought in the hearts of the afflicted members of Jesus Christ weighs down the burden of that sorrow that is laid upon them Hence it is that they faint not for though the outward man perish yet is the inward man renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 It is an infallible Maxim dictated by Gods Spirit That they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 1 Cor. 4.12 13. But observe the magnanimity of the Martyrs Though they be reviled yet they bless though they be persecuted yet they suffer it though they be defamed yet they bless though their blood run down about their ears yet they rejoice forasmuch as they are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed they may be glad also with exceeding joy For whosoever suffereth reproach or any kind of persecution for the name of Christ keeping a good conscience happy are they for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon them and God on their part is glorified The Church of God which is the Congregation of Saints is compared to a City which is besieged ab hostibus oppugnatur non expugnatur which is assaulted but not vanquisht by any adverse power the gates of hell cannot prevail against it 1 Pet. 4.13 14. The Bush that Moses in a vision saw burning but not consuming did signifie the Church of God then in Egypt burning in the fiery furnace of tribulation yet free from consumption You may easily conceive the reason God was there Here am I said he to Moses Where the Lord is there is safety No power can destroy that which is supported by the highest power Vritur non comburitur the bush the Church doth burn but consumes not away it is preserved for greater glory and greater glory reserved for it For no doubt but the Saints the holy ones of the Holy One of Israel shall at length have the upper hand of their enemies Principalities powers and dominions do set themselves against them but what of that Principalities powers and dominions must submit unto them Wherefore Let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgment written This honor have all his Saints Observe in these words these three parts 1. A Subject and that is Gods Saints 2. An Attribute which is a special honour proper and peculiar to the Saints exprest in the precedent words and here implied This honour 3. The latitude and extent of this attribute of honour all Gods Saints are partakers of it This honour have all his Saints The Subject must be the first subject of my discourse There are two sorts of Saints 1. Seeming Saints and 2. Real Saints Seeming Saints are whose Religion is terminated in outward appearances None can have a fairer outside none a fouler inside Whereupon our Saviour compares them by the name of Hypocrites to painted sepulchres and others give them the plausible appellation of white Devils Painted sepulchres are glorious without but within nothing visible but rottenness White Devils appear like Angels of light but do but search them and you shall find them Angels of darkness Devils though white as the Devil would have it and as the Negro's paint him as a colour contrary to their own Multa videntur quae non sunt Many good things appear by them but not one good thing can be found in them Our Saviour deciphered them by the name of Wolves in Sheeps clothing harmless in profession but in truth of a wolvish disposition like those in the Revelasion that said they were Jews and were not but the Synagogue of Satan These are Saints in the Devils name and of his making whose damnation is just and from whom good Lord deliver us Let us leave them as nothing to do with this Text nor this Text with them which hath only to do with Gods Saints And take this note with you Si vita sanctâ—rum nobis acerit appellatio sanctorum nihi proderit saith reverend Davenant The name of Saints will nover do us good if we lead not the good life of Saints There are real Saints Saints of God and they are Saints two ways 1. By Imputation 2. By Renovation By Imputation for to them the sanctity and righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed in which respect the Saints gone were the Saints living are perfect in this lise John 17.19 Ephes 5.27 Tales nos amat Deus quales futuâ—i sumus ipsius dono non quales sumus nostro merito Saith an Ancient Councel For the holiness of our dear Saviour in a bottomless mercy and goodness imputed to them is in it self most perfect Of this our Saviour speaks when he saith For their sakes sanctifie I my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth And the Apostle delivers this doctrine thus That Christ loved his Church and he gave himself for it that he might sanctifie it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Were it not that they are not imputed and that Christs righteousness is
Saints from professing the Truth so neither did the hideous dealings and tyrannous pursuits affright the Saints and faithful Martyrs of our times who vowed their lives and fortunes to the service of God witness the Saints in the time of the Ten Persecutions witness the English Martyrs in the time of Queen Mary the most Christian resolution of the German Princes who cleaving to the doctrine of Luther forsaking Popery protested that they would defend it to the death Heyl. and hence were first called Protestants I have read that the Prince of Lorain giveth for his Device An armed Arm coming as it were from Heaven and grasping a naked sword to shew that he holdeth his Estate by no other tenure than God and his sword Such may be the Device of the Saints to shew that they hold their Religion and eternal estate on inheritance by no other tenure than God and the sword of his Spirit which is his Word It was Caesar's speech every-where where he fought That he fought for Honour but in one place above the rest for his Life But Gods Saints ever for both Niteris in cassum Christi submeâ—gere puppem Fluctuat at nunquam mergiturâ—lla ratis But he in whose sight precious is the death of his Saints hath his victorious arm stretched out for their protection They are like reeds and tender plants which yield to a surious wind but the blustring storm once overblown recover their former straightness Gad saith Jacob prophetically a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at last So the Church of God dispersed over the earth toss'd to and fro did and shall receive many overthrows but at lastâ—t shall overcome Adhuc in saeculo sumus adhuc in acie constituti c. saith Cyprian We are yet in the world Cypr. yet militant in the front of Gods army like the forlorne hope we fight daily for our lives with Paul we die daily We must therefore husband our opportunity the best we may that we may persevere so in the narrow and strait passage of Praise and Glory If we continue unto the end we shall be assuredly saved For after our storm of misery is past we shall breathe in a free aire in a world without an end Thus you have seen the Conflict of the Saints mark now the issue of it 1. They cannot be overcome 2. They cannot but overcome And this honour have all his Saints First They cannot be overcome for they are defended with the potent arm of the Almighty who never forsaketh them in their extremity but in their greatest weakness manifesteth his strength and granteth deliverance when most desperate He forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever The Israelites in Egypr David preserved by Saul Psal 37.28 the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions den were wonderfully preserved And hence the Saints in all ages since mightily sustained yea even in death some by that God whose hand is not shortned that it cannot save Quosdam aperte liberavit Aug. quosdam occulte coronavit saith Austin on that Psalm Some he openly redeemed and some he crowned in secret The profoundest stratagem though fetcht from the lowest pit of hell cannot work their ruine There is no inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel In God do they put their trust and care not what man can do unto them The Lord of Hosts is with them the God of Jacob is their refuge Nec plus ad dijiciendum praevalet terrena poena Cypr. quâ—m ad erigendum tutela divina saith a Father Earthly tortures cannot prevail more to pull them down than Divine protection to raise them up Though they fall Flebile principium meâ—â—or fortuna sequctur yet shall they rise though they sit in darkness yet shall the Lord be light about them Mic. 7.8 As an Eagle fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings so doth the Lord by his special providence support his Saints and bear them up on the wings of his protection into the land of the living Thus the Saints cannot be overcome Secondly They cannot but overcome There are more and of greater power that fight for them than against them Greater is he that is in them than is he that is in the world Be of good cheer saith Christ who in the Revelation is stiled the King of Saints I have overcome the world Qui pro nobis mortuus semel vicit semper vincit in nobis He that once dying hath overcome for us doth ever overcome in us Cypr. Ep. 9. Wherefore like a potters vessel shall their and our enemies be broken in pieces Kings shall be tyed in fetters of iron and great fear shall be on all people None are able to resist that power by which they fight the battels of the Lord Rather than resist they will adde the wings of fear to the feet of cowardise and flie away The Devil and all will flie away if resisted It was Zuinglius his prophesie Scio veritatem superaturam esse ubi ossa mea in favillam redacta fuerint acciditur quidem Christus fed brevi resurgit ac de hostibus triumphat I know that Truth will overcome Luther even when my bones are consumed to ashes Christ is slain in his Saints but he with them will shortly rise and triumph over his and their enemies A resolute Christian spake it He that suffers for a moment overcomes once but he that always enters the lists to conflict with pain and tortures non vincitur quotidie coronatur is nover vanquish'd but daily crowned Let this add spirit to your heart of grace That when occasion offers it self ye may not be dismayed at the grim countenance of the fiercest adversary nor flinch at the most pinching torments that hell can invent Though the Earth move round as Copernious imagined yet are ye on sure ground on the Rock Christ Jesus And be assured the day will be your own though ye think it long Quo â—ongior pugna hoc corona sublimior The longer the fight the more glorious the trown Cypr. Ep. 16. The consideration of this may make you as the Jews when they escaped pernicious Haman's plot to take away their lives have light and gladness and joy and honor For as the Jews had the killing so shall you with the rest of the Saints have the judging of your enemies their overthrow shall be your rejoycing Be not ye therefore like the Turks Janizaries now more factious in the Court than valiant in the Camp but go out in the strength of the Lord fight the good fight of faith finish your course with joy and lay hold upon eternal life for we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Post pluvias serenitatem pest tenebras lucem post procellas placidam lenitatem post miseriam gloriam mittet Deus The Everlasting God will send unto
Bernard Bern. But the Spouse in the Canticles saith that the Pillars of the Church are made of Marble standing on Bases of gold made of Marble therefore strong made of Marble standing on Bases of gold therefore glorious to behold Such the Apostles glorious for their good life for their constancy in faith thus many glorious things are spoken of thee O City O Church of God I may say Helcath-â—azzurim O thou field of strong men many glorious things are spoken of thee Solomon erected two Pillars in the Porch of the Temple that on the right hand he called Jachin that is he shall establish that on the left hand he called Boaz in it is strength by the first is meant if you believe Hugo Peter by the last Paul but give me leave to say all Christ's Apostles were like these two Pillars against the assaults of Satan for the gates of hell did not could not prevail against them shall not cannot against Gods faithful messengers Therefore Elias was called the Charets and horsemen of Israel that is Israels strength So God said unto Jeremy Jerem. 1. Behold I have made thee this day a walled City and a Pillar of iron And besides Pillars I may call the Apostles Lions like those two that stood besides Solomons throne for strength and beauty As strong so high like Kings high and mighty 1 King 10. high like Saul higher by head and shoulders than any other people by head for the understanding the mysteries of Religion by the shoulders to support them near heaven the higher the Pillar the nearer heaven Mighty like Sampson that they may pull down the rotten pillars of the adversaries on their head High to see over being overseers of Gods heritage Mighty because ordained to pull down the strong holds of Satan casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Nemo sibi de suo palpet quâ—sque sibi Satan est and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. High belonging to the most High they must reach to heaven over Nations over Kingdoms Jer. 1.10 Mighty not in Word only but in power and much assurance 1 Thes 1.5 Hence they are called able Ministers 2 Cor. 3.6 Thus they were and Gods Ministers are as the people of Canaan in respect of the Israelites Deut. 1.28 greater and taller than they who is able to stand before them But let not this make them high-minded for the greater a man is the more he ought to bow down under mercies and humble himself The authority of the Gospel must not be defended with high looks they must not look big about them on the businesse lest the pestilence of Ambition creep in among the Evangelical vertues saith Erasmus on John 6. Erasmus in Joh. 6. Therefore though great and high yet humble like unto Piramids seeming smallest where highest Thus Paul in nothing I am behind the chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 12.11 here 's his greatnesse here 's his height though I be nothing here 's his humility here 's his lowlinesse He is something he is nothing riddle me this Of this after The Pillars of the Tabernacle were upright so as also the Pillars of Solomons Temple So were the Apostles so must Ministers Paul said unto the lame man stand upright on thy feet the Lord said unto the Levites thou shalt be upright and sincere with the Lord thy God upright fide conscientiâ holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience Hence proceed purity of doctrine 1 Tim. 3.9 good endeavour conscionable diligence good example not to be carried away with diverse strange doctrines Heb. 10.23 but holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea Jam. 1.6 driven with the wind and tossed Upright in faith without bending either to the right hand or to the left left they fall and great be the fall of them for by faith ye stand 2 Cor. 1.24 From my former speech I deduce this consequence we may make these Pillars our pillows as Jacob made the stone his Gen. 28. where we may lie down secure sleep quietly without disturbance rest comfortably without annoyance Malè cubans suaviter dormit faeliciter dormiat Here we may find what Jacob found where he lay the gate of heaven I mean Christ I am the door saith he Now let us make this use that we maintain and not budge from the doctrine of the Apostles Take heed faith the Lord Adpenuitatem benefitiorum necessariò sequitur ignorantia sacerdotum Panormkan that thou forsake not the Levites as long as thou livest on the earth Deut. 12.19 Would therefore Papists know our Religion Would they know the Judge of all controversies We produce all the Apostles as witnesses of our Religion every Apostle as a several Pillar and all of them together as an heap on whose doctrine we rely This again is our confession this our profession as Jacob said unto Laban concerning the Pillars that they erected Gen. 31.51 So say we of all and every one of these Pillars behold this heap and behold this Pillar which I have cast betwixt us this heap be witnesse and this Pillar be witnesse that I will not passe over this heap to thee and that thou shalt not passe over this heap unto me for harme If you would know the reason take it their words are Gods words Gods Oracles No buckram * Of Rome Bishop of them all no Jesuites Knights of the Post can passe currant without Gods warrant Thus saith the Lord. In a word let me use a word of exhortation I direct it to such as be Ministers indeed be strong and beautiful in life and doctrine for how beautiful are the feet of those that bring the glad tidings of salvation be upright in faith and a pure conscience awake awake put on thy strength O Zion Isa 52.1 put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem and as they so shall we be Such honour have all his Saints Psal 149.9 I cannot passe over these Pillars yet yet I will not stay long on them We read that the Lord went before the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day Exod. 13.21 So doth he now this blessed day this Sunshine of the Gospel go before us in a cloud of Witnesses Prophets Patriarchs Apostles we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses Heb. 12.1 We read also the Lord went before them in a Pillar of fire he goes before us in the Apostles as in Pillars of fire that give light unto us in this night of sin this vale of misery this shadow of death John Baptist was a burning lamp and the Apostles were the light of the world faith Christ Suâ fide sua doctrinà suis operibus luminaria facts sunt By their faith by their doctrine by their works they were made stars
the people of God Adam took his wife the first day of their creation but knew her not till after the fall Lots daughters were espoused yet had not known man And Mary was betrothed unto Joseph and yet a pure Virgin And amongst the Heathens they had their espousals The custome was for the spouse to be brought to her husband Virginem magis laudando quà m vâ—uperando consundas Ter. her head being covered in token of her shamefastnesse and chastity Thus Rebekah Gen. 24.65 Herein saith one upon that place that of the Poet held not Fastus inest pulchris sequiturque superbia formans Contracts amongst the Romans were called sponsalia à spondendo because in them each did promise other to live as man and wife Godw. Antiq. The manner of contracting was commonly thus They did for the greater security write down the form of the contract upon tables of record as appeareth by Juvenal Si tibi legitimis pactam junctumque tabellis Satyr 16. Non es amaturus Conscience is to be made of contracts Nuptias facit consensus non concubitus saith the lawyer And in Scripture the bethrothed virgin is called a wife and the violation of it punished as adultery Deut. 22.23 24. The Lord is witnesse between such Mal. â— 14 and it is the Oath of God therefore let such take heed how they deal treacherously Servant Servus est nomen officii Esse dominos servos introductum est in orbe propter peccatum Dixit Deus dominamini piscibus maris volatilibus coeli bestiis terrae non verò dixit dominamini hominibies Gen. 9.25 Si enim non esset peccatum non esset servus nec subditus Nec Scriptura meminit de servis nec dominis usque ad tempus Noe cùm injecit maledictionem Chamo Maledictus Cham servus servorum erit fratribus suis Hinc maximus peccator Papa cujus titulus est Servus servorum In which title not without the providence of God he will needs be Cham's successor Sin brought in servility Peccatum ubi intravit libertatem perdidit corâ—upit potestatem naturae datam Chrys Hom. 29. in Gen. and the subjection of man to man In the state of innocency there was a dominion granted to man over the beasts but there was no dominion granted to him over man In the state of integrity relations should have continued but subjection should not have been found only that natural subjection of children unto parents but as for civil subjection there had been no such thing in the world Before man forsook the service of God he needed none to serve him Service comes in by sin and the increase of it by the increase of sin As we see when Cham was so vile as to forget the duty of a son he is set below or in the worst condition of a servant A servant is one that is not at his own dispose but at the call and beck of another So the Centurion describes a servant Mat. 8.9 Servants are not sui juris in their own power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but at the word of another Therefore Aristotle calls servants living tools or instruments to be used and imployed at the discretion of their masters Bernard observes that Inferiors duties are first described in Scripture because 1. They are less willing to subject themselves 2. They should be readier to perform duty than to expect it 3. Hereby they shall win upon their Superiors who will lie the heavier upon them if there be strife who shall begin Servants must be subject to their Masters three ways To their 1. Commandments 2. Rebukes 3. Restraints It was a bad saying of him in Plautus Ego non servio libenter herus meus me non habet libenter tamen utitur me ut lippis oculis Apelles painted a Servant with Hinds feet to run on his Masters errands with Asses ears and with his mouth made fast with two locks to signifie that he should be swift to hear slow to speak But too many servants are contrary having heavy ears lazy hands and long tongues The Apostle giving rules among other relations to servants charges them Tit. 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be obedient to their own masters and to please them well in all things not answering again But is it a fault for a servant asked a question to make an answer No it were a fault not to answer Silence is sometime a sign of consent but such silence is rather a signe of contempt Not to answer when called is incivility in most and it is undutifulness in some If a servant answer not when he is called he forgets what his calling is The Apostle forbids servants some kind of answering There is a twofold answering 1. By way of submission or an answer of obedience When masters give lawful commands servants must give answer by submiting And indeed Coming and Going and Doing are the best language of servants 'T is most comely when they speak with their feet and make answer with their hands 2. By way of contradiction or an answer of reluctance When a servant being reproved for a fault his spirit doth rise and return against his master Or if he be directed to do any warrantable work he contradicts or murmures at the orders he hath received chatting or thwarting in stead of addressing himself to the fulfilling of them This is the answering again reproved as a fault in servants which is rather gainsaying than answering Servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eye-service Colos 3.22 as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God Steward A man may play the bad Steward three wayes viz. By 1. Getting wrongfully 2. Keeping basely 3. Spending unlawfully Stips pauperum thesaurus divitum Non enim tuum fortunâ— quod fecit tuum was the saying of the good Emperor Tiberius Constantius The rich mans treasure is the poor mans stock He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much Luke 16.10 And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much Friend A true Friend admits no change except he whom he loveth change from himself Extremity doth but fasten him D. H. whiles he like a well-wrought Vault is the stronger by how much the more weight he bears When necessity calls him he can be a servant to his equal with the same will wherewith he can command his inferior And though he rise to honor yet he forgets not his familiarity And when his friend is dead he accounts himself but half alive He hates to enjoy that that would do his friend more good His bosom is his friends closer where he may safely lay up his complaints doubts fears He is so sensible of anothers miseries that when his friend is stricken he cries out as one affected with a real feeling of pain He steals the performance of a good office unseen Dimidium animae
the conscience of his faithfulnesse herein being more sweeter as it is more secret In favours done his memory is frail in benefits received never failing He is the joy of life the treasure of earth and no other than a good Angel cloathed in flesh It is said of Augustus that he was ad accipiendas amicitias rarissimus ad retinendas verò constantissâ—mus Euripides saith that a faithful friend in adversity is better than a calme sea to a storm-beaten Marriner The world is full of Jobs comforters and friends miserable ones who instead of comforting reproach vizarding themselves under the cloke of amity when their hearts are no better than lumps of hypocrisie But true friendship is Hercules knot indissoluble And like Mercuries staâ—â—e whereon are placed two snakes both the male and the female alwayes clipping and clasping together One asking a poor man how he would prefer his children his answer was Zenophon Cyrus is my friend But O happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help Psal â—46 5 and whose hope is in the Lord his God Kisse To kisse noteth 1. Worship and service 1 Kings 19.18 2. Duty and obedience Psal 2.12 3. Love and affection As a sign of unity and onenesse Salute one another saith Paul with an holy kisse Rom. 16.16 As it is the fashion among us for men meeting with their friends to shake hands So was it among the Jewes as appears by many places in both Testaments for men to kisse men at meeting and parting The Apostle intends a true conjunction of minds and affections forgetting all former offence This Peter calleth the kisse of charity and Austin Osculum columbinum the Dove-like kisse But there are unholy kisses The unchast kisse of the Harlot The idolatrous kisse of the Israelites to Baal The flattering kisse of Absolom and the trayterous kisse of Joab and Judas Above all its good to kisse him in whose lips grace is seated Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.2 for thy love is better than wine Enemie Wisdom tells us it is good to keep a bit in the mouth of an enemie but much more of our spiritual enemies Fury fights against the soul like a mad Turk Fornication like a treacherous Joab it doth kisse and kill Drunkennesse is the master-gunner that sets all on fire Gluttony will stand for a Corporal Avarice for a Pioner Idlenesse for a Genleman of the company And Pride must be a Captain Let us therefore put on our spiritual armour To love our enemies is a hard task but Christ commands it and it must be done be it never so contrary to our foul nature The spirit that is in us lusteth after envy but the Scripture teacheth better things and God giveth more grace This is our Saviours Precept and this was his practice He melted over Jerusalem the slaughter-house of his Saints and himself Called Judas friend Prayed Father forgive them And did them all good for bodies and souls And all his children in all ages of the Church have resembled him Abraham rescueth Lot that had dealt so discourteously with him Isaac forgives the wrong done him by Abimelech and his servants and feasteth them Jacob was faithful to Laban who changed his wages ten times and alwayes for the worse Joseph entertained his malicious brethren into his house Elisha provides a table for them that had provided a grave for him And Stephen prayes heartily for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge and prevailed as Austin thinketh for Pauls conversion In doing some good to our enemies we do most to our selves for God cannot but love in us that imitation of his mercy who bids his Sun to shine on the wicked and unthankful also Love your enemies Mat. 5.44 blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you c. Read Rom. 12.20 21. Money It was and still is a common medler It is the worlds great Monarch and bears most Majesty What great designs did Philip bring to passe in Greece by his gold The very Oracles were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to say as Philip would have them Antipater non tenuis fuit pecuniae ideo praevalidae fuit potentiae saith Egesippus he was a well-monyed man and therefore a mighty man But what security is in money Doth the Devil balk a lordly house as if he were afraid to come in Dares he not tempt a rich man to lewdnesse Let experience witnesse whether he dare not bring the highest gallant both to sin and shame Let his food be never so delicate he will be a guest at his table and perhaps thrust in one dish at his feast Drunkenness Satan will attend him though he have good servants Wealth is no charm to conjure away the Devil such an Amulet and the Pope's Holy-water are both of a force An evil conscience dares perplex Saul in the throne and a Judas with his purse full of money Can a silken sleeve keep a broken arm from aking then may a full barn keep an evil conscience from vexing Hell-fire doth not favour the rich mans limbs more than the poor's Dives goes to hell out of his purple-robes to flames of the same colour The frogs dare leap to King Pharaoh's chamber into his sumptuous pallaces The rich Worldlings live most miserably slav'd to that wealth whereof they keep the key under their girdle Esuriunt in Popina They starve in a Cooks shop The Poet tells us that when Codrus his * A little cottage in the forrest house burns he stands by and warms himself knowing that a little few sticks straw and clay with a little labour can rebuild him as good a tabernacle But if this accident light upon the Usurers house distraction seiseth him withall he cries out of this Chamber and that Chest of this Closet and Cabinet Bonds and Mortgages Money and Plate Strabo saith That Phaletius feared lest in digging for Gold and Silver Effodiuntur opes c. men would dig themselves a new way to Hell Plutonem brevi ad superos adducturos And bring up the Devil among them Gold is that which the basest yield the most savage Indians get servile Apprentices work miserable Muckworms admire and unthrifty Ruffians spend Yet the danger is not in having gold and silver so as these metals have not us Minut. Octav. so as they do not get within us But that is too often verified of which an Antient complaineth and not without cause Divites facultatibus suis alligatos magis aurum consuevisse suspicere quâ—m coelum That rich men mind Gold more than God and Money more than Mercy If wealth be wanting they sit down in a faithless sullen discontent and despair And if they have it they rise up in a corky frothy confidence that all shall go well with them Money answereth all things Eccl. 10.19 Clothing
of ignorance suggest unto us that the Scriptures are obscure and so unfit for the Vulgar to look into beleeve it not 't is a false alarum 't is a bold tale by Davids help ye may desâ—ry them Thy Word is a light unto my feet Psal 119.105 2 Pet. 1.19 and a lanthorn unto my paths faith the blessed King Saint Peter calls it a light that shineth in a dark place which if the darknesse comprehend not the aspersion is not to be cast upon the Word but upon us in whom the darknesse dwelleth The Sun is not a jot the more obscure that a blind man seeth it not no more is the Word of God that a natural man understands it not for it is impossible for him so considered 1. In regard of his natural corruption whereby he loves darknesse more than light 2. In regard of his natural dimnesse whereby saith Justin Martyn he is too weak to apprehend clearly the greater matters 3. In regard of the malice of our ancient enemy who labours to take that seed which is sowen out of our hearts and make it unprofitable Yet this word is to be lookt into of all to be heard received meditated and discourst of because by this means we may in time attain to the understanding of it But specially by the guidance of the unerring Spirit that teacheth us all things for which we must daily supplicate unto the Father of wisdom to make us wise unto salvation For if he be once confer'd upon us 1 Cor. 2.10 we are fitted then to search all things even the deep things of God Until which there remains a vail over the heart and scales of ignorance which must first fall loâ— as those did from Pauls eyes It is not every one that bringeth with him a rational soul that is capable of Divine Revelations 't is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The mind seeth the mind heareth Epicharmus said it Epicharmus yet never is it fit to entertain sacred and supernatural objects until first rectified by the Spirit of truth For the Gentile that is the unregenerate walkers in the vanity of their minds until the power Divine actuate them anew until the holly Ghost who is the anointing eye-salve Joh. 14.26 open their eyes and teach them all things remain in that dark condition Velamen amove volumen evolve Hence proceeded Davids Petition Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Laâ— Psal 119.18 If God open the heart of man as he did the heart of Lydiu What should 〈◊〉 from reading Gods mind in his written Word For this the Bereans won the reputation of being Noble which none but the ignoble brood of the lying Whore of Babylon oppose who were not their faces thatcht over with impudence as is their devotion laid over with ignorance might extremely be ashamed For which grand Sacriledge they pretend Apostolical authority derived from the Popes Chair under the disguise of holinesse wherein lyes a deep plot how to cheat mens souls of saving knowledge and thereby men of their souls The scope of which damned project is to keep the people in a servile awe at their back and make them submit to what they prescribe whereby poor souls they are hurried alougâ—ood winckt into an unavoidable destruction I would to God they were better advised A Chancellour in England advising a Judge told him it was his duty to open the Jurors eyes and not to lead them by the nose So I may say to the Popish Clergy it is their duty not to debarre any Lay-man for looking into the perfect law of liberty which is all the evidence they can shew for the Kingdom of heaven the land of the living but to let them use that granted liberty for their own satisfaction and better assurance Let them then say what they will the Scriptures are not for hardnesse like unto the Cities of the Anakims which were so strong and so walled that they made the Israelites quake to think of them Numb 6.13 neither are they for danger so perillous as they report to be medled with as the tree of knowledge of good and evil that brought death to them that tasted it but it is the power of God unto salvation and to them that keep it there is great reward I advise you therefore to fear nothing but in the strength of the Lord seek to know your Fathers will every way that you may be the better enabled to do it to your endlesse comfort and his endlesse glory who is God over all blessed for ever For what remains I contract my discourse The second step is Perseverance And continueth therein That is persevereth in the study of this holy doctrine and remaine thin the Knowledge belief and 〈…〉 Non quaruntuâ— in Christianis initis sed finis Hierom. 〈…〉 their glory when they lest their love to the truth It is the evening that crownes the day and the last act that commands the whole scene If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed Joh. 8.31 The third step is Remembrance He being not a forgetfull hearer There is an Hebraism in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hearer of oblivion a term answering the former similitude Wicked men are often expressed by their bad memories and the sins of Gods people are usually sins of forgetfulnesse and incogitancy Our souls saith one are like filthy ponds in which fish die soone frogs live long Prophane jests are remembred pious passages forgotten Our memories naturally are very false and there is a wilful forgetfulnesse of the best things Therefore we should use the best helps As Attention Prov. 4.21 Affection Psal 119.97 Application Job 5.27 Meditation Luke 2.19 And Practice Psal 119.49 All these are great friends to memory which is the Chest and Ark of Divine Truths Isa 42.23 in which we should see them carefully locked up We should lay up something for the time to come and learn that in Zion which may support us in Babylon The fourth step is Practice But a doer of the work That is laboureth to refer and bring all things to practice Non quid legerint sed quid eperint non quid dixerint sed quomode vixerint This is the end of all our reading and hearing that we may do it it is not knowing but practising that bringeth blessednesse At the last day Christ will demand not what have we read or said but what have we done One practical Christian brings more glory to God than a thousand notional formal professors Is Optimè legit Scripturas qui verba vertit in opera An evidence we are truly godly when the Word is written in the heart and held forth in the life Phil. 2.16 It is not talking of wine but drinking of it that comforts and chears the heart The Theory of Musick is delightfull but the practice is far more excellent and pleasant A real good man is