faithfully to you Brethren see ye not heere the care which we should haâ—e of the glory of God of the Church of God and her saluation It should cause a man of this calling that Paul was of to be rauished in spirit and to be content to be counted a foole in this world that God may bee glorified and men helped forwarde to Heauen If God bee glorified in my madnes what regard I to be mad what respect is to be made of a maÌ„ in this world and what if men goe to ruine and decay so that God bee glorified But alas there is such a selfe-loue ingraffed in the heart of euery man that wee wil not suffer God to be honoured except it may stand with our honour we will say I will not be esteemed a foole I will not be disgraced if it may stand with mine honour and profite I will glorifie Him but if His honour and mine stand not together I will chiefely haue respect to mine own honour So it will neuer be well till wee get this cankred self-selfe-loue submitting it selfe to the glorie of God And it should be the greatest endeuour that euer we should haue in this world to cast out this selfe-loue that we may be content that God may bee glorified although it were to our dishonour yea though it were with our destruction It is not selfe-loue that bringeth honour and glory onelie honour is of God thou shalt neuer get honour except thou cast away selfe-loue that God may bee glorified Then to go forward Paul must haue somthing for him why he will bee mad for Gods cause hee will not bee mad without some reason therefore in the next verse he saith For the loue of God constraineth vs as if he would say I am constrained to this foolishnesse and a charge is laide on me to doe so I am bound and obliged so to doe that is to be a mad man for the glorie of my GOD. And from whence commeth this necessitie It is the loue of God saieth hee that constraineth mee this bande that bindeth me is the loue of Christ not the loue which I beare to Him that is too weake but the loue which Hâ—e beareth to mee it bindoth all my senses and vrgeth me to honour my God with my whole bodie These are the words Then the verie necessitie which lieth on thee to bee a mad man for GODS cause it is not a thing whereof thou canst free thy selfe there is a necessity aid on thee to bee counted mad for Christes cause Then if there be a necessitie laid on vs to doe this albeit it bee to our owne dishonour what if wee doe it not but will shake off this yoke Then I tell thee in place of it another necessitie must come in a necessitie of woe Paule saieth 1. Cor. 9. 16. Woe to me if I preach not the Gospell God hath laid this necessity on me to preach and if I cast it off another necessitie of woe shall be laide on mee Alas this world thinketh all this worshipping of God to be voluntarie that men may serue GOD as they please and that men may preach as they please this way or that way and speake heere and holde their tongue there as they will But I say to thee Wilt thou free me of that necessitie that lieth on mee Art thou able to take it off my backe If thou bee not able then for GODS sake let mee preach the Gospell with freedome and sinceritie of heart I tell thee There is such a necessitie laide vpon the shoulders of the Ministers to vtter euery thing which the Lord putteth into their mouthes that if thou shake off this necessity another necessitie of woe shall be laid vpon them And this shall be their crie on their dead-bed Woe to mee that I preached not the Gospell truelie Yet to goe forward From whence commeth this necessitie Hee saieth It is the loue of GOD that constraineth mee It is the loue of Christ which Hee shewed in His suffering for me that bindeth mee So it was the loue of Christ towardes Paule that moued him patiently to be called mad for Christs cause Christ for the loue which He did beare to vs suffered Himself not only to be called mad but to be called a Deuill Matt. 12. 24. He suffered the extremitie of paine and ignominie for our sakes and all the reuilinges and reproches that shoulde haue lighted vpon vs Hee tooke them vpon Him Such was His loue towardes vs. Then wilt not thou suffer to be called a mad man for His cause If thou wouldest haue a part of y e inheritaÌ„ce which Christ conquered thou must bee bound a necessitie must be laide vpon thee and if thou bee loosed thou art loosed from the loue of IESVS and then woe and euerlasting destruction shall come vpon thee I see then all our seruice of Christ is of necessitie Then what pleasure can bee in the seruice of CHRIST if it bee constrained seruice The thing I am compelled to doe I will haue little pleasure in the doing of it In deed it is true thou art not loose but bound From the time that thou enterest into the Church of Christ thou enterest into bonds but there is a great difference betwixt band and band one band will binde thee force thee to do a thing whether thou wilt or wilt not Another band will only leade thee the right way which thou art to goe Brethren this band that Paule speaketh of in this place it is a sweete band the band of the loue of Christ and it bindeth thee sweetly and louingly to discharge thy duety towards God and all thy duety by this band is voluntary and hee who is bound with this baÌ„d will rejoyce more to be called a foole for Christs sake than to be esteemed a king vpoÌ„ the earth But thou must take heed where this band is that bindeth thee that it may leade thee to doe thy duetie willinglie If the loue of Christ which is the band be outwith thee onelie sounding in thine eare as when it is tolde thee Christ loueth thee I tell thee it wil not bind thee All the preaching in the world will not bind thee if it be without thee Paul saith therefore Rom 5. 5. The loue of God is spread abroad in our hearts thorow the holy Spirit that is giuen vs. Then that that loue may binde thine heart it must bee powred in thee and when it entereth into the heart it looseth y e heart with such a sweetnesse to doe Gods will as is vnspeakeable it bindeth the heart with an exceeding joye Would to God wee had a taste of this loue All is but words There caÌ„ be no such sweetnesse as that is from once the Spirit hath powred the loue of Christ in thine heart then let all our trauels be when we heare of these things to get a sense of the loue of Christ in our hearts Al the powers in the world will not
Starres Then it is not the loue of GOD the Creator that doeth this and is the ground of this bountifulnesse and of our life in Him but it is a speciall kinde of loue It is that loue that proceedeth of GOD the Sauiour It is not the loue of a Creator but of a Father not to the creature but to the sonne GOD loueth His sonne better than Hee doeth His creature He loueth vs as His sonnes If there were no further loue of GOD but as Hee is a Creator thou durst neuer crie Abba Father and except the Spirit spreade abroade into our heartes that loue which Hee beareth vnto vs for all the world thou durst not appeare before Him The time is set downe when Hee hath saued vs when His singular loue appeared in the world Hee saued vs beeing manifested in the fleshe Then it followeth that wee were lost and gone when GOD of His loue put to His hand and saued vs wee were out of our right wit rebelles to GOD wauering and vagabunding out of the right waye slaues to our owne lustes Whome count yee lost if these be not lost I will neuer count of a reprobate person who is giuen ouer to filthinesse to harlotrie to murther to oppression to mischiefe c. I will neuer count of him but as a madde desperate and lost bodie when hee is walking abroade and moouing in the world hee is but a dead carcasse and if hee come to GOD againe in mercie it may bee saide There is a dead bodie turned to life Hast thou followed harlotrie repentest thou thou hast bene dead in sinne but now thou art aliue The lost sonne when hee had spended his childes-part of goods yet he repented and came home to his father againe his father saieth Hee that was dead is liuing againe Luke 15. 24. So in a worde wee were lost men Thinkest thou that thou art not lost because thou canst breathe And thinkest thou a man not dead if hee can walke vpon the streete Thinkest thou thy selfe verie well if thou haue these vitall motions in thee O but suppose thou hadst all the naturall liues in the world if thou bee giuen ouer to thine owne affections and leauest not off thine olde sinnes and iniquities thou art a madde and a dead bodie Began then that loue towardes man only to appeare when Christ came into the world I answere The loue of God the Father appeared manifested it selfe in some measure to the godlie euen before Christ came into the world God forbid but this loue had bene appareÌ„t vnto Abraham and the rest of the godly before the incarnation of our Sauiour But at the comming of Christ it manifested it selfe more brightly than euer it did before for al His loue of before was in Christ to come but now since He came into the world the loue of God towards mankind hath appeared in greater aboundance The Lord grant vs an apprehension and sight of this loue that at the least wee maye striue to loue Him againe who hath loued vs so dearly in His Sonne IESVS CHRIST Nowe hee sheweth by what meanes this our saluation is procured at the handes of GOD hee telleth you by what meanes we are not saued Net saith he by the workes of righteousnesse which wee had done The meanes by the which we are not saued is our owne just works thou art not saued by thy just works leane to them as thou wilt I will promise thee in the name of that Great God they shall neuer saue thee Can a man that is mad and a rebell to GOD and a slaue to his owne lustes doe such works as may procure saluation But such were we saith the Apostle therefore wee can deserue nothing by our workes Fie on thee Papist with thy merites fie on the works of preparation can a madde man prepare himselfe for grace No such thing I tell you when GOD put to His hand to our saluation Hee founde no matter in vs of our saluation but damnation When GOD beginneth to loue Hee findeth no matter of loue in vs but of hatred And this commendeth the greatnes of His loue towards vs when He seeth nothing in vs but matter of damnation yet Hee of His free grace mercy loueth vs saueth vs RoÌ„ 5. 8. This setteth out His loue highly towards vs when that we were sinners He sent Christ to die for vs therefore seek not thy saluation neither before thou be in Christ nor after thou art in Him by y â— merite of works for thou shalt neuer get it y t way but thou shalt still be the further from it the more thou seekest it by that meane Then if good works be not the meane what is the meane The Apostle â—aith He hath saued vs according to His mercy These are flat contrary The mercy of God the merit of man If thou be saued by y â— mercy of God theÌ„ no merit because thy merite is not able to saue thee The first fountaine of our saluation is loue after loue commeth on mercy then pitie and compassion in His mercie presupponeth miserie Mercie is shewed to the miserable creature GOD seeing vs miserable madde rebelles following our own crooked affections beginneth to bee pitifull and to haue compassion of vs. Yee knowe mercie and pitie followeth vpon loue For when wee loue any one and see him in miserie then wee haue pitie vpon him if thou hate him suppose hee were in neuer so great miserie thou wilt not pitie him Then GOD seeing vs wrapped in sinne and miserie He hath pitie upon vs which pitie proceedeth of loue and with loue and pitie concurreth His power Wee will lone one and see him lie in miserie when it will passe our power to relieue him but GODS power is alwayes effectuall to deliuer all them who are subject to misery if once He extende His loue and compassion towardes them Then the cause of our saluation is in GOD onlie and no part in man who is saued The first cause is the loue of GOD which is the fountaine The next cause is mercie for ere euer this worlde was created GOD of His mercie tooke a purpose to saue vs. The Apostle saieth Ephes 1. 4. Hee purposed of Himselfe Hee sawe no thing in vs wherefore He should take purpose to saue vs. And when Hee commeth on to the execution of that eternall purpose of our saluation there is nothing in vs but all is in Himselfe for He is all-sufficient Himselfe and nothing is without Him The ende wherefore He died all of Himselfe without vs was to the praise of the glorie of His grace Ephes 1. 6. that thereby the whole glorie of our saluation might redounde to Him onelie because the cause is onelie in Him Thou that takest anie part in it and attributest it vnto thy selfe thou spoylest GOD of His glorie Either giue Him all the glorie of this action or take it all to thy selfe this glorie is too heauie for thee if thou
were a Prophet hee would surely haue knowne who and what manner of woman this is who toucheth him for shee is a sinner verse 40 And Iesus answered and saide vnto him Simon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee And hee saide Maister say on verse 41 There was a certaine lender who had two detters the one ought fiue hundreth pence and the other fiftie verse 42 When they had nothing to pay he for gaue them both Which of them therefore tell mee will loue him most verse 43 Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgaue most And hee saide vnto him Thou hast truely judged 44. Then hee turned to the woman and said vnto Simon Seest thou this woman I entered into thine house and thou gauest mee no water to my feete but shee hath washed my feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head verse 45 Thou gauest mee no kisse but shee since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete verse 46 Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint but shee hath anointed my feet with ointment verse 47 Wherefore I say vnto thee many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much To whome a little is forgiuen he doeth loue a little verse 48 And hee saide vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee verse 49 And they that sate at table with him began to say within themselues Who is this that euen for giueth sinnes verse 50 And hee saide to the woman Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace THIS Text welbeloued in the Lord Iesus containeth a notable Historie of the conuersion of a penitent sinner a sinfull woman whom the LORD first called inwardly by His Spirit to whom after outwardly by His owne voyce He giueth assurance of the remission of her sinnes And wee haue first set downe the occasion that the Lord offereth to this sinfull woman to metee with Him that she may receiue mercie and forgiuenesse of her sinnes Of very purpose He casteth Himselfe in her way and into these partes where the woman was and yeeldeth to dine in the house of a Pharisie where shee might haue the occasion and oportunitie to meete with Him This occasion being offered vnto her being partly touched with a feeling of her owne miserie partly being preuented with the Spirite of Iesus alluring her she letteth it not slippe but shee commeth to the house where the Lord was and shee commeth not emptie handed but shee bringeth with her a boxe of precious sweete smelling ointment and comming to the house where the LORD was sitting at table looke what shee doeth shee entreth not in peartly and boldly neither commeth shee before His face being ashamed of her own sinnes she was ashamed that these eyes these all-seeing eyes of the LORD which pierce into the soule of man should see her So she standeth saieth the Text behinde His backe and then shee falleth downe at His feete The sight of thy sinne as it will worke shame of face when the relicts of nature beginneth to challenge it when it striueth to enter into the soule so that scarcely thou darest looke a man in the face let be the Lord who is the reuenger of it Euen so when it once pleaseth the Lord to waken the conscience it will worke in thee a wonderfull humilitie so that thou wilt stoupe and cast thy selfe downe vnder the feete of thy GOD. The stiffenesse that yee see in men who bowe not their bodies knees vnto the Lord proceedeth of the want of that sight of sinne and corruption within them If these men who fling their heads in the aire make their boasts of their euill deeds saw their sins they would bee ashamed of themselues humble themselues in y e dust When she is fallen downe she weepeth The sight of sin will make thee to weepe mourne Thou laughest now plaiest y e wanton because there is a vaile casten ouer thine eye that blindeth thee so that thou canst not see sin the own colour yea it couereth thy self from thee but if once thou saw sinne thy selfe well it would make thee to weep lament bitterly Wel she leaueth not of yet but being drawne and allured with a sense of His preuenting mercy y â— came from Him she draweth nearâ— vnto Him If she had not felt that loue that came from Him shee durst neuer haue come neare Him As a male-factor hath no pleasure to beholde the countenance of the Iudge but his eye and countenance is terrible to Him Euen so the Lord is fearefull and terrible to them that feele not that loue that proceedeth from Him It is the sense of the loue that allureth sinners to come to God As Dauid saieth Psal 130. 3. If thou straitlie markest iniquitie no flesh can stand but mercie is with thee that thou mayest bee feared The teares that the displeasure for sin expresseth out of her shee will not lose them but shee taketh them and â—asheth his feet with them theÌ„ taketh the haire of her head and dryeth them therewith Haddest thou once a sense of that sweete mercy in Iesus Christ were that loue once spred abroade into thine heart by His H. Spirit as th' Apostle speaketh O how thou wouldest loue Him be carefull to serue pleasure Him This want of loue towards y e Lord Iesus argueth plainely that thou hast not felt that loue of His towardes thee For if once thou hadst felt how well Hee loueth thee who shed His precious blood for thee then it is a faire matter to thee to sheede teares for Him that shedde His blood for thee And if thou once felt that loue nowe all the teares and all the moysture in thy body yea thy very soule thou wouldest bee glad to poure it out for Him and consecrate thy life vnto His seruice but liuing against Him in doing all kinde of villanie in despite of Him thou testifiest plainely that thou hast neuer found the vertue of His blood Looke what Paul saieth 2. Cor. 5. 14. The loue of God constraineth mee that is bindeth vp my soule and all the powers and faculties thereof and occupyeth my whole senses that I am rauished from all thinges in the worlde to get mine heart and affections fixed vpon Him Why saieth hee Because He loued me so well that Hee hath died for me and therefore I will consecrate my life to him who hath purchased euerlasting life for me And therefore whosoeuer hath not a purpose to poure out his life for Iesus Christ and hath not a free heart towards Him in some measure he cannot haue any sure argument that Christ hath died for him And if thou haue not that assurance woe is thee that euer thou tookest life it had beene better thou hadst beene made a stocke or a stone if thou findest not that Christ died for thee But what further did this sillie woman Shee ceaseth not here but is continually kissing the feete of the Lord. Ye
who before delited in kissing leaue your harlots and from this woman learne to kisse the LORD or else thou and thy vile mouth shalt burne in Hell Kisse the feete of the LORD who hath shedde His blood for thee for so oft as thou kissest the feete of the Lord thou shalt finde that thou suckest grace out of Him And this woman who was before a vile harlot now only she taketh pleasure to kisse the Lord. And what did this woman more It is said when shee had bestowed her body vpon Him shee taketh that boxe of costlie ointment that shee had prepared for Him and anointed his feete therewith Bestowe thy selfe first vpon the Lord and bestowe thy body vpon Him and His seruice and say to Him Nowe Lord I giue thee and I bestow vpon thee mine heart my soule my body all the members therof keepe thouthem in holinesse that they may bee consecrate to thee Then when thou hast bestowed first thine heart and thy selfe vpon Him it will be none hard matter to bestowe thy goods when His glory requireth And certainly when men are so nigard in the â—â—ds cause that they will not bestowe a pennie â—pon Him when his glory requireth or vpon His â—oore members it is a sure argument that they â—euer bestowed their heart vpon Him Many vain men and women will saye And if Christ were in the worlde for the loue I carie vnto Him I would followe Him serue Him imploye my body and all that I haue in His seruice and to His glorie but if thou wilt not bestowe thy goods vpon the needie vpon His seruants and vpon these who carie His image if Christ Himselfe were in the worlde thou wouldest bestowe nothing vpon Him for if once thou were sensible of that liberality that Iesus offereth vnto His owne thou wouldest loue Him so well that thou wouldest shewe thy selfe liberall to these who cary His image thou wouldest giue all that thou hast for His cause who is onelie able to make thee rich Now to goe forwarde in the Historie Whilest shee is thus exercised in weeping in washing the Lordes feete with her teares in drying them with her haire in anointing them with precious ointment what doeth the Lord what is His behauiour All this time the LORD speaketh neuer a worde vnto her all this time while shee findeth so great grace and mercie in Him Hee turneth not once His face vnto her If thou gettest once the Lordes backe neare vnto thee if thou gettest leaue to kisse His feete howbeit thou gettest not His face at the first nor His countenance at the entrie yet out of Him thou shalt sucke grace and mercie vnspeakeable It is a marueilous thing to see how a sinner will get grace When the Lord will seeme to turne His backe vpon thee yet follow thou on and leaue Him not till He turne His face toward thee and I assure thee thou shalt get His face at the last Therefore neuer depart from Him but sticke by His backe and His feete and certainly in the ende thou shalt get that sight of that joyfull countenance that shall compleate thy joy Nowe to come to the Pharisies part who called Him to dinner for we haue heard the part of the woman The Pharisie named Simon sitteth still and seeth all that is done and speaketh not one word but thinketh and hee thinketh the thing which is not good his mouth is closed but he blasphemeth in his heart If this maâ— were a Prophet saieth hee â—ee would know who and what manner of woman this were who toucheth him for she is a sinner he thought incontinent that the filthinesse of the woman woulde pollute the Lord would hee suffer this vile harlot to touch him if hee were a Prophet or an holie man Yee see now Brethren how disdainfullie he thinketh of her and howe hee contemneth her in his heart A Pharisie that is an hypocrite that wil counterfeite outwardly a kind of holinesse see how he will disdain a poore sinner that is an open sinner in the sight of the world An hypocrite is a foule sinner and he will doe such things in secrete that it is a shame to speake of because his sinne is cloaked from the sight of the world and from his owne eyes when hee beholdeth another sinner againe that sinneth openly in the sight of the world how disdainfully will hee count and speake of the open sinner and will spitte at him the seuerest censurer that euer was is an hypocrite and then he will stand vp admiring of himself and his coloured righteousnesse and saye I thanke God I am not like other men And what is the cause of this The Lord saieth The hypocrite is nothing but a whited tombe a painted graue that within is full of dead mens bones stinke and filthinesse Matth. 23. 27. And yet that cloake of hypocrisie beeing spred ouer the heart the hypocrite seeth not that filthinesse that is in his owne heart and that hypocrite that thinketh to beguile all the world chiefely he beguileth himselfe And if thou sawest that seede of all mischeiâ—e that is within thy selfe certainely thou wouldest disdaine thy selfe and thou wouldest be inclined to judge charitably of a poore sinner thou wouldest not bee so sore and rigorous a censurer of others as thou art And if thou sawest what kinde of stuffe were within thy selfe howbeit it breake not out thou wouldest say Now I see as great corruption in my selfe as in any body it is the Lord that letteth it not breake out the Lord purge and renew mee and the Lord purge renew yonder sinner from the sinne that breaketh out so openly in outward action Now as the Pharisie knoweth not himselfe so he knoweth not what the Lord is he knoweth Him not to bee the Mediator come into the worlde to saue poore sinners and therefore hee concludeth so blasphemously The Lord is not a Prophet Marke Brethren Who euer seeth not that miserie that is within themselues of necessitie they neuer saw that mercy that is in Iesus Christ These two goe together of necessitie Whosoeuer seeth not himselfe is ignorant of Christ and would not buy the mercy of Christ for one penny hee careth not for Christs kindnesse hee counteth grace and mercy all but vanity Now of these two followeth another thing Not seeing himselfe first next not seeing that mercy in Christ not knowing that He was that Sauiour of the world of these two followeth this wicked conceit in him seeing the sinner deale with Him to get grace mercy the Lord dealing so mercifully with her he scorneth contemptuously disdaineth in his heart this dealing y t the poore sinner hath with y â— Lord. The men who see not their own misery noâ— y e Lords mercy they will scorne disdaine a poore sinner either outwardly calling them sighing brethren sobbing sisters or at least in their hart inwardly And I am assured there are hypocrites enough this day who haue no sense
of misery that scorne in their hearts a poore sinner y t seeketh mercy of y e Lord hold in dirision our fasting our humiliation and all our preaching which they heare And therfore as thou wouldest not bee culpable of such scorning and wouldest not be inuolued in y t judgement that tarieth that scornfull number seeke I beseech thee to get these two sighs say Lord I am but a miserable body am vnworthy to look vp to y e Heauen then get a sense of the mercy of the Lord and then thou shalt bee â—o farre from scorning grace in thine heart that thou shalt bee faine to creep in with all humility to get a part portion of the grace that is spoken of The Pharisie yet hath not bene one of the worst of them hee was not an open blasphemer but an hypocrite I doubt not but y e Lord hath had mercie on him but what how and when his conuersion hath bene the Lord knoweth Now I go forward to y e part of the Lord first toward the Pharisie and then toward the poore woman The Pharisie conceiued not this so quietlie secretly within his owne heart but the Lord the searcher of the heart that made y e heart draweth it to light and saith Simon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee I know what thou thinkest well enough no man needeth to tell me thine heart therefore I will speake somthing vnto thee Simon answereth Lord saye on Brethren striue to present holie thoughts before GOD thinke it not enough to keepe thine hand holie thy tongue from blasphemie but keepe an holy heart vnto the LORD begin not to play the counterfeit to speak holily and to haue a faire shewe outwardly and then to keepe a foule heart and if an euill thought escape thee as who will not haue a thousand euill thoughts if a blasphemie against GOD escape thee as who blasphemeth not God in their heart as well as the Pharisie bee sorrowfull for it away with it let it not tarie but say as Paule saieth Rom. 7. 17. It is not I that doeth it but the corruption of my nature which remaineth within mee Renounce that foule birth and take it neuer vnto thee and this is that battell which we should haue night day to get that vile canker and corruption which vttereth it selfe so violently against that inuiolable Majestie repressed and put away Now when He hath thus spoken He beginneth to let Simon see that that same very woman of whom hee counted so disâ—â—ainfully was not so vile a woman as he thought as though He would say Simon thou thinkest there is not so vile a sinner in the world as she is but I sâ—y vnto thee shee is not so sinfull I haue cleansed her I haue giuen her remission of all her sinnes Who dare call a sinner foule that the Lord hath called cleane darest thou call a penitent sinner foule who hath washen my feere with teares and repenteth vnfainedly Then subsuming He saith This woman repenteth vnfainedly and testifieth her repentance in louing me so exceedingly Therefore He concludeth All her sinnes are forgiuen her Therefore Simon disdaine her not no more than I doe But to consider more narrowly first the ground of the proposition then the assumption last that joyfull conclusion The ground of his reason is this To whome a great debt is forgiuen that person will loue exceedingly To make vs to vnderstand this the better Hee bringeth in a familiar example a parable There was a certaine lender who had two debters the one ought fiue hundreth pence and the other fiftie And when they had nothing to pay hee forgaue them both Which of them therefore tell mee will loue him most Hee saith Simon to whome hee forgaue most Well saieth the Lord then I take this proposition out of thy mouth Hee to whome much is forgiuen he loueth exceedinglie he loueth much And certainly if thou haue no sense of debt if thou thinkest in thine owne conceite that thou owest nothing I saye to thee Thou louest not God thou hast no loue towards Him A wanton sinner that feales not the burthen of sinne hee hath no more loue to God nor to Christ than a dogge hath fie on thee dogge fie on thee that hast not a sense of sinne for thou hast no loue to God Next againe suppose thou haue a sense of sinne feelest some burthen therof yet if thou but thinkest that thou hast a pennie in thy purse to paye GOD for thy debt thou wilt neuer loue thy God And I saye to thee I could neuer thinke in mine heart that a Papist a vaine lowne who will boast of his merites who glorieth in his owne workes and thinketh hee can pay God for his redemption I saye I could neuer be perswaded that such a one could loue the Lord. Next except with the sense of thy debt thou find also a free remissioÌ„ of all thy debt alas thou canst haue no loue to GOD feele thy sinne and thy pouerty as much as thou wilt if thou findest not a free remission and pardon of all thy debt thou wilt neuer loue Him but He is a terror vnto thee so oft as thou thinkest of Him and thou wouldest flee out of the world to escape His handes Then thirdly thou that feelest thy debt and then feelest thine owne pouertie that thou hast not one pennie to giue Him suppose thou bee a King all thy Kingdome will not ransome thy soule nâ— sell Heauen and the earth and all they will not ransom the soule of one creature they will not fill vp one penny of the summe to ransome the soule of one sinner and theÌ„ with the sense of the pouertie seeleth a free remission and heareth the Lord say I forgiue thee all I will haue none of thy siluer but I forgiue thee all in the precious blood of my deare Sonne the Lord Iesus there is the ransome and I adjudge thee to damnation that seekest any other ransome then thou wilt loue the Lord exceedingly These three things being felt first with grones and sobbes feeling the debt and burthen Next thy pouerty and vnhabilitie to pay and last a free remission and disburthening that sinner would bestowe all his goods and land and life and all that hee hath for the loue that hee beareth to the LORD IESVS thine heart will be sweetly loosed with a loue to y e Lord. Who is able to expresse that loue and that vnspeakeable joye that will bee in the heart of a sinner that feeleth the remission of his sinnes Brethren There is yet more than this in the comparison Hee to whome little is forgiuen hee will loue little and hee to whome much is forgiuen will loue much Hee or shee that will come in and confesse their sinnes but will in the meane time extenuate it and saye it is but a little sinne it is but a veniall sinne and manie one hath done twise as much that bodie I saye that
passeth all vnderstaÌ„ding in Iesus Christ Amen THE XVIII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus verse 15 This is a true saying and by all meanes worthie to bee receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe verse 16 Notwithstanding for this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on mee all long suffering vnto the ensample of them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life THE Apostle Paul well-beloued Brethren in Christ considering that the Lord IESVS had shewed such mercy vpon him as to concredite to him the glorious EuaÌ„gell of the blessed GOD immediately falleth out in a thanksgiuing to Christ There are two causes in the proposition of the thankesgiuing the one is taken from the power of Christ wherewith he is made stroÌ„g for wheÌ„ he was nothing the Lord Iesus made him strong The other is from the mercy of Christ wheÌ„ hee was vnfaithfull how could a blasphemer bee faithful the Lord was so mercifull that He made him faithful this he declareth because he being before a persecuter the Lord made him an ambassadour of that same Euangell which hee persecuted He leaueth not this mercy but insisteth in magnifying of it in regard that not only he was a Preacher but likewise hee was a true Christian man Ere euer he set downe this mercy he telleth what he was before and he â—ayeth When I was a blasphemer not onely that but with torments compelled the Christians to blaspheme I was a persecuter and yet further an oppressour he leaueth nothing vntolde of himselfe and he thinketh no shame to honour that God who had mercie vpon him with his owne shame and hee regisirateth his owne mis-behauiour to his shame that euery one of the Saincts of God to the end of the world may say Glory be to God that hath shewed mercy on such a sinner then he wondereth and sayeth but he had mercie vpon me therewith by the way hee joyneth a reason why the Lord shewed mercy sa readily on him because he did it not of malice or knowledge but he was blinded hee did it of ignorance hee was destitute of Faith but assoone as hee gote mercy hee changed his course yet hee leaueth not off but entereth into a deaper consideration of this Grace he sayeth The Grace of the Lord abounded exceedingly My sinne abounded but grace superabounded and these wordes are from the sense of the heart the heart beeing opened with the sense of Grace openeth the mouth that it vttereth these words the grace of Christ is superabundant for if the heart be filled with the sense of grace mercy it will make the mouth to proclaime the mercy of God to extoll it highly The cause why we cannot set out y e mercy of God in hie termes is because in vs there is no feeling of mercy therefore it is that we vtter wordes so slender and of so litle valour when we speak of that loue that mercy as it were a thing of none importance When he hath told that the grace of the Lord superabounded he addeth also With faith and with loue in Iesus Christ he declareth that superabundant grace by a wonderfull mutation and change that was made in him by the power of IESVS CHRIST that of a blasphemer of Christ he is made a beleeuer apprehending him by Faith of a persecuter and oppressour of the Sainctes of God hee was made a louer of them The sense of the mercy of God faith in Iesus Christ bringeth foorth loue in the heart And whosoeuer hath assurance of mercie true faith his heart wil be joyned with Christ and he will haue a great loue towardes Him then for Christes sake he will loue all His Saincts there wil not be a soule in the Church of Christ but he will loue him so intirely y â— he wold giue his life for him as he will loue him so he will pity him for he y â— hath faith wil both loue pity meÌ„ he y â— waÌ„ts pity and careth not what becoÌ„meth of y e whole world so he bee well hee hath neuer found what was the mercy of God in his heart Alas howe few is the number of these faithfull ones how rare a thing is faith in the hearts of men What argueth this coldnesse in the heartes of men this want of loue and pity in the multitude Nothing but this that albeit mercy be preached yet y e multitude feeleth it not And if thou hadst all this world and yet tasted not of that sweetnesse of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ thou knewest neuer what joy what comfort what pleasure was Then in the next wordes hee openeth vp the ground as it were of that mercy that was shewed vpon him which is the generall ende of the comming of Christ into this worlde and from the generall he concludeth on this manner Christ Iesus is come into the world to saue sinners and I am a sinner therefore He will saue me amongst the rest Before he come to the words of the proposition because it is a great and notable sentence hee vseth a preface as y e Lord Iesus in matters of importance vsed to say Verily verily I say vnto you so here th' Apostle saith This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be receiued In this preface he prepareth not onely Timothie but all that euer shal heare this senteÌ„ce vnto the end of the world and he prepareth them not only to the attension of the eare but he prepareth them vnto faith in the heart so that as soone as they should heare this sentence they should apply it with their hearts Alas why should so worthy excellent senteÌ„ces as these are passe away without any attention or preparation on our part It is true Brethren we should neuer come to y e hearing of any part of the word without preparation wee should not come to the holy congregation like as many swine without hauing any regard what wee are doing but we should come with preparation not only with an eare prepared but with an hart prepared and when thou enterest into the Church thou shouldest say The Lord prepare mine heart that I may receiue some sponke of grace So a preparation is requisite in generall to the hearing of the worde But yet the heart of man would be better prepared for the hearing of such notable sentences as this is Christ is come into the world to saue sinners they require a more singular preparation There is no doubt he spake through the full assuraÌ„ce of faith and that which he spake he assuredly beleeued therefore he spake of it When wee speake of that grace the heart should rise with an assurance Look to the Prophet Dauid with what assuraÌ„ce he speaketh of it I beleeued
mooue thee to doe thy duety so much as the feeling of this loue of Christ towardes thee And nothing will bee able to stay thee from Christ and honouring Him and it were with thine owne ignominie if once thou haue a sense of it In the next verse hee giueth two reasons why the loue of Christ constrained him The first reason is taken from that misery that Christ founde him in when he suffered for him The second is taken from the ende of the death of Iesus As to the first this was our miserable estate before Christ loued vs we were all dead how proueth he that If one be dead for all then were all dead if thou hadst not bene dead in vaine Christ died for thee if thou hadst bene but halfe dead as the Papists say who vaunt of their free will the Sonne of God had neuer died for thee if Paul had had this free will and so bene halfe dead Christ had neuer died for him and if there were none other argument but this To import that there is not a free wil nor sponke of godlines in mē by nature it is sufficient to say Christ hath died for all we were without all sponk of free will to good when Christ came Marke the force of the argument It is from that miserable estate and spirituall death wherein CHRIST found vs when Hee beganne to bestow His loue vpon vs. Wee were dead spirituallie in sinne dead in trespasses What is this corporall death to bee respected if thou bee dead in sinne thou art worse than a carion This spirituall death should moue vs to thinke that the loue of Christ was wonderfull towardes vs it should euer make vs aggrege that loue wherwith He hath loued vs Hee died for thee who was dead in sinne and trespasses and so an enemie to Him Who is hee saieth the Apostle that will die for his enemies Roman 5. 7. Thou being dead in sinne thou liuedst in sinne and so liuedst an enemie to the life of CHRIST And therefore thine heart can neuer sufficientlie aggrege the benefites of His death Men are miserable but alas they feele it not thou hast no want nor scant of miserie but thou wantest sense and the lesse feeling thou hast of thy deadnes the greater is thy deadnesse for the sense of death is the beginning of life the more thou wantest the sense of death thou art euer the deader the liuelier the sinner is leaping and playing in his wantonnesse the deader is hee in soule For hee hath a burthen vpon his backe that will presse him thorowe the earth and make him sinke to Hell one day and in the meane time he is running to his mischiefe and villanie and knoweth not that hee hath death euerlasting vpon his backe O wo be to that miserable catiue although he be a king Alas men are dead in sinne and halfe in Hell and will not consider it It is a pitifull thing to consider howe there is no sense of this infernall miserie that followeth vpon this death When it is tolde them The LORD hath died for them they will make none account of it The word of the Crosse of Christ hath beene to the multitude of this Land but a vaine sounde and they haue neuer esteemed of such a mercie And therefore what wonder is it to see these vexations O SCOTLAND thou shalt get another wakening thou hast so long contemned grace which is y e most precious thing that euer was The Lord cānot be Lord if He suffer so long contempt and lightlying of Christ and His loue vnpunished The seconde argument is taken from the ende and purpose that Christ had in dying looked Hee to this end that thou shouldest play thee and follow thine own lust that thou shouldest abuse that life which He had bought so deare with His precious blood No his purpose was that not only in his death satisfaction thou shouldest be justified coūted just but also that thou shouldest be sanctified that thou sholdest cast off the works of vncleannes dedicate thy life in holines to him it is said Rom. 14. 9. that he rose again that he might be Lord ouer thy life For there was neuer man that had such a right to an earthlie thing as Christ hath to thy life then doe what euer may pleasnte him if it were to die a thousand times if it were to bee a foole for His cause what euer may pleasure Him set thee to doe it or of necessitie thou shalt lose that life of thine But here is the misery Mē know not wherefore Christ died Will yee aske men and women when they are bathing themselues in wickednesse if they will goe to Heauen they will answere yes they will goe to Heauen before their feet be colde But vaine lowne thou neuer knewst Christes purpose in dying for thee His purpose was that thou shouldest be a new man and thou shouldest not liue to thine owne selfe but to Him And the end shall proue if thou proceed so liuing to thy selfe not to Him who died for thee that the death of Christ had neuer force in thee Therefore looke if thou liue to Christ and if thou doest so then assure thy selfe Christ died for thee Looke if in the morning thou canst say Lord thou died for me I will giue thee my life and consecrate to Thee this day all mine actions and all that I haue Well is the soule that can saye this way Then all turneth to this Seeing Christ died for me I will take this resolutiō I will liue to Him al my dayes The Lord grant vs this resolutiō that we may liue to Him in this life that herafter we may liue with Him in Heauen for euer To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST be all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FIFT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 16 Wherefore hencfoorth knowe wee no man after the flesh yea though wee haue knowne CHRIST after the flesh yet now hencefoorth know wee Him no more verse 17 Therefore if anie man bee in CHRIST hee is a new creature olde thinges are passed away Beholde all thinges are become new verse 18 And all things are of GOD who hath reconciled vs vnto Himselfe by IESUS CHRIST and hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation YEe hearde the last daye in the last part of this Chapter the reasons set down wherfore a man is bound and oblished in conscience to liue to God to consecrate his life his death and all his actions to Iesus Christ to wit First the loue of Christ constraineth and oblisheth vs so to loue Him againe that we be content euen to bee foolish to this world for His sake Another argument was taken from our own estate wherein we were when He shewed this loue of His vpon vs wee were dead in sinne and trespasses So this miserable condition that we did lie in which was the beginning of Hell euerlasting
euery sinne is in the heart of euery man in such sort that it wil make thee loath at it if thou sawest it but alas it is hidden from our eyes that wee cannot see it and therefore we loathe it not Againe in some men and women that seede of all lusts will breake out in actions A man that followeth harlotrie will bee a drunkard also an auaritious man will bee ambitious also c. It is a maruell to see howe manie sinnes will be reigning in one miserable slaue and to see howe that slaue will bee hurried from one sinne to another Fie on thee wilt thou neuer get thy fill of sinne thou shalt once bee filled with wrath and then thou shalt loathe at thy sinnes For albeit there were no more but one sinne in thee it is enough to cause thee to goe to Hell Nowe to goe forward Hee numbers out some of these concupiscences and the first is malice maliciousnesse in the heart against our neighbour Then commeth in her two daughters enuie and hatred When thou art sorie at thy neighbours weale and wouldest not see him thriue then thou wilt hate him There are three particulars and they are as manie pleasures to them that serueth them hee that hath malice thinketh himselfe neuer well but when there is malice in his heart from thence commeth enuie and the enuious heart is neuer well but when it speaketh euill of his neighbour for that is meate and drinke to it hee that hath hatred is neuer well but when hee hateth his neighbour and that is his meate and drinke Nowe I shall drawe these concupiscences into certaine rankes There are some of them against God some against our neighbour some against our selues amongst the which is intemperancie Fie on thee O Epicurian thou â—innest against thy selfe Now the Apostle in setting downe these concupiscences maketh a choise of the concupiscences against our neighbour for if we bee malicious against him wee are malicious against GOD. Whosoeuer is enemie to man hee is also enemie to God Now there is no harmonie amongst men that are onelie naturall For without GOD in Christ there is no true loue no true concord Put a man and a woman together without God will there bee anie concord there No for the dueties of the first Table are requisite for the discharging of the dueties of the second Table and must preceede them Howe canst thou loue thy wife or thy children without God No there is no true loue and the ende shall prooue it to haue beene but hatred onelie In the ende of the verse hee setteth downe two sortes of hatreds hee saieth hatefull that is hee that suffereth hatred then hee subjoyneth hating one another wee are odious to others and againe we hate others Alwayes marke one meeting here Thinkest thou to hate and not to be hated again It is but the just judgement of God that as thou enuiest and hatest thou also to bee hated and enuied What harmonie can bee heere when thou hatest mee and I thee No true concord but all is lose There is no conjunction but that which is in CHRIST IESVS When this conjunction is not amongst men awaye with all other conjunctions This is shortly the miserable estate wherein wee stood by nature before the participation of mercy in CHRIST Now I come to the other estate An alteration must bee made or else wee are gone For what can become of a body that dieth in madnesse Nowe looke howe wee are deliuered But saieth hee after that the bountifulnesse and loue of GOD our Sauiour appeared There is the way how our mercifull deliuery commeth on Yee reade not one word heere that man lying in misery began to find out a deliuery himselfe Ye reade not that the mad man of himselfe beginneth to take vp himselfe hee saieth not Then we took vp our selues No no we would haue lied long ere we had takeÌ„ vp our selues Then the naturall man waltering and wallowing in sinne and drinking in the foule pleasures thereof he will neuer take vp himselfe and let him goe on if hee should liue ten thousand yeeres hee will neuer bee the better but still worse and worse Can a man that is dead naturally thinke of any life to himselfe to rise vp and stand againe Not such a thing hee cannot so much as once thinke to rise vp Now Brethren we are all blacke dead spirituallie by nature there is not one spunke of that Heauenlie life in vs no more than in a dead bodie that is dead naturally there is a spunk of naturall life and we are not halfe dead only but are whole dead Can a naturall man once thinke of a spirituall life No and therefore Paul saith Ephes 2. 31. When wee were dead in our sinnes wee were quickned by CHRIST meaning that wee had no power in our selues to rise againe If it bee so then when I see a wicked man that hath beene seruing his foule lusts all his life-time take vp himselfe I will not saye that that man tooke vp himselfe I will say there is a dead man risen to life I will aske of thee In the beginning of the creation thoughtest thou of thy creation desiredst thou to thinke of it No no more thoughtest thou of thy regeneration thou thoughtest as little of thy second creation as thou thoughtest of thy first creation And therefore it is well saide Hee created thee without thee And as Hee created thee without thee so He redeemed thee without thee Darest thou saye that thou gauest counsell to thy redemption and thoughtest of it when GOD redeemed thee then how commeth this worke on We are preuented something appeareth that was hid there was one thing long hidden nowe it beginneth to shine And what was this bountifulnesse loue to mankinde it was hid and breaketh out And who is it that is bountifull is this any mans bountifulnes No it is the bountifulnesse of GOD and this quickning loue is GODS and that towards man And what God is this Hee calleth Him GOD our Sauiour For God is considered two wayes as a Creator and as a Sauiour It is the loue of Him as a Sauiour that is shewed to thee in thy Redemption And when was this loue reueiled when IESVS CHRIST came into the world and tooke vpon Him our nature then this loue brake out toward man Hee loued him from all Eternitie but it brake not out till then Marke then It is the loue of GOD that saueth it is GODS bountifulnesse that saueth our deliuerie behooued to proceede of a wonderfull bountifulnesse in God whereof the ground is loue If Hee had not loued thee Hee would not haue deliuered thee Then it is not a common loue which He beareth towards vs but there is a speciall loue in GOD to mankinde He loueth not these Heauens these Starres so well as Hee doeth men No Hee communicateth not the thousand part of those thinges that Hee communicateth to man either to the Heauens or to the
will extenuate sinne although it were but an euill thought against that inuiolable Majestie I knowe not whether such an one hath gotten remission of their sinnes or not and supposing they haue gotten remission of it yet it will bee but a little loue that they will haue vnto the Lord. But hee or shee that will come in and aggreadge their sinne though it were but a thought against that Majestie for thou art neuer able to aggreadge it enough and if thou find a remission of thy sinne then no man can thinke how heartily that bodie will loue the LORD for if once thou gettest grace to repent and to loue GOD thou mayest bee assured that thy sinnes though they were neuer so great neuer so weighty and many in number shall neuer hinder thee of grace and mercie And then againe I say to thee the greatest sinner y t counteth most of their sins once feeling y e remission of their sinnes euer the greater louer Paul an oppressor a persecuter blasphemer a wrongfull man once feeling the loue of the Lord forgiuing him O! how exceedingly loued he the Lord A penitent sinner shall farre surpasse them in loue that haue not sinned halse so much the world shall admire at him for his loue he shall be a miracle to all them that beholde him Now I proceed forward The Pharisie can judge well enough of this generall that hee that hath most forgiuen him loueth most and that loue is the effect of remission of sinnes Well art thou that louest the Lord for be assured that the Lord loueth thee and hath forgiuen thee thy sinnes But when it commeth to the assumption that that poore woman that sinful woman loued the Lord there hee erreth Beholde Brethren the light of nature and the blindnesse of nature by nature wee will know the generall well enough suppose thou haddest no more but that light of nature thou wilt confesse that a murtherer should die the death But if thou come to the particular O! but thou art a murtherer thou hast a bloodie heart a bloodie hand and thou art all bloodie Will anie man suffer that No no and therefore he will hold off this conclusion Therefore thou shouldest die the death and be takē to the place of execution and there lose thine head And would to God that our bloodie men whether they bee Noblemen lordes Earles Barons or others had bene headed long since for it is a maruell that plague solloweth not after plague continually till this land bee purged of this blood that cryeth continually in the streetes So the Pharisie could not belieue the particular that euer the poore sinner coulde get mercie hee was so hard a censurer of the poore woman But I count it nothing worth to judge vprightly in generall except also thou judge vprightly in particular The Iudges of the Land they will judge vprightly in generall but come to the particular to kinsfolkes friendes and alliances this man or that man with his bud O there there the judgement is peruerted Well is the Iudge that judgeth vprightly in particular for a Turke may judge vprightly in generall and woe is thee that judgest not vprightly in particular Now to come to the other part of the reason The Lord turneth Him to the poore woman and the more the Pharisie findeth fault with the Lord the more the Lord turneth Him toward her and saieth I say to thee Simon that this woman loueth mee more a thousand times than euer thou diddest If thou withholdest grace from a sinner then in despite of thy teeth the Lord will heape grace vpon him The assumption is this This woman loneth me exceedingly then the conclusion will follow in the owne roome Therefore this woman certainly hath all her sinnes forgiuē her Then He declareth the assumption by waye of comparison with the Pharisie Thou calledst me to dinner saith hee but this woman loued me better than thou doest I entered into thine house and thou gauest mee no water to my feat after the fashiō of the countrey but she hath washed my feet with teares looke if this be a token of loue then againe Thou gauest me no kisse after y e fashion of the countrey but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete Then Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint but shee hath anointed my feete with ointment therefore shee loueth me better than thou Nowe the Pharisie coulde not discerne of the penitent sinner but the Lord letteth him see that Hee can discerne betwixt an hypocrite a true penitent sinner there Hee hath payed him in his owne hand And the Lord letteth vs see that He taketh heede and shall take heede to the ende of the worlde to the least thing that thou doest for His cause to anie of His. Who wuld haue thought that the Lord woulde haue taken heede to this The Lord will take heede who giueth Him water to washe His feete which is but a sober office The LORD will take heede who will stoupe downe and giue Him a kisse and washe His feete with teares The LORD will take heede who will bestowe common oyle to anoint Him with or who will bestowe precious ointment on Him and in the Great daye when all secretes shall bee reuealed looke if Hee tooke heede what wee were doing in the worlde Matth. Chapter 25. verse 34 Hee will saye Thou gauest Mee nothing when I was heere in the worlde thou visitedst Mee not and hee will point out place time and all the circumstances vnto thee Then Brethren if the LORD taketh so good heede what wee doe vvell is the soule that giueth but a piece of bread to an hungrie bodie for CHRISTES sake or a coate to a naked bodie for His sake And therefore euer haue Him before thine eyes and saye LORD I giue this to Thee that Thou mayest not say to me when Thou commest to judge the worlde Thou gauest Mee nothing Nowe I heare there is a great pouertie and famine in this Land and woe vnto them that are the instrumentes of hunger Let vs bee so farre from this to bee the causes thereof that on the contrarie wee may pintch our selues that wee may spare vpon the needie for I see the LORD will trie our liberalitie Therefore let vs spare vpon the poore in this Land that wee maye heare of the LORD in that Great daye Come yee blessed of My Father for yee gaue Mee meate and yee gaue Mee drinke in this worlde And further wee see heere the tryall of an hypocrite Howe shalt thou knowe an hypocrite The LORD layeth downe the rule Yee shall knowe them by their fruites Matth. 7. 16. Yee shal know by their doings an hypocrit hath many fair words I doubt not but this Pharisie whē he inuited the Lord to dinner had many faire words but there shall be little doing at the least hee shall neuer doe anie thing heartily Where is this Pharisies humilitie Hee offereth not to wash the Lordes
at last will crowne all your good deedes with glorie The LORD make you to goe on from grace to grace and in all thinges direct you by His Spirite that yee may bee long happie in this life and for euer happie in the life to come Amen Edinburgh the 22. of Ianuarie Anno Dom. 1616. Yours in the Lord H. C. W. A. THE FIRST SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building giuen of GOD that is an house not made with handes but eternall in the Heauens verse 2 For therefore wee sigh desiring to bee clothed with our house which is from Heauen verse 3 Because that if we bee clothed wee shall not be found naked verse 4 For indeede we that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened because we would not be vnclothed but woulde bee clothed vpon that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life IN the Chapter immediatlie going before the Apostle Paul hath bene speaking of the afflictions that hee suffered in his owne person and hath declared that there was two things that helde him vp in those afflictions the one thing present the other thing to come The thing present the power of God the life of Iesus this held him vp in such sort saith hee that when he was dying vnder affliction in the bodie yet the life of Iesus was manifest in him he was liuing in soule and the more his bodie was decaying wearing away the more the inner-man that spirituall life that floweth from Christ grew and was renewed Woe to that man that dieth altogether thou must die and this bodie and life must bee separated the bodie must goe to dust but looke that soule and bodie goe not together looke that as thou findest the bodie and life naturall to decay so thou finde that spirituall life that floweth from the Lord of life to grow or else of necessitie thou must haue a woefull departure This is the thing present that helde him vp Another thing and greater which was not present but to come helde him vp vnder aâ—l the afflictions that were laide vpon him which hee vttereth in thâ—se words The momentanean lightnesse of affliction worketh vnto vs an euerlasting weight of glorie that passeth in excellencie These are the wordes of the Apostle wherein hee woulde learne vs that after all these afflictions are done and ended there abydeth a glorie after this life that passeth in infinite degrees aboue all the afflictions that euer came to man in this life Will yee looke to the nature of the afflictions First they are light that is one propertie then they last but for a moment that is another property the weight of them is light the time of their during is but a moment but the glorie marke euerie word of the Apostle the glorie saith he passeth in excellencie It is not onlie excellent but iâ— excelleth in excellencie excellent aboue excellencie an heape aboue an help mounting vp to an infinite heape Then looke to the weight thereof it is not light but it is heauie the afflictions were as light as a fether or as the winde in comparison of this glorie but the glorie is heauie and weightie a weight of glorie that passeth in excellencie this is the first propertie Then looke to the time the afflictions were but for a moment And if thou shouldest liue a thousand yeeres and bee afflicted as manie yeeres for all thy dayes and thy best dayes if thou shouldest liue neuer so well â—re but dayes of affliction all the thousand yeeres are but a moment in respect of that eternitie that followeth Then let your eye be euer vpon eternitie of joy or eternity of pain eternity either of torment or of rest Affliction is but for a moment this glorie that passeth in excellencie is eternall in time Loe how great things are spoken in few words A glorie passing in weight eternitie And when he hath tould you all that he can he hath not attained to the thousand part of the greatnesse of that glorie neuer man thought of it as it is nor it could neuer enter into the heart of man that excellent glorie that is prepared for them that loue God 1. Cor. 2. 9. When he hath set down these two points in y e end of the chap. preceeding he goeth forward aâ—d hee sheweth what he is doing in the meane time whilst he getteth this excellent glory Learne to doe as he is doing hee saith Mine eyes are not vpon the worlde my looke is not set vpon these visible things which meÌ„ haue so great pleasure into but mine eyes are lifted vp I am looking to thinges inuisible that the mortall eye of man cannot see because al these things visible are but temporall wil decay If it were a kingdom and thou begin to rest or repose vpoÌ„ it it will decay and thou shalt fall downe together with it and perish euerlastinglie But the things inuisible are eternal and he who leaneth reposeth thereon shall get eternitie Looke to the condition of those thinges whereupon thou reposest in this world for if they bee thinges heauenlie spirituall and eternall thou shalt be heauenlie spirituall and eternall And as euer thou wouldest wish to see that glorie looke that thine eye be set thereon in this earth looke that thine eye bee mounted vp aboue all these earthlie things that thou keepe the heauenly things in thy sight forget them not for if thou die and they bee out of thy sight thou shalt neuer see them Take pleâ—sure to looke to that excellent glorie and thou shalt obtaine it otherwise not Now I come to the text I shall let you see the disposition of the Apostle and what he esteemeth of this life present whereof we account so much and whereupon our hearts mindes are so set to keepe it All our terrour is for the parting of the soule from the body looke to Paul what he doth and behold his disposition either in life or death Brethren wee haue the more neede to take heede to these things because wee shall all be put to the proofe happie is hee that can bee prepared The Apostle hauing spoken this that his eye was set on that heauenlie glorie it might haue beene saide thou settest thine eye vpon a life aboue but take heed Paul thou shalt die in the meane time is not life and death two contraries thou must die and that bodie of thine must bee dissolued lookest thou euer to rise agine thinkest thou anie other thing but to be disappointed of life lookest thou that that bodie of thine beeing dissolued in dust shall rise againe to glorie This is a sore temptation and sundrie thinketh after this maner The Apostle answereth We know that if our earthlie house of this tabernacle be dissolued we haue a building giuen of God an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens Learne a lesson here Ye see while
thinke we can haue none Heauenly glory and joy except wee haue this earthly body there It is true indeede the soule cannot haue so great joye as if the soule and body were together but it is also true that the soule beeing separated hath greater joye in Heauen than the soule and body can haue together in this earth Otherwise howe woulde Paul haue desired to haue beene dissolued he hauing that confidence and earnest-penny of glory except he had desired that joye in the soule Alas wee are so senselesse that wee thinke joye cannot come except wee get it in our earthly body And this is one part of our miserie Now in the next verse in a parenthesis he casteth in the cause why hee is absent from GOD and a pilgrime heere and saieth For wee walke by faith and not by sight As if hee woulde saye All the sight which I haue of Him is afarre of looke how farre the Heauens are distant from the earth also as far is IESVS distaÌ„t from the eye of the faithful soule there is onely a farre sight of Him heere all the sight of Heauenly glory which wee haue here is like a more in respect of that sight we shall geâ— it is so farre from thee that it seemeth not to bee the thousand part of that fulnes that it is indeed Thou seest it now as it were a more but thou shalt once see it as a mountaine in great fulnesse So Paul saith I see my LORD but afarre of there is a great distance betwixt the eye of my soule and Him besides this farnes such a mist ariseth out of the stinking body of corruption betwixt my LORD and me like a cloude that it hideth my LORDS face from me So there are two impedimentes which hinder vs from the full sight of CHRIST the first is the farre distance of place betwixt Him me the second is the smoke mist of my corruptioÌ„ that goeth in betwixt me Him and taketh the sight of my LORD from me Find yee not this in your selues by experience In the beginning of an houre thou shalt haue a sight of Him and againe ere the halfe houre bee past the sight of Him is away let bee a day or halfe a day Then maruell not suppose Paule complaineth of this that he cannot see CHRIST in respect of the farnesse and smoke that commeth betwixt them Would to GOD wee had a sense of this Who is he that once groneth for this and saieth Alas I am a pilgrime it is a farre sight which I haue of my LORD O! if my soule were loosed from my bodie that I might bee with Him Who can saye this No wee are all sleeping and there is none eye lifted vp to CHRIST in this great misâ—rie Wilt thou alwayes crie peace in such a miserie at last thou shalt be pressed downe to Hell Yet to insist vpon this verse We walke saith he by faith and not by sight Yee see heere then the condition of a Christian is walking not sitting nor sleeping hee must be afoote This worde is euer in the Apostles mouth 1. Thessal â— 6. Colloss 4. 2. c. Euer walking a pilgrime must not sit downe Thou art a pilgrime vpon thy journey towardes another countrey thou must not sit downe for otherwise thou shalt neuer come to thy journeys ende The seconde thing which I marke heere This walking must not be in darknesse but it must bee in light Woe to him that walketh in darkenesse for if hee were neuer so well occupied hee shall die in darknesse hee that walketh in darkenesse he shall get Hell for Hâ—ll is darknesse so that walking must be in light The light is of two sorts they are both set downe in â—…hrse The first is the light and knowledge of â—â—â—â—â— The second the light of presence and sight The knowledge of Faith is but a glimmering in respect of the other light that is by sight wheÌ„ thou shalt see CHRIST in His presence is a wonderfull light when Hee shall looke to thee and thou to Him the beames of His glory shall so strike on thee and cause thee shine that thou shalt bee astonished There is no soule but assoone as it commeth in His presence it will bee astonished and maruell that euer there was such a light in CHRIST Faith hath but a small light but the light by presence is marueilous Hâ—e shall translate vs to a marueilou light 1. Pet. 2. 9. All the Angels wonder at the light which is about the Lambe and thy soule when it shall come into glory shall stand wondering at such a glory and thy body when it shall followe shall wonder and all shall bee wondering at such a passing glory These are the two sights Would GOD wee coulde take heede to get a glaunce of that Heauenly glory then all the pleasures of this earth would bee but vanitie dirt and pelffrie to vs. The Lord yet open our eyes to get a sight of this glory These are two lights and as there is two lights so there is two kindes of walking The one is in this life the other in Heauen in the life to come In this life wee haue a small glimmering without any Sunne a blincke of light enuironed about with darknesse Therefore because of the want of light there is such stumbling in our walking in this life but when we shall walke in the Heauens with that Hâ—auâ—ly light of GOD with the countenance of CHRIST before our eyes then no staggering neither to this side nor to that because of that light that is in the face of CHRIST euer shining in our eyes The darknesse yee see is vnpleasant but the light is pleasant It is a wonderfull thing that wee shall get leaue to walke in that inaccessible light of GOD wherein the Father and the Sonne doe walke Brethren thinke on these things for these are the chiefe points of all All earthly thinges euanish when the Sunne goeth downe and darknesse commeth Therefore set your eyes vpon that glory which neuer shall euanish nor decay as euer ye wold desire to reign there These dayes require this preparation Certainely preaching and hearing will euanish and preaching beeing taken away faith will faile and without faith how can meÌ„ attaine to glory Therefore to keepe in the glory of this light we should earnestly crie LORD GIVE VS THIS WORD For if it bee taken away wee shall bee worse than they of Sodome and Gomorrha Now the Apostle hauing shewed this he commeth backe againe and saith Neuerthelesse we haue confidence c. He that hath confidence he will rejoyce to speake of it it swelleth so in his heart that of necessity it must bee vttered and hee will say once twise thrise I haue confidence â—uâ— nowe with confidence hee joyneth another thing to wit his loue to die and to slit out of the bodie to reigne with CHRIST Loue to die is the companion of confidence Hee saieth I haue confidence but I loue rather
c. Hee was assured of GODS testimonie but hee trusted that the Corinthians also would beare him recorde that hee had traneiled truelie Hee saieth in your consciences It is to bee marked that he appealeth to their consciences not their mouthes but their consciences for the mouth of man will giue one testimonie but the conscience will giue another And when the conscience will bee saying the man hath spoken truelie and in sinceritie the mouth in the meane time will bee backebiting him and the conscience will say thou lyest mouth Speake therefore euer according to conscience for if thy conscience speak one thing and thy mouth another thou shalt bee challenged of a lye It is true indeede men knowe not the heart of man as when a Minister is speaking yee cannot judge of his heart the LORD judgeth it yet a faithfull and sincere man hee will vtter sometime the inwarde sinceritie of his heart in his wordes and deedes that all that seeth and heareth him will looke in therethorowe and see the inwarde sinceritie of the heart and giue an outward confession of it Now Brethren then in this example of Paule yee haue such a protestation as the faithfull Pastor shoulde make in the houre of his death and which should be his testament There is two things in his Ministerie the outwarde speaking and the inwarde sinceritie of the heart If hee would protest of his faithfulnesse looke that hee protest as PAVLE did First outwardly I haue vsed all diligence in discharging all the outward partes of my calling I haue kept nothing abacke and then inwardly As for my sinceritie First I take GOD to bee witnesse who knoweth and onely seeth mine heart with what sinceritie I haue spoken and then I take you to witnesse that haue beene conuersant with mee so farre as yee can knowe the inwarde sinceritie of mine heart by my liuing and outwarde actions Woulde to GOD wee coulde haue this sinceritie And I praye the LORD graunt mee this sinceritie and I beseech Him that as Hee hath beene with mee since the beginning of my Ministerie so Hee would neuer leaue mee vntill the time I finish my course with joye to His glorie and comfort of His CHVRCH through IESVS CHRIST our LORD To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST bee all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FOVRTH SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 12 For wee praise not our selues againe vnto you but giue you an occasion to rejoyce of vs that yee may haue to answere against them who rejoyce in the face and not in the heart verse 13 For whether wee bee out of our wit wee are it to GOD or whether wee bee in our right minde we are it vnto you verse 14 For that loue of CHRIST constraineth vs. verse 15 Because wee thus judge that if one bee dead for all then were all dead and Hee died for all that they that liue shoulde not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto Him who died for them and rose againe TO repeat shortlie that which we haue heard in this Chapter We hearde first of that assurance of glorie and life euerlasting which is the only remedy against death and the dissolution of this body Wee hearde secondly of the three warrandes of this assurance of life glorie The first the earnest desire which the heart had of that glorie and life The second Regeneration and renewing The thirde the Holie Spirite who is the worker of all grace in our heartes and who neuer leaueth vs but abideth in vs as an assured earnest-pennie of the full accomplishment of all that glorie promised to vs in the word of GOD. And yet for all this wee heard that the Apostle had not that contentation nor full satisfaction of his heart because he is yet a pilgrime liuing heere by confidence and hath not gotten the full presence of his LORD hee chooseth to leaue all the thinges in this life and therefore hee taketh resolution what hee will doe in life and death to the ende that when hee commeth to his LORD in the Heauens hee may bee welcome The thing hee resolueth to doe is this hee endeuoureth himselfe in his calling to be acceptable to Him in life and death and hee will consecrate all the actions and sufferinges of both to Him Beside that glory to come which moueth him to studie to bee acceptable to his LORD he setteth downe another motiue a terrible Tribunall which abideth him and all men and women who studie not to bee acceptable to the LORD The soule shall not so soone depart out of the bodie but it shall also as soone bee presented before that Tribunall and shall receiue that dolorous sentence if they haue not studied to bee acceptable to Him Therefore the Apostle concludeth Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORDm we trauell in our calling to preach Christ and to bring men to faith and that not for the fashion but in sinceritie of heart so that wee take God who seeth the heart to be witnesse to vs of our sinceritie And as to you Corinthians vpon whom we haue bestowed our labour wee appeale to your consciences and wee take you to be witnesse of that same sinceritie of our calling This is the summe of all which ye haue heard hitherto in this Chapter Now to come to this Text which we haue read In the first verse the Apostle hauing spoken of his sinceritie in preaching the Corinthians who had not that liking of him which they shoulde haue had might haue objected Well Paule yet vauntest thou of thy selfe thou hast once vaunted of thy selfe as appeareth in the second and third Chapters preceeding and yet art thou commending thy selfe He answereth no I commend not my selfe againe I vaunted not of my selfe before nor now neither but when I said We are made manifest to GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences in these words I giue you occasion to glorie of me and not so much for my cause as for the cause of false flattering Apostles who glorie in their outward doings without sinceritie of the heart the repressing of these mens vaine glorying is the cause of this my speaking This is the meaning of this verse Then this Text beeing plaine learne these lessons I marke first in the person of the Corinthians who objecteth this vaunting to the Apostle mistaking his words Scarse may a godly man speake a worde or two of the grace which the Lord hath giuen him and that not to his owne praise but to the praise of his God when he is mistaken by euill men who set thēselues to wryth euery word that is spoken And if euer there was an age in y e which this vice reigned I am assured experience proueth it none age may bee compared in that case to this age Yea a godly man can do nothing but incontinent he is mistaken he can speake nothing but he is misconstrued and especially
as y e Apostle saith Eph. 4. 30. neither in word or thought And therefore as thou wouldest keep Him not anger Him study to sanctificatiō sanctification shall bring on saluation for it is y e very means that shall make thee to see God look what th'Apostle saith Heb. 12. 14. Without sanctification no man shall see GOD. Now vpon all this discourse I marke shortly There were neuer two things so straitly joyned together as God man is there was neuer such kinred betwixt two things in y e world as is betwixt the God of glory and an earthly man thou wilt count thy kinred with this man and that man if thou be joyned with him in blood or alliance But I aske this question Is his spirite within thee is his soule within thee or is thy soule in him Indeede it is true the affection may goe out of thee to him but giuest thou him thy spirit with thy affection or giueth he thee his spirit with his affection knowest thou y e thought of his heart or knoweth he the thought of thine heart who will say it O! but God with His affection giueth thee His Spirit within thee that thou mayest know the thought of His heart and He of thine This is the conjunction that is betwixt God thee there is a narrow conjunction indeed betwixt y e members of that mysticall body for they are conjoyned together by y e Spirit of Christ by loue but no member putteth his spirit into another member there is y e other cōjunction betwixt the head and the members of the naturall bodie for the soule will as it were come downe and the spirit of the head to the members and they will vnderstand the thought of the head and the head will vnderstand the thought of the members but there was neuer such a conjunction betwixt the members the head as is betwixt God man and all conjunctions among men are but a pendicle of that which is betwixt GOD and man In this conjunction with thy GOD and with thine Head IESVS for thou art joyned with GOD in Him standeth thy felicitie and blessednesse To come to the next verse It might haue bene said to the Apostle Thou dedicatest all to the Spirit of God may not the spirite of man doe something in this purpose may not my spirit search in to God and discouer the deepnes that is in Him He answereth Noman can see the thinges that are in God but His owne Spirit Then hee declareth his answere by a comparison Euen as no man can see the thinges which are in man but by the spirit of a man so nothing can search the things which are in God but the Spirit of God Thou canst not see the things that are in me onlie I my selfe will see the thinges that are in me euen so no man can see the things that are in God but onlie His owne Spirit Nowe the Apostle heere hee meeteth the verie pride of the heart of man that hee will conciet of himself that he by his spirit will search the things that are in God Paule had this experience in the Corinthians who were but carnall they tooke vpon them to judge vpon his doctrine that was spirituall Hast thou but that spirite which is carnall albeit thou bee a Monarch thou art too bolde to take vpon thee to judge of thinges which are spirituall and spoken spirituallie This same is the pride of the Papists this daye There will come out a Thomist a Scotist who hath the spirit of a man onlie and a verie subtile or rather a Sophisticall spirit an humane Philosopher and hee will judge of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and turne it ouer into humane Philosophie They haue turned the Gospell of Iesus to Aristotle all their writings are but spiritlesse There is not so much as a smell of the Spirit of Iesus in them all But O that terrible judgement that abideth such Doctors as are prophane polluters of the Gospell of Iesus Christ There is none of vs all but if a man would stand vp and say to mee or to thee I knowe thine heart and what is in thine heart wee would be angrie at him Then will not that glorious God bee angrie at a prophane villane that will say hee will search in to that profunditie hauing only his owne spirit Brethren when I was younger than I am if I had seene one of great engine great capacitie great graces I thought immediately he would comprehend the whole Bible but I protest before God that the longer I liue I thinke euer the lesse of the wit of man I had rather haue y e least sponk of the Spirit of Christ nor all the engine knowledge of y e world No a silly body that hath y e Spirit of Iesus will conceiue more of spiritual things than all the high headed bodies in the worlde Therefore alwayes renounce thine owne wit and be a foole that thou mayest be wise Another thing I marke heere When hee hath magnified the Spirit and made Him the searcher of all the deepnesse of God see howe hee holdeth off him the proude conceites of men hee will not let thee touch him or his priuiledges that is to search the deepnesse of God Therefore if yee will speake of God to His honour He is inuiolable saue him from the proude conceites of men Hold proude men off God let them not touch Him or violate that inuiolable Majestie or else thou shalt be guiltie if Hee be violated by thy default Alas wherefore art thou set in this world but to preach His glorie and to keepe it inuiolate from the injuries of all flesh in the worlde Looke what he doeth next in the last verse when he hath as it were holden off GOD the proude conceites of men who woulde take vpon them to search in to the deepnesse of God what doeth he He draweth that Spirit to himselfe and saieth Nowe wee haue receiued not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God whereby hee learneth thee this lesson It auaileth thee not to magnifie to glorifie God and His Spirit except in the end thou take that Spirit to thy selfe and mayest challenge Christ and His Spirit as thine owne propertie Men haue spoken verie highlie of Christ and haue had little adoe with Him Speake thou not of Him so but as thou speakest of Him to His praise take Him to thy selfe otherwise in all thy speaking of Him thou art but a verie babler if thou haue not that Spirite within thee For the Apostle saith No man can call Iesus Lord except he haue the Spirit of Iesus 1. Cor. 12. 3. Therefore as thou wouldest saue thy selfe from prophaning of God and of His Spirit and of His graces when thou art praising and magnifying Him looke that thou haue the Spirite that thou mayest say to thy selfe This Spirit whom I praise is mine this God whom I haue bene magnifying and all His
take it vpon thee it will presse thee to euerlasting damnation Then there is the meane of our saluation The mercie of GOD. Next hee laieth out the partes of our saluation abroade one by one that yee may see what saluation meaneth hee saieth By the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost There is the first part It is a washing of vs when GOD putteth to His hand to saue vs. Yee knowe washing presupponeth foulenesse therefore it must follow when GOD beganne to saue vs we were vnclene full of byles and botches conceiued and borne in filthinesse and then warbling and wallowing in our owne sinne and filthinesse and euer the longer wee liue we are still the filthier It is a maruell that that Holy GOD should euer sustaine to looke to thy filthy byles or to put His holie and pure hand to thy vile botches or to sende downe His cleane Spirit to dwell in thine vncleane heart or that any wayes His purity should meddle with thine impurity Amongst all the argumentes of His loue this is one When Hee putteth to His fair baÌ„d to thee that art so foule Findest thou thy sinnes pardoned and thy selfe purged washed assure thy selfe thou art safe and GOD hath loued thee For except the loue of GOD had beene all the greater towardes thee Hee woulde neuer haue purged thee from thy sinnes It is a sure token of His loue towards thee that it is infinite exceeding that He hath not loathed thee and thy filthie byles botches I see heere two washings one outwarde another inwarde the first in these wordes The lauer of regeneration the next Therenewing of the Holie Spirite The first is our Baptisme the next the inward washing and renewing by the Holie Spirite represented by this outwarde Baptisme As the vvater vvasheth away the filth from the bodie so the Holie Spirite purgeth vvasheth the heart from sinne I vvill speake but thus farre shortly of Baptisme The outwarde vvashing in Baptisme is not to bee looked to lightlie the powring on of the vvater is but a base signe to looke to yet it is not a bare signe of the vvashing of the Holie Spirite but it is the instrument that God taketh in His hand vvhereby He applieth â—o vs the inwarde vvashing of the Holie Spirite Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4 hee ascribeth our regeneration to Baptisme Wee by Baptisme are buried vvith Christ risen vvith Christ and if this meane bee conâ—emned there shall bee no regeneration if a man lightlie this Baptisme I affirme there shall be no renewing inwardlie by the Holie Spirit and if he be not renewed hee shall neuer bee saued for vvithout regeneration no saluation Ye see 2. Kin. 5. 10 vvhat vvas injoyned to Naaman the Syrien vvhen hee sought cleansing the Prophet bad him goe to the Iordane and vvash him seuen times But hee thought vvith himselfe What is this Are not there faire Riuers at home at Damascus Yea hee would not goe till hee tooke better counsell but so soone as hee vvent and vvashed himselfe seuen times hee vvas cleansed Euen so it is in Baptisme if a man contemne the outward vvashing hee shall neuer be cleansed by the Spirit This same is also true of the Sacrament of the Supper Count not therefore little of the Sacraments because God hath promised to giue Himselfe vvith the Sacrament if it bee rightly receiued Now looke howe long our regeneration is in working in this life the force of Baptisme continueth as long thou must be continually renewed tiâ—l thy last breath therefore the force of Baptisme must continue vvith thee to thy last breath It is a vanitie to thinke that the force of Baptisme standeth in the ministration of the action onelie no it leaueth vs neuer after wee haue once receiued it till vve be placed vvith Iesus Christ Haue thine eye still vpon Baptisme for it is a meane vvhereby the Lord vvill saue thee Further Brethren hee beginneth heere at regeneration Yee may see then the necessitie of regeneration Wouldest thou be safe looke that there bee a newe birth looke that thou bee borne ouer againe as Christ said to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Verilie I say vnto you except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. If thou bee not a new creature thou art not in CHRIST but without CHRIST and without IESVS CHRIST there is no saluation Yee see men woulde beguile themselues if they shoulde saye when yee aske of them Whether they will goe to Heauen or not They will answere Wee will goe to Heauen and yet in the meane time they will holde on the olde man and will neuer change their maners but that vaine opinion wil deceiue them 2. Corin. 6. 9. Bee not beguiled for no â—ornicaters adulterers murtherers drunkardes c. shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen If thou holde on the olde man thou shalt neuer bee safe IESVS CHRIST must beget thee a newe againe or els thou shalt neuer enter within the gates of Heauen Now when hee hath spoken of this inward and outward washing hee insisteth in this point concerning the Spirit and declareth from whom this Spirit commeth which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour We haue Him not our selues He that washeth vs is He that powreth on the precious lauer of the Spirit vvherby vve are vvashen Then the Spirit is from GOD. Is that Spirit from the Father immediately No He powreth Him in through IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour so immediatly this Spirit commeth from IESVS CHRIST but mediately from GOD as the Fountaine Hee commeth from the Father to the Sonne from the Sonne to vs. Iohn 15. 26. The cause of this order is this Hee is our Sauiour and hath bought vs vvith a deare price the Spirite is bought to vs by the blood of IESVS CHRIST His blood hath bought all which vve receiue and get by Him so He giueth His holy Spirit vvith all His graces by the hand of IESVS CHRIST the man Then if ye would haue the Spirit dresse your selues to that treasure in HeaueÌ„ and beseech God that He would vouchsafe to send that Spirit vpon you through IESVS CHRIST and giue you His grace by the hand of the man CHRIST Yet to open vp the vvordes more narrowly Which Hee powreth out c. He speaketh of the Spirit as it were of vvater the Spirite heere is compared to vvater because of the vvashing for as the one vvasheth the filth of the body so the other vvasheth the filth of the soule Hee is not content to say Hee powreth out the Spirit simply but hee saith aboundantly in a great measure as a flood in aboundance This teacheth two things to vs first the liberality of GOD Hee giueth not grace niggardly as men but vvhatsoeuer vvee gette it is in aboundance His loue is rich His mercy is rich the Spirit vvhich He giueth vnto vs is rich so Hee is liberall vnto vs. Then it followeth of this also that vve
verse lastly from the seuenth verse to the ende he recommendeth this duetie to Israel that is to the Church of GOD to waite vpon the LORD and with the recommendation hee giueth in forceable reasons to mooue them To come to the first part first hee saith that in his greatest danger hee cryed to the Lord IEHOVAH Next hee setteth downe the prayer To come to the proposition he saith Out of the deepe yet more Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O IEHOVAH By these deepe places hee vnderstandeth great miseries great dangers wherein his body was great terror and feare in his conscience for his sinne offerding of God for the Scripture as ye may see Psal 69. 2. 3 compareth great afflictions to deepe waters wherein a man is like to drowne and manie a time when the body is in danger the soule will bee like to drowne in desperation No doubt the greatnesse of the danger made him to vtter to the Lord voyces coÌ„ming from the very deapth of the heart If we felt our selues in great daÌ„ger we wold call from the deapth of our hearts to God he vttered not a voyce onely but a lowde voyce with a crie This is the meaning of the words We so here first that the children of God whom God loueth most intirely are many times subject to great and extreame dangers and troubles and if euer thou thinkest to come to Heauen make thee in thine owne course to suffer one trouble or other Let no man thersore judge euill of a man because he suffereth Next we see the greater the danger bee the heauier y e distresse the afflictioÌ„ wherwith y e godlie is exercised bee the more vehement feruent earnest will their prayer be they haue to God and howe commeth this to passe Euen in this maner by these degrees OppressioÌ„ afflictioÌ„ worketh in the hearts of the faithfull a sense of y e common misery of nature WheÌ„ the hand of y e Lord is vpon afaithful man then he begins to feele his sinne corruption And except the LORD exercise vs in this life either one way or other the best of vs all will fall into such a sound sleepe that we will neither remember what we haue bene what wee are nor what wee shall bee neither acknowledge our selues to be sinners So there is a necessity of afflictions for affliction bringeth vs to a feeling of our misery Next when through affliction the heart is prepared and brought to some sense of sin then it is capable of grace theÌ„ it prayeth to God Look neuer to come to Heauen if thou feelest not thy finne yea and that thou art a miserable sinner Then if once thine heart bee prepared with some sense of sinne and miserie then commeth in that holy Spirit of Iesus Christ which in y e Scripture is called the Spirit of adoption who finding y e heart dejected and made lowlie the Spirite will nerer looke in to a proude heart beginneth to worke to touch the heart of the miserable sinner with a sweet sense of mercie through Iesus hee beginneth to shedde abroade the loue of Christ into the soule and when once the heart hath tasted of the sweetnesse of mercie and as Peter saieth hath tasted how sweet and gracious the Lord is and findeth this passing loue of God in Iesus Christ then iâ—…eth a boldnesse and beginneth with confidence peartnesse to present itselfe before God and to put vp prayers and requestes Roman 8. 26. When once that Spirite hath giuen libertie then we crie with an open mouth for the heart is wide opened Abba Father Roman 8. 15. Because wee haue gotten a sense of that fatherlie loue in Iesus Christ The prayer of the faithfull is most effectuall when they are in greatest danger and then the voyce is lowdest for it is the Spirit of GOD who maketh intercession for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed but God knoweth the meaning of his Spirit Now Brethren surely few of vs haue yet beene in this deepnesse and extreamitie of miserie the Lord hath not yet so pressed vs with His hand as Hee hath done many others and therefore â—eâ—â— there is amongst vs who hath this feeling of sinne and miserie and consequently few of vs can pray so earnestly Howe many are there amongst you that dare say that yee feele sensibly the common miserie of nature Goe to your hearts and looke if yee feele it not sleeping in sinne and so long as thou sleepest thus and knowest not thy miserie howe wilt thou bee carefull to feele the loue of Christ and how wilt thou earnestly pray to God And certainly I take this coldnesse in prayer to be a fore-runner of a judgement to ouer-take this Land No it were better to bee swimming in the waters of affliction praying earnestly to GOD than to bee this way lying in prosperitie without prayer Nowe I goe forward After hee hath proponed that out of the deepnesse hee cryed to IEHOVAH then to let vs see his cryes hee setteth downe the forme of prayer that hee vsed in his great miseries first he saieth O Lord heare my voyce Next in the other wordes hee doubleth ouer the same petition Attende to the voyce of my prayers for hee prayeth not coldly but hee cryeth earnestly certainly the doubling of the crie would be opened vp from the ground Wee should gripe downe to the heart from whence the prayers of the godlie do flow that when we heare them or reade them we may get such an heart disposition in prayer as they had The doubling of the prayer and the mouth wide opening commeth of the doubling of the graces of the Spirite of GOD in the heart and of a double opening of the heart for except the heart be opened in prayer the mouth cannot be opened with pleasure otherwise if thou speake anie thing I will not giue one pennie for it So the opening of the mouth commeth from the opening of the heart When the Holy Spirit so sweetly maketh manifest the loue of God to the creature then y e tongue is loosed the second cry coÌ„meth of the second grace of y e second opening of the heart so oft as thou cryest so oft is there a new grace motion within the heart wrought by the Holy Spirite for it is Hee onely that openeth the mouth piece and piece to speake to God for take this for a certainty that Paul saith There is none that can call Iesus Lord without that Spirit come in 1. Corin. 12. 3. And againe hee saith We knowe not what wee should pray or how wee ought to pray without that Spirit teach vs Romanes chap. 8. verse 26. And if Hee teach not no man or woman is able once to open the mouth with confidence and liberty to pray And so Brethren if yee would speake well pray well or doe well looke euer to the disposition of the heart and night and daye pray for that
shalt still be the worse So this testifieth that the object of our faith is the surpassing mercy of God Then if thou wouldest search y e nature of God and search Him a thousand yeeres thou shalt neuer come to the ground of His deepnesse search out especially His loue mercy a man may faile vanish away in curiosity searching y e deepenesse of God but in searching out His mercy thou shalt neuer erre it shall be with a joy cōsolation of the heart Paul prayeth for the Ephesians chap. 3 vers 18. that they might attaine to that infinite deepnesse breadth length height in God for God is infinitly deepe in all things but wherefore is it that he prayeth Euen that they searching in God should search that infinit profoundity of the loue of God Surely if wee would know that profoundity of God search in to His nature thē let vs search alwayes in to that loue mercy of God in IESVS Christ And this searching hath euer a grouth and increase in faith till wee get a sight of Him euerlastingly To go forward He is not cōtent to say with Him is gentlenes but he subjoynes with Him is great redemption the words grow in highnesse these words comprehēd set out a greater mercy in God than the former now y e mercy of God in Iesus Christ is not all told in a word alas for want of feeling we speake slenderly lightly of it no in very deed all the words and the greatest words in the world of the most holy most wise most eloquent men is not able to set out point out that infinit greatnesse deepnes of it and he she that once haue tasted of mercy scarcely can they find words to expresse the thousand part of it whē they haue gotten a little taste apprehension of it they are not able to get words to expresse that apprehension of the heart Paul commonly calleth it the riches of mercy God who is rich in mercy according to His infinit great loue c. Ephes 2. 4. Paul Dauid the rest of them cānot get words to expresse that apprehension of mercy that they haue in their heartes No there is no creature that is capable of that infinite mercy for the worke that y e Spirite of Iesus Christ doeth worke in the heart whether it be a sense of dolour or a sense of joy the tongue of no creature can tell or expresse Paul calleth it sighes inexpressible Peter calleth it joy vnspeakeable So y e heart cannot expresse the greatnesse of the worke of the Spirit Men will thinke them hyperbolicall words but that is a token that they haue not tasted that joy and mercy in their owne hearts Now in the last words he commeth neare hand makes a particular promise of His mercy to His Church He will redeeme Israel His Church from all her iniquity as hee would say I haue told you He is mercifull full of redemption but I come nearer hand Thou shalt finde in experience that Hee is mercifull full of redemptiō So it is not enough to the Preachers of y e word to preach Gods mercy and redemption generally to the world no they must come nearer hand in promising they must make to the hearts of the people a particular application and say not only God is mercifull but He will be mercifull vnto you and He is full of redemption and He shall redeeme you and so say I I haue not beene speaking of mercy and redemption that appertaineth not to vs but the Lord shal be mercifull and redeeme you if ye belieue in Iesus Christ for there is no grace but in Him If this particular application be not made the cōscience of sinne is so great that the sinner dare not put foorth his hand to receiue mercy Now to whom pertaineth mercy and redemption He saith Hee shall redeeme Israel that is the Church militant The Church is militāt in this world but redemption pertaineth to it in the ende But where from shall the Lord redeeme y e Church Not from persecution and tribulation in this worlde but from all her sinnes So this presupponeth first That the Church is full of sin so long as it is in this world This is but a vaine dreame to imagine that there shall bee a Church or any member of the same in this worlde without spot away with that vanitie So next the redemption of the Church standeth nor so much in freeing it from persecution or tribulation although she shall be redeemed from all these things also as from redeeming her from sin the chiese redemption shall be from sin for why the greatest enemy of the Church is her own sins it is her own sins that is the cause of all her persecution and it is sin that the Lord mortifieth and slayeth by persecution and tribulation for if there were no sin there would not bee such a thing as a persecuter or a tyrant against her and the greatest burthen that y e godly feele is alwayes their owne sins they were neuer vnder so great perfecution no crosse no trouble comparable to the burthen of sin Paul saith Rom. 7. 24 Miserable man who shall deliuer me Where from Not from persecution albeit he was subject to as great persecution as anie man but from this body of sin because hee could not get that obedience to God that hee would haue had And wherfore died Christ Was it to redeeme vs from persecution or crosses in this world No the Lord died that Hee might redeeme vs from sin with His precious blood And Paul to y e Corin maketh mention of that triumph that the Church shall haue when the Lord Iesus shall come O death where is thy sting Then she shall glory that she is redeemed from sinne and from offending of GOD. And that shall be our chiefe felicity in that life to come that our hearts thoughtes shall be free of all sinne we shall offend God no more but al shall be full of obedience to Iesus Christ and then shall we be fully sanctified and glorified when wee get that blessed presence of the Lord Iesus which wee long for To whome bee praise and glory for euer Amen THE XIIII SERMON MATTH CHAP. XV. verse 21 And Iesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyrus and Sidon verse 22 And beholde a woman a Canaanite came out of the same coastes and cryed saying vnto him Haue inercie on mee O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a deuill verse 23 But he answered her not a word Then came to him his disciples and besought him saying Sende her away for she cryeth after vs. verse 24 But he answered and said I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel verse 25 Yet shee came and worshipped him saying LORD helpe mee verse 26 And hee answered and saide It is not good to take
and all teares shal be wiped away from our eyes Now for Christes sake put away vanitie and wantonnesse and let euery one of vs take vp a new course of life that we may mourne and weep vnfainedly for our sinnes for we haue all neede that in stead of this worldly joy wee may get that solide vnspeakeable joy that ariseth out of sadnesse otherwise we only enjoy the name of Christians but as the disposition of the heart which is required in a Christian it is farre from vs. Yet marke further His conscience is not onelie wakened with the sense of sinne hee is not onelie touched with a true sorrow for it but also he maketh a cleare plaine confession of it Then mark it Before thou gettest mercy in Christ thou must first of necessity acknowledge confesse thy sin for confession of sinne must of necessity go before mercy Dauid found this by experience for so long as he held his tongue and would not confesse his sinne he could find nothing but the wrath heauie hand of God against him My bones saieth hee were consumed I roared all the day c but assoone as hee taketh this resolution with himselfe I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord then hee found the Lord to shew mercy on him and to forgiue him y e punishment of his sin Psal 32. 3. 4. 5. And to what purpose shoulde any man couâ—r his sinnes from God whose all-seeing eyes pierce into the braines and moste secrete corners of the heart and to whom all things are open patent and who knoweth euery mans sinnes better than he can doe himselfe Why shouldest thou then dissemble with Him why shouldest thou not make a plaine open confession of thy sinnes vnto Him that thou mayest get mercy Another thing would be marked Hee is not content to confesse his sin but he saith I am the chiefe of sinners Hee saieth not simply I am a sinner but the chiefest sinner the first sinner in the world Brethren if we had a sense of our sin euen the least sinner of vs would thinke he were the greatest hee would not goe about to excuse his sinne hee woulde not cloake it as Cam did hee would not extenuate it much lesse would hee haue a proude conceit of himselfe and of his own righteousnesse he would not enter in as that proude Pharisee did Luke 18. 10 who helde vp his head and saide I am not as other men extortioners vnjust adulterers or euen as this Publicane The poore Publicane was in y e meane time hinging down his head but hee was a greater sinner But if thou enter into comparison with others and haue a sense of thy sin thou wilt thinke with thy selfe There is not so great a sinner in the world as I am thou wilt say with Paul I am the first and chiefest of sinners Now when he hath applied the generall sentence to himselfe and shewed that the Lord had giuen him mercy and saluation He setteth downe next the end of this grace But herefore saieth hee he had mercy on me that he might first shew on me al long suffering there is an end another end is that I should be an example to others in the world Nowe Brethren when God sheweth mercy on any man it is not for nothing it is not without great manifest causes for He will not cast grace lightly away Indeed He will giue these temporall benefits to the wicked because He esteemeth not so much of them Hee will throwe a lordship an earledome yea a kingdome to a reprobate but as for one spunke of y â— spirituall grace of Iesus Christ He will know well to whom He giueth it He will take good heed to whom Hee giueth one drop of that precious blood of Iesus Christ and Hee will loue them exceedingly Thinke yee not that hee would loue a leprous man well that would washe him with his owne blood The preciousest liquor that euer was in the world is the blood of the Lord Iesus yea such is the worthinesse preciousnesse thereof that all the worlde will not buy one drop of it Shall we not thinke then that He loueth that man well whome Hee washeth with His blood Shall we not thinke that He beareth an vnspeakeable loue to that man whom He washeth with His Holy Spirit Marke it Brethren Mercy commeth by chance to no man it is vsually said Kingdomes come of hap but it is not so with mercy and the grace of Iesus Christ none gets it but these whose names are writteÌ„ vp in the booke of life none are called to the participation of one spunke of that sauing grace but they who were predestinated from all eternity And therefore if thou hast gotten one spunke of grace count with thy selfe that thou wast predestinated from all eternity to euerlasting life and count with thy selfe that thou hast gotten a more excellent and precious thing than if thou hadst gotten all the world Now as He will not lightly giue grace so He giueth it not for the person himself alone who receiueth the grace but Hee will haue a consequence following vpon the giuing of that grace and mercy first He will haue the glory of that grace and mercy to Himselfe and what more Hee will set him on whome Hee hath vouchsased that grace and mercy to be a spectacle and example of His mercy before the worlde To speake of the first ende That he should show on mee al clemency that is that shewing such mercy on me who was the greatest sinner Hee might manifest and declare the exceeding greatnesse of His mercie to the world Brethren the thing that God looketh to in His workes is that Hee might bee glorified in His essentiall properties but aboue all the rest of His properties Hee will bee glorified in His mercy He will bee glorified in His power in His wisedome in his justice Sodome and Gomorrha was a spectacle to sinners of His justice to terrifie sinners to the ende of the worlde But aboue all Hee seeketh to bee glorified in His owne mercy Aboue all things the Lord will haue His loue and mercy to shine in the worlde Hee will haue the creature to glorifie Him in His mercy What is the cause that Hee sent Christ into the worlde That in Christ His mercy might shine in the world What is the cause of this preaching of the Euangell Why is it sent That His mercy might shine in the worlde And all the Pastors should teach and proclaime this mercie of God and not speake of judgement but when men regardeth not His mercy Looke what the LORD will doe that His mercy should shine in the world Hee will take blasphemous persons persecuters oppressors such as Paul was and Hee will shewe mercy vpon them Hee will make them to be spectacles of His mercy in the sight of the world that all the worlde shoulde stand wondering that the Lord sheweth mercy vpon them And there is not one of them who are justified by Christ but they are spectacles of the mercy of God set before the world to make the world to wonder at his mercy that so wee may learne to knowe and deepely to consider the mercy of GOD not onely by His worde but also by His workes and examples of them that haue obtained mercy Now to come to the second ende hee saieth Unto the example of them that shall in time to come beleeue in him Then Paul getteth mercy not for himselfe onely but also for other sinners who seeing this mercy shewed vpon him might reason with themselues and say Yonder blasphemer yonder persecuter yonder oppressor hath gotten mercy and may not I likewise bee assured to get mercy Therefore when thou seest that the Lord is merciful to any man say with thy selfe It is not for nothing that the Lord hath giuen this man mercy but it is for my cause that I may by his example be stirred vp to seeke mercy therefore I will goe and get mercy at his handes But alas such is our security and senselesnesse that howbeit the Lord be continually calling vpon vs and offering mercy vnto vs by His worde and likewise by euer setting foorth before vs godlie men and women that of vnholy creatures are made holy creatures to be spectacles of His mercie that by them wee should take example yet all these meanes that God vseth to testifie His mercy vnto vs mooueth vs not to consider and take vp His mercy But blessed is that soule that can learn by anie of these meanes to take vp the mercie of GOD and to seeke for it for mercie is the preciousest jewell that euer was Therefore when thou findest not assurance of mercy then be sorie for it and striue earnestly to obtaine it for there is no surer token that the Lord is to shew mercie to anie soule than vvhen vpon the sight and feeling of the vvant thereof the soule is grieued and striueth and endeuoureth more and more to obtaine a more full assurance thereof And therefore vvhen I consider howe men in this Land are sleeping in sinne vvithout anie remorse of conscience and are so carelesse to seeke to haue assurance of mercie I am afraide that the LORD is about to vvith-draw mercie from this Nation The LORD auert His vvrath and be mercifull vnto this sinfull Nation for CHRISTES sake To vvhom vvith the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory vvorlde vvithout end AMEN FINIS