passeth all vnderstaÌ„ding in Iesus Christ Amen THE XVIII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus verse 15 This is a true saying and by all meanes worthie to bee receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe verse 16 Notwithstanding for this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on mee all long suffering vnto the ensample of them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life THE Apostle Paul well-beloued Brethren in Christ considering that the Lord IESVS had shewed such mercy vpon him as to concredite to him the glorious EuaÌ„gell of the blessed GOD immediately falleth out in a thanksgiuing to Christ There are two causes in the proposition of the thankesgiuing the one is taken from the power of Christ wherewith he is made stroÌ„g for wheÌ„ he was nothing the Lord Iesus made him strong The other is from the mercy of Christ wheÌ„ hee was vnfaithfull how could a blasphemer bee faithful the Lord was so mercifull that He made him faithful this he declareth because he being before a persecuter the Lord made him an ambassadour of that same Euangell which hee persecuted He leaueth not this mercy but insisteth in magnifying of it in regard that not only he was a Preacher but likewise hee was a true Christian man Ere euer he set downe this mercy he telleth what he was before and he â—ayeth When I was a blasphemer not onely that but with torments compelled the Christians to blaspheme I was a persecuter and yet further an oppressour he leaueth nothing vntolde of himselfe and he thinketh no shame to honour that God who had mercie vpon him with his owne shame and hee regisirateth his owne mis-behauiour to his shame that euery one of the Saincts of God to the end of the world may say Glory be to God that hath shewed mercy on such a sinner then he wondereth and sayeth but he had mercie vpon me therewith by the way hee joyneth a reason why the Lord shewed mercy sa readily on him because he did it not of malice or knowledge but he was blinded hee did it of ignorance hee was destitute of Faith but assoone as hee gote mercy hee changed his course yet hee leaueth not off but entereth into a deaper consideration of this Grace he sayeth The Grace of the Lord abounded exceedingly My sinne abounded but grace superabounded and these wordes are from the sense of the heart the heart beeing opened with the sense of Grace openeth the mouth that it vttereth these words the grace of Christ is superabundant for if the heart be filled with the sense of grace mercy it will make the mouth to proclaime the mercy of God to extoll it highly The cause why we cannot set out y e mercy of God in hie termes is because in vs there is no feeling of mercy therefore it is that we vtter wordes so slender and of so litle valour when we speak of that loue that mercy as it were a thing of none importance When he hath told that the grace of the Lord superabounded he addeth also With faith and with loue in Iesus Christ he declareth that superabundant grace by a wonderfull mutation and change that was made in him by the power of IESVS CHRIST that of a blasphemer of Christ he is made a beleeuer apprehending him by Faith of a persecuter and oppressour of the Sainctes of God hee was made a louer of them The sense of the mercy of God faith in Iesus Christ bringeth foorth loue in the heart And whosoeuer hath assurance of mercie true faith his heart wil be joyned with Christ and he will haue a great loue towardes Him then for Christes sake he will loue all His Saincts there wil not be a soule in the Church of Christ but he will loue him so intirely y â— he wold giue his life for him as he will loue him so he will pity him for he y â— hath faith wil both loue pity meÌ„ he y â— waÌ„ts pity and careth not what becoÌ„meth of y e whole world so he bee well hee hath neuer found what was the mercy of God in his heart Alas howe few is the number of these faithfull ones how rare a thing is faith in the hearts of men What argueth this coldnesse in the heartes of men this want of loue and pity in the multitude Nothing but this that albeit mercy be preached yet y e multitude feeleth it not And if thou hadst all this world and yet tasted not of that sweetnesse of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ thou knewest neuer what joy what comfort what pleasure was Then in the next wordes hee openeth vp the ground as it were of that mercy that was shewed vpon him which is the generall ende of the comming of Christ into this worlde and from the generall he concludeth on this manner Christ Iesus is come into the world to saue sinners and I am a sinner therefore He will saue me amongst the rest Before he come to the words of the proposition because it is a great and notable sentence hee vseth a preface as y e Lord Iesus in matters of importance vsed to say Verily verily I say vnto you so here th' Apostle saith This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be receiued In this preface he prepareth not onely Timothie but all that euer shal heare this senteÌ„ce vnto the end of the world and he prepareth them not only to the attension of the eare but he prepareth them vnto faith in the heart so that as soone as they should heare this sentence they should apply it with their hearts Alas why should so worthy excellent senteÌ„ces as these are passe away without any attention or preparation on our part It is true Brethren we should neuer come to y e hearing of any part of the word without preparation wee should not come to the holy congregation like as many swine without hauing any regard what wee are doing but we should come with preparation not only with an eare prepared but with an hart prepared and when thou enterest into the Church thou shouldest say The Lord prepare mine heart that I may receiue some sponke of grace So a preparation is requisite in generall to the hearing of the worde But yet the heart of man would be better prepared for the hearing of such notable sentences as this is Christ is come into the world to saue sinners they require a more singular preparation There is no doubt he spake through the full assuraÌ„ce of faith and that which he spake he assuredly beleeued therefore he spake of it When wee speake of that grace the heart should rise with an assurance Look to the Prophet Dauid with what assuraÌ„ce he speaketh of it I beleeued
sixteenth Chapter and the two and twentie verse of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Louest thou Him assure thy selfe howbeit thou canst not get such a loue to Him or such a sight of these thinges as thou wouldest haue they are prepared for thee Onelie thou art to take heede to see if that loue of GOD bee in thine heart Goe not to search what is in Heauen and thinke not to get a full sight of that glorie in this life that is laide vp for thee But rest on Him yea though it were halfe blindlinges Well is the soule that can loue the LORD IESVS I will ende heere and will recommende to euerie soule that Loue of IESVS as euer they woulde see the thinges that the eye neuer sawe nor the eare neuer hearde nor hath euer entered into the heart of man to their euerlasting comfort and consolation at the comming of the LORD IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holy GHOST bee all Honour Prayse and Glorie for euer and euer world without ende So bee it THE SEVENTH SERMON I. COR. CHAP. II. verse 10 But GOD hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of GOD. verse 11 For what man knoweth the thinges of man except the spirite of a man which is in him Euen so the thinges of GOD knoweth no man but the Spirite of GOD. verse 12 Nowe wee haue receaued not the spirit of the world but the Spirite which is of GOD that wee may know the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. THE last day Brethren we heard a cleare description commendation of that wisedome which ` Paul spake and preached which is none other in effect but this same blessed EVANGELL that is preached to you We shewed you that there was nothing that might commende a science or wisedome in this world but it concurred with him to the commendation praise and glorie of this wisdome that is here described The author of it is not the world nor the Princes of the world but God the maker of the worlde The secrecie of it was hidden vp in a mysterie so manie ages from the creation to the comming of Christ and manifestation of Him in the nature of man The antiquitie of it it was predestinated from all Eternitie The end of it our glorie The sublimitie and highnesse of it when it was reuealed at the cumming of CHRIST none of the Princes of this world could vnderstand it for if they had known it they had not crucified the LORD of glorie The subject of it the thinges which the eye neuer sawe the eare neuer hearde which neuer entered into the heart of man and yet for all this prepared for them that loue the LORD Nowe to come to the Text which wee haue in hand It might haue bene asked of the Apostle If such thinges as were neuer seene neuer heard of nor neuer entred into the heart of man were contained in that wisdom which he taught what profite haue we by that wisedome what profite haue wee of the thinges whereof wee are not capable The Apostle meeteth this in the first verse which we haue read But saith hee God hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit It is true indeed they passe the sight of our eyes they surmount aboue our hearing they passe the capacitie of our mind yet that LORD hath dimitted Himselfe vnto vs by His Spirit He hath reuealed those things to vs the sillie ones of y e world not to the princes of y e world but to the sillie simple ones Hee hath reuealed them not by our spirit but by His owne Spirit There is the summe of the answere shortlie He giueth the reason in the next part of the verse and letteth vs see that the Spirite of Iesus is able to reueale all these high and hidden things to vs setting out the nature of the Holie Spirit For saieth hee the Spirite searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of God The Spirite is a searcher and hee is a searcher of all things created in Heauen and earth Nothing can escape him but hee will seâ—rch into the secretest things in the world and into the secretest parts of thine heart What more Hee is a searcher of the God of glorie Himselfe and will pierce into the infinite deepnesse that is in God Hee being such a Spirit as this is he not able to reueal the things whereof wee are not capable There is the meaning of the whole verse shortlie Then we see these things contained in the Heauenlie wisedome as the riches of God in IESVS CHRIST our remission of sinne our justification our regeneration our saluation and life euerlasting euen common thinges which yee heare of daylie together with Iesus Christ the Mediator in whome and thorowe whome all thinges are wrought are the thinges which the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath not seene neither haue they eâ—â—ered into the heart of man Yet wee see that these thinges passe not so the capacitie of man nor they are not so altogether hidden from man but they are reuealed And they are reuealed to whom To them for whom they are prepared They are reuealed when euen in this life there is none for whom they are prepared from all Eternitie but in this life before the soule goe out of the bodie they shall receiue some reuelation and vnderstanding of these same things and thou that gettest no reuelation of them in this life and gettest not a sight of them ere the soule goe out of the bodie I will say to thee They were neuer prepared for thee Remission of sinnes was neuer prepared for thee Iustification before the Tribunall of GOD Regeneration Life euerlasting was neuer prepared for thee There is not a better token of life after this life than a blink of life in this life if it were but a glimmering for the best of vs hath but a glimmering a blinke of IESVS Christ and of the graces that are in Him in this life is the surest token that thou canst haue of the life to come And by the contrarie There is not a worse token of darkenesse after this life than to haue thine eyes so closed that thou hast no blinke heere of that life to come And when thou diest hauing no sight of the life to come thou shalt die a miserable catiue a faggot for the fire of Hâ—ll Let vs goe forward to the rest God hath reuealed them by His Spirit Now yee see heere a reuelation by the Spiritâ— Marke it I shall tarie somwhat vpon these wordes Yee heard before of a reuelation by the word which is this wisedome Now yee heare of a reuelation by the Spirite It is not enough to receaue a reuelation by the word though it were neuer so faire and so soundly preached it will neuer doe thee good it is nothing but as if thou wouldest holde a light before a blinde man say to him Man seest
Starres Then it is not the loue of GOD the Creator that doeth this and is the ground of this bountifulnesse and of our life in Him but it is a speciall kinde of loue It is that loue that proceedeth of GOD the Sauiour It is not the loue of a Creator but of a Father not to the creature but to the sonne GOD loueth His sonne better than Hee doeth His creature He loueth vs as His sonnes If there were no further loue of GOD but as Hee is a Creator thou durst neuer crie Abba Father and except the Spirit spreade abroade into our heartes that loue which Hee beareth vnto vs for all the world thou durst not appeare before Him The time is set downe when Hee hath saued vs when His singular loue appeared in the world Hee saued vs beeing manifested in the fleshe Then it followeth that wee were lost and gone when GOD of His loue put to His hand and saued vs wee were out of our right wit rebelles to GOD wauering and vagabunding out of the right waye slaues to our owne lustes Whome count yee lost if these be not lost I will neuer count of a reprobate person who is giuen ouer to filthinesse to harlotrie to murther to oppression to mischiefe c. I will neuer count of him but as a madde desperate and lost bodie when hee is walking abroade and moouing in the world hee is but a dead carcasse and if hee come to GOD againe in mercie it may bee saide There is a dead bodie turned to life Hast thou followed harlotrie repentest thou thou hast bene dead in sinne but now thou art aliue The lost sonne when hee had spended his childes-part of goods yet he repented and came home to his father againe his father saieth Hee that was dead is liuing againe Luke 15. 24. So in a worde wee were lost men Thinkest thou that thou art not lost because thou canst breathe And thinkest thou a man not dead if hee can walke vpon the streete Thinkest thou thy selfe verie well if thou haue these vitall motions in thee O but suppose thou hadst all the naturall liues in the world if thou bee giuen ouer to thine owne affections and leauest not off thine olde sinnes and iniquities thou art a madde and a dead bodie Began then that loue towardes man only to appeare when Christ came into the world I answere The loue of God the Father appeared manifested it selfe in some measure to the godlie euen before Christ came into the world God forbid but this loue had bene appareÌ„t vnto Abraham and the rest of the godly before the incarnation of our Sauiour But at the comming of Christ it manifested it selfe more brightly than euer it did before for al His loue of before was in Christ to come but now since He came into the world the loue of God towards mankind hath appeared in greater aboundance The Lord grant vs an apprehension and sight of this loue that at the least wee maye striue to loue Him againe who hath loued vs so dearly in His Sonne IESVS CHRIST Nowe hee sheweth by what meanes this our saluation is procured at the handes of GOD hee telleth you by what meanes we are not saued Net saith he by the workes of righteousnesse which wee had done The meanes by the which we are not saued is our owne just works thou art not saued by thy just works leane to them as thou wilt I will promise thee in the name of that Great God they shall neuer saue thee Can a man that is mad and a rebell to GOD and a slaue to his owne lustes doe such works as may procure saluation But such were we saith the Apostle therefore wee can deserue nothing by our workes Fie on thee Papist with thy merites fie on the works of preparation can a madde man prepare himselfe for grace No such thing I tell you when GOD put to His hand to our saluation Hee founde no matter in vs of our saluation but damnation When GOD beginneth to loue Hee findeth no matter of loue in vs but of hatred And this commendeth the greatnes of His loue towards vs when He seeth nothing in vs but matter of damnation yet Hee of His free grace mercy loueth vs saueth vs RoÌ„ 5. 8. This setteth out His loue highly towards vs when that we were sinners He sent Christ to die for vs therefore seek not thy saluation neither before thou be in Christ nor after thou art in Him by y â— merite of works for thou shalt neuer get it y t way but thou shalt still be the further from it the more thou seekest it by that meane Then if good works be not the meane what is the meane The Apostle â—aith He hath saued vs according to His mercy These are flat contrary The mercy of God the merit of man If thou be saued by y â— mercy of God theÌ„ no merit because thy merite is not able to saue thee The first fountaine of our saluation is loue after loue commeth on mercy then pitie and compassion in His mercie presupponeth miserie Mercie is shewed to the miserable creature GOD seeing vs miserable madde rebelles following our own crooked affections beginneth to bee pitifull and to haue compassion of vs. Yee knowe mercie and pitie followeth vpon loue For when wee loue any one and see him in miserie then wee haue pitie vpon him if thou hate him suppose hee were in neuer so great miserie thou wilt not pitie him Then GOD seeing vs wrapped in sinne and miserie He hath pitie upon vs which pitie proceedeth of loue and with loue and pitie concurreth His power Wee will lone one and see him lie in miserie when it will passe our power to relieue him but GODS power is alwayes effectuall to deliuer all them who are subject to misery if once He extende His loue and compassion towardes them Then the cause of our saluation is in GOD onlie and no part in man who is saued The first cause is the loue of GOD which is the fountaine The next cause is mercie for ere euer this worlde was created GOD of His mercie tooke a purpose to saue vs. The Apostle saieth Ephes 1. 4. Hee purposed of Himselfe Hee sawe no thing in vs wherefore He should take purpose to saue vs. And when Hee commeth on to the execution of that eternall purpose of our saluation there is nothing in vs but all is in Himselfe for He is all-sufficient Himselfe and nothing is without Him The ende wherefore He died all of Himselfe without vs was to the praise of the glorie of His grace Ephes 1. 6. that thereby the whole glorie of our saluation might redounde to Him onelie because the cause is onelie in Him Thou that takest anie part in it and attributest it vnto thy selfe thou spoylest GOD of His glorie Either giue Him all the glorie of this action or take it all to thy selfe this glorie is too heauie for thee if thou
were a Prophet hee would surely haue knowne who and what manner of woman this is who toucheth him for shee is a sinner verse 40 And Iesus answered and saide vnto him Simon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee And hee saide Maister say on verse 41 There was a certaine lender who had two detters the one ought fiue hundreth pence and the other fiftie verse 42 When they had nothing to pay he for gaue them both Which of them therefore tell mee will loue him most verse 43 Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgaue most And hee saide vnto him Thou hast truely judged 44. Then hee turned to the woman and said vnto Simon Seest thou this woman I entered into thine house and thou gauest mee no water to my feete but shee hath washed my feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head verse 45 Thou gauest mee no kisse but shee since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete verse 46 Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint but shee hath anointed my feet with ointment verse 47 Wherefore I say vnto thee many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much To whome a little is forgiuen he doeth loue a little verse 48 And hee saide vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee verse 49 And they that sate at table with him began to say within themselues Who is this that euen for giueth sinnes verse 50 And hee saide to the woman Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace THIS Text welbeloued in the Lord Iesus containeth a notable Historie of the conuersion of a penitent sinner a sinfull woman whom the LORD first called inwardly by His Spirit to whom after outwardly by His owne voyce He giueth assurance of the remission of her sinnes And wee haue first set downe the occasion that the Lord offereth to this sinfull woman to metee with Him that she may receiue mercie and forgiuenesse of her sinnes Of very purpose He casteth Himselfe in her way and into these partes where the woman was and yeeldeth to dine in the house of a Pharisie where shee might haue the occasion and oportunitie to meete with Him This occasion being offered vnto her being partly touched with a feeling of her owne miserie partly being preuented with the Spirite of Iesus alluring her she letteth it not slippe but shee commeth to the house where the Lord was and shee commeth not emptie handed but shee bringeth with her a boxe of precious sweete smelling ointment and comming to the house where the LORD was sitting at table looke what shee doeth shee entreth not in peartly and boldly neither commeth shee before His face being ashamed of her own sinnes she was ashamed that these eyes these all-seeing eyes of the LORD which pierce into the soule of man should see her So she standeth saieth the Text behinde His backe and then shee falleth downe at His feete The sight of thy sinne as it will worke shame of face when the relicts of nature beginneth to challenge it when it striueth to enter into the soule so that scarcely thou darest looke a man in the face let be the Lord who is the reuenger of it Euen so when it once pleaseth the Lord to waken the conscience it will worke in thee a wonderfull humilitie so that thou wilt stoupe and cast thy selfe downe vnder the feete of thy GOD. The stiffenesse that yee see in men who bowe not their bodies knees vnto the Lord proceedeth of the want of that sight of sinne and corruption within them If these men who fling their heads in the aire make their boasts of their euill deeds saw their sins they would bee ashamed of themselues humble themselues in y e dust When she is fallen downe she weepeth The sight of sin will make thee to weepe mourne Thou laughest now plaiest y e wanton because there is a vaile casten ouer thine eye that blindeth thee so that thou canst not see sin the own colour yea it couereth thy self from thee but if once thou saw sinne thy selfe well it would make thee to weep lament bitterly Wel she leaueth not of yet but being drawne and allured with a sense of His preuenting mercy y â— came from Him she draweth nearâ— vnto Him If she had not felt that loue that came from Him shee durst neuer haue come neare Him As a male-factor hath no pleasure to beholde the countenance of the Iudge but his eye and countenance is terrible to Him Euen so the Lord is fearefull and terrible to them that feele not that loue that proceedeth from Him It is the sense of the loue that allureth sinners to come to God As Dauid saieth Psal 130. 3. If thou straitlie markest iniquitie no flesh can stand but mercie is with thee that thou mayest bee feared The teares that the displeasure for sin expresseth out of her shee will not lose them but shee taketh them and â—asheth his feet with them theÌ„ taketh the haire of her head and dryeth them therewith Haddest thou once a sense of that sweete mercy in Iesus Christ were that loue once spred abroade into thine heart by His H. Spirit as th' Apostle speaketh O how thou wouldest loue Him be carefull to serue pleasure Him This want of loue towards y e Lord Iesus argueth plainely that thou hast not felt that loue of His towardes thee For if once thou hadst felt how well Hee loueth thee who shed His precious blood for thee then it is a faire matter to thee to sheede teares for Him that shedde His blood for thee And if thou once felt that loue nowe all the teares and all the moysture in thy body yea thy very soule thou wouldest bee glad to poure it out for Him and consecrate thy life vnto His seruice but liuing against Him in doing all kinde of villanie in despite of Him thou testifiest plainely that thou hast neuer found the vertue of His blood Looke what Paul saieth 2. Cor. 5. 14. The loue of God constraineth mee that is bindeth vp my soule and all the powers and faculties thereof and occupyeth my whole senses that I am rauished from all thinges in the worlde to get mine heart and affections fixed vpon Him Why saieth hee Because He loued me so well that Hee hath died for me and therefore I will consecrate my life to him who hath purchased euerlasting life for me And therefore whosoeuer hath not a purpose to poure out his life for Iesus Christ and hath not a free heart towards Him in some measure he cannot haue any sure argument that Christ hath died for him And if thou haue not that assurance woe is thee that euer thou tookest life it had beene better thou hadst beene made a stocke or a stone if thou findest not that Christ died for thee But what further did this sillie woman Shee ceaseth not here but is continually kissing the feete of the Lord. Ye
of misery that scorne in their hearts a poore sinner y t seeketh mercy of y e Lord hold in dirision our fasting our humiliation and all our preaching which they heare And therfore as thou wouldest not bee culpable of such scorning and wouldest not be inuolued in y t judgement that tarieth that scornfull number seeke I beseech thee to get these two sighs say Lord I am but a miserable body am vnworthy to look vp to y e Heauen then get a sense of the mercy of the Lord and then thou shalt bee â—o farre from scorning grace in thine heart that thou shalt bee faine to creep in with all humility to get a part portion of the grace that is spoken of The Pharisie yet hath not bene one of the worst of them hee was not an open blasphemer but an hypocrite I doubt not but y e Lord hath had mercie on him but what how and when his conuersion hath bene the Lord knoweth Now I go forward to y e part of the Lord first toward the Pharisie and then toward the poore woman The Pharisie conceiued not this so quietlie secretly within his owne heart but the Lord the searcher of the heart that made y e heart draweth it to light and saith Simon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee I know what thou thinkest well enough no man needeth to tell me thine heart therefore I will speake somthing vnto thee Simon answereth Lord saye on Brethren striue to present holie thoughts before GOD thinke it not enough to keepe thine hand holie thy tongue from blasphemie but keepe an holy heart vnto the LORD begin not to play the counterfeit to speak holily and to haue a faire shewe outwardly and then to keepe a foule heart and if an euill thought escape thee as who will not haue a thousand euill thoughts if a blasphemie against GOD escape thee as who blasphemeth not God in their heart as well as the Pharisie bee sorrowfull for it away with it let it not tarie but say as Paule saieth Rom. 7. 17. It is not I that doeth it but the corruption of my nature which remaineth within mee Renounce that foule birth and take it neuer vnto thee and this is that battell which we should haue night day to get that vile canker and corruption which vttereth it selfe so violently against that inuiolable Majestie repressed and put away Now when He hath thus spoken He beginneth to let Simon see that that same very woman of whom hee counted so disâ—â—ainfully was not so vile a woman as he thought as though He would say Simon thou thinkest there is not so vile a sinner in the world as she is but I sâ—y vnto thee shee is not so sinfull I haue cleansed her I haue giuen her remission of all her sinnes Who dare call a sinner foule that the Lord hath called cleane darest thou call a penitent sinner foule who hath washen my feere with teares and repenteth vnfainedly Then subsuming He saith This woman repenteth vnfainedly and testifieth her repentance in louing me so exceedingly Therefore He concludeth All her sinnes are forgiuen her Therefore Simon disdaine her not no more than I doe But to consider more narrowly first the ground of the proposition then the assumption last that joyfull conclusion The ground of his reason is this To whome a great debt is forgiuen that person will loue exceedingly To make vs to vnderstand this the better Hee bringeth in a familiar example a parable There was a certaine lender who had two debters the one ought fiue hundreth pence and the other fiftie And when they had nothing to pay hee forgaue them both Which of them therefore tell mee will loue him most Hee saith Simon to whome hee forgaue most Well saieth the Lord then I take this proposition out of thy mouth Hee to whome much is forgiuen he loueth exceedinglie he loueth much And certainly if thou haue no sense of debt if thou thinkest in thine owne conceite that thou owest nothing I saye to thee Thou louest not God thou hast no loue towards Him A wanton sinner that feales not the burthen of sinne hee hath no more loue to God nor to Christ than a dogge hath fie on thee dogge fie on thee that hast not a sense of sinne for thou hast no loue to God Next againe suppose thou haue a sense of sinne feelest some burthen therof yet if thou but thinkest that thou hast a pennie in thy purse to paye GOD for thy debt thou wilt neuer loue thy God And I saye to thee I could neuer thinke in mine heart that a Papist a vaine lowne who will boast of his merites who glorieth in his owne workes and thinketh hee can pay God for his redemption I saye I could neuer be perswaded that such a one could loue the Lord. Next except with the sense of thy debt thou find also a free remissioÌ„ of all thy debt alas thou canst haue no loue to GOD feele thy sinne and thy pouerty as much as thou wilt if thou findest not a free remission and pardon of all thy debt thou wilt neuer loue Him but He is a terror vnto thee so oft as thou thinkest of Him and thou wouldest flee out of the world to escape His handes Then thirdly thou that feelest thy debt and then feelest thine owne pouertie that thou hast not one pennie to giue Him suppose thou bee a King all thy Kingdome will not ransome thy soule nâ— sell Heauen and the earth and all they will not ransom the soule of one creature they will not fill vp one penny of the summe to ransome the soule of one sinner and theÌ„ with the sense of the pouertie seeleth a free remission and heareth the Lord say I forgiue thee all I will haue none of thy siluer but I forgiue thee all in the precious blood of my deare Sonne the Lord Iesus there is the ransome and I adjudge thee to damnation that seekest any other ransome then thou wilt loue the Lord exceedingly These three things being felt first with grones and sobbes feeling the debt and burthen Next thy pouerty and vnhabilitie to pay and last a free remission and disburthening that sinner would bestowe all his goods and land and life and all that hee hath for the loue that hee beareth to the LORD IESVS thine heart will be sweetly loosed with a loue to y e Lord. Who is able to expresse that loue and that vnspeakeable joye that will bee in the heart of a sinner that feeleth the remission of his sinnes Brethren There is yet more than this in the comparison Hee to whome little is forgiuen hee will loue little and hee to whome much is forgiuen will loue much Hee or shee that will come in and confesse their sinnes but will in the meane time extenuate it and saye it is but a little sinne it is but a veniall sinne and manie one hath done twise as much that bodie I saye that
CERTAINE SERMONS VPON SEVERALL Texts of Scripture PREACHED BY THAT REuerend and faithfull seruant of Iesus Christ M. ROBERT ROLLOK Minister of the Church and Rector of the Colledge of EDINBVRGH Whereof the first eleuen were be fore published and the remnant seuen are newly adjoy ned thereunto Imprinted at Edinburgh ANDRO HART 1616. The number of Sermons with the Texts of Scripture and in what leafe to find euery Sermon I 2. Cor. Chap. 5. vers 1. 2. 3 4. Fol. 1 II 2. Cor. Chap. 5. vers 5. 6. 7. 8. Fol. 24 III 2. Cor. Chap. 5. vers 9. 10. 11. Fol. 45 IV 2. Cor. Chap. 5. vers 12. 13. 14. 15. Fol. 63 V 2. Cor. Chap. 5. vers 16. 17. 18. Fol. 79 VI 1. Cor. Chap. 2. vers 6. 7. 8. 9. Fol. 97 VII 1. Cor. Chap. 2. vers 10. 11. 12. Fol. 118 VIII 2. Cor. Chap. 4. vers 3. 4. 5. Fol. 137 IX 2. Cor. Chap. 10. vers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Fol. 155 X Philip. Chap. 1. vers 18. 19. 20. 21. c. Fol. 175 XI Titus Chap. 3. vers 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Fol. 198 These are newlie adjoyned XII Psalme cxxx vers 1. 2. 3. 4. Fol. 229 XIII Psalme cxxx vers 5. 6. 7. 8. Fol. 246 XIV Mat. Chap. 15. ver 21. 22. 23. 24 c. Fol. 262 XV Luk. chap. 7. ver 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. c. Fol. 281 XVI Iohn Chap. 3. verse 6. Fol. 306 XVII â— Timoth. Chap. 1. vers 12. 13. 14. Fol. 332 XVIII 1. Tim. Chap. 1. vers 14. 15. 16. Fol. 357 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THEIR MOST LOVING FRIEND IN THE LORD MASTER WILLIAM SCOT of ELY Grace in this life and euerlasting glorie in the Life to come OVR Gracious GOD who in His rich Mercie RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL hath in this latter time raised vp manie rare and worthie instruments and faithfull Preachers in other Countreyes about vs hath not left this our Countrey destitute of the like benefites for as amongst them so amongst vs striuing with our ingratitude Hee hath raised vp from time to time sundrie notable men indewed with singular graces whose Ministerie Hee made powerfull to ouerâ—… the kingdome of Sathan sinne and the Antiâ—… to acquire a CHVRCH vnto Himselfe in the which Hee might bee glorified in the riches of His mercies of whome the moste part nowe sleepe in the LORD and rest from their labours Amongst whome MASTER ROBERT ROLLOK of blessed memorie deserueth for his graces to bee counted with the first for who euer preassed more to approoue himselfe to GOD in a good conscience than hee Who euer was more faithfull and pairfull in his calling than hee Hee stroâ—e alwayes to glorifie GOD and to honour his profession and calling by a godlie life and conuersation so that the verie enemies of the trueth coulde not accuse him nor Enuie it selfe justlie reprooue him Hee set himselfe alwayes to doe good to others for hee thought hee was not his owne man but deputed for the seruice of others Hee was neuer idle but hee did either reade meditate praye conferre counsell comfort preach or write He was peaceable in the Church patient of wronges neuer vindictiue but euer readie to forgiue Hee sought not the worlde knowing that hee had heere no continuing but had his conuersation in the Heauen from whence hee looked for his Sauiour to come But it is needlesse to praise him either to you Syr who knoweth so well what store of grace the LORD vouchsafed vpon him or yet to anie others seeing his workes speake plainlie enough for him for as hee edified manie in his life by his Preaching so also hath hee edified many not onlie in his Countrey but in manie other partes by his learned and judicious writinges lefâ— behinde him And because his Lectures that haue beene before published by vs vpon the COLOSSIANS and THESSALONIANS as also the first eleuen SERMONS heere contained haue beene receiued with good liking and applause of manie and newe finding that there are not copies extant especiallie of these eleuen Sermons to satisfie the desire of such as seeke them wee haue thought good to cause imprint them ouer againe as also to adjoyne seuen other Sermons preached by him vpon diuerse Textes and receiued by his Schollers from his mouth which indeede wee must confesse required the refining hand of the Author that they might haue shined in their owne beautie Alwayes our care haue beene in these as in all the rest before published out of some copies offered vnto vs as neare as wee coulde to giue out to the publike viewe of the Church both the matter stile and phrase of the godlie Author Nowe for manie reasons wee are mooued to recommende these his Sermons and our labours therein to your patronage that with them your memorie with the posteritie might long endure First in respect of the entire loue and affection yee carried to Master ROLLOK from the first houre that yee were acquainted with him euen vnto his death for no man euer loued him conuersed with him respected him c more than your selfe and manie a time haue you resorted vnto him in his health and offered him such curtesie and kindnesse that hee acknowledged himselfe to bee obliged to none so much as to you And finallie yee not onelie visited him in his sicknesse but allured him to come to your house where without regarde of paines and expenses yee entertained him and such as visited him moste liberallie and chearefullie till the time that the LORD called him to Himselfe Yea yee counted it a singular blessing of the LORD that Hee honoured you with suh a guest Next Master ROLLOK in his Testament ordained that all his Bookes which after shoulde bee imprinted shoulde bee dedicated vnto you that whosoeuer got commoditie thereof next after GOD might giue the honour and thankes vnto you Thirdlie through your care endeuour and expenses onelie these whole Sermons were gathered in from them that wrote them through your procurement onelie they were reuised corrected and made fit for the Printing by your meanes onelie nowe they see the light which without you had beene buried in darknesse Lastlie if it were free for vs to make choyse of a patrone wee woulde make choyse of none but you to testifie our thankefulnesse for your great vndeserued kindnesse shewed vnto vs particularlie yea and to all these whome the LORD hath set in His seruice So that in all respectes reason requireth that all these Sermons shoulde bee published vnder your patronage and protection For whereas your name was not prefixed vnto the first eleuen when they were first imprinted seeing by your endeuour charges and expenses onelie they were first set foorth nowe this occasion beeing presented wee might justlie haue beene blamed if that ouer-sight by vs had not beene amended Finallie Syr honour the LORD and Hee will honour you delight in His wayes and Hee will giue you your hearts desire weary not to doe good vnto the Saincts and He will recompense you
thinke we can haue none Heauenly glory and joy except wee haue this earthly body there It is true indeede the soule cannot haue so great joye as if the soule and body were together but it is also true that the soule beeing separated hath greater joye in Heauen than the soule and body can haue together in this earth Otherwise howe woulde Paul haue desired to haue beene dissolued he hauing that confidence and earnest-penny of glory except he had desired that joye in the soule Alas wee are so senselesse that wee thinke joye cannot come except wee get it in our earthly body And this is one part of our miserie Now in the next verse in a parenthesis he casteth in the cause why hee is absent from GOD and a pilgrime heere and saieth For wee walke by faith and not by sight As if hee woulde saye All the sight which I haue of Him is afarre of looke how farre the Heauens are distant from the earth also as far is IESVS distaÌ„t from the eye of the faithful soule there is onely a farre sight of Him heere all the sight of Heauenly glory which wee haue here is like a more in respect of that sight we shall geâ— it is so farre from thee that it seemeth not to bee the thousand part of that fulnes that it is indeed Thou seest it now as it were a more but thou shalt once see it as a mountaine in great fulnesse So Paul saith I see my LORD but afarre of there is a great distance betwixt the eye of my soule and Him besides this farnes such a mist ariseth out of the stinking body of corruption betwixt my LORD and me like a cloude that it hideth my LORDS face from me So there are two impedimentes which hinder vs from the full sight of CHRIST the first is the farre distance of place betwixt Him me the second is the smoke mist of my corruptioÌ„ that goeth in betwixt me Him and taketh the sight of my LORD from me Find yee not this in your selues by experience In the beginning of an houre thou shalt haue a sight of Him and againe ere the halfe houre bee past the sight of Him is away let bee a day or halfe a day Then maruell not suppose Paule complaineth of this that he cannot see CHRIST in respect of the farnesse and smoke that commeth betwixt them Would to GOD wee had a sense of this Who is he that once groneth for this and saieth Alas I am a pilgrime it is a farre sight which I haue of my LORD O! if my soule were loosed from my bodie that I might bee with Him Who can saye this No wee are all sleeping and there is none eye lifted vp to CHRIST in this great misâ—rie Wilt thou alwayes crie peace in such a miserie at last thou shalt be pressed downe to Hell Yet to insist vpon this verse We walke saith he by faith and not by sight Yee see heere then the condition of a Christian is walking not sitting nor sleeping hee must be afoote This worde is euer in the Apostles mouth 1. Thessal â— 6. Colloss 4. 2. c. Euer walking a pilgrime must not sit downe Thou art a pilgrime vpon thy journey towardes another countrey thou must not sit downe for otherwise thou shalt neuer come to thy journeys ende The seconde thing which I marke heere This walking must not be in darknesse but it must bee in light Woe to him that walketh in darkenesse for if hee were neuer so well occupied hee shall die in darknesse hee that walketh in darkenesse he shall get Hell for Hâ—ll is darknesse so that walking must be in light The light is of two sorts they are both set downe in â—…hrse The first is the light and knowledge of â—â—â—â—â— The second the light of presence and sight The knowledge of Faith is but a glimmering in respect of the other light that is by sight wheÌ„ thou shalt see CHRIST in His presence is a wonderfull light when Hee shall looke to thee and thou to Him the beames of His glory shall so strike on thee and cause thee shine that thou shalt bee astonished There is no soule but assoone as it commeth in His presence it will bee astonished and maruell that euer there was such a light in CHRIST Faith hath but a small light but the light by presence is marueilous Hâ—e shall translate vs to a marueilou light 1. Pet. 2. 9. All the Angels wonder at the light which is about the Lambe and thy soule when it shall come into glory shall stand wondering at such a glory and thy body when it shall followe shall wonder and all shall bee wondering at such a passing glory These are the two sights Would GOD wee coulde take heede to get a glaunce of that Heauenly glory then all the pleasures of this earth would bee but vanitie dirt and pelffrie to vs. The Lord yet open our eyes to get a sight of this glory These are two lights and as there is two lights so there is two kindes of walking The one is in this life the other in Heauen in the life to come In this life wee haue a small glimmering without any Sunne a blincke of light enuironed about with darknesse Therefore because of the want of light there is such stumbling in our walking in this life but when we shall walke in the Heauens with that Hâ—auâ—ly light of GOD with the countenance of CHRIST before our eyes then no staggering neither to this side nor to that because of that light that is in the face of CHRIST euer shining in our eyes The darknesse yee see is vnpleasant but the light is pleasant It is a wonderfull thing that wee shall get leaue to walke in that inaccessible light of GOD wherein the Father and the Sonne doe walke Brethren thinke on these things for these are the chiefe points of all All earthly thinges euanish when the Sunne goeth downe and darknesse commeth Therefore set your eyes vpon that glory which neuer shall euanish nor decay as euer ye wold desire to reign there These dayes require this preparation Certainely preaching and hearing will euanish and preaching beeing taken away faith will faile and without faith how can meÌ„ attaine to glory Therefore to keepe in the glory of this light we should earnestly crie LORD GIVE VS THIS WORD For if it bee taken away wee shall bee worse than they of Sodome and Gomorrha Now the Apostle hauing shewed this he commeth backe againe and saith Neuerthelesse we haue confidence c. He that hath confidence he will rejoyce to speake of it it swelleth so in his heart that of necessity it must bee vttered and hee will say once twise thrise I haue confidence â—uâ— nowe with confidence hee joyneth another thing to wit his loue to die and to slit out of the bodie to reigne with CHRIST Loue to die is the companion of confidence Hee saieth I haue confidence but I loue rather
faithfully to you Brethren see ye not heere the care which we should haâ—e of the glory of God of the Church of God and her saluation It should cause a man of this calling that Paul was of to be rauished in spirit and to be content to be counted a foole in this world that God may bee glorified and men helped forwarde to Heauen If God bee glorified in my madnes what regard I to be mad what respect is to be made of a maÌ„ in this world and what if men goe to ruine and decay so that God bee glorified But alas there is such a selfe-loue ingraffed in the heart of euery man that wee wil not suffer God to be honoured except it may stand with our honour we will say I will not be esteemed a foole I will not be disgraced if it may stand with mine honour and profite I will glorifie Him but if His honour and mine stand not together I will chiefely haue respect to mine own honour So it will neuer be well till wee get this cankred selfe-loue submitting it selfe to the glorie of God And it should be the greatest endeuour that euer we should haue in this world to cast out this selfe-loue that we may be content that God may bee glorified although it were to our dishonour yea though it were with our destruction It is not selfe-loue that bringeth honour and glory onelie honour is of God thou shalt neuer get honour except thou cast away selfe-loue that God may bee glorified Then to go forward Paul must haue somthing for him why he will bee mad for Gods cause hee will not bee mad without some reason therefore in the next verse he saith For the loue of God constraineth vs as if he would say I am constrained to this foolishnesse and a charge is laide on me to doe so I am bound and obliged so to doe that is to be a mad man for the glorie of my GOD. And from whence commeth this necessitie It is the loue of God saieth hee that constraineth mee this bande that bindeth me is the loue of Christ not the loue which I beare to Him that is too weake but the loue which Hâ—e beareth to mee it bindoth all my senses and vrgeth me to honour my God with my whole bodie These are the words Then the verie necessitie which lieth on thee to bee a mad man for GODS cause it is not a thing whereof thou canst free thy selfe there is a necessity aid on thee to bee counted mad for Christes cause Then if there be a necessitie laid on vs to doe this albeit it bee to our owne dishonour what if wee doe it not but will shake off this yoke Then I tell thee in place of it another necessitie must come in a necessitie of woe Paule saieth 1. Cor. 9. 16. Woe to me if I preach not the Gospell God hath laid this necessity on me to preach and if I cast it off another necessitie of woe shall be laide on mee Alas this world thinketh all this worshipping of God to be voluntarie that men may serue GOD as they please and that men may preach as they please this way or that way and speake heere and holde their tongue there as they will But I say to thee Wilt thou free me of that necessitie that lieth on mee Art thou able to take it off my backe If thou bee not able then for GODS sake let mee preach the Gospell with freedome and sinceritie of heart I tell thee There is such a necessitie laide vpon the shoulders of the Ministers to vtter euery thing which the Lord putteth into their mouthes that if thou shake off this necessity another necessitie of woe shall be laid vpon them And this shall be their crie on their dead-bed Woe to mee that I preached not the Gospell truelie Yet to goe forward From whence commeth this necessitie Hee saieth It is the loue of GOD that constraineth mee It is the loue of Christ which Hee shewed in His suffering for me that bindeth mee So it was the loue of Christ towardes Paule that moued him patiently to be called mad for Christs cause Christ for the loue which He did beare to vs suffered Himself not only to be called mad but to be called a Deuill Matt. 12. 24. He suffered the extremitie of paine and ignominie for our sakes and all the reuilinges and reproches that shoulde haue lighted vpon vs Hee tooke them vpon Him Such was His loue towardes vs. Then wilt not thou suffer to be called a mad man for His cause If thou wouldest haue a part of y e inheritaÌ„ce which Christ conquered thou must bee bound a necessitie must be laide vpon thee and if thou bee loosed thou art loosed from the loue of IESVS and then woe and euerlasting destruction shall come vpon thee I see then all our seruice of Christ is of necessitie Then what pleasure can bee in the seruice of CHRIST if it bee constrained seruice The thing I am compelled to doe I will haue little pleasure in the doing of it In deed it is true thou art not loose but bound From the time that thou enterest into the Church of Christ thou enterest into bonds but there is a great difference betwixt band and band one band will binde thee force thee to do a thing whether thou wilt or wilt not Another band will only leade thee the right way which thou art to goe Brethren this band that Paule speaketh of in this place it is a sweete band the band of the loue of Christ and it bindeth thee sweetly and louingly to discharge thy duety towards God and all thy duety by this band is voluntary and hee who is bound with this baÌ„d will rejoyce more to be called a foole for Christs sake than to be esteemed a king vpoÌ„ the earth But thou must take heed where this band is that bindeth thee that it may leade thee to doe thy duetie willinglie If the loue of Christ which is the band be outwith thee onelie sounding in thine eare as when it is tolde thee Christ loueth thee I tell thee it wil not bind thee All the preaching in the world will not bind thee if it be without thee Paul saith therefore Rom 5. 5. The loue of God is spread abroad in our hearts thorow the holy Spirit that is giuen vs. Then that that loue may binde thine heart it must bee powred in thee and when it entereth into the heart it looseth y e heart with such a sweetnesse to doe Gods will as is vnspeakeable it bindeth the heart with an exceeding joye Would to God wee had a taste of this loue All is but words There caÌ„ be no such sweetnesse as that is from once the Spirit hath powred the loue of Christ in thine heart then let all our trauels be when we heare of these things to get a sense of the loue of Christ in our hearts Al the powers in the world will not
mooue thee to doe thy duety so much as the feeling of this loue of Christ towardes thee And nothing will bee able to stay thee from Christ and honouring Him and it were with thine owne ignominie if once thou haue a sense of it In the next verse hee giueth two reasons why the loue of Christ constrained him The first reason is taken from that misery that Christ founde him in when he suffered for him The second is taken from the ende of the death of Iesus As to the first this was our miserable estate before Christ loued vs we were all dead how proueth he that If one be dead for all then were all dead if thou hadst not bene dead in vaine Christ died for thee if thou hadst bene but halfe dead as the Papists say who vaunt of their free will the Sonne of God had neuer died for thee if Paul had had this free will and so bene halfe dead Christ had neuer died for him and if there were none other argument but this To import that there is not a free wil nor sponke of godlines in mē by nature it is sufficient to say Christ hath died for all we were without all sponk of free will to good when Christ came Marke the force of the argument It is from that miserable estate and spirituall death wherein CHRIST found vs when Hee beganne to bestow His loue vpon vs. Wee were dead spirituallie in sinne dead in trespasses What is this corporall death to bee respected if thou bee dead in sinne thou art worse than a carion This spirituall death should moue vs to thinke that the loue of Christ was wonderfull towardes vs it should euer make vs aggrege that loue wherwith He hath loued vs Hee died for thee who was dead in sinne and trespasses and so an enemie to Him Who is hee saieth the Apostle that will die for his enemies Roman 5. 7. Thou being dead in sinne thou liuedst in sinne and so liuedst an enemie to the life of CHRIST And therefore thine heart can neuer sufficientlie aggrege the benefites of His death Men are miserable but alas they feele it not thou hast no want nor scant of miserie but thou wantest sense and the lesse feeling thou hast of thy deadnes the greater is thy deadnesse for the sense of death is the beginning of life the more thou wantest the sense of death thou art euer the deader the liuelier the sinner is leaping and playing in his wantonnesse the deader is hee in soule For hee hath a burthen vpon his backe that will presse him thorowe the earth and make him sinke to Hell one day and in the meane time he is running to his mischiefe and villanie and knoweth not that hee hath death euerlasting vpon his backe O wo be to that miserable catiue although he be a king Alas men are dead in sinne and halfe in Hell and will not consider it It is a pitifull thing to consider howe there is no sense of this infernall miserie that followeth vpon this death When it is tolde them The LORD hath died for them they will make none account of it The word of the Crosse of Christ hath beene to the multitude of this Land but a vaine sounde and they haue neuer esteemed of such a mercie And therefore what wonder is it to see these vexations O SCOTLAND thou shalt get another wakening thou hast so long contemned grace which is y e most precious thing that euer was The Lord cānot be Lord if He suffer so long contempt and lightlying of Christ and His loue vnpunished The seconde argument is taken from the ende and purpose that Christ had in dying looked Hee to this end that thou shouldest play thee and follow thine own lust that thou shouldest abuse that life which He had bought so deare with His precious blood No his purpose was that not only in his death satisfaction thou shouldest be justified coūted just but also that thou shouldest be sanctified that thou sholdest cast off the works of vncleannes dedicate thy life in holines to him it is said Rom. 14. 9. that he rose again that he might be Lord ouer thy life For there was neuer man that had such a right to an earthlie thing as Christ hath to thy life then doe what euer may pleasnte him if it were to die a thousand times if it were to bee a foole for His cause what euer may pleasure Him set thee to doe it or of necessitie thou shalt lose that life of thine But here is the misery Mē know not wherefore Christ died Will yee aske men and women when they are bathing themselues in wickednesse if they will goe to Heauen they will answere yes they will goe to Heauen before their feet be colde But vaine lowne thou neuer knewst Christes purpose in dying for thee His purpose was that thou shouldest be a new man and thou shouldest not liue to thine owne selfe but to Him And the end shall proue if thou proceed so liuing to thy selfe not to Him who died for thee that the death of Christ had neuer force in thee Therefore looke if thou liue to Christ and if thou doest so then assure thy selfe Christ died for thee Looke if in the morning thou canst say Lord thou died for me I will giue thee my life and consecrate to Thee this day all mine actions and all that I haue Well is the soule that can saye this way Then all turneth to this Seeing Christ died for me I will take this resolutiō I will liue to Him al my dayes The Lord grant vs this resolutiō that we may liue to Him in this life that herafter we may liue with Him in Heauen for euer To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST be all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FIFT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 16 Wherefore hencfoorth knowe wee no man after the flesh yea though wee haue knowne CHRIST after the flesh yet now hencefoorth know wee Him no more verse 17 Therefore if anie man bee in CHRIST hee is a new creature olde thinges are passed away Beholde all thinges are become new verse 18 And all things are of GOD who hath reconciled vs vnto Himselfe by IESUS CHRIST and hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation YEe hearde the last daye in the last part of this Chapter the reasons set down wherfore a man is bound and oblished in conscience to liue to God to consecrate his life his death and all his actions to Iesus Christ to wit First the loue of Christ constraineth and oblisheth vs so to loue Him againe that we be content euen to bee foolish to this world for His sake Another argument was taken from our own estate wherein we were when He shewed this loue of His vpon vs wee were dead in sinne and trespasses So this miserable condition that we did lie in which was the beginning of Hell euerlasting
science found out by man buâ— I shall get a naturall man that will comprehend it and oft times he will goe beyond the author himselfe But to this day there was neuer â— naturall man that could compreheÌ„d the wisdome of this Gospell For why she is spirituall supernaturall and aboue nature and therefore the naturall wit could neuer bee able to comprehend her I saye more to you the more a man hath of naturall wit and judgement the prouder hee is in his wit and stroke his owne head and thinke he hath a wise braine the more hee counteth of his owne wisdome the more shall this wisdome of the Gospell bee foolishnesse vnto him and euer the wiseâ—â— of the world accounteth the Gospell the greatest foolishnèsse I had rather take in hand to teach an idiot the Gospell and cause him to conceiue it â—â— God woulde giue mee grace than to take an high headed worldling that is puffed vp with the pride of nature to driue into-him one word of it Sillie ones who haue no conceite of their naturall wisdome will swallow it vp but a proude headed bodie cannot be capable of it Therefore the Apostle in this same first Epi. to the Cor. 3. 18. saieth veriâ— well Wilt thou be wise be a soole that thou mayest bee wise Renounce that reason of thine and take it captiue and make it a slaue otherwise thou shalt neuer see GOD to thy consolation for thy naturall reason is an enemie to God and His wisdom Roman 8.7 Hee giueth a reason in the end of the verse that testifieth that the Prince of this world knew not this wisdome yea not when it was laid open to them Hee saith For had they knowne it namely that great Prince Herode and Pilate that Romane President they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie They had not done such indignitie to Him as to naile Him to an ignominious crosse How aggree these two together The Lord of glorie and an ignominious crosse Howe stand these two The King of glorie and such a shamefull death Because they knew not His glorie they exponed Him to such an ignominious death Thou that canst not see the glorie of God in the Gospell thou wilt commit the most ignominious the moste villanous thing in the world No if Christ were heere thou wouldest crucifie Him againe And therefore finde not fault with Herode nor Pilate Or anie of them that crucified Him and think not that thou hadst beene free of it if thou hadst bene there No I tell thee Thou that seest not the glorie of the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST if such a deede were to be done thou wouldest haue a share in it It will not be speaking that will seru the turne Let men speake of this Gospell and all this wisedome what they will their deedes will euer bewraye them I will not giue one pennie for thy mouth for thy tongue for thy speaking yea for thy preaching if thou haue not deedes also in thy calling Art thou a King Art thou a Counseller Art thou a Minister If I see not good deedes in thine owne calling all thy wordes are but winde When thou hast stood vp and tolde that thou knowest CHRIST and vnderstandest His worde and Gospeâ—l and then in thy life wilt bee an enemie to CHRIST and wilt dishonour Him and His Gospell in thy calling thy doinges bewraye and vtter what stuffe is within thee The god of this worlde and thy malicious heart haue put out thine â—yes thou hast a blinde minde wherefrom thy deedes proceede Wilt thou crucifie IESVS CHRIST and expone Him to ignominie anie way and persecute and trouble Him in His members and then wilt stand vp and say thou knowest CHRIST thy doings testifie to y e world that thou art a lyar The LORD open mens eyes to knowe what it is to deale with CHRIST or His meÌ„bers As euer thou wouldest testifie to the worlde that thou knowest CHRIST honour Him and His Ministers both and honour His members for whatsoeuer is done to one of them in the earth good or euill Hee counteth it all done vnto Himselfe Saul Saul Why persecutest thou Me saith He to Paul Act. 9. 4. He standeth not here but goeth forward in her commendation mark the words I beseech you to weigh them that seeing the eminency of this Gospel ye may learn to stoup giue obedience to it Sciences are commended from their subjectes whereof they entreat if they haue a glorious subject they are accounted high accurate sciences but their was neuer science that had such a fair glorious subject as this Gospel which we preach What is the subject of it I cannot tell it in better words than are here set downe The things which the eye hath not seene neither the eare hath heard neither entered into mans heart All sciences of this world and wisdom found out by man are of things either visible that are seen with y e eye or of things audible heard with the eare or of things intelligible vnderstood with the mind If I cannot see thine inuention if I cannot heare it at the least I will get some apprehension of it in my minde I haue that aduantage But as for the subject of this wisdome thy naturall eye neuer saw it thy naturall care neuer heard it and it neuer entered into thy naturall heart and therfore whosoeuer wil see these things he must seek an cye that is more than natural that is supernaturall that is spirituall seeke an eare that is supernaturall and spirituall Goe to the heart content not thy selfe with a naturall heart seeke an heart that is spirituall and supernaturall For gaze with thine eye as thou wilt laye to thine eare as thou wilt if thou shouldest heare an hundreth Preachings if thou haue but a naturall care and a naturall eye thou shalt neither see not heare but in hearing thou shalt not heare and in vnderstanding thou shalt not vnderstand as the Prophet Esaias in the sixt Chapter and ninth verse saieth Therefore seeke at GOD an Heauenlie eare and an Heauenlie eye and saye LORD giue mee an Heauenlie eare and an Heauenlie eye that I may conceaue these thinges and apprehende them Nowe in the ende of the verse hee bringeth them downe for as high as they were and telleth what they are Which GOD saieth hee hath prepared for them that loue Him They are predestinated from all Eternitie and they are prepared in time for so manie onelie as loue the LORD Therefore loue IESVS and thou shalt get a part of them The lesson is this Wonderfull are the thinges that GOD hath prepared for them that loue the LORD IESVS But how shal I knowe that such high and sublime thinges are prepared for mee Art thou marked with this token and carriest thou it about with thee Louest thou the LORD how beit not so well as thou wouldest Accursed bee hee that loueth not the LORD let him bee an Anathema Maranatha as the Apostle saieth in the
euery sinne is in the heart of euery man in such sort that it wil make thee loath at it if thou sawest it but alas it is hidden from our eyes that wee cannot see it and therefore we loathe it not Againe in some men and women that seede of all lusts will breake out in actions A man that followeth harlotrie will bee a drunkard also an auaritious man will bee ambitious also c. It is a maruell to see howe manie sinnes will be reigning in one miserable slaue and to see howe that slaue will bee hurried from one sinne to another Fie on thee wilt thou neuer get thy fill of sinne thou shalt once bee filled with wrath and then thou shalt loathe at thy sinnes For albeit there were no more but one sinne in thee it is enough to cause thee to goe to Hell Nowe to goe forward Hee numbers out some of these concupiscences and the first is malice maliciousnesse in the heart against our neighbour Then commeth in her two daughters enuie and hatred When thou art sorie at thy neighbours weale and wouldest not see him thriue then thou wilt hate him There are three particulars and they are as manie pleasures to them that serueth them hee that hath malice thinketh himselfe neuer well but when there is malice in his heart from thence commeth enuie and the enuious heart is neuer well but when it speaketh euill of his neighbour for that is meate and drinke to it hee that hath hatred is neuer well but when hee hateth his neighbour and that is his meate and drinke Nowe I shall drawe these concupiscences into certaine rankes There are some of them against God some against our neighbour some against our selues amongst the which is intemperancie Fie on thee O Epicurian thou â—innest against thy selfe Now the Apostle in setting downe these concupiscences maketh a choise of the concupiscences against our neighbour for if we bee malicious against him wee are malicious against GOD. Whosoeuer is enemie to man hee is also enemie to God Now there is no harmonie amongst men that are onelie naturall For without GOD in Christ there is no true loue no true concord Put a man and a woman together without God will there bee anie concord there No for the dueties of the first Table are requisite for the discharging of the dueties of the second Table and must preceede them Howe canst thou loue thy wife or thy children without God No there is no true loue and the ende shall prooue it to haue beene but hatred onelie In the ende of the verse hee setteth downe two sortes of hatreds hee saieth hatefull that is hee that suffereth hatred then hee subjoyneth hating one another wee are odious to others and againe we hate others Alwayes marke one meeting here Thinkest thou to hate and not to be hated again It is but the just judgement of God that as thou enuiest and hatest thou also to bee hated and enuied What harmonie can bee heere when thou hatest mee and I thee No true concord but all is lose There is no conjunction but that which is in CHRIST IESVS When this conjunction is not amongst men awaye with all other conjunctions This is shortly the miserable estate wherein wee stood by nature before the participation of mercy in CHRIST Now I come to the other estate An alteration must bee made or else wee are gone For what can become of a body that dieth in madnesse Nowe looke howe wee are deliuered But saieth hee after that the bountifulnesse and loue of GOD our Sauiour appeared There is the way how our mercifull deliuery commeth on Yee reade not one word heere that man lying in misery began to find out a deliuery himselfe Ye reade not that the mad man of himselfe beginneth to take vp himselfe hee saieth not Then we took vp our selues No no we would haue lied long ere we had takeÌ„ vp our selues Then the naturall man waltering and wallowing in sinne and drinking in the foule pleasures thereof he will neuer take vp himselfe and let him goe on if hee should liue ten thousand yeeres hee will neuer bee the better but still worse and worse Can a man that is dead naturally thinke of any life to himselfe to rise vp and stand againe Not such a thing hee cannot so much as once thinke to rise vp Now Brethren we are all blacke dead spirituallie by nature there is not one spunke of that Heauenlie life in vs no more than in a dead bodie that is dead naturally there is a spunk of naturall life and we are not halfe dead only but are whole dead Can a naturall man once thinke of a spirituall life No and therefore Paul saith Ephes 2. 31. When wee were dead in our sinnes wee were quickned by CHRIST meaning that wee had no power in our selues to rise againe If it bee so then when I see a wicked man that hath beene seruing his foule lusts all his life-time take vp himselfe I will not saye that that man tooke vp himselfe I will say there is a dead man risen to life I will aske of thee In the beginning of the creation thoughtest thou of thy creation desiredst thou to thinke of it No no more thoughtest thou of thy regeneration thou thoughtest as little of thy second creation as thou thoughtest of thy first creation And therefore it is well saide Hee created thee without thee And as Hee created thee without thee so He redeemed thee without thee Darest thou saye that thou gauest counsell to thy redemption and thoughtest of it when GOD redeemed thee then how commeth this worke on We are preuented something appeareth that was hid there was one thing long hidden nowe it beginneth to shine And what was this bountifulnesse loue to mankinde it was hid and breaketh out And who is it that is bountifull is this any mans bountifulnes No it is the bountifulnesse of GOD and this quickning loue is GODS and that towards man And what God is this Hee calleth Him GOD our Sauiour For God is considered two wayes as a Creator and as a Sauiour It is the loue of Him as a Sauiour that is shewed to thee in thy Redemption And when was this loue reueiled when IESVS CHRIST came into the world and tooke vpon Him our nature then this loue brake out toward man Hee loued him from all Eternitie but it brake not out till then Marke then It is the loue of GOD that saueth it is GODS bountifulnesse that saueth our deliuerie behooued to proceede of a wonderfull bountifulnesse in God whereof the ground is loue If Hee had not loued thee Hee would not haue deliuered thee Then it is not a common loue which He beareth towards vs but there is a speciall loue in GOD to mankinde He loueth not these Heauens these Starres so well as Hee doeth men No Hee communicateth not the thousand part of those thinges that Hee communicateth to man either to the Heauens or to the
take it vpon thee it will presse thee to euerlasting damnation Then there is the meane of our saluation The mercie of GOD. Next hee laieth out the partes of our saluation abroade one by one that yee may see what saluation meaneth hee saieth By the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost There is the first part It is a washing of vs when GOD putteth to His hand to saue vs. Yee knowe washing presupponeth foulenesse therefore it must follow when GOD beganne to saue vs we were vnclene full of byles and botches conceiued and borne in filthinesse and then warbling and wallowing in our owne sinne and filthinesse and euer the longer wee liue we are still the filthier It is a maruell that that Holy GOD should euer sustaine to looke to thy filthy byles or to put His holie and pure hand to thy vile botches or to sende downe His cleane Spirit to dwell in thine vncleane heart or that any wayes His purity should meddle with thine impurity Amongst all the argumentes of His loue this is one When Hee putteth to His fair baÌ„d to thee that art so foule Findest thou thy sinnes pardoned and thy selfe purged washed assure thy selfe thou art safe and GOD hath loued thee For except the loue of GOD had beene all the greater towardes thee Hee woulde neuer haue purged thee from thy sinnes It is a sure token of His loue towards thee that it is infinite exceeding that He hath not loathed thee and thy filthie byles botches I see heere two washings one outwarde another inwarde the first in these wordes The lauer of regeneration the next Therenewing of the Holie Spirite The first is our Baptisme the next the inward washing and renewing by the Holie Spirite represented by this outwarde Baptisme As the vvater vvasheth away the filth from the bodie so the Holie Spirite purgeth vvasheth the heart from sinne I vvill speake but thus farre shortly of Baptisme The outwarde vvashing in Baptisme is not to bee looked to lightlie the powring on of the vvater is but a base signe to looke to yet it is not a bare signe of the vvashing of the Holie Spirite but it is the instrument that God taketh in His hand vvhereby He applieth â—o vs the inwarde vvashing of the Holie Spirite Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4 hee ascribeth our regeneration to Baptisme Wee by Baptisme are buried vvith Christ risen vvith Christ and if this meane bee conâ—emned there shall bee no regeneration if a man lightlie this Baptisme I affirme there shall be no renewing inwardlie by the Holie Spirit and if he be not renewed hee shall neuer bee saued for vvithout regeneration no saluation Ye see 2. Kin. 5. 10 vvhat vvas injoyned to Naaman the Syrien vvhen hee sought cleansing the Prophet bad him goe to the Iordane and vvash him seuen times But hee thought vvith himselfe What is this Are not there faire Riuers at home at Damascus Yea hee would not goe till hee tooke better counsell but so soone as hee vvent and vvashed himselfe seuen times hee vvas cleansed Euen so it is in Baptisme if a man contemne the outward vvashing hee shall neuer be cleansed by the Spirit This same is also true of the Sacrament of the Supper Count not therefore little of the Sacraments because God hath promised to giue Himselfe vvith the Sacrament if it bee rightly receiued Now looke howe long our regeneration is in working in this life the force of Baptisme continueth as long thou must be continually renewed tiâ—l thy last breath therefore the force of Baptisme must continue vvith thee to thy last breath It is a vanitie to thinke that the force of Baptisme standeth in the ministration of the action onelie no it leaueth vs neuer after wee haue once receiued it till vve be placed vvith Iesus Christ Haue thine eye still vpon Baptisme for it is a meane vvhereby the Lord vvill saue thee Further Brethren hee beginneth heere at regeneration Yee may see then the necessitie of regeneration Wouldest thou be safe looke that there bee a newe birth looke that thou bee borne ouer againe as Christ said to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Verilie I say vnto you except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. If thou bee not a new creature thou art not in CHRIST but without CHRIST and without IESVS CHRIST there is no saluation Yee see men woulde beguile themselues if they shoulde saye when yee aske of them Whether they will goe to Heauen or not They will answere Wee will goe to Heauen and yet in the meane time they will holde on the olde man and will neuer change their maners but that vaine opinion wil deceiue them 2. Corin. 6. 9. Bee not beguiled for no â—ornicaters adulterers murtherers drunkardes c. shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen If thou holde on the olde man thou shalt neuer bee safe IESVS CHRIST must beget thee a newe againe or els thou shalt neuer enter within the gates of Heauen Now when hee hath spoken of this inward and outward washing hee insisteth in this point concerning the Spirit and declareth from whom this Spirit commeth which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour We haue Him not our selues He that washeth vs is He that powreth on the precious lauer of the Spirit vvherby vve are vvashen Then the Spirit is from GOD. Is that Spirit from the Father immediately No He powreth Him in through IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour so immediatly this Spirit commeth from IESVS CHRIST but mediately from GOD as the Fountaine Hee commeth from the Father to the Sonne from the Sonne to vs. Iohn 15. 26. The cause of this order is this Hee is our Sauiour and hath bought vs vvith a deare price the Spirite is bought to vs by the blood of IESVS CHRIST His blood hath bought all which vve receiue and get by Him so He giueth His holy Spirit vvith all His graces by the hand of IESVS CHRIST the man Then if ye would haue the Spirit dresse your selues to that treasure in HeaueÌ„ and beseech God that He would vouchsafe to send that Spirit vpon you through IESVS CHRIST and giue you His grace by the hand of the man CHRIST Yet to open vp the vvordes more narrowly Which Hee powreth out c. He speaketh of the Spirit as it were of vvater the Spirite heere is compared to vvater because of the vvashing for as the one vvasheth the filth of the body so the other vvasheth the filth of the soule Hee is not content to say Hee powreth out the Spirit simply but hee saith aboundantly in a great measure as a flood in aboundance This teacheth two things to vs first the liberality of GOD Hee giueth not grace niggardly as men but vvhatsoeuer vvee gette it is in aboundance His loue is rich His mercy is rich the Spirit vvhich He giueth vnto vs is rich so Hee is liberall vnto vs. Then it followeth of this also that vve
shalt still be the worse So this testifieth that the object of our faith is the surpassing mercy of God Then if thou wouldest search y e nature of God and search Him a thousand yeeres thou shalt neuer come to the ground of His deepnesse search out especially His loue mercy a man may faile vanish away in curiosity searching y e deepenesse of God but in searching out His mercy thou shalt neuer erre it shall be with a joy cōsolation of the heart Paul prayeth for the Ephesians chap. 3 vers 18. that they might attaine to that infinite deepnesse breadth length height in God for God is infinitly deepe in all things but wherefore is it that he prayeth Euen that they searching in God should search that infinit profoundity of the loue of God Surely if wee would know that profoundity of God search in to His nature thē let vs search alwayes in to that loue mercy of God in IESVS Christ And this searching hath euer a grouth and increase in faith till wee get a sight of Him euerlastingly To go forward He is not cōtent to say with Him is gentlenes but he subjoynes with Him is great redemption the words grow in highnesse these words comprehēd set out a greater mercy in God than the former now y e mercy of God in Iesus Christ is not all told in a word alas for want of feeling we speake slenderly lightly of it no in very deed all the words and the greatest words in the world of the most holy most wise most eloquent men is not able to set out point out that infinit greatnesse deepnes of it and he she that once haue tasted of mercy scarcely can they find words to expresse the thousand part of it whē they haue gotten a little taste apprehension of it they are not able to get words to expresse that apprehension of the heart Paul commonly calleth it the riches of mercy God who is rich in mercy according to His infinit great loue c. Ephes 2. 4. Paul Dauid the rest of them cānot get words to expresse that apprehension of mercy that they haue in their heartes No there is no creature that is capable of that infinite mercy for the worke that y e Spirite of Iesus Christ doeth worke in the heart whether it be a sense of dolour or a sense of joy the tongue of no creature can tell or expresse Paul calleth it sighes inexpressible Peter calleth it joy vnspeakeable So y e heart cannot expresse the greatnesse of the worke of the Spirit Men will thinke them hyperbolicall words but that is a token that they haue not tasted that joy and mercy in their owne hearts Now in the last words he commeth neare hand makes a particular promise of His mercy to His Church He will redeeme Israel His Church from all her iniquity as hee would say I haue told you He is mercifull full of redemption but I come nearer hand Thou shalt finde in experience that Hee is mercifull full of redemptiō So it is not enough to the Preachers of y e word to preach Gods mercy and redemption generally to the world no they must come nearer hand in promising they must make to the hearts of the people a particular application and say not only God is mercifull but He will be mercifull vnto you and He is full of redemption and He shall redeeme you and so say I I haue not beene speaking of mercy and redemption that appertaineth not to vs but the Lord shal be mercifull and redeeme you if ye belieue in Iesus Christ for there is no grace but in Him If this particular application be not made the cōscience of sinne is so great that the sinner dare not put foorth his hand to receiue mercy Now to whom pertaineth mercy and redemption He saith Hee shall redeeme Israel that is the Church militant The Church is militāt in this world but redemption pertaineth to it in the ende But where from shall the Lord redeeme y e Church Not from persecution and tribulation in this worlde but from all her sinnes So this presupponeth first That the Church is full of sin so long as it is in this world This is but a vaine dreame to imagine that there shall bee a Church or any member of the same in this worlde without spot away with that vanitie So next the redemption of the Church standeth nor so much in freeing it from persecution or tribulation although she shall be redeemed from all these things also as from redeeming her from sin the chiese redemption shall be from sin for why the greatest enemy of the Church is her own sins it is her own sins that is the cause of all her persecution and it is sin that the Lord mortifieth and slayeth by persecution and tribulation for if there were no sin there would not bee such a thing as a persecuter or a tyrant against her and the greatest burthen that y e godly feele is alwayes their owne sins they were neuer vnder so great perfecution no crosse no trouble comparable to the burthen of sin Paul saith Rom. 7. 24 Miserable man who shall deliuer me Where from Not from persecution albeit he was subject to as great persecution as anie man but from this body of sin because hee could not get that obedience to God that hee would haue had And wherfore died Christ Was it to redeeme vs from persecution or crosses in this world No the Lord died that Hee might redeeme vs from sin with His precious blood And Paul to y e Corin maketh mention of that triumph that the Church shall haue when the Lord Iesus shall come O death where is thy sting Then she shall glory that she is redeemed from sinne and from offending of GOD. And that shall be our chiefe felicity in that life to come that our hearts thoughtes shall be free of all sinne we shall offend God no more but al shall be full of obedience to Iesus Christ and then shall we be fully sanctified and glorified when wee get that blessed presence of the Lord Iesus which wee long for To whome bee praise and glory for euer Amen THE XIIII SERMON MATTH CHAP. XV. verse 21 And Iesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyrus and Sidon verse 22 And beholde a woman a Canaanite came out of the same coastes and cryed saying vnto him Haue inercie on mee O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a deuill verse 23 But he answered her not a word Then came to him his disciples and besought him saying Sende her away for she cryeth after vs. verse 24 But he answered and said I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel verse 25 Yet shee came and worshipped him saying LORD helpe mee verse 26 And hee answered and saide It is not good to take
will extenuate sinne although it were but an euill thought against that inuiolable Majestie I knowe not whether such an one hath gotten remission of their sinnes or not and supposing they haue gotten remission of it yet it will bee but a little loue that they will haue vnto the Lord. But hee or shee that will come in and aggreadge their sinne though it were but a thought against that Majestie for thou art neuer able to aggreadge it enough and if thou find a remission of thy sinne then no man can thinke how heartily that bodie will loue the LORD for if once thou gettest grace to repent and to loue GOD thou mayest bee assured that thy sinnes though they were neuer so great neuer so weighty and many in number shall neuer hinder thee of grace and mercie And then againe I say to thee the greatest sinner y t counteth most of their sins once feeling y e remission of their sinnes euer the greater louer Paul an oppressor a persecuter blasphemer a wrongfull man once feeling the loue of the Lord forgiuing him O! how exceedingly loued he the Lord A penitent sinner shall farre surpasse them in loue that haue not sinned halse so much the world shall admire at him for his loue he shall be a miracle to all them that beholde him Now I proceed forward The Pharisie can judge well enough of this generall that hee that hath most forgiuen him loueth most and that loue is the effect of remission of sinnes Well art thou that louest the Lord for be assured that the Lord loueth thee and hath forgiuen thee thy sinnes But when it commeth to the assumption that that poore woman that sinful woman loued the Lord there hee erreth Beholde Brethren the light of nature and the blindnesse of nature by nature wee will know the generall well enough suppose thou haddest no more but that light of nature thou wilt confesse that a murtherer should die the death But if thou come to the particular O! but thou art a murtherer thou hast a bloodie heart a bloodie hand and thou art all bloodie Will anie man suffer that No no and therefore he will hold off this conclusion Therefore thou shouldest die the death and be takē to the place of execution and there lose thine head And would to God that our bloodie men whether they bee Noblemen lordes Earles Barons or others had bene headed long since for it is a maruell that plague solloweth not after plague continually till this land bee purged of this blood that cryeth continually in the streetes So the Pharisie could not belieue the particular that euer the poore sinner coulde get mercie hee was so hard a censurer of the poore woman But I count it nothing worth to judge vprightly in generall except also thou judge vprightly in particular The Iudges of the Land they will judge vprightly in generall but come to the particular to kinsfolkes friendes and alliances this man or that man with his bud O there there the judgement is peruerted Well is the Iudge that judgeth vprightly in particular for a Turke may judge vprightly in generall and woe is thee that judgest not vprightly in particular Now to come to the other part of the reason The Lord turneth Him to the poore woman and the more the Pharisie findeth fault with the Lord the more the Lord turneth Him toward her and saieth I say to thee Simon that this woman loueth mee more a thousand times than euer thou diddest If thou withholdest grace from a sinner then in despite of thy teeth the Lord will heape grace vpon him The assumption is this This woman loneth me exceedingly then the conclusion will follow in the owne roome Therefore this woman certainly hath all her sinnes forgiuē her Then He declareth the assumption by waye of comparison with the Pharisie Thou calledst me to dinner saith hee but this woman loued me better than thou doest I entered into thine house and thou gauest mee no water to my feat after the fashiō of the countrey but she hath washed my feet with teares looke if this be a token of loue then againe Thou gauest me no kisse after y e fashion of the countrey but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete Then Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint but shee hath anointed my feete with ointment therefore shee loueth me better than thou Nowe the Pharisie coulde not discerne of the penitent sinner but the Lord letteth him see that Hee can discerne betwixt an hypocrite a true penitent sinner there Hee hath payed him in his owne hand And the Lord letteth vs see that He taketh heede and shall take heede to the ende of the worlde to the least thing that thou doest for His cause to anie of His. Who wuld haue thought that the Lord woulde haue taken heede to this The Lord will take heede who giueth Him water to washe His feete which is but a sober office The LORD will take heede who will stoupe downe and giue Him a kisse and washe His feete with teares The LORD will take heede who will bestowe common oyle to anoint Him with or who will bestowe precious ointment on Him and in the Great daye when all secretes shall bee reuealed looke if Hee tooke heede what wee were doing in the worlde Matth. Chapter 25. verse 34 Hee will saye Thou gauest Mee nothing when I was heere in the worlde thou visitedst Mee not and hee will point out place time and all the circumstances vnto thee Then Brethren if the LORD taketh so good heede what wee doe vvell is the soule that giueth but a piece of bread to an hungrie bodie for CHRISTES sake or a coate to a naked bodie for His sake And therefore euer haue Him before thine eyes and saye LORD I giue this to Thee that Thou mayest not say to me when Thou commest to judge the worlde Thou gauest Mee nothing Nowe I heare there is a great pouertie and famine in this Land and woe vnto them that are the instrumentes of hunger Let vs bee so farre from this to bee the causes thereof that on the contrarie wee may pintch our selues that wee may spare vpon the needie for I see the LORD will trie our liberalitie Therefore let vs spare vpon the poore in this Land that wee maye heare of the LORD in that Great daye Come yee blessed of My Father for yee gaue Mee meate and yee gaue Mee drinke in this worlde And further wee see heere the tryall of an hypocrite Howe shalt thou knowe an hypocrite The LORD layeth downe the rule Yee shall knowe them by their fruites Matth. 7. 16. Yee shal know by their doings an hypocrit hath many fair words I doubt not but this Pharisie whē he inuited the Lord to dinner had many faire words but there shall be little doing at the least hee shall neuer doe anie thing heartily Where is this Pharisies humilitie Hee offereth not to wash the Lordes
feete who was euer traueiling and journeying nor to kisse the Lord when He entered into his house after the fashion of the countrey nor shewed none heartsomenesse towards the Lord. An hypocrite can neuer doe any thing heartily neither to God nor man Then wouldest thou know a true Christian man or woman Yee heare neuer a word out of her mouth all this time that she is washing the Lordes feete with teares kissing them anointing them with ointment So a true Christian hath few wordes but many deedes One good deede is worth ten words And when thou speakest looke that thy wordes bee heartie and sauour of loue Looke that thou blesse not with thy mouth and curse with thine heart whatsoeuer thou doest doe it heartily and though thou were but presenting a cuppe full of colde water to a poore bodie do it heartily then the Lord shall count wel of it though it were neuer so litle Looke what sentence the Lord giueth out concerning y e poore woman that presented two mites Hee saieth shee gaue more than they all did Luke 21. 3. Whatsoeuer thou doest doe it for the loue of the LORD still waiting for that day wherein the LORD shall reward thee It is true indeede that hee who hath anie discretion will discerne the heart by the verie deede of the hand And hee or shee that hath any heartsomnesse inwardly it will be manifest and vttered in the verie deede of the hand outwardlie But stand thou not vpon the sight of any man in the world But say Lord thou seest the heart thou seest with what heartinesse I doe this And whatsoeuer thou doest striue euer to do it with heartsomnesse for Iesus Christes sake so in doing thou shalt haue joye No man can doe any thing heartilie or joyfullie but they who haue their eyes vpon the Lord. Ye haue heard the proposition the assumption also now He commeth to the conclusion and He concludeth as it were in the teeth of the Pharisie Therefore her sinnes are forgiuen her Not that this loue is the cause of the remission of her sinnes but as a sure argument and testimonie of her faith Her loue toward Christ preceeded not nor went before the assurance of the remission of her sinnes but it followed as a true token So it is an argument not from the cause but from the effect that testifieth assuredly that the cause is and hath proceeded that is that shee hath faith in Iesus Christ Howbeit the Papistes abuse this place gathering heere that the loue which this woman caried to Iesus was the cause of the remission of her sins But I leaue them to their owne vanitie Now Brethren after the example of this Pharisie I shall neuer judge euill nor be a sharpe censurer of a penitent sinner for the poore sinner that beleeueth once in Iesus Christ and repenteth and taketh purpose of amendement for faith and repentance goe euer together a sinner that beleeueth in Iesus Christ will repent and hate and detest sinne to the death wherewith hee hath offended God for when hee hath once tasted of mercy then will hee saye Alas that I haue offended so louing and so mercifull a Father for after that hee hath once gotten a sense of the infinite mercie of GOD all his displeasure will bee that euer hee hath offended so louing and so mercifull a Father I saye such a sinner maye bee assured of forgiuenesse Nowe marke the Lordes answere to the Pharisie He saith not howbeit shee be a sinner yet shee is penitent and loueth mee but Hee saieth shee is no sinner all her sinnes are taken awaye for except all her sinnes had beene taken away and purged by Him it is most true y t the Pharisie thought to wit the LORD would not haue suffered her to haue touched Him Hee would not haue receiued the kisses of her mouth nor the teares of her eyes No the LORD IESVS that Holie One if thou bee not made as vvhite as the snowe and all thy sinnes bee not purged Hee vvill not suffer thee once to touch Him nor to kisse His feete It is a vvonderfull thing to see such a suddaine change in an instant that so vile and so vncleane a bodie shoulde bee so pure and so cleane Howbeit the bodie vvere as redde as the blood and as the Scarlet as the Prophet Esay saieth in the first Chapter of his Prophesie and the 18. verse yet suddainlie Hee vvill make it as vvhite as the snowe and the vvooll Indeede it is true thou wilt neuer bee purged from the remainentes of sinne so long as thou art in this life but yet notwithstanding if thou put on that righteousnesse of Iesus Christ by faith God shall count thee as clean as a glorious Angell in His sight Nowe vvhen Hee hath ended the speech to the Pharisie at the last Hee speaketh to the vvoman not thinking it enough to speake in her hearing vnto the Pharisie but to the greater joye and consolation of the poore vvoman Hee speaketh to herselfe Thou vvill runne in and out hither and thither to gette a vvorde of the king and vvhy not if so thy necessitie require but striue to get a vvord out of the mouth of IESVS Kings manie times vvill giue thee flattering vvordes but the LORD when Hee speaketh vnto thee Hee vvill speake in trueth and vvith vvonderfull loue vvhen Hee saieth to thee Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy sinnes are forgiuen thee indeede for the vvord of the Lord hath an operation vvith it for if He once call thee an Holie One thou wilt be so indeede The worde of the Lord worketh in thee the thing that Hee speaketh most powerfullie for Hee calleth these thinges that are not and by calling Hee maketh them to bee So the Lord filleth her heart with joy her heart no questiō began to find joy whē she was speaking to y e pharisie Nowe Hee filleth vp her joye for the fulnesse of joye is not gotten in an instant all joye is in the face of Iesus Christ Thinke yee not but this woman when she heard this word conceiued an vnspeakeable joye in her heart And I say vnto euerie one of you who as penitent sinners will bewaile your sinnes and mourne for offending of GOD and will purpose to wash the feete of IESVS with teares and wipe His feete with your haire as the Lord hath giuen mee commission to speake Repentest thou sinner of thy sinnes Thinkest thou to amende thy life Detestest thou thy sinnes Beleeuest thou assuredly Louest thou the Lord I say to thee Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee in the blood of that same Iesus whom thou louest so well Nowe a worde and so I shall ende When Hee hath spoken thus comfortably to the woman the Pharisic beginneth againe to interrupt and to impede Him if it had beene possible to hinder the woman of her saluation The rest about the table scorneth Him What is hee this quod they that taketh vpon him to forgiue sins He taketh
professe or followe Christ what can bee more hard But suppone reason were conuinced and the mouth thereof closed that it coulde gette no shift to answere yet thinkest thou so to bee quite of thy selfe No the will and the affections will stand obstinately against the judgement of the minde and follow out and pursue that which the minde discearneth to be euill So thou mayest easily see that there is nothing more harde than to gette this Regeneration yea thou mayest see that it is a thing altogether impossible except that Almighty Spirit of God be present and worke it effectually in the soule all the kings of the earth with all their weapons and engines of warre cannot be able to doe it No all the Angels in Heauen are not able to accomplish this worke The weapons of our warre-fare saith Paul are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holdes casting downe imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. There is no power in Heauen or earth but onely the Spirit of God that is able to renewe one creature And this power is granted to this our Ministerie the preaching of the Euangell Let great men let worldly men esteeme of it as they please God hath ordained this Ministery to minister this wonderfull power whereby the soules of men shall be regenerate Further thou must vnderstand that this Regeneration is not perfected in an instant but in processe of time it must continue all the dayes of thy life so long as thou liuest albeit thou liue a thousand yeeres this olde man will not bee perfectly and altogether mortified and slaine till the houre of death Thou must all the dayes of thy life-time be groaning vnder the burthen of sinne subject to crosses and troubles away with light-headed sinners who saye they woulde alwayes haue their heartes vp sadnesse becommeth a sinner well and thou must striue to finde the newe man to bee renewed degree by degree piece and piece euen till at last death bee swallowed vp of life and mortalitie of immortalitie And if thou wouldest haue this worke to goe forward in thee then set euermore Iesus thy Lord and thine head before the eyes of thy soule looke vpon Him with the eyes of faith for it is only His presence the sight of His glory that worketh this marueilous change for there is a great oddes betweene the sight of His glorie and the sight of the glorie of worldlie Princes for the sight of their glorie will not change thee nor make thee glorious but vanisheth awaye in a moment But the sight of the glorie of IESVS shall change thee and make thee glorious whensoeuer thou beholdest Him either by faith in this worlde or else face to face in the Kingdome of Glorie For when thou beholdest Him with the eyes of faith heere thou shalt bee changed according to the measure of thy faith and because thy faith is imperfect thy change heere must bee imperfect but when thou shalt see Him face to face and beholde Him as Hee is then shalt thou bee like vnto Him in glorie thy change shall bee perfect His presence shall bee effectuall to change thy vile bodie and to fashion it like vnto His owne glorious bodie when thou beholdest His glorie thou shalt bee changed into the same glorie Therefore yee see what neede wee haue to finde this Regeneration begunne in vs heere and to finde a continuall progresse therein all the dayes of our life that so wee maye bee assured that the LORD shall crowne His worke in vs with glorie in IESVS And nowe to ende then surelie yee see that corruption mischiefe and venome euerie man without exception communicate vnto their children by naturall generation Therefore Brethren this is mine exhortation to all both to great and small I except none from the King to the Begger Striue as yee are instrumentes of generation so to bee instrumentes of regeneration that your children maye bee taken out of nature and planted in grace and so bee made members of the mysticall bodie of IESVS CHRIST Striue to bring them vp in the knowledge of CHRIST that so yee maye bee free of that heauie judgement which remaineth for all such as neglect this duetie towardes their children and that yee maye see GODS blessing vpon your children heere and maye haue hope of that eternall life and glorie heereafter which the LORD hath promised to His owne in CHRIST IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT three persons and one GOD be all Honour Glorie Praise Power Dominion both now and euermore So bee it THE XVII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 12 Therefore I thanke him who hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for hee counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice verse 13 When before I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressour but I was receiued to mercie for I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Jesus IN this Text beloued Brethren in Iesus Christ there is set downe to vs a notable example of thankfulnesse to God in the person of the Apostle Paul for that great and incomparable mercy which the Lord bestowed vpon him not onely in forgiuing him his grosse and manifold sinnes but also for setting of him in His seruice and for the committing to him the message of reconciliation making him an Apostle to preach repentance and remission of sinnes to others As the mercies which he found were wondrous great so is hee wondrous carefull alwayes to testifie his thankfulnesse to GOD And to the ende the more chearefully he may praise thanke God hee considereth and setteth downe by degrees and in order his vnworthinesse and the euill deedes that he did notwithstanding whereof the Lord extended His mercy most aboundantlie towardes him To come to the wordes Hee saieth Therefore I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Jesus our Lord These wordes depend vpon the verse immediately going before hee saide before that the glorious Euangell of Iesus Christ was concredite to him for the which cause he bursteth forth in thankesgiuing and hee saieth Therefore I will be thankfull to Him who hath concredited it vnto mee Then yee see his thankfulnesse ariseth on two considerations First vpon the consideration of the excellency of the Euangel of Iesus Christ The Gospell is glorious in it selfe and it is come down from the blessed God next vpon the consideration of his owne vnworthinesse looke howe worthie the Gospell was as vnworthie was hee then considering that so worthy a thing was giuen vnto him and that hee himselfe was so vnworthy hee knoweth not what thankes to giue he cannot deuise what manner of waye to testifie his thankfulnesse If once wee could see what God were howe