that God is a patient God not willing the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue So much doth Paul teach vs of him in Rom. 2.4 saying Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance So much doth Peter teach vs of him in 2. Pet. 3.9 saying The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient towards vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance So much doth Ioel teach vs of him in Ioel. 2.13 saying And rent your hearts and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill So much finally doth God himselfe teach vs of himselfe in Ezech. 33.11 saying As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue But what is the reason of this Reason Is not God a iust God and are not his eies pure eies not abiding to behold sin and iniquity Yes Why then doth he not strike Because his mercies are ouer all his workes and his compassions faile not according to Dauids words in Psalme 145.9 and the Prophet Ieremies in Lament 3.2 For as the one of them doth extoll the mercies of God aboue all things so the other of them doth declare that they are the cause why hee doth not consume vs accordingly as our sins do deserue Wherefore learne out of this Vse first to put a difference betwixt God and man for they are very much vnlike For my thoughts saith God are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord For as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts aboue your thoughts Esay 55.8.9 If treason and insurrection bee once made against the chiefe gouernour of any land the parties offending therein are apprehended and according to law they are executed as traytors and rebels and all this is but well and according to iustice and equity without which no common-wealth can stand or flourish But yet with God it is not so though that we do dayly make insurrection against him and commit high treason against his person by blaspheming his holy name and by trampling his diuine statutes and ordinances vnder our feet yet he doth spare vs and not consume vs according to our wicked deserts and as one most desirous to haue vs saued to become blessed he doth cry vnto vs for a turning and amendment of life Oh who can extoll this goodnesse of the Lord sufficiently shall we rebell against him prouoke him to his face and yet will he come and intreate vs to be reconciled vnto him Doubtlesse if one doth but offēd vs some two or three times in some matters that do concerne our credite and profite so that we grow infamous or poore thereby we can neuer soundly and throughly endure that partie againe as we ought to do and though he should come vnto vs himselfe to aske vs forgiuenesse yet we should hardly euer receiue him to loue and fauour againe within our hearts so close would his wrong iniury cleaue vnto vs. We see that when the Samaritans refused to receiue Christ into one of their citties for a nights lodging Iames and Iohn two of his disciples were by and by inflamed with great choler wrath and they would needs haue their maister be reuenged vpon thē for it saying vnto him after this sort Lord wilt thou that we command that fire come down from heauen consume thē euen as Eliah did Luke 9.54 But as for our God we see here how patient he is in putting vp great rebellions and treasons and in calling vpon the rebels and traytors themselues for amendment of life that so they may be saued Learne we therefore in the next place that though we doe sin and offend yet there is mercy in the Lord to forgiue vs. For where sinne doth abound there grace doth more then abound saith the Apostle in Rom. 5.20 Dauid doth speake most excellently of this matter in Psalme 103. c. saying The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse He hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities for as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes from vs as a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him And lest that any should doubt of the pardon of his sinnes marke what God himselfe doth say in Isay 1.18 Come now saith he and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll And surely if God doth here call vpon these traitours and rebels to forsake their sinnes with an intent and purpose to saue them if they will so doe then may you not doubt but that he will receiue euery repenting sinner that doth come vnto him and forgiue him all his transgressions be they neuer so many when he doth aske pardon for them and heartily forsake them Wherefore though you haue sinned greatly against the Lord and haue trespassed euen against heauen and his Maiesty with the prodigall sonne yet despaire not but with the prodigall sonne returne vnto him and know that you shall finde mercy at his hands as he did and as Dauid did and as Salomon did and as Peter did and as Paul did and as many more besides them did whose sins were great and hainous For God hath said it who cannot lye Yea he hath sworne it and bound it with an oath that he doth not desire the death of the wicked but that he should turne and liue as you heard before out of Ezech. 33.11 Lastly from hence obserue this vse Vse that if any doe perish through his sinnes and transgressions he must not impute the fault thereof vnto God but vnto himselfe For God here doth call men from their euill waies that so they may not perish but be saued In all our plagues and iudgements and in all our woes and calamities whether in this world or in the world to come the Lord may alwaies say vnto vs as it is in Hosea 13.8 O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thy helpe For the Lord doth take as it were great paines to make vs good What could I haue done more saith the Lord to my Vineyard that I haue not done vnto it Isay 5.4 Wherefore accuse God I beseech you at no time if any destruction doth happen vnto you but lay the whole blame thereof vpon
and it shall be giuen him as you may see in Iames 1.5 And whereas man will not regard vs in the time of need but then begin to forsake vs when once we come into trouble and miserie though in the time of our prosperitie he made much of vs and was readie to do vs what good he could it is not so with God For if we shall pray vnto him in the midst of all our calamities he will harken vnto vs and become most gracious and fauourable vnto vs to deliuer vs out of them all as he himselfe doth teach vs in Psalme 50.15 saying Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me By all which places you see it is a most cleare and euident doctrine that we must both pray to God and that by our prayers vnto him we shall receiue fauors at his hands And the reason hereof is this we must pray to him Reason because by prayers we do honour him most and bring great glory to his name in that we do acknowledge him to be the giuer of all things and one on whom our whole life and all that we haue do depend By prayers we shall receiue benefites of him because he hath appointed prayers as an ordinarie meanes and second cause to conuey his benefites oner vnto vs. For as he hath appointed the end of all things so he hath appointed also in the same decree of his the meanes which are fit to bring them to the same end And therefore seeing prayer is one of the chiefe and principall meanes which he hath ordained for the powring downe of his gifts and graces vpon mankind it is no maruell though by praying vnto him men do receiue from time to time most rare and excellent blessings from him Learne we then from hence these points Vse First that they are worthy of blame who do neglect prayer and do not powre out their soules from time to time vnto the Almightie as they ought to do It is our part to pray continually as the Apostle doth teach vs in 1. Thes 5.17 and to watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints as it is in Ephes 6.18 But yet alas we do it too seldome and some almost neuer in all their liues But let vs amend this our fault and grow better in this respect Secondly that the reason why many do receiue few or no benefits at the hands of God is this not because his hand is shortned it and vnable to do them good but because they do not pray vnto him and aske for benefites of him Ye lust saith Iames and haue not ye enuie and haue indignation and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre and get nothing because ye aske not Iames 4.2 If you say that you aske and receiue not I will answer you with the same Apostle and in the same place that the cause thereof is because ye aske amisse as doth follow there in the next verse Either the thing which you craue is not lawfull and expedient or your mind in crauing is not earnest or Christ is not made the Mediator or the end is not good or the prayer is not continuall or faith lastly is not there to present it If these or any of these faile or be wanting it is no maruell though our prayer receiue the repulse But let them all concurre and meete together as they ought to do then shall we obtaine of God whatsoeuer we will ourselues Thirdly that prayer is a most fruitfull thing and such a meanes as it brings with it vnto vs the great and wonderfull gifts of the Almightie As it will stay the Lord from smiting euen then when his hand is vpto lay on as we may see at large in the beginning of the 32. chapter of Exodus where Moses prayer pacified the Lord and turned his wrath away from the Israelites so that they were not consumed according to their desers so it doth pull downe his mercies and benefits in great abundance vpon vs. For looke what we do desire the Lord is ready to graunt vnto vs yea he doth grant more vnto vs oftentimes then we do desire As for example Zaccheus desired onely to see Christ but befides that Christ called him by his name and offered his owne selfe vnto him for his saluation as it is in the beginning of the 19 chapter according to Saint Lukes Gospell The sicke of the palsie desired onely the health of his body but he obtained also the forgiuenesse of his sinnes as appeareth in the beginning of the ninth chapter according to S. Mathew Salomon desired only wisedome that he might know how to rule his people and to go in and out before them but as God did bestow that vpon him so he did giue him also riches and honor so that among the kings there was none like him all his daies as it is euident in 1. Kin. 3 6. c. Lastly Iacob desired onely food and apparell when he went from his parents to Padan Aram to fetch him a wife amongst his owne kindred but the Lord made him a great rich man and caused him to returne home againe with abundance of wealth and goods as it is storied of him in the booke of Genesis in chapter 28.30 and 33. Well therefore might Paul say that he that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call on him Rom. 10.12 And well also might Dauid say that the Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea that call vpon him in truth Psal 145.18 And as for the Lords dealing towards himselfe he doth vtter it in these words Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lippes For thou didst preuent him with liberall blessings and didst set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head he asked life of thee and thou gauest him a long life for euer and euer Psal 21.20 c. I pray thinke deeply on these things and let them encourage our hearts to pray still If we were sure that the kings Maiestie would admit vs alwayes into his presence and grant vnto vs whatsoeuer we should desire of him I doubt not but that we should be forward yea too forward to go vnto him often with our suites to haue benefits and high promotions from him But such a king we haue here who is the king of kings and shall not we then commence our suites continually vnto him and waite at the gates of his grace with our supplications a ready drawne in our hands to deliuer them vnto him at his coming forth Kingdomes we say go not a begging yet the Catholicke and vninersall kingdome of Christ which is the greatest of all was obtained by begging For he had it onely for the asking If beggers speed so well we say againe we our selues will begge To conclude therefore this point let vs do it then and runne still to God begging for benefits and doubt we not but we
perswasion which they haue of themselues who thinke that they shall continue still in their flourishing estate and neuer see any woe or misery The sixt and last is the flattering and wicked counsell which they receiue from others who gladly accept of that which is spoken in their praise or agrees well with the vile inclination of their hearts But the generall reason of all is the corruption of their soules and the deprauitie of their crooked nature who turne that into poyson vnto themselues like the spider which they should conuert into hony with the Bee But to leaue the reasons Vse and to come to the vses here we may learne many things but chiefly foure The first is that we must not depend vpon great men or the higher powers of the world for their countenance as we learned in the first verse not to depend vpon the multitude for their number For here we see that they are against the Lord and his Annointed And therefore if we hang vpon them do as they do iniquity will be our ouerthrow and hell fire will be our portion at the last when we shall dearly repent for it but all too late Some there are of them I grant who are most godly and vpright persons walking sincerely in the paths of the Almightie but they are exceeding few here one and there another but for the greatest part of them they are naught and wicked as we may see by the Apostles words in 1. Cor. 1.26 when he saith For brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called And therefore I beseech you brethren looke well to this point conforme not your selues to the religion of great States nor walk after the maners of the wealthy men of the world but be you followers alone of Iesus Christ become holy as God your Father is holy in all maner of cōuersation so you shal not be fighters against the Almightie as these Giants are but be faithfull and obedient vnto him to your owne good euerlasting happinesse The second is this that if we will ioyne with the Lord take part with him we must looke for great enimies to arise vp against vs as well as small ones Ye shall be brought saith our Sauiour Christ vnto his Disciples in Matth. 10.18 to the gouernours and kings for mysake in witnesse to them and to the Gentles So must we looke to be brought before such and when such matters do fall out we must not be discouraged as though some new thing had happened vnto vs but be well contented therewith knowing that it hath bene so from the beginning and shall be so still to the end of the world As Ahab was set against Eliah Saul against Dauid Haman against Mordecay the Princes of Babel against Daniel Herod against Iohn the Baptist the high Priests and Elders of the people against the Apostles and Pharaoh with his Princes of Aegypt against Israel so must Gods children thinke that some great States and mightie men of this world will set themselues against them at all times and that they shall neuer be free from their oppositions but shall still be molested by them to the ende Oh thinke vpon this well and make a good vse of it for your selues For praemoniti praemuniti fore-warned fore-armed according to Christs words in Ioh. 16.1 These things haue I sayd vnto you that ye should not be offended The third is that euery one of vs who are more wealthy then others and haue greater places of dignitie then they haue should looke most warily to our selues that our wealth and places do nor steale away our hearts from God according to Pauls words in 1. Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall For you see we stand in a slipperie place and if others do fall round about vs as we see and heare they do pray we heartily to the Lord that he would keepe vs and let vs watch and be sober alwayes walking faithfully in our callings and humbling our selues to the very dust before the Lord our maker Remember we stil what Paul doth write vnto Timothy in 1. Tim. 6.17.18.19 and let vs follow the same Charge them saith he that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs abundantly all things to enioy that they do good and be rich in good workes and ready to distribute and communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life If men trauell in those places where others before them haue suffered shipwracke or do fight with those enimies who haue alwaies conquered others they are very fearefull and circumspect lest they should miscarry So should it be with vs in this case Because we see others led away captiues to sinne by their outward pompe and state and do behold but a few rich men truly fearing the Lord we should vpon the due consideration thereof walke wisely and circumspectly redeeming the time and working out our saluation with feare and trembling The fourth and last is that we should both pray and reioyce in the behalfe of our gouernours and the highest powers of our land For seeing all generally do fall and become enimies to the Lord that are in those places of eminency farre aboue others and yet they do stand and are faithfull embracers of the truth we haue great cause to blesse the name of our God for it and to pray vnto him for a continuance of the same that so they may neuer shrinke backe but grow better and better vntill they come to the perfection of all goodnesse in the heauens aboue and there enioy all those beatitudes which are prouided for them in that celestiall place Doubtlesse there is no nation in the world so much beholding vnto God in this respect as we of England are As once we did say We haue an excellent Queene so we may now say We haue an excellent King His estate is most dangerous yet blessed be our God he doth stand and maintaine the truth of the Gospel as he ought to do He is like a goodly blazing torch set vpon the top of a mountaine which there doth giue light and not go out do all the winds of the heauen against it what they can Strange would the spectacle be if such a matter were visible to our eye I doubt not but all of vs would stand wondering if we should see a candle burning on the top of our houses in a windy and tempestuous night and yet neuer go out before it be burnt to the very end of it So may we wonder at his standing and at the Lords mercy in vpholding him he is so assaulted on euery side and set vpon by the contrary blasts of sundrie oppositions I pray you let vs alwayes pray vnto the Lord
of Christ made holy in some part by the sanctificatiō of Gods spirit wherby you may be able to go boldly vnto the throne of grace to receiue mercy to find grace to helpe in time of need That as Paul did say of the Corinthians when they were changed frō bad to good And such were some of you but ye are washed but yee are sanctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God as it is in 1. Cor. 6.11 so may you say of your selues And such were we our selues once euen bad and most wicked persons but blessed be God we are now changed and made better our sinnes are washed away by the bloud of Christ and the spirit of God hath begun to renew vs in some good part Leauing these things for the meaning of the words and some short annotations vpon the same let vs now come to the maine doctrine of the place and in few words it is nothing else but this Doct. that Christ our Sauiour did not take this office vpon him to be the King of the Church but was lawfully called thereunto by God his Father and not by any created power whatsoeuer This he confesseth of himselfe in Iohn Chapter 6. verse 27. Where he doth endeauour to draw men from a greedy hunting after the foode of the body vnto a carefull seeking for the foode of their soules saying Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate that endureth vnto euerlasting life which the Sonne of man shall giue you for him hath God the Father sealed He hath chosen him for this purpose and set his marke and seale vpon him as designing him ouer this worke and businesse which is to be performed alone by him and none else And this also he doth proue in the fourth chapter of the Gospell according to Saint Luke by a testimony out of Esay chap. 61.1 c. where the calling of the Messias is excellently and at large set out vnto vs. But the Apostle Saint Paul not to stand vpon other places doth make this point most cleare and euident vnto all persons in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians beginning at the twentieth verse therof and so forward in the second chapter of his Epistle to the Philippians in the ninth verse thereof with others following For in both these places you shall finde that as Christ is exalted aboue all the creatures in the world and made the supreme head of the Church both warring in earth triumphing in heauen so he was raised vp hereunto by God his Father he making him thus the vniuersall gouernour of all the world So that looke what the Author to the Hebrewes said of Christ in regard of his Priest-hood that he tooke not to himselfe that honour to be made the high Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my Son this day begat I thee gaue it him Heb. 5.5 So may we say here of him in regard of his kingdome that he tooke not this honour to himselfe to be made the supreme King of the Church but God that sitteth in the heauens and hath his enimies in derision gaue it vnto him but somewhat more of this hereafter when we come vnto the 8. verse of this Psalme Reason But why did God may you say set vp Christ and make him thus the King of his Church Wherefore did he not make choise rather of some Angell or Arch-angell or of some Emperour or great state of this world Because none of them were fit for this office As no man was worthy to open the booke and to loose the seales thereof which Iohn saw in the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne but onely the Lyon which is of the tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid as it is in Reu. 5.1 c. So no creature was found fit for this office whether in the heauen aboue or in the earth beneath saue Iesus Christ our sweete Sauiour and the blessed Sonne of God and therefore God his Father did make choise of him before all others But why was he fittest for this office may you further say For two causes the one is in regard of his Person the other of his qualities belonging vnto his Person For his Person because he is not onely man as many others are but also God as none else besides him is and thereby is made able to weald such a great mighty kingdome as he hath Otherwise it is impossible that he should rule his people according to his will and subdue his enimies to make them his footstoole considering that they are Principallities and powers and the greatest Potentates of this world For what man or Angell is able to ouercome all the diuels in hell rushing vpon him at once together and to withstand the whole army of mankind assaulting him together with them with their whole power and force Surely none he must be a God that must doe it And therefore was Christ chosen for this purpose who is a God as well as man for his qualities belonging vnto his Person because he is indued with most singular giftes and graces fit for gouernement Iethro in his counsell to Moses required but foure things in a Gouernour namely courage the feare of God true dealing and the hating of couetousnesse as we may see in Exod. 1 S 21. But here in Christ the chiefe gouernour of all we shall finde as many more for besides these foure you shall haue in him foure more namely wisedome diligence bounty and loue So that in number there are eight The first is courage for he feares no man as being the Lord of Lords the God of Gods according to his name which is written on his garment and thighs in Reu. 19.16 The second is the feare of God for he reuerenced his Father and was obedient vnto him euen vnto the very death of the crosse Phil. 2.8 The third is iustice or true dealing for the Scepter of his kingdome is a Scepter of righteousnesse and he himselfe is one louing righteousnesse and hating iniquity Heb. 8.1.9 The fourth is hating couetousnesse for he neuer receiued any bribes or recompence for all the cures he did but he became poore that he might make vs rich 2. Cor. 8.9 The fift is wisdome for in him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Col. 2.3 The sixt is diligence for he was so painefull that he trauelled from place to place to doe good and left his owne foode to go about his Fathers businesse Ioh. 4.34 And he is brought in by Iohn in the Reuelations Chapter 1.13 standing in the midst of the seuen Candlestickes which are the seuen Churches there busily occupied in gouerning them as a man is when his garment is about him and trust vp with some girdle that it may not trouble or hinder him in the execution of his businesse The seuenth is bountifulnesse or liberality for he doth not
after them for the saine sinne and offence of theirs Vpon the one of them because he spared his sonnes and did not punish them according to their deserts as the beginning of the first booke of Samuel doth shew And vpon the other of them because he spared Agag the Amalekite and did not kill him according to Gods commandement as it is in the 15. chapter of the same booke Here here beloued it may go neare vnto our hearts and cause vs to sigh and sob within our selues when we consider how blasphemy the contempt of the Word the breach of the Sabboth disobedience to gouernors adulterie drunkennesse and other grieuous offences which make the Sun as it were blush againe to behold them do go vncontrolled and vncorrected in our times and haue no seuere punishments inflicted vpon them for the restraint thereof as they do deserue We haue as good lawes as any nation in the world but they want execution which is the life of them and those that should looke most vnto them do neglect them commonly most and not onely breake them themselues but countenance others also that do it But let superiors remember what the Lord doth say by Ieremy the Prophet in chapter 48.10 Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lordnegligently and cursed be he that keepeth backe his sword from bloud So that there must be no sparing of men vnder a curse and damnation when God will haue them killed And let them alwayes beare in their minds what God did say to Ahab the king in 1. Kings 20.42 saying Because thou hast let go out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to die thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people So that to spare a malefactor from death is to bring death vnto themselues and to such as do belong vnto them Obiect Obiect But this is cruelty may some say to kill and to destroy Ans Answ No it is not cruelty but iustice and the fulfilling of Gods commandement He is not cruell said an ancient Father that killeth them which are cruell although he seeme so to them that suffer but who so striketh the euill for that they be euill meaning by lawfull authority he is the Minister of God Others say it is pitty that such a man should be put to death pointing at some proper and comely malefactor Indeed the diuell for to hinder iustice and to make his owne kingdome strong though he were a murderer himselfe frō the beginning yet will come in amongst vs sometimes like a meeke lambe to perswade vs to foolish pitty and compassion but know you this that we must not pitty where God himselfe doth not pitty nor spare through compassion those whom he doth condemne for that is to condemne him and to exalt our selues aboue him in mercy and goodnesse which is an horrible vile thing in his eyes who is all mercy goodnes it selfe Moses you know was the meekest man vpon the earth and he had a most pittifull heart being contented to be razed out of the booke of life for the good of others yet he caused to be slaine at one time three thousand persons for the golden calse which they had erected vp in his absence as it is in Exod. 32.27.28 And albeit Dauid and Salomon were very milde men and mercifull yet Ioab and Shemei must be slaine put to death by them as may be seene in the second chapter of the first booke of the Kings And as one doth well obserue of them either of them did sanctifie their hands by this seuerity in executing iustice belonging to them which otherwise they should haue defiled by vnlawfull lenity and sparing You know it is no fault in a Chirurgion to cut off a corrupt member for the sauing of the whole boby So in a Magistrate it is no cruelty but vertue to preferre the safety of many before a few Let not then a superstitious affectation of clemency or pitty make a more cruell gentlenesse with the perill and hurt of many For vnder the gouerment of the Emperour Nerua it was rightly said It is ill dwelling vnder a king or Magistrate where nothing is lawfull but it is far worse dwelling vnder one where all things are lawfull Lastly here we may be put in mind what we our selues ought to do and that is this we must neither spare sinnes in our selues nor in others but we must labour to bring all to repentance and amendment of life by inflicting deserued punishments vpon both First we must deale with our selues and after we haue sorrowed to repentance wee must take an holy reuenge vpon our selues as the Corinthians did 2. Cor. 7.2 in pinching our owne soules and bodies in those things wherein we passed our bounds before and in restraining our selues from some things which are most lawfull in themselues Then for others as we must not countenance any in their euil waies nor become aduocates vnto others for them so if power and authority do rest in our owne hands we must strike them and see them iustly punished for their offences Herein let gouernours of families looke to themselues as well as Constables other officers Beloued you must know that when enormities grieuous sins are committed in your Parishes or in your houses you are not to winke at the same but according to your places you are to see the same iustly punished O remēber the reasons that were alleadged before to awaken you vp to this duty and let them sinke deepely into your hearts to bring forth a notable effect with them within you Haue a care I beseech you of the offenders that they may be reclaimed haue a care of others that they may not be corrupted haue a care of the whole land that that may not be plagued and haue a care lastly of your owne persons that they may not be destroyed Let none of these euils fall out through your defaults for want of punishing such as doe offend And herein you must spare none Thine eye saith the Lord in Deut. 19.21 shall haue no compassion but life for life c. And in the 13. chapter of the same booke the sixth verse and so forward he doth declare that though they be most deare and neare vnto vs as our owne children brothers wiues and friends that are to vs as our owne soules that do offend and go about to draw our heartes away from the true God yet they must not be spared but be stoned to death and that our owne hands must be first vnto it and therefore deale vnpartially with all fauour none before others as the world doth but deale with all according to their waies The end of the fifth Sermon THE SIXTH SERMON vpon the second Psalme PSAL. 2. VER 10. Be wise now therefore ye Kings be learned yee Iudges of the earth HItherto from the beginning of the Psalme to this place all things haue passed along by way of doctrine in a certaine continued narration
iudgements of the Lord sounded out of his word against them for the same For as these mothers are wont commonly to comfort their children thus fearing with one of these two things either that there is no time yet past or else if the time be past that their maister is a gentle man and will forgiue them So they do vsually heart on themselues against all feare dread whatsoeuer by the consideration of these two things first that there is no time vnfit or too late for repentance secondly that God is a mercifull God and one most ready to forgiue them though they haue posted off their repentance ouer-long and haue not turned vnto him in time as they ought to hane done In this snare and cord of the diuell lest you also should be led along to your destruction at the last marke what answer may be giuen to these things To the first it may be sayd that though no time be vnfit or too late for repentance while we are here in this world yet oftentimes we are taken out of this world before that we can thinke of repentance and soundly turne vnto the Lord. For as many are taken away on the sudden so it fals out by the iust iudgment of God most vsually as an ancient Father doth wel obserue vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui cum viueret oblitus est Dei That he should forget himselfe in the time of his death who did forget God in the time of his life Againe you must know that late repentance is seldome or neuer good and true but alwaies for the most part feigned and dissembled like to that which was in Pharaoh Ahab Saul and others who seemed to be sorry for their sinnes and desirous to haue the hand of the Lord remoued from them For qualis vita finis ita such as the life is such commonly is the death A good man hath a good end and a bad man hath a bad end Lastly you must alwaies remember what was said before namely that repentance is not in our power and that we cannot turne to God when we will And therefore as a begger must take his almes when it is offered vnto him and not refuse it because there is no time amisse to take an almes so we must take repentance when the Lord doth offer it vnto vs and not vpon such a foolish consideration cast it off as now was touched Now to the second it may be answered that though God be a God of mercy receiuing all sinners vnto himselfe vpon their repentance and amendment of life yet he is withall a God of iustice visiting the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of all such as do hate him as you are taught in the end of the second commandement Dauid tels vs in Psal 18.26 that he will shew himselfe froward with the froward Salomon sheweth in Prou. 3.34 that with the scornefull he scorneth And in the first chapter of the same booke Wisedome her selfe informeth vs that she will not regard wilfull and obstinate sinners turning vnto her in verse 28. saying Then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. You know how the Lord did sware in his wrath that the Israelites that did prouoke him in the wildernes should not enter into his rest Heb. 3.8 So that God will be farre off at such a time to giue repentance and vpon repentance to receiue to mercy And therefore as the women sung concerning Saul and Dauid saying Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand 1. Sam. 18.7 so we may mournefully sing that the despaire of Gods mercy hath slaine thousands but the grosse presumption of his mercy hath slaine ten thousands Wherefore to conclude this point let neither of these impediments nor any other whatsoeuer hinder you from a present conuersion vnto the Lord but out of hand take him for your onely God and serue him Lastly here we may learne what to do in regard of those who are vnder vs. We must not suffer them to go on still in their sins but breake them quickely to the Lords yoake and bow He is a fond fellow that will not breake his horse while it is a colt but let him runne on till he be old and shall fling him into the ditch And he deales very foolishly that hauing a beautifull standing cuppe and very precious balme giuen vnto him to put into the cuppe will not yet put it in before the cup hath stood long full of stinking liquor So we our selues shall be no better if we shall suffer our children and others vnder our tuition to go on in their childhood and youth vnnurtured in the waies of the Lord and suffer them to liue after their owne will and to drink in the deadly poyson of the world whereby they shall be made vnable to be reclaimed at the last But teach we them betimes and labour we to bring them to the knowledge of the Lord and obedience vnto his will so shall not sinne be their destruction nor rebellion be their ouerthrow But more of this elsewhere As thus we haue heard when we must repent so now let vs heare wherin repentance doth stand And that is in two points the one is knowledge or vnderstanding the other is obedience or subiection Of the former of these mention is made in this verse of the latter in the following Bewise saith the Prophet ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Here is that knowledge vnderstanding expressed which is required of vs in euery true sound repentāce but what means the Prophet hereby may you say were the Kings vnwise and were the Iudges of the earth vnlearned Yes surely for otherwise they would neuer haue rebelled against the Lord and his annoynted as they did Yet his meaning is not that they were altogether without wisedome and learning for they had wordly wisedome and learning in great aboundance but that they wanted the heauenly wisedome and learning therefore he doth exhort them to looke for that Marke here there is a two-fold wisedome and learning one that is earthly and from man an other that is heauenly and from God The children of this world saith our Sauiour in Luk. 16.8 are wiser in their generation then the children of light In which words he doth intimate that as there are two sorts of men the one wicked called the children of this world the other godly termed the children of light so there are two sorts of wisedome the one for the body and this life the other for the soule and the life to come This latter wisedome the Kings and Iudges here wanted but the former they had For the body and this life they were wise and learned they knew well enough how to rule and gouerne and to turne all things to their