is solitary but haue euer some of their owne kind in company with them As he resolueth to rise and returne to his father so hee forethinkes what to say when he comes teaching vs not to appeare before the Lord without reuerend preparation Resolue what thou hast to say what to seeke what to offer before thou come to him If thou seeke and haue nothing to offer it is a token thou seekest thy selfe and not the Lord. If thou offer other things to the Lord but not thy selfe thou offerest The sacrifice of sooles for it is thy selfe the Lord doth seeke and he offereth himselfe to thee againe if thou seeke anything from him and offer not thy selfe vnto him thou shalt lose thy selfe thou shalt not obtaine what thon seekest neither yet shalt thou enioy him This Prodigall prepares a twofold sacrifice first the sacrifice of confession of his sinnes doubtlesse from a heart truly penitent The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a broken heart the Lord despiseth not Next the sacrifice of oblation of himselfe he offereth his seruice vnto the Lord. Make me as one of thy seruants But in this the carelesse negligence of men of this age is exceeding great they pray but without preparation neither considering themselues how they are as Abraham said but dust and ashes Yea viler then the earth in asmuch as they are vncleane through their sinnes neither yet what a great maiesty the Lord is before whom they appeare they forethink not what they haue to seeke neither prouide they a sacrifice to offer they enter into Gods house as if it were a priuate house forgetting Salomons precept Take heede vnto thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God The Courts of the Lord and a common causey are a like vnto them yea euen vpon most solemne daies neither are they sanctified to offer praier praise seruice which God craues neither yet are they ready to receiue mercy and peace which God offers they come without preparation they sit without sense or deuotion they goe away without answer or edification But as those beasts which entred vncleane into the Arke went out vncleane so come they to the house of GOD vnpenitent and goeth out vnpenitent Some will not confesse their sinnes at al but hide them as Achan did the accursed thing vnder the earth in his tent these may be called Satans Secretaries by so doing they deminish not the knowledge of God but debarre themselues from the mercy of God while they seeke to Conceale the iniquity of their bosome as Adam did they doe but reueale their own shame and hasten the declaration of Gods iudgement vpon them Hee that hideth his sins shall not prosper Behold I will enter in iudgement with thee because thou saiest I haue not sinned Others againe confesse their sinnes but yet continue in their sins not like this Prodigal I will rise and say I haue sinned these men will say they haue sinned but will not rise out of their sinnes such a confession is but a profession of sinne which will neuer obtaine mercy it may wel increase guilt and draw on the greater damnation I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Penitent sinners illuminate with the light of faith amplifie their sinnes two manner of waies First that their sinnes are done against God next that they are done before GOD. Dauid in his confession as likewise the Prodigall here ioines both these two together Euery sinne is against God but euery sin is not done in the sight of God I meane in respect of the sinner for there are many that sinne and yet know not that they sinne as Turks in their adultery Pagans in Idolatry simple Papists in their cruelty when they are persecuting sincere worshippers they thinke they are doing good seruice vnto God But such as haue the light shining vnto them who knowe the will of GOD and yet will doe against it they sinne not onely against God but before him and in his sight And this shews the greatnesse of sins which are now committed vnder this cleare light of the Euangell they are not done in the night but in the day not onely against the Lord but before him vnder his eye and in his very face hee is a bold theese that will steale and the Iudge looking vpon him hee is a shamelesse Adulterer that seeketh not the twilight but will worke villeny in the noone tide of the day and men beholding him He that knoweth his Masters wil and doth it not shall haue double stripes saith our Sauiour What then hee that doth not onely leaue his Masters will vndone though he know it but also doth directly against him shall he not haue triple stroakes And which is worst of all hee that transgresseth his masters will and his Master looking vpon him are not quadruple plagues due vnto him From such high high impiety and proud rebellion the Lord deliuer vs. Verse 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants When hee had the place and honour of a Sonne he set lightly by it he abused it now is hee faine to seeke the roome of a seruant The worth and value of Gods benefites are not knowne till men want them and be touched with a sense of their misery then the least of his mercies are esteemed great mercies euen to be a Doore keeper in Gods house or to haue the place of a seruant in it or to haue the benefit of little dogs to eate of the crumbes of bread that fall from the table of his children so thought Dauid so this Prodigall so the Cananitish woman whē they were humbled It is greater wisdome to ponder the goodnesse of God in time that we may esteeme of it and be thankeful to God for it hee made vs his sonnes by the first creation wee become his enemies by our transgression we lost all the holinesse of our nature all the happinesse of our state by our own folly If we had died in that estate wee should haue accounted the vse of water a great benefit yea greater then we doe the abundance of all his creatures which now of his goodnesse hee communicates But the Lord had mercy vpon vs and hath restored vs not to the place of seruants onely Hencefoorth I call you not seruants but to the dignity of sinnes Behold what a loue the Father hath shewed you that yee should bee called his sonnes so that now we are aduanced to a greater surer and more enduring honour then that which we had by our first creation shall we not feare to hazard it againe by walking after our sinnes if wee doe so the second errour shall bee worse then the first Miserable is man already by his first fall more miserable shall he be by the second if hee despise the grace of the Gospell and trample the bloud of the new
beene vnto you as a wildernesse or land of darknesse what iniquity haue yee found in me that yee are gone from me When they consider how patiently the Lord bare with them when they sinned against him might haue done vnto thee as thou hast donâ— vnto mee but for my names sake I will refrain my wrath I might makâ— thee like Admah and Zeboim but my heart is turned within me and will not execute thâ— fiercenesse of my wratâ— vpon thee And wheâ— againe they consider how willingly he receiued them into his fauour after they had sinned they are wounded and grieued in their spirits for that they offended him Seruants feare him for his iudgements if hee had no plagues they would not regard him but his Sonnes feare him for his mercies according to that of the Psalmist Mercie is with thee that thou maiest be feared And therefore the Apostle puts this in the forefront of his reasons when he exhorteth vs to a godly life I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God The Lord stands not now vpon Mount Sinai with burning fire and blacknesse oâ— darknes proclaiming the law with the fearful sound of trumpet threatning vs with death if wee fulfill it not No maruell the people did tremble at that sight for Moseâ— himselfe did quaile feare to behold it but now hee stands on Mount Sion a fatheâ— alluring vs with mercies not affraying vs with iudgemeÌ„ts speaking to vs not by a terrible trumpet but by the meeke mediator of the new Testament Iesus whose bloode cryes for better things then the bloud of Abel O how inexcusable are they whom this mercie of God moues not to repent are they not worthy of a double condemnation The sinnes done against the Law may be cured by the grace of the Gospell but where this grace also is despised and men who may receiue mercy for repenting will not repent wherwith shall this impiety be cured remaineth there any more sacrifice for sinne shall any new sauiour bee sent to saue these men No no there abides nothing for such but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure them A certaine man had two Sonnes NOw to enter into the Parable in it we haue three persons introduced with three seuerall actions The Prodigall childe sinning repenting his father pitying pardoning him his elder brother grudging and mumuring We haue first then to see who is meant by this man his two sons This man in the Parable â—â—esents God the Father of our Lord Iesus and our Father in him where we must bee ware to assigne vnto God with the Anthropomorphits and Papists any visible shape though hee demitte himselfe to our capacity and shadow himselfe like vnto vs let vs not diminish in our hearts the glorie of his maiesty as to fashion him in our imagination to be like vnto vs. For God is noâ— as man Eies eares ielousie anger and repentance are ascribed vnto him But hee hath not carnall eies nor eares to see and heare as man doth If he hath with such wonderfull wisdome made some of his cretures that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incomprehensible to man yea the very soule of man whereby he knoweth all other things yet knoweth not its owne selfe in many things how shall we know him that made it or conceiue of him as he is he beeing in himselfe infinite in regard of his creatures incomprehensible in regard of place incircumscriptible in regard of time euerlasting and shall wee then imagine him to be like one of vs. But why then will you say is hee called a man doubtlesse for our comfort and instruction because we cannot conceiue of his maiestie as hee is hee speakes to vs of himselfe as we are insinuating his loue towards vs. Among all creatures none more familiar to a man then a man and among all men none more kindlie and louing then a father therfore when the Lord will signifie his loue he shadowes himselfe vnto vs like a man and such a man as is our father And this is for our instruction as oft as the Lord expresseâ— himselfe vnder the name of a man it is not because he is so indeed but because it is needfull for vs that so his maiesty should be expressed Looke then what goodnesse God hath created in man and then goe vp and consider by it what a good creatour is hee that made him Hath man an eie to see and an eare to heare can man being an earthly father haue compassion on his children and prouide good things for them TheÌ„ let vs gather with the Psalmist Vnderstundye vnwise hee that made the eye doth he not see or hee that planted the eare doth hee not heare and againe with our Sauiour If ye which are euill can giue to your children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him But here is the fault that as Anthropomorphites ascribe vnto God such a shape as themselues haue So Atheists do abase his maiesty so farre as to thinke hee is not so good as they are he hath not such knowledge and power as a man hath other deny his prouidence and saie hee hath eies and seeth not they deny his mercy and distrust that hee will shew kindnesse and compassion to his owne they deny his iustice whiles as they thinke hee will not punish transgressors and so setting his maiestie lesse then one of them selues they make him in their mind like the Idols of the Nations that haue eies and see not eares and heare not hands and worke not feet that walke not and in a word such a one as can neither doe good nor euill but their wickednesse shall reprooue them and they shall finde the contrarie by miserable experience in the end Thus haue wee seene for what cause it is that the Lord expresseth himselfe vnto vs by the similitude of a man Many waies hath God honoured the nature of man First in our creation that when hee made man hee beautifieth him with his image Next in our redemption wherein hee sheweth himselfe so enamoured with the loue of man as to marry our nature with his owne in the person of his Sonne Christ Iesus And thirdly in his word that when hee speakes of himselfe he borrowes comparisons from man to expresse himself once he made man to his own similitude but often describes himselfe according to mans similitude Plerunque a corporibus hominum in se similitudinem trahit Deus And this serues shortly to make man ashamed who spares not to dishonour his owne nature giuing the members of his body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne subiecting to Satans slauery that nature which God hath so highly honoured aboue the nature of Angels and all other creatures whatsouer Had two sonnes Hauing seene who
as the art and industry of man hath made them but such as they are by nâ—ture Et sicut gignitur ex oleastri semine oleaster ex oleae semine non nisi oleaster Cum inter oleastrum oleam plurimum distet ita de carne peccatoris de carne iusti vtrinque peccator quam vis inter peccatorem iustum multum distet And as the seed of the wilde Oliue bringeth out a wilde oliue and the seede of the oliue brings out also a wilde oliue albeit betweene the oliue and the wilde oliue in themselues there is a great difference euen so out of the flesh both of iust men and sinners sinners are begotten albeit in themselues great difference bee betweene the righteous and the sinner That all matter of gloriation may be taken from flesh and he who glories may glorie in the Lord boast as thou wilt of the priuiledges of nature they are but the matter of thy mourning Comfort canst thou haue none but in that which grace hath giuen thee aboue nature Onely let parents take heede that in their owne default their children become not crosses vnto them Iustly was Adonijah a scourge to Dauid in his olde daies because he would not displease him from his youth And Ophni and Phinees a crosse to their father Eli because he suffered theÌ„ to run into a slander A threefold dutie therefore should fathers discharge to their children first by a godly life giue them good example doe not that which thou wouldest not wish thy children to follow it is an euill great enough that thou hast deriued sin vnto them by propagation let them not also draw it from thee by imitation Secondly haue a care of their education to bring them vp in the information of the Lord. Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction driues it away Nazian records that the Lacedaemonians learned their children to excell in fortitude and tollerance of sorrowes by frequent beating them Licurgus taught the Spartans what power was in good education WheÌ„ of two dogs procreat of the same parents by his paines he made the one a hound for the fields the other not so trained vp remaining but a curre for the kitchin And Socrates was wont to say that many children for want of good education were like vnto couragious horses who for lacke of gouernment become no better then Asses It is a shame for Christians to come behinde Ethnickes in this duty And yet that education will not alway doe it is euident in Isaac and Ismael both brought vp in the house of Abram yea in Iacob and Esau both gotten of one father borne of one mother that lay together in one belly their education was alike their dispotition vnlike Therfore besides the ordinary meanes of information and correction the last duty fathers ought to their children is earnest praier vnto God for them euen as Iob euery morning sacrifised for his children that GOD would frame their hearts to his holy loue and obedience that the corruption of nature which in the first generation they communicate to their children may be taken away and they by the grace of regeneration sanctified and renewed vnto his holy image Hauing noted these things in the parable according to the letter in the point of the father two things also occurre to bee marked in the part of the sonne first his vile ingratitude to his Father that vpon no necessity onely to the end he might follow his owne will and enioy the perishing pleasures of his sinfull lusts he forsakes him And that all children may learne to flee this fault let them marke that because this young man became a crosse to his father he becoms at length a crosse also to himself It is the first dutie of godlinesse in children said Cyrill to be thankfull to their parents to wait vpon them serue theÌ„ coÌ„fort theÌ„ especially in their old age Quamvis enim illis plurima eiusmodirediderimus rursus tamen eos generare non possumus for albeit in some things we may be able to requite them as Ioseph being fed 17. yers by his father Iacob in Canaan fed his father againe other 17. yeres in Aegypt yet are we neuer able to beget them againe Ab illis primam viuendi causam accepimus adeo vt parentes velut dij quidam sint hoc est liberis vice Dei hos Deus increatus immortalis nobis creratos mortales deos dedit vt homines honore afficeret For vnder God we haue our being of them he who is the father immortall and increated for the honouring of mankind hath communicated his name to mortall and created creatures to make them also fathers and begetters of others thus are they to their children like little gods or in God his steed which as it should waken in fathers a care to be answerable to there name and place in wise and louing dealing with their children so warnes it children of that loue thankefulnesse and obedience they ought euery way vnto their parents But such is the iniquitie of this age that many parents would willingly bee content to forgo all the good they may haue by their children vpon condition they were quit of their euil This prodigall child failed in omissioÌ„ of his duty his fault was in the desertioÌ„ of his father we heare not that other waies he did him any euill or was vnreuerent toward him either in word or deed like vnnaturall children now who are not ashamed to be mockers cursers and oppressors of their parents A fearefull impietie a beastly stupiditie doubtlesse a forerunner of great wrath to fall vpon these who fall into such sins There was infirmities in Noah when C ham mocked his wickednesse but did he not for that incurre the curse and thinkest thou that the faults of thy parents shall excuse thine vnnaturall contempt of them Wilt thou look into the law thou shalt see an heauy penaltie laid on euery iniurie that either by word or deed thou dost to thy father He that curseth his father or his mother shall die the death He that smiteth his father or his mother shall die the death Yee shall feare euery man his father and his mother If any man haue a sonne which is stubborne and disobedient who will not hearken to the voice of his father nor the voice of his mother c. Then all the men of the citie shal stone him with stones vnto death Cursed be he that curseth his father or his mother The eie that mocketh his father despiseth the instruction of his mother let the rauens of the valley picke it out and the young Eagles eat it And if we shal come downe lower to looke into nature we shall finde this vile ingratitude condemned by her decree also Filius cum patre quoquo modo
thou wouldst seeme to be if it bee a good thing to appeare to be godly is it not better to bee godly indeed and if thou thinke shame to appeare to be of an euill life shouldst thou not much more think shame to bee euill indeed Thus as the fish Sepia is bewraied by the blacke colour which she casteth out to couer her soÌ„ is the hypocrite conuinced by the very shew of godlines vnderwhich hee hoped to haue lurked And truly most iust and fearefull is that recompence wherewith God paieth home such hypocrites for as they take the name of God in their mouth when the loue and reuerence of God is not in their hearts so shal not they bee in the heart of God as Dauid was nor grauen on the palmes of his hand as his Church is Nor written in the beoke of life as his elect are but God shall haue them in his mouth like luke-warme Laodicaeans to spew them out of it their doome is set downe by Ieremy Will yee steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsly and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom yee knowe not And come and stand before mee in this house wher my name is called vpon before your eies and therefore will cast you out of my sight The fourth euill pointed out heere in him is a great presumption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giue me the portion of goods that befals me Men not regenerate by grace make the Lord a debtor to them not content to receiue good things from the Lord they challenge Patris bona quasi sibi debita their fathers goods as debts dew to them for their merits and good deseruings Of the which it is euident that the doctrine of merite is learned out of the schoole of nature wherein all proud Iustâ—tiars what euer shew of externall pietie they haue are but condisciples with this forlorne childe for if the Lord should giue vnto man the portion that is due vnto him then hee should raine sire and brimstone vpon him for that is the portion of his cuppe Thou art neuer able to recompence the Lord for the good hee hath giuen thee already and how then shalt thou deserue that which hee hath promised Is there any comparison betweene that which thou giuest the Lord and that which thou gettest from him for from thee that hast no more he will gratiously accept the sacrifice of one cuppefull of cold water or a tribute of teares and shalt thou for this brag of thy merit and make him a debtor to thee of eternal life Si quis a diebus Adami vsque ad consummationem saeculi viueret fortiter contra Satanam pugnaret non posset tamen tantam gloriam promereri quato minus qui tam breui tempore militat If a man should liue from the daies of Adam to the end of the world and strongly fight against Satan yet were he not able to merit so great a glory farre lesse are we able to do it who so short a space are militant on earth Our reioicing saith the Apostle is the testimony of our conscience this testimonie saith Bernard consisteth in these three Necesse enim primo omniuÌ„ credere quod remissionem peccatorum habere non potes nisi per indulgentiam Dei For first of all thou must beleeue that thou canst not obtaine remission of sinnes except onely by the indulgence and mercy of God Deinde quod nihil prorsus habere queas operis boni nisi hoc dederit ipse Secondly that thou art not able to do any good work except God giue it vnto thee For wee are not of our selues sufficient to thinke a good thought Postremo quod aeternam vitam nullus potest operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa And last that no man is able by good works to merit eternal life it is the free gift of God If we do any good let vs say with the Apostle Not I but the grace of God in me If we get any good ascribe it not to our merits but let the praise of it alway be returned to his mercies Fiftly that he seeks a portion of his fathers goods but not his fathers fauour blessing represents to vs the earthly minds of naturalists who preferre the gifts of God to God himselfe all creatures that the Lord made he made them for man and man for himselfe but this is a fearefull contempt of God and vile disestimation of his maiesty when the creature which God hath subiected vnto man in the heart of man is preferred vnto God and better loued then God himselfe as Euah for the loue of an apple lost the loue of the Lord and Esau for a messe of pottage sould his birth-right which hath annexed the blessing and the Gadarans counted their swnine more precious then the Sonne of God Christ Iesus It is written of them who tame the Tigre that when they haue taken away the yong one knowing that incontinent they will bee pursued by the old they set looking glasses in the way by which they flie wherunto when the olde Tigresse comes and seeth some representation of themseâ—ues lingreth about them a good space deceiued by the shaddow and deteined in a vain hope to recouer their young againe and in the meane time the hunter most speedily posts away with his pray So dealeth Satan with the men of this world hee castes before them the deceitfull baites of worldlie pleasures and profits beeing indeed no other thing but shadowes and representations of good yet are men so delighted with these that they dote about them hauing no care to pursue their enemy for recouerie of that image of God which Satan hath stolen from them Not without a sore and vnrecouerable losse to themselues Cum vsque adeo hominibus charus est hic mundus vt sibi ipsis vilescant When this world is so much esteemed of man that to obtaine it hee debaseth yea he loseth himselfe liuing like a drudge of the earth and a vile slaue to euery creature hauing a reasonable soule captiued vnder subiection to vnreasonable creatures A most pittifull estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the which to speake with Chrysostom what can befall more shamfull and vnhonourable to man for if wee ouercome not sensible things how shall wee encounter with insensible enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or how shall wee subdue principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse But the children of God illuminate with his light renewed by his grace hauing there eies opened in a part to see that high prise of the calling of God and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints beginnes to account with the Apostle the most excellent things of this world to bee but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dung in respect of our Lord Iesus Christ and haue a ready answer to giue their aduersarie when he