promise Let vs come then to it The first Obseruation that I made vpon the reference of If and Then was this We may not exspect what God doth offer except we performe what God requires In conceiuing the mysterie of our Redemption we must obserue a double method of God the one according to which he resolu'd on it the other according to which he was pleased to communicate it If you looke vnto the first method that was first in Gods intention which was last in his execution he resolued first vpon the End to manifest his Mercie and Iustice in sauing a certaine number out of the Masse of perdition and leauing others to perish therein through their owne default and he made choice of and proportioned such meanes as in his wisedome might seeme fitest to compasse this End If we denie this we make Gods prouidence more indiscreete then is vsually that of well aduised men for in all their deliberations they begin at the end and according to the rule of wisedome Finis praescribit speciem mensuram mediorum they dispose all things answerable thereunto But as when men haue done their deliberations and giue order for their worke they prescribe first the meanes in their order and by those meanes will haue such as they imploy to compasse those Ends euen so doth God setting men in time on the way to their saluation wherevpon he was eternally resolued lead them first to the meanes without which it is not his pleasure they should euer come vnto their happie End These two methods must not be confounded the method of publishing the Gospell with the method of Gods making the first Decree thereof The Decree of sauing men did not runne the same way with the Decree of bringing men to saluation I would not obserue this darke point vnto you but that our English Anabaptists are become plaine Arminians as their Pamphlets shew which they scatter abroad to corrupt the people The ground of the errour of both as the learned may perceiue in ripping vp their discourses is the confounding of these different Decrees and Methods when they studie the mysterie of our saluation But let vs come to plaine matter God from the beginning though he were Lord of all and might at his pleasure giue Law to any yet hath he proceeded with his reasonable creatures by way of Couenant now a Couenant consisteth of mutuall stipulation or promise Gods to Vs and ours to God so runneth the Law Hoc fac viues to doe Gods will was to be our promise and Gods promise was to giue vs life so runneth the the Gospell Crede saluus eris we must yeeld Faith vnto God and God will bestow saluation vpon vs It is the first thing children learne in their Catechisme as they are taught that by Baptisme they are made children of God members of Christ and heires of the Kingdome of heauen so likewise are they taught that by their suerties they haue vowed to renounce the diuell and all his workes the pompe and vanities of this wicked world to beleeue the Articles of the Creed and keepe Gods holy Commandements There is then a mutuall conditioning betweene God and man man with God so Iacob Genes 28. which is generally to be obserued in all votiue Prayers God with man here and elswhere Deut. 28. And yet we may not mistake for there is great odds betweene these Conditionings for when God conditioneth with man hee asketh nothing but what was due to him before all the obedience wee can performe is due by our natiue allegeance the allegeance which a Creature oweth to his Creatour but we in our conditioning with God may not desire ought of God which he hath not first promised for no Creature may carue to himselfe hee must be contented with that which God will vouchsafe him and whatsoeuer he offers vnto vs is such as whereunto we haue otherwise no right Adde hereunto that we may bee sure of God that what he offers he will performe for with God there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change Scio cui crediderim Iam. 1. But he cannot bee so sure of vs Omnis homo mendax we neuer abide stedfast in our Couenant But Gods conditioning with vs I must open vnto you a little more fully Know then that though what God requires wee must performe yet performe it out of our owne strength we cannot originall sinne hath dâ—â—inabled vs and by adding actuall vnto it wee are made lesse able though in regard of their natural gifts there is inequalitie betweene men yet a bono caelesti omnes aequè auersi nisi discriminet gratia God requires that we should heare his voice 1 Cor. 2.14 beleeue in him but a naturall man cannot perceiue the things of God yea hee will winke with his eyes and stop his eares least â—ee should see and heare returne and bee saued God requires that we keepe his Couenant 〈◊〉 8. but the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God it is not it cannot be subiect to his Law Yea so impotently are we giuen to spirituall fornication that though God graciously wooe Vs yet gracelesly we reiect him Thereis no remedie then but the condition which God requires on our part must remaine vnperformed except he giue vs grace wherewith to performe it he must giue vs supernaturall power to performe this supernaturall worke 1. Cor 47 Quis te discernit Quid habes quod non accepisti He biddeth vs heare his voice beleeue in him whereas faith is his gift he must purifie our hearts by faith He biddeth vs keepe his Couenant and loue him but Charitie is a fruit of the Spirit Acts 1â— and this fire must be kindled from heauen God must circumcise our hearts and make vs keepe his lawes Dat non tantum nouas reuelationes sâ—d bonas voluntates for no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him Ex nolente faciens volentem as saith Saint Austin But if God giue that which we must giue to God how is the worke ours Surely thus though God giue the abilitie yet hee will haue vs make vse of it vse the eye of faith which he doth illighten and so obey his voice vse the Charitie wherewith he doth seasen our hearts and set our affections vpon him let it be our chiefest care to hold fast vnto him if we doe so we shall be reputed performers of the condition for grace doth not take away the libertie of our will though it giues new qualities working vpon it not onely Physically but morally also Yet here againe remember that we need a second grace that we may make vse of the first for our vnderstanding though enlightned may bee circumuented with Sophistrie and our will may bee transported with vanitie euen after God hath sanctified it though otherwise the Will doth tend naturally to good when it is sanctified as the vnderstanding to truth It is cleare in Adam and Eues case
profit or pleasure how doth the couetous man toyle himselfe out of the Loue of money the ambitious out of the Loue of honour the faulconer the Huntsman out of Loue of their sports Guesse by them how cheerefully wee would bee doing good if wee were prepossessed with Loue for Loue sweetens all paines yea guesse by Lust what Loue can doe that goeth vpon much surer grounds Loue doth not onely facilitate our doing but our suffering also out of loue to their wiues and children what hunger what thirst what wounds doe Souldiers endure But beyond all goe the sufferings of the Martyrs of whose wonderfull patience and constancie therein you can giue no other reason but Loue They loued not their liues vnto death Gal. 5. because they did loue to keepe Gods commandements I begin now to vnderstand S. Paul against Loue there is no Law for though there were no Law yet he that loueth would readily obey hee needs no other obligation 1. Ioh. 5. â— to whom to doe his dutie is a very pleasure I now begin to vnderstand Saint Iohn The commandements of God are not grieuous for griese and loue cannot stand together it is rather a griefe not to doe that which our soule doth loue You see then that God could not prouide an easier commandement for vs then Thou shalt loue And could he haue prouided a happier No verily for though amor bee sui praemium it carrieth contentednesse in the very nature of it yet as if that would not satisfie all the requisites vnto felicitie are distinctly ascribed vnto it Whereof the first is freedome of Spirit hee in whom Charitie is hath exchanged the spirit of bondage for the spirit of Adoption then which there cannot bee a more ingenuous a more free spirit So that whereas no obedience pleaseth God but that which is voluntarie it is Charitie that maketh vs such seruants as God requireth A second requisite vnto felicitie is store or plenty of prouision and what better purueyer can we haue then Charitie Looke how farre it extendeth so farre it enritcheth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke how many friends so many supplies wee haue of our wants and if all men were true friends Hom. 5. adps â—ul Astiâ—ch no man could want that which another man hath The last requisite is securitie and there it no guard to the guard of Loue for by Charitie it commeth to passe as Chrysostome wittily obserueth that one man is as many men as he hath friends whether you respect acquisitionem bonorum or depulsionem malorum so many paire of eyes to watch for him so many paire of hands to defend him so many paire of feete to trauell for him so many heads to aduise tongues to speake hearts to encourage and what better munition would a man desire God commends Charitie when he vouchsafed to heare Iob for his friends and in the 41 Psalme shewes that nothing is more detestable then treachery in friendship Would time permit me I should shew you that there is nothing like vnto Charitie that doth proue a man to be a man and turne a man into a God Some guesse that Homo hath his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to note that hee is a sociable Creature but it is out of question that Ratio and Oratio were giuen him for this purpose that men might haue communion one with another Take Charitie out of his tongue what is it but an vnruly euill as Saint Iames calleth it full of deadly poyson a world of wickednesse a firebrand of hell that is able to set the world on fire Take Charitie out of the reason of a man then that will proue true which God told Noah The frame of the thoughts of the heart of man are onely euil and that of Ieremie The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked So that you may seeke a man and not find him in a man if Charitie be away But season him with Charitie and then shall you see the excellencie of a man his tongue will be a tree of life and the issues of life will come out of his heart as Salomon teacheth in his Prouerbs I told you that Charitie doth also turne a man into a God for God is Charitie and hee that dwelleth in Charitie dwelleth in God and God in him Therefore Christ commending Charitie giueth this reason that wee may be like vnto our Father in Heauen It is not without cause then that Saint Iames calleth it the royall Law of liberty and Saint Paul the supereminent way Other gifts saith Saint Austin are giuen by the Spirit but without Charitie they become vnprofitable Vbi Charitas est quid potest obesse Vbi non est quid potest prodesse In God it was Charitie that set the rest of his Attributes on worke when he made when hee redeemed the world and our abilities will all bee idle except they bee set on worke by Loue and if Loue stirre all will come plentifully from man as they doe from God Finally as Charitas is omnium hominum so omnium horarum locorum nunquam nusquam excluditur Which cannot be said of any other affection there is no man that may not loue and that at all times and in all places Wherefore God hath laid this fundamentall Law Dilige then which there is no more excellent gift and it is the immediate ground of Pietie the roote of all morall vertues and Theologicall also as hereafter you shall heare and heare that hoc vnum necessarium LEt vs now beseech the God of Loue so to sweeten our nature with his holy spirit of Loue that being rooted and grounded in this fundament all Law all our workes may be done in Loue. AMEN The third Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. With all thy Heart and with all thy Soule and with all thy Mind OVt of those first words of this Verse Thou shalt Loue you haue beene taught What it is to Loue and who it is that is bound to obserue this vertue We must now come on and see in the next place what is the seate of Loue and in my Text we find that it is pointed out in three words the Heart Cap. 12. Cap. 10. the Soule the Mind Moses Deuter. 6. and out of him S. Marke and Saint Luke adde a fourth which is Strength The words may be taken confusedly or distinctly Confusedly and so they will teach vs onely in grosse the seate of Loue. Distinctly and so they will shew vs that these parts which are the seate of Loue are ordinate and subordinate Ordinate ad intra as Loue must be within vs and ordinate ad extra as Loue must bee employed without vs. Subordinate for one of the parts is imperatiue or definitiue the other are Imperatae definitae And out of altogether wee shall learne that Charitie is a Catholike and transcendent vertue I purpose to handle these words both wayes as they are taken confusedly and as they
the Corinthians to glorifie God with their bodies and with their soules hee addeth this reason for they are Gods Well then wee haue found faire grounds of this Measure for if God be such and such to Vs as you haue heard the only louely thing and all that can be beloued and we are all his and all that we haue is due vnto him both by Nature and by Grace then ought wee with All to expresse our loue towards him But what is it to loue him with All Surely it is to loue him sine Diuisione sine Remissione none of our abilities must bee diuided none of them must be slacke in doing of this worke First of the Diuision We must not diuide our Heart that is as the Scripture speaketh haue a heart and a heart a heart for God and a heart for the world will that which God willeth and fulfill the will of his enemies also as if we would keepe good correspondencie with both we must alwayes will the same thing and our will must conforme it selfe only vnto Gods if it doe not we doe not loue God with all our heart because our heart is diuided As our Heart must not bee diuided no more must our Minde wee must not bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double minded vnstable in our resolution wee must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Meteors hanging in the ayre betweene Heauen and Earth or as Elias told the Israelites halt betweene two betweene God and Baal make all Religions indifferent and thinke that we may aswell partake of the Table of Deuils as of the Table of the Lord and like waues of the Sea be tossed vp and downe with euery blast of vaine doctrine but wee must captiuate our wits wholy vnto Gods Wisdome and bee so resolute in abiding by his truth that if an Angell from Heauen should bring vs any other doctrine then that which we haue receiued from God that Angell must bee accursed If our faith in God bee not so fixt our Minde is diuided wee doe not loue God with all our Minde As we must take care that these Reasonable faculties be not diuided so must we take care also of the Vnreasonable of our Soule that is the Concupiscible facultie I told you that hath two works the one to long after that which we would haue the other to delight in it when we haue it neither of these should bee diuided and why they must both attend the Will we may not long for that which we may not will neither may we delight in that for which we may not long If wee long for more things then we doe will non benè currimus we take not the right way to blisse we fall into by-pathes and if we delight in more then wee should long for non benè quiescimus wee take vp our rest where we shall find no rest we haue a diuided Soule wee doe not loue God with all our Soule as we should The other Vnreasonable facultie is noted by our strength they call it the Irascible facultie and it is that Courage wherewith we encounter those difficulties which either crosse our Longings or interrupt our Delighting this must not be diuided for this must attend the Soule the Longing the Delighting thereof it must bend all its force to further that that so it may be both constant in longing and perseuerant in delighting It must not be like Metius Suffetius that wicked Neutrall looke on and be readie to fauour the strongest side much lesse must it take part with the aduerse if our Courage be thus diuided wee doe not loue God with all our strength for we should imitate King Dauid to whom the Scripture beareth witnesse that when hee offered he offered to God with all his strength 8. Chron. 29.2 and so did he with all his strength daunce before the Arke whatsoeuer abilitie we haue we should imploy it to the best aduancement of the loue of God 2. Sam. 6.14 You haue heard the first impediment of louing God with all our heart c. I told you of another which is Remisnesse or slacknesse and this followeth necessarily vpon the other for as a riuer that runneth strong in one channell will haue a more weake current if it bee diuided vpon that principle Vis vnita fortior so fareth it with our abilitie Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus a man cannot diuide and intend either his heart or his mind or his soule or his strength as he ought Touching this Remisnesse in the seruice and loue of God take a Similitude from Musicke He that playeth vpon an Instrument may strike euerie string b◠doe it negligently or weakely Psal 81.92.149 150. and so impaire much of the sweetnesse of the Musicke therefore in the Psalmes those Leuites that were the Musitians are called vpon not onely to sing and to play but to sing lustily and with a good courage and to praise God vpon the loud Cymbals and vpon the high sounding Cymbals Hath God care of Instruments Speaketh he not it rather for our soules To intimate their deuotion to God Psal 108 8. Psal 103.1 Surely King Dauid thought so when he said Awake Harpe and Lute I my selfe will awake right early and doth not more often call vpon his Instrument then vpon himselfe to praise and serue God Praise the Lord O my Soule and all that is within me praise his holy name So that it is not enough to giue euerie part vnto God except euerie part do its best to Loue. I might carie you through all the parts and shew you what is the Remisnesse of them Of the Heart which is a willing-nillingnesse or a nilling-willingnesse of the Mind which is a wauing doubtfulnesse of the Soule if the longing be faint and the Delighting haue in it Acediam or a loathing of the strength if it sinke or shrinke If any of our abilities bee thus impaired then is there a Remisnesse in them which hindreth our louing God with all our Heart But I chuse rather to point it out in a generalitie by two Markes one of which the Scripture setteth vpon the thing beloued the other vpon true Louers The thing beloued is said to be Sweeter then Honie and the Honie-combe more to be desired then gold then much sine gold more precious then pearles and most costly stones finally nothing desireable is comparable to it If wee doe not conceiue so of the obiect of Loue The Lord our God there is apparent Remisnesse in our Loue. The marke set vpon the true Louers is Psal 63.1 Psal 42.1 Cant. 2 5. they compare themselues to parcht ground which gapeth after the raine to a chased Hart that brayeth after the water brookes to those which are Loue-sicke If we find not such a passion in our selues then is there likewise a Remisnesse in our Loue Read Psal 84. that which was the commendation of the Macedonians must be affected by all Christians in the
we become Blessed We become Blessed then not by hauing but by enioying for if hauing were enough euerie creature should be Blessed for all creatures haue him because they cannot be without him yea they liue moue and haue their being in Him Acts 17.28 But onely reasonable creatures are capable of happinesse for they onely can see God and take their Delight in God The vnderstanding and the will are those immediate faculties whereby we partake the Soueraigne Good each by a double Act First the Eye of the vnderstanding being illightned doth discouer it then doth the will sanctified fall in loue and make to wards it when they are both met then fals the vnderstanding a worke againe and doth vncessantly contemplate it wherewith the will is stirred to a second worke it takes inexplicable pleasure in it And this is the true enioying of the Soueraigne Good which makes a happie man Where hence we may also gather the cause of the Angels and Adams fall both of them were made after the Image of God and thereby made partakers of the Diuine nature they fixt their Eyes and setled their Affection vpon themselues that modell of Diuine being which they had in themselues and so fell in loue with themselues and ouer-valuing their own worth deemed themselues meet to be their own Soueraigne Good and so lost the true while they sought an imaginarie Happinesse But we must know that the abilities that we haue be they neuer so diuinely qualified are but Vessels whereinto we must receiue they are not the Happinesse it selfe which we must enioy the glorie of being the Soueraigne Good is the incommunicable prerogatiue of God But God is in Heauen and Man on Earth and of Man on Earth the rule is true He cannot see God and liue how then should he enioy him Exod. 33.20 and so become Blessed We must vnderstand that there is a presence of God in his Word which is apprehended by faith of which Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.13 Wee with open face behold the glorie of our God and are changed into the same Image this sight is Aenigmaticall as the Apostle speakes 1. Cor. 13. and like the beholding of our face in a glasse but yet is it a true sight and the pledge of a cleere It is true for whether we respect the Obiect God as he is described in his Word or our faith whereby we apprehend God so described neither can deceiue vs if they bee sincere if there bee no mixture of humane inuention with Gods Reuealed Will and our faith be not allayed with our corrupt affections As this darke enioying of God is true so is it the pledge of a cleere Men come not to Heauen per saltum men leape not out of the dregs of nature into the glorie of Saints neither can they be Blessed in the Church Triumphant that are not Blessed in the Militant but if we be Blessed on Earth by beleeuing God in his Word we shall be Blessed in Heauen and there our faith shall be turned into sight and God will shew himselfe vnto vs as He is we shall see him face to face Now because the state in Grace is Blessed as well as the state in Glory and these two Blessednesses are inseparable as we may gather by the two Titles that the Scripture giues vnto the Spirit which are Rom. 8.23 2. Cor. 1.22 First fruits and a Seale or Pledge the Psalmist pronounceth them Blessed that performe their Vow two wayes Blessed Re and Spe Blessed in that they are in the Kingdome of Grace and Blessed in that they shall be of the Kingdome of Glory both these Blessednesses are included in this Word and more Blessed a man cannot desire to be As hereafter you will be more fully perswaded if this perswade not enough when you shall heare of the Euidences that are annext to either of these Blessednesses But for this time I conclude The summe of all that you haue heard and whereof I pray God we may all make vse is we must not hold our labour vaine which we take in seruing God and that wee contemne not the true Let vs not fancie a false Reward of our paines God vouchsafeth to be our Reward and we shall want nothing if we enioy him and enioy him we must by knowing and louing truly and sincerely though darkly and imperfectly in the state of Grace that we may cleerely and fully know and enioy him in the state of Glory God-grant that his Word may dwell richly in vs in keeping whereof there is so great a Reward PSAL. 1. VERS 3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leafe also shall not wither and whatsoeuer hee doth shall prosper THis Psalme breaketh it selfe into as many parts as are contained in the Couenant of God therefore haue you more then once beene told that wee may consider therein the Parties to the Couenant and their mutuall Stipulation the Parties are Man and God Man is to vow his Dutie God doth promise a Reward Of the first Partie Man and his Vow you haue heard at large and I haue begun to speake of the second I haue shewed you what is obseruable in the second Partie in God And whereas touching the Reward the Psalme teacheth What it is and what Euidence there is for it I haue shewed you What it is vnfolding the riches that are contained in the first word Blessed It followeth that I now goe on and with the Psalme let you see what Euidence there is of this Blessednesse And here wee finde a double Euidence as there are two degrees of Happinesse Men are happie in this life and happie in the life to come of each the Psalme expresseth a distinct Euidence the Euidence of Happinesse in this world stands in the apparent difference that in this life appeares betweene the good and bad Good men are compared vnto a Tree and touching this Tree wee are taught what good is done for it and what good commeth of it The Good done for it stands in the Husbandmans care and choyce Care in setting the Tree for the Tree is not wilde but planted Choyce in setting it in a fruitfull ground For the Tree is planted by the riuers of waters this double Good is done for the Tree But what good comes of it Surely as manifold a Good for it proues well and is well approued it proues well whether you looke to the Principall or the Accessorie Good expected from a Tree the principall good is Fruit and this Tree bringeth forth Fruit Fruit that is good it hath the two markes of good Fruit stamped vpon it for it is kindly and timely fruit Kindly the Tree brings forth fructum suum such fruit as well beseemes such a Tree and so well husbanded neither is it onely kindly but timely also for the Tree bringeth it forth tempore suo in his season when it is fittest to serue the
that the speaking here meant is Verbum Mysticum though the letter immediately note Dauid and his Posteritie yet in them the Holy Ghost representeth Christ and his Church here can be no question but the promise that in Christ is made to the Church hath a temper of the Law the Gospell the Church in all Ages doth experience the truth thereof Wherefore we must take the Text vnto our selues and make vse of it in our owne Case we haue no more promised then Dauid had nor shall we feele lesse then he did as his so ours both Verbum Iudicium Promise and Performance are mixt of the Law and the Gospell but so that the Gospell hath the vpper hand of the Law Deus vincit malum bono God doth euer ouer come euill with Good Non ex merito Peccati sed ex beneficio Misericordiae Non ex dignitate nostra sed dignatione suâ Not that sinne deserueth this at his hands but God is pleased to shew the goodnesse of his Nature and to be gracious vnto vs when we carrie our selues gracelesly towards him And indeed it argueth wonderfull Goodnes when it is vouchsafed to such as are so vnworthy thereof The vse of all that you haue heard serueth first to direct our faith vnto its true obiect which I told you is Verbum mixtum we must so apprehend a Mercifull God as that we forget not that hee is Iust and so remember that he is iust that we forget not that he is Mercifull we cannot omit eyther of these but we shall either presume or despaire if wee forget him to be iust we will bee apt to presume and bee apt to despaire if we forget him to be Mercifull But we must add a Cautionarie Rule in this limitation of the Obiect of our Faith and that is wee must not apprehend Gods Mercy and his Iustice as Coordinata but as Subordinata I speake not of them as these things are in God for so they are more then Coordinata they are in his simple nature all one but as they shine in the effects which are produced by him for so they are alwaies Subordinate In those that are Vasaira we may perceiue that Mercy is subordinate to Iustice for the fauours that they receiue out of Gods Mercy through their abuse of them serue but to set a sharper edge vpon the sword of Gods Iustice But in those that are Vasa Misericordiae the Iustice of God is subordinate vnto his Mercy and his strokes on them worke such a godly sorrow and good amendment that Gods mercies are thereby redoubled vpon them Thus must wee learne to conceiue of the true Obiect of our Faith And our Faith so informed will add sinnewes to our Hope For what better support can our Hope haue then Verbū Mixtum to conceiue that God will not suffer vs to runne wild though our Nature bee luxuriant but will timely vse the Law and represse the breaking forth of sinne and correct what is awrie within vs. And when wee smart is it not a comfortable support of Hope that God cannot forget to bee mercifull nor shut vp his louing kindnesse for euer in displeasure He will supple that wound with Oyle which he scoureth with wine and the sweetnes of the Gospell timely administred shall make vs forget all the sowernes that we felt in the Law Finally as this Text serueth to direct our Faith support our Hope so doth it to inflame our Loue for can there bee a greater motiue vnto loue then this Mixtum Verbum for therein we haue reall proofe of Gods Loue therein we finde that hee loueth vs Verè though seuerè though with Correction yet to Saluation And can wee doe lesse then requite loue with loue loue him dutifully that loueth vs so mercifully Neither are we only taught that we must loue God but how we must loue our Neighbour also our Charitie to our Brother must imitate Gods Charity towards vs wee must ioyne therein the Law with the Gospell first humble then comfort them that goe astray so shall wee neither cherish sinne nor yet destroy a sinner And if wee haue the like proofe of this Verbum Mixtum as King Danid had we must giue glory vnto God as Dauid did There is none of vs but sinneth and expecteth fauour let vs not bee Libertines and make Gods fauour the end of our sinne as it is to bee feared ouer many doe but let vs repent and when we repent let vs admire and adore that Diuine Prouidence that with a spirituall indignation doth breake the Serpents Head that bruised our Heele and tread Satan vnder our feete that made vs tread awry let vs consider the reason why the hainousnesse of our sinne doth not depriue vs of Heauen which is onely this that God will be good vnto vs for his owne Name sake 1. Sam. 12. because he hath chosen vs to bee his Children and therefore let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.2 but vnto thy Name giue the prayse In a word Let Gods dealing with vs teach vs how we should deale with others wee must doe them good notwithstanding they deserue euill Let vs not suffer our selues to be ouercome with euill Rom. 12 2◠but ouercome euill with good PSAL. 51. VERSE 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceiue mee THe sinne which King Dauid confesseth in this Psalme is partly that which himselfe Committed partly that which he Inherited from his parents of that which himselfe Committed I haue already spoken whrefore I must now come on and open vnto you that which he Inherited It is exprest in these words which now I haue read vnto you here King Dauid doth Acknowledge and Plead it hee acknowledgeth 1. what this sinne is and 2. that himselfe is taynted with it hee pleades it in great humility the strongest motiue to worke Gods pitty These poynts offer themselues in this Text and of these will I now speake briefely and in their order I beginne at his Acknowledgement whereof the first branch teacheth vs what Sinne inherited is But before I open it vnto you I may not omit a good Obseruation of Gregorie the Great which sheweth vs how this point of confessing Sin inherited In Psal 5. springeth from the confession of other sinnes which our selues haue Contracted Saepe dùm quaedam malè gesta plangimus ipsa vi amaritudinis ad discutiendos nos excitati alia nobis plangenda inuenimus c. He that is seriously penitent for one sinne is rowsed by godly sorrow to make a farther inquirie into himselfe which leades him to a discouerie of many other sinnes which his memorie or his Conscience passed by vnregarded but whereof hee then becomes so sensible that he thinkes thē worthy to be repented of heartily Certainely Dauid did so he is not only pressed and burthened with the conscience of Adulterie and of his Murder but he is pained also
18.14 and it is worth you reading that you may clearely see the truth of that saying of Salomon A wounded spirit who can beare What body can choose but languish that is possest by a languishing Soule A man cannot be so wounded in the Inward man but you may read it plainely in the Outward The Fathers doe Allegorize the Phrase and by the Bones vnderstand Vertues Vertues that are to the Soule as Bones to the body for a man as hee is a reasonable creature doth subsist in them euen as the body is borne vp by the bones as it is a liuing creature the Cardinall vertues the Theologicall are our supporters those as we are men these as wee are Christian men The conscience of Sinne shiuers these figuratiue Bones also for looke vpon a man distressed by a guiltie conscience what Prudence in him that can giue no good counsell to himselfe And as for Iustice he cannot haue that for he is vnsociable his Temperance is to starue himselfe and his Fortitude to sinke vnder his griefe there is not a Cardinall vertue that hath place in him as a Man and as a Christian man Theologicall vertues haue as little place hee maketh no vse of his Faith to sustaine himselfe with the promises of God his Hope is heartlesse for he forecasts onely fearefull things and little sense hath he either of Gods loue to him or his loue to God Not one of these Bones continueth sound all of them sinke and are crusht vnder the burthen of sinne A pitifull case and yet such is the case of euery one that secleth the worme of Conscience of euery one that is stricken with the sting of that Serpent But whence hath sin this power who giueth this wounding strength to sinne Surely God the Text saith so Tufregisti thou hast broken my bones Vose 2. and so in the 38. Psalme Thy arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth me sore It is true that God vseth meanes our Conscience within vs and Satan without vs to afflict vs for sinne but both worke vpon his command and according to the measure which he prescribes touching Conscience 〈◊〉 â— Saint Austins Rule is very true Iussisti Domine factum est vt omnis anima inordinata sibi ipsi esset paena God to hold vs in from sinne hath placed in vs a Conscience whose office amongst other things is this to torture vs for sinne and as for Satan we see in Iob that hee is but Gods Executioner and stirreth not but when and as farre as hee hath leaue leaue giuen vnto him of God but whether it be Conscience or Satan that which they harrow vs with is the arraigning of vs before Gods Tribunall setting him forth in the dreadfull Maiestie of a Iudge and amplifying our vilenesse that cannot denie the Indictment that is brought against vs These be the Engines wherewith they set vpon vs this is the painefull racke wherewith they torture vs. And no wonder if such a spectacle distresse them who are guiltie of some enâ—rmous sinne that hath distressed the most Religious seruants of God Cap. 6. v. 1. â— Esay saw God sitting vpon his Throne of iudgement high and lifted vp his traine filled the Temple c. Then said he Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of vncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of vncleane lips for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of Hosts Habakkuk had the like vision and what saith he When I heard Cap. 3.16 my belly trembled my lips quincred at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones Cap. 10. Daniel that is called Vir desideriorum when a Vision was presented vnto him being in the companie of others obserueth that a great quaking fell vpon them and they fled to hide themselues as for himselfe hee saith that his comelinesse was turned in him into corruption and that he had no strength in himselfe Moses that had his prerogatiue to talke with God face to face yet when God appeared in his Maiestie to deliuer the Law when he beheld the flaming fire heard the sound of the Trumpet and felt the Earth trembling vnder him Saint Paul hath obserued Heb. 12. That he said I exceedingly feare and quake But what doe I instance in these Our Sauiour Christ who knew no sinne but yet put on such affections as belong to a sinner when our sinne was imputed vnto him presenting himselfe in the Garden before God and apprehending his Maiestie armed with vengeance to repay the sinnes of the world how was he afflicted into what an Agonie was hee cast The Gospell doth tell vs that hee sweate great drops of bloud If the Prophets if Moses which were not priuie to themselues of any enormous sinne if Christ himselfe that was free from all sinne was so affected and distressed at the sight of Gods iudgements if their Bones were so broken how shall they be ground into pouder that come before him laden with enormous with crying sinnes 1. Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Surely when God with rebukes doth correct such men for their iniquitie hee shall make their beautie to consume away like a Moth Psal 39.11 Psal 90.6 Psal 68.2 they shall be like the withered grasse when he consumes them in his anger As smoake is driuen away before the Wind and as Waxe melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of the Lord. And thus much of the punishing power of sinne what it is whence wherein you may behold two things most liuely set forth before vs the true nature of griefe and the cause that it hath such a nature The Philosophers teach that Dolor is solutio continui the renting in sunder of that whose content stands in vnion and the breaking of bones what is it but a rent the soule denyeth succour to the body the parts of the body each denieth his seruice to the other yea the powers of the soule grow strangers betweene themselues and vertue it selfe is bereft of vertue he cannot want woe thathath such a distraction in his little common-weale Griefe there is then Aug. de verâ Relig. and that hath a cause Saint Austin shall tell you what it is fluendo deserit amatoreÌ„ suum corpus quia ille hoc amando deseruit Deum your bones are broken and you are payned therewith will you know why the body breaketh with the soule because the soule first brake with God if your soule doe rend it selfe from God by sinne it shall find litle rest in that house of clay whereon it doteth this will make hast to returne to dust when our better part giueth it selfe ouer vnto vanity And let this suffice touching the disease Let vs now come on vnto the Cure That is exprest in two words Ioy and Gladnesse although the words may note one the selfesame thing yet may we
to Regeneration we must conceiue of it as of a cure that worketh out a deep rooted Corruption yea the termes of cleannes and rightnes must so be conceiued as that the cure doth not only worke out corruption but work in the contrary perfection as we see that the Eclipse of the moone is remedied by the imparting vnto it the brightnes of the sunne and the darkenes of the night by the succeeding of the day-light the winterly hue of the earth is exchanged for the flourishing of the spring and the weaknesse that wee seele being sicke by the vigour that we haue from health Euen so fareth it with our soules we put off the Old man by putting on the New and the root of Originall sin by being indued with Originall Righteousnes This being obserued concerning Regeneration in generall wee must now descend to the Regeneration of the parts in particular the first of which is the regeneration of the Heart it is here called Cleannesse I will not fall into the common place of the defiling Nature of sin I haue touched at it more then once on the former words of this Psalme I will keepe my selfe to that which is peculiar to this part I told you it is the soueraigne power of the reasonable soule and the first point wherein the soueraigntie appeares is that it doth Command now the blemishes of a commander are two 1. Folly and 2. Impotencie either he knoweth not what directions to giue them that are vnder him or else contrarie to his iudgement he is ouer-borne by his affections take an example of Solomon the father and Rehoboam the sonne Solomon was wise the wisest King that euer was and no wise King was euer more impotent in his affections as appeareth by his so doting on his heathenish wiues that to content them he entertained all kind of Idolatry the son of Solomon Rehoboam went as far in folly as his father in impotency the son of Syrach calls him the very foolishnesse of the people Ecclies 51. and well he deserued to be so called that forsooke the counsell of the Sages and listned vnto brainsicke youths and so lost ten Tribes of twelue In these two Kings we may behold the defects of our commanding parts for somtimes the iudgment of it is so weak that it misdeemes good for euill and euill for good light for darknesse and darkenesse for light and this error is predominant in those that are without the Church for of Infidels it is most true that they haue a foolish Heart Rom. 1. yea when they thinke they be most wise in their reasoning they shew themselues most foolish it were endlesse to descend to particulars if I should reckon no more then those which are toucht in the Scripture how much more if I should discouer it out of there owne writings there speculatiue learning their practicke their theologie their policy their ethicks their oeconomicks all are spiced with folly Though this folly be predominant in those without the Church yet is there more then a good deale of it within the Church also were there no other proofe contentious writings proclaime to the world that many beleeuers cum ratione insaniunt haue a crackt braine and weake iudgement working vpon false principles or working out such conclusions as will neuer spring from truth Folly is one defect of the commanding part but not the onely it hath another which is Impotencie though the iudgement doe not faile in setting the heart right yet the affections doe transport it that it cannot resolue right Video meliora proboque deterior a sequor wee know our duety oftner then wee can bee perswaded to doe it And this disease though it be in Infidels as the former verse doth witnesse and Saint Paul much more Rom. 1. saying that They detaine the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse and that though they haue no Law they are a Law vnto themselues yet is this disease more common in the Church whose sins spring more commonly from the impotency of their affections then from the ignorance of their iudgement as it is plaine by those that teach others but teach not themselues and commit those faults themselues which they condemne in others there are few reasonably bred that know not their Creed and the ten Commandements yet when they are put to a reall maintenance of their faith or obseruance of the Law who is hee that staggers not that yeelds not to his affections Well seeing these are the defects of the heart as it is a commanding part you easily conceiue what the cure thereof must be and what is the first property of a cleane heart it is the rectifying of it in regard of folly and impotencie the making of it first wise and vnderstanding the furnishing of it with good and sound Principles the knowledge of the good and acceptable will of God in a word a right iudgement in all things this S. Paul meaneth 〈◊〉 2.16 when hee saith We haue the mind of Christ so that bee the Scrpent neuer so crafty bee sinne neuer so sweetly sugered euill neuer so curiously blancht be the suggestions of our aduersary neuer so sophisticall yet shall wee not bee circumuented wee shall not be deceiued by it That our commanding part be so freed from folly is not enough it must bee freed from impotencie also wee must haue obedient and religious hearts Mat. 10.37 be as ready to doe as to know loue nothing in comparison of God and doing our duety not father mother brother sister wife c. yea we must deny them all Lâ—ke 14 16. I say too little Christ goeth farther we must hate them all if they be an impediment to our following of God and keeping of his commandements if we are so far masters of our selues as to make our affections conforme themselues vnto our iudgement then is the commanding part cured in regard of impotencie and so the commanding part so farre as it is rid of folly and impotencie is truely regenerate But there is in the soueraigne part besides the commanding power a seasoning power also and that must bee regenerated It seasons all our actions with vertue or vice according as it is good or ill As the knowledge of God is the regeneration of it as it is the commanding part so is the loue of God the regeneration of it as it is the seasoning part or rather the coniunction of the loue of God to the knowledge of God So that for a vertuous action wee must bee sani boni viri it must bee the worke of a well aduised and a well-affected man so that the latter part of regeneration is but a consequent vpon the former and the heart if it command well seasoneth well and seasoneth ill if it command ill according to the Commandement our workes doe proue either Vertues or Vices You haue heard what is the regeneration of the soueraigne power here is another power specified which is the actiue Nazianzene
of the way and who doth it be seeme better to be stir themselues for the recouerie of sinners then they by whom many haue beene made sinners It is fit that by this care they doe redeeme that fault surely Diues in hell shewed a desire of such a thing when he praied Abraham to send teachers to his brethren who might reclaime them before they came to hell it implieth a sorrow though a fruitlesse one which he had for that hee had corrupted them and he is worse then Diues who being conscious to himselfe that he hath beene an instrument of mis-leading others doth not desire to conuert at least as many as he hath corrupted As there is nothing fitter for such a Master then the dealing with such Schollers so there is nothing wherein hee can better please his Master God thâ—n by taking pâ—ines with such Schollers God is compared vnto an Husbandman all the world is his Farme now you know a good Farmer that hath many pâ—â—cels of ground ouer growne with Bryars and Thornes taketh great comfort to see them grubbed vp and the ground made good Pasture or Arable euen so God who would haue all men â—aued and come to the knowledge of his truth is well pleased with their paâ—ines that are instruments thereof yeâ— therefore doth he conuert some that by them hee may conuertothers you may gatâ—er it out of Christs words to Saint Peter 〈…〉 â—2 I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile Tuantem conuersuâ— confirmafratres When thou art conuerted streng then thy brethren 〈…〉 This lessen is excellently shadowed in a vision of Ezekiels where the waters running from the Sanctuarie into the dead Sea healed it and presently vpon the bankes grew vp 〈◊〉 of life of which we read in the Reuâ—lat on 〈…〉 that their leaues were for the healing of the Nations And indeed all the famous Conuerts that we read of â—aue euer thought they could not dee God better seruice I will instance but in two Saint Paul and Saint Austin Saint Paul had beene a persecutor a blasphemer hee obtained mercie and God put him into the Ministerie that as his eyes were opened so he might open the eyes of others and what paines did he take 〈…〉 Becomming all to all that hee might winne some to Christ Saint Austins confessions shew what his first life was how sicke he was in Head and Heart in faith and life and his Workes doe shew how carefull he was after God gaue him the light of his truth and feare of his name to reforme others Epicâ—res and Heretickes and worke into them a true knowledge and â—eruent loue of God I conclude this point As many of vs as find grace at any time must after the Patterne of King Dauid labour to present some Conuert sinner as an Eucharisticall sacrifice vnto God And let this suffice for the vnfolding of the meanes that this King doth vse I come now to the successe which is hoped for which is a Conuersion Conuersion is not a locall motion but a morall change the making of vs of old new men a metamorphiâ—ing as Saint Paul calleth it a changing of vs into a new Image But the nature of this Conuersion will better appeare if I first vnfold vnto you the two termes Vnde Quo from Whence and to Whome sinners are conuerted From whence you cannot better learne then by their names they are called transgressors such as leaue Gods wayes to follow their owne the deuices of their owne braine the desires of their owne heart God made man saith the Scripture after his owne Image but the Image of God in man was much like the Image of the Sunne in the Moone so long as the Moone is in opposition to the Sunne we see what a goodly light body it hath no sooner doth it diuert to either side but it soone loseth its light euen so a man keeping himselfe towards God receiueth an impression of his sacred Image which vanisheth when he turneth himselfe from God Yea you see daily that when you walke in the Sunne if your face be toward it you haue nothing before you but bright shining light and comfortable heat turne your backe to the Sunne and what haue you before you but a shadow And what is a shadow but the priuation of the light and heate of the Sunne Yea it is but to behold your owne shadow that you defraud your selfe of the other for there is no true wisdome no true happinesse but onely in beholding the countenance of God looke from that and we loose these blessings and what shall wee gaine A shadow an emptie Image insteade of a substantiall to gaine an emptie Image of our selues we loose the solid Image of God and yet this is the common folly of the world men preferre this shadow before that substance When we are willed to turne we must remember that wee are auerse from God when we goe our owne wayes we turne our backes to God as the Scripture teacheth euerie of our wayes goeth from him and when we Conuert we must turne from our owne wayes our euill wayes for such are all ours we must cast away the workes of darknesse put off the old man so the Scripture varieth the phrase of conuersion But there are three conditions that must be obserued in our Conuersion First Eack 18. it must be ab omnibus vijs malis God loueth not mungrels if a man haue beene a Drunkard an Adulterer a Swearer hee may not leaue his drunkennesse and retaine his swearing leaue swearing and follow whooring therefore Moses tels the Israelites that they must returne to God toto corde with their whole heart A second condition is deliuered by Esay Deut. 23. c. 31 6. Conuertimini sicut in profundum recessistis looke how profoundly wee entertaine sinne so deepe must our conuersion goe wee must search our wounds to the very bottome we must leaue no creeke vnaltered it must bee verum Cor our inside must be like our outside so saith S. Paul Heb. 10.22 Thirdly our conuersion must be constant wee must not bee like vnto Lots wise whose feet caried her from Sodome and her eyes were backe vpon it that will argue that we repent of our resolution and that we can easily be perswaded to become againe what we were before This is the first branch of Conuersion we must if we returne so remooue iniquitie farre from our Tabernacle yea from our selues The next branch is to whom we must returne If you will returne returne vnto me saith God in the Prophet many doe returne but it is from one vanity to another such a turning as Salomon describeth in Ecclesiastes and there are examples euery where many of prodigall turne couetous and of profuse become base many a Stoicke turneth Epicure and of senslesse becommeth shamelesse many an Atheist turneth superstitious and as if he did repent that he had beene long without a God maketh his fancie the forge
one thing more which I may not omit concerning the nature of Charitie and that is the Constancie thereof Loue is strong as death Iealousie is cruell as the graue Cant. chap 8. the coles thereof are coles of fire which hath a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench Loue neither can the flouds drowne it if a man would giue all the substance of his house for Loue it would be contemned Abhorret vera Charitas omnia distrahentia pereat qui inter nos dissidium volunt Wee must not bee like little children that loue to day and hate to morrow nec ita amare ut aliquando osuri manente bonitate non exigente superiore lege aut patriae aut religionis I haue competently opened vnto you the nature of Charitie But you must obserue that whereas there are two things in it the qualitie and the exercise thereof Bernard it is not the qualitie but the exercise that commeth vnder the commandement Vbicunque in Scriptura dilectio requiritur non tam extgitur dilectio affectus quam Charitas operis Gal. 5. Deut. 10. the qualitie is the gift of God for hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitatis efficax it is hee that maketh men to bee of one minde and circumciseth mens hearts that they may loue and Charitie is the fruit of the Spirit And the Spirit doth worke it in our hearts not only by mouing without qualifying them as Peter Lumbard erroniously thought hee improueth our Charitie too farre but the Loue of God is powred abroad into our hearts by the holy Spirit Expla 11 ad Carth. substantialis Charitas dat accidentalem as S. Bernard speaketh God which is Charitie giueth vnto man the gift of Charitie But when we haue receiued the gift of God wee must employ it wee must not receiue the grace of God in vaine As in nature so in grace wee haue our abilities for action and the Parable will tell vs what will bee our doome if wee hide our Talent But the Commandement is affirmatiue and therefore tenet semper but not ad semper wee must neuer be without a louing disposition yet are we not bound to manifest it but as occasion shal be offered vs. Yet must we take heed that we neither will nor do ought that is contrary vnto Charity You haue heard What is giuen in charge you must now heare to Whom this charge is giuen Thou shalt loue and this Thou is Israel so wee read in Moses Hearken O Israel Thou shalt loue Deut. 6. It is giuen then to the regenerate for Israel is a name of the Church of those that were in couenant with God and had in their flesh the seale thereof Without the Church is the Kingdome of Satan and where Satan raigneth there Satanisme that is hatred is there can bee no true Charitie Iohn 13.35 Christ telleth vs it is the badge of his followers By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples Cant 2 4. if yee loue one another In the Canticles it is called the Banner of the Church now you know that the Banner keepeth euery Souldier to his owne station and so strengtheneth the whole by euery ones good order And wee neuer breake our ranke in the Church militant and hazard the whole by our disorder but wee doe it through want of Charitie What is spoken to the whole Church euery member must take it to himselfe and vnderstand himselfe in the word Thou Saint Paul hath taught vs that hatred and Charitie distinguish carnall and spirituall men 1. Cor. 3. by Charitie Saint Iohn telleth vs it is knowne that wee are borne of God 1. Ioh. 3.10 Sola Charitas diuidit inter filios Regniaeterni Austin de Trinit silios perditionis saith Austin wee haue no assurance that wee shall bee Saints in heauen except wee entertaine the Communion of Saints on earth if in this life wee delight in hatred after this life wee shall bee ranged with those which are hatefull But whose charge is this who is hee that commands Thou shalt loue surely it is Gods charge hee layeth this commandement vpon his Church Doe you heare it and not wonder at it God is a Soueraigne Lord hee may giue what Lawes please him vnto the Creatures which hee hath made yet see how gracious hee is hee will lay no other charge vpon his Church then that which may bee performed by loue then which kind of command nihil facilius nihil foelicius none can bee more easie Chap. 38. c. none can be more happy nothing more easie for what difficultie can there bee in Loue If God should come vpon a man as he did vpon Iob and presse him to reueale all the secrets of the Creation and prouidence much more if hee should bid him open the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heauen hee might answere Alas Lord I am an ignorant man If hee should bid him build such a Temple as Salomons was and furnish it with so many instruments and ornaments of gold and of other precious stuffe hee might say alas Lord I am a poore man If hee should bid him goe and roote out all Infidels from the face of the earth hee might answere alas Lord I am a weake man And so to many like commandements hee might plead some excuse But when God saith Thou shalt loue no man hath any excuse to plead but the malignitie of his owne nature yea no man comes to Heauen that did not loue though many poore ignorant weak ones c. come there A poore man may loue as well as a rich an ignorant as a wise a weake as a strong especially seeing though Charitie consists of beneficentia aswell as beneuolentia good deeds aswell as good will yet there is a dispensation allowed for want of good deeds ◠Cor. 8. if a man haue a good will For hee is accepted according to that which hee hath not according to that which hee hath not So that although God hath dispensed his temporall blessings vnequally yet the spirituall he will haue common vnto all I meane those which are the Graces of Adoption amongst which Charitie is a chiefe one and by it though there be otherwise great distance betweene man and man yea the Creator and his Creature yet may they easily bee brought together Neither is Loue onely an easie worke in it selfe but also it doth facilitate other things our doing our suffering both are made easie by Charitie Let a man attempt any thing whereunto hee hath no minde and it groweth presently tedious but Loue takes away all bitternesse of paine It was a painfull life that Iacob liued vnder Laban as he sheweth in Genes Gen 29 vers 20. 31. yet the seauen yeares that hee serued for Rachel seemed to him but a few dayes for the loue that hee had vnto her The like we may obserue in all sorts of men that are affected with any kind of
What Christ foretold hath fallen out in our age Matth. 24 1â— the Charitie of most men is growne verie cold which is a shrewd prognostication that spirituall death groweth a pace vpon the World at least vpon this our part thereof As Charitie is Virtus Catholica so is there a Transcendencie thereof For in that Charitie taketh vp all these powers as the seate thereof it taketh vp all the vertues that are incident to these powers I will passe by our Affections and our Senses ouer which it hath a full command as Anger feare c. hearing seeing c. I should wearie you if I should runne through all these and shew you the soueraigntie of Charitie ouer them all I will insist onely vpon Vertues whereof there are two sorts Morall and Theologicall All Morall vertues are reduced vnto foure which are called Cardinall first Prudence secondly Iustice thirdly Temperance fourthly Fortitude Not one of these is exempted from the soueraigntie of Charitie because their proper seate is not exempted The proper seate of Iustice is the Will the Ciuill Law doth define it thus Iustitia est constans perpetua voluntas ius suum cuique tribuendi if Iustice be in the Will and the Will as you haue heard be the seate of Charitie then must Charitie moderate Iustice without her sumum ius would be summa iniuria Law would be strained beyond Equitie As Charitie is at hand to temper Iustice in the Heart so is it at hand to temper Prudence in the Head it tempereth the Done with the Serpent and maketh them that are otherwise as wise as Serpents to be carefull that they be as innocent as Doues We are apt to be prudent for our selues and care not who is the worse for it here Charitie is at hand to tell vs that we must not suffer our wits to worke to the wrong of others That Prudence is no prudence which is not Charitable without Charitie we may be wily we cannot be wise Come to the Soule the seate of Temperance because of the Concupiscible facultie therof Charitie hath a hand here also for Temperance standeth in the moderating of our sensuall desires and delights and is not Charitie most preualent in this moderation which is as you heard heretofore so accoÌ„panied with a fellow feeling of other mens weale woe and is most sensible of our owne also and therefore is the sittest to prescribe our feasting dayes and our fasting dayes and to make vs seasonably either reioyce or mourne It is the best rule of Temperance And it may not be excluded from Fortitude it must teach vs what to dare and what to feare when wee bestow our courage aright when amisse Courage not directed thereby is no Fortitude many are mightie to hunt as Nimrod to drinke as those Iewes that are censured in Esay and to make their strength the Law of vnrighteousnesse as the Atheists in the Booke of Wisedome But this is not the strength of men but of beasts and so doth the Scripture set forth such men But the rule is id tantum possumus quod iure possumus righteousnesse must bee the Law of strength not strength of righteousnesse And before you haue heard that Righteousnesse is guided by Charitie and therefore Charitie doth giue Law vnto Fortitude also You see that Charitie is transâ—endent aboue the Morall vertues It is transcendent ouer the Theologicall also For though it bee one of them yet is it the chiefe one 1. Cor 13. learne it of Saint Paul Now abideth Faith Hope and Charitie euen these three but the greatest of these is Charitie Take them asunder and see the truth hereof see now transcendent it is aboue Faith But here we must distinguish inter Ortum and Vsum the originall and the vse of Faith Faith is not deriued from Charitie but Charitie from Faith for Charitie is Faiths first borue But it obtaineth this power ouer faith 1. Cor. 8. that Faith without Charitie edifieth not it is Loue that maketh our Faith intend its obiect For though Charitie haue its light from Faith yet Faith hath all its Heat from Charitie and light were it not for heate would not be actiue And therefore Saint Paul saith If I had all Faith so that I could moue Mountaines if I haue not Charitie it auaileth nothing But what needeth any better proofe then this that Charitie commandeth the Mind and Faith is the perfestion of the Mind for it captiuateth our wits vnto Gods wisedome and maketh vs build vndoubtedly vpon that which God affirmeth Faith then cannot but bee subiect vnto Charitie to whom our Mind is subiect And what shall we say of Hope that is a patient longing after that which is promised by Faith and so it partaketh somewhat of the Soule and somewhat of the strength whereof you heard before therefore must it needs follow their condition it must needs be at the command of Charitie And who would long for that which he doth not Loue or how could Hope be patient if Charitie did not keepe it in heart We haue found that it doth transcend Faith and Hope you would thinke it could goe no further but it can For Charitie doth transcend Charitie it selfe It hath a double Act a direct and a reflected the direct is that whereby it is carryed to embrace other things the reflected is that whereby it doth delight in its owne disposition And of this that wee continue in louing wee can giue no other reason but this that wee doe loue to loue and so doth Charitie become transcendent aboue Charitie that which is reflected aboue that which is direct So that Bernards rule is true Tanta est Virtus Charitatis vt si desit frustra habentur caetera si adsit rectè habentur omnia I haue discouered vnto you the seate of Charitie I haue shewed you a fourefold seate thereof the Heart the Soule the Minde the Strength there is not one of these foure but is a power of our Soule But hath Christ forgotten our Body hath it nothing to doe with Charity nor Charitie with it God forbid for wee are soctable in regard of our Bodies as well as our Soules and theresore must the one bee charitable as the other Wee must haue charitable eyes the Scripture condemneth an euill eye and in condemning an itching eare it commendeth Charitte to our eare and God that doth not endure a slanderous tongue doth teach vs how our tongues must be qualified So likewise doth he call for charitable hands when by the Prophet hee speaketh against bloudy ones And hath my Text forgotten to prouide for these No verily for what is necessarily included may not be thought to be omitted For what is the Body of it selfe it is but a dead Instrument and the Instrument followeth the motion of the chiefe Agent The Philosopher can tell vs that Anima est quae videt quae audit c. it is not thy body that seeth but thy soule by thy body and
it hath is but as a beame in comparison of the Sunne and but as a drop vnto the Ocean You see what is the singularitie of Gods nature pointed out in the word Lord as it is vsed to note the Hebrew Iehoua Besides this Singularity it noteth also Gods Eternitie And indeed where there is such Singularitie there cannot choose but bee Eternitie the one doth necessarily inferre the other as I could shew you if the Time would permit The Cabalists find Eternitie in the Syllables whereof the Name Iehoua is made they finde a preterperfecttense in the last syllable a present tense in the middle syllable and a future tense in the first Chap. 4. vers 8. This might seeme idle subtilty but that S. Iohn in the Reuelation goeth before vs in so resoluing the name Iehoua telling vs that the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reuel Chap 3.6 1. Timoth. 6 16. Chap. 1.17 which was which is and which is io come But to to giue you more plaine proofe of this Eternitie In Malachy God speaketh thus I am the Lord I change not Saint Paul telleth Timothy God only hath immortality Saint Iames with God that is the Father of Lights there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change You see then that there is Singularitie and Eternity in the Nature of God and both are noted by the Name Iehoua or Lord. But as these things are noted when wee looke into the Nature of God so is there another thing noted which is Gods relation to his Creatures And indeed though the name Iehoua seeme not to bee yet is the name Lord apparantly a relatiue word so that what God is in himselfe of that he is a fountaine to his Creatures all things liue moue and haue their being in him and when he sendeth forth his Spirit hee renueth the face of the Earth Yea not onely the dependencie of the Creature vpon him but also the making good of his Word vnto his Creature is implyed in this Name God himselfe teacheth it Exod. 6. where hee telleth Moses that hee had before appeared vnto the Fathers by the name of Shaddai All-sufficient but hee would now appeare in his name Iehoua as a powerfull efficient hee would performe the promise which hee had made vnto the Patriarks To conclude this point Out of that which you haue heard you may gather that the name Lord doth note an euer-liuing and ouerflowing fountain of Blessednes and Perfection The second word is God in the Originall of the Law it is Elohim it it noteth the Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and such a God doth the Church acknowledge and by her acknowledging God for such differeth from those that are without the Church Those without the Church though they haue not reached home yet haue they gone farre in the knowledge of Iehoua in the knowledge of the fountaine of Perfection but by strength of Reason they could neuer finde out the Trinitie some touches we read in Trismegist and the Platonists but it was traditionary Diuinity that brought them to the knowledge thereof and that too very imperfect and corrupt to say nothing that Trismegist is by the learned censured for a counterfeit But the true knowledge of one God in three Persons is a peculiar mystery of the Church the Infidels for want of faith cannot comprehend doe not acknowledge it But this Trinitie may bee considered either ad intra or ad extra as it is in God or as it doth manifest it selfe to man As it manifesteth it selfe vnto man so each Person purteth on another consideration the first of a Father to men the second of a Redeemer and the third of a Sanctifier Although it bee necessary for the truth of our Faith to acknowledge the Trinitie in the first manner yet the Comfort of our faith lieth in the second consideration thereof as will appeare in the third word of my Text whereunto I now come and that is thy the Lord thy God Wherein we must first marke that as there are three persons in God so euerie one of those persons is Ours he that is a Father is our Father he hath adopted Vs and hee that is the Sonne of God hath redeemed Vs to make Vs Gods sonnes and his owne spouse and he that is the Holy Ghost hath sanctified Vs that we may be his holy Temples Secondly we must draw the Name Lord throughout all these persons he that is our Father is the Lord and so is he the Lord that is the Sonne the Holy Ghost is Lord also that is they are all three the ouer flowing Fountaine of blessed prefection and what they are they are it to me for they are all three my God and so their good is mine They are mine by Creation I was made after the Image of God and so are they all three mine they were the sampler according to which I was framed For because God could not be like man man was made like God 1. Tim 2.16 Colos 2.9 that likenesse might be a ground of mutuall loue But much more mine in the Redemption for then God was manifest in the flesh the Godhead dwelt bodily in my nature God became mine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my nature hath possession of his person and is admitted into an association in his workes It is no small prerogatiue then that is intimated in this word thy God I vnderstand now what an honour is done to the Patriarchs when God saith I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob what honour is done to Dauids sonne when God saith I will bee his Father this appropriation of God is the greatest prerogatiue vouchsafed vnto the Church I haue opened the Name vnto you out of which you may presently gather Who are excluded from our Loue the Loue that is due to the first Person euen omnes fictitij and factitij dij as well corporall as mentall Idols all that are not capable of this title Iehoua Elohim with whom we are not or at least we should not be in couenant But because hereafter when I come to the Commandement I shall fall vpon this point I will now passe it ouer As such persons are excluded so there is included in the Name a reason of our Loue and we find therein a double reason Exemplum and Meritum Good examples are strong perswasions and men fashion themselues to nothing more willingly then to that wherof they haue a pattern in their betters Now the exactest patterne of Charitie is in the Lord God for there is Vnitie and Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie Austin de Triritat l 15. c. 17. alibi and what is that but the two parts of Charitie Vnion and Communion But this is too high a speculation for a vulgar eare The second reason is more popular and that is Meritum this merit is two fold dignitatis and dignationis Dignitatis the merit of Gods owne worth for causa diligendi
the Text wee sound another merit and that is meritum dignationis the interest therein vouchsafed vs. Were there none but meritum dignitatis there were ground enough of our loue but this meritum dignationis the interest that we haue doth quicken vs to take notice of the worth that is in the thing Euery man naturally loueth that which is his owne and if the thing bee good it doth him the more good to looke vpon it Let a man walke in a faire Meadow it pleaseth him but it will please him much more if it bee his owne his eye will be more curious in prying into euery part and euery thing will please him the better so it is in a Corne field in an Orchard in a House if they bee good the more they are ours the more contentedly doe they affect vs for this word meum is suauissima amor is illecebra it is as good as an amatorie potion Then marke put tuus to Dominus and if so bee the Lord be louely how much more louely should hee bee in our eyes if hee bee our Lord and doth appropriate that infinite good that hee hath vnto vs hee holdeth of none but of himselfe and who would not ioy to bee owner of that good which is independent Hee is whatsoeuer heart can desire and who can but reioyce in hauing him in hauing of whom wee can want nothing Put tuus to Deus and see how it doth improue the motiue of loue there also Had wee nothing to doe with so tender hearted a Father so sweet natured a Sonne so gracious a Comforter as is the holy Spirit we could not but loue them if we did know them But when wee doe heare that these bowels of the Father doe yearne vpon vs that wee are the Spouse whom the Sonne of God doth wooe and that the holy Ghost vouchsafeth to make his Temple of vs how can wee bee but loue-sicke how can our Hearts choose but melt and our Affections gaspe and bray like the Hart after those Persons which haue in them so strong so manifold persuasions to loue But alas wee that in regard of our carnall loue are easily transported by any seeming good are altogether senslesse when wee are sollicited by our spirituall good so senslesse that God is passionate in his Prophets when hee doth taxe our more then bruitishnesse herein Isay 1. Hearken O heauen heare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against mee the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ier. 3. Can a mayd forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet hath my people forgotten me dayes without number Wee doe loue our corporall benefactors at least while they are doing vs good but our spirituall benefactor wee forget euen while hee is doing vs good for when is hee not doing it wee cannot looke vpon our soules our bodies our state but wee see the perpetuall influence of his goodnesse and yet Tuus worketh little here and though God vouchsafe vs a great interest yet are wee little moued therewith Wee can loue a man in whom there are so many defects to allay the regard of his goodnesse and from whom we may receiue as much wrong as fauour how much more should we loue God in whom there is no defect and from whom thou canst receiue nothing but good I haue shewed you the reason of loue which is included in the name it followeth that I now come on to the dutie that is required and that is Loue. Wherein we are first to obserue that God speaketh not vnto vs as vnto seruants but as vnto friends hee would not haue vs in his seruice expresse a spirit of seruitude in feare but of adoption in loue hee would not bee feared as a Lord but loued as a Father O derint dum metuant is a Tyrants voyce God will haue all his seruants ingenuous hee will haue our seruice as naturall as is our allegiance Wherein the King of Heauen giueth a good patterne to all Kings and Gouernours in earth Though God hath qualified vs many wayes to doe him seruice yet doth hee in this word diliges Loue shew what hee doth principally respect and his eyes are vpon nothing so much as our Loue not on our wit our wealth our honour c. yea all other things are valued according to our Loue and without Loue they are nothing worth And why Loue is that which setteth all a worke for he that loueth will keepe Gods commandements hee will doe no euill But wee may not forget that seeing this Loue hath for its obiect him that is so farre aboue vs wee must not seuer it from Reuerence which must qualisie the loue which we owe to our Superiors in expressing our affection wee must not forget our distance yea and our feare in regard of our flesh may bee seruile to awe it and keepe it downe though it must bee also filiall in regard of the spirit to keepe it in heart I should now if the time would giue leaue shew you how those things that are required in loue must be applyed vnto this obiect The first propertie of Loue is Vnion and we should endeauor to become one with the Lord to bee transformed into him and as neere as a Creature can partake of his Creator partake of the diuine nature Wee should desire Vnion also with God with God the Father by Adoption with God the Sonne by a spirituall Wedlocke with God the holy Ghost by entertaining him as his Temple wee should so grow one with all three persons From this Vnion our Loue should come on to a Communion Communion in that infinite good which you heard is in the Lord for though Vnion bee a great aduancement of our Nature yet doth our comfort stand in the Communion neither did God euer intend the Vnion but for the Communion As wee must haue Communion with the Lord so with God also as Children wee must communicate in the inheritance of our Father as a Spouse in the honour and state of a Bride-groome as the Temple in the ornaments and endowments thereof Yea in this Communion there must appeare Beneuolentia Benesicentia there must appeare an intercourse of good will and good deeds betweene the Lord God and vs otherwise wee doe not loue as wee should This is not all the seate of Loue must be exercised also the Heart for the loue of God must bee free God doth not respect forced Loue. The Minde God will bee knowne before hee is loued and hee will haue them that loue him to meditate vpon him hee will not regard an vndiscreete Loue. Thy Soule must bee exercised if thou dost not long after him earnestly and take sweet content in him thou dost not loue Finally thy Courage must bee employed thou must bee as resolute to compasse this spirituall Vnion and Communion as carnall wooers are
vnto the comparison if then the question be whether of the two wee loue more to whether of them wee will sticke in a case where both cannot bee held or vpon which of them wee will fall foule when it is not possible for vs to keepe in with both if then wee can with Moses esteeme the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt wee conforme our selues to Christs first rule 〈◊〉 11 26. If when God calleth Heb. 11.8 wee can with Abraham forsake our countrey and our Fathers house though it bee to goe to a Countrey which wee know not wee conforme our selues vnto his second rule And if we can bee as resolute as Leui was Deut. 33. who said vnto his father and his mother I haue not seene them neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor know his owne children that he might keepe the word and obserue the Commandement of God euen that Commandement which is deliuered else-where Deut. 13 If thy Brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or thy Daughter or the wife of thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule entice thee to Idolatry thy eye must not pitty him thou must not conceale him thou shalt surely kill him and let thine owne hands be first vpon him if thou canst I say bee so resolute then doest thou conforme thy selfe vnto Christs third Rule The examples which hitherto I haue alleaged shew onely what must be a Christian mans obseruance of Christs rules quoad sua suos so farre as concernes a mans goods or his friends but Christs rules goe a step farther Luke 14.26 for they mention a mans owne life also and tell vs how little wee must set by that in comparison of our loue of God Christ knew well that Satan hath a shrewd temptation to stumble thee when thou hast profited so farre as tua and tuos and that is to trie thee how well thou dost loue God quoad te Iob. 2.4 in comparison of thine owne person skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life affinitie consanguinitie amitie farewell all so our life may bee preserued but our loue of God must ouercome this temptation also and wee must take in this case Saint Paul for an example who being disswaded from going to Hierusalem because bonds and imprisonment did expect him there made this answere What doe you weeping and breaking my heart Acts 21.13 I am contented not onely to be bound but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus A great resolution and yet not so great as our loue of God requireth of vs. For though dying seeme to be a bitter work yet to die for the name of Christ addeth much sweetnes vnto it and why it maketh a plain martyrdome and of that S. Paul hath giuen this definition that it is nothing else but dissolut esse cum Christo To be dissolued doth litle content nature but what would a man rather desire then to be with Christ for to be with him is to be as he is that is most happy so that hitherto loue is not come to its height for a man may so far loue God and loue God for himselfe because his own good goeth pari passu with the loue of God Moses went farther Blot me out of the book of life rather then thou shouldst not make good thy word to Israel a strange wish and that of a thing impossible for it is impossible that any child of God should be excluded from eternal life so that he may seeme to haue wished rashly and vainly but this CoÌ„mandement wil excuse him as it will S. Pauls like wish when I come to speak of the loue of our neighbour this Commandement containeth the best Commentary on his words for they import no more but his absolute loue of God so absolute that were there no Heauen where with his loue should be rewarded yea though Hell were the place wherein notwithstanding his loue of God he should be eternally tormented yet would he not withhold Gods due he would loue God with all his heart And indeed so high must wee ascend in loue if wee will ascend to that pitch which is contained in this Commandement though our loue shall haue a reward a most plentifull reward and wee may after the example of Christ and the Saints looke vpon it and encourage our selues with the hope of it yet that must not be the first motiue of our dutie God may challenge it without a reward and wee must acknowledge it to be a iust debt Thus if we loue God we loue him as we ought that is we loue him aboue all things and wee loue him for himselfe for that must needs follow when wee loue him for no other thing no not for our owne sakes but are willing to hazard all euen our selues and all for the loue of him From this measure when wee depart wee doe offend against our loue of God how much more if wee loue those things which are contrarie to him and can bee contented that others offend him or are so gracelesse as to offend him our selues But I must draw toward an end The last point which I obserued in my text was the reason why this is called the Great Commandement I need giue you no other reason then the doctrine which you haue heard concerning our loue of God for you haue heard enough to perswade you that the Commandement is very great yet I will point at some few reasons The Commandement then is Great first in regard of the Obiect for what can be greater then the Lord our God secondly in regard of the Act for it maketh our neerest approach vnto God both in Vnion and Communion with him Thirdly in regard of the Qualitie it is the sweetest commander of all our abilities Fourthly in regard of the Soueraigntie it giueth law to the whole man Fiftly in regard of the Efficacie it worketh the greatest effects Sixtly in regard of the Commoditie it hath the most precious promises Finally in regard of the Continuance it out-liueth all other graces for Charitie neuer faileth 1. Cor. 13.8 other graces doe not out-liue this mortall life No wonder then if S. 〈◊〉 call it a Supereminent way and in a comparison preferreth it before all gifts not only of Edification but of Adoption also 1. Cor. 13. And what is the vse of all this but to make vs see how little wee performe of this Commandement and how little cause wee haue to boast of the best that we doe therein Who is he that can denie that his abâ—lities are diuided and that he loueth more things then God yea most things more then God and those not only idle but euill things also And if wee cannot excuse our Diuision much lesse our Remissenesse the dayes are come which Christ foretold and the Charitie euen of the Church is growne key-cold yea euery one is come to
we thinke to be euill euill vnto vs Rom 16. Iob. 14. that we abhorre and resist there is no indulgence that may pittie our infirmities no beneficencie that may supplie our wants which out of Loue of our selues we doe not naturally desire as also condoling and congratulating of our woe and weale Yea naturall reason if it haue not lost reason hath taught men to distinguish Bona animi Bona corporis and Bona fortunae and giue them their due precedencies and answerable estimates in our desires our soule is more precious vnto reason then our body and our body then our goods and we are in reason affected with the wel-fare or ill-fare of euery of these according to its price Neither doth nature teach vs onely to loue things which concerne vs it teacheth vs also the manner of our Loue Rom. 12. for it teacheth vs to Loue our selues in regard of these things First Sincerely there is no hypocrisie in natural Loue 1. Ioh. this loue is without dissimulation Secondly Really we loue not our selues only in words but in deeds also Thirdly Tenderly we are verie feeling of our owne weale and woe Fourthly Constantly no difficulties or crosses can make vs weary of louing our selues This being our inborne loue some thinke that it is supposed by Christ and according to this supposition made the Measure of that loue which wee owe to our neighbour So that the Commentarie vpon these words as thy selfe is made by Christ in another place Mat. 7. That which you would that men should doe vnto you doe you vnto them Cap 4. wherunto you may adde Tobies negatiue Doe not my sonne to another that which thou wouldest not indure by another should be done vnto thee Christs meaning is that before we resolue how to carie our selues towards our neighbour we must suppose him to be in our case and our selues in his and then thinke with what measure we would haue him to measure to vs and mete ou◠the same to him If the Iudge that sitteth vpon the ench the Land-lord that deales with his Tenant the Tradesman that venteth his commodities finally euerie man that dealeth with another did square his carriage by this rule there would be much lesse wrong in Societie and much more comfort in mens consciences for Pulcher liber cor tuum euerie man beareth in his owne bosome a faire Table engrauen legibly by the finger of Nature wherein if he would read hee might learne without any other helpe what vsage is fit for his neighbour And if men were as prompt Schollers in learning actiue Charitie that is the charitie which they must shew to others as they are acute Doctors and teachers of the Passiue of that charitie which they expect from others the Moralists and Casuists might saue much of their paines in discoursing and determining of our mutuall duties But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the corrupt loue of our selues which spends our affection inordinately and maketh it vnworthy to be accounted the naturall loue of a mans selfe because it is more brutish then reasonable doth make vs oftentimes to loue indeed our neighbour as our selues but such a loue of our selues is too base to be the measure wherewith we ought to loue our neighbour Yet is there too much of such mutuall loue in the World such is the loue of all those that fall in their desires and delights below the condition of men yea some so low that they may be consorts for the Deuill If Philautie or corrupt loue grow not so base yet may it grow insolent and men may appropriate themselues to themselues as if none were worthy of their loue and therefore they are all for themselues and not caring if all the World mourne so they reioyce or be in want so they haue their fill Forgetting that naturall Principle that Homo is animal politicum a sociable creature and though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in proprietie we are our owne and so are our goods yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard of the vse of our selues and our goods both are ours for the comfort of others and they should be as deare to vs as we would haue our selues deare vnto them were they in our case But this taketh not away the distinction that is betweene them Before you heard how many wayes a man might be a neighbour a neighbour only in place or in bloud or in the common nature whereof we all partake or in Societie either priuate of friendship wherein likenesse of disposition doth linke vs or publique either Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall We must clothe euery one of these with his due circumstances and as occasion offers vs to haue to doe with any of these we must personate them vnto our selues and looke what we may iustly challenge if we were in their case by the rules of Moralitie that must we offer to euery one of them be he only a Man or also a Kinsman an inward friend or fellow member of the Church or Common Weale finally bee hee a superiour or inferiour vnto vs. And this is indeed to loue our neighbour as our selues and for want of making this supposition the rule of our resolution what we would not willingly endure we offer with great eagernesse to others and withhold from them what we thinke cannot without iniurie be denied vnto vs Which is the more blameable in Christians because that rule Whatsoeuer you would that men should doe vnto you doe the same vnto them not only preached but practised made Christianitie venerable in the eyes of Alexander Seuerus an Heathen Emperour who acknowledged this Apothegme Quod tibi fieri non vis altori ne feceris learned from Christians and squared his iudgement by it This sense of the Limitation of the loue of our neighbours is a good sense and it were to bee wisht that at least so much were entertained by the World it would set much right that is awry But I hold there is much more meant in the Text then so for that supposition riseth no higher then the state of Nature My Text belongeth also to them that are in the state of Grace Wherefore obserue that though Christ seeme not to teach how we ought to loue our selues yet indeed he doth for the loue of our selues is inwrapt in our loue of God though God call for the dutie as respecting himselfe yet in doing what we are bid we benefit our selues it is the true loue of our selues For what loue doth a man owe vnto himselfe but the loue of his Perfection And what is his perfection but the loue of God Goe ouer the parts God will haue imployed in this worke The first is our Minde or our Vnderstanding what greater perfection can that haue then the knowledge of our soueraigne good This is life euerlasting saith Christ to know thee the only true God Iohn 17. and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ The second is our Heart and what greater perfection
the onely reason why I must loue my selfe And this will lead vs to another note Christ saith that wee must loue our neighbour as our selfe but not for our selfe that were amor concupiscentiae but ours must bee amor amicitiae hee that loueth for himselfe ceaseth to loue 2. Cor. 12. if he cannot and when he doth not speed of his owne benefit but hee that can say with Saint Paul Quaero vos non vestra will say with him Idem I will loue you though the more I loue the lesse I am beloued Such loue is a stable loue like that of Booz towards Ruth whereof Naomi said the man will not be at rest vntill he hath finished the matter But yet obserue that though a man must loue his neighbour rather for his neighbours sake then for his owne that loueth him yet must hee not doe it so much for his neighbours sake as for Gods towards whom hee must bend all his neighbours loue as being the vpshot of humane felicitie This which I haue obserued in thesi or in generall concerning our neighbour must bee applyed in hypothesi and fitted to euery degree of neighbours Though they be knit together by naturall or ciuill obligations which yeeld reason of lower degrees of loue yet must not Christians rest there they must improue their loue vntil they haue brought it as high as this measure of grace Parents loue their children Gouernours those that are commited to their charge Citizens Friends loue each the other but whatsoeuer else causeth this loue wee loue them not as our selues except first hauing qualified our selues with the loue of God we qualifie them therewith also It is a question whether As bee a note of similitude or equality so that it is enough to loue our neighbour with such a loue as wee loue our selues though not with so great A needlesse question if Christs words bee vnderstood as I haue opened them If you take them in the first sense as the measure of our mutuall loue is dictated by the light of Nature there can be no doubt but the measure must be equall for how can I suppose my selfe in another mans state and him in mine and in reason deale any iot worse with him then I would haue him leale with me if the case were altered to scant the measure if it were but in the least graine is plaine philautie or corrupt loue of a mans selfe Take the measure in that sense which is dictated by Grace and that will admit no inequalitie of loue for should I loue the loue of God in any man lesse then I doe in my selfe that would sauour of enuy at the least if not implerie for I should haue an euill eye when God is good yea I should not as I ought take comfort in the highest aduancement of the honour of God The Scripture teacheth vs to doe farre otherwise A new Commandement giue I vnto you saith Christ that you loue one another as I haue loued you that you also loue one another Ioh 13. Now you know how Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs forgetting as it were all the content that hee tooke in his owne Holines and Happines that he might promote ours Saint Iohn applies it to vs 1. Ioh. 3. Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee laid downe his life for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the Brethren Take an instance in Saint Paul Phil. 2. If I be offered vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith that is in working and increasing it I ioy and reioyce with you all for the same cause also doe you ioy and reioyce with mee Or if this instance doe not satisfie because that Saint Pauls death which hee wished was a martyrdome and though hee preferred the loue of the Brethren before his corporall life yet therein he manifested the greater loue to God for higher in his loue to God during this life a man cannot ascend then willingly to bee a Martyr to to seale Gods truth with his bloud and confirme the faith of the Church Rom 9. S. Paul hath another of a higher straine concerning the loue of our neighbour which be vtterth with a sad Preface testifying that hee is earnest and well aduised I say the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my selfe were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Diuine brotherly Loue how dost thou transport the Apostle to whom Hell is not terrible nor the losse of Heauen grieuous so the Israelites might escape the one and obtaine the other And did hee not then loue them more then himselfe But might hee doe it and may wee imitate him herein Surely hee might without any offence to God testifie his wish because hee doth not contradict Gods decree which will not haue Holinesse vnhappie but supposing there were a posibility that a man hauing no sinne might bee subiected to those torments hee meanes that he could be contented to vndergoe euen the torments of Hell so the Israelites might haue the grace to belieue in Christ and to haue such a minde is no sinne but it bringeth Charitie to the highest pitch to which it can possibly be raised in a Creature Neither is there any reason why we may not imitate him herein seeing what was vertuous in him cannot be vicious in another man But indeed it is not to bee expected that our Charitie will euer fall into so heauenly an Ecstasis it is well if we come so farre as to loue our neighbour as our selfe although it is not improbably obserud by some vpon those passages which before I cited out of Saint Iohn that the Law which biddeth vs loue our Neighbour as our selfe could not teach perfect Charity because the Iewes being vnder age were not capable of so profound a doctrine and therefore Christ vnder the new Testament goeth farther with the Church being of ripe age and would haue Christians loue their neighbours more then themselves this is a new or Euangelicall Sicut Which being true Aquinas his conceipt followed by many Romanists must needs be false who teacheth that it is against nature moralitie and Charitie for a man to loue his neighbour more then himselfe except happily wee will distinguish betweene the inward affection and the outward action of Charitie the inward affection must be equall to all at least as great as to our selues but in outward action because it is impossible for vs to doe this good vnto all we must dispense it as farre as our abilitie will reach proportioning our indeauour according to the number and strictnesse of obligations whereby wee stand bound to persons for so is Pauls rule Galath 6. While we haue time let vs doe good to all men especially to those that are of the Houshold of faith and in
temporall of eternall So then you see that the second part of the Bible is but a practicke Commentarie vpon the first the Prophets vpon the Law The Prophets apply the Law to the peoples liues and pronounce them accordingly And thus much of the parts of the Bible what they are and what they meane I come now to the Contents and the Contents are the two Commandements of Loue. But these two Commandements may be considered as Speciall or as Generall Commandements As Speciall so they require only the act of Loue. As Generall so they signifie the habit thereof as it is the Nurserie of many other vertuous acts To make you vnderstand this wee must obserue that a morall Vertue hath two Acts the one is called Actus elicitus or its proper worke the other Actus imperatus the worke which is at its command I will shew it you by a familiar Similitude The Sunne hath a proper worke which is to shine or giue light vnto the World and it hath a worke of command also for it maketh the earth to bring forth fruit which is done by vertue of an influence of the Sunne into the earth Euen so Loue hath a proper worke which is to bee kindly affected to the Person beloued but besides this it hath a worke of command it layeth a charge vpon all the Powers and Abilities that wee haue to bee seruiceable to him whom wee loue For example If I loue God my Loue will command my feet to goe to his House my knees to bow in his presence my mouth to speake of his prayses and to pray vnto him finally whatsoeuer is within me without me belonging to me shall bee deuoted to him and doe nothing that displeaseth him Take a taste of this also in the loue of our Neighbour Doe I loue him then surely if I see him naked I will command my Wardrobe to clothe him doe I see him hungrie and thirstie I will command my victuals to feed him and I will command my selfe to visit him if hee be sicke or in prison by the command of Loue my counsell my countenance my house my purse all shall bee at the command of my Neighbour Finally these workes reach vnto not only all vertuous acts but also to the acts of our vocation for they must be seasoned with Charitie as appeares in the positiue Lawes When then I say that these two Commandements are the contents of the Bible you must comprehend more vnder them then the proper worke of Loue Christ meaneth also the other worke the worke of command if both these workes be ioyned together they will make vp the contents of the Bible I haue opened vnto you the two maine branches of my Text as they are considered seuerally I told you wee must consider them ioyntly also And here first we are to see how these two Commandements can so be inlarged as to bee the contents of the whole Bible wee will see it first in regard of the Law The Law I told you is either Naturall or Positiue these Commandements are the contents of either of them though in a different manner The truth of this appeares in three points I will shew them in both kinds of Law First in the Law of Nature First Charitie is the Seed of all that kind of Law it springeth as naturally from it as a spreading Tree doth from his root witnesse the ten Commandements which I told you are the exactest draught that euer was made of the Law of Nature there is neuer a branch of the first Table that doth not arise from the Loue of God we will haue no other Gods because we loue God intirely wee will make no Images because we loue God holily we will not take Gods Name in vaine because we loue God reuerently Finally wee will keepe the Sabbath because wee loue God sociably in the Communion of Saints and celestially as hauing here no dwelling place but looking for one to come As for the second Table Rom. 13. Saint Paul hath made the obseruation to our hand where hauing particularized many he summeth vp all in this generall Rule If there be any other Commandement it is comprehended in this Iohn 13. Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe Concerning both Tables Christs rule is short If you loue me keepe my Commandements and what a company of duties doth Saint Paul deriue out of Loue 1. Cor. 13. Whence you may learne also that not only so much as is in the letter but whatsoeuer else is in the sense of the ten Commandements springeth from Loue of which sort Saint Paul there specifieth sundrie particulars Secondly as all Morall duties spring from Charitie so must the marke whereat we principally aime in doing them be Charitie we see that all plants which haue their influence from Heauen looke vp to Heauen againe as hee that loueth God will haue no other Gods besides him so a man must haue no other Gods besides him only for this end that he may loue him If he be moued by any other end profit pleasure or whatsoeuer else hee doth not keepe the first Commandement no more doth he keepe the second that maketh no Idoll nor the third that taketh not Gods Name in vaine nor the fourth that keepeth the Sabbath except they doe these things in reference to their loue of God The second Table requireth the same Rule He that honoureth his Father or his Mother that doth no murder that doth not commit adulterie that doth not steale c. shall not passe for not guiltie at the Barre of God except his purpose were to testifie in his obedience the loue that he beareth to his Neighbour A third Reason why Loue is said to bee the contents of the Moral Law or the Morall Law is said to hang vpon it is because without Loue that Law can neuer bee vnderstood Loue giues a cleere sight as it were to the vnderstanding Origen applying it selfe to any particular Commandement concerning our dutie to God or our Neighbour because it must haue no straiter nor wider bonds then Loue setteth vnto it Yea if a man bee once inflamed with Loue the Spirit of Grace will be aiding vnto him and helpe him to vnderstand the Law aright Whereas they which are without Loue and the Spirit that doth accompany it haue many carnall scruples and suspitions which perplex their iudgement and straighten the measure of their obedience The second Law is Positiue and Loue is the contents of that also though as I told you somewhat in a different manner For Positiue Lawes be they Ceremoniall or Politique which are grounded vpon things indifferent spring indeed from Charitie but not immediatly as doth the Law of Nature the Wisdome of the Lawgiuer commeth betweene and considers how farre they may be remembrances of and furtherances to Charitie the Ceremoniall to the loue wee beare God the Politique to the loue we beare to our Neighbour But though Wisdome come betweene yet must not that Wisdome
what these two Commandements enioyned vs is by Christ fulfilled for vs. Saint Pauls wordes sound that way Rom. 8. That which was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of our flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemed sin in the flesh Math. 5.17 Rom 10.4 Gal. 3 2â— that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs and Christ saith I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it and he is the end of the Law and the Law a Pedagogue to Christ But Hilarie hath a good Rule Sensus dictorum sumendus est ex causis dicendorum Christs words are an Answere and therefore must bee vnderstood sutably to the Question Now the Question was touching that which was enioyned vs therefore the Answere is not to bee thought to extend farther And doubtlesse the Questionist thought nothing of the Gospell for how should hee thinke vpon that whereof he had no knowledge Wherefore in contracting of those parts wee must include no more then that dutie which is enioyned vs by the Law as it is contradistinct to the Gospell and all that is contained herein Yea Saint Austin was conceited that not only God did worke the Law and the Prophets out of this ground but that the very Heathen also wrought all their allowable Moralitie and Policie out of it Neither is there any point of this kinde in Christian Religion which may not bee fetched out of Heathen Writers Not that any one of them hath all the Rules but that there is no Rule which may not bee found in some one of them I except alwayes the Rules of the Gospell Whereupon it followeth that Reason it selfe acknowledgeth the truth of all those Rules I will not be so confident as to affirme that the Heathens did euer acknowledge all that I haue opened on these two Commandements a glimpse they had of most of it the writings of Plato Seneca others doe testifie as much the fragments of the twelue Tables which are the foundation of the Ciuill Law and the bodie thereof testifie how farre Reason hath gone But I hasten to an end You haue heard a Lesson which is recommended vnto vs in Christs Answere I told you it is a briefe of the Bible the whole is no more in effect then Loue God aboue all things and thy Neighbour as thy selfe a short lesson you would thinke but it is a very hard one whether you respect the proper worke of Loue or the workes which it commands The reason is partly in our Ignorance which doth not easily learne our dutie and partly in our Concupiscence which hinders vs from doing that which we know from these two impediments no meere man euer was free De perfect Iustit ad Coelest 1. Cor 13. since the fall of Adam neither is it likely any man shall bee vntill the end of the World Wherefore Saint Austin is of opinion that our intire obedience is reserued for our state in Heauen When that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away Saint Paul speaketh it of Charitie which shall not be abolished in Heauen but consummated where wee shall loue God though not quantum diligibilis in se yet quantum ab homine and our Neighbour as our selfe But Saint Austin giueth a good Rule why these Commandements were giuen I am ante praecipitur quia non recte curritur si quo currendum nescitur quomodo autem sciretur si nullis praeceptis ostenderetur Therefore wee must vnderstand the Commandements aright wee are wayfaring men and these Lawes trace out the way which we must goe to Heauen Wee I meane as many as are faithfull For to vs is the Law giuen and some steps must we make herein euery day that wee may bee the forwarder to our iournies end So all our worke should proceed from it and the Loue of God should order our life especially with that we should be principally affected and coldly with other things in comparison of that 1. Cor. 7. v. 31. Vse the world as if we vsed it not If a man bee perplext in his deliberation how hee should carrie himselfe because the profound disputes of Moralitie exceed his capacitie let him hearken to the good counsell of an ancient Father Noli per multa tre nec discendi terreat te ramorum diffusio radicem tene de magnitudine arboris noli cogitare A man may rid himselfe of much trouble in resoluing his conscience what to doe if hee season his Heart well with the Loue of God and of his Neighbour I meane not that he should refuse other helpes if hee may haue them but the more hee hath of this the lesse he will need other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that makes vs obey out of feare this out of goodnesse The Papists abuse this Text for they say this is one of the directories of the Church whereby shee may supply her Traditions but it warrants no supply of the Morall Law much lesse of Articles of Faith though if it be reasonably vsed it may extend to positiue Lawes Lastly seeing all hang on these two Commandements none can crie nesciebam I knew not what to doe But I draw to an end In the Hebrew Bibles the first Characters of these two Commandements are extraordinary great whether by the appointment of Esdras when he digested the Bible or by the Authours of the Mazoreth when they set downe the various lections I will not dispute of this wee may bee sure that whosoeuer was the Authour hee meant we should take notice of these as most remarkable Commandements Not such notice as the Iewes take who write them in schedules and weare and reade them as Amulets to keepe from them all euill which superstition diuers Christians did imitate in Saint Hieromes dayes hanging about their neckes little Gospels In Matth. c â—â— But that Father saith well that caskets and closets may hold our Bibles and be neuer the better for them they are the better for Scripture who lay it vp in their hearts and this God meant the Iewes should dâ—e when he bade them bind his Lawes as frontlets about their heads Deut. 6. and bracelets about their armes hee would haue them in all their wayes thinke vpon them and be euer exercising themselues in them and not to vse the ceremonie only forgetting the substance And I pray God these Commandements may be such frontlets on our eyes as God meant and not such as the Iewes vsed Charitie is the end of the Law the fulfilling of the Law 1 Tim 1.5 Rom 13.10 Col. 3.14 as Saint Paul speakes in imitation of Christ the bond of perfection the way of life yea the superexcellent way all these commendations the Scripture giueth it But beyond all commendations goeth that which Christ giueth it in my text Vpon it hang all the Law and the Prophets Wherefore owe nothing to any but this
our Faith Hope Pedagâ—g lib. 1. cap. 6. saith Clemens Alexandrinus est sanguis sidei it is the bloud of Faith and you know what the Law saith in sanguine anima in the bloud is the life of that thing whose bloud it is certainly the life of our faith is in bloud of Hope for the more we let out this bloud the weaker groweth our faith and he that despaires will quickly become an Apostata Therefore that wee may bee constant in our faith when the windes blow and the waues beate and wee are tost in the Seas of this World with perplexing doubts wee must take sure Anchor-hold in Heauen wee must draw vp our soules in that golden chaine of Hope and by it bee as it were present with our future felicitie 1. Pâ—◠〈◊〉 and then wee shall find that it is as Saint Peter calls it Spe viua a liuing hope it will answere its definition Spes est futurae pollicitationis religiosus assensus Hope most deuoutly resteth vpon the promises of God the performances whereof are yet for to come it is vnto vs a second faith As it doth thus keepe our Faith in heart so doth it our Charitie also for it biddeth our charitie not to consider what it leaueth but what it shall haue Spes semper in â—nteriora tendit non retrò respicit it forgetteth the World which wee haue forsaken and still presseth forward vnto the blessed estate whereunto wee are called Christ for Heb. 12.2 the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame and Moses and the Prophets that forsooke their countrie their kinred their profit their pleasure were animated hereunto by hauing an eye to the recompence of reward I had vtterly fainted Psal 27. saith King Dauid but that I verily looke to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Gregorie Nyssen hath a wittie conceit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Afflictions are but the flowres of eternall felicitie wee must them willingly gather the flowres for the fruits sake And indeed many abhorre the flower because their hearts are not stedfastly set vpon the fruit wherefore when our charitie to Godward groweth cold let vs rowse it and warme it as Dauid did his Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the helpe of my countenance and my God Saint Chrysostome meditating vpon those word of the Psalmist I trust in God why say yee then to my soule flie hence as a bird to the mountaines giueth vs a good obseruation Spes omnia componit Hope calmeth all things he falleth vpon diuers particulars which dishearten men from the seruice of God banishment into a Wildernesse who will bee disquieted with it that hopeth that God will accompanie him there Dreadfull Armies besieging vs what need we feare seeing our Hope is confident that hee that is with vs is mightier then they that are against vs the racke and threatning vs torture the foresight of our Crowne will make vs senselesse of our most bitter Crosse In a word No man euer trusted in God and was confounded he that buildeth vpon this principle whatsoeuer hee suffereth for God will neuer bee disheartned But I may not forget to put you in minde of a good saying of S. Austines Qualis res talis spes Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and the life to come if our hope rest vpon the earthly thing it is but an earthly hope it becomes heauenly if it bee carried vnto those things which are heauenly God dieteth his children in regard of things earthly he would haue them hope for them as if they did not hope as those that can be contented to want them when God thinketh it not fit to bestow them but the Hope which must support both Faith and Charitie it must be a resolute hope of this plentifull reward that is promised in my Text of the gracious prerogatiues of the Church we must looke for them assuredly and without wauering long for them such a Hope will keepe our Faith waking and our Loue working donec spes fiat res till God make good his word I draw to an end That which God offers in reward of that which hee requires doth as in the last Sermon I told you amount to as much as Ius primogeniturae the Birth-right of Gods first-borne You know the storie of Esau he had it in a Type and sold it for a messe of pottage Saint Pauls admonition giuen thereupon to the Hebrewes shall be mine to you Chap. 12. v. 16. Let there bee no such profane person amongst you Esau when hee had so despised his birth-right found no place of repentance though he sought it with teares and we if we neglect the hope of so great saluation offered vs in refusing the condition which God requires of vs shall weepe and sue in vaine with those wretches in the Gospel after the doore is shut and find no entrance into the Kingdome of Heauen Wherefore I will close vp my Sermon as the Sonne of Syracke closeth vp his Behold saith hee with your eies how that I haue had but little labour and haue gotten me much rest Worke therefore your worke betimes and in his time he will giue you your reward ANd God grant we may so performe that which God requires that wee may obtaine what hee doth offer and in due time find that faithfull is he that promiseth and that saying in the Psalme to bee true In keeping of his Commandements there is great reward The sixt Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 7 8. And Moses came and called for the Elders of the people and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him And all the people answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe c. ON the two Verses immediately going before we heard of a gracious message which God by Moses sent vnto Israel on these two verses we shall heare that Moses deliuered it and the Israelites returned an answere to it Touching the deliuerie of the message we must obserue First To whom Moses maketh his report and Secondly how hee doth discharge himselfe therein He maketh his report vnto the Gouernours of the Tribes for he called the Elders of people And in his report hee dischargeth himselfe fully and clearely fully for he reported All which God had commanded him vnto them and cleerely for what was commanded him he laid before their faces Touching the answere wee are to consider First Who maketh it then What manner of answere it is that is made They that make it are the Congregation the People answered and said And in them wee find here two commendable things Vnanimitie and Alacritie Vnanimitie for they ioyned together in the answere All the people answered and said Alacritie for not one stucke at it euery one was as forward as another they answered all
viatoris I wil follow this point no farther By this time I doubt not but you conceiue that the Israelites in their answere were ouer confident they presumed too much of their abilitie Râ—m 8. especially of the extent thereof they did not know what was impossible to the Law by reason of the flesh And yet mistake not there is a vertue in this vice Neither is their confidence so blameable but there is something commendable in it When a father willeth something to be done by his child the child doth not so much consider what it can doe as what it would doe and therefore vndertaketh euen beyond its strength The father that seeth it doth not so much dislike the vanitie of the attempt as hee liketh the willingnesse to obey he delighteth in the good nature of his child and desires that his abilities may be answerable to his endeauours And in this sort did God take the answere of the Israelites as it appeares in the speech which he made to Moses when he presented the like words vnto him I haue heard saith he the voice of the words of this people they haue well sayed all that they haue spoken so he commends their confidence But to giue them to vnderstand that they vndertooke more then they were able to performe Deut. 5. God addeth a wish O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes For nullius momentiest subitus affectus nisi accedat perseuerandi constantia As the parable of the two Sonnes Matth. 21. plainely sheweth God foresaw that all this profession of the Israelites was in them but a flash of a temporarie faith Psal 79. such as out of temptation appeares in most of vs. For if we be preuented with grace yea in many good things out of the light of nature we assent vnto the truth of Gods Law and our hearts incline to the good thereof Yea if we sit Iudges in other mens cases and are not transported with preiudice and acceptance of the persons we manifest this assent and inclination to the Law of God in generall in our dooming of other men but we doe not cast vp our owne accounts When our owne case commeth a foote and wee are exercised with any particular temptation then Gods wish is necessarie O that there were in them such a heart It is necessarie euen for those that haue beene so forward to say and that commendably All that the Lord hath commanded we will doe Let vs then know that the strictnesse of Gods charge serues onely to exercise our faith in Christ to inflame our loue towards God and to encourage our hope of perfection in heauen Multum ille in hac vita profecit qui quam longe sit a perfectione Iustitiae proficiende cognoscit But I draw to an end This answere did the Israelites make vnto the message that was sent from Mount Sinai what answere then must wee make vnto the message that commeth to vs from Mount Sion The yoke that Moses put vpon them was grave an heauie yoke Acts 15.10 Matth. 11.30 the yoke that Christ putteth vpon vs is suave an easie yoke The easier our charge the readier should be our acceptance it could not bee so commendable in them to vnder take beyond their abilitie as it will bee shamefull in vs if wee come short of them in expressing our forwardnesse to obey God For if their state were glorious ours doth much more exceed in glorie 2. Cor. 3. What remaineth then but that we oblige our selues chearefully to the Couenant of Grace and penitently bewaile our manifold defects in obseruing our obligation and that in our conflicts when wee are driuen to cry out O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee c. Rom. 7 2â— wee answere Thankes be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord I conclude all with that passage in the Psalme Lord thou hast commanded that we should keepe thy precepts diligently and let Dauids wish bee euery one of ours Oh that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes The seuenth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 9. And the Lord said vnto Moses Loe I come vnto thee in a thicke Cloud that the people may heare when I speake with thee and beleeue thee for euer YOu may remember that I brake this whole Chapter into two parts a mutuall stipulation that passed betweene God and the Israelites and a preparation of the parties for so great a worke as was the promulgation of the Law I haue spoken of the mutuall stipulation it followeth that I now come on to the preparation This preparation is first ordered then the parties being orderly prepared doe meet each other The order for Gods preparation is set downe in this verse for the Israelites in many Verses following Touching Gods preparation we must obserue first that hee will vouchsafe his presence at this great worke I come to thee Secondly touching Gods presence the Text will teach vs the Manner and the End The Manner is such as beseemeth the person and fitteth the businesse as it beseemeth the person so it is maiesticall as it fitteth the businesse so it is mysticall both are included in the thicke Cloud The End of Gods presence was partly to grace Moses who was to be the Law-giuer that the people may heare when I speake with thee and partly to dispose the people aright who were to receiue the Law that they may beleeue thee for euer These be the points and they are remarkeable therefore are they prefaced with a note of attention Loe which will also direct our application it is remarkeable that God was present it is remarkeable that his presence was full of maiestie and mysterie the countenance which God vouchsafeth Moses is remarkeable and remarkeable is that disposition towards Moses which God requires in Israel I beseech you therefore in the feare of God to marke these points diligently whilst I cleere them vnto you briefly and in their order I come God vouchsafeth his presence at the worke and is this strange Must this haue a Loe put vpon it Is it strange for God to doe that which hee cannot chuse but doe Acts 7.49 For hee filleth heauen and earth heauen is his throne the earth is his footstoole reade the 139 Psalme and see whether a man can be any where without the presence of God Hee beareth vp all things by the word of his power saith the Apostle therefore it is not strange that God should be present at this work who is euery where it is rather strange that God should be said to come to it as if he changed the place of his presence which he cannot doe because he is infinite Obserue therefore that though God be euerywhere alike in regard of his being yet in regard of his being manifest he is not euery where alike now it is not his being but his being manifest that is meant in this place therefore
sound that way also But Etymologies doe not alwayes yeild good grounds of Diuinitie It is well if there bee a correspondencie an equalitie is more then may bee hoped for betweene Gods worke and ours Which I obserue the rather because the Rhemish note findeth Sacisfactorie workes in this word forgetting their owne Dininitie which maketh Satisfaction attend penance but not the Sacrament of Baptisme But to leaue them and deliuer the truth concerning Repentance We must obserue that in sin there are two things the Guilt and the Act of sin the Guilt infinite the Act finite Nothing can worthily satisfie for the Guilt but only the pretious death of Iesus Christ his Bloud only is the propitiation for our sins But the Act is finite wherwith we sin so is the Act wherwith we repent between these Acts we shuld endeuour to shew an emulation so that looke what pleasure we tooke in sinne against God so much sorow should we expresse when wee returne againe vnto God hee that sinneth a great sinne must not thinke it enough to sorrow as hee doth for a small one Peter wept but bee wept bitterly because he had sinned grieuously and King Dauid wore out his eyes and watered his Couch with his teares sorrowing for those sinnes wherewith he had prouoked God But let vs draw this through both parts of Repentance Mul ò firmior est Fides Charitas quam repoint I â—enitâ—ntia Lactantius Vitque Deo gratior amore ardens pest culpam vita quà m securitate torpens innocentia Gregorius and see how the degree must appeare in them In the first of solemne Repentance the rule is If a man slip in his faith or loue of God and recouer he will cleaue faster vnto God and loue him mere ardently and he pleaseth God the better when his loue after a recouerie groweth zelous then when in innocencie it groweth lukewarme As in the bodie of a man if an arme or legge bee broken and bee well set againe it groweth the stronger Take an example from Saint Paul who as he was a bloudie persecutor so did hee proue a most painfull Apostle and most patient Martyr Saint Austines Confessions shew how erroneous in iudgement how dissolute in life he had beene but since the Apostles dayes neuer had the Church a better Bishop then was Saint Austin But if we should looke for this degree in this age we might happily seeke long but scarce find any parallel not but that there are euery where those that exceed them in sinne but of those that imitate them in Repentance we find none no Adulterers that so change as to become markable spectacles of Continencie no Oppressors that turne Deacons and minister out of their goods to the necessitie of the poore no Drunkards that pinch their bodies with Fasting and Abstinence He that hath not commited vnlawfull things may be bold to vse the lawfull blessings of God and notwithstanding performe acceptable workes of Pietie but hee that hath beene a Fornicator an Adulterer c. must goe as farre in abstaining from the contentments of this life which are otherwise allowed him as hee hath exceeded in the vse of them 〈…〉 But this Rule is growne too much out of date and we thinke that so we repent it matters not in what degree we repent and so we make a reall Confession that howsoeuer we doe turne to God yet wee are afraid to bee too farre estranged from our sinne Wherein God doth not obtaine so much of man as the Deuill doth For when a good man degenerateth hee keepeth no meane but commonly striueth to be the worst plunging himselfe most deeply into sinne and persecuting goodnesse and good men most bitterly It were to be wisht that our zeale that turne vnto God were no worse in the loue of goodnesse and the hatred of sinne But it is rather to bee wisht then hoped for The Reason of it lieth in our neglect of that degree which should be in the second kind of Repentance for if we did affect that we would bee more apt vnto this The Degree of the second kind of Repentance is when a mans outward life striueth to bee answerable to his inward calling It is strange to see how in worldly state euerie man striueth to liue futably to his ranke and is accounted base if he doe not so if of a Yeoman hee become a Gentleman of a Gentleman a Knight as his person is improued so will he improue his port also yea the excesses of all sorts of men shew that herein euery man goeth beyond his ranke in his house in his fare in his clothes But in our spirituall state it is nothing so for our house we can be contented to dwell in seeled houses when the Arke of God is vnder Tents and who doth endeuour that himselfe may be a Temple fit for God As for our Clothes they should be royall our Garments should euer be white the wedding Garment should neuer be off but we are so farre from couering our nakednesse with conuenient robes that it appeares not in the eyes of God as that we take no care to hide our filthinesse from men Certainly we doe not endeuour to be clothed with the righteousnesse of Saints Finally for our diet we that are called to the Table of the Lord and should be sustained with Angels food content our selues with Swines meate for what else are filthy lusts Wherein wee are so much worse then the prodigall childe in that he did desire them and no man gaue them to him we haue our sils his was desired of necessitie but our food is voluntarie In a word we are called to be sonnes of God our eye is seldome vpon our Father to see what beseemeth his Sonnes wee are called to be members of Christ but little doe wee care what beseemeth that Mysticall Bodie wee rather are in name then in deed either Children of God or Members of Christ I conclude this point with Nazianzens Admonition we may not counterfeit our puritie but haue it remarkable and illustrious wee must haue our soules perfectly died with grace Let vs walke worthy of that vocation whereunto we are called This lesson belongeth to them that are of age betweene whom and infants there is this difference that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repentance which is Gods worke is enough for Infants but bring forth fruit belongeth to them that are of riper age If time be granted vnto vs after our Conuersion it is granted to the end that by our good Conuersation wee may set forth the vertues of him that hath called vs into his maruailous light And we should thinke it enough if not too much that we haue spent the time past in those lusts that are vnbeseeming Christians but wee may vse that saying of the Apostle Rom. 2.5 Know you not that the patience and long-suffering of God draweth you to Repentance but you after your hearts that cannot repent treasure vnto your selues wrath against the day
men It was grosse ignorance in the Iewes to thinke that the outward Character could denominate them without the inward and that they should goe for sonnes of Abraham who in Pietie were so vnlike Abraham Therefore Saint Iohn correcteth this ignorance of theirs and telleth them they are not worthy of so Honourable a title nay God himselfe doth vilisie them calling them sometimes Gentiles in generall sometimes descending to particulars Amos 9 are you not all as the children of Aâ—thiopia vnto me And as if that parentage were too good Thy natiuitie saith God is of the land of Canaan Ezech 16. thy father was an Amorite thy mother an Hittite yet this doth not villifie them enough the worst place of Canaan was Sodome and Gomorra thither doth God send them for their Pedigree Deut. 32. Finally after yee are past Sodome there remaineth nothing but Hell and so low doth Christ debase them Ioh. 8. You are of your father the Diuell euen you that say yee haue Abraham to your father I doe not wonder why Saint Paul after that he had reckoned vp all the parcels of his corporall Nobilitie concludeth I am not the better I am the worse for all this all this is but dung it recommendeth me nothing vnto God nay it may make me blush for that I haue no inward resemblance of him with whom I haue this outward alliance It were good our Nobilitie and Gentrie did learne this who haue nothing to shew that they are the of spring of such worthies as their fathers were but onely that which Tully yeeldeth to Piso a Genealogie or an earthly patrimonie Saint Chrysostome compareth such vnto froth and indeed generous liquor doth cast a froth which froth is insipid and hath nothing of that taste which is in the liquor euen so are they descended of their Parents but their Parents liue not in them and therefore all that they can boast of Ignabiliâ— nobilitas is but an ignoble Nobilitie as Theophylact speaketh it is not worth the standing vpon Malo Pater tibi sit Thersites dummodo tu sis Aeacidae similis Vulcaniaque arma capessas Quam te Thersitae similem producat Achilles The truth whereof Saint Chrysostome setteth before vs in an excellent Simile Behold saith he Gold commeth of the earth a precious mettall of a very base Element we esteeme the Gold we care not for the earth euen so Opaere imperfect in Matth. if a child be worthy it skilleth not how vnworthy his Parents were faithfull Abraham is not the worse because the child of idolatrous Sarah The similitude goeth on Siluer yeeldeth Tinne the better a worse mettall wee neglect the Tinne and keepe the Siluer so if a child be vnworthy what doth it auaile him to be of worthy Parents What is Ismael the better for being the sonne of Abraham If this rule haue exceptions as indeed it hath in worldly societies for many make Idols of rich Nabals Filâ— Deâ—nulla externa prarogatiua aesimâ—nâ—â—â— and knottie blockes yet to Godward the rule is true none can claime spirituall kindred with Abraham but they that are new Creatures dissimilitude of manners argueth Bastards and no Sonnes You haue heard the first branch of their Ignorance they maimed the truth The second is they misplaced it for they began their defence against the wrath to come at this claime We haue Abraham to our father The fathers note that this is preposterous dealing it is not enough for vs to take care that we partake as well of the substance as of the ceremonie in sacred things we must adde a second rule which is this As in knowing God so in knowing our state to Godward we must rise from the effects to the cause that so afterward we may from the cause conclude the effects the euidence is in the effects whereof the assurance is in the cause that wee are the children of God we see most cleerely in our vertues though the ground whereupon wee stand most assuredly is Gods couenant Wherefore the Couenant is not the first step where wee must begin our triall much lesse may wee begin at Predestination we must by degrees of reason read the gifts of God in our Faith Hope and Charitie to worke which the Word and Sacraments were ordained if wee find these they argue Gods loue to vs they prooue wee stand in good tearmes with him And when we haue thus argued from the effects we may safely make demonstrations from the cause and then it will bee a good plea if our Conscience doth question the certaintie of our saluation because the good that we would doe we cannot doe Rom. 7. to say with Saint Paul thankes be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord or that which is equiualent I haue Abraham to my father This plea was prouided to keepe vs in heart in that conflict Of this the Iewes were ignorant and therefore Saint Iohn correcteth this in them blameth them for putting in their claime to the Couenant before they had giuen some proofe of their vertue We are not ignorant of the Romish calumnies and of the distraction of our brethren in forraine parts about this doctrine happily some occasion hereof may be because some deliuer Theologie more Theoretically then practically It were to be wished that at least in so much as must come to the vulgar eye and eare this method were changed lest as it hath so it prooue dangerous to many though I dare say that if the parts of the doctrine publikely authorized by the Reformed Churches be charitably laid together and otherwise to construe the writing is against good manners by a rule in the Ciuill Law wee shall find nothing but that which may passe for sound and good But to leaue methods of Bookes and come to methods of our liues when I rip vp the Tracts of this Argument written by those that either would seeme to be or are indeed zealous of Pietie I find that mens liues opened both their mouthes and set both their Pens a writing therefore I thinke there can be no more compendious course to silence the slaunders of the one and reconcile the distractions of the other Mat. 5.16 then to Let our lights so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is in heauen And thus much of S. Iohns answer to the first part of their errour the correcting of their Ignorance I come now to the second part their Arrogancie double arrogancie for first they appropriate Abrahams family to themselues As they thought themselues to be holy so did they think theÌ„selues to be the onely children of Abraham In their Synagogues it is one of those things for which they giue thanks vnto God that they are born Israelites not Goim Gentiles of whom they neuer speak but with great scorn Cyril Alexandrinus amplifieth this point vpon Osea cap. 9. The Israelites looking loftily and speaking bigge boasted we haue Abraham to our father he addeth
true Oliue is the Iew and if the Gentile partake of the fatnesse thereof he must be grafted thereinto and become a Branch of that Oliue To the Ephesians more plainly more fully he maketh the receiuing of the Gentiles into the Church to bee an admission into the Couenant into the Common-wealth of Israel Ephes 3. a becomming one body with them But as the Gentile becommeth a Iew so is it not a Iew according to the flesh but according to the spirit A Sonne of Abraham he is but a spirituall Sonne the partition wall is taken downe yea the Arke it selfe is remoued Ieremy 3. and the Ceremonies which cloath the Religion of the Iewes cease they are not imposed vpon the Gentiles Yea the Iew himselfe becommeth a Gentile the Iew I say becommeth a Gentile carnally as the Gentile becommeth a Iew spiritually Of the ten Tribes it is most cleare that after their Captiuity they neuer returned and there is no such Nation to be heard of in the world they are mingled with other Nations and become Gentiles according to the flesh And as for the other two Tribes that made vp the Kingdome of Iuda many thousands of them were conuerted to the Christian Faith in the daies of the Apostles and yet there is not extant any Nationall Church of them neither was there long extant any they also are become Gentiles according to the flesh And God that buried the bodie of Moses so that it could not be found lest the Iewes should commit Idolatry with that body whereby God had wrought so great Miracles seemes also to haue as it were buried so many Iewes as became Christians by mingling them with the Gentiles lest that superstition which hath besotted the Gentiles to goe a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land should haue wrought more strongly in making them dote vpon that holy people But God hath turned all the world into a Canaan hath of all Nations compounded the Israel of God Of a truth saith St. Peter I see there is no respect of Persons with God but in euery Nation whosoeuer beleeueth and feareth God is accepted of him There is neyther Iew nor Gentile Graecian nor Barbarian bond nor free but all are one in Christ all are contained vnder this name Vs. In the Prophet vpon this ground Israel seemes to note the Gentiles Ezek. 37. when both Iuda and Israel are remembred to bee conuerted to God and the whole house of Iacob You see of what Nation the People is now see of what Condition Borne to Vs giuen to Vs. And who are we for whom God hath done this Gifts are bestowed vpon Persons eyther for their worth or for their need For their worth and so they are Munera honoraria they are presented in dutifull acknowledgement of their worth whether it be worth of vertue or worth of degree For their need and so they are Munera eleemosynaria conferred out of a pitifull compassion of others wants This gift is not of the first kinde it cannot be Honorarium There was no worth in vs which God should honour with this gift bestowed vpon vs. Our degree was of no regard our vertue of much Iesse the former was none in comparison and the later was none at all It must then be Munus eleemosynarium and indeed so it was the Scripture so speaketh of it Through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high hath visited vs so saith Zacharie And St. Paul Tit. 3. After the kindnesse and loue of our Sauiour towards man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his mercy he saued vs. And indeed it was a worke of great mercy For whereas there is but duplex malum malum Poenae and malum Culpae a double euill of Sinne and Woe we were plunged deepe in both deep in Sin deepe in Woe To pity him that is deep in woe is not strange it seemeth to be the proper act of Mercy but pity towards Malefactors the Philosophers acknowledge none No man say they pitieth a Thiefe when he goeth to the Gallowes or a Murderer feeling the stroke of Iustice how much lesse would they pity them if the sinne were against themselues and that committed by a Vassall against his Lord a Vassall that had receiued much fauour against his Lord from whom he receiued it In such a case they acknowledge no pity Yet this is our case and we haue found pity so great pity that Christ was borne for Vs and Christ was giuen vnto Vs. So that of this pity as well Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely the Cause but the Occasion must be found in God It is cleare that the proper Cause is the goodnesse of God and it is as cleare that the occasion also must bee fetched from him Were there onely malum Poenae in vs there might bee found in vs an Occasion of Mercie but seeing there is also malum Culpae there cannot but bee an Occasion of Iustice Our double Euill worketh a double Occasion and so maketh Mercie and Iustice as it were to striue in God And indeed both take their occasions Natus satisfied Iustice for a Person came forth that was able to giue full satisfaction vnto Iustice but Datus satisfied Mercy because this Person was freely bestowed vpon Vs. So that if we put Borne for Vs and Giuen to Vs together we see the sweet Harmony that is in the Quire of Gods Attributes None singeth alone they concent together yet so that some one doth most loudly speak the praise of God and in our case Mercy reioyceth ouer Iudgement For though our sinnes haue occasioned Iustice and therefore Christ was borne for Vs that he might satisfie that iustice that was too heauie for vs yet our Woe occasioned Mercy which gaue Christ vnto Vs that in our own Person we might enioy the Blessings of God We are borne for our selues that we may liue and haue all the comfort of our life present to come blessings which we wanted and by which when we receiue them our state is the better It is not so with Christ he was borne for others not for himselfe and giuen to others not to himselfe for what wanted he whereof he needed a supply Hee was in the forme of God and what good is there that is not in the Nature of God which is the ouerflowing Fountaine of all good Looke vpon the State of Christ this Point will appeare clearly No man will doubt but his Birth was for the good of others that considereth that his glory is not his owne but ours He sitteth indeed at the right hand of God and is lifted vp aboue all Angels and Arch-angels and euery Name that is named in Heauen and Earth in this World and that which is to come but what gaineth he by it who was from eternity most high in the glory of his Father Christ himselfe affirmeth it Iohn 17. Glorifie mee O Father with that glory
to be most in number But there are two cautions to be obserued in this boundlesnesse of the Church One concerning the bound lesnesse thereof in regard of place Another concerning the boundlesnesse thereof in regard of time Touching the former whereas the Church is said to spread it selfe ouer the whole world we must not only vnderstand it de generibus singulorum not de singulis generum in all nations but also obserue that Christ which hath Ius ad omnem terram hath not at the same time Ius in omni terra the proprietie of all is his but he taketh possession of it successiuely and by parts As the scope of the Sunne is all the world and yet at one time the Sunne doth not shine in all parts thereof it beginneth in the East and passeth to the South and so to the West and as it passeth forward bringing light to one place withdraweth it from another so is it in regard of the Sunne of Righteousnesse the easterne Countries the foutherne haue had his light which now are in darknesse for the most part and we that were more northerly doe now enioy the clearest noon-tide but the Sunne beginneth to rise to them in the West and it is too plaine that our light beginneth to grow dimme it is to bee feared that it hasteneth to their Meridian and whether after their noone it will then set God knoweth The cause hereof is not lest we mistake in the Sunne of Righteousnesse as the cause why all haue not light at one time is in the corporall Sunne The corporall Sunne cannot at one time illighten all the Sunne of Righteousnesse can But for the sinnes of the people the Candlesticke is remoued and giuen to a nation that will beare more fruit We interpose our earthlinesse between our selues and the Sun and so exclude our selues from the beames thereof A second caution concerneth the time The peace and the gouernement are said to be euerlasting But they may bee considered in fieri or in facto when they are once consummated they shall bee continued for euer but while they are in fieri the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit interrupts the gouernment and the conscience of sinne within and the crosse without interrupt the peace Yet both are lasting pro modo viatoris in the roote though not in the fruite the principles of obedience which are repentance and faith by which wee recall our selues and the principles of peace which are faith and hope by which we pacifie our selues inwardly and patiently sustaine what befals vs outwardly continue for euer yea and disobedience repented of maketh vs more obedient and the interruption of peace breedeth vs more peace more peace inwardly we haue the lesse we haue outwardly and after our reconciliation with God we do more comfortably enioy the light of his countenance but when wee are comprehensores then our Obedience shall bee entire and our peace be full and both without end The last note is that which is the life of all to wit the vse that wee must make of it Although we cannot say of a body consisting of heterogeneous parts that Eadem est ratio vnius omnium yet when it consists of homogeneous parts wee may say it truly I cannot say that my hand is my head or my head is my hand or that in the one I see the nature of the other but whereas of flesh euery part is flesh in the least part I see the condition of the whole The Church hath a double consideration so farre as these children are subiects of the Kindome they are all homogeneous parts but as they haue seuerall functions so they are heterogeneous parts We haue not all the same graces of edification but the same graces of adoption we should all haue though we be not all Prophets all Apostles all workers of Miracles all Pastors yet are wee all children of God seruants in his house subiects in his kingdome euery man so farre is a little catholicke Church at least should bee And wee should all try our selues by the rules of my Text whether we find in our selues the gouernment of Christ in our voluntary subiection to him the peace of Christ in his comfortable influence into our consciences Wee must try how these things increase in vs how we daily profit in both And we should profit so farre as that no part of our body norpower of our soule should be withdrawne from Christs gouernment there should bee no part or power of eyther that doth not partake of the sweetnesse of his peace They should doe so and euery day should they doe it as they must exclude Christ from no place so must they exclude him at no time But alas many of vs are no subiects at all wee are sonnes of Belial few of vs growing subiects but Catholickesubiects there are none on earth for how many holds hath Sathan in vs in our bodies and in our soules out of which we keep Christ the lawfull owner of them And for Time it were well if we paid a tenth part therof vnto Christ but we afford him not so many houres as we do yeares vnto the Diuell We are like vnto the image in Daniel which had a golden head siluer shoulders brazen thighes feet of clay and iron the lower the worser and we the longer we liue commonly the worse wee are the first time wee come to Christ we are at the best How it is with particular persons let euery man aske his own conscience Certainly it is so with whole Churches what zeale what charity was there in the dayes of the Apostles but it was of no long continuance The Fathers that write of the persecutions say That God sent euery one of them to correct in his Church the decay both of zeale and charity When the Gospell reuiued with vs those that are old may remember how religious this Kingdome was both within the Church and without and what a friendly conspiracie there was between true deuotion and honest conuerfation But may not Christ say now to vs as he said to the Church of Ephesus I haue somewhat against thee Reu. 2. because thou hast left thy first loue Nay rather may not he repeat the words which hee sent vnto the Church of Sardis I know thy workes Reu. 3. thou hast a name that thou liuest but art dead Certainely true Piety true Charity is dead amongst vs. I conclude all with Christs exhortation Reu. 2. Let vs remember from whence wee are fallen and repent and doe our first workes lest he come vpon vs quickely and remoue our Candlesticke out of his place because we doe not repent O Lord that hast vouchsafed to place thy Gouernement amongst vs and with this Gouernment to giue thy Peace we beseech thee that hast planted them so to water them that both may grow in vs and let vs set no bounds to that which thou wouldst haue boundlesse Let not our whole Church let not any member
may be to Gods image before he can deserue to be glorious The last thing required vnto glory is that the solid and eminent Good be also resplendent A worthy man must be as a well-drawn Picture set in bono lâ—mine neyther will bee regarded except they bee placed there where their worth may be discerned For in regard of glorie Idem est non esse non apparere A hidden treasure and wisedoine concealed are both alike saith Salomon Ecclus 41.14 they lose their praise and glory the Kinsmen of Christ out of this principle set vpon him There is no man that doth any thing in secret and himselfe seeketh to be knowne openly The Greekes call honestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it calleth all men to it The Hebrewes call it tab because it is beautifull and pleasant and maketh all in loue with it most languages call worthy personages Lights because the lustre of their vertue is the pleasing obiect of euery mans eye Wherefore our Sauiour biddeth vs Matth. 5. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heauen I haue hitherto opened vnto you the nature of Glorie I haue shewed you what and how many things are requisite thereunto But where shall we finde it what is the first or rather proper subiect of it Surely God cap. 33. wee learne it in Exodus Moses desired to see Gods glory God made his goodnesse to passe before him as if his goodnesse and glory were synonyma's certainely they are inseparable His goodnesse is solid it is his very nature who is called Iohoua and is that which he is Secondly his goodnesse is eminent for whatsoeuer is good is predicated of him in abstracto wisedome truth righteousnesse holinesse Iames 1 Psal 8.19.104.45 c. and abstract names note absolute perfections Finally his goodnesse is most resplendent therefore St. Iames calleth him the father of lights Dauid hath made many Psalmes in acknowledgement hereof For this cause doth the Scripture often times vse the name of Glory when it meaneth God The Iewes in the Old Testament are blamed by the Prophets for neglecting for forsaking their glory that is God And St. Peter in the New Testament 2 Pet. 1.17 speaking of the testimonie which God the Father gaue vnto our Sauiour Christ in the Mount saith Hee heard a voyce from the magnificent Glory Glory then is originally in God but by deriuation it is communicated from him vnto others Angels Princes Luke 2. 2 Pet. 2. both are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture But to none doth this title so truely belong as vnto Christ St. Paul Heb. 1. cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brightnesse of his fathers glory When he was to come into the world Esay saith cap. 40. The glory of the Lord should be reuealed and biddeth Ierusalem bee bright because her glory is risen and in the person of Eliakim speaking of Christ cap. 60. he shall bee a glorious Throne saith he vnto them and they shall hang vpon him all the glory of his fathers house Cap. 6. Behold saith Zacharie the man whose name is the Branch 1 Tim. 3.16 he shall come out of his place he shall build a temple and he shall beare the glory Finally seeing our Sauiour is God manifest in the flesh hee deserues well that praise which is giuen him in the Churches hymne Thou art the King of glory O Christ But whereas Gods glory doth shine vnto vs in the face of Christ we must enquire what manner of glory it is for in God there is a two-fold glory as you may gather out of the fore-cited place of Exod. cap. 33. compared with cap. 34. a glory of his iustice and a glory of his mercy the solemne and publicke manifesting of eyther of them I meane his iustice or his mercie is manifesting of his glory Touching his iustice we haue an excellent place in Esay in a vision God shewed himselfe in the Temple Esay 6.3 enuironed with the Saraphims who cryed Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts heauen and earth are full of thy glory this was the glory of his iustice for verse 9. he denounceth the sentence of induration against the Iewes the like manifestation wee finde in Moses Numb 14. As I liue saith the Lord all the earth shall bee filled with the glory of the Lord but it is the glory of his iustice for immediately hee doth doome all those Israelites that had not hearkned to his voyce saying Surely they shall not see that Land which I sware vnto their fathers to giue them There is another branch of Gods glory I called it the glory of his mercie it was figured partly by the Cloud and partly by the Arke The Cloud was a type of Gods milde appearance for it was seated not betweene Seraphims fiery Angels messengers and instruments of wrath but betweene the Cherubims which had the shape of men louely and meeke men Adde hereunto that it rested vpon the Arke the couering whereof was called the mercie seate Eyther of these was called the glory of the Lord The Cloud often in Moses the Arke in that known storie of the destruction of Elie's sonnes at what time the Arke being taken by the Philistines 1 Sam. 3. Heb. 9. Psal 27. Ier. 14. 17. Elie's daughter called her childe Ichabod the glory is gone For attending vpon these two were the Cherubims called Cherubims of glorie and for containing them the Temple was called the habitation and throne of Gods glory But all these were types the truth of them was Christ Hee was the truth of the Cloud in his flesh did God so appeare that he might be endured by the sight of men and he appeared for those vses whereunto the Cloud was designed for direction and protection you may gather it out of Esay cap. 4. and St. Paul speaketh plainely 1 Cer. 1.24 that Christ came into the world as the wisedome and the power of God As Christ was the truth of the Cloud so was hee of the Mercie-seate St. Paul Rom. 3.25 cals him by the very name of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God accepteth vs in him By him we come with boldnesse to the throne of grace and finde mercy in the time of neede Heb. 4.16 The Angels that attended him were not Seraphims but Cherubims they appeared in the shape of men and whensoeuer they appeared they came to bring comfort Christ then did in his person manifest Gods mercifull glory which is the glorie meant in this Text. Wherefore I will conclude this point with the words of the Euangelist Iohn 1. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and â—â—ll of truth I haue sufficiently opened vnto you that which is conferred wee must now see whereon The text saith it was the house the Prophet meaneth the
And if being a farre off his sight caused ioy being come so neare how much more ioy must the sight of him cause If the Type wrought so how must the Truth it selfe worke And if the Father of the Type were so affected ought not the Mother of the Truth to be affected much more Certainly she must needs haue Ioy. But what is Ioy Ioy is a pleasing euidence of the loue which we beare to any thing which we acknowledge to be good so that Ioy though it be but one thing yet it presupposeth two other things Knowledge and Loue as the rootes from whence it springs The first roote is Knowledge for where there is no Knowledge there can be no Ioy. Marke the great and the little world though each bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly frame inriched with many markable indowments yet is not the great world priuie to the indowments it hath no not the eye thereof I meane the summe of whom the Poet long since spake truely Per quem videt omnia mundus Et videt ipse nihil So that the passage in the 19. Psalme The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke c. is to bee vnderstood passiuely not actiuely or to speak it more plainly they do it as a Scripture but not as a Lecture they are a silent representation But the little world is not only passiue but actiue hee can contemplate whatsoeuer perfection is in himselfe or others it is the very nature of his vnderstanding to become all things and to beare about it selfe which it can studie at all times in it selfe a mappe of all the world Whether therefore we consider the great or the little world we may call each of them a booke but such a booke as to the reading whereof none is admitted vnder the degree of a man And herein consists the first excellency of the reasonable soule this is the first act wherein it ariseth higher than the vnreasonable man goeth beyond a beast in the knowledge of perfection and this knowledge is the first roote of Ioy. From hence springeth a second which is Loue. Knowledge is not vnfitly compared vnto a seale which is grauen not for it selfe but to set a print vpon the waxe and our heart is as waxe and easily receiues the impression of our knowledge Now the print which the knowledge of perfection leaueth in the heart is Loue according to the Greeke Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor transit in rem amatam knowne good cannot be long vnaffected because the heart is as transformable into all good as the vnderstanding into all truth the heart I say that hath his right temper and is capable of his proper obiect that obiect discerned must needs breed loue Loue which is Virtus vnieâ—s a Vertue which maketh a match betweene our soule and perfection for as Knowledge is the eye whereby the soule seeth it so is Loue the hand whereby it closeth with it Duaâ— ciuitates distingunt duo amores St. Austin So that Loue is the second act of the reasonable soule an act which distinguisheth betweene good and bad men and is the second roote of Ioy. When Knowledge and Loue haue done their part then commeth in the reasonable soules last worke and that is Ioy which is nothing else but the euidence of loue for where there is no loue there is no Ioy but we cannot but ioy in that which we loue for Ioy is the naturall fruit of loue and we cannot loue any thing but the heart will haue a pleasant feeling thereof This third act of the reasonable soule putteth a difference between happy and vnhappy men for Ioy is the vpshot of all our endeauours nothing can satisfie till wee come to it and he that hath it resteth therein We studie we loue both that we may Ioy but beyond ioy we cannot goe And this I thinke is the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so vsually receiued for the common salutation But wee may not onely consider the Nature but the Power of Ioy also great power for it is in the pleasure of Ioy how much we shall be capable of whatsoeuer good wee either know or loue the enlarging of our heart more or lesse is the act of Ioy and as much as wee ioy so much is our heart inlarged Marke then as is our Knowledge so is our Loue for we can loue no more than we know and as is our Loue so is our Ioy for Ioy is an effect of Loue but as is our Ioy so is our portion of good wee can receiue no more than our vessell will containe and the measure thereof depends from Ioy. To come now vnto the Angels words he calleth vpon the Virgin for this Affection the affection of Ioy what meaneth hee thereby Out of that you haue heard you may gather this he would haue her most sensible most capable of that diuine obiect which in his following words he presents vnto her And what the Angell commended vnto the Virgin giue me leaue Fathers and Brethren to commend vnto you Ioy. When we receiue the message of grace certainly it is Gods pleasure that we should reioyce in his blessings Lord saith Dauid lift thou vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Psalme 4. and what followeth That shall put more ioy into our hearts than they whose corne and wine is increased The want of this Ioy cost the Israelites deare Deut. 28. Because saith Moses thou seruest not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a chearfull heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and nakednesse and the need of all things Wherefore at all times Let our garments be white and let not oyle be wanting to our beads Eccles 9.8 whensoeuer the Lord doth answer the desire of our hearts O then be â—oyfull in the Lord serue the Lord with gladnesse and come before his tresence with a song for we forfeit Gods fauour if it bee not vnto vs the very ioy of our heart And no maruell for to want this affection in the midst of Gods mercies what doth it argue but that either wee want the Vnderstanding of men and discerne not our blessing or else want that Loue that should be in good men wherewith to imbrace the same or at least wee make not so much vse of Gods mercy as thereby to become happy men for happy men we are not without Ioy that affection that is here commended by the Angell And thus much of the Affection As for that Iowly obeyzance wherewith the Romanists say the Angell spake the word I thinke the mention thereof more vnworthy your learned eares than their superstitious pens that haue so childishly obserued it vnto vs. And therefore I passe from the Affection to the Motiues that must worke the same In vaine should the Angell call for the Affection except he proposed the Motiues for our affections stirre not but as
but wanteth We must ascend then yet farther and whither but vnto God from the Grace of Inherence to his Grace of Acceptance to that reconciliation which we haue with him springing from his owne free good will towards vs. And this breeds indeed gaudium Christiani hominis and it is this that is meant when the Angell saith to the Virgin that she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he telleth her what is the true motiue of Ioy the free loue the high fauour of God which are comprehended within the word Grace And indeed excellent are the properties of this Motiue wherein it excelleth all the other First it is that which onely can make all the promises of God credible vnto vs the Adoption the Inheritance of a childe of God the Incarnation the Mediation of the Son of God can they finde any credibility in any of the other motiues the sensuall the rationall the pharisaicall well may they breed distrust but faith of these things they can neuer make yea they are all clogged with manifold exceptions to be taken thereat but if wee come to So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son c. Iohn 3.16 in Gods Ioue free loue we finde ground for our faith and rest for our soules As this Motiue doth make all Gods promises credible so it maketh them communicable vnto all for other blessings of God are dispensed in varietie some haue one some another some haue riches and no honour some haue honour and no riches some haue wisedome which haue neither of these two some haue extraordinary vertue whose wisedome is but ordinary But the free loue of God is common vnto all to all the children of God they that are vnequall in graces of Inherence are in grace of Acceptance all equall the grace of Adoption the grace of Reconciliation is measured with as liberall a hand to the poorest Publican in earth as to the most glorious Saint in heauen though not in actiue yet in passiue righteousnesse all are matches Whereupon followeth a third property this motiue to ioy is most parable or easie to be had the poorest may keepe as great a gaudy day here as the richest and the simplest as the wisest he that is lowest as he that is highest for we neede none of those things wherein it pleaseth God to aduance others before vs to the keeping of this gaudy day which consideration should make this motiue most welcome to vs all in that it containes a prouision that may be had at all times And as to be had at all times so it faileth at no time for which is the fourth property it is as stable as parable as it is easily had so is it best kept All other motiues haue their waxings and their wanings their ebbes and their flouds onely Gods free loue is that that stayeth by vs and recouereth againe his other gifts when they faile in vs. Look vpon King Dauid look vpon St. Peter and see what instability there is euen in that which is most likely to be stable the grace of Inherence and when that faileth how commeth it to passe that they failed not also we can finde no other ground but Gods free loue expressed in his promise vnto Dauid My mercy I will neuer take from thee Psal 89.33 and Christs prayer for St. Peter his prayer that St. Peters faith might not faile Luke 22.32 this is that that fetched them againe when they were gone and reuiued them when they were euen dead How often doth errour ouercast the best mens knowledge how cold doth charity grow euen in the best and yet wee see how they recouer both their light and heate whereof there can be no other reason but that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as God doth loue Gods loue is only that which worketh this cure Whereupon followeth the last property and most naturall to my Text that this motiue is most comfortable A motiue that hath all these properties must needes be most apt to breed ioy What fooles then are wee in the choice of the obiect of our Ioy if forsaking this we pitch vpon any of the other of which you haue heard how vnapt they are to breed Ioy nay how apt they are to breed sorrow so that what Salomon said wee may say vnto all their Ioy Thou art mad what dost thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 2.2 saith Nazianzene speaking of all corporall pleasures sufficient vnto the disquieting of the body is the concupiscence thereof Yea the imborne concupiscence is sufficient to disquiet both body and soule we neede not haue recourse vnto these obiects as fewell to kindle that fire nor pamper that beast which is so headstrong against reason and piety and doth so often dispossesse them of the soueraignty they should haue ouer vs Certainly in the vpshot we shall finde that the more wee haue to doe with thâ—se obiects the lesse true Ioy shall wee finde And if wee may not ioy in any of â—hese obiects whereof not one is able to reconcile vs vnto God nor assure vs of his loue the onely sure motiue vnto Ioy how much lesse may wee ioy in that which setteth vs at oddes with God and argueth that there is no commerce betweene vs I meane concupiscence and the sinfull fruits thereof It is true that this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sinne may take place with vs Sathan doth cloath it with a seeming Ioy euen the most vexing affections thereof as appeares in the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and did it not promise Ioy men would not be so transported by it but certainly this is plainly risus Sardonius men laugh and dye the Scripture elegantly compares it to the crackling of thornes in the fire whereof you see a blaze and heare a noyse but vpon a suddaine they are turned to ashes euen so wicked men as Iob speaketh spend their time indeed in a seeming pleasure but in a moment goe downe to hell Wherefore to shut vp this point let vs be so farre from affecting our owne corruption that we doe not so much as foster that which is but the incourager thereof the incourager though for a time to tickle vs yet to sting vs in the close let grace bee vnto vs the onely motiue vnto Ioy euen the free grace wherewith God vouch safeth to accept vs as it onely can be so let it be onely the ground of true Ioy whensoeuer Ioy is desired by vs. The Angell did bid the Virgin ioy because of that But how could she be sure of it the Angell addeth that she had a very good pledge of it The Lord is with thee Marke how the Angell placeth his words first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he should haue said Haile the Lord is with thee the one would neuer haue followed well vpon the other for though before the fall Gods presence was comfortable vnto man yet since
liues not by bread only saith Moses Deut. 8.3 but by euery word that goeth out of the mouth of God Gods word is the bread of life and it is that wherewith Pastors are trusted Neither may any man in the Church take vpon him the name of Pastor bee hee neuer so holy except God hath furnished him with some part of this prouision how should he be a guide that is blinde how should he be a steward that is not stockt But more particularly If a Pastors knowledge must bee food it is not enough if that which he preacheth be true hee must preach nothing but that which is profitable the Pulpet is neyther for curious nor idle questions St. Paul hath censured both and it were to bee wished that all Pastors of our Church were so discreete as they did not neede such a censure Secondly whereas of food some is wholesome and some is vnwholesome it is not enough for the Pastor to bring foode he must looke that it be wholesome food errours and heresies must be heeded and he must deliuer nothing for which he hath not good warrant he must feede the Israel of God with no Manna which comes not downe from heauen and they must drinke of no water but that which flowes from the spirituall rocke which rocke is Christ Young Students take vp much Diuinitie vpon trust but whom doe they trust promiscuous Authors both moderne and ancient they should be aduised in making their choyce and whomsoeuer they reade try before they trust try it at the touchstone of Gods word and weigh what is said in the scales of the Sanctuary which while they doe not they mistake them selues and misleade others Thirdly it is not enough that the foode be wholesome but it must be conuenient for there bee babes in Christ as well as strong men so that the Pastor must haue milke and strong meate and it is absurd to feede eyther men with milke or babes with strong meate each must be prouided for according to the power of his digestion And here appeares much indiscretion in those that fit not their matter to their auditors being more carefull eyther of their owne praise or ease of their paines than of their good to whom they speake In a word a Pastor must neyther starue nor bane nor neglect reasonably to satisfie his flocke and blessed is the seruant whom his master when hee comes shall finde so doing yea and blessed are the people for God hath giuen vnto them Pastors according to his owne heart Ier. 3. if they so feede with knowledge and vnderstanding But it is not enough that the Pastors deale so the people also must carry themselues answerably vnto him they must not only heare Doctorem but Pastorem they must not only be the wiser but the better for that he saith the knowledge which they doe treasure vp in their head must as good food bee digested also in their heart and as good foode if it nourish sheweth it selfe in the vigour of our body so good Lessons if they doe worke as they ought will shew themselues in our life and conuersation Finally as the degrees are partly extraordinary and partly ordinary so must the ordinary keepe correspondencie with the extraordinarie Ministers now are not Apostles yet they must bee Apostolicke they are not Prophets but they must bee Propheticall they are not Euangelists but they must be Euangelicall that is they must imitate them in doctrine and discipline And indeed what is a Doctor but a Prophet for both search out the true sense of the Scripture the one did it by reuelation the other must doe it by meditation And what is a Pastor but an Euangelist for both feede the flocke of Christ though both be not enabled thereunto by the same meanes And if the Euangelist and the Prophet doe share in the Apostolicke function then the Pastor and the Teacher comming so neare them must needs haue good cognation with the Apostles in the substance of their calling though not in the amplitude in that which they doe though not in the abilitie to doe it And as the extraordinary differ in degree euen so doe the ordinarie also and so haue they euer done in the Church the Bishops haue succeeded the Apostles though in a smaller modell yet in this that all orders are included in the sphere of their calling and as Euangelists and Prophets doe share in the Apostolicke function so Presbyters and Deacons haue some parts of that higher calling which is in a Bishop and they striue to bee wiser than the Holy Ghost that call for an equalitie the mother of confusion as if the same reasons did not still hold which moued the Apostles to subordinate Pastors All may no more now be trusted with gouernement than they might heretofore and schisme is a weede that will spring in all ages yea the latter times are the worser and therefore they more neede the remedie So that though the ground were onely humane which cannot bee proued the change of Ecclesiasticall policie will be very dangerous and others haue made so ill tryall of equalitie that wee shall doe well for to continue the inequalitie especially considering the Originall Ipse dedit Nazianzent inferreth Ne contradicas obserue and reuerence the distinction considering the Author and the Author is Christ. Leauing to speake further of the degrees I will now then come to speake of the originall Ipse dedit two words which yeeld two notes the person that giues He and the title of his Ordinance 1 Cor. 12. Acts 20. it is a Gift He the person is Christ It is true that the ordination of Ministers is ascribed sometimes to the first Person sometimes to the second and sometimes to the third And indeed seeing the ordination is by the gift of the Spirit all that can giue the Spirit may be reputed the originall of holy Orders this being a worke ad extra of those we must pronounce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery of the persons hath a hand in them Eccumenius In all such works we must acknowledge the Trinitie in Vnitie Vnitie in the action representing the vnitie of the essence of God and a Trinitie in the efficients representing a trinitie of the persons in God And indeed this mysterie of Trinitie in Vnitie the memoriall whereof wee solemnize this day cannot better bee studied than in the effects that giue vs a glimpse of it and of all effects none more comfortable than those of our Redemption and the meanes whereby wee are made partakers thereof wherein euery person is pleased to shew his loue to man But yet as in other workes so in this they keepe an order and that order the Greeke Fathers call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine Fathers dispensationem though with consent and concurrencie of the other two persons some one shewes himselfe principally in the worke In this worke the second Person He as head of the Church Master of the Assemblies and chiefe
LVKE 22. VERSE 60 61 62. 60 And immediately while he yet spake the cocke crew 61 And the Lord turned and looked vpon Peter and Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he said vnto him Before 〈◊〉 cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly THESE words were read this day in the Church â—ent and they are verie agreeable to the Season an Argument of Repentance to the dayes of Humiliation Now Repentance is here deliuered not in a Rule but in an Example but such an example as deserues our best regard because the person is of principall note no meaner a man then St Peter is here presented vnto vs in the forme of a Penitent Let vs then looke vpon him And if we doe we shall see him here downe and vp taking a fall and â—ysing againe And indeed Repentance is nothing but a rysing from a â—all Therefore we may well resolue St Peters Case and my Text into his Fall and into his Rising His fall Peter denyed Christ a sore fall because from a high Rocke and that Rocke was CHRIST That Fall was sore but it is made sorer in that it was taken so soone and so often Soone before the cocke crew not many houres after he was fore-warned and fore-armed Often before the cocke crew Peter denied CHRIST thrice being ouer shooes he would ouer eares and the â—arther he went the worse he was So Peter came downe But he got vp againe and the Text will teach vs of his Rising first What were the Meanes and secondly What were their Effects The meanes were two one outward another inward The outward was a timely signe The signe was the crowing of a cocke an ordinarie thing but here seruing to an extraordinarie vse And that signe was timely immediately euen while he was speaking did the cocke crowe no sooner was Peter downe but he was put in mind of his Fall Neither was he onely put in mind by the outward meanes but he was also by an inward made sensible thereof euen by the helpe of CHRIST CHRIST turned and looked the Workes seeme corporall but indeed they are spirituall for he that turned he that looked was the Lord and he turned and looked as a Lord both Workes were spiritually operatiue Witnesse the Effects The Effects are as the Meanes were in number two each Meanes produced his Effect The Cocke did crowe and what came of it presently Peter remembred the words that the Lord saio vnto him he acknowledged CHRIST to be a true Prophet and gaue glorie to his truth This is the Effect of the outward meanes The inward meanes wanted not his Effect also CHRIST turned he looked and loe Peter is presently changed He was ouer-bold he now findeth his weaknesse for he went out he durst no longer abide by the Temptation Peter was senslesse he now groweth tender hearted for he wept bitterly the floods of sorrow that ouer-whelmed his soule gusht out in streames of teares that trickled downe his eyes There is one thing more in the Text which I may not omit and that is the correspondencie of the rising to the fall Peter was quickly downe before the crowing of the cocke and he was as quickly vp euen as soone as the cocke did crowe Secondly Peter had meanes to rise the cocke did crowe CHRIST turned CHRIST looked and Peter did vse the meanes which he had for he remembred he went out he wept Finally Peter endeauoured to make his Repentance as afflictiue as his Sinne had been offensiue for as he denied shamefully so did he weepe bitterly You haue seene our Penitent but not so throughly but we may all desire to see him againe And verily if with a reflecting eye we doe deliberately reuiew him in him we may profitably behold our selues behold what we are behold what we should be are in his fall should be in his rising GOD giue vs all such single eyes I resume the Fall Peter denied CHRIST Rom. 10 It is a rule of the Apostles That with the heart a man belieueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth he confesseth to saluation whereby we learne that it is not enough for vs to stand in good tearmes with GOD except we also let the world know what good he hath done for our soules we may forfeit the former if we be not resolute in performing the latter CHRIST doth assure it in the Gospel saying that if any deny him before men he will deny them before his Father which is in Heauen This ground must guid vs in iudging aright of St Peters fall by it you shall find that it was a sinfull fact which that you may the better see I will distinctly obserue the Fact and the Sinne. The Fact was a deniall but it was negatio duplex a double deniall First Negatio notitiae and secondly Negatio consortij by former verses we are directed so to vnderstand it First he denyed that he had any acquaintance with CHRIST and secondly he denyed also that he had any dependencie on him This was his Fact And this Fact was sinfull for it contained a plaine contradiction to his Calling and his Conscience To his Calling Peter was CHRISTS Apostle could he be one of CHRISTS Apostles and not know him A chiefe Apostle and haue nothing to doe with him A flat contradiction to his Calling Neither to his Calling onely but to his Conscience also For was not Peter the man that Matthew Cap. 16 confessed Thou art CHRIST the Sonne of the liuing God and was well rewarded for that confession And had he not acquaintance with him A flat contradiction to his Conscience Was not Peter the man that Matthew cap. 19. said Behold we haue forsaken all and followed thee and was warranted an exceeding gaine for a trifling losse and had he no dependencie on him So that the denyall containeth two notable vntruths wherewith St Peter is iustly charged and charging him therewith we keepe our selues within the reasonable bounds which St Bernard hath set Peccauit Petrus De Gratia libero Arbit it is out of question that St Peter did sinne in denying but yet he did sinne Non odiendo Christum sed se nimis amando he bare no malitious mind against CHRIST but was willing to sleepe in a whole skin And that he might so doe he suppressed the truth in his heart and his tongue vttered these vntruths Wherefore his faith was still vnfained and his loue vndoubted but Constantia turbata est his constancie was shaken Loue of CHRIST and feare of danger had so shrewd a conflict that the feare of danger got the vpper-hand of the loue of CHRIST So that though he continued inwardly a good man yet durst he not out of the good treasurie of his heart bring forth his good things These are reasonable bounds but they are diuersly transgrest for some doe racke and some doe shrinke the sinne They racke it that in their Tracts De Apostasia Sanctorum put
as we doe to Nothing morall we sooner cease to be good then we cease to be This defection began in Adam of whom the Psalmist Man being in honor had no vnderstanding Non pernoctauit he did not continue so much as a night but became like the beasts that perish Yea he became Radix Apostatica as Saint Austin cals him a Root of that back-sliding which cleaueth to all his posteritie Take an example or two We read Gen. 4. of the separation of the children of GOD from the daughters of men in the next storie that followeth is their confusion Cap. 20. In Exodus GOD sorbids the making of Images and presently after we find that the Israelites made the Golden-Calfe Ps 7â— Dauid hath made a whole Psalme of this inconstancie of Israel And we Ilanders are too like Israel herein for how quickly doe we shift the fashion of our cloathes of our dyet of our manners Cap. 6. and of our Religion also All our goodnesse is but like a morning cloud as Hosea speaketh and as an early dew doth it passe away in this we are all too like St Peter that we quickly faile St Peter did not onely fall quickly but he fell often also Before the cocke crew he denyed thrice this is the second aggrauation of his Fall Bis ad cundem is a Prouerbe teaching that he deserueth little pittie that stumbleth twice at the same stone St Peter stumbled oftner he added a third vnto two former fals And verily so it is he that sinneth once if he be left vnto himselfe will sinne againe and againe yea of himselfe he will neuer leaue sinning There are two reasons of it the first is Iudicium Dei a iust iudgement of GOD is it that he that once yealdeth to sinne should alwayes bend towards that whereunto he yealded and become prone to doe what he hath done amisse The second is Veneficium peccati theâ—e is a kind of sorcerie in sinne which causeth that he that hath once tasted it will retaine such a smacke that he will desire to tast it againe the proofe is daily to be seene in those that are inordinate liuers in whom to dayes sinne doth but worke a longing to sinne againe to morrow Yea not onely to sin but to sinne worse and worse St Peter did not onely deny CHRIST but his second denyall was worse then his first and the third worse then his second Sinne is said to be the sting of death Now you know that a sting doth enter by a sharpe point and maketh but a little hole at first but the farther it goeth in it cutteth the larger wounds Euen so sinne the oftner it is repeated the more is a man corrupted And no maruell for the Principles of Conscience will grow more stupid and he that sinneth a second time will be more senslesse of that which he doth then he was at first he that blusht at first will by little and little grow impudent and in steed of bewayling will fall to defending of his sault Yea and as the Principles of Conscience grow more senslesse so doth Concupiscence grow more lawlesse and he that at first had but a squemish appetite will by little and little learne to sinne with greedinesse Especially if he be in passion as St Peter was for that betrayeth all the succour which reason would offer if man through hardnesse of heart be not growne vnreasonable There is one thing more which the Fathers handling St Peters fall remember and that is the Cause why so worthy a man as St Peter was tooke so grieuous a Fall they obserue in him first Confidence and secondly Negligence Confidence in himselfe he thought himselfe to be a iollier man then indeed he was and thought he could doe much more then indded he was able to doe We cannot be bold of our strength in ciuill matters whereunto is required onely the generall assistance of GOD so St Iames tels vs Goe to all ye that say to day and to morrow we will goe to such a place or such a place and buy and sell c. whereas you should say if GOD will if we liue c. Much lesse in morall or spirituall things which are not performed without a speciall grace Captus amore de virtum suarum otentia non cogitauit Aug. de Glâ—â— Dei l. 14. c. 19. But St Peter was so farre carryed away with the zeale of his loue that he cast not vp his accounts neither did he inquire into his abilities but thought he was able to doe as much as he would such presumption of his owne strength was GOD pleased to checke with the permission of his fall And we doe commonly stumble soonest when we grow ouer-weening of our owne selues and mind more our perfection then our imperfection A second reason of his fall was St Peters Negligence in seeking vnto GOD which commonly followeth vpon Confidence in our selues CHRIST bid him with the rest watch and pray lest be entred into temptation and withall gaue him a reason which was a secret reproofe of his Confidence the Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weake but St Peter did as little follow the counsell as he did heed the reason For he grew presently drowsie headed and drowsie hearted in steed of watching he fell a sleeping and his deuotion slumbred as well as his eyes And what wonder if he tooke a fall that for want of prouidence might so easily be surprised The best way of standing out in temptation is out of our distrust in our selues to commend our selues to the helpe of GOD. I conclude this point with this religious Caution haec nos protulimus non iustos culpando c. I would not haue any man mistake or thinke that I haue amplyfied St Peters fall out of any purpose to dishonour the blessed memorie of that glorious Light of the CHVRCH the Holy Ghost related it I haue insisted on this Text for a better end First Vt consideremus that we might take notice of the frailtie that cleâ—ueth to our sinfull nature from which the best are not alwayes nor altogether exempted Secondly Vt horreamus that we may tremble whâ—e we see how preualent temptations are when GOD is pleased to leaue a good man vnto himselfe These be the vses that we should make of such examples and suppose that other mens cases may likewise be our owne we may fall as they haue done As we may fall so we should rise againe St Peter did and he is therein proposed as an example vnto vs you shall find it in the second part of my Text. I now come on vnto it There are two carnall Affections that are hinderers of our constancie in the Christian Faith Loue and Feare both of the World but of these two the forwardest to fall and feeblest to rise is Loue Feare renounceth not so farre and it leaueth more hope of amendment And why The loue of the world quencheth the Faith that is in the
But let vs take these Workes a little a sunder Christ turned vnto Peter then was CHRIST before turned from him And indeed so he was propter arrogantiam saith S. Basil by reason of his presumption who had vaunted that though all men were offended yet would not he be offended When children begin to goe they vse to be so well conceited of the strength of their legs that they need not any help of their Nurse to let them see their folly the Nurse will leaue them to themselues that so smarting by a fall they may the better be brought to find what need they haue of their Nurse The best of vs are but Babes in grace yet doe we thinke that we can stand of our selues yea and run the wayes of GOD also GOD doth refute vs by our owne experience and by this Mistris of fooles maketh vs better knowne to our selues But though he leaue vs for a time yet doth he not forsake vs for euer no more then a Nurse doth the weakling child she maketh vse of one fall to keepe the child from many and GOD doth make vse of our sinning to make vs see how prone we are to sinne And this is that which is meant by Christs turning his turning to vs is nothing else but his renewing of grace in vs Ps â—5 Ier. 31. it is a quickning Conuersion such a turning as worketh repentance As Christ turned Leo de Passione Serm. 9. so he looked that was spirituall and so this he not onely looked on but into S. Peter and it was an operatiue looke Before I told you that the crowing of the Cocke did fore-tell the approaching of the Sunne Now the looke of the corporall Sunne when it shineth vpon the Earth doth carrie with it a quickning influence it putteth life into the Earth and all things are the better for the looke thereof The same must you conceiue of the Sunne of Righteousnesse his looke gratious looke is such as that it infuseth grace into the soule and transformeth the person on whom he looketh You will easily acknowledge this truth if you looke to the Effects I come then to them The Meanes were two and so are the Effects that proceed from them each Meanes produceth its Effect for CHRIST doth not vse his Meanes in vaine The cocke did crow and presently Petr remembred the words which IESVS spake Plato in Crâ—t this was the Effect of the first Meanes Our memorie is a good Storehouse but no good Steward it layeth vp much but of it selfe dispendeth nothing it needeth some helpe to make vse of her store the speculatiue memorie doth but the practicke much more How many be there whose memories are richly stored with excellent rules of life whereof in their life they make no vse their memorie doth not offer them when they haue occasion to be doing as if they had neuer knowne Commandements or Creed they liue like Infidels and like sonnes of Belial Wherefore as the eye of the body needeth the light of the Sunne to rayse and conuey the visible species vnto it Euen so doth the eye of our vnderstanding need the light of the Sunne of Righteousnesse to stirre vp and present vnto it the Principles of Grace whereof it hath need in the ordering of our life without this actuall grace our memorie will neuer make vse of her habituall But there is a double vse of memorie the one is Praeueniens peccatum the other is Subueniens peccato The best vse of memorie were to suggest good rules by which we might auoid sinne and doe nothing which is displeasing vnto GOD. But this memorie doth often faile vs and it is too common a fault to set our selues on worke before euer we thinke whether the worke be such as is fit for vs to doe seldome doth our memorie serue vs to preuent sinne and wretched were our case if we had not memoriam subuenientem a memorie that doth call vs to an account and after-thoughts to reueiw our actions if the Cocke did not crow after we are downe and we were not thereby put in mind of our fall But GOD be thanked we haue the benefit of this after-memorie and it is the first step of our rising againe It was to St Peter he did not mind CHRISTS warning to keepe him vp but he called it to mind when he was downe then did he remember that he had beene fore-warned and gaue glorie vnto CHRISTS truth he acknowledged that the euent had proued him a true Propher You are bound to the Ministers not onely for their informing but for their reforming paines also not onely for teaching you what you should doe but also for laying to your consciences what you doe amisse we often tell you of your frailtie and that you are by nature prone vnto sinne but you heare vs with a deafe care euen as deafe an eare as St Peter heard CHRIST I would CHRIST would say vnto our memories Ephata as he did to St Peters and as he so we after we are downe would remember our selues and confesse that we are not challenged in vaine that we our selues are monuments of humane frailtie and they that tell vs when we are in the heighth of our selfe conceit that we will proue such doe not prophesie what our life doth not iustifie If we be so ingenuous such a Remembrance will set vs forward to performe the acts that are required in repentance which are the Effects of the second Meanes The second Meanes are CHRIST turned and looked and what followed thereupon Surely Peter presently became another man He had beene verie bold but now he began to find his owne weaknesse Praesumens Petrus ignorauit se negando didicit se cognoscere while Peter thought well of himselfe he was a verie stranger to himselfe but he grew better acquainted with himselfe after he had denyed CHRIST in witnesse whereof he went out he would no longer conflict with that by which he had beene foyled Occasions of euill are shrewd stumbling blockes he that will not fall must be afraid to come nigh them In this case Basils rule is true Nihil formidolosius quam nihil formidare none are in more fearfull case then they that are foole-hardy Et in securitate periclitatur fides he wrackes his faith that is bold when he may decline to put it in danger that will touch pitch and thinke he cannot be defiled carrie fire in his bosome and thinke he cannot be burnt Peter came into the High Priests house onely out of the loue of CHRIST and yet he fell And shall we be able to stand that out of a loue of the World thrust our selues into the temptations thereof I would all that dote vpon the baites of sinne were as timerous as St Peter was and would not so rashly hazard themselues men would not so often be ouertaken with the vanities of this life they would not so often relapse into sinne Peter went out not onely out of feare of that
hath liued a thousand yeares for he is readie for God and the longest time of our Pilgrimage if it be Methusalems age it can but make vs readie I will then enquire not how many dayes I haue spent but how much I haue profited profited in the waies of God And I haue profited so farre as to acknowledge that of my selfe I am but an vnprofitable seruant what I should I cannot doe but I doe that which I should not so that if I guesse at my readinesse by mine owne worth I am most vnreadie But I haue another valuation by my being in Christ my faith is stedfast in him my Hope hath cast an anchor in Heauen I feare not Gods iudgement against which my faith doth hearten mee I expect a Kingdome which my Hope doth promise mee And as for my loue though the world doth wooe me and my flesh doth often yeild to dally there with yet hath it none to whom it is deuoted with whom it is contented in comparison of God And what greater readinesse can I desire my Audit is made my arrerage paid I haue a Quietus est why doe I feare to come to my triall Nay the bargaine is made Heauen is purchased for mee I haue the Conueyance why doe I stay from taking possession Am I so senslesse as to affect the worse that am offered the better shall I dote vpon this house of clay my youth maketh it seeme better then clay though indeed it is no better a glased pitcher notwithstanding the lustre is but a pitcher and the verdure of youth is but a glosse set vpon a lumpe of earth cunningly wrought by the hand of the Potter age that weareth that glosse will discouer this clay And why should I murmure at God that is pleased to let me see quickly what in time I must needs see That I am brickle Neither am I onely brickle but the world is fraile also and all the things of this life whatsoeuer they promise they performe no perpetuitie to me Seing then sooner or later the world must leaue me and I must leaue the world let me leaue it rather sooner then later the lesse acquaintance the lesse griefe at the parting and indeed the longer I liue the more vnwilling shall I be to dye Now peraduenture I leaue behind me a father and a mother and leaue griefe vnto them for the losse of a child but I cannot so feelingly grieue as they when I depart from my parents because loue descendeth more then it ascendeth If I liue I may marrie and marriage doubleth the bitternesse of death when they that of two became one by death of one are made two againe And if God blesse me with posteritie how much more vnwilling shall I bee to die How hardly shall I indure to be rent from mine owne bowels I say nothing to the common infirmitie of Age which seemeth to haue appropriated vnto it selfe couetousnesse and who knoweth not how hardly the loue of money and death consort together But these are the weakest holdfasts that the world hath on me there are much stronger the hookes of sinne which where they catch so fasten euen vpon the Will which is in it selfe most free that it maketh men desire rather to bee slaues vnto Pharoah so they may feed on the flesh pots of Aegypt then to endure the difficult passage into Canaan though when they come there they shall be Princes of a land which floweth with milke and honie God then that knoweth what may alter me and of readie make me vnreadie dealeth more mercifully with me hee preuenteh that euill that might stay me from him and hauing prepared me calleth me vnto him Lord all seasons are in thy hand and thou hast appointed vnto me this season I blesse thee for it I submit my selfe to it if I bee ripe in thy Iudgement gather me though in mine owne Iudgement I am greene And thou which feest that although I now stand yet I may fall least I fall take me whilst I stand It doth not grieue me I am most willing to change earth for heauen to haue those windowes of my senses all broken downe that my Soule may be at libertie hauing no agent for the world to sollicite me from God I shall more freely more fully giue my selfe vnto him my vnderstanding to know him my heart to loue him and more shall I learne in one daies sight of God then in many thousand yeares I could haue gathered out of the Glasse of the world or Riddle of the Scripture And how base spectators are men on earth in comparison of the Saints in heauen who shall witnesse my seruice and behold my glorie Doe I loue my Parents I goe to better my best Father is in heauen and my best Mother is Hierusalem aboue the ioy that I foretaste for seeing them maketh me insensible of the heauie farewell I take of these I am not moued with their wealth which they haue stored vp for me and the land which they haue purchased is as nothing in mine eyes I shall haue a more induring substance a lot is fallen vnto me in a more pleasant place I haue a more goodly Heritage And why The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my cup the Lord maintaines my lot Lord then teach me so to number my daies that I may measure them by righteousnesse and let me so interpret this thy summons by death as a warning to take shelter before a storme Hasten me on by grace that I be not long on my way to heauen and in my way lest I decline shorten more and more my passage so shall I be as willing in this morning of my age as I should be in the euening thereof to change my state and come to thee to passe from earth to heauen * ⎠* The old Mans Meditation PSALME 91. VER 16. With long life will J satisfie him and shew him my saluation EVerie man if a child of God is a double man and so leadeth a double life and longeth for a double good a corporall a spirituall that hee may hold out long in regard of the life of nature and withall be ponest of the life of grace Thus doubly happie would euerie one be but it is not the portion of euerie one Many haue shortned either the one life or the other if they haue liued vnto God their dayes in the world haue beene but few and of those which haue liued many dayes in the world how few of them haue they liued to God O my Soule then how blest art thou whom God hath blessed both wayes Blest thee in thy naturall life thou art growne till thou art ripe blest thee in thy spirituall life thy eyes haue seene the saluation of God The greatest blessing that God bestoweth vpon earth he hath bestowed on thee thou hast experienced the truth of the Apostles speech Pietie hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come For this life God
this respect wee may loue our selues more then others But to shut vp this point with some few obseruations The first is That seeing our Loue towards our neighbour must bee such as you haue heard you see how little brotherly and neighbourly Charitie there is in the world there bee few that obserue the Measure prescribed by Nature scarse any dreame of that which is prescribed by Grace Secondly you see that the loue of our neighbour must not bee mercinarie as for the most part the worlds is for who is hired to loue himselfe Or who seeketh for any other reward of that affection but only the loue of himselfe The Loue of our neighbour should be as free yea it should be cloathed with all the properties which before I specified First Sinceritie secondly Realitie thirdly Tendernesse and fourthly Constancie Thirdly you see that we must not loue our neighbour either in peccato or ad peccatum we must neither cherish any man in sinne neither may we tempt him to commit it And why We must not so loue our selues Qui amat iniquitatem odit animam suam such an affection is not Loue but hatred deadly hatred which leadeth vnto eternall death Fourthly and lastly you see that as we must bridle our selues and our lusts least we sinne and afflict our Soules if we haue sinned so must wee deale with our Neighbor also hold in as many as we can though against their wils to preuent their sinning And if they haue fallen we may not suffer their wounds to fester though we put them to smart and paine yet must we endeauour their reformation De Trinit S. Austins rule is worth our obseruing Potest odium blandire charitas saeuire radicem inspice attende verba illa blanditur vt decipiat Psal 141. haec saeuit vt corrigat Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnes let him reproue me it shall be a excellent oyle which shall not breake my head Christ doth so chastise his Church and God those whom he reputes children and not bastards Heb. 12. But enough of the limitation A word or two of the comparison and so I end I told you it is not a comparison of equalitie because this second Commandement is but like the first And indeed how should there bee equalitie in the Loues when there is so much inequalitie in the Persons But Christ putteth it out of all doubt in the Gospell when he telleth vs that We must forsake yea hate father mother brother sister yea euen our owne selues and liues if they come in competition with our Loue of Christ and the Gospell which is all one with the Loue of God Though there be no equalitie betweene the Loues yet there is a good Correspondencie for the second Commandement is like the first it floweth from it and beareth the very Image of it so like that Saint Iohn concludeth that He that doth not loue his brother whom hee hath seene 1 Iob 3. neuer loued God whom he hath not seene It is the best way to know whether a man be a counterfeit in his obseruance of the first Commandement by trying how he keepeth the second But take notice of three or foure points wherein the likenesse standeth First in Obiecto for a man in his Neighbour must loue nothing but God Secondly in Subiecto for this Loue must take vp all the powers of man as the Loue of God did though with a subordination And it makes the straitest knot straiter then either consanguinitie or affinitie or any other kind of societie Thirdly in Fructu a double fruit for it bringeth forth all the duties of the second Table as the Loue of God did the duties of the first It bringeth them forth most readily most cheerefully for what will hee sticke at that Loues Mat. 25. And it reapeth the very same fruit which the former did which is eternall life When I was an hungred yee fed me saith our Sauiour come yee blessed possesse the kingdome c. Fourthly in Duratione It lasteth as long as the other doth that is it is euerlasting for Charitie neuer fals away no more then doth the communion of Saints I omit other resemblances onely this I note concerning both Charities that they must be begun in this life Gal 5. otherwise wee shall neuer haue them in the life to come for it is a fruit of the Spirit after this life God giueth not his spirit therefore he giueth not Charitie from hence men carrie the Spirit and with it Charitie in hell there can be no charitie because none carrie the spirit thither I conclude The Ecclesiasticall storie reporteth that S. Iohn the Euangelist the beloued Disciple and chiefe Doctor of Loue as appeares by his Epistles when he grew so old that hee was caried to Church and could Preach no longer vsed to say nothing at all Church meetings to them that came to him but onely Filioli diligite inuicem Children Loue one another Children loue one another and being asked why he reiterated it he said Quia preceptum Domini est sisolum fiat sufficit Hier. in Epist ad Gal. there needed no other lesson to keepe all things well Sure I am there is no lesson more needfull in these bloudy in these malitious dayes and therefore insteed of a longer conclusion I will vse to you and I pray God I vse it not in vaine a Tautalogie or sacred ingemination not much vnlike vnto that of S. Iohn Loue your neighbors as your selues Loue your neighbors as your selues Loue your neighbors as your selues This Grace God graunt vs all for the publike good of Christendome and the priuate of euerie Societie through Iesus Christ To whom with the Father c. The ninth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 39. Vpon these two depend all the Law and the Prophets IN our inquiries wee desire to know not only what is true but also vpon what ground we may acknowledge it to be so neither are our doubts fully satisfied except we be informed of both Therefore our Sauiour Christ that vouchsafed an answere to the Pharisees question so answereth that he leaues no place for farther dispute for what he affirmed that hee confirmes he proues soundly that the Loue of God and our Neighbour so described as you haue heard deserue to bee accounted the Great Commandement and the proofe is contained in these words that now I haue read vnto you The summe of it is this That which is the briefe of the Bible may well goe for the great Comandement but the loue of God and our Neighbour are such a briefe therefore there is no question but they may iustly challenge that title of preheminence and we must acknowledge what Christ saith in Saint Marke that there are none greater then these But to open the Text a little more fully wee will consider therein first seuerally the parts of the Bible which are the Law and the Prophets and the contents of those
heart but the feare of the world onely stayeth vs from confessing it with our mouthes so that the loue maketh vs sinne willingly but feare vnwillingly yea loue maketh vs inwardly to prize the world aboue CHRIST but feare maketh vs onely to deny CHRIST that we may escape the malice of the world Whereupon it commeth to passe that of the three kinds of denyers of CHRIST which I described before though all may recouer yet they that fall through the loue of the world recouer more hardly and they recouer more easily that fall onely out of the feare thereof And such was S. Peters casu I pray GOD that ours neuer be worse it will be likely that as he so we also will not so fall but that we will rise againe But let vs behold his Rising behold the meanes and behold their effects The meanes were two whereof the first was outward a timely signe The signe was the crowing of a cocke an ordinarie thing but by our Sauiour vsed to an extraordinarie end It is familiar with GOD so to deale I will instance onely in the Sacraments Water a common Element yet designed to be a Bath of Regeneration Bread and wine our daily food yet consecrated to make vs partakers of the Body and Blood of CHRIST to shew his power GOD doth so honour the meanest of his Creatures and for their vse teacheth vs to giue them their due regards But I must not forget that there is some Analogie to be obserued in the Creature when it is called to serue the power of the Creator CHRIST here maketh vse of the crowing of a cocke but see how fitly it serueth his turne The cocke crowing is as it were the harbinger of the Sunne it giueth warning vnto men that the Sunne is repairing vnto their Horizon and ready to dispell the darkenesse of the night by shedding forth his beames vpon the face of the Earth Now CHRIST is the Sunne of Righteousnesse and whither he commeth thither commeth light spirituall light he was comming to S. Peter after the mid-night as it were of his fall and of this he gaue notice to S. Peter by the crowing of a cocke But what is this to vs I will not insist vpon signes in generall by which GOD is pleased familiarly to put vs in mind of our dutie or let vs see the state wherein we stand I will keepe my selfe to the AlI gorie which the Fathers make of this signe They tell vs that GOD hath granted to enerie member of his Church two crowing cockes by which he doth awaken him when he falleth into a spirituall sleepe and they are Concionator and Conscientia the Preacher outwardly and the Conscience inwardly doe or should serue for morall crowing cockes Nathan was such a cocke vnto Dauid Ionah vnto Nineueh S. Peter to the Iewes that crucified CHRIST when they called them to repent and returne vnto GOD. And Christian people ought also to esteem their Preachers such they must esteem them as crowing cocks whose vovce soundeth nothing but this Eph. 4. Surge qui dormis Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and IESVS CHRIST shall giue thee light Rom. 13 they tell vs that our night is past and our day is come therefore we must cast away all workes of darkenesse and put vpon vs the Armour of light Besides this outward crowing cocke euerie man hath another that croweth within him that is his Conscience it is said to be a thousand witnesses and the Sonne of Syrach doth tell vs that from it we shall learne more then from seuen watchmen that are set on a Tower And verily many a man would sleepe vnto death were he not often rowsed by this Cocke Wherefore though CHRIST tooke extraordinarie care of St Peter we may not thinke that he doth neglect vs that hath prouided that which outwardly and inwardly doth awaken and rouse vs he hath not left vs destitute of crowing cockes But I told you the Cocke did not onely crow but crowed timely it was a timely signe that CHRIST gaue to St Peter immediately euen while he was speaking did the cocke crow Peter was denying him forswearing him cursing and in the verie heat of his sinning the Cocke crew We can haue no greater proofe that the mercie of GOD is free then when we see a man reclaymed euen then when he is most transported with his vnruly affection And GOD hath magnified his mercie thus more then once it was St Pauls case also he was breathing out threats and enraged to make hauocke of the Church when a light from Heauen shone about him and by a mercifull violence brought him to bethink himselfe And haply if euerie one of vs obserue the course of his life he may remember that some good Sermon working some religious inward motiues hath made him step backe while he was stepping rashly into the pitfall of the Diuel Assuredly when we are once going there would be no staying if we were not by so prouident a hand and by so gratious violence seasonably held backe Wherefore we must acknowledge it as a speciall benefit of GODS mercie that he then commeth in with his helpe when we are past hope Theophylact goeth one step farther O bonitatem Etiam cum ligaretur etiam cum negaretur non neglexit discipuli salutem How wonderfull is the goodnesse of CHRIST When his enemies were binding him he tooke care to loose St Peter out of the snare of the Diuel yea while S. Peter was denying him ashamed of his bands CHRIST was not ashamed of S. Peter but recouered him out of the iawes of the Lyon as one of his deare Sheepe A great improuement of CHRISTS compassionate bowels and incouragement vnto all that haue they been neuer so enormous sinners CHRIST will be to them as he shewed himselfe to S. Peter a most mercifull Sauiour You haue heard the outward Meanes I hasten now vnto the inward The inward Meanes are CHRISTS helpe he turned and looked that which he prayed for in this Chapter that Peters faith should not faile he performed now It is disputed whether these Acts were corporall and the iudgement of Diuines are different but all agree that they were spirituall also if it be granted that they were corporall S. Austin argueth it from the Title that is here giuen vnto CHRIST which is The Lord CHRIST was now at the Barre in the eye of flesh and blood a poore prisoner yet doth the Holy Ghost honour him with the name Lord and else-where calleth him that was crucified The Lord of Glorie The Lord of Life that present condition of his manhood did not derogate ought from the glorie of his Godhead that wrought answerable to its power when CHRIST seemed to be altogether in the power of others it wrought vpon the soule and conscience of S. Peter and did there presse him being so farre gon with Petre vbi es bethinke thy selfe O Peter what is become of thee and what is done by thee