punienter Not innovations secondly It is that which Job findes out as one of the hainousest sins of his time Some remove the Land-marks a thing which God hath given strict charge against Deut. 19.4 and we from Moses fetcht it into our Lenten Curses Cursed be he that removeth his neighbours Land-marks Deut. 27.17 even in this case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a sure rule The old way saith the Prophet is the good way every novelty carries suspicion in the face of it It was a good question of the Church in the Canticles why should I be as one that turneth aside to the Flocks of the companions The wisdom of great States-men have still taken it for a just principle that of Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have heard of Land-marks but ye see how it is with Sea-marks if they should be changed it is the wrack of every vessell either Rocks would dash them or shelves swallow them And as innovations do not well in way of change so not in way of addition that which Tertullian said of faces I may say of main truths A diabolo sunt additamenta and if Terpander do but add but one string more to his harp the instrument is broke and he censured In regard of both if it be the great and glorious stile of God that in him is no shadow by changing surely those well setled Churches and States come nearest to his perfection that alter least And if with Lipsius we shall say Quid si in melius I must answer that in every change there is a kind of hazard it is a wise word therefore of our Hooker that a tolerable sore is better then a dangerous Remedy The second Remedy must be a discreet moderation in the pursuance of our apprehended right How many good matters have been marr'd with ill handling The debter did owe to the rigorous steward an hundred pence no doubt the dept was due he might justly claim it but to lay hands on the man and to offer to pluck it out of his debters throat this is justly taxed for a foul cruelty Many an honest Corinthian was injured by his wrangling neighbour and had justissimam causam litigandi yet for Christians to go to law before infidels this the Apostle taxes for a sinfull peece of Justice why rather suffer ye not wrong saith the Apostle This is durus serms saies some brangling parishioner that fetches up his poor Minister every Term for trifles yet in St. Paules judgment a sleight injury is better them a scandalous quarrell The third is a meek complying with each other relenting so far as we may with all possible safety on either part if the difference be between unequalls charitable and mercifull on the superiours part humble and submiss on the inferiours Abraham and Lot fall upon a difference Abraham is the better man he is the Uncle Lot but the Nephew yet Abraham seeks the peace and follows it with him whom one would think he might have commanded Good David had done his Master and Father in Law no wrong unless it were tu pugnas ego vapulo and yet after good demonstration of his loyalty how humbly doth he beg a reconcilement at the hands of Saul Wherefore doth my Lord the King pursue after his servant Now therefore let my Lord the King hear the words of his Servant If the Lord have stirred thee up against me Let him accept an offering Harsh contestations never did good The ball rebounds from the floor to the face of him that throwes it whereas a look of wooll falls without noise and lies still Those that would take birds imitate their language do not scare them with shouting Bitter oppositions may set off but cannot win either an hollow friend or a known Enemy The fourth and last must be a charitable construction of each others acts and intentions There is nothing in the World which may not be taken with either hand whether the right hand of favour or the left of malice We see the Son of God himself in whom the Prince of this World could find nothing yet was exposed to mis-construction Doth he dispossesse Divels it is by Magick by Beelzebub the Prince of Divels Doth he frame himself other then his fore-runner to a sweetly-sociable conversation with men for their conversion Behold a glutton a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Mat. 11.19 Doth his chosen vessel St. Paul desire to comply with the Jews in purifying himself with the Votaries in the Temple Act. 21.28 he is cryed out on for an enemy to the law for a profaner of the holy place away with him he is not worthy to live Good Lord what uncharitable censure are men apt to passe upon each other let a man be strict and austere in moral and divine duties though never so peaceable he is a Puritan and every Puritan is an Hyppocrite Let him be more free and give more scope to his conversation though never so conscionable he is a Libertine let him make scruple but of any innovated forme he is a Schismatick let him stand for the antiently received rites and government he is a time-serving Formalist This is a Diotrephes that an Aerius this a scorner that a flatterrer In the mean time who can escape free Surely I that taxe both shall be sure to be censured of both shall be yes am to purpose and therein I joy yea and will joy What a neuter saies one what on both sides sayes another This is that I look't for yes truly brethren ye have hit it right I am and professe to be as the termes stand on neither and yet of both parts I am for the peace of both for the humour of neither how should the morter or cement joyn the stones together if it did not lie between both And I would to God not you only that hear me this day but all our brethren of this Land were alike-minded we should not have such libellous presses such unquiet pulpits such distracted bosomes for the truth is there is no reason we should be thus disjâ—ined or thus mutually branded This man is right ye say that man is not right this sound that rotten And how so dear Christians What for ceremonies and circumstances for rochets or rounds or squares let me tell you he is right that hath a right heart to his God what formes soever he is for The Kingdome of God doth not stand in Meats and Drinks in Stuffes or Colours or fashions in Noyses or Gestures it stands in Holinesse and Righteousnesse in Godlinesse and Charity in Peace and Obedience and if we have happily attained unto these God doth not stand upon nifles and niceties of indifferencies and why should we Away then with all false jelousies and uncharitable glosses of each others actions and estates Let us all in the fear of God be intreated in the bowels of our dear Redeemer as we our Selves our Land our Church the Gospell to combine our counsells
in hand without which there can be no firm peace no constant and solid comfort to the Soul of Man Three things then call us to the indeavor of this assurance our duty our advantage our danger We must do it out of duty because our God bids us Gods commands like the Prerogatives of Princes must not be too strictly scanned should he require ought that might be losse-full or prejudiciall to us our blindfold obedience must undertake it with cherefulnesse how much more then when he calls for that from us then which nothing can be imagined of more or equall behoof to the Soul It is enough therefore that God by his Apostle commands us to Give diligence to make our calling and election sure Our Heavenly Father bids us what sons are we if we obey him not Our blessed Master bids us what Servants are we if we set not our selves to observe his charge our glorious and immortall King bids us what subjects are we if we stick at his injunction out of mere duty therefore we must indeavour to make our calling and election sure Even where we owe no duty oftentimes advantage drawes us on yea many times across those duties which we owe to God and Man how much more where our duty is seconded with such an advantage as is not parallelable in all the World beside What lesse what other followes upon this assurance truly attained but peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost in one word the begining of Heaven in the soul What a contentment doth the heart of Man find in the securing of any whatsoever good what a coyle do mony-Masters keep for security of the summes they put forth and when that is taken to their mind are ready to say with the rich Man in the Gospel Soul take thy ease Great venturers at Sea how willingly do they part with no small part of their hoped gain to be assured of the rest How well was Ezekiah appaid when he was assured but of fifteene years added to his life How doth Babylon applaud her own happiness to her self when she can say I sit as a Queen I shall not be a widdow I shall know no sorrow It must needs follow therefore that in the best things assured there must be the greatest of all possible contentments And surely if the heart have once attained to this that upon good grounds it can resolve God is my Father Christ Jesus is my Elder Brother the Angels are my Guardians Heaven is my undoubted patrimony how must it needs be lift up and filled with a joy unspeakable and glorious What bold defiances can it bid to all the troupes of worldly evils to all the powers of Hell with what unconceiveable sweetness must it needs injoy God and it self how comfortably and resolutely must it needs welcome death with that triumphant champion of Christ I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith and now from henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. 2. Tim. 4.7 8. Out of the just advantage therefore of this assurance we must endeavour to make our calling and election sure Neither is the advantage more in the performance hereof then there is danger in the neglect In all uncertainties there is a kinde of afflictive fear and troublesome mis-doubt Let a man walk in the dark because he cannot be confident where safely to set his steps he is troubled with a continual suspicion of a suddain mis-cariage and therefore goes in pain what can there be but discomfort in that soul which knowes not in what termes it stands with God Yet whiles there is life there may be hope of better But if that soul be surprised with an unexpected death and hurried away with some suddain judgment in this state of irresolution in how deplored a condition is it beyond all expression I cannot but therefore lament the woful plight of those poor souls that live die under the Roman discipline who when they have most need of comfort in the very act of their dissolution are left pitifully disconsolate and given up by their teachers to either horror or suspence Even the most Saint-like of them except his soul fly up in Martyrdom like Gedeons Angel in the Smoke of his incense may not make account of a speedy ascent to heaven insomuch as Cardinal Bellarmine himself of whom our Coffin dares write that his life was not stayned with mortal sin pag. 27. He that could call heaven Casamia and whose canonization the Cardinals thought fit to be talked of in his sickness when Cardinal Aldobrandino desired him that when he came to heaven he would pray for him answered To go to heaven so soon is a matter too great for me men do not use to come thither in such hast and for me I shall think it no small favour to be sure of purgatory and there to remain a good while pag. 42. which yet himself can say differs not much for the time in respect of the extremity of it from hell it self and to be a good while there O terror past all reach of our thoughts And if the righteous be thus saved where shall the sinners appear For ought they can or may know hell may but purgatory must be their portion heaven may not be thought of without too high presumption Certainly if many despair under those uncomfortable hands I wonder that no more since they are bidden to doubt and beaten off from any possibility of the confidence of rest and happinesse But whiles I urge this danger of utter discomfort in our irresolution I hear our adversaries talke of a double danger of the contrary certitude A danger of pride and a danger of sloth The supposed certainty of our graces breeds pride saith their Cardinal The assurance of our election sloth saith their Alphonsus a Castro out of Gregory And indeed if this cordial doctrine be not well given well taken well digested it may through our pravity and heedlesness turne to both these noxious humors as the highest feeding soonest causeth a dangerous Plethory in the body How have we heard some bold ungrounded Christians brag of their assurance of glory as if they had carried the keyes of heaven at their Girdle How have we seen even sensual men flatter themselves with a confident opinion of their undoubted safety unfailable right to happiness How have we known presumptuous Spirits that have thought themselves carried with a plerophory of faith when their sailes have been swelled only with the winde of their own self-love how many ignorant soules from the mis-prision of Gods infallible election have argued the needlessnesse of their indeavours and the safety of their ease and neg-lect As ye love your selves sail warily betwixt these rocks and sands on either side But if these mischiefs follow upon the abuse of a sound and wholsome doctrine God forbid they should be imputed to the truth it self as if that God who
remainder of her life was ready to magnifie the mercy of her God in so sensible a deliverance what with the tryal of both these Hands of God so had she profited in the School of Christ that it was hard for any friend to come from her Discourse no whit holier how often have I blessed the memory of those divine passages of experimental Divinity which I have heard from her mouth what day did she pass without a large task of private devotion whence she would still come forth with a Countenance of undissembled mortification Never any lips have read to me such feeling Lectures of piety neither have I known any Soul that more accurately practised them then her own Temptations Desertions and Spiritual Comforts were her usual Theme Shortly for I can hardly take off my Pen from so exemplary a subject her Life and Death were Saint-like My Parents had from mine Infancy devoted me to this sacred Calling whereto by the blessing of God I have seasonably attained for this cause I was trained up in the publick School of the place After I had spent some years not altogether indiligently under the Ferule of such Masters as the place afforded and had neer attained to some competent ripeness for the University my School-master being a great Admirer of one Mr. Pelset who was then lately come from Cambridge to be the publick preacher of Leicester a man very eminent in those times for the same of his Learning but especially for his sacred Oratory perswaded my Father that if I might have my Education under so excellent and compleat a Divine it might be both a nearer and easier way to his purposed end then by an Academical Institution The motion sounded well in my fathers ears and carried fair probabilities neither was it other then fore-compacted betwixt my School-Master and Mr. Pelset so as on both sides it was entertained with great forwardness The Gentleman upon essay taken of my fitness for the use of his studies undertakes within one seven years to send me forth no lesse furnished with Arts Languages and grounds of Theoricall Divinity then the carefullest Tutor in the stricktest Colledge of either University VVhich that he might assuredly performe to prevent the danger of any mutable thoughts in my Parents or my self he desired mutuall bonds to be drawn betwixt us The great charge of my Father whom it pleased God to bless with twelve children made him the more apt to yield to so likely a project for a younger son There and now were all the hopes of my future life upon blasting the Indentures were preparing the time was set my suites were addressed for the journey VVhat was the issue O God thy Providence made and found it Thou knowest how sincerely Anno Aetatis 15 o. and heartily in those my young years I did cast my self upon thy hands with what faithfull resolution I did in this particular occasion resign my self over to thy Disposition earnestly begging of thee in my fervent Prayers to order all things to the best and confidently waiting upon thy VVill for the event Certainly never did I in all my life more clearly roll my self upon the Divine Providence then I did in this business and it succeeded accordingly It fell out at this time that my elder brother having some occasions to journey unto Cambridge was kindly entertained there by Mr. Nath. Gilby Fellow of Emanuel Colledge who for that he was born in the same Town with me and had conceived some good opinion of my aptness to Learning inquired diligently concerning me and hearing of the Diversion of my Fathers purposes from the University importunately diswaded from that new course professing to pitty the loss of so good hopes My Brother partly moved with his words and partly wonne by his own eyes to a great love and reverence of an Academicall life returning home fell upon his knees to my Father and after the report of Mr. Gilbies words and his own admiration of the place earnestly besought him that he would be pleased to alter that so prejudiciall a resolution that he would not suffer my hopes to be drowned in a shallow Country-channel but that he vvould revive his first purposes for Cambridge adding in the zeal of his love that if the chargeableness of that course vvere the hinderance he did there humbly beseech him rather to sell some part of that land vvhich himself should in course of Nature inherit then to abridge me of that happy means to perfect my education No sooner had he spoken those vvords then my Father no less passionately condescended not without a vehement Protestation that whatsoever it might cost him I should God willing be sent to the University neither were those words sooner out of his lips then there was a messenger from Mr. Pelset knocking at the door to call me to that fairer bondage signifying that the next day he expected me vvith a full dispatch of all that business To whom my Father replyed that he came some minutes too late that he had now otherwise determined of me and with a respective message of thanks to the Master sent the man home empty leaving me full of the tears of joy for so happy a change indeed I had been but lost if that project had succeeded as it well appeared in the experience of him who succeeded in that room which was by me thus unexpectedly forsaken O God how was I then taken up with a thankfull acknowledgment and joyfull admiration of thy Gracious Providence over me And now I lived in the expectation of Cambridge whither ere long I happily came under Mr. Gilbies tuition together with my worthy friend Mr. Hugh Cholmley who as we had been partners of one lesson from our Cradles so were we now for many years partners of one Bed My two first years were necessarily chargeable above the proportion of my Fathers power whose not very large Cistern was to feed many pipes besides mine His weariness of expense was wrought upon by the Counsel of some unwise friends who perswaded him to fasten me upon that School as Master whereof I was lately a Scholler Now was I fetcht home with an heavy heart and now this second time had mine hopes been nipt in the blossome had not God raised me up an unhoped Benefactor Mr. Edmund Sleigh of Darby whose pious memory I have cause ever to love and reverence out of no other relation to me save that he married my Aunt pittying my too apparent dejectedness he voluntarily urged and solicited my Father for my return to the University and offered freely to contribute the one half of my maintenance there till I should attain to the degree of Master of Arts which he no less really and lovingly performed The condition was gladly accepted thither was I sent back with joy enough and ere long chosen Scholler of that strickt and well ordered Colledge By that time I had spent six years there now the third year of my Bachelarship should
great power are met in any Prince he can be content to fit still and not break forth into some notable breaches of publick peace And where once the fire of war is kindled it is not easily quenched yea it runs as in a trayn and feeds it self with all the combustable matter it meets withall on every side and therefore t is a marveilous work of the power and mercy of God that he makes war to cease And this he doth either by an over-powering victory as in the case of Hezekiah Sennacherib which should seem to be the drift of this Psalme whereof every passage imports such a victory and triumph as the conquered adversary should never be able to recover Or by tempering and composing the hearts of men restraining them in their most furious carriere and taming their wild heats of revenge and inclining them to termes of peace This is a thing which none but he can do the heart of man is an unruly and head strong thing it is not more close then violent as none can know it so none can over-rule it but he that made it It is a rough sea he only can say here shalt thou stay thy proud waves Shortly then publick peace is the proper work of an Almighty and mercifull God His very title is Deus pacis the God of peace Rom. 15.33 and 16.20 Heb. 13.20 so as this is his peculium yea it is not only his for he owes it but his for he makes it I make peace and create evill I the Lord do all these things Esa 45.7 That malignant Spirit is in this his profest opposite that he is the great make-bate of the World Labouring to set all together by the ears sowing discord betwixt Heaven and Earth betwixt one peece of Earth against another Man against Man Nation against Nation hence he hath the name of Satan of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Diabolus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as whose whole indeavour is enmity and destruction Contrarily the good God of Heaven whose work it is to destroy the works of the Devill is all for peace he loves peace he commands it he effects it He maketh wars to cease This is his work in the kinde and so much more his work in the extent To the ends of the Earth by how much more good any work is by so much more it is his and by how much more common any good is by so much better it is Even the pax pectoris the private and bosome peace of every man with himself is his great and good work for the heart of every man is naturally as an unquiet sea ever tossing and restlesse troubled with variety of boistrous passions he only can calme it the peace of the family is his he maketh men to be of one minde in an house without whose work there is nothing but jarres and discord betwixt husband and wife parents and children masters and servants servants and children with each other so as the house is made if not an hell for the time yet a purgatory at the least the peace of the neighbourhood is his without whom there is nothing but scolding brawling bloodsheds lawing that a City is at unity in it self not divided into sides and factions it is the Lords doing for many men many mindes and every man is naturally addicted to his own opinion hence grow daily destractions in populous bodies That a Country that a Nation is so is so much more his work as there are more heads and hearts to governe But that one Nation should be at unity with another yea that all Nations should agree upon an universall cessation of armes and embrace peace A domino factum est hoc est mirabile it must needs be the Lords doing so much more eminently and it is marveilous in our eyes Faciam eos in gentem unam was a word fit only for the mouth of God who only can restrain hands and conjoyne hearts as here He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the Earth Now wherefore serves all this but for the direction of our recourse for the excitation of our duty and immitation for the challenge of our thankfulnesse In the first place are we troubled with the fears or rumours of wars are we grieved with the quarrells and dissensions that we finde within the bosome of our own Nation or Church would we earnestly desire to finde all differences composed and a constant peace setled amongst us we see whether to make our addresse even to that omnipotent God who maketh warrs to cease unto the ends of the earth who breaketh the bow and snappeth the spear in sunder And surely if ever any Nation had cause to complain in the midst of a publick peace of the danger of private destractions and factious divisions ours is it wherein I know not how many uncouch Sects are lately risen out of Hell to the disturbance of our wonted peace all of them eagerly pursuing their own various fancies and opposing our formerly received truth what should we do then but be take our selves in our earnest supplications to the God of peace with an Help Lord never ceasing to solicit him with our prayers that he would be pleased so to order the hearts of men that they might encline to an happy agreement at least to a meek cessation of those unkinde quarrels wherewith the Church is thus miserably afflicted But secondly in vain shall we pray if we do nothing Our prayers serve only to testifie the truth of our desires and to what purpose shall we pretend a desire of that which we indeavour not to effect That God who makes wars and quarrels to cease useth means to accomplish that peace which he decrees And what are those means but the inclinations projects labors of all the well-willers to peace It must be our care therefore to immitate yea to second God in this great work of peace-making The phrase is a strange but an emphaticall one that Deborah uses in her song Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to help the Lord to help the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5.23 Lo what a word here is To help the Lord what help needs the Almighty or what help can our weaknesse afford to his omnipotence Yet when we put our hands to his and do that as instruments which he as the authour requires of us and works by us we help that Lord which gives us all the motions both of our wills and actions so must we do in the promoting of peace and the allaying of quarrells when an house is on fire we must every one cast in his pail-full to the quenching of the flames It is not enough that we look on harmlesly with our hands in our bosomes No we add to that burning which we indeavour not to quench We must contribute our utmost to the cessation of these spirituall and intellectuall wars which shall be
fear that we can offend in an over-bold accesse to the throne of Grace in bouncing to hard at his mercy-gate for Lo his goodnesse hath invited us and animated our bashfulnesse When Moses approached to the burning bush he heareth Come not near for he came out of curiosity and wonder not out of devotion but God calls us to this approach Ho every one that thirsteth come Come to me all ye that travell and be heavy laden and I will refresh you and therefore we cannot come with too much confidence nor fail of successe in coming It is an holy and well grounded expostulation which the Psalmist hath How long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth implying that whiles we can pray we may make just account of favour and protection So then upon the feet of our affections upon the hands of our actions upon the knees of our devotions we must draw nigh unto God But that we may do so Our care must be that the hindrances of our approach may be removed And first of all we must draw off from the World that is like a rock of Load-stone that drawes our Iron hearts to it and holds them close to it self so as it is not easily quit It is like the Father of the Levites Concubine that holds us on with a pleasing entertainment till there be a danger of mis-carriage in the return But ye remember what the Psalmist sayes Hearken O Daughter and consider Thou must leave thy Fathers house we must in our affections leave the World if we would betake our selves to God Tush ye are ready to say we shall hold in with both and do well enough Be not deceived Brethren The love of the world is enmity with God Ye cannot serve to Masters God and Mammon one of them you must forsake Abraham must leave his Ur of the Chaldees his native Country and his Fathers house if he will have the clear vision of God The Israelites must go out of Egypt ere they can offer an acceptable sacrifice to God we must with Elisha forsake our teame if we will be fit attendants for a Master that is rap't up to Heaven we must forsake our nets and follow Christ if we will be meet Disciples of his In the second place we must give strong denyalls to our own corrupt desires These are like some leaden weights that hang upon our heels and keep us from mounting up into our Heaven these like to Potiphars wanton wife hang upon Josephs sleeve to draw him unto folly and they must be shaken off if ever we would draw nigh unto God If Father or Mother or Wife or Child lie in thy way per calcatum Vade patrem trample upon thy Fathers brest in thy passage to thy Father in Heaven Our self-love and self-respect lies like an huge mountain betwixt God and us we must either by the power of our faith say to this Mountain be thou removed and cast into the midst of the Sea or else we must climbe over it by the painfull practises of a constant and effectuall mortification Shortly as men peregrinamur a domino we are here absent from the Lord 2. Cor. 5.6 but as sinners we are with the prodigall gone into a farr Country quite out of the Ken of our Fathers house and there having spent our patrimony and debauch't our selves we are feeding upon the huskes of vanity Oh let us take up at the last serious resolutions to return home though by weeping crosse and put our selves into our way we shall be sure that our indulgent Father will espie us afar off and meet us in our passage and welcome us with a kisse according to this word in my Text Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you And so from the duty injoyned we descend to the Inducement proposed But indeed what needs any inducement at all There are actions that carry their reward in their mouth such is this we have in hand It is a great honour to us wretched Creatures that we may be allowed to draw nigh to the Lord of glory If there do but an earthly Prince come ever though we have no relation to him at all yet what pressing there is to see him so as there is need of Ushers or whifflers to stave off the multitude but if our own would allow all his subjects to repair to his Court with expectation of favour and countenance from him what thronging would there be to his gates what ambition to enter And Lo the God of Heaven gives us this gracious liberty of a free accesse and yet withall backs it with a strong motive of advantage He will draw nigh unto you And indeed what inducement can there be equally powerfull to this that God will draw nigh to us There is nothing in us but want misery infirmity deformity there is nothing in God but perfection and glory and therefore for us vile wretches to draw nigh to him what can it be other then an honour too high for us but for him to draw nigh to us what can it be but a kind of disparagement to him Ye know what a construction was set upon our Saviour for this very point that he did eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners and how the proud Pharisee censur'd him when that humble penitent made an ewre of her eyes and a towell of her hair for the feet of Christ Luc· 7.39 Oh saith he if this man were a Prophet he would have known what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner as if the suffering himself to be toucht by a sinner were disgrace enough and yet the God of Heaven will descend to us so low as notwithstanding our extream sinfulnesse and unworthinesse to draw nigh unto us God will be so to us as we are to him As face answers to face so doth God to us when ye look upon your glasse if you smile upon it it will smile upon you again if you frown it will so do also even so doth God with us with the pure thou wilt be pure with the mercifull thou wilt be mercifull with the froward thou wilt show thy self froward If thou run away from God he will run away as fast from thee if thou draw nigh unto God he will draw nigh to thee And how will God draw nigh unto us In his Ordinances In his Audience in his Graces In his Aid and Salvation In his Ordinances For God hath graciously as it were tyed his presence to them as under the law so no lesse under the Gospell when Jethro Moses his Father in Law took a burnt offering and sacrifice for God Aaron came and all Israel with him to eat bread with Moses his Father in Law before the Lord Exod. 18.12 where was that but before the Testimony of his presence the Cloudy Pillar And that is very pregnant which God hath Exod. 29.40 This shall be a continuall burnt offering throughout your Generations at
purpose let no Antinomian stop the floodgates of our eyes let no Popish Doctor prevail to the abatement of this holy sorrow those men out of a profession of much outward rigour and austerity do under hand by their doctrine slacken the reines of true penitence to their clients Contritio una vel remissa c. One easie contrition is able to blot out any sin if never so haynous saith their learned Cardinall Toleth and their Jesuite Maldonate to the same effect Ad perfectionem Poenitentiae c. To the perfection of penitence is required onely a sleight kind of inward sorrow wherein I cannot better resemble them then to timorous or indulgent Chirurgians that think to pleasure the patient in not searching the wound to the bottom for which kindnesse they shall receive little thank at the last for the wound hereupon festers within and must cost double time and pain in the cure whereas those solid Divines that experimentally know what belongs to the healing of a sinning Soul go thorough stitch to work Insomuch as Cardinall Bellarmine taxeth it as too much Rigour in Luther Calvin and Chemnitius that they require Magnam animi concussionem a great concussion of soul and a sharp and vehement contrition of the penitent For us let us not be niggardly of our sorrow but in these cases go mourning all the day long See how the Spirit of God expresses Zachar. 12.10 They shall Mourne as one that Mourneth for his onely Son and shall be in bitternesse as one that is in bitterness for his first Born This is a Repentance never to be repented of Blessed are they that thus mourne for they shall be comforted This aversion is punishment enough alone and if it should be totall and finall as it is not to Gods own Children it were the worst peece of Hell for the punishment of losse is justly defined worse then that of sense but withall it is attended as there is good cause with sensible demonstrations of Gods anger and the smart of the offender My wounds stink and are corrupted because of my foolishness saith the Psalmist Psal 38.5 I am weary of my groaning Psal 6.6 And if the most righteous cannot avoid this sore hand of the Almighty where shall willfull sinners appear These effects of Gods displeasure then are such as are worth trembling at It is true as that wise Pagan said a speech worthy to be written in Letters of Gold and that which I doubt not shall be in the day of Judgment laid in the dish of many Millions of professed Christians si Omnes Deos hominesque celare possimus nihil avare nihil injuste nihil libidinose nihil incontinenter faciendum That if we could hide our actions from God and men yet we may do nothing covetously nothing unjustly nothing lustfully nothing incontinently Who would not be ashamed to hear this fall from an Heathen when he sees how many Christians live but it is most true A good man dare not sin though there were no Hell but that holy and wise God that knowes how sturdy and headstrong natures he hath to do withall findes it necessary to let men feel that he hath store of Thunderbolts for sinners that he hath Magazins of Judgments and after all an Hell of torments for the rebellious and indeed we cannot but yield it most just that it should be so If but an equall do grieve and vex us we are ready to give him his own with advantage and if an inferiour we fall upon him with hand and tongue and are apt to crush him to nothing and even that worm when he is troden on will be turning again how can we or why should we think that the great and holy God will be vexed by us and pocket up all our indignities If a Gnat or Flea do but sting thee thou wilt kill it and thinkest it good justice yet there is some proportion betwixt these Creatures and thee but what art thou silly nothing to the Infinite We men have devised varieties of punishments for those that offend our laws Artaxerxes his decree mentions four sorts Death Banishmentt Confiscation Imprisonment Ezra 7.26 And which perhaps you will wonder at commits the managing of justice in the execution of them all to Ezra the Priest the Romans as Tully tells us had eight severall kindes of punishments for their delinquents Forfeiture Bonds Stripes Retaliation Shame Exile Servitude and Death God hath all these double over and a thousand others for the First which is Forfeiture here is the Forfeiture of no lesse then all Take from him the pound saith the Master concerning the unfaithfull servant Luc. 19.24 for the Second Bonds here are the most dreadfull Bonds that can be even everlasting chaines of darkness Jude 6. for Stripes here are many Stripes for the knowing and not doing servant Luc. 12.47 for Retaliation it is here just and home it is just with God to render tribulation to those that trouble you 2 Thess 1.6 for Shame here is confusion of face Daâ— 9.8 for Exile here is an everlasting Banishment from the presence of God Matth. 25.41 for Servitude here is the most odious Bondage sold under sin Rom. 7.14 for Death here is a double death a temporal and eternal these and more then can be expressed are the consequents of Gods displeasure If thou lovest thy self therefore take heed above all things of grieving thy God with thy sins and if thou hast done so hasten thy reconciliation agree with thine adversary in the way else tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evill thy grieving of him shall end in weeping and wayling and gnashing for our God is a consuming fire And here now that I may turn your thoughts a little aside from a personall to a nationall grieving of Gods Spirit I am faln upon the grounds of those heavy judgments under which we have lyen thus long groaning and gasping to the pitty and astonishment of our late envying neighbourhood even the destroying and devouring sword alas my Beloved we have grieved our good God by our havnous sins of all sorts and now we do justly feel the heavy effects of his displeasure we have warred against Heaven with our iniquities and now it is just with God to raise up war against us in our own Bowells It was the Motto that was wont to be written upon the Scotish coine as the embleme of their Thistle Nemo me impune Lacesset None shall scape free that provokes me Surely it is a word that well fits the Omnipotent and eternal justice and power of Heavens we have provoked that to wrath and therefore could not hope to avoid a fearfull judgment wo is me we have made our selves enemies to God by our rebellious sins therefore thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hoasts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of my adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies Esa 1.24 Three things there are that aggravate the deep unkindnesse that
of stripes but the ingenuous disposition of Gods dear ones is wrought upon by the tender respect to the goodness and mercy of that God who hath so infinitely blessed it It is an emphaticall expression that of St. Paul For the love of Christ constraineth us 2. Cor. 5.14 Lo here is a kind of force and violence offered to the soul but it is the force of love then which nothing can be more pleasing neither will God offer any other it can be no will that is forced God will not break in upon the soul but wins it with those sweet solicitations that are more powerfull then those of fear Men commonly run in a full carere towards Hell it were happy that any thing in the world could stay them but are there any of us that find a restraint upon our selves in the midst of our evill wayes so as we make a stop in this pernicious course of our sining whence is it Is it out of a meer fear of the pains of Hell of those eternall torments that abide for sinners This is little thank to them Nature even in brute Creatures will teach them to affect their own preservation and to avoid those things which will necessarily draw on their destruction Balaams asse seeing the Angels sword will strive to decline it every slave will tugg hard to escape the lash but is it in a sweet sense of the mercies of God who hath done so much for thy soul is it out of a conscience not to offend so holy and munificent a God who hath purchased thee so dear and sealed thee up to the day of Redemption now thou hast in thee a true generosity of spirit this argues thee to have the proper affections of a true child of God for every child of God is spiritually good natur'd It is not so with our natural children A stomackfull Esau knowes that his good Father cannot but be displeased with his Pagan matches yet he takes him wives of the Daughters of Heth Gen. 26.35 And an ambitious Absalom dares rise up in rebellion against his tenderly-loving Father but grace hath other effects the spirituall generation of Gods faithfull ones are dearly affectionate to their Father in Heaven and apply themselves to all obedience out of meer love and duty The Son and the slave are both injoyned one work God be thanked we can have no instance in this kind that vassalage is happily and justly extinguished as unfit to be of use amongst Christians but where it obtaineth still the Son and the slave do one work but out of different grounds the Son to please his Father the slave that he may avoid the stripes of an imperious Master therefore the one doth it cheerfully and willingly the other grudgingly and repiningly the one of Love and Gratitude the other out of fear This is a point worthy of our serious consideration as that which mainly imports our souls what are the grounds of our either actions or forbearances we indevour some good duties we refrain from some sins out of what principles Some there are that can bragg of their immunity from gross sins with the proud Pharisee I am no fornicator no drunkard no murtherer no lyer no slanderer no oppressour And I would to God every one of you that hear me this day could in sincerity of heart say so But what is the ground of this their pretended inoffensiveness If it be only a fear of Hell and of the wrathful indignation of that just Judge thou canst reap smal comfort to thy Soul in this condition for this is out of meer selfe-love and desire to escape pain and misery which is incident into the worst of creatures Even the evil Spirits themselves are afraid of tormenting and deprecate the sending them back to their chains But if it be out of a gracious and tender love to God out of a filial fear of the displeasure of a God that hath done so much for thee this argues the disposition of a true child of God and may justly administer comfort to thy Soul in the time of thy trial Oh that we could every one of us lay before our eyes the sweet mercies of our God especially his spiritual favours how freely he hath loved us how dearly he hath redeemed us even with the most precious blood of the Son of his love how graciously he hath sealed us up to the day of our redeemption and that we could make this use of it to be a strong retractive from any even of our dearest and gainfullest sins Carry this home with you dear brethren I beseech you and fail not to think of it upon all occasions when ever you shall finde your selves tempted to any sin whatsoever of lust of excesse of covetous desires have this Antidote ready in your bosomes which good Joseph had How shall I do this great evill and sin against God As good Polycarpus that holy Martyr when for the preservation of his life he was urged to renounce Christ said Fourscore and six years have I been his servant and he never did me hurt and shall I deny my Soverain King that hath so graciously preserved me If out of these grounds thou canst check thy sins and canst say Lord I have been carefull not to grieve thy good spirit because thou in thine eternal love hast sealed me thereby to the day of my redemption be confident that thy redemption is sealed in Heaven and shall in due time be manifested to thine investiture with the eternall glory and happiness which God hath prepared for all his To the participation whereof that God who hath ordained us in his good time mercifully bring us for the sake of the Son of his love Jesus Christ the just to whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit one infinite and incomprehensible God be given all prayse honour and glory now and for evermore Amen A SERMON Preacht on WHITSUNDAY IN THE PARISH-CHURCH OF HIGHAM In the Year 1652. ROM 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God THis only day is wont to be consecrated to the Celebration of the descent of the holy Spirit and therefore deserves to be as it is named the true Dominica in albis Whit-sunday white is the colour of Innocence and joy in respect of the first this together with the feast of Easter was wont in the primitive times to be the solemn season of Baptism and sacramentall Regeneration in respect of the second it was the season of the just Triumph and exultation of the Church which was as this day graced confirmed and refreshed with the miraculous descent of the promised comforter in both regards every Christian challenges an interest in it as these who claim to be the Sons of God by Baptism the Sacrament of Regeneration and to be indued and furnished with the sanctifying gifts of that blessed Spirit whose wonderfull descent we this day celebrate which how can we do better then by inquiring
we have but a little sand left in our glasse a short remainer of our mortal life be sure to imploy it unto the best profit of our souls so as every of our hours may carry up with it an happy Testimony of our gainfull improvement that so when our day cometh we may change our time for eternity the time of our sojourning for the eternity of glory and blessednesse Thus much for the time of our sojourning now as for the passage of this time I shall spare any further discourse of it though this is a matter well worthy of our thougts and indeed we that live within the smoak of the City have our ears so continually inured to the noise of passing-Bels that it is a wonder we can think of any thing but our passing away together with our time unless it be with us as with those that dwell near the Cataract of Nilus whom the continuall noise of that loud waterfall is said to make deaf But since we are faln upon the mention of this subject give leave I beseech you to a word of not unseasonable digression I have noted it to be the fashion here amongst you that when a neighbour dyes all his friends in severall parishes set forth their Bells to give a generall notice of his departure I do not dislike the practise it is an act of much civility and fair respect to the deceased and if the death of Gods Saints be as it is precious in his sight there is great reason it should be so in ours and therefore well worthy of a publique notification But let me tell you that in other well-ordered places where I have lived it is yet a more commendable fashion that when a sick neighbour is drawing towards his end the Bell is tolled to give notice of his dying condition that all within hearing may be thereupon moved to pour out their fervent prayers for the good of that departing soul suing for mercy and forgiveness and a clean passage of it to the approaching glory if there be civility and humanity in the former course there is more charity and piety in this but this by the way This term of our passage is but an English expression the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies rather our conversing passing this therefore let us meditate upon the modification of this passage of our time which is said must be in fear Fear is an unwelcome and unpleasing word and the thing more for we commonly say that onely evill is the object of fear and that whom we fear we hate and perhaps the Authours and Abettours of the uncomfortable doctrine of diffidence and uncertainty of resolution in the spirituall estate of our souls would be glad of such an overture for the maintenance of those disheartening positions which they have broached unto the World to this purpose but their mouthes are soon stopped with the addition of the name of a Father which is abundantly sufficient to sweeten this harsh sound of fear so as this clause of the Text may seem to be clearly commented upon by that of Romans 8.15 For ye have not received the Spirit of bâ—ndage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we try Abba Father There are indeed terrores Domini the terrors of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 For such is the dreadfull Majesty of the infinite God that his presence even when he desires to appear most amiable overlaies our weakness Jud. 13.22 yea so awfully glorious is the sight of one of his Angels that Manoah and his wife thought they should dye of no other death yea and sometimes like a displeased Father he knits his brows upon his dearest if offending children the Man after his own heart could say Thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind thy fierce wrath goeth over me Psal 88.15 16. which he speaks not onely out of a true sense of his own misery but as a just Type of him who in the bitterness of his agony did sweat drops of blood and with him cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me who yet was heard in that which he feared heard and freed heard and crowned thus sad may be the condition of the best of Saints in the pangs of their trialls which yet can be no other then safe whiles with their Captain and Saviour they can say My God my God and may hear God say unto them Fear not for I have redeemed thee and called thee by thy name thou art mine Esa 45.1 That we may see then what fear it is which is here recommended to us as an inseparable companion in this our pilgrimage know that there is a base kind of fear incident into the worst of men yea beasts yea Devils the Devils believe and tremble saith the Apostle and we know the dog fears the whip and the horse the switch and the slave fears the lash of his cruell Master this is therefore called a slavish fear which though it be not good in it self yet may have this good effect in wicked men to restrain them from those villanies which they would otherwise commit and certainly were it not for this there were no living amongst men Earth would be Hell there is besides a distrustfull fear in unsetled hearts which is an anxious doubt lest God will not be so good as his word and perform those promises which he hath made to us this is highly sinfull in it self and infinitely dishonorable and displeasing unto God for if an honest man cannot endure to be distrusted how hainously must the God of truth needs take it that his fidelity should be called into question by false-hearted men The fear that we must ever take along with us is double A fear of reverence and a fear of circumspection the first is that whereof Malachy 1.6 A Son honoreth his Father and a servant his Master If then I be your Father where is my honour and if I be your Master where is my fear And this fear consists in our awfull and trembling acknowledgment of his dread presence in our reverentiall and adoring thoughts of his infiniteness in our humble and holy desires to be allowed of him in all things this is that which wise Solomon more then once tells us in the begining or as the word rather signifies the cheif point of wisdom and which the Psalmist truly tells is accompanied with blessedness The latter which I call a fear of circumspection is a due and tender regard to all our wayes not without an holy jealousie over our selves in all our actions words and thoughts lest we might do say or think any thing that might be displeasing to the Majesty of our God whereof Solomon Blessed is the Man that feareth alwayes but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 Now these two fears are as twins that are joyned together in the bulk of the body inseparable and are so comprehensive that