him ready It is foolish false to thinke that preparation to death is a furtherance to death No the contrary is true The readier ye are to die the more able ye are to liue the lesse shall be your anguish when the Lord calleth As to the reasons I will not insist in them onely the last reason that maketh death to be so fearefull to this good King was the great loue which he had to the Church that was in his country the great care which he had of his faithfull subiects who should lacke by his death his mercifull protection And in this I did let you see that the country had an exceeding blessing where the Prince is so carefull for the Church in his country and of his faithfull subiects that in his death he hath mind of them and is grieued to depart from them As on the other side the Church must be as heauily cursed where the Prince hath no regard of the Church in his country nor of his faithfull subiects As to the reasons I will not stand precisely in iustifying of them all I thinke as the word soundeth that there is some thing worthy of praise and commendation in them and some thing worthy of dispraise and reproofe For so farre as they flow of faith and of the good spirit of God no question they are worthy of praise and so farre as they flow from the Kings vnruly affections they are worthy of dispraise And surely it appeareth by the words that his affections had bene somewhat vnruly Well the lesson that I gathered was This is the profite that we reape of these preposterous affections they draw our loue from God to the creatures And ere these affections can be drawne from the creature they bring such a griefe vnto them as it were another death Therefore the thing that we craued was that ye should set your affection vpon God The truth of loue is in God and therefore it becometh you to bring your hearts from the creature vnto God and imploy your affection vpon him in whom onely is solid ioy Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now in the words which I haue read he returneth to his complaint and he taketh vp his lamentation againe in the first part of the 12. verse he vttereth his trouble wherein he was In the end of that verse and in the verse following he vttereth the great rage furie of his sicknes And in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great rage and extremity of his disease Then to returne to the 12. verse I say in the beginning of it he returneth to his lamentation and he vttereth his complaint as he had wont to do bursting out after this manner Mine habitation saith he is departed and transported from me As if he would say my life is to depart and the Lord is to transport it to another part I see death is instant and the Lord is cutting off this present life of mine He letteth vs see the maner how his life is to be transported by two similitudes The first similitude he taketh from a shepheards tent The second similitude he taketh from a Weauer and his web As to the first similitude he sayth his life is to be transported from him like a shepheards tent Looke how the tents of shepheards are remoued transported and remoued so saith the King he saw his life to be subiect to the same transportation It is knowne to you all that reade histories that in the East hote countries as namely among the Tartars and Arabians where the shepheards in the sommer seasons remaine vnder tents so often as they remoue their flocks they remoue their tents And in our owne countrie here when our shepheards remoue their flockes they remoue their other necessaries alluding to that same custome so would the King say look how these tents are remoued in the sommer season transported my life is subiect to the same condition Of this similitude we haue matter full of good doctrine For this similitude doth first teach vs that there is nothing more instable vncertaine then is the life of man here beneath There is nothing more subiect to instability then this life which we liue in this body For as to the nature of tents ye see whether ye call them tents pauillions or tabernacles all is one by experience there is nothing more vnstable nor vncertaine to dwell in then is a tent For why it lacketh a ground it lacketh a foundation and stability and in stead of a ground it leaneth onely to certaine pinnes which enter not deepely into the earth and consequently by the lightest blast of euery wind they are blowne vp and when the pinnes faile the tent falleth So the King would teach vs by this similitude that this life of ours lacketh a ground lacketh a foundation and lacketh a stabilitie And therefore the King in this comparison would send vs to the life which hath the sure ground foundation and stability he sendeth vs to that kingdome which as the Apostle Heb. 12. saith cannot be shaken by no kind of stormy blasts And as I remember Heb. 11 9.10 there in these verses the Apostle maketh a flat opposition betwixt these tents that lacke a ground and the City of God saying that as tents and tabernables lacke a foundation and ground so the City of God on the contrary hath a ground and a foundation and in steede of one he calleth them in the plurall number foundations Looke saith he to the City that hath the foundations whose craftsman and builder is the God of heauen He expoundeth himselfe what he meaneth by the foundations in the last verse where he saith Such a kingdome as cannot be shaken that is whose ground is so sure that it cannot be shaken nor totter by no processe of time nor stormy blasts Then the first lesson that ye haue from this part of the comparison is this Learne to seeke for the City that hath sure foundations seek for the City that can not be shaken The Lord giue you grace so to do In the other part of the comparison he letteth vs see that so long as we are in this life we haue no pernament abode nor certaine remaining whereunto we may leane For as ye may perceiue by the historie of Genesis the Patriarkes dwelled in tens to testifie vnto vs two things First to testifie that they were no countreymen there nor natiue borne men of that country but strangers and pilgrimes in that country and as they professed themselues that they were not onely strangers of that countrey but counted themselus strangers so long as they remained on the face of this earth The second thing that they testified by dwelling in tents is that they were minded not to remaine there it was not their purpose to fixe their staffe as we speake there But they were vpon their iourney and seeking the way that leadeth homeward the way that
that same degree of mercy he shall restore his creature before it depart this life So the soule that is tossed with high assaults and great dangers where present things will not helpe it is necessary that it haue recourse vnto things past and keepe in memory the fore-past experience of mercy which the Lord hath freely shewed towards that soule This same memory shall be so pleasant to the soule that it shall stay it presently from desperation and vphold it vnto the time the Lord pacifie that heart and giue comfort to that soule which being done that soule shall see that howsoeuer God was angry he was angry onely for a while I speake these things not that I thinke that euery one of you hath tasted of them yet in some measure the seruants of God must taste of them and ye that haue not tasted of them may taste of them before ye die And therefore whether ye haue tasted or not tasted of them it cannot be but profitable for you to locke vp this lesson in your hearts and remember it faithfully that if the Lord at any time strike at your hearts ye may remember and say with your selues I learned a lesson To looke backe vnto my forepast experience and thereon to repose And though ye be not touched presently your selues yet when ye visite them that are troubled in conscience let these things be proposed to them as comforts vse them as medicines most meete to apply to the griefe of the inward conscience and so ye shal reape fruite of this doctrine and possesse your soules in a good estate Thus farre for the first point wherein euery one of you ought to try and examine your owne consciences The second point is this Try whether ye haue loue towards your neighbour or not For as we are coupled with God by faith so by the band of loue we are coupled with our neighbour For loue is the chiefe and principall branch that springs from the roote of faith Loue is that celestiall glew that conioyneth all the faithfull members in the vnity of a mysticall body And seeing that religion was instituted of God to serue as a path-way to conuey vs to our chiefe felicity happy we cannot be except we be like vnto our God like vnto him we cannot be except we haue loue For as it is 1. Iohn 4.8 God is loue So seeing God is loue it selfe whosoeuer will resemble him must be endued with the oyle of loue This onely one argument testifieth to vs that this loue is a principall head whereunto all things that are commanded in religion ought to be referred To spend long time in the praise of loue I hold it not necessary seeing the holy Scripture resounds in blasing the commendations of it but that we speake not of any thing ambiguous I will let you see how this word is considered taken in the Scriptures Loue is considered either as a spring or fountaine from whence the rest proceedes that is for the loue whereby we loue God And as loue cometh first from God and is poured by his holy Spirit into our hearts so it first redounds vpward and strikes backe vpon himselfe for the loue of God must euer goe before the loue of the creature Next we take this word for that loue whereby we loue Gods creatures our neighbours especially them that are of the family of faith And thirdly it is taken for the deedes of the second Table which flow from this loue Now when I speake of loue I speake of it as in the second signification to wit as it is taken for the loue of our neighbour And taking it so I call loue The gift of God poured into the hearts of men and women by the which gift we first loue God in Christ our Sauiour and next in God and for Gods cause we loue all his creatures but chiefly our brethren that are of the family of faith the children of one cōmon Father with vs. We will examine this definition I say first the loue of God as it cometh from God it returneth to God as it comes down from him so it strikes vpward to him againe And is it not good reason And why Let thy heart fixe thy loue as long as thou wilt vpon the creatures thou shalt neuer be satiate nor thy affections shall neuer be content except thou lay hold on God but if once thou loue God in thy heart and cast thy affections vpon him once takest hold on him the longer thou louest him the greater safetie and contentment shalt thou haue thou shalt not thirst for any other For as to the creatures there is neuer a creature that God hath created but it is stamped with his owne stampe and euery creature beareth his Image and looking to the Image of God in the creature should it not draw thee to him that thou fixe not thy heart vpon the creature For his owne Image in his creature should leade thee to himselfe And therefore the more that thou knowest the creatures and the greater varietie of knowledge that thou hast of them the more should euery particular knowledge of them draw thee to God and the more shouldest thou wonder at thy God and know thy dutie towards him And seeing that delight floweth from knowledge and euery knowledge hath his owne delight as the varietie of knowledge that ariseth from the creature should make the mind to mount vp to the knowledge of God so the varietie of delights that arise vpon the diuersitie of this knowledge should moue the heart vpward to the loue of God and the heart getting hold of God and being seised with the loue of God and the mind being occupied with the true knowledge of God so soone as heart and mind is full of God the heart is quiet and the mind is satisfied So that the more this knowledge groweth in the mind the greater contentment thou hast and the more the loue of God groweth in thy heart the greater ioy and reioycing hast thou in thy soule And why In God ye haue not onely all the creatures but ye haue himselfe beside the creatures and therefore in God ye haue all the knowledge and delight that can arise of the creatures and besides the creatures ye haue God himselfe who is the Creator And so I say the minde of man can neuer quiet it selfe in the knowledge nor the heart can neuer settle it selfe in the loue of naked creatures in respect they are flowing and vanitie as Salomon calleth them But in the infinite God rightly knowne and earnestly loued the mind shall finde a full rest and the heart shall haue a perfect ioy For our affection is so insatiable that no finite thing will satisfie it nor there can be no solide setling vpon the thing that is transitorie So the loue ought to mount vpward first to God in whose face the heart shall find full and perfect ioy The second argument
lying in the farthest part of England if ye haue a good title to it the distance of the place cannot hurt your title so I say the distance of place hurts not my title and my right that I haue to Christ. But though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father yet the title and right that I haue to him makes him mine so that I may say truly this Christ is my property Then Christ is not made mine because I fetch him out of the heauens but he is mine because I haue a sure title and right to him and hauing a sure title and iust right to him the distance of place how farre soeuer it be can no wayes hurt my title nor right but where-euer he be he is mine because I haue a right and title to him Yea not onely haue I a title to him but this title is confirmed to me For as I get a title to him in the word and if I got not that title to him in the word I durst not come to the Sacrament so in the Sacracrament I get the confirmation of my title I get the Seale which confirmes my title Then to come to the point Christs body is sitting at the right hand of the Father and yet he is mine and is deliuered to me because I haue right to his body be it where it will he was borne for me giuen to mee and deliuered to me So distance of place hurts not the surety of my title as propinquity of place helpes not the surety of the same Though Christ would bow the heauens and touch thee with his body as he did Iudas yet this could not helpe thee for if thou hast not a title to him thou darest not call him thine So it is not the neerenesse nor proximity of place that maketh Christ mine It is onely the right that I haue to him I haue right to him onely by faith So by faith onely Christ is made mine But they thinke they haue gotten a great vantage of vs if we be so farre from Christ as the heauen is from the earth but this shall be answered by Gods grace I haue a title to his bodie his bodie is distant from my bodie yet his bodie is not distant from me that is from my soule I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned It is a strange ladder that will reach from the earth to the heauens yet let me tell you there is a cord that extendeth from the earth to the heauens and coupleth me and Christ together and this is onely true faith By true faith Christ though he be in the heauens is coupled and conioyned with me who am here on earth I will shew you this by a similitude Is not the bodie of the Sunne in the firmament It is impossible for you to touch the bodie of the Sunne yet the bodie of the Sunne and ye are conioyned How By those beames that shine on you by that light that shineth vpon you Why may not the bodie of Christ then though it be in the heauens be conioyned with me that am on earth namely by the beames by the light and gladnesse that floweth from his bodie My bodie and Christs bodie are conioyned by the vertue and power flowing from his bodie which vertue and power quickneth my dead soule maketh me to liue the life of Christ to begin to die to my selfe and euer the more I die to my selfe the more I liue to Christ. This coniunction now is the ground as I told you of all our felicitie and happinesse and I haue made it cleare to you at this time so far as God hath giuen me insight Alwaies ye see this coniunction is brought to passe by two speciall meanes by the holy Spirit by faith If there be no other meanes but these two what needest thou a carnall or a visible coniunction Faith is inuisible and the Spirit is inuisible therefore thou canst not see it nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie The power of the holy Spirit is so subtile secret and inuisible that thou canst not perceiue it nor take it vp with the eye of the bodie and it will worke great effects in thy soule or euer thou perceiuest his working In respect therefore that the meanes of this coniunction are so subtill secret and spirituall why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction with the eye of thy bodie why imaginest thou such a carnall coniunction as this which would do thee no good if thou hadst it Knowest thou not that the Spirit that coupleth vs and Christ is infinite so that it is as easie for the Spirit to couple vs and Christ how far distant soeuer we be as it is easie for our soules to couple our head and the feete of our bodies though they be distant Then seeing this coniunction is the ground and fountaine of all our happinesse and seeing this ground of happinesse is so substill and so spirituall what is your part Remoue all your outward senses remoue all your naturall motions remoue your naturall discourses and your naturall reason and follow the sight and information of the Spirit of God Craue that it would please him to illuminate your vnderstanding that by the light of his Spirit ye may see clearely the spirituall coniunction Except the eye of the Spirit be giuen you to perceiue this spirituall coniunction it is not possible that ye can get any insight in it But if the Lord of his mercie will bestow some measure of his holy Spirit vppon you out of question ye shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it and ye shall thinke the time happie that euer ye heard this word Except ye haue some part of this Spirit it is not possible that ye can be spirituall That which is borne of flesh and bloud will remaine flesh and bloud except the Spirit come in and make it spirituall Therefore ye must be borne againe of the Spirit ye must be borne in the bodie of Christ his Spirit must quicken you This is called the quickning and liuing Spirit of Christ by Iohn And so soone as the Spirit cometh what doth it It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnderstanding whereas before I knew not God now I see him not onely generally that he is a God but that he is my God in Christ. What more doth the holy Spirit It openeth the heart as well as the minde and what doth it there Those things whereon I bestowed the affections of my heart and imployed the loue of my soule are by the working of the holy Spirit made gall to me he maketh them venome to me and to be as deadly hated of me as poyson He worketh sâ—ch an inward disposition in my soule that he maketh me to turne and flie from those things whereon I imployed my loue before and to imploy it vpon God This is a great perfection Alwaies in some measure he makeâ—h me to loue God better then any other thing
many euill men that haue sought death and it is as true that there haue bene many good men that haue sought death yet neuer one of these sought death for it selfe for it is not naturall to seeke the dissolution of our selues But these euill men that sought death and put hand on themselues in their appearance they sought it for a better to wit to eschue the present torment and vexation of hell in their conscience wherein they were thinking that their miserable soule being out of the body should be at greater libertie then if it were detained in this prison But they are all deceiued For suppose hell be begun here yet it is not in a full measure vntill this life be done and so the miserable caitife deceiueth himselfe On the other side there haue bene good men that haue sought death but not for it selfe but for a better If they knew not felt not that there were a better life to follow after death they would not seeke it but by reason they see there is a greater ioy to follow after it therefore they regard not to taste in some measure for the present of the bitternesse of death It it true againe I grant that death vnto thee who art a Christian is sanctified in the death of our maister and Sauiour Christ Iesus for blessed is the death of them that die in the Lord. But suppose the death be sanctified yet thou art not wholly sanctified for if thou were as sanctified as the death thou wouldst not haue such a thing as terror paine or griefe in thy death But seeing in the best of vs all there is a remnant of corruption would to God it were but a remnant so thicke and foule that it is shame to speake of it this corruption vrgeth the conscience so that where the conscience is vrged there must be a feare and the more the conscience be vrged the greater is the paine and terror It is true that this feare is tempered by faith that dwelleth in the soule and the hope of ioy that dwelleth in the faithfull soule holdeth this feare in awe that hope of heauenly ioy so swalloweth vp and deuoureth the feare and maketh it to appeare to the looker on that the soule hath no feare but no doubt there is a feare and it is sure there is some griefe It is onely as I haue said the hope of that heauenly ioy that holdeth this feare in awe where this hope is not terrible is that feare wonderfull are these terrours great is that anguish of soule that is there so that I cannot find names to expresse it Terrible it is to see the countenance of God in his iustice there is no creature that can abide it Terrible it is to see their owne sinnes present themselues the ouglinesse and guiltinesse of sinne And beside all these to be left destitute of hope it is not the least part of their grief and yet this is not regarded For men will not rise to get faith if it should cost them but an houre they will not come to heare the word This is a wonderfull and miserable madnesse that is in the soule of man that he will neuer prouide for hell vntill hell catch him Now to come to our purpose the lesse the corruptions be the lesse must be the feare Wherein then should your exercise stand should ye not studie to diminish this corruption For he that would be voide of feare must trauell to diminish this corruption that the conscience may be cleane and ye may haue a good testimonie which maketh men to be without terrour For as long as the loue of this world and of worldly things occupieth our soule it is not possible that it can be without feare For why there is no heart that can willingly part with the thing that it loueth without exceeding sorrow and griefe Then we should trauell to take order with these affections and loue to worldly things but so farre as they may serue to the loue of God and in God to loue our selues and our neighbour that when he calleth no strange loue may draw vs from him There is a common law in all cities concerning the forbidden goods which are discharged plainly to be carried out of the country where we are presently and suppose they were carried they can serue to no vse in the countrey whither we go To let you see the exposition of the Parable I say the loue of this world the cares thereof the loue of the flesh and the lusts thereof are these forbidden goods which serue to no vse in the countrey whither we go yea they are plainly forbidden by the King of the countrey For the heart which is replenished with these shall haue no entrie there There is a plaine discharge sounded concerning these goods that we cleanse our hearts of them and prepare our selues to bring those commodities with vs that agree with the nature of that countrie Let vs make vs for the loue of God and of our neighbour and let vs cast off all contrarie loue onely let vs loue God and in God let vs loue our neighbour Now if I might obtaine this one lesson for all the rest I would thinke my trauell verie well bestowed and therefore I insist so much the more in it that it may sinke into your hearts Now then this good King feareth which telleth me that in all Christians there is some feare I come to the next what saith he in his trouble and perturbation The effect of the thing he saith is this First he saith He saw his owne death prepared for him Next because he was troubled with it and cast in a great perturbation he subioyneth the reasons why he was so grieued And as I may gather them they are three in number But ere I come to the reasons I will tell you his owne words which he said in time of his trouble he said I shall go downe to the gates of the graue I am drawing neare to the gates of death For so soone as I heard the Prophet say that I should die so soone I began to prepare me for it for if all threatnings come to passe as the Prophet hath said if I find no outgate in the mercie of God I must die For this I know that I am a mortall man and suppose I be a King and a glorious King yet I am not exempted from death and therefore I will prepare me for it He knew wel that suppose he made himselfe readie he was not one haire nearer to death Now surely if ye would follow this King ye would be a thousand times readier and more able to liue then ye are in your diseases But ye are cast vp in such a daintie and delicate fashion that no man will suffer to heare of death saying It is a thing that will further man to die But I say the contrarie and the Spirit of God saith the contrarie I say the readier ye be
zeale or of force we shall be spoyled of it Thus farre concerning the second cause As to the third I shall touch it shortly and so I shall end The third cause is this he sayth he shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the earth Now what a cause is this This appeareth to be a very slight cause that he should be grieued at his death because he should see man no more For I am assured there were men in his daies whom he tooke no pleasure to see and whom he could not see without great griefe euen such monsters as are now in our dayes This generall must be restrained to this as if he would say I shal not see men that is faithfull men honest and obedient subiects to God and their King of whose company I had delight and whose protection I was I shall see these good men no more He had such a care of the Church and of the Christian subiects vnder him that in the very houre of his death he sheweth his compassion toward them and is grieued that they should lacke his protection in time coming Well the country is exceeding blessed that hath such a Prince who is endued with the care of his subiects and specially of the Church that in his death he is sorrie that they should be depriued of his protection And turne it ouer againe As cursed and vnhappy is that countrie who hath a King that hath no kind of care or respect of his subiects much lesse of Gods Church which is the best part of his subiects Therfore it is euery one of your duties that heare me see what it is to lacke this blessing to craue of God that he would distill his grace into his Maiesties heart which may moue him to take vp another manner of protection then hitherto he hath done Oh would to God it were so Thus farre for the exposition of the causes shortly In all these causes some things are worthy of praise and some things are worthy of dispraise for I stand not to iustifie him in them all They are worthy of commendation so far as they flowed from faith and tended to the glory of God and weale of his Church They are worthy of reproofe so far as they flowed from the foolish affectioÌ„ corruption of nature without the which none can be so long as we be in this life Then ye see the best goods that we haue to carry with vs of our owne is this corruption foolish affection No question Kings haue not this power to carry their iewels magnificencâ— with them but surely they carry their vices faults of their gouernment with them which shall meete them And surely if this good King caried any of this stuffe with him much more shall other Kings And as it is in Kings so is it in euery of vs we shall all carry with vs vertues or vices If we cary vertue with vs then shal we haue a good conscience to meete vs there Then to end this matter prepare your hearts and make both hand and heart voide of the loue and affection of the world that your hearts being busied onely with the loue of good things ye may cary your hearts with you when the Lord calleth And as your eares are bent to receiue this word so let it be digested in your hearts that in your death I may see the fruites and effects thereof And seeing we must either cary with vs vertues or vices the fauour of God to mercy or the fauour of sathan to iudgement should not our whole indeuour be that these foule vices may be remoued out of our hearts and should not our whole study be that our soule which is holden so fast bound in the chaines of wickednesse may be set at freedome and liberty That we may haue melting hearts acknowledging that by the bloud of Christ our sins are forgiuen that through a stedfast faith in his bloud sure hope in his mercy we may seale vp that peace which floweth from the pacification purchased by the offering vp of his owne body Now when I see mine owne conscience pacified and my soule so washed from the spots of corruption that all my sinnes are forgiuen me am I not happy and this can neuer be except in your hearts ye be as attentiue as with your eares ye are to heare me But if this matter as it is heard by the eare so it were learned remeÌ„bred by the heart we should see greater profite in sanctification and newnesse of life this day then we do and death would not be so fearefull to many as it is For the ready way to eschue the feare of death is not to delay your repentaÌ„ce but let the whole course of your life be a continuall repentance Happy is he that learneth this lesson and more then happy is he that followeth it and as vnhappy he that neuer practiseth it The Lord worke so with vs grant vs such increase of his Spirit that we may follow it and study to practise it in our life and conuersation The Lord grant this for the righteous merits of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for now and for euer Amen THE NINTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 12 Mine habitation is departed and is remoued from me like a shepheards tent I haue cut off like a weauer my life he will cut me off from the height from day to night thou wilt make an end of me 13 I reckoned to the morning but he brake all my bones like a Lion from day to night wilt thou make an end of me 14 Like a Crane or Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue mine eyes were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me IN our last sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the Prophet assureth the King of his health by a wonderfull signe which was giuen to him The manner and forme of the manifesting of the signe was this The King seeketh a signe and the Lord granteth a signe vnto him and after the same manner that he sought a signe it was giuen to him Thirdly the Lord manifesteth this signe by his owne power and vertue without the support of any creature The King seeketh a signe not that he is distrustfull of Gods promise nor yet to tempt God as the wicked do but he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe in the Lords promise He belieueth the promise yet his beliefe was weake and to strengthen his weake faiâ—h he seeketh the signe The thing that weakeneth his beliefe was this The Prophet in an houre and shorter space cometh to the King and proposeth two contrarie sentences Fiâ—st he saith to him Make thee readie thou must die in an instant of time he pronounceth the plaine contrarie and saith Thou shalt liue both these two could not stand Therefore he seeketh a signe to strengthen
of God at the last he shall neuer come out So in time let euery one beware to abuse the grace of God this way but beg a liberty and a renewing of the Spirit that that which is pleasing to him may be also pleasing to vs and that which is displeasing to him may be displeasing to vs. The last thing that I marke is this whereof cometh this willingnesse and free offering of our selues to the seruice of God Dauid noteth it in a word It proceedeth not of externall worshipping but of the boring of the eare except the Lord had prepared the eare of his heart it was not possible for him to haue brought with him a mind or a will to serue God Then this willingnesse is wrought by the Spirit of God and not onely this willingnesse but the doing and execution of his will is wrought by the Spirit of God For by nature we are hard hearted and more vnfit then brute beasts to do the Lords will And therfore whosoeuer would be partaker of the grace of the new Testament let him looke into himselfe how farre his will is reformed For the more we submit our will â—o the will of God the more we are partakers of the grace of the new Testament So long as we make the will of man a rule to our will we testifie that we haue not tasted of the grace of the new Testament Onely then are we partakers of the grace of the new Testament when the Spirit of grace boweth our will and maketh it to obey in some part the will of God For I meane not that our whole will can obey the will of God It is not possible so long as we are here that we can runne one way if the affections could runne one way and bend themselues wholly to God in a maner we should possesse life eternall in this life But so long as we are here we are compassed with two wils from the which proceedeth â—wo sorts of motions affections and cogitations In this battel the regenerate man continueth to the end I require not a perfection of the will or a perfection of the heart but I desire a delight in the law and in the loue of God a will to loue and a preasing more and more to subdue our will to the loue of God Where this resisting is the battell is and where a battell continueth there is a true Christian who at the last shall get the victorie Resist thy wicked will resist the motions thereof resist the cogitations thereof and sorrow for the actions thereof if thou resist the motions and cogitations thereof thou art in good estate It is onely the consenting to the actions and performance thereof that maketh thee guiltie before God Suppose thou hast euill cogitations motions yet if so be thou resist them thou art not guiltie before God But if tâ—ou consent and performe the appetites of sinne the action will bring guiltinesse and guiltines will banish light and light being banished God is banished The obedience of sinne banisheth a good will and placeth in stead thereof an euill will so the perfection of a Christian in this life standeth in resisting To trie night and day that thou consent not to the actions of thy wicked will O then it is a matter of great consequence to subdue tame that great idoll of euill will We may speake of it as we please and say that we are able to do it but of all the works of the earth it is the greatest for such is the stubbornnesse of our will that it will do nothing but what it liketh it selfe Well the perfection of a Christian standeth in striuing we must either striue or we shall not be crowned Therefore let euery one beg of God that he would worke by his Spirit in this life that he may resist the motions and cogitations of his heart that he would arme him against the enticements thereof that resisting here we may be crowned hereafter In the last part of the Psal. he returneth to prayer and as he had found the mercifull deliuerie of God in time past so he desireth that the Lord would continue the same mercie toward him in time to come and vndertake his protection against the troubles that were to ensue as well as he had done against the troubles past In this part he letteth vs see this lesson which if it were well learned might stand vs in great stead the whole course of our life to wit That the whole life of man in this earth as Iob saith is a continuall tentation and the end of one miserie is but an entrie to a greater so that our whole exercise should be to praise God for fauours past and to pray to God for times to come that in praysing and prayer our life being continually spent we might hold Christ Iesus who in life and death is exceeding aduantage To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise world without end So be it THE FIFTEENTH SERMON VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE SECOND Epistle to Timothie beginning at the 22. verse preached the ninth of Nouember 1589. at the which time â—he Eaâ—le Bothwell made his publike repentance in the Church of Edinborough 22 Flee also from the lusts of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith loue and peace with them that call on the Lord with pure heart 23. And put away foolish and vnlearned questions knowing that they ingender strife 24 But the seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the euill men patiently 25 Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the truth 26 And that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will IN these two Epistles which the Apostle directeth vnto his Disciple Timothie he taketh a very great care to informe Timothie that he may behaue himselfe accordingly in all his proceedings that he might behaue himselfe as well in his owne person as in his office towards others beside In his owne person in respect he was a yong man yong in yeares although though no other way yong neither yong in knowledge nor in manners but somewhat yong in yeares In respect of his youth and of the imperfections that accompanie youth In respect of the continuall follie whereunto youth is drawne he biddeth him first remember that he take heede to his youth that he be not caried with those vices with those affections and lusts that vse violently to carry yong men away As towards others he willeth him to haue a discretion foresight of their estate to discerne the persons with whom he hath to do And first of all that he consider whether these persons be friends or aduersaries whether they be of one familie with himselfe in the familie of faith or otherwise strangers as
apprehension of the meate and drinke that is the foode of the body so there is two sorts of apprehension of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus which is our meate and drinke spirituall Of meate and drinke corporall there is an apprehension by the eye and by the taste that while the meate is present vnto you on the table your eye taketh a view of that meate discerneth it and maketh choice of it and not only the eye but also the taste discerneth the meate and the taste approouing it that is called the first apprehension Now vpon this which is the first the second apprehension followeth that is after that ye haue chewed that meate swallowed it and sent it to your stomacke where it digesteth and conuerteth into your nouriture then in your stomacke ye get the second apprehension But if your eye like not that meate neither your taste like it the second apprehension followeth not for thou wilt spet it out againe or reiect it preferring some other meate vnto it that thou likest better That meate which thou likest not enters neuer into thy stomacke and so it can neuer be conuerted into thy nourishment for it is onely the second apprehension of the meate that is the cause of the nourishment of the body in our corporall foode so that if ye chew not this meate and swallow it it feeds you not then it is onely the second apprehension that nourisheth our bodies It is euen so in spirituall things so farre as they may be compared in the foode of Christ Iesus who is the life and nouriture of our soules and consciences There must be two sorts of apprehension of Christ Iesus The first apprehension is by the eye of the mind that is by our knowledge and vnderstanding for as the eye of the body discerneth by an outward light so the eye of the mind discerneth by an inward and renewed vnderstanding whereby we get the first apprehension of Christ. Now if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well then the next followeth we begin to cast the affection of our hearts on him we haue good will to him for all our affections proceede from our will and our affections being renewed and made holy we set them wholly vpon Christ. We loue him and if we loue him we take hold of him and digest him that is we apply him to our soules and so of this loue liking of him the second apprehension doth follow But if we haue no will to him if we haue no loue nor liking of him what do we Then we reiect him and preferre our owne Idoll and the seruice of our owne affections to him and so the second apprehension followeth not We cannot digest him and if we digest him not that spirituall life cannot grow in vs for marke in what place the eye serues to the bodie in the same roome serueth knowledge and vnderstanding to thy soule and looke in what place thy hand and thy mouth thy taste and thy stomacke serue vnto thy body in that very place serue the heart and affections vnto thy soule So that as our bodies cānot be nourished except our hands take and our mouthes eate the meate whereby the second apprehension may follow likewise our soules cannot feede on Christ except we hold him and embrace him heartily by our wils and affections For we come not to Christ by any outward motion of our bodies but by an inward motion apprehension of the heart For God finding vs all in a reprobate sence he bringeth vs to Christ by reforming the affection of our soules by making vs to loue him And therefore the second apprehension whereby we digest our Sauiour will neuer enter into our soules except as he pleaseth the eye so he please the will and the affection also Now if this come to passe that our wils and affections are wholly bent vpon Christ then no doubt we haue gotten this Iewell of faith Haue ye such a liking in your minds such a loue in your hearts of Christ that ye will preferre him before all things in the world then no question faith is begun in you Now after a thing is begun there is yet more required for though this faith be formed in your minds in your hearts and soules yet that is not enough but that which is formed must be nourished and he who is conceiued must be entertained and brought vp or else the loue that is begun in me by the holy Spirit except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished it will decay except the Lord continue the working of his holy Spirit it is not possible that I can continue in the faith And how must we nourish and keepe faith in our soules Two manner of waies First we nourish faith begun in our soules by hearing of the word not of euery word but by hearing of the word of God preached and not by hearing of euery man but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent For this is the ordinarie meanes whereunto the Lord hath bound himselfe he will worke faith by the hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments And the more that thou hearest the word and the otfner that thou receiuest the Sacraments the more thy faith is nourished Now it is not onely by hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments that we nourish faith The word and Sacraments are notable of themselues to nourish this faith in vs except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned with their ministerie But the word and the Sacraments are said to nourish faith in our soules because they offer and exhibite Christ vnto vs who is the meate the drinke and life of our soules and in respect that in the word and Sacraments we get Christ who is the foode of our soules therefore the word and Sacraments are said to nourish our soules As it is said Act. 2.42 The Disciples of Christ continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and prayers by these meanes entertaining augmenting and nourishing the faith that was begun in them Then the holy Spirit begets this faith workes this faith creates this faith nourisheth entertaineth this faith in our soules by hearing the word preached and by the receiuing of the Sacraments which are the ordinarie meanes whereby the Lord nourisheth vs and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For obserue by what meanes the spirituall life is begunne by the same meanes it is nourished and entertained as this temporall life is entertained and nourished by the same means whereby it is begun Then seeing by these meanes the holy Spirit begets this worke of faith in our soules it is our duty to craue that he would continue the worke which he hath begunne And for this cause we should resort to the hearing of the word when it is preached and to the receiuing of the Sacraments when they are ministred that we may be fedde in our soules to life
that I vse is this Seeing there is onely one precept left by our Master in recommendation to be obserued by vs namely That euery one of vs should loue another therefore our wise Master vnderstanding well that where loue was there needed no more lawes that the life of man by loue onely behooued to be most happie left onely the same in chiefe recommendation and taketh vp the whole Law and Gospell in one word Loue. And if the heart of man were endued with loue his life might be most happy and blessed for there is nothing maketh this life happie but the resemblance and likelihood that we haue with God The neerer we draw to God the more blessed is our life for there cannot be so happie a life as the life of God In the first Epist. of Iohn 4.8 God is loue therefore the more we are in loue the more neere we are to that happie life for we are in God and partakers of the life of God When I speake this ye must not thinke that loue in God and loue in vs is one thing for loue is but a qualitie in vs and it is not a qualitie in God There is nothing in God but that which is God so loue in God is his owne essence therefore the more that ye grow in loue the neerer ye draw to God and to that happie and blessed life For there is nothing more profitable more agreeable conuenient vnto nature then to loue and aboue all things to loue God And therefore it is that God and his Angels are most happie and blessed because they loue all things and desire euer to do good On the other side there is nothing more vnhappie nothing more noysome more hurtful that eateth vp nature more then to burne with enuie and hatred and therefore it is that the diuels are most miserable who torment themselues with continuall malice and hatred burning with a vehement appetite to be noysome vnto all creatures So as the life of the diuel is most vnhappie because he is full of enuie and malice so our life will be most happie if we be full of loue I will no further speake of loue Onely if ye haue loue marke the effects of it set downe 1. Cor. 13.4.5.6.7 verses which effects if ye haue not in some measure ye haue not true loue I end here Ye see in what points euery one of you ought to be prepared Ye must be endued with this loue and ye must be endued with faith and if ye haue these in any small measure go boldly to the hearing of the word and to the receiuing of the Sacraments This is the preparation that we allow of I grant the Papists haue a preparation far differing from this and therefore they can haue no warrant from the word of God Last of all seeing that we are commanded to trie our selues he that lacketh knowledge cannot trie himselfe a mad man cannot trie himselfe a child cannot trie himselfe therefore they ought not to come to the Lords Table All these things being considered aright he that hath faith and loue in any kind of measure let him come to the Table of the Lord. And all these things serue as well for the hearing of the word fruitfully as for the receiuing of the Sacrament Therefore the Lord of his mercy illuminate your minds and worke some measure of faith loue in your hearts that ye may be partakers of that heauenly life offered in the word and Sacraments that ye may begin your heauen here and obtaine the full fruition of the life to come and that in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON VPON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERALL 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. THere is nothing in this woâ—ld nor out of the world more to be wished of euery one of you more to be craued and sought of euery one of you then to be conioyned with Christ Iesus then once to be made one with the God of glorie Christ Iesus This heauenly and celestiall coniunction is purchased brought about by two speciall meanes It is brought about by meanes of the word and preaching of the Gospell and it is brought about by the meanes of the Sacraments and ministration thereof The word leadeth vs to Christ by the eare the Sacraments leade vs to Christ by the eye two senses of all the rest which God hath chosen as most meete for this purpose to instruct vs and bring vs vnto Christ. For that doctrine must be most effectuall and mouing that wakeneth and stirreth vp most the outward senses that doctrine that wakeneth not onely the eare but the eye the taste the feeling and all the rest of the outward senses must moue the heart most must be most effectuall and piercing in the soule But so it is that this doctrine of the Sacraments moueth stirreth vp and wakeneth most the outward senses therefore it must be if we come well prepared vnto it most effectuall to stir vp the inward senses of the dull heart But there is a thing that ye must euer remember there is no doctrine neither of the simple word nor yet of the Sacraments if Christ abstract his holy Spirit that is able to moue therefore when euer ye come to heare the doctrine whether it be of the Sacraments or of the simple word craue of God that he would be present by his holy Spirit or otherwise all the doctrine in the earth will not auaile you Alwayes this doctrine of the Sacraments stirres vp and wakens most the outward senses there is no question therefore but it is an effectuall and potent instrument to waken prepare and stirre vp our hearts Then to let you see what the word Sacrament meaneth and to remoue the ambiguity of it it is certaine and out of all question that the Latine Diuines who were most ancient did interpret the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Sacrament and they vsed the Greeke word not onely to signifie the whole action of the Supper of the Lord and the whole action of Baptisme but they vsed the word Mystery to signifie whatsoeuer is darke and hid in it selfe and not frequented in the coÌ„mon vse of men as after this manner the Apostle calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mystery This coniunction which is begun here betwixt vs Christ is called a mystery the Latine Interpreters call it a Sacrament to be short ye wil not find in the book of God a word more frequent then the word Mystery But as for the word Sacrament wherby they interprete the Greeke word we find not this word by the same Diuines to be taken so largely neither is
the word haue I to do this what warrant haue I of his mouth for thus doing And finding a warrant of Gods word and of his Spirit going together thou art sure But where the conscience giueth a testimony without the warrant of the word it is a deceiuing testimony without the warrant of the word it is a deceiuing testimony Therefore conioyne these two Try narrowly in your doings if the word and the Spirit go together And if these two be ioyned they shall stand as two witnesses with thee The greatest impediment that stayeth men from the conioyning of these two in their doings is the affection they haue to their own person the affection and loue they haue to themselues hindreth this trill For we see that such is the superiority and dominion which that affection hath that it carrieth reason whither it pleaseth and it is so strong that it suffereth not the grace of God to enter into vs but moueth man to giue obedience to the wickednes of her lust of appetite and to say Ere I will want the seruice of my lust pleasure of mine appetites I wil make subiect rather the word to mine appetite then subdue my appetite to the word so to want my pleasure Iudge ye what conscience this is They make the word to serue their appetites and neuer suffer the word to mortifie their appetites And of this what cometh to passe By this kind of dealing it cometh to passe that at last they lose their conscience so that it can neither accuse nor excuse because they are cast asleepe ly in this dead sleepe till they be wakened with a terrible wakening by God the righteous iudge from heauen Take heede for this is the truth And at that wakening he shall make the terrours of these same sinnes which if they had followed counsel they might haue eschued terrribly to ouerwhelme them Now the conscience is at quietnesse and rest and holdeth thee in security But alas it is a festered security The inward heart is full of filth which filthinesse shall bring such terrours in the end with it that it shall multiply thy torments and so oppresse thee except in time thou search out the bottome of thy conscience Therefore be not deceiued as ye are come into this world to serue glorifie him so euery one in your owne rankes and callings be vpright Ye deale vprightly in you calling when ye haue the warrant of the word for the warrant of the word is not changeable it cometh not vnder alteration But once haue the warrant and haue it full So whosoeuer obtaineth the warrant of the word in this world that blessed mouth shall be a warrant to them in a greater place Then take heede to this terrible iudgement looke in time that out of time it ouertâ—ke thee not with a terrible wakening Now to come to the ninth verse In this verse he noteth the time when this great iudgement was wrought vpon the enemies and he sayth it was wrought when God arose it was not done when God sate for the whole time when he sate his enemies were spending their time in raging murder oppression blood as now ye may see the great men in this country raging who are his enemies Then all the time that God sate his enemies were aloft And this long sitting of God what did it whereas it should haue drawn them to repentance it confirmed them in their pride increased their malice Well God ariseth at the last and when he ariseth he striketh them with a terrible iudgement He bringeth in God here after the manner of earthly Iudges after the custome of our Iudges For first they sit downe they try seeke out and aduise and after aduisement they resolue and after aduisement and resolution they rise vp giuen iudgement and pronounce the sentence Euen so the Prophet bringeth in God after the same manner sitting and after sitting arising and pronouncing the sentence Then the Lord ye see hath his time of sitting his time of rising The time of his sitting I call the time of his patience the time of his long suffering the time of his benignity whereby he allureth yea if it were possible his very enemies to turne vnto him And I call the time of his sitting the time of his delay of the execution of his iudgement I call the time of his rising the time of his execution the time of his hote wrath and the time of the declaration of his righteous iudgement vpon flesh The Lord hath both these times and they who abuse the time of his sitting shall not be able to escape the time of his rising Senacherib abused the patience and long suffering of Gods sitting but he escaped not his rising as he did beare him witnesse All doctrine should be applied to our present estate all mens consciences are asleepe and except they be now wakened in time terrible shall that wakening be which they shall haue when the terrours thereof shall oppresse them Therefore it is good that this matter of terror were presented in time to waken the conscience For by the way the biting conscience is not the worst of all sort of consciences but the biting conscience is in the second ranke for the conscience that biteth thee and accuseth thee sendeth thee to seeke remedy And the more that it hasteth thee the sooner thou purchasest remission of thy sinnes and peace in the body and blood of Christ Iesus So of all consciences the biting conscience is not the worst but is in the second ranke it sendeth thee to seeke remedy Onely of this beware that thou furnish not matter to her biting by increasing of further corruption but euer cast out sin wherby God is offended and this biting nourished and in the end thou shalt finde a true pacification and a taste of the right peace that floweth from Christ Iesus which peace passeth all vnderstanding To come to the particular The Lord is not risen as yet in this country albeit he hath sitten long And why hath he sitten but to see if his enemies will repent And hath this taken effect No for he hath not greater enemies in any part then the great men in this countrey where his word is so clearely preached So that the greater the knowledge is the greater is the contempt and the greater the contempt is the heauier must the iudgement be that abideth them Now in all this time of the Lords sitting what are they doing They are burning and scalding slaying and murthering and vsing all kinde of oppression and raging so as if there were not a King in Israel Well the Lord sitteth not to this end that they should abuse his patience he sitteth not that they should be confirmed in their cruelty that they should lose their knowledge or thinke that either there were not God or God were become like themselues Alwayes I say this is not the end wherefore he sitteth but he sitteth onely to this