out his temporall benefits as well vpon the castawaies as those that are effectually called For there are some good things which God giueth as well to the vngodly as to the godly as health wealth riches honour strength beautie comelinesse of personage wife children learning c. There are some good things which God giueth to the godly and not to the vngodly as sauing faith sauing grace a new heart a right spirit peace of conscience eternall life There are some euill things which God layeth vpon the godly as well as the vngodly as weaknesse of bodie sicknesse sorrowes losse of friends famine sword imprisonment There are some euill things which God inflicteth vpō the vngodly and not vpon the godly as intolerable horror of conscience incurable desperatiō vnmeasurable tormēts in hel Finally this general mercy of God feedeth the foules of the heauen the fishes of the sea the beasts of the field His mercy is ouer all his workes Psal 145.9 The speciall mercy of God is that which extendeth it selfe onely to the elect This saued zealous Dauid from the bloody rage of furious Saul This preserued righteous Lot from the vnquenchable burning of Sodome and Gomorrah This deliuered holy Daniel from the tearing lawes of hungry deuouring Lions and Shadrach Mesach and Abednago from the consuming flames of a fiery furnace Si dic as salus mea intelligo quia dat salutem on 58. Psalme Si dic as refugium meum intelligo quia confugis ad eum If thou saith Austen say The Lord is my health and saluation I vnderstand thee because hee giueth thee health and saluation If thou say the Lord is my refuge I vnderstand thee because in all thy miseries and necessities thou fliest vnto him If thou say the Lord is my strength I vnderstand thee because he giueth thee strength But if thou say the Lord is my mercy what is this but that all that I am is onely of thy mercy God looketh vpon the reprobate as an angry iudge with a cloudie countenance but hee beholdeth his adopted children in Christ Iesus as a mercifull father with a gracious louing countenance This is that blessing which the godly man aboue all blessings requireth Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. The temporary mercy of God is that wherby he spareth sinners and giueth them a time to repent that they may be saued Whence it is that when wee would slip from God his mercy catcheth and holdeth vs fast When vaine pleasures allure vs to sell God and bee gone his mercy will not so part with vs When we are lost in our selues his mercy findeth vs out When wee lie long in our sinnes his mercy raiseth vs vp When we come vnto him his mercy receiueth vs When wee come not his mercy draweth vs When wee repent his mercy pardoneth vs When wee repent not his mercy waiteth our repentance In tentation his mercy strengtheneth vs In strong despaire his mercy relieueth vs From errors his mercy reclaimeth vs out of troubles his mercy deliuereth vs In sorrowes heauinesse of hart his mercy comforteth vs he that asketh obtaineth he that seeketh findeth he that knocketh Austen on the◠144. Psal hath the dore of Gods mercy opened vnto him Dat veniam peccatori spem iustificationis charitatem in qua omnia bona facias dabit vitam aeternam societatem Angelorum Gods mercy giueth pardon to thee a sinner hope of iustification loue wherein thou maiest doe all good and Gods mercy will giue thee eternall life and the company of holy Angels The sempiternall mercy of God is that which concernes our eternall saluation election creatiō redēption glorification This mercy of God is speciosa spaciosa praetiosa Beautifull in creating vs after his own image likenes bountiful in redeeming vs with the pretious blood of his Son and pretious in glorifying vs in the kingdome of glory Elegit in omnibus assumpsit ex omnibus amauit prae omnibus He chose vs amongst all hee tooke vs out of all he loued vs aboue all Hence is it that the Apostle saith the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2.4 rich in mercy Rich in mercy because the treasury of his mercy is neuer exhausted the fountaine neuer dried vp Rich in mercy because he neuer ceaseth to communicate the riches of his mercies to vs. Rich in mercy because hee pardoneth all our sins vpon our true repentance our great Maxima media minuta middle smallest sinnes Rich in mercy because hee not onely pardoneth all our sinnes vpon our true repentance but giueth vs repentance and faith to beleeue the remission of our sinnes Rich in mercy because hee giueth vs priuatiue grace to escape euils and positiue enabling vs to do good Finally rich in mercy because he preuenteth vs with mercy before wee seeke him and followeth vs with mercy when wee haue found him In a word the mercy of God signifieth three things First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vim miserendi a power ability pronenes of the diuine nature to shew mercy The second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actum miserendi miserationem the very act of shewing mercy euen as a father sheweth mercy to his children Psal 103.13 so doth the Lord shew mercy to them that feare him The third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effectum opus misericordiae the very effects and workes of mercy Psal 17.7 Shew thy maruellous mercies thou that art the sauiour of all them that put their trust in thee Tantas audis Dei misericordias Dost thou heare so many and so great mercies of God and dost thou doubt of thy safegard in this life of thy saluation in the life to come Dicat anima mea dicat secura tu domine Deus meus qui dicit animae meae ego salus tua Let my soule saith Austen say boldly securely confidently Thou O Lord art my God which saith vnto my soule I am thy saluation By this it appeareth how great a blessing the Apostle wisheth in wishing mercy Mercy be vnto you The second blessing which the Apostle prayeth for is peace Peace be vnto you Peace is twofold the one bad the other good the former an appearing peace Pax apparens vera the latter true and sincere peace Bad peace is threefold pax inquinata pax simulata pax inordinata defiled dissembled inordinate peace Defiled and polluted peace is when wicked men cōspire combine and band themselues together to doe euill and mischiefe to the good and godly In league either to doe all the mischiefes villanies and outrages they can hauing respect of neither friends nor foes as robbers rebels traitors Est daemonum legio concors Austen there is an agreement among the diuels in Mary Magdalen of seuen in an other of a whole legion Such a diuellish agreement was amongst those inhumane barbarous bloody gunpowder traitors Indigni vita indigni luce fuerunt vnworthy of life vnworthy of the light Perierunt
THE HOLY SALVTATION OF THE BLESSED APOSTLE Saint Jude to the Saints and seruants of God PREACHED AT PAVLS Crosse the seuenteenth of Nouember Anno Dom. 1611. By FRANCIS TOMLINSON Preacher of the Word and Chaplaine to the Right Honourable the Lord Ellesmere Lord High Chancellor of England and Chancellor of Oxford Quibus parum vel quibus nimium mihi ignoscant quibus autem satis est non mihi sed domino mecum gratias agant AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for George Norton dwelling neare Temple barre 1612. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL RELIGIOVS AND VERTVous Knight Sir THOMAS LVCIE high Sheriffe of Warwick-shire mercy peace and loue bee multiplied RIght Worshipfull when I was called by my Lord of London to preach at Pauls Crosse I resolued with my selfe to answere with Moses Exod. 5.10 I am not eloquent but slow of speech slow of tongue with Ieremie Ier. 1.6 I cannot speake for I am a child in vnderstanding with Iohn Baptist non sum dignus Matth. 3.11 I am not worthie and with Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.9 I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to bee called an Apostle neuerthelesse being commanded I did obey obeying spake speaking feared rather a reprouing then an approuing of that I spake howbeit beyond all desert and desire it pleased some of friendship and affection to commend others of fauour and good conceit euen then conceiued instantly to vrge that my poore paines might be printed which I vtterly refused as vnworthy to see the light since I vnderstand by some that some haue giuen out that if I will not giue a true and perfect copie they will put it out in parts peeces and imperfect as they tooke it of two euils therefore I haue chosen the lesse chusing rather to vndergo the hard censures of such as are more readie to censure others then doe any good themselues then to suffer this simple Sermon without my knowledge and consent to be thrust forth in imperfect notes I affect not popular praise nam quis ego sum aut quae est in me facultas Neither doe I respect the vncharitable censures of Papists â—usten Atheists Schismatickes for qui volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae He which with his will impaires my name against his will augments my reward But my desire is onely that my poore talent may bee imployed to Gods glory let God be glorified by me and let me still bee vilified for Gods sake Not vnto mee O Lord not vnto mee but to thy holy name giue the glory That I am bold to shroud these first fruits of my simple labours vnder your Right Worshipfull patronage besides priuate causes your Zeale of Gods glory delight in Gods sacred word great loue to learning and religion good fauours towards Gods Ministers haue deseruedly inuited mee macte virtute esto goe forward I beseech you in godlines encrease in grace grow from strength to strength from vertue to vertue be constant in the faith stoutly defend the truth earnestly contend for the truth let not the cunning Papist seduce you nor the malecontent Schismaticke insinuate himselfe into you nor the godlesse Atheist ring and sing in your eares diuellish charmes but honour him sincerely which will honour you loue him feruently which loueth you delight in him chiefly which delighteth in you cleaue to him inseparably which will neuer forsake you sed quid verbis opus vbi nihil opus I know you doe it Phil. 1.3.4.5 and I thanke my God hauing you in perfect memorie alwaies in all my prayers praying with gladnesse because of the fellowship which you haue in the Gospell from the first day I knew you till now yet as Paul Syluanus and Timotheus gaue hearty thanks to God for the Thessalonians that they had receiued the Gospell in such sort that they were examples not onely to them of Macedonia and Achaia 1. Thes 1.2.7 but also to the Christians in all quarters so doe they earnestly desire them to continue according to their good beginnings cap. 4.1 we beseech you brethren say they and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye encrease more and more as ye haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walk please God as if they shuld haue said we do not command you as Lords ouer you as now the Pope doth sic volo sic iuiubeo stat pro ratione voluÌ„tas as CoÌ„stantius that Arian Emperour quod ego volopro canone sit but we beseech entreat and exhort you by the Lord Iesus that if you respect and reuerence Christ if you feare him as a Lord and loue him as Iesus suffer the words of exhortation for wee speake from him and for him In like maner I beseech you Right worshipfull giue me leaue currenti addere calcar Seneca habet hoc proprium generosus animus vt excitetur ad honesta It is proper to a noble minde to bee excited to honest actions and seeing I know that you know in religione vera virtus in virtute vera nobilitas and that nulla vera religio sine sapientia Lactantius nec vlla vera sapientia fine religione Pardon my Zealous affection and tender care of your euerlasting good enforceing mee to beseech you to goe forward in good things and encrease more and more in godlinesse for declining in religion brings a staine of honour and a decay euen of temporall portion I feare it not in you for as it is no small comfort to mee often to call to mind the tractablenesse willingnesse readinesse I found in you to drink in thirstingly the principles of religion when I taught you also the rudiments of Grammar so is it and euer shall be my great comfort not onely to heare of it but often to be an eye and eare witnesse of your zeale for the truth of God I meane your resolute constancy and constant resolution to defend the truth against malicious Papists malecontent Schismaticks and miscreant Atheists continue in the same fight the good fight stir vp that gift of God which is in you be faithfull vnto the end and in the end you shall receiue the end of your faith euen the saluation of your soule In the meane time I humbly beseech you to pardon my importunate boldnesse and accept of this poore widdowes mite as an vndoubted testimonie of my vnfained affection towards you in the Lord. Now the Lord of Lords enlarge his mercies more and more towards you perpetuate to you an honourable name and memory amongst his faithfull seruants in this present life and crowne you with an endlesse crowne of glory in the life to come Your worships in all dutifull affection FRANCIS TOMLINSON THE HOLY SALVTATION OF the blessed Apostle S. Iude. IVDE 1.2 1 Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ and brother of Iames to them that are called and sanctified of God the Father and reserued to Iesus Christ 2 Mercie vnto you and peace and loue
Christ Nomen istud culpa meruit non natura De ciuitate Dei lib. 19. cap. 15. This name of seruant saith S. Augustine not nature but sin deserued for the name of seruant was neuer heard of till Noah cursed Canaan the sonne of Cham who discouered his fathers nakednes Genes 9.25 Cursed bee Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be Hence it may bee that the Pope is stiled Seruus seruorum a seruant of seruants for he is a seruant of seruants that serueth not Christ Seruants by office calling and profession they are which being called obey and offer their seruice to God and to his sonne Christ Iesus these are of two sortes for men are either the seruants of God generally or particularly generally they are all the seruants of God which acknowledge him for their Lord dedicate themselues wholly to his seruice endeuour to doe his will and for his sake patiently yea gladly suffer afflictions Iames 1.2 persecutions crosses losses derisions death it selfe hi veri serui veri Dei these are true seruants of the true God Such seruants bond and free male and female rich and poore noble and ignoble learned and vnlearned Prince and people must be and will be if they will be saued particularly and specially they are the seruants of God and of Christ who in some seuerall and chiefe calling do seruice to God aduance his glorie promote Christs kingdome Thus magistrates supreme and subordinate in common wealthes thus Arshbishops Bishops ministers of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a special seruice are the seruants of God of Iesus Christ both these latter wayes as wel by condition as by vocation the Apostle Iude professeth himselfe the seruant of Iesus Christ by condition because by Christ he was freed redeemed and deliuered from the slauerie of sinne and tyrannie of Satan by office and calling because not only in his generall calling but chieflie in his particular the Apostleship he carefully and faithfully performed his seruice to his Lord and Master Iesus Christ The third thing to bee considered in this Apostle is his alliance or kinred the brother of Iames not the brother of Iames the sonne of Zebedaeus and brother of Iohn which Iames was killed by Herod Acts 12.2 but the brother of Iames the sonne of Alphaeus and Mary Claephas the sister of the blessed Virgin Mary and so the cosen german of Iesus Christ He calleth himselfe the brother of Iames for two respects the one to distinguish himselfe from Iudas Iscariot the sonne of Simon Iohn 6.70 whom our Sauiour calleth a deuill Nonne vos duodecim elegi Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill the other to winne more credite not to his person but to his doctrine that all men might know that this Epistle was penned not by Iudas the traitor but by Iudas the brother of Iames the iust Dictum clari hominis facile admittitur and therefore might more reuerently receaue it and more religiously regard it Thus much for explication now to application First whereas the name of Iudas was giuen to Iscariot the traitor as wel as this holy Apostle Thaddaeus both hauing a like outward calling both a like office both Apostles of Iesus Christ yet this man good and godlie that wicked and vngodly Wee clearely see that it is not the name title or office that makes a good man but the grace and mercy of God Iob. 32.9 for as the learnedst clarks haue not alwayes bin the wisest men so the greatest in place either in Church or Common wealth haue not alwayes bin the best men If outward titles and high places Freno indorato non fà megliora il cauallo could make men vertuous religious holy godly the seruants of Iesus Christ Iudas Iscariot might haue bin as good godly holy as this Apostle yea before him for Iscariot was Christs steward his pursebearer disburser of all things for Christ and his companie and yet behold a thiefe a traytor a deuill the like may be said of Saule Ahab Ieroboam Rehoboam Absolon Achitophel Haman Herod what need we go so farre for examples Dominobis ista nascuntur we haue plenty of these neare home passing ouer some which haue bin Kings Counsellors Archbishops Bishops Iudges Magistrates Ministers of the word in this land I passe to Rome and demand whether high places the highest on earth as papists affirme hath made Pope Siluester the second a sorcerer negromancer magus diabolicus a deuilish magitian one that gaue himselfe to the deuill Pope Alexander the sixth a most prodigious filthie fellow cuius auaritiae totus non sufficit orbis cuius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis whose couetousnesse a whole world could not satisfie whose filthinesse all the whores in the world could not satisfie Pope Hildebrand reipub et ecclesiae pestis perturbator the very plague and disturber of Church and common wealth good godly holy men yet the Pope cannot erre either in life or doctrine Christ hath prayed for Peter and Peters successors that their faith should neuer faile So that though Siluerster the second Alexander the sixth Hildebrà nd became firebrands in hell yet all the Popes that haue bin or shal be shal be saued Bernard hanc misericordiam nole I desire no such mercy at Gods hand But ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos by their fruits saith our Sauiour you shall know them Ierem. Non locus homines sed homines locum sanctificant Non omnes filij sanctorum qui loca sancta tenent they are not all the sonnes of Saints nor Saints themselues which hold the places of Saints God oftentimes bestoweth vpon wicked and vngodly men high titles and great places partly to their greater condemnation Celsae grauiore casu decidunt turres Seneca S◠mons sublimis profundior est tibi vallis feriuntque summos fulmina montes The mighty shall bee mightily tormented and partly for the punishment of vngratefull people as to Saul ouer the Israelites Secondly whereas the Apostle Iude pleadeth his calling partly that his doctrine might with more attention and reuerence be receiued and partly to comfort himselfe in his calling assuring himselfe that hee which called him and sent him would blesse him prosper him and be with him wee which are the messengers of God ministers of Christ and Christs mouth must not bee ashamed of our calling but boldly professe and openly plead our calling though scornefully by scorners of religion wee are tearmed priests The Iewes thought they mocked Christ when bowing their knees they cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haile King of the Iewes Matth. 27.29 against their wils they honoured him for indeed hee was the King of the Iewes and Gentiles Qui volens detrabit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae Augustine So when these gracelesse contemners of our glorious calling thinke to vilifie vs by tearming vs priests against their