rara virtus as S. Bernard tearmes it made him thinke neither these nor any of his Sermons or writings worthy of publike view so as though hee were much importuned by offers and earnest entreaties yet would not be drawne to publish any of them But for as much as it is not meete those learned labours should dye with him whereby hee being dead may with Abel yet speake and the living bee furthered in the way of life I resolved to publish these Sermons upon S. Iude Preached in a weekly Lecture to a publike audience on the market day at Northwalsham in Norfolke Intending God assisting if I may understand these to become acceptable profitable to the people of God to publish more In the meane time I shall send these forth with Iacobs blessing and prayer for his Sonnes Gen. 43. 14. God Almighty send thee mercy in the sight of the man c. In the sight of the proud man that he be no more high-minded as Herod In the sight of the poore man that hee may bee content with the things hee hath already as Paul In the sight of the stubborne man that he may yeeld with Saul and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe In the sight of the penitent man that his wounds may be bound up and Wine and Oyle powred into them In the sight of the barren man that he may live and bring forth much fruit In the sight of every man that they may draw neere to God with a pure heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in their hearts from an evill conscience and washed in their body with pure water But especially in the sight of our Ioseph our Iesus who blesse thee and these to thee and all other meanes of furthering thy salvation to whose grace I commend thee this tenth of April 1633. Thine in Christ Jesus Samuel Otes THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST SERMON Vpon Saint IVDE A Briefe description of the Author Penman Argument Occasion of the Epistle The division of it into five parts 1 Superscription 2 Exordium 3 Proposition 4 Exhortations Dehortations 5 Conclusion Superscription in three 1 Person writing 2 Person written to 3 Salutation Person writing by three His Name Office Alliance The Contents of the second Sermon THe persons to whom he writ described by their Vocation and Sanctification In Vocation he describes the fruits kinds and parts necessity diversity in respect of time and place In Sanctification that it followes Vocation and is threefold how distinguished from Iustification what place it hath in salvation The Contents of the third Sermon THat wee may have the benefit of Redemption wee must have both Reconciliation Sanctification and Continuall preservation in the estate of grace In Reconciliation there is necessary Remission of sinnes Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse Sanctification consists in Mortification and Vivification Arguments to vrge Sanctification preservation both of body and soule especially the soule in sanctification till brought to glorification The Contents of the fourth Sermon THe Salutation wherein he wisheth three Mercy Peace and Love Of Mercy and Peace in this Sermon Mercy fourefold That that concernes the soule and salvation thereof is sevenfold Peace three-fold Externall Internall Eternall Outward prosperity and happinesse The Contents of the fifth Sermon HAving spoken afore of Mercy and Peace here he speakes of Love Love is twofold Of God to Man Of Man to Man both set out by their Excellency and their Effects The want of the latter noted the kinds of Love condemned finally not onely Mercy Peace and Love as positive graces are wished but the continnall increase and multiplication of them The Contents of the sixth Sermon THe proposition in the second part of the Epistle vnfolded that faith must be maintained wherein two things 1 They must labour to maintaine faith 2 The reasons and they are three 1 From the person of the Apostle 2 From the person of God 3 From the person of the Adversary In this Sermon of the first viz. that Faith must bee maintained with all earnestnesse and of the first reason drawne from the person of the Apostle namely his love his paines and his mildnesse The Contents of the seventh Sermon THe second reason drawne from the person of God that gives faith wherein three 1 That Faith is a gift 2 That given once 3 That given to the Saints In the first the divers acceptions of faith 1. How the true faith is given In the second that the same Faith is in all ages In the third that only the Saints have this true faith wherein the divers acceptions of faith are set downe and that here is meant the Saints upon earth The Contents of the eighth Sermon THe third reason is drawne from the persons of the Adversaries who are described 1 By their life 2 By their end By their life that they 1 Creepe into the Church 2 Be A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God 3 Be Libertines 4 Are blasphemers denying God and Christ c. The three first here handled The Contents of the ninth Sermon THe third reason from the persons of the adversaries is further prosecuted in regard of the fourth branch of their impiety in their life 〈…〉 the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ wherein is shewed how many wayes God and Christ are denyed And prooved that God is the only God And that Iesus Christ is our Lord Iure Creationis Iure Redemptionis The Contents of the tenth Sermon THe third reason from the Adversaries is further prosecuted in regard of the end which is by the Apostle here said to bee condemnation and in that they are said to be before ordained to this condemnation as by Gods decree The two parts of Gods decree Election and Reprobation largely handled The Contents of the eleventh Sermon NNotwithstanding they to whom he wrote knew before yet he puts them in remembrance of the mercies of God in delivering the Israelites and his justice in destroying them growing rebellious Wherein note 1 The necessity of inculcating and often reiterating doctrines before knowne 2 Gods mercy to the Israelites especially in their deliverance out of Egypt which is largely described 3 The greater his mercies the more grievous his punishments upon the contemners thereof The Contents of the twelfth Sermon THe Israelites sinne that brought their destruction was infidelity though other sins yet this the root of all as proved in them and all The nature the kinds the necessity excellency and utility of faith is set out Secondly the sinne of the Angels what it was wherein their nature and office their number kinds their sinne being in generall Apostacy the nature of that sinne and wherein it consists and how odious it is is described The Contents the thirteenth Sermon THe punishment of the Angels that fell which is to bee reserved in everlasting chaines hence 1 Comfort to man that though his malice be infinite yet his power is limited 2 Confusion to him that though he be already
So Christ doth regenerate and sanctifie us by the vertue of his Spirit quo homo Deus est as he is man and God not as he is man alone or as he is God alone and yet he doth not transferre his essence into us and therefore Osiander is much deceived The place of Paul quoted by him helpeth him nothing for we are the righteousnesse 2 Cor. 5. 21. of Christ ut ille fuit peccatum pro nobis as he was sinne for us but sinne was not really in Christ no more is Christs righteousnesse really in us but onely imputatively faith as the hand applyeth it unto us and flyeth into heaven and there maketh us partakers of his Sanctity Our faith wrastleth with God in heaven our charity wrastleth with men here below on earth both of them are exercised neither idle nor unfruitfull and therefore the Apostle joyneth Faith in Christ and love toward Col. 1. 4. all Saints together O Brethren how many bee there that can tell a smooth tale of Christ and yet cannot speak one wise word of Iustification and Sanctification and yet Peter requireth it of all Hence am I to derive an exhortation to all men to holinesse and sanctification seeing that Rahabs house was knowne by a Ios ◠Iudg. 11. Mat. 26. 2 Reg. 9. red thread and the Ephramites by lisping and Peter by speaking and Iehu by driving his Chariot So Christians are knowne by sanctification Every child of God is sanctified Secundum plus aut minus either more or lesse But first let me speake of the diverse acceptions of the word ne inpingamus ubi non est lapis lest we stumble where there is no stone 1. It is taken for that which is pure and perfect and cleane Levit. 19. 2. So God alone is said to be holy 2. It is taken for that which is lawfull as 1 Cor. 7. 14. The unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the Husband else were your children uncleane but now they are holy 3. For that which is separated and set apart from common uses and reserved to sacred and holy uses Thus in the Law those things were called holy and sanctified which were taken from the common use of the people and set apart for the use and service of God as the Oyle Shew bread first fruits vessels of the Tabernacle In this sense the Priests were called holy because they were separate from the common life of men to serve in the Tabernacle Thus the people of Israel separated from the rest of the Nations were called by Moses a sanctified people to the Lord and by Ieremy a thing hallowed to the Lord. 4. For that which is consecrated to a godly and holy use Wee must bee holy because God is holy In which respect it is opposite to prophanenesse So the Temple was holy Ieremy was sanctified that is consecrated to be a Prophet So Christ sanctified himselfe that is dedicated himselfe to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world 5. It is taken for purity of body and minde as 2 Cor. 7. 5. So it is taken here And that wee should bee holy that is pure both in body and in minde it is the will and commandement of God Would you know his will and doe it that thou maist enter into heaven For not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven then be holy For Mat. 7. 21. this is the will of God even your holinesse 1 Thes 4. 3. There be many reasons to move us to Sanctification to Holinesse whereof one is often used drawne from the person of God our Father that children must resemble their Father else are they Bastards rather than sonnes So reasoneth God Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy repeated by Peter As hee Levit. 19. 2. which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy All that is in God our Father is holy all that pertaineth to Gods name is holy Holy is his name His person is holy Hereupon the Seraphins cryed Luke 1. 49. one unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole world is full of his glory his workes are holy So saith David Esay 6. 3. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his Workes His Iudgements are holy O my God saith the Prophet in his distresse Psal 45. 17. I cryed by day but thou hearest not and by night but have no audience but thou art holy c. His Temple or House is holy so Psal 22. 1 2. saith Paul The Temple of God is holy which ye are His Mountaine is holy and therfore called A holy Mountaine His Kingdome is 1 Cor. 3. 17. holy for no uncleane thing shall enter his Kingdome neither whatsoever Psal 15. worketh abomination or lyes Therefore we must be holy if wee Apoc. 21. 27. looke to live with God Extra sunt Canes without bee dogges prophane and polluted persons Apoc. 22. 15. The same reason holdeth for holinesse that doth for mercy clemency love meeknesse and all other attributes of the Lord. Let mee reason as the Scripture reasoneth God is mercifull therefore wee must bee mercifull God forgiveth his enemies therefore we must forgive So reasoneth Christ himselfe Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you that you may bee the Children of your Father which is in Heaven God is love therefore we must love So reasoneth Saint Iohn Beloved let us love one another 1 Iohn 4. 7 8. for love commeth of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love God is meek therfore we must be meek Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek c. So God is holy therefore we must be holy Mat. 11. 29. Another reason is taken from the end of our Redemption urged Holinesse the end of our Redemption without it wee shall not see God by the Apostle saying The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared and teacheth us that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that wee should live soberly righteously and holily in this present world Hath Christ sweat water and blood hath his heart beene molten like waxe his strength dryed up Tit. 2. 11 12. Psal 22. 14 15. like a potsheard hath his tongue cloven to his iawes and brought to the dust of the earth that wee should be wantons O caecas hominum mentes O pectora caeca nati sumus è silice nutriti lacte ferino O blinde mindes of men O blind hearts wee are borne of a flint-stone and nourished
read the ancient Fathers to prove and trie every thing and Sectaries seek novelties and admire them to hold that which is good and not to depart from the faith of the Catholicke Church For there is but one dove one spouse one body of Christ Of this sinne the Apostle giveth the Church warning saying Let us consider one another and provoke unto love Hebr. 10. 24 25. and unto good Workes not forsaking the fellowship that we have among our selves as is the manner of some It is the manner of some to turne with the spiders breath the sweet iuyce of flowers into poison to seeke knots in bulrushes to stumble at every straw that stoppeth the course of their eager spirit to breake the bonds of peace to forsake this fellowship that wee should have among ourselves and to single and sever themselves by themselves they busie their braines about Pythagoras numbers Plato's Idea and Aristotles commonwealth they see not at Damascus a strange 2 Reg. 16. 10 11 Altar with Ahaz but they strait-way get the patterne and Vrias the Priest must make them the like at home But what saith Paul concerning these Sectaries I beseech you brethren saith he marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the Rom. 16 17 18. doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speeches and flattering deceive the heart of the simple The Prophet David saith Ierusalem a figure of the Church is built as a City that is at unity in it selfe and when the Holy Ghost Psal 122. 3. Act. 2. 1. Act. 4. 32. Iudg. 20. 1. came downe in visible signes upon the Apōstles They were all with one accord in one place and it is said that the whole multitude of them that beleeved in the first times had but one heart and one Soule It is said of Israel that they came together as it had beene one man with the same mind and intent not with as many opinions as persons The Iewes had but one kind of worship prescribed and 2 Chro. 30. 12. that in one only Temple And it is said of Iuda that the hand of the Lord was in Iuda so that he gave them one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the rulers according to the Word of the Lord So if we will become a spirituall building unto God if wee will receive the promise of the Holy Ghost if we will worship God in Spirit and truth if we will have the hand of the Lord upon us we must be at unity and concord with our selves we must abide with one accord and one mind in an house wee must have one heart to doe the commandement of the King and of the rulers we must not leave the Temple to follow every opinion but we must be no makers of Sects but must keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace S. Peter prophesied and foretold of these Sectaries Ephes 4. 3. which privily should bring in damnable heresies even denying the 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. Lord that hath bought them and bring upon thmselves swift damnation and that many should follow their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth saith he shall be evill spoken of and through covetousnesse shall they with fained words make marchandize of you c. There is in a naturall body a quicking soule a radicall humour and a naturall heate and there is in the spirituall body Division sometime more dangerous than Idolatry of the Church the Holy Ghost to give life to it Faith is the radicall humour to continue it and charity as the naturall heate or vitall Spirit carried throughout the Arteries or parts of the Church For All things must be done in love Division and discord 1 Cor. 10. 14. Sects and Schismes are the cause of all evill of all mischiefe this is that Pandoras boxe that Trojane horse from whom all evill and mischiefe doe proceed Example among many other may be the Church of Corinth who beginning about matters of ceremonies and policie proceeded first to division and separation some holding of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas and some of Christ and so to false doctrine denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 1. 12. and therefore by the Canon of the Apostle to be avoided and Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria told Novatus that it was Euseb de vit Const 2. more grievous to breake the unity of the Church then to commit Idolatry For this saith hee was punished but with the sword but the other with the opening gulfe of the earth swallowing up the Authors and confederates thereof Et non dubitabitur sceleratius esse commissum quod gravius erat vindicatum And there is no doubt but that was more haynously committed which was more sharply and severely punished If yee have bitter Iam. 3. 14 16. envying and strife in your hearts saith the Holy Ghost reioyce not for where envying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of evill wayes There be three Furies in Hell Heresy Schisme Apostacy Saith a learned man Haeresis errorem fundamentalem in side tuetur Heresy defendeth some fundamentall error in the faith Schisma unitatem Ecclesiae ob minuta discindit Schisme cutteth in sunder the unity of the Church for small and trifling things Apostasia rectam fidem religionem penitùs abdicat Apostasie utterly rejecteth and forsaketh the right Faith Religion of God and turneth from the holy Commandements given of God For heresy is occupied about dogmaticall conclusions concerning Faith and beliefe Schisme about rites and ceremonies and other things of no moment For whosoever shall obstinately defend any perverse corrupt opinion is an Hereticke whosoever shall divide himselfe from the Church for manners and rites is a Schismaticke Againe one and the selfe-same errour in divers men hath divers names For a false opinion of God is in a Iew Infidelity in an Ethnike Paganisme in a Christian heresy in a Turke Ignorancy Heresy is only in such as are baptized even as Schisme is Finely said Bibliander that one sinne according to divers effects hath divers names For to doe any thing against the Scriptures saith hee it is sinne or rebellion rather to thinke any thing contrary to the Scriptures it is foolishnesse to contradict them is error to forsake them Apostacy Pride the cause of heresy schisme All these are pardonable if they be not wilfull we must therefore be very watchfull that Satan possesseth not our mind heart or life our mind with perverse doctrine our heart with wicked affections our life with evill manners Study therefore day and night to keep the mind in purity and in the knowledge Hemming of the trueth the heart with pious and holy cogitations and thy life with chast manners and good examples Cyprian saith Vnum tentat diabolus tentat ut
have done vertuously but thou Pro. 31. 29. surmountest them all As Christ commended Iohn Baptist above all Nazarites saying There is no greater Prophet than Iohn among them Luk. 7. 28. that are begotten of women And the Lord Moses above all Prophets So Iude commendeth Faith above al vertues All precious stones Deut. 34. are good yet none like the Topaze all flowres are faire yet none Iob 28. like the Lily most trees bring fruit but none like the Apple-tree Faith purifies our hearts and makes our actions and persons holy of Persia or the Tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and gave fruit every moneth Many vertues are excellent and further our salvation yet none like faith Iustice giveth every man his owne temperancy restraineth lusts fortitude beareth Apoc. 22. 2. 1 Iohn 5. 4. all labour and toile prudence guideth our actions but faith overcommeth the world so doe not other vertues faith is like the three 2 Sam. 23. worthies of David who brake thorow the whole host and drew water of the Well of Bethlem Ionathan and his armour-bearer 1 Sam. 19. slew twenty men Shamgar with an Oxe goade slew six hundred Iudg. 3. 31. Iudg. 15. Philistines Samson with the jaw-bone of an Asse slew a thousand men thus these men brake thorow an whole host and faith overcommeth the whole world In this faith Paul insulted over heaven and earth men and Angels I am perswaded saith Paul that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor Rom. 8. 38. things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And againe he saith I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keep that which I have committed unto him meaning himselfe against that day It is called Holy yea most Holy for all our works are polluted and receive their holinesse from faith and faith from Christ who is the object of it As the Sunne giveth light to all Planets as salt seasoneth all meates so Faith seasoneth all works for in themselves they are polluted For who can say I have made my heart cleane I am cleane from sinne For as the holy man of god saith Hee found no stedfastnesse Pro. 20. 9. Iob 4. 18 19. in his servants and laid folly upon his Angels how much more in them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is the dust which shall bee destroyed before the moth And againe he maketh this demand and saith What is man that he should be cleane And hee that is borne of a Woman that hee should be just Wee are all as a menstruous cloth Cap. 15. 14. as an uncleane thing we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the wind haue taken us away only Faith purifieth our hearts To come neerer fidem sanctissimam vocat ratione objecti hee Act. 15. 9. calleth it most holy Faith by reason of the object Deum enim trinum unum respicit it respecteth three and one three in Persons one in Essence Morall vertues they are occupied about humane objects and things created as liberality about giving of good things temperance about meate drinke fleshly lusts leachery c. Fortitude in suffring adversity therefore they cannot be called most holy vertues Againe it is called most holy Faith in respect of the efficient cause thereof that is to say the Holy Ghost For the Holy Ghost bestoweth upon us all good things love joy peace long 1 Cor. 12 Gal. 5. 22. suffering gentlenesse goodnesse Faith meeknesse temperance all these and all the rest are the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Now because the Authour is holy his Works his gifts and graces bee holy Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest If no holines no Faith Nothing can come from the holy Spirit but that which is holy Aug. Learne here to judge of the works of the elder World their almes their prayer their love what love could there be without faith and what faith could there bee among them without the doctrine of God Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God But did they fast often Wee seldome or never Did they Rom. 10. 14. give almes and doe we live unto our selves are our right hands dryed up with Ieroboams Did they pray in the night wee scarce in the day Did they love one another agree together and doe wee sue and sting one another like the Serpents of Sinai O brethren they shall rise in judgement against us as Christ said of the Ninivites Except our righteousnesse our prayers our love exceed theirs wee shall not enter into Heaven our faith is Mat. 11. not most holy no nor holy nay no faith at all And by the way note that hee calleth faith holy not unholy unjust unchaste drunken faith such as the world braggeth of in these dayes the dead faith that Saint Iames inveigheth against so earnestly All lewd men boast of faith but I will say to them as Iames said O stende mihi fidem per opera Shew me thy faith by thy workes shew mee it by thy zeale thy piety thy truth thy chastity thy mercy with our faith let us joyne vertue The Israelites cryed Templum Domini templum Domini the Temple of 2 Pet. 1. 5. the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Pharisees cryed The Baptisme of Iohn the Baptisme of Iohn the Iewes cried We have Abraham to our Father the Scribes cried We have Moses to our Doctor the Ephesians cryed Great is Diana of the Ephesians but Ieremy bade the Israelites amend their wayes and their works Ier. 7. 4. Iohn bade the Pharisees bring forth fruits of Repentance Christ bade the Iewes doe the Workes of Abraham He told the Scribes Luk. 3. 8. Iohn 8. Iohn 5. Ephes 4. 20. that Moses would condemne them and Paul told the Ephesians that they had not so learned Christ and so say we to these men that boast of faith I will reason with them as Ieremy did with the people Will yee steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsly Ier. 7. 9 10. and burne incense unto Baal and walke after other gods whom yee know not and come and stand before mee in this house whereupon my Name is called even so will we sweare lye raile slander and say that we beleeve Was Gods house a denne for theeves is faith become a cloake for theeves whoremongers lyers swearers usurers Idolaters blasphemers drunkards pot-companions c I say of this faith as Saint Iames said of Wisedome This wisedome descendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall and divelish so Iam. 3. 5. this faith is not from above but is earthly sensuall and divelish For faith sheweth it selfe in good workes and can no more be separated from it
heart knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for hee maketh requests for the Saints according to the Will of God The fire which God would have continually to burne upon his Altar came out from the Lord. Levit. 9. 24. If sacrifices were offered up with any other fire the fire was counted strange and the sacrifices no whit acceptable but abominable Cap. 10. 1 c. to the Lord. The Heavenly fire whereby our spirituall sacrifices of prayer must be offered up is that holy Spirit which commeth out from God we must therefore pray in the Spirit yea all good gifts proceede from the Spirit so saith the Apostle The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit 1 Cor. 12 7 8 9 10 11. withall for to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisedome to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another is given Faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit to another operations of great workes to another Prophecy to another discerning of spirits and to another diversity of tongues to another interpretation of tongues and all these worketh even the selfe-same Spirit distributing to every man severally as hee will So Christ told his Apostles that they spake not but the Spirit of his Father It is not you saith he that speake but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you Paul compareth the Spirit of God to a tree that like the Tree of life yeeldeth all graces The fruit of the Spirit Ephes 1. 18. is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance against such there is no Law for they are under the Spirit of grace The Antithesis is betweene the flesh and the Spirit Paul calleth it the Spirit of Wisdome And Esay nameth it The Spirit of Wisdome Counsell Power Strength Because all these are the effects of it for Bezaliel Esay 11. 2. Exod. 31. 3. and Aholiab had their knowledge from Gods Spirit in the works of brasse and silver how much more have we in heavenly things There is no Art no cunning no science but from the Spirit even in the most wicked If you say Quid Spiritui Sancto impys What have the wicked to doe with the Spirit I can answere it thus The wicked have the spirit of illumination as had Achitophel 2 Sam. 16. Mat. 18. Act. 23. and Iudas and Tertullus but not the Spirit of Sanctification and adoption It is said of all the Iudges and Kings The Holy Ghost the Author of all excellent gifts in any that the Spirit of God came upon them so it is said that the Spirit of God came upon Gedeon so it is said of Saul that the Spirit of the Lord should come upon him and he should prophesy and of David that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward Iudg. 6. 34. 1 Sam. 10. 6. 1 Sam. 10. 13. Al the rare excellent things of God are judged by the Spirit The naturall wise man perceiveth not the things that are of the Spirit of God But he that is spirituall judgeth all things It is Gods Spirit that frameth all our actions and works and all good things 1 Cor. 14. 15. in us Hitherto tendeth the ceremony used in the Law that in the sacrifices things without life were consecrated with oyle which thing had a double reference first to Christ to note that hee was anointed with the gifts of the Spirit to performe his three offices for so we read The Spirit of the Lord God is upon mee therefore hath the Lord anointed mee a. And againe Thou hast loved Esay 61. 1. Heb. 1. 9. righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes Secondly it had reference unto us to note that all our duties are accepted of God as they are wrought in us by the Spirit but nothing no not prayer is accepted otherwise then it is a worke of the Spirit and commeth from his motion For this purpose note what the Prophet saith in the person of God to Ierusalem I will powre upon them the Spirit of supplications He calleth the gift of prayer the Spirit Zach. 12. 10. of supplications because it is Gods Spirit which worketh in us this gift and maketh us to call upon God but more directly is this point proved by that phrase which Saint Iude here useth praying in the Holy Ghost And this yet farther confirmed in that it is said The Spirit in our hearts crieth Abba Father And Paul layeth downe this point first Affirmatively saying The Spirit helpeth Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 16 27. our infirmities and maketh intercession for us then Negatively Wee know not what to pray yet must wee not thinke that the Holy Ghost doth indeed pray for us as Christ doth or as one of us doth for another For then should the Holy Ghost bee our Mediator which was one of Arrius his heresies but the meaning is that the Holy Ghost stirreth us up to pray and putteth life into our dead and dull spirits to make our prayers fervent Well then prayer is a gift of the Spirit not common to all but proper and peculiar to Gods elect who have the Spirit of God if no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Surely no 1 Cor. 12. 3. man can pray and call upon God but by the Spirit of God Let us then labour for Gods sanctifying Spirit and having it Let us goe along with him and follow his motions powring forth those prayers which he suggesteth unto us and let us take heed that we grieve not the Holy Spirit of God which is done by quenching the good motions thereof through our carelesnes or by Ephes 4. 36. 1 Thess 5. 19. resisting the Spirit through our rebellion But yet note further that howsoever prayer is attributed to the Spirit yet it is a worke of the whole Trinity the Holy Trinity hath a hand in this holy exercise of prayer The holy Ghost The whole Trinity concurres in prayer frameth our requests the Son offreth them to his Father the Father accepteth them thus framed and offered up For the works of the Trinity are invisible yet distinguished so that unto the Father is ascribed the originall beginning of all actions Ille agit Hebr. 11. a se per Filium Spiritum he worketh of himselfe by the Son and the Spirit to the Sonne is ascribed the disposing of the action Iob. 26. 7 8 9. from the Father by the Spirit to the Holy Ghost is attributed the consummating and as it were perfecting of things seeing he worketh from the Father and the Sonne Pater agit ase Filius per se Spiritus Sanctus à Patre Filio The Father worketh by himselfe 1 Cor. 12. 11. the Sonne by him the Holy Ghost from the
gods may not understand that you like roguish robbing rascals are here sayling Alas wee tumble out our prayers as a Beares whelpe they are like arrowes without heads that cannot pierce like swords without edge that cannot cut they be too blunt to obtaine any thing of God they have no wings to mount up to heaven We aske and receive not because wee aske amisse We do either postulare non postulanda we aske things that Iam. 4. 3. Bern. are not to bee asked or else when wee aske them wee pray not in the holy Ghost Oh that all men knew this that all England had learned that not all prayers but spirituall prayers are accepted of God! but wee are ignorant and will be ignorant still filthy and will bee Apoc. 22. 11. filthy still But let us amend this fault learne at last to pray for prayer is good so that it be a true reflexion of the soule from the feeling of Gods mercies and our owne wants God hath promised us all good things under his hand and seale but yet with a condition so that wee pray truly and aske them as we should The Lord is neere to all them that call upon him yea unto all such as call upon Psal 145. 18. him faithfully For many carry prayer in their mouthes as meÌ„ carry fire in a flint and perfume in a pomander the one without heate the other without smell so they carry prayer without all devotion verball vocall prayers can obtaine nothing of God When yee stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you saith God and though yee make many prayers I will not heare THE THREE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXI And keep your selves in the Love of God c. Faith prayer and love have mutuall relation FRom faith he came unto prayer froÌ„ prayer he commeth now to love bie est enim aurea catena for this is a goldeÌ„ chaine every linke is one within another these three goe together like the three Angels that came to Lot like the three graces that are Gen. 19. inseparable or like the three Worthies who brake thorow the host of the Philistins Faith begetteth 2 Sam. 23. prayer and prayer strengtheneth the faith and neither of these can stand without love prayer and love be as the two mighty rivers named in Genesis Pishon and Gihon and faith as the garden of Eden out of which they flow or the sea into which they runne and where all of them jointly doe end their course Love is a chiefe a principall vertue Faith and Love the one with God the other with men bee as the roote and the branch as the mother and the daughter as the foundation and pillars of all Christian buildings the end of all is Love the end of the first table the Love of God the end of the second the love of man so saith the Holy Ghost The end of the Commandement is Love out of a pure heart out 1 Tim. 1. 15. of a good conscience and out of a faith not fained Whatsoever precept or commandement is in the Scripture it hath relation to Love For be that loveth another fulfilleth the Law Christianity is where the Rom. 13. Spirit is and where the Spirit is there is Love For God is Love Love the most excellent of all vertues and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Austen saith that a man may have baptisme and yet bee wicked prophecy and yet be wicked take the Sacrament of the body and Aug. Hom. 15. bloud of the Lord and yet be wicked be named a Christian and yet bee wicked Habere Sacramenta ista omnia malus esse potest habere autem charitatem malus esse non potest He may have all these Sacraments and yet be wicked but if he have Love hee cannot be wicked Paul reckoning up the fruits of the Spirit he nameth Love first as the Gentleman-Vsher to goe before them all The fruites of the Spirit saith hee is Love joy peace c. For as Manna Gal. 5. 22. Exod. 16. Exod. 3. Iudg. excelled all bread as Aarons rod did eate up the rods of the sorcerers as Gedeons sword passed all the swords of the Madianites so Love passeth all other vertues All our bebts should stand in Love so saith the Apostle Owe nothing to any man but this Rom. 13. 8. that yee love one another Our debts were soone paid and our Executors should bee soone discharged if this were of this debt we can never be discharged so long as we live The journey of Israel was ended in forty yeeres Herods temple was built finished in six forty yeeres Noahs Arke was perfited in an 120. yeeres but this debt is never ended Beloved saith S. Iohn let us love one another for Love commeth of God every one that loveth is borne of God knowith God but hee that loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love S. Peter naming many vertues maketh up the measure and ends in love Ioyne saith he vertue with your faith with vertâ—e knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse Love This vertue above all others is as the hoope or fagot-band that keepeth all close therefore saith the Apostle Above all things put on Love which is the bond of perfection Col. 3. 14. As the Sunne giveth light to all Planets as salt seasoneth all meates as the Moone ruleth over the Sea and all moist bodies as the rod of the Tribe of Levi passed in honour all other tribes so Love passeth all qualities among men Though I spake 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. with the tongues of men and Angels and have no love I am as sounding brasse or a tinckling Cymball and though I bad the gift of Prophecy and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines and had no love it profiteth me nothing and though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I give my body that I be burned and have not Love it profiteth me nothing For this cause hee willeth the Ephesians to follow the truth in Love Moses did wish that Ephes 4. 13. Numb 11. 29. all the Lords people could prophesie and That the Lord would put his Spirit upon them Saint Paul did wish that all men were like himselfe in purity and that all did speake strange languages but rather that 1 Cor. 7. 7. 1 Cor. 14. 5. Aug. they prophesied Saint Augustine wished that all would remember Love and brings this reason Sola est enim quae vincit omnia sine qua nil valent omnia and ubique fuerit trahit ad se omnia For onely Love overcommeth all things and without Love all things Love is every where very cold are nothing
worth and wheresoever love is it draweth all things unto it And surely if I might have my wish and desire as Salomon had it should be this that Saint Iude here exhorteth unto 1 Reg. 3. namely so to love that wee may keepe our selves in the Love of God evermore that if any of us Christians be at any time asked what wee worship wee may answere with Gregory Nazianzen Charitatem veneramur wee worship charity Wee had need cry out and write no longer against false Catholikes sola fides faith only but against false Protestants Sola charitas Love only for malice and mischiefe aboundeth and Love abateth Let faith only justifie and Love only rectifie David compareth Love to the Oyntment on Aarons head and unto the dew of Hermon I can coÌ„pare it to the Oyle in the cruze Psal 133. 2. 1 Reg. 17. to the meale in the barrell that wasted not and unto the apple-tree of Persia which buddeth blossometh and beareth fruit every moneth Now abideth faith hope and love but the chiefe of these is love It lasteth longer like a pillar of Salt it reacheth 1 Cor. 13. further it profiteth more among men faith flyeth up to Heaven Charity is occupied here below on Earth Faith wrastleth above with the promises of God Love is busied in good works as Faith is with God Paul prayeth that Love may abound more and more and this hee doth in respect of the scantinesse and excellencie Charitas laudatur alget Iniquitie aboundeth Charitie Mat. 24. 12. waxeth cold This is the Iron age that Paul prophesied of Know saith Paul that in the last dayes shall come perilous times for men shall bee lovers of their owne selves covetous proud boasters 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3. 4. cursed speakers disobedient to parents unthankifull unholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traytours heady-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God Inveniètue Christus fidem Shall Christ Luk. 18. 8. Gal. 5. 6. when he commeth finde Faith upon the Earth But Love followeth Faith therfore shall he find any Love at his comming Surely but a little England is as the land of Canaan we have corne and cattell we have fish and flesh cloth and wooll our vallies stand thicke with corne that maketh us to laugh and sing God Psal 65. 11. crowneth the yeere with his goodnesse and the clouds drop fatnesse they drop upon the pastures of the wildernesse and the hils are compassed with gladnesse Our sonnes grow up as the young plants our daughters are as the polished corners of the Temple Psal 144. 12 13 14. our Garners are full abounding with store our Sheep bring forth thousands and tenne thousands in our streets our Oxen are strong to labour there is no invasion nor going out nor crying in our streetes The Mountaines drop Wine and wee wash our paths in butter We have plenty Ioel 3. 28. Iob 29. Iudg. 5. 1 Sam. 13. 1 Reg. 8. of all things but of Love As in the dayes of Debora there was neither speare nor shield as in the dayes of Saul there was no Smith in Israel as in the dayes of Salomon there was no Manna to bee found and as in Gilboa there is no Raine in Gilead Few united in Love no Balme in Bashan no flowers in Sichem no Corne being sowne with salt in Tyrus no Ships in Cimmeria no Light Ier. 8. Iudg. 9. 45. Ezech. 28. so in England no Love or but a little If there be an hundred men in one towne scarce two love together and agree together as they should wherein they bee worse then Divels for seven of them could agree in Marie Magdaiene a legion in another man that is twelve thousand five hundred Divels or as other Mat. 26. affirme sixe thousand seven hundred twenty two Divels for so Varro and Vegetius affirme that a legion containeth so many but scarce seven men of seven score love as brethren and so keepe themselves in the love of God We are now divided into three companies like Labans sheep some white some blacke some speckled some Protestants some Papists some Newters Nay even among Protestants there is little love and lesse agreement but God I hope will make us friends in Heaven where all injuries shall bee forgotten Where are these noble paire of lovers become David and Ionathan who had but one soule Eusebius and Pamphilus martyr 1 Sam. 18. who had but one name Pilades and Orestes who had but one life the one being dead the other died also Ruth and Naomi who could not bee parted but where the one would goe the other Ruth 1. would goe where the one would dwell the other would dwell where the one would dye the other would dye and where one would be buried the other would be buried also Basil and Nazianzene of whom it is said that anima una erat inclusa in duobus corporibus that there was one soule shut in two bodies Marriage maketh two bodies one so saith our Saviour For this Mat. 19. 5. cause a man shall leave Father and Mother and cleave unto his wife and they twaine shall bee one but love maketh two soules one yea many bodies many soules but one If an hundred men love together there is but one heart as in the Acts The multitude of them 1 Sam 18. 1. Act. 4. 32. that beleeved were of one heart and of one soule of one minde will and consent If a man hath an hundred friends that man is become as an hundred men Nam amicus est alter idem a friend is another the same Charitas est res augmentativa Charitie is an Chrysost increasing thing There was a day when Herod and Pilat were made friends but that day I feare with many of us will never be if any are implacable like the stone Arbestos which being once kindled is never quenched once angred never pleased A signe of a reprobate mind for Paul describing the reprobates saith that they are full of unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse Rom. 1. 29 30. covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envie of murther of debate of deceit taking all things in the evill part whisperers backe-biters haters of God doers of wrong c. The Romanes were wont to say of the men of the Primitive Church Ecce ut invicem se diligunt See how they love one another They knew Christians by that badge as Christ said By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples indeed The love of God above all love if yee love one another as I have loved you But wee may say quoth a moderne Father Ecce ut invicem se oderunt Behold how they hate one another oppresse one another It was wont to be said Iohn 13. Zaâ—che Homo homini Deus One man is a God to another but now homo homini Leo one man is a Lion to
and concludeth his Epistle with it Grace bee with you Amen for wee must not doubt of Gods promises but beleeve stedfastly That all the promises of God are in Amen diversly used in Scripture Christ yea and are in him AMEN Againe this word Amen teacheth us to desire earnestly 2 Tim. 4. 22. and fervently the thing wee pray for For the prayer of the righteous availeth much if it bee fervent David was fervent in his Iam. 9. 16. Psal 106. 48. prayer Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever and let all the people say Amen And verily this word Amen noteth our desire our earnest fervent desire to bee heard and to obtaine it is in effect thus much O Lord thus bee it unto mee what my tongue or soule have begged give it me grant it me Amen Amen So Lord even so Lord. FINIS THE TABLE OF THE Sermons upon Saint IVDE Points handled Serm. 1. THe holy Ghost the Author of all Scripture Fol. 1. Two Iudases 1 Iscariot 2 Brother of Iames 1 Some Scriptures doubted of 2 A threefold office of the Church concerning Scripture 3 Honourable titles given the wicked why 4 Stormes should not discourage the godly ibid. Three sorts of servants ibid. Gods service most happy 5 Gods service perfect freedome ibid. Brings all good to us 6 All other service vile or dangerous 7 Mans dignity in three things 8 Priviledges of Gods servants ibid. Pope abuseth the title of servant 9 Servants must imitate their Master obey him 10 Gods servants rewarded ibid. Servants may not Lord it over the rest of the Family 11 Godly profession brings more glory than honourable alliance 12 13. Sermon 2. VOcation the first step to Salvation 15 Before calling wee are children of wrath not capable of Christ 16 The happinesse of having the Gospell 17 Vocation Externall Internall Invitation Admission 17 18 Externall calling unprofitable without internall 18 The efficacie of Gods Word in the ministery thereof 19 Vocation diverse in respect of time and place 20 None called for desert ibid. Sanctification followes vocation 21 God as he beginne will finish till he glorifie ibid. Sanctification three-fold Imputed unto us Wrought in us Wrought by us 22 Difference of righteousnesse of Iustification and Sanctification 23 Papisticall doctrine tends to licentiousnes ours to holinesse ibid. Faith and Workes joyned in the person justified in the act of justification 24 Sermon 3. CHrists Priesthood two parts Redemption Intercession 26 Redemption hath two parts Reconciliation and Sanctification ibid. Reconciliation consists in two points Remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnesse 27 Iustification what it is ibid. Adoption what it is ibid. Benefits of Adoption and Iustification 27 Sanctification consists in mortification and vivification 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his beginning godly sorrow his companion the Spirituall combat ibid. Sanctification but in part as our knowledge ibid. Divers acceptions of holinesse 29 Wee must bee holy because God is holy 30 Wee must bee holy because it is the end of our Redemption 31 Without holinesse no salvation ibid. Wee must bee holy because called Saints ibid. All our holinesse is from God 32 The persons of the Trinity distinguished 33 Preservation in the state of Grace the chiefest blessing 34 Gods providence preserves in all accidents of life 35 God frees from all afflictions 36 God preserves his Scriptures and Saints 37 Gods preservation of soule and spirituall estate most gracious 38 39 Sermon 4. MErcie Peace and Love three most excellent gifts 40 How these three flow from the Trinity ibid. How mercy in God 41 A rule for Christian salutations ibid. Mercy fourefold ibid. Generall mercies bestowed on all ibid. Speciall mercies on the elect ibid. The long suffering of God 42 The greatest mercy concernes salvation ibid. Our election is of Mercy ibid. Gods abundant mercy in Christ 43 Mercy seven-fold ibid. All that wee have is of mercy ibid. Misericordia communis peccantium portus ibid. Peace three-fold 44 Peace the ornament of the Church and signe of Christs Kingdome ibid. God the Author of Peace 45 A commendation of peace ibid. Contention cause of destruction 46 Vnion makes powerfull ibid. True peace to bee sought and imbraced 47 Righteousnesse cause of peace ibid. Peace of Conscience passeth all understanding 48 Prosperity profiteth not without peace of Conscience ibid. The wicked have no peace 49 Christ dyed rose ascended to perfect our peace ibid. Peace is used for outward prosperitie 50 All priviledges spirituall and temporall belong to the godly ibid. Yet sometime God withholds outward blessings 51 Sermon 5. God loves the fountaine of mercy peace and all good things 52 Gods love is most abundant immeasurable immutable unspeakeable 53 How God is said to be love ibid. Love of man to man the most excellent vertue 54 No Love to man without the love of God 55 True love rare among men 56 That love which is truely Christian must be embraced all other abandoned 57 Not sufficient to have grace but there must be a desire of increase till we come to glory 58 Sermon 6. FAith the most necessarie and excellent vertue 61 Sonnes three-fold by Nature by Doctrine by Adoption or Inspiration 62 Faith set out by it's attributes that wee might labour for it 63 Many carelesse to get Faith or maintaine it ibid. Faith must bee maintained to the death 64 A foure-fold fight and flight of Ministers ibid. The zeale of Idolaters and Heretickes for false religion should make us to be zealous for Gods truth 65 Divers degrees of zeale ibid. God lookes to the truth of our zeale not the heate 66 God accepts according to that a man hath if in truth ibid. Love ought to bee shewed in all our instructions and reprehensions 67 What love required in Ministers to their people ibid. Wee must be zealous in the matter of Religion and industrious for our soules 68 Salvation ought to be our onely ayme to have it assured to our selves and propagated to others 69 Many more regard humane writings yea vaine pamphlets than Scriptures 70 All men ought to labour to get assurance of salvation 71 Salvation common in three respects ibid. As salvation is common so the Church Catholicke 72 Writing the most safe meanes to performe God truth ibid. Traditions bring errors to the Church 73 Exhortation powerfull urged in meekenesse 74 The Minister must exhort and the people suffer the Word of exhortation 75 Sermon 7. GOds truth must bee maintained 76 Faith the gift of God a fruit of the Spirit ibid. Divers acceptions of Faith 77 Divers excellent attributes of saving Faith ibid. Faith a worke of the Trinity 78 The meanes to beget Faith outwardly the Ministery of the Word inwardly the operation of the Spirit 79 True Faith in few in all ages ibid. True Religion most ancient and Scriptures before all other writings 80 As God is immutable so his truth and Religion ibid. Though types and shadowes vanish truth and
or Life or death Whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and yee are Christs and Christ 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Psal 112. 6 7. 9. Gods an elegant Climax or gradation For he riseth by steppes Such a like figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Obiter now that peace and plentie are so farre given unto the Church as is profitable for it and expedient for the setting out of Gods glory The Church sometime eateth ashes as bread and mingleth her drinke with weeping she is as a Pelicane in the wildernesse and like an Owle that is in the desart She is as a Sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house top and her enemies revile her all the day long Sometime she is eaten up like a Sheep and scattered among the Heathen she is sold for nought and made a rebuke Psal 44. 9. 11 12. rebuked of her neighbours laughed to scorne and derided of all Nay sometime she is smitten into the place of Dragons and covered with the shadow of death The Church is oftentimes more hurt by plentie than penurie according to the voice in Constantines dayes Hodie venenum effusum est in Ecclesiam this day is poison powred into the Hierom. Church The Church when it came to Christian Princes to be defended Major erat divitiis virtutibus minor Againe God putteth off her sackcloath and girdeth her with gladnesse He giveth her beauty for ashes and rich apparell instead of sackcloath Psal 30. 12. Esa 61. 3. as he seeth it expedient Non audit ad voluntatem ut audiat ad salutem THE FIFTH SERMON VERS II. And Love bee multiplied Gods love the cause of all good THe third and last blessing which the Apostle here prayeth for is Love which of some learned men is thought to bee the cause of Mercie and Peace For Mercy and Peace are the fruits of Love Love is the fountaine Mercie and Peace the water that floweth from the fountaine Love is as the mother Mercy and Peace as her daughters Love as the cause Mercy and Peace as the effects yea Love is the cause of al blessings as I may say the cause of it selfe yea Causa causarum the cause of causes or Causa causae the cause of the cause or Causa causati the cause of the thing caused God is mercifull because he loveth us and hee loveth us because hee loveth us Eligit quia diligit ideo diligit quia diligit thee hath chosen us because hee loveth us Aug. and therefore hee loveth us because hee loveth us No reason can bee rendred of the love of God but the love of God Let us not buzze too neere the candle with the flye Farsalla lest we burne Let us not soare too high with the Eagle lest wee melt let us not wade too deep with the Elephant lest we drown Let us not bee curious in these things It is enough that Moses setteth downe Love to bee the cause of all blessings So God turned Balaams curse into a blessing unto Israel The cause Moses affirmeth to bee Gods love saying Because the Lord thy God Deut. 23. 5. loved thee So Moses telleth Israel that God did set his Love upon them and did chuse them not because they were more in number than any people For they were the fewest of all people but Because hee loved them Iude here prayeth for it as a most excellent blessing without which all is nothing For as Deut. 7. 7 8. wee say In triviis Hee is poore whom God hateth so hee is rich and happy whom God loveth his favour is as the dew of the Gods love abundant unmeasurable immutable morning as the shadow in the heate and as an haven to them that are tossed as the Cities of refuge to them that are pursued In thy presence saith David is fulnesse of ioy That is where God loveth and favoureth there is perfect felicitie Iohn calleth all men to behold the love of God Behold what love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sonnes of God behold his love that hee calleth us his servants and behold a 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2 Cor. 6. Ephes 2. greater love in that hee calleth us his Sonnes and yet behold a greater love that he calleth us his heyres and coheyres with Christ and yet behold a greater love in an higher degree that he calleth us his Mother Brethren and Sisters but behold the greatest love of all that he calleth us his Spouse or Wife to note that he loveth us with all loves with the masters love as Abraham loved Eleazar with the friends love as David loved Ionathan with the Childes love as Ruth loved Naomi with the Gen. 15. 1 Sam. 16. Ruth 1. Gen 29. husbands love as Iacob loved Rachel What heart of stone is not moved with this love Nati sumus è silice nutriti lacte ferino This love of God is gratuitall free partly because it floweth from his grace and goodnesse and partly because he loveth not for his owne but for our good And it is unmeasurable therefore saith the Apostle Herein is love not that wee loved God but that hee 1 Iohn 4. 10. loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes greater love could not the Father shew than to send his Sonne out of his owne bosome and greater love could not the Sonne shew than to die for his enemies Yea this love of his it is immutable and constant For whom he loveth he loveth to the end hereupon the Apostle calleth God love God is love saith he and not only love for there are many properties and attributes in God as Truth Mercie Iustice Power Eternitie Novit omnia ut veritas tuetur ut salus Iohn 13. 1 Iohn 4. 16. sedat ut aequitas dominatur ut majestas operatur ut potentia manet ut aeternitas he knoweth all things as veritie defendeth all things as health and salvation appeaseth all things as equitie ruleth all things as Majestie worketh all things as omnipotencie and abideth and remaineth as eternitie God is not made of love only as wood of trees as a fountaine of water as a plaister of Balme but all these attributes are in the Lord equally But because God delighteth in love and he reposeth a great part of his glory in love therfore is he described by that attribute of Love by this attribute the Evangelist describeth him God so loved the Iohn 3. 16. Cap. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 18. World that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. And by this attribute the beloved disciple describeth him saying God is love and hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him By this attribute David describeth him As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that love him And againe The loving Psal 103. 13. 17. kindnesse of the
quenched once angry never pleased The Heathens We must love as God doth without desert were wont to say of themen of the primitive Church Ecce ut invicem se diligunt behold how they love one another they knew Christians by that badge but we may say quoth one Ecce Zaneh ut invicem se oderunt behold how they hate one another oppresse one another not Christians but Wolves Lions Leopards Divels nay worse for one Lion eateth not another and the Divels strive not amongst themselves but maintaine their kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another Let Scythians and Cannibals eat one another who Mat. 12. know not God nor good humanitie Let them bee without naturall affections but let us love one another and let the Apostle his precept be our practise Be of one minde one suffer with another 2 Tim. 3. 3. love as brethren bee pittifull bee courteous not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that yee are thereunto 1 Pet. 3. 8 9. called that yee should bee heires of blessing But yee will say such and such men deserve no kindnesse nor love at our hands I but see what Christ deserveth his eyes blinded his face smitten his hands nailed his feete pierced his heart thrust through with a speare how ought wee then to love one another Beloved saith the Apostle if God so loved us wee ought to love one another In no quality doe wee resemble God 1 Iohn 4. 11. more than in this Love God the Father is Love God the Son is Love God the holy Ghost is Love God the Father in Love gave his Sonne God the Sonne in Love gave himselfe God the Iohn 3. 16. cap. 10. 16. holy Ghost in Love applyeth all this unto us Charitas Dei diffusa in corda nostra per spiritum But note here what love Iude praying for a true Christian love framed by knowledge for among theeves murderers Drunkards ther is a kind of Love First therefore the love of Atheists is condemned which come from profit or from pleasure which love men as the dog doth the bone but this love proceedeth not Excorde puro from a pure heart therefore to be condemned Secondly the love of Gamesters Drunkards and Pot-companions is here condemned For to glosse play eate drinke game bee no good workes therefore this is not to love wee call it good fellowship but such good fellowes will go to the good fellow the Divell if they repent not Thirdly all carnall love is here condemned For love in man may bee a vice aswell as a grace it is a vice when it is set upon a wrong object or is disordered and that three wayes First when wee love things unlawfull as sinne Secondly when wee love things lawfull but too much as the world Thirdly when love is turned into lust and so it is the mother of fornication adultery incest and such like But if wee will have our love a grace it must be a Christian Our love must be truly Christian Graces must be dayly increased love we must love one another in the Lord for the Lord this love is the badge of Christs disciples By this shall all men know that you are my disciples indeed if yee love one another as I have loved you To this S. Peter exhorteth Above all things have fervent love among your selves for love shall cover a multitude of sinnes Non expiando non veniam Iohn 13. 1 Pet. 4. promerendo sed fraternè condonando non vindicando non diffamando not by purging or satisfying for sinnes not by deserving pardon and binding God to forgive sinnes but by brotherly forgiving trespasses not revenging our selves not defaming others Here also is condemned the love of Papists In cathedra unitatis Deus posuit doctrinam veritatis In the chaire of unity God hath put the doctrine of verity they agree as the false Prophets did not in the Lord but against the Lord they make adoe of their councell of Trident and how they agree in all meetings Alas a few buckrome Bishops of Italy conspired together but thirtie eight Bishops in all not like the councell of Nice where were three hundred and eighteene or of Arimine where were sixe hundred Bishops Nor like the Councell of Constance where were foure Patriarks twenty nine Cardinals two hundred threescore and ten Bishops forty seven Archbishops five hundred threescore and foure Abbots and Doctors at the deposing of Benedict the third But let our love bee as it should bee Christian love Let us love as brethren and then the God of Love and Peace shall bee with us and so much for this love that Saint Iude prayeth for But before I shut up this heavenly doctrine note that the Apostle wisheth an increase of Mercy Peace and Love he would have these things to be multiplyed Mercy Peace and Love be multiplied unto you in that he wisheth a multiplication of these Graces he sheweth that there is no perfection of vertues in this life for there is a double grace of God A Restraining and A Receiving Grace The one to keepe us from sinne the other to increase all vertues in us for in all vertues wee creepe like Snayles wee glide like Wormes wee goe like the Messenger of evill newes but in all vices wee runne like Hazael or the Roe of the field we flie like Doves wee grow like the Lily in a night Paul therefore exclaimed The Law is Spiritual but I Carnall sold under sinne for Rom. 7. 14 15. I allow not that which I doe for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. Whereupon Saint Augustine saith Impii volunt valent peccare pii volunt sed non valent benè agere quia nequiunt quod desiderant the wicked are willing and able to sinne the August godly are willing but not able to doe well because they cannot doe that which they desire to doe This made this holy Father Never perfect till wee come to Glory to pray Domine dominetur carni anima animae ratio rationi gratia c. Lord let the Soule rule the Flesh Reason the Soule Grace Reason subdue me to thy will inwardly outwardly sharpen my tongue more and more to sound forth thy praises illuminate my mind more and more to see thee inlarge my heart more and more to beleeve in thee c. For we comprehend not the Mercy Peace and Love of God in any measure Beatitude nostra tribus gradibus perficitur in hac vita per spem fidem quotidie crescentem post hanc vitam cum anima Dei praesentia fruetur post extremum judicium cum anima corpore glorificabimur Our happinesse is perfected in three degrees in this life by Faith and Hope increasing and growing daily after this life when the Soule shall enjoy the presence of God after the last Iudgement when as in Body and
us unto an holy calling Not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Iesus before the World was It is true of all men that Christ said of his disciples non vos me elegistis yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you yea God so preventeth us with his grace that hee findeth nothing past or to come whereby God chose us and bee reconciled unto us For who hath given unto him first that is provoked him by his good workes A lively example wee have in these two brethren Esau and Iacob both twinnes both inclosed in one wombe yet hee rejected the one and chose the other Non ex operibus not by workes but by him that calleth Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. sua non merita nostra God crowneth his gifts not our merits Cui daret justus judex coronâ—â—â— nisi cui dedisset pater misericors indebitam gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the crowne but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeserved Grace And he addeth Ne dicas ideo electus sum quia credebam Aug. tract 86. in Iob. si enim credebas jam cum elegeras non ipse te sic judicium esset penos lutum non penes figulum Doe not say I am elected because I did beleeve for if thou diddest beleeve thou haddest now chosen him and not hee thee and so the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay and not of the potter But heare what Christ saith Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you I say therefore with Saint Ambrose Iustitia nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quam perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse consisteth more in the remission of our sinnes than in the perfection of our vertues Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose Psal 32. 1 2. sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne One Father saith thus when wee were not God made us when wee were sinners hee Iustified us when we were in prison hee freed us when wee were mortall hee glorified us Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father saith God by his Wisedome hath foreknowne us by his Gospell hee calleth us by his Faith hee justifieth us by his Iustice hee damneth us by his Grace he saveth us So that all is of his meere goodnesse and no cause to expostulate with God His Iudgements are just but yet secret Secret things saith Deut. 29. 29. Moses belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto Five signes of Election two internall us But if the Heavens declare the glory of God let us speake to his glory Secreta Dei sunt adoranda non scrutanda Secret things are to bee adored not searched It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony so to search their owne glory is not glory It is reported of Augustine that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity hee was taught by a childe who laded the Sea into a little spoone to whom Augustine said that hee laboured in vaine for his little spoone could not containe the Sea To whom the child replied that his little Wisedome his shallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity But you will say how shall wee know our election that wee may bee comforted against all the assaults of Satan that wee may say with the sweet singer of Israel Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art Psal 23. with mee thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee And with Paul I 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. 8 have fought a good fight I have kept the Faith I have finished my course from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory which the Lord will give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto all them also that love his appearing I answere that no man can bee deceived in the state of his election but hee that deceiveth himselfe for wee may know whether wee stand in the state of Grace or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Isagog five signes of election As the comming of the Swallow is a signe of the Spring as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a signe of Summer as the whitenesse of the region is a signe of Harvest So there bee many undoubted signes of our election 1 The first is the inward testimony of Gods Spirit the seale and earnest-penny of our Salvation For it is God that hath Sealed us and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts The Apostle compareth the Word to a writing the Spirit to a seale that ratifieth all Clamat in nobis Abba the same Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the children of God And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And if God be our Father how can wee doubt of our inheritance If wee aske Fish he will not give us a Serpent If Heaven he will not give us Hell 2 The second signe is our faith which is knowne by the effects as the Eagle by her feathers as the tree of Life by the fruits of it Thus Paul bade the Corinths try their faith Prove your selves whether yee are in the Faith examine your selves c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit salvabitur he that beleeveth shall bee saved and this faith may be knowne to us if wee will search our selves Christ asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery where her accusers were So aske thy heart where thy sinnes are and if thou doest beleeve it will say with the woman that they are all gone Qui enim credit transit Three externall signes of Election a morte ad vitam Hee that beleeveth in him is passed from death to life for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World And this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death Hell Hunger Cold Nakednesse Perill Sword and concludeth That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Power nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature Rom. 8. 38 39. shall bee able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The third signe is the conformity of our will to Gods will to love that which God loveth and to hate that which God hateth therefore wee pray that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven He that doth the will of God shall abide Mat. 6. for ever
contemner of the Word hath an evill and an uncircumcised eare the slanderer hath an evill a railing tongue the covetous man hath a devouring throat like a sepulchre the murtherer hath a bloudy hand the glutton hath an evill bellie the voluptuous man hath an evill a vaine foot like Hazael who ran like a wilde Roe the adulterer hath an evill a whorish uncleane heart but the envious man hath a Divellish eye But such eares shall have no mercy such tongues shall burne in Hell such throats shall be filled with gravell such hands shall wyther as did Ieroboams such eyes shall be darkened The Divell is the Father of envy hee envied Gods glory at the first and he envieth mans felicitie at the last Hemmingius divideth all affections into Corporall and Animall The poyson of envy make the heart unfit for grace The Mother of all corporall affections is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of a mans selfe now Primogenita her first borne daughter is Superbia pride her second daughter is Invidia Envy her third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covetousnesse all come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which now reigneth in the world and like another Alexander hath conquered the same for men are lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud c. As Demosthenes being asked what was the first part of an orator what the second what the third Answered Action so if you aske me what is the first the second the third part of a vile man I must say Envy What is the cause of quarrels What raiseth slanders What multiplyeth suits Envy Invidia est arcus diaboli Envy is the bow of the divell detraction is the arrow she shooteth out of this bow envy is a fire raked up in the heart detraction is as the flame Wee all complaine of envy and say Anger is cruell wrath is raging but who can stand before envy and yet we are as Caine envious A mad dogge infuseth his venome into him whom he biteth so doth envy by the tongue it is the string and pulse of the soule we marvell why men are so vile why they are tainted with a mad dogge and what wisdome is in them If ye have bitter enoiing and strife in your hearts rejoyce not for this wisdome doth not descend Iam. 3. 14. from above but is earthly sensuall and divellish saith the Apostle Chrysostome exclaimeth against this envy thus O invidia pessima fera per te mors intravit in mundum tu occidisti Abelem vendidisti Gen. 3. Iosephum in Aegyptum fugasti Davidem decollasti Babtistam crucifixisti Christum O envy the worst of all wild beasts through thee death entred into the world thou hast killed Abel sold Ioseph into Aegypt persecuted David beheaded the Baptist and crucified Christ All mischiefes flow from envy as all light from the Sun and all water from the Sea Envy is a worke of the flesh a note of a Reprobate Envy blindeth a man Vt proximi bona videre non possit that he canot see his neighbours Gal. 5. Rom. 1. good for envy is like unto sore eyes that are offended at the light Envy overthroweth all love and charity amongst men for love envieth not 1 Cor. 13. Envy is contrary to God and all proceedings for God is so good a God that he can draw good out of evill but the envious they are so evill and mischievous that they can draw evill out of good But you give us but the hearing of this and God will one day give you but the hearing also you shall cry but he will not regard The envious man is his own tormentor you I speake boldly for that the cause is Gods for the manner it may exceed but for the matter I crave no pardon I have as good right to speake it as the Lord Chancellour hath to Zach. 7. carry the broad Seale of England kill this Cockatrice therefore in the egge before it be a serpent kill it in the heart before it breake out into action For even the wicked are not to be envied so saith the Psalmist Fret not thy selfe because of the wicked neither be thou envious for Psal 37. 1. the evill doers Leave him to God pray for him we must be like fishes which live in the salt Sea and yet are fresh so wee in an uncharitable world and yet be charitable though we be reviled yet we blesse though persecuted yet we suffer though evill 1 Cor. 4. 12 13. spoken of yet we pray though envyed and maliced yet we love And yet further observe with me that though envy is a most mischievous sin and is the cause of all the uprores of the world yet it is a thing of that nature that it indamageth and hurteth him most that hath it For this cause envy is compared to fire to a moth to a Bee for as the fire consumeth the matter that nourisheth it and the moth the garment thar breedeth it So doth envy him that envieth Invidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis The man whom envy doth possesse Doth pine at others wealth and good successe He thinketh his Neighbours Oxe fatter than his his neighbours pasture greener than his his Neighbours Corne better than his his Neighbours building stronger and gayer than his And as a Bee stinging a man loseth her sting and never can make hony after So the envious man loseth his labour and the grace of God Envy is to him that envieth as the rust to the iron as the Viper that eateth out the belly of her damme The envious man is as Sysiphus who rolling up a stone it reboundeth on him with a greater force Envy tormenteth the mind it wasteth the body it fretteth the heart it shortneth our daies and damneth our soules it setteth a man awork to backbite slander his Neighbour and to deny him all duties of humanity So then envy hatred and backbiting alwayes goe together as three cankers and evill sores that consume the body hurt the good name lessen the gifts and repine at the good of our brethren Basill compares envious men to Ravens that flye over sweet Gardens and at last seize upon a Carrion He likeneth them to Flies who passe over sound flesh and light upon a sore a galled place so the envious passe over all the rare graces that be in men but Cain prophane and grudgeth at Gods Sacrifice if there be any imperfection in them that they blaze abroad and cover it not they doe not with Sem and Iaphet spread a garment over their Fathers nakednesse I confesse that there is as little good to bee done on these men as most sinners for as a Gen. 9. Smith cannot worke but on hot Yron so a preacher can doe but little good but in a charitable minde Plutarch to teach men to hate envy calleth it sorcery because that through the poyson thereof it doth not onely fil the envious body with a naughty and hurtfull disposition
will not rectified Deest enim intellectus voluntatis consiliariâ—s for understanding is wanting which is the Counseller of the soule The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 14. unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned at spiritus non natura sed gratia the spirit is not of nature but of grace So said Christ of the whole world O righteous Father Iohn 17. 25. the World hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these have knowne c. therefore hee prayed for his Apostles and in them for us all I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou keepe them from evill And againe Sanctifie them Iohn 17. 15 17. with thy truth by nature wee are the children of wrath by grace we are Gods adopted Sonnes Hereupon saith the Apostle In times past we walked according to the course of the World and after the spirit that ruleth in the Ayre and that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whome also wee had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde Ephes 2. 3 4 5. and were by nature the children of Wrath nor by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith he loved us when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace we are saved There are but two things in us either nature or grace either flesh or spirit Now in the state of nature al are accursed in the state of grace we are blessed For by grace wee beleeve and faith Act. 18. 27. Iohn 1. 12 13. maketh us the sonnes of God for as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the No true good in us by nature till regenerate will of man but of God Where he distinguisheth of two births the one naturall and the other spirituall a birth from men a birth from God a generation by nature a regeneration by the Spirit as he doth againe to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter the Kingdome of God and againe Yee Cap. 3. 5 6. Psal 2. 7. must be borne againe there is no naturall Sonne of God but the Lord Iesus we are all the adopted Sonnes of God in Christ and by Christ by his meanes we are raised up together and made to sit together Ephes 2. 6. Rom. 8. 17. in Heavenly places For saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires even the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ c. we bring nothing from our mothers wombe but death and damnation every one must say with David I was shapen in wickednes Psal 51. 5. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse What Iob 14. 4. can be had from the egge of a Cockatrice but a Serpent From a spider but venome from the Taxus tree in India but poyson from the bitter poole Exanthus but bitter water Wee have not Math. 7. Lambes from Woolves no grapes from thornes nor figges from thistles Well said the Schooleman Quòd dona naturalia in Adamo sunt corrupta supernaturalia ablata ille ut radix nos ut rami radix est venenata ergo rami Our naturall gifts in Adam were corrupt our supernaturall taken away he as the roote we as the boughes the root is poisoned therefore the boughes like the waters of Mara untill Moses put in the sweet wood untill God Exod. 17. infuse grace for by grace we are saved and where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned unto death so Ephes 2. 8. Rom. 5. 20 21. might grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life The Pelagians held that sinne came by imitation not by propagation but Paul confuteth them saying As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as Rom. 5. 12. all men have sinned c. These men quoth Iude walke as Naturall men that is in all sinne and vanity as is said of the Gentiles That they walked in the vanity of their minde having their cogitations darkened being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts So Paul reasoned with the Corinths Are yee not carnall For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions 1 Cor. 3. 3. are yee not carnall and walke as men even so reason wee with you When malice envy rancour whoredome covetousnesse pride raigneth among us are wee not naturall men For God would cut downe these sinnes as a sickle If yee live after the flesh yee shal dye but if yee through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. yee shall live Yea many naturall men goe before us in brideling their lusts and affections Aristides being by the unjust Law of Ostracisme in Athens banished and being asked what hee would to Athens answered Se nihil velle quin tantam rerum prosperitatem ut illis nunquam in mentem veniat Aristides hee desired nothing We should strive to exceed naturall men but so much prosperity to Athens as that they might never remember Aristides The like is said of Phocion condemned to drink hemlocke the juce whereof through extreme cold is poison Being asked what he would unto his Sons said Nothing sed ne hujus unquam iniuriae velint meminisse but that they should never remeÌ„ber this injury Socrates by Philosophie brideled whoredome in himselfe and Telamon by it bare the death of his sonne patiently saying Sciebam me genuisse mortalem I did know that I begat a mortall man I take no pleasure in these prophane examples save only to ashame us as Paul did the Athenians by Aratus and the Cretians by Epimenides and the Corinths by Menander Let our righteousnesse exceed theirs else there is no roome for us in Gods Kingdome our life must have all vertues in it such a life led the Christians they could be touched with no open crime or notorious fault but that they sung Psalmes to Iesus before day as Plinius secundus writeth of them to the Emperour our Saviour Christ told his disciples that their justice must exceed the justice Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises and so must wee tell all Christians that they must exceed Turkes and Pagans or else they shall never see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liuing yet it is reported
that their truth in their dealings their religion in swearing their zeale in serving their false gods far exceeds ours But let us shake off every thing that presseth downe and the sin that hangeth on so fast and strive to exceed them I must confesse that the best men have their faults they have their lusts the best oke hath sap the best gold hath his drosse the best oyle his some and the best tree his barke but yet there is a difference betweene an Oake that hath some sap and some heart withall and that which is all sap betwixt smoking flaxe that never flameth and Iuniper coales which smoke and yet burne also betwixt men that are sicke and men that are dead betwixt them that have some faults and them that yeeld to all faults The wicked man mocketh at judgement the mouth of the wicked swalloweth up iniquity There is difference betweene eating and swallowing Prov. 19. 28. such a distinction the Apostle maketh Neverthelesse though we walke in the flesh yet we warre not after the flesh though we 2 Cor. 10. 3. fall we doe not lye by it like the Elephant habitat peccatum sed non regnat sinne dwelleth in us but it raigneth not bellat sed non Rom. 6. 12. debellat it warres but it winnes not all are sicke in sinne but all are not dead in sinne all live in the flesh but sowe not to the Ephes 2. 1. Gal. 6. 8. flesh we all hold out our profession in many infirmities Who can say My heart is cleane There is a difference between blasted trees Prov. 20. and barren trees And yet S. Iude condemneth not nature utterly as though there were no goodnesse in it for many excellent things are done by the light and instinct of nature though not availeable to salvation For as the heate of the Sunne is not ever there where the light is as under the North pole so the sanctification Naturall men were generally illuminated though not sanctified of the Spirit is not ever where the illumination is Naturall men are illuminated but not sanctified by the Spirit Hence it commeth that they have found out many arts and sciences and have spoken rarely yea above Christians Emere vendere instituit Bacchus Bacchus taught men to buy and sell Ceres to sow Corne when as before men were fed with acornes the Assyrians found out letters for before that time men could neither write nor read Eurialus and Hiperbius taught men to build houses whereas before they lodged in the dennes caves of the earth Socrates called philosophy from heaven and placed it in Cities for before that time men wandred up and downe in the wildernesse after the manner of beasts Cecrops taught men to build townes for before men lived disjoined and severed one from another the Aegyptians found out weaving for before men went naked Ericthonius of Athens found out silver for before there was nothing but chopping and changing Aesculapius invented physicke for before men died suddenly of many diseases yea the very beasts by nature excell many men the Elephant seemeth to understand the mother tongue and to have a kind of religion to adore the Sunne-rising a kind of humanity as to reduce the wanderer a kind of obedience as to know the Prince the very Lion is gentle to that beast that humbleth himselfe he is gentler to women then men and praieth not on an infant except in great extremity of hunger he killeth the Lionesse having had copulation with the Leopard Sabinus his dog held up the dead corps of his Master in Tyber and Bucephalus ate no meate after the death of Alexander These things are not found in al men Oh brethren we walke as naturall men as carnall worldly fleshly men voide of Gods Spirit therefore the Scripture compareth good men spirituall men to pearles and precious stones to signify tantam esse horum raritatem quanta est gemmarum that there is as great a rarity and scarcenesse of them as of precious stones and that as common stones exceed in number precious stones so naturall men exceed spirituall men Salomon saith Stultorum numerum Eccles 1. 4. esse infinitum The number of fooles to bee numberlesse and Paul faith All seeke their owne and not that which appertaines to the Lord Iesus none understandeth from the least of them to the Phil. 3. 11. greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priest all deale falsely and as the Prophet speaketh Mens hands are defiled with bloud and their fingers Ier. 6. 12. Esay 59. 3 4 5. with iniquity their lippes speake lies and their tongues murmure forth iniquity no man calleth for Iustice no man contendeth for truth they trust in vanity and speake vaine things they conceive mischiefe and bring forth iniquity they hatch Cockatrice egges and weave the spiders webbe hee that eateth of their egges dieth and that which is troden upon breaketh out into a Serpent The Law of God is called Deut. 5. 33. the way of our life men are willed to walke in all the wayes that Love makes al things easy God hath commanded them that they may live habet haec via duo in sese difficultatem suavitatē saith one in this way there be two things hardnesse and sweetnesse hardnesse by reason of our nature and sweetnesse by reason of grace that which is hard by nature is sweetned by grace hereupon Christ saith that his yoke Mat. 11. is sweet eò quòd jugum est grave est in that it is a yoke it is grievous but sweet by reason of grace for as the bush burned with fire and was not consumed with fire because God was in the bush so our heavy yoke is made light because the Lord is in it who helpeth Exod. 30. us with his grace to beare it For grace stirreth up the love of God in our hearts which maketh the yoke of his commandements easy For nothing is grievous unto love love swalloweth all difficulties Why doe hunters fowlers fishers take such intolerable paines It is because they love the sport pernoctant venatores in nive hunters doe watch all the night in the snow such is their love to their game What maketh the mother to watch many nights to give the child sucke with great paine to take such toile in the washing keeping attending and in the education of it but love Can a mother forget her child She cannot The Esay 49. 15. interrogation implieth a negation What meane the beasts and fowles to spare meate from their owne mouthes and to put it into the mouth of their young What maketh the Pelicane to feed her yong birds with her blood but love So the love of God maketh the precepts of God seeme easy to us Non est arduum orare legere meditare jejunare It is no hard matter for us to pray to read to meditate to fast because the
another Nay one man is a Woolfe unto another Nay one man is a Divell unto another we are not now Christians but Woolves Leopards Lions Divels Nay worse for one Lion eateth not another and the divels strive not among themselves but maintaine one anothers kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another Let Scythians and Canibals eate one another who know not God nor good humanity but are without all naturall affection But let us love as brethren bee pittifull be courteous not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that wee are thereunto called that wee should bee heires of blessing and if enemies will not be pacified recommend the cause to God till wee meete in Heaven where all injury shall be forgotten and in the meane while I beseech you as Saint Paul did the Saints of Corinth I beseech you I say by the name of our Lord 1 Cor. 1. 10. Iesus Christ that yee all speake one thing and that there bee no discension among you but that yee bee knit together in one minde and in one judgement and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever Phil. 4. 8. things pertaine to love c. thinke on these things and the God of Love and Peace shall bee with you and the Lord increase your love and make 1 Thess 3. 12. it abound more and more one towards another Christs commandement is all love his Spouse is all loving and Iohn will preach nothing but love and wee must follow after love and above all have fervent love among our selves for that shall cover a multitude of sinnes But marke that the love whereunto Saint Iude exhorteth is called the love of God and keep your selves in the love of God so that not all love is commended but such love onely As is Holy Iust True Constant For first our love must bee Holy love it is for God and not against God under God and not above God for hee loves not God that loves not his neighbour with God whom hee loves not for God and hee that loves his neighbour more than God is unworthy of God and makes his neighbour to be his God Secondly Our love must bee just wee must not love one another in evill but in good and for good Pacem cum hominibus bellum cum vitijs wee must have peace with men warre with their vices We must love their persons but hate their manners if they Foure properties of the Love of God be evill Thirdly our love must bee true Love Wee 〈…〉 and in tongue but in worke and in truth Nemo potest 〈…〉 â—â—â—hn 3. 18. hominis nist primitus fuerit amicus ipsius veritatis 〈…〉 August be a true lover of man unlesse first he be a lover of th◠〈…〉 must love one another not for their riches honours greatnesse but for themselves their good must bee sought not their goods Weâ— must not love one another as dogges doe bones for the flesh that is on them or as men doe trees for their fruit but wee must love them for themselves for this that they are men but especially for that they are vertuous and good men Lastly our love one towards another must bee constant with some friends are like flowers no longer regarded then whiles they are fresh Many mens love is like the harlots love who love while there is lucre and when gifts goe hence their love goes hence they are like the puttocks in the fable that followed the old wife bearing tripes to the market but forsooke her home-ward when her tripes were sold En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis c. A man shall be loved in prosperity but in adversity as rats forsake an house when it is ready to fall and as lice forsake a mans head when he is dying so his lovers and his friends will forsake him Thus our love should be holy just true constant this is true Christian love wherein men should keep themselves For among murtherers theeves and drunkards there is a kind of love but not the Love that Iude would here to bee among us First therefore the love of Atheists is condemned which comes from profit or from pleasure It is not Charitas ex corde puro Love out of a pure heart Love and good works must goe together 1 Tim. 1. 5. to gloze eate play drinke game bee no good workes therefore this is not love wee call it good fellowship but such good fellowes will goe to the good-fellow the Divell if they repent not For if wee sinne willingly after that wee have received the Hebr. 10. 26 27. knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for judgement There is a carnall love but ours must bee a spirituall love such as was among the Colossians of whose Col. 1. 8. love Paul speaketh Who hath also certified us of your love which yee have by the Spirit There is a worldly love and there is an heavenly Love and knowledge giveth life to this love without it Love is as a dead picture Lovers glorious the name is honorable the praise of it is from the rising of the Sunne unto the going downe of the Sunne One saith that love is like hony in bitter broth and sugar in sowre wine it is like unto the Sun unto the world a candle unto the house a light for our journey a line for our life and a rule for our reprehensions Si diligis fac quicquid vis If Calvin in Iohn Aug. thou beest in love doe what thou wilt speake or bee silent exhort or rebuke call or cry so it bee in love all is well Yet it must be a godly love an holy charity but it is impossible to have it with all some are so wicked If thou canst have Most love for lucre sake the favour and love of men with the favour and Love of God take it it is precious but if thou canst not have the favour and Psal 133. 1. love of men but with the disfavour and dislike of God let it go For certenly The amity of the World is enmity with God Wee must Iam. 4. 4. love men in the Lord God for himselfe man for God Diligendus est Deus propter se homo propter Deum I may compare the love of Atheists to the agreement that is among a kennell of hounds who sleep together play together hunt merrily together but if a man hurle a bone they grinne snatch and bite one another So Atheists agree together till some matter come of private gaine but then there is grinning biting fighting one with another for the best of them is as a brier and Mich. 7. 4. the most righteous of them is sharper then a thorne hedge for from the least of them to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and Ier.
as hee is righteous yea perfect as hee is perfect For wee must bee followers of God as deare children and walke in Love as he loved Ephes 6. us So much for Gods Love towards us And now to speake of our love to God and that the love whereby wee love God is a worke of Gods Love whereby hee loves man Causa diligendi Deum Deus est modus sine modo The Bern cause that wee love God is God himselfe the measure without measure And Saint Iohn saith We loved him because hee loved us first For our love springs out of his as the rivers from the Sea 1 Iohn 4. 19. his Love drawing our hearts to him as the Loadstone doth iron to it or as the Sardius doth wood our love answering to his Love as an Eccho to a mans voice and as one candle doth light another so the consideration of his Love to us doth cause a reflexion of our love to him And there bee many reasons to move us to keep our selves in the Love of God The first is his Commandement Thou shalt Deut. 6. 5. Deut. 10. 12. love the Lord thy God And againe What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare and love him This our Saviour calleth The great Commandement The Commander is great the Object is great the use of the duty is great and their reward is great that take care to doe it and though there were no other reason to move us to love God but his bare Commandement yet were that reason strong enough to bind us the power of a King the authority of a Father the place of a master requireth obedience of a subject child and servant but God is our King our Father and Master and therefore his bare command is sufficient to bind us to love We must love God because he commands it and equity requires it him A second reason to move us to keep our selves in the Love of God is in regard of equity For seeing Almighty God doth love us it is a matter of equity that wee should requite love with love againe For though wee cannot love him as wee ought and as hee loveth us yet must wee love for ours is an ascending his a descending love and love descending is more naturall more fervent and vehement than love ascending as wee see in parents who love their children better then their children love them besides God loved us when wee were his enemies Ephes 2. Aug. Durus est animus qui si dilectionem nolebat impendere nolet rependere His heart is oke not flesh but flint that though hee will not beginne to love yet finding love will shew no love God doth love us out of his Love hee sent his Sonne his onely Sonne the Sonne of his Love into the world to save us hee giveth for us the earely and latter raine and reserveth Ier. 5. for us the appointed weekes of harvest yeerely Hee anointeth our head with oyle and our cuppe runneth over wee should bee Psal 23. 5. very unjust and injurious unto our selves if wee will not love him For all things worke for the best to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. Thirdly Commodity should move us to keepe our selves in the Love of God For first by this Love our faith produceth those good duties which wee owe unto God For faith is as one hand receiving love as the other giving For Faith worketh by Gal. 5. 6. Love And as Augustine saith Our life and all our conversation is named of our love Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores which being good or bad make our manners to bee thereafter such as our love is such is our life an holy Love an holy life an earthly love an earthly life if a mans love bee set on God his life must needs bee good and though this bee certaine That a man is justified by Faith yet this is as certaine that the life of a man is justified by love Rom. 3. Againe by the Love of God wee may know in what estate wee are in Saint Augustine saith Duas Civitates duo faciunt amores Aug. in Psal 64. Hierusalem facit amor Dei Babyloniam amor saeculi Interroget ergo se quisque quid amat inveniet unde sit Civis Two loves make two Citties the Love of God maketh Ierusalem the love of the world Babylon therefore let every man but examine himselfe what hee loves and hee shall see in what estate hee is and to what City hee belongs As a man by looking upon a diall may know the motion of the Sunne in heaven so by looking upon the thing hee loveth hee may know in what estate hee standeth whether hee belong to Babylon or Ierusalem to Hell or Heaven to God or the Divell Againe the Love of God ingenders in us the love of the We must love God because duty requires it godly for God for as hee that loves the Father cannot but love his children and as hee that loves his friend will not misvse his picture so hee that truly loves God will love Gods children which are the lively pictures of God this love is comfortable because it assureth us that wee are Christs disciples and by this wee know that wee are translated from death to Ioh. 13. 1 Iohn 3. 14. life Againe from the Love of God ariseth much grace and goodnesse as much water from one spring Non habet viriditatem ramus boni operis nisi manserit in radice charitatis Good works wither except they bee nourished by this Love As the love of mony is the root and nourisher of all evill so the Love of God is the mother and nurse of all good of all pious offices to God and Christian duties to man To conclude this point the Love of God is as strong as death for as death doth kill the body so our love to God doth mortify our love to the world and dispels rancour wrath malice and as the rising of the Sunne doth chase away the darkenesse of the night so the Love of God doth drive away the inordinate love of worldly vanities and thus yee see the utility of the Love of God 4. Wee ought to keep our selves in the Love of God because hee is our gtacious Father and of his owne good will begate he us through the Word of truth Now if a child must love his father Iam. 1. 18. of whom hee hath received a part of his body how much more ought wee to love God qui animam suam infundendo creavit creando infudit of whom hee hath received his soule and unto whose goodnesse hee stands obliged both for soule and body Hereupon saith Iob Thine hands have made mee and fashioned mee Iob 10. 8 11 11. wholly round about thou hast cloathed mee with skinne and flesh and joined mee with bones and sinewes Thou hast given mee
life and grace and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit For these causes ought wee to keep our selves in the Love of God These among many are reasons most sorcible to keep our selves in the Love of God How our God is to bee loved our Saviour sheweth Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind But first wee must love Mat. 22 37. him with all our heart that is with all our affections joying and delighting in none but in him For he loves not God that delights in any thing more than God as Augustine saith truly Minus te amat qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat He loves thee not who loves any thing with thee which he loves Aug. not for thee 2. Wee must love him with all our soule induring rather a separation of the soule from the body than that our soule should bee separated from God who is the Soule of the soule and the comsort both of soule and body How we are to love God 3. Wee must love him with all our mind so that our cogitations must bee fixed upon him and ruled by him his Word should direct our reason our reason rule our wills that so wee may say with the Apostle wee live not but God doth live within us Our chiefest care should bee how to performe this duty to God how to love him as the Church said I am full of love I am sicke of love All owe this duty to God but few pay it or if they Cant. 5. 8. doe it is with crackt money not currant in Gods Exchequer for our love to God is cold yea plaine dead and that appeareth in the breach of the first Table wee are bankrupts both in piety towards God and charity towards men we love the world and our pleasures more than God wee worshippe not God in Spirit and in truth wee sweare and blaspheme the name of God wee prophane and pollute the Sabbaths of God wee come seldome to the house of God how can wee say that we love God The Love of God standeth in the keeping of his Commandements So saith our Saviour Hee that hath my Commandements Iohn 14. 21 23 24. and keepeth them is he that loves mee And againe If any man love me hee will keep my Word and my Father will love him and wee will come unto him and dwell with him And againe Hee that loveth mee not keepeth not my words c. Hee speaketh positively and privatively The blessed and undivided Trinity will dwell with that man who loveth God truely but till wee serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse till wee pray diligently heare his Word attentively receive the Sacraments penitently keepe the Sabbaths religiously use his name reverently let us be ashamed to say that wee love God Nam Regnum Dei non est in verbis 1 Cor. 4. 20. sed in virtute The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power Many Christians are mutilated and lame either they want an eare and cannot heare God or they want a tongue and cannot praise God or they want an heart and cannot love God These Atheists are a disgrace to Religion a Moth in the garment of the Church Monsters in nature Divels in shape of men as Christ said of Iudas hollow trees not holy trees these men are reprived till the last Sessions a gibbet is built in hell for them and all the gold in the world cannot purchase their pardon this is durus sermo sed verus sermo an hard saying but a true saying Wee talke of the love of men and say Charity is waxed cold but as touching the Love of God there is altum silentium not a word wee are like unslaked lime hot in the water cold in the Sunne as the stone of Thracia which burneth in the river but is quenched with hot oyle wee are pennie-wise and pound-foolish like the Pharises which did tithe Mint and Rew and all manner Luk. 11. 42. of hearbes and passed over judgement and the Love of God And yet if we loved God an ell where wee love him an inch it were but due debt O it is a most honorable thing to bee a lover of God! it was one of Abrahams greatest titles of honour to bee called the friend The hope of eternall life makes Gods precepts seeme easy of God it is a most blessed thing to bee a lover of God They that love the Lord shall be as the Sunne that riseth in his strength And it is a most miserable thing not to love God for Maranatha Anathema to them that love not the Lord Iesus Therefore as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would guide their hearts in his Love and this Iudg. 5. 31. 1 Cor. 16. ought to bee thy prayer and my prayer and all our prayers that God would guide our hearts in his Love And God guide our hearts in his Love evermore THE FOVRE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXI Looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall Life The hope of eternall life makes Gods precepts seem easie YEE have heard before that Iude gave the Saints many precepts now to mitigate the rigour of those precepts hee biddeth them looke for eternall life as if hee should say If it bee grievous to remember the words of the Lord to heare it to get faith to pray to keep themselves in the Love of God if nature if flesh and bloud wil hardly take out these lessons yet comfort your selves with the hope of eternall life there will bee an end of all troubles Salomon hath told you this long agoe saying Surely there is an end and thy hope shall not bee cut off Prov. 23. 18. all teares shall bee wiped from your eyes and yee shall bee filled with perfect joy after this iron world there is a golden world Esa 25. 8. there is a better life prepared for them in Gods house there are many dwellings as Christ said In my Fathers house there bee many mansions the time of refreshing will come as Peter said Act. Iohn 14. 1. 3. 19. And this is all joy and there is no joy but this I will give you Luk. 10. 19 20. power saith our Saviour to his disciples to treade on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you Neverthelesse in this rejoice not but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven Let not the rich man rejoice in his riches nor the Hope of reward makes all labours light wiseman in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength as Ieremy speaketh but let us rejoice that our names are written in heaven Shal the souldier in the wars the mariner in the boistrous Ier. 9. waves the husbandman in the cloddy lands the prentice in a hard service undergoe great paines in hope and shal not we For what
staves end of God for wages it is Death not Life Hell not Heaven Paines not joyes For the wages of sinne is death that Rom. 6. 23. which God doth for us is a gift not a stipend It is hee that must give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified So Christ said Act. 20. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Gift is free gift and Luk. 12. 32. desert they are as opposite as the Tropickes and cannot stand together wee have not chosen Christ but he hath chosen us hee Iohn 15. 18. gave the occasion not we it is mercy not merit grace not nature favour not debt that wee must challenge For by grace are wee saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of Ephes 2. 8 9. God not of Works lest any man should boast himselfe so said Marie His mercy is on them that feare him yet our feare is defective wee can Luk 1. 50. claime nothing but mercy the Canaanite craved but mercy O Lord thou sonne of David have mercy on me Cui daret justus Iudex coronam Mat. 15. 22. Aug. nisi cui dedisset Pater misericors gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the Crowne but unto whom the mercifull Father hath given grace Gratia non invenit sed fecit nos eligendos Grace hath not found us but hath made us to be chosen Cum Deus coronat merita tua nihil aliud coronat nisi munera sua When God crowneth our merits he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts Blasphemous therefore is the saying of Dorbel Quòd Deus Coelum carè vendit Three sorts of merits Congrui Digni Condigni amicis quod ipsi carè emunt That God selleth heaven deare to his friends and they buy it deare some travell thither by the foote-path of righteousnesse as the Prophets some by the foote-path of cleannesse as virgins some by the foote-path of repentance as the Confessors some by the foote-path of affliction as the Martyrs some by the foote-path of poverty as the Apostles some by the foote-path of hospitality as the Patriarches But God selleth not heaven he giveth it freely We are Rom. 3. 24. justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Lex data est ut gratia quaereretur the Law was given that grace should bee sought gratia data est ut lex impleretur and grace is given that the Law might be fulfilled for All is of grace Abraham in his faith David in his godlinesse Iob in his patience Rom. 11. Salomon in his wisdome Elias in his zeale cannot stand before God If thou ô Lord markest iniquity O Lord who shall stand Where Psal 130. 3. the Prophet sheweth that we cannot be just before God by merit but by mercy in the forgivenes of our sinnes therfore saith S. Iude Looke for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life But to face out this mercy of God the Papists have found out three sorts of merits Meritum congrui digni condigni Merit of congruity they call those preparations that are before grace and to this end they alledge Cornelius who was a devout man and Act. 10. 2. one that feared God with all his houshold and gave much almes to the people and prayed God continually And yet his prayer and almes did proceed from that sparke of faith that hee had in Christ not from any worke of nature Meritū digni as when a just man prayeth for an unjust as Iob Daniel for the Iewes of whose prayer God saith thus When the land sinneth against me by cōmitting a trespasse then will I stretch out my hand Ezech. 14. 13 14. upon it and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof I will send famine upon it c. And though these three men Noah Daniel Iob were among them they shoul deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse saith the Lord God Whereas it is spoken but by way of supposition Meritum condigni be works of supererogation Loud words of Lewd blasphemy too proud words for either men or Angels For no worke of it selfe is pure and can stand before God Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of Iob 14. 4. filthinesse The Heavens are not cleane in his sight much lesse men He found folly in his Angels how much more in us that dwell in Iob 15. Iob 4. 18 19. houses of clay This Moses often inculcated to Israel lest they should presume of their righteousnes and thinke themselves exalted by it Speake not thou in thy heart saith Moses For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse the land for thou entrest not Deut. 9. 4 5. to inherit their land for thy righteousnes or for thy upright heart but for the wickednesse of those nations c. The Lord giueth not thee this good land to possesse for thy righteousnesse for thou art a stiffenecked people And hee maketh a Catalogue of their vices how in the wildernesse in Horeb and in many other places they provoked the No merit of condignity but in Christ Lord to anger you were never good neither egge nor bird quoth Moses Merit of condignity is an action belonging to such a nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature for the Angels themselves cannot merit any thing at Gods hand for they are said to be elected now election is by grace otherwise salvation 1 Tim. 6. Rom. 11. 5. is in the power of the clay not of the potter Yea Adam also if he had stood could have merited nothing of God seeing it is the bounden duty of every creature to obey the Creatour For wee are his workemanship created unto Christ Iesus unto good workes Ephes 2. 10. which God hath ordeyned that wee should walke in them If we do good works yet doe wee but our duety the merit therefore of condignity doth onely agree to Christ God and man whom each nature doth to the effecting of this merit that which belongeth unto it for the humanity doth minister matter to the merit by suffering and performing obedience the Deity of Christ unto which the humanity is hypostatically united doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse to the worke Hereupon came the voice This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased For God was never pleased in any but in Christ For wee are all by nature the Mat. 3. 17. Ephes 2. 3 4 5. children of wrath but God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace yee are saved Againe that a worke may bee meritorious there must bee a proportion betwixt that and eternall life but eternall life is infinite our merits are finite Now a finite worke
19. Rom. 9. thy day the things that belong unto thy peace The like wee reade in Paul who wished himselfe to be separate from Christ for his brethren the Israelites And it is all our parts to greeve at sinne in another man and to take pitty upon him according to the words of my Text Have compassion on some but where shall we single out one among the sonnes of Adam that is so compassionate as that hee will sorrow for sinne in another man When he seeth his brother to bee a vicious liver one wedded to wickednesse and sunke in sinne hee will salve it up with humanum est Cato is said never to laugh except once and that was when hee saw an Asse eate thistles that the senslesse beast should take pleasure in prickes which should have been spurs to him to take paines so we seeing our brethren eating up sinne as bread and drinking iniquitie like water rather laugh with Democritus at their follies than with Heraclitus lament their faults And what compassion is in this Cadit asinus est qui sublevet perit anima non est qui curat men will pitie the poore Asse for when hee falleth they will helpe him up againe but they will shew no compassion on mens soules for though they perish they care not herein they are like the base-minded Gergesites who had more care of their swine than of their soules Mat. ◠25. The Elephant if hee meete a wounded person in the Wildernesse hee bringeth him into his way againe and the like is fathered on the Dolphin who when Arion was cast into the Sea speedily conveyed him unto the shoare I could wish that men were Elephants or Dolphins in sparke of good nature one to another To sorrow one for anothers sinne it is not our custome The compassionate Samaritane to the poore passinger may teach us to shew mercy unto sinners his wounds resemble afflicted sinners Mat. 18. his descension from Ierusalem to Iericho his falling from the service of God his spoyling by theeves sinners overthrow by Satan the Priest and Levite which went aloofe Sunt mali ecclesiae ministri bad ministers Now the stranger that infused Oleum misericordiae vinum justitiae the oyle of mercie Lir◠and the wine of Iustice is any good man moved with mercy and compassion at a sinners wretched estate and useth all good meanes to reclaime him To this purpose tendeth the counsell of the Apostle Beare yee one anothers burden and as Christ stretched out his hand to take fast hold on Peter when hee was ready Gal. 6. 2. to sinke into the Sea so ought we towards our faithfull brethren overwhelmed with the waves of wickednesse to have compassion on them and by counsell and comfort out of the Word of God We should not envy the sinner but pitty him to save their soules and this is compassion indeed Augustine speaking of the drunkennesse and other sinnes in Africa said Tollantur ista sed tamen cum commisseratione non asperè non duriter Let these sinnes quoth August be taken away yet with compassion with mercy not sharpely not bitterly Docendo potius quà m jubendo monendo non minando by teaching rather than by commanding by monishing rather than by menacing for those Iewes whom the thunders of Sinai could not terrifie Saint Iohn with the sweete song of Sion did Mat. 3. perswade Againe the same Father aforenamed saith thus Qui phreneticum ligat lethargicum excitat hee that bindeth a phranticke man and awaketh a man sicke of a Lethargie ambobus molestus ambobus tamen utilis hee is troublesome to both yet profitable for them both Rogat charitas hunc ligare illum excitare ambos tamen amare Charitie obligeth a man to binde the one and to awake the other yet to love both Let all bee done in love and pittie and as the Apostle counselleth us Let us follow the truth in Ephes 4. 15. love The Drunkards Vsurers Swearers raile on us in all places in all Faires and Markets What then O pittie them Have compassion on them alas poore soules their state is pittifull Luke 23. not odious Nesciunt quid faciunt they know not what they doe Nec deludendi nec minandi sed plangendi these men are not to bee Aug. mocked nor menaced but mourned for I say to them as Christ said to the woman of Samaria If thou knewest the gift of God and Iohn 4. 10. who it is that saith unto thee c. so if these men knew the gift of God the power of the Word they would not doe as they doe fret not then at these men as David counselleth thee saying Fret not thy selfe because of the ungodly neither bee thou envious for the evill doer for they shall soone bee cut downe as the grasse and wither Psal 37. 1 2. like a greene hearbe And as Christ commandeth thee Breake not a Mat. 12. 20. bruised Reede quench not the smoaking flaxe Paul that so hated sinne and sharpely reproved it in Elymas the Sorcerer saying O full of Acts. 13. 10. all subtilty and all mischiefe the Childe of the Divell and enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight wayes of the Lord Yet writing to the Corinthians hee saith I feare lest when 2 Cor. 12. 21. I come againe my God abase me among you and I shall bewaile many of them which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanenes and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed For as there was nothing that did so much rejoyce his heart as when his preaching profited so nothing did more cast downe his heart then when his labour did no good and againe hee saith We are fooles for Christs sake and yee are wise in Christ wee are weake and yee 1 Cor. 4. 10 11 12 13 21. are strong yee are honourable and wee are dispised unto this houre wee both hunger thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certaine dwelling place and labour working with our owne hands wee are reviled and yet we blesse Wee are persecuted and suffer it wee are evill spoken of and we pray we are made as the filth of the world the off scouring The godly bewaile the fearefull estate of the wicked of all things unto this day He came not with a rod but in love and in the Spirit of meeknes he wept over the Philippians Ieremy cries out against the sinnes of the Iewes saying I harkened and heard but no man spake aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done every one turned to their race as the horse Phil. 3. 18. Ier. 8. 6 7. into the battell even the Stork in the ayre knoweth her appointed time and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord Yet did he it with great
art wrought of the good Spirit so Paul ascribed the rising and the standing of the Philippians to God I am perswaded saith Paul that he that hath begunne this good Phil. 1. 6. worke in you will performe it untill the day of Christ Iesus And writing to the Corinthians hee saith That God shall confirme them to the end that they may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 8. To that end Christ prayed for the Apostles saying Holy Father Iohn 17. 11 12 15. keepe them in thy name even them whome thou hast given mee that they may bee one as wee are while I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me have I kept I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou keepe them from evill If then the Papists should use these words tenne thousand times Stand fast againe Continue tenne thousand times would I retort upon them that wee cannot stand fast wee cannot continue but by God We flye not with our owne wings we swimme not in our owne barke not nature but grace not man but God doth all in the worke of salvation Wee stand not of our selves in our owne strength but in God Leviores sumus vanitate Wee Psal 62. are lighter then vanity it selfe If God kept us not wee should fall every day every houre every moment so great are our temptations Quomodo stabit debilis inter tot fortes homines How can a weake man stand betweene so many strong men homuncio inter tot fortes Gigantes a litle dwarfe between so many strong Giants â—ndus inter tot armatos a naked man betweene so many armed men Caecus inter tot laqueos a blind man between so many snares Viator inter tot fures a traveller betweene so many theeves Mortalis inter tot immortales immundos spiritus a mortall man betweene so many immortall and uncleane spirits For wee wrastle Ephes 6. 12. not against flesh and blood that is principally and chiefely for our most mortall enemies are more than flesh and blood more in number greater in power craftier in their wiles or longer continuance more envious malicious cruell as namely against principalities against powers and against the worldly governours the Princes of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places Hee cals them Principalities because they have great rule and dominion not so much over other Our enemies many and powerfull Divels as over wicked men and calls them Powers to shew that their principality is not a meere titular matter but is armed with power so as they are able to doe great matters He cals them worldly governours to shew over whom the Divell hath government not over the elect but over the world the reprobates of the world He cals them spirituall wickednesse to declare their nature that they are spirits and that they bee evill and malicious the words in the originall signify spirituals of wickednesse or spirits of wickednesse that is most monstrous wicked spirits these are they against whom wee warre and fight how can wee stand against them of our selves Nam illi sunt astuti nos fatui they are crafty wee are foolish illi fortes nos debiles they strong wee weake illi experti nos inexperti they expert wee unexpert illi vigilantes nos somnolenti they watching wee sleepy illi spiritus nos caro they Ephes 6. 14. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Apoc. 12. cap. 10. Luk. 11. Iohn 12. 1 Cor. 4. spirit we flesh the armour therefore is called the Armour of God not our armour but his The Divell is ever described mighty and wee weake to this end hee is called Leo rugiens a roaring Lion Draco volans a flying Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that old serpent homo fortis a strong man princeps mundi the prince of the world Deus mundi the God of the world it is therefore the miraculous grace of God that hee killeth not our soules every houre for God would have us to live both lives the naturall and supernaturall As concerning the naturall life from the soule the naturall powers of understanding will and perceiving flow as touching the supernaturall from grace prayer thankesgiving zeale love repentance mortification doe proceed and this is called The life of God if God withdraw his grace wee fall presently even the best men Peter a notable Apostle yet fell Ephes 4. 18. Mat. 26. Ier. 2. 14. for all his brags at the voice of a girle Ieremy a worthy Prophet yet grew desperate hee that foyled our first parents standing Gen. 3. upon legges of brasse would soone foyle us standing upon legges of clay it is as great a matter to resist temptations being moved unto it as for dry wood and flaxe to resist fire being put to it it is supernaturall in the one so is it in the other for us to resist sinne therefore pray as Christ said Watch and pray Mat. 26. 41. that yee enter not into temptation The fish is not more taken in the nette nor the bird in the snare than wee of the Divell soone hee Iohn 13. 2. entred into the heart of Iudas soone he filled Ananias his heart quickly he tempted David to number the people and quickly Act. 5. will hee overthrow us unlesse God keepe vs that wee fall not But to make further use of this doctrine S. Iude here intimateth unto us that of our selves wee are ready to fall our building by nature is upon the sand not upon the rocke our shields and swords are of blotting paper not of steele our wings like Icarus are of waxe All which I speake to humble the pride of None can presume of his owne strength but must fly to Prayer flesh and blood that no flesh rejoyce in Gods presence To which end Paul applieth his speech Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed that hee fall not Adam fell in Paradise Iudas in the schoole of our Saviour the Angels from heaven and doe wee thinke to stand of our selves No no. Doest thou trust in 1 Cor. 10. 12. Gen. 3. Mat. 27. 2 Pet. 2. 4. 1 Reg. 11. Iudg. 15. thy wisdome None was ever wiser than Salomon yet was he deceived Doest thou trust in thy strength None was ever stronger than Samson yet was hee vanquished doest thou trust in thy stablenesse and constancy None more stable more constant than Peter yet hee fell For hee that said unto Christ I will dye with Mat. 26. thee before I deny thee denied him thrice and every time more fearefully than other Doest thou trust in thy riches None richer than the Epulo and yet hee is in hell in torments God saith unto Luk. 16. all Let not the rich man glory in his riches nor the wiseman in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength O pray to God for
Gods Word the chiefe meanes to restraine lust 339 Lust tempteth to all sinne 340 The best assaulted by lusts but not led by them ibid. All the works of the flesh are from the lusts of the flesh 341 Lusts bring damnation ibid. Lust insatiable 342 Lust defiles body and soule and gives Satan interest in the whole man 343 Lust defaces Gods Image ibid. Lust is in the godly but gaines not in them 344 Sermon 27. THe corruption of the heart is shewed by corrupt speaking 345 The wicked have beene alwayes great boasters with their tongues but performe little with their hands 346 Pride is naturall to us we have it from our first parents 347 Pride the ruine of angels and men ibid. The godly humble in regard of their sinnes not proud of their vertues ibid. Scoffers and slanderers like dogges 348 Good men despise the applause of flatterers and debase themselves ibid. Though we must not endure vaine applause yet wee must free our selves from slanders 349 The most vile usually the most proud and greatest boasters 350 Pride endeth with vanity ibid. Flatterers applaud others for their owne gaine 351 The Popes great boasters 352 Flattery described with the properties and punishment thereof 353 VVe must not listen to flatterers but give God the glory 354 Flattery servile and base 355 Flattering preachers most pernicious ibid. Ministers must reprove the greatest 356 Such as desire to be flattered are occasion of flattery ibid. He that reprooveth doth profit more than he that applauds 357 Flattery to be rejected and despised ibid. Flattery flatterers compared to divers things 358 Flattery gives to vices the names of vertues 359 Sermon 28. CHristians must not live like Heathen infidels 360 The godly and wicked opposite in divers respects 361 Wee must not bee led by the multitude for the greater part are the worser 362 The more glorified the greater joy the more damned the greater torment ibid. Not sufficient to have the VVord unlesse we remember it 363 How wee may heare the VVord profitably that we may find it the savour of life unto life 365 The memory the soules treasury ibid. VVhatsoever doctrine is not remembred is lost 366 Our forgetfulnes and negligence in divine doctrine most grosse ibid. The VVord of God the most sure foundation to build upon 367 The Saints modest in their owne prayse but zealous for Gods glory 369 Circumstances to bee observed in reproving 370 Three sorts of malicious reprehenders condemned 371 Sermon 29. THere have beene scoffers and mockers in all ages 372 Mocking what in Latin whence derived 373 Divers sorts of mockers 374 Mockers of God and religion most odious ibid. Mocking scoffing and jesting the basest fruit of wit 375 Some sinners like Dogges some Hogges ibid. Scoffers punished 376 Mocking a kinde of persecution 378 The tongues of scoffers instruments of persecution 379 Many scoffing Atheists at Christ and Religion 380 Scoffers as the Divels band-dogges so bond-slaves ibid. He is strongest that overcomes his lusts 381 Mortification a signe of justification 383 If no sanctification no glorification 384 Sermon 30. SEctaries cause division in the Church 385 The Church and members thereof love Vnity 386 Dissention the cause of all mischiefe in the Church ibid. Three causes of division in the Church Heresy Schisme Apostacy 387 The difference of these ibid. Pride the cause of Schisme 388 No salvation out of the Church ibid. Heresies though hurtfull in themselves yet God maks them profitable to the Church 389 Heretikes pervert Scriptures to maintaine their errours ibid. The Papists charging us with Sects have more among themselves 390 Satans chiefest engine to hurt the Church is dissention 391 Schisme a grievous sinne ibid. Naturall men perceive not the things of God nor any good 392 By regeneration we are adopted the Sonnes of God 393 Many naturall men exceed Christians in bridling their affections and in some mortall actions 394 Naturall men inventers of Arts and trades 395 Beasts exceed many naturall men ibid. Love makes all things easy 396 A sinner hardly drawne from sinne ibid. Gods grace is to our hearts as the Sunne-beames to the earth ibid. None boast more of the spirit then they that are led by the spirit of error 397 The Popes pride reproved that call onely their Clergy spirituall all other temporall ibid. Naturall men though they have not the spirit of sanctification yet illuminated 398 All grace and true goodnes flowes from Gods Spirit 400 Sermon 31. THe godly and the wicked every way opposite 403 Edification being a building the Saints be the houses 404 VVe must build in our selves temples for the Holy Ghost ibid. Gods VVord the rule and square whereby we must build 405 VVe must endeavour to edify others especially our children 406 VVee must dayly encrease in knowledge grace and goodnes 407 Good men grow dayly in grace and goodnes ibid. The wicked grow dayly worse and worse 408 VVee are none proficients in plenty of meanes ibid. Pride and negligence cause of none proficiciency ibid. VVe bee diligent in seaking knowledge wee shall attaine to it 409 VVe should not build our hope on earth but in Heaven 410 Faith is the originall of all good works 411 No life of grace here or glory hereafter without faith 412 Faith the most excellent of all vertues ibid. Faith is called holy in respect of the effect in the subject secondly of the object thirdly the efficient cause thereof 413 All good works without faith vaine 414 If no holines in life no true faith in heart ibid. Faith is begotten by hearing and encreased also 415 God works not by miracles when hee affords meanes 416 Sermon 32. FAith and prayer may not bee disjoyned 417 Faith the mother of prayer and prayer the meanes to confirme faith ibid. Prayer the meanes whereby wee receive all good things 418 Prayer prevalent over all creatures 419 Prayer pleasant to God and man 420 The Saints have delighted to spend much time in prayer ibid. Divers divisions of prayer into divers kinds in divers respects 421 All prayer must be offered in the mediation of Christ 422 Prayer necessary for all estates for all times 423 Gods wrath powred out upon them that doe not pray ibid. Gods house a house of prayer 424 Prayer comforteth in all estates ibid. ☞ Prayer the food and nourishmert of the soule 405 Prayer sanctifyeth all our actions ibid. Prayer admirable in the effects if in due manner 406 We must pray continually ibid. VVee must pray in the spirit and how 407 The Holy Ghost the Author of prayer yet so as the whole Trinity hath a hand ibid. Prayers must bee spirituall and fervent 409 God regards both the manner and end in all holy duties 410 Our prayers must bee neither tepidae timidae nec temerariae ibid. God heareth not the prayers of sinners except for vengeance 411 God hath promised all good things to prayer ibid. Sermon 33. FAith Prayer and Love have mutuall relation 412 Love the most