Adoption he was not carelesse of a holy life of the common Endowment not the grace of Edification the proper Endowment hee was no vnprofitable seruant neyther stood he in the market place idle when hee should labour in his Lords Vineyard Secondly vnto his vse of these gifts there concurred more workers than one Hee tels vs Who they were and What was eyther of their preheminence They were two Himselfe I laboured and Gods grace that laboured also with him Either of these workers had their preheminence St. Paul had He laboured more than all and that in either grace He striued to exceed all in holinesse of Life and in the painefulnesse of his Ministrie As St. Paul had a preheminence in working so had grace also it had a preheminence aboue St. Paules preheminence yea St. Paul doth confesse that hee doth owe all his preheminence in working to the preheminent working of Gods grace I laboured more than all yet not I but Gods grace that was in me When we haue thus considered the particular branches we shall point at two good obseruations that arise out of the whole bodie of the text they are St. Paules Sinceritie and his Modestie Sinceritie in giuing God his due glorie he ascribeth vnto God the originall the gifts the vse of whatsoeuer was good in him or was done well by him And there can be no greater Modestie vsed by a man in speaking of himselfe than St. Paul expressed here in his extenuating and correcting speeches He was a member of Christ a Minister of the Church he mentioneth neither he contenteth himselfe with this commendations I am that I am And for his vse of Gods gifts hee attributeth no more vnto himselfe than that which was next vnto nothing Gods grace bestowed on me was not in vaine so he extenuateth his worth And because hee was to say something more of himselfe to stoppe the mouthes of his maligners I laboured more than all he presently correcteth himselfe as if he had ouer-reached hee drownes all the conceit of his owne eminencie in the contemplation of the much greater preheminence of the grace of God I haue opened the contents of this Scripture which God willing I shall now farther vnfold and haue an eye in vnfolding of them vnto this present occasion And because they will concerne both Pastors and People I shall desire both to follow me with their religious attention First then wee are to see whence the Alteration of St. Paul did spring I might in a generalitie tell you it sprang from Heauen so we find in the Acts of the Apostles De grat 〈◊〉 arbitr cap. 5. and St. Austine hath obserued it And indeede it is no fruit that springeth from the earth the earth may make men of better become worse by reason of mans mutabilitie and the kingdome of darknesse but if of worse men become better the cause thereof must bee sought in heauen Especially if as St. Paul of wolues they become sheep of blasphemers beleeuers of persecuters preachers of the Faith But I told you this heauenly cause is powerfull and mercifull powerfull God is the Cause And the cause cannot be lesse than God for the Alteration is a Creation so it is called by St. Paul 2 Cor. 5. Euery one that is in Christ is a new Creature Now Creation as wee reade in the entrance of our Creede is a worke of an Almighty power And indeed it must bee so for it produceth things either ex non ente simpliciter out of nothing at all or else ex ente non disposito out of that which in nature hath no possibilitie to become that which it is made yea St. Paul meaning to shadow our new Creation by the old chooseth the branch wherein the subiect was so farre from being disposed that it was directly opposite to that which it was made God which commanded light to shine out of darkenesse is he which hath shined into our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. St. Paul Rom. 11. vseth another similitude of graffing a branch of the wilde Oliue into the true but contrary to nature For nature aduiseth to set sweet graffs into sowre stocks and though it be naturall for the stocke to be vehiculum alimenti to conuey the nourishment to the graffe yet naturally virtus temperamenti the qualitie of the iuice is from the graffe not from the stocke But in our supernaturall graffing it is farre otherwise the branch of a wilde Oliue is made partaker not only of the roote but of the fatnesse also of the true Oliue Being then a worke so contrary to nature it must needs be a work of the God of nature And indeed we learne in St. Iohn cap. 1. that the Sonnes of God are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Hee of his owne will begetteth vs by the word of truth that we should be the first fruits of his Creatures Iames 1. As the Cause is most powerfull so is it also most mercifull for the Attribute that preuaileth with God in this worke is grace All good gifts before the fall vouchsafed Angels and men proceeded from his goodnes but after the fall his fauours are ascribed to his mercie which mercie the Scripture vsually vnderstandeth in the name of grace for mercie is nothing else but sauing grace Now grace then importeth free loue Tit. 2. for it excludeth all merit for Quis prior dedit Who euer preuented God in well doing that God should make him amends Grace giueth not merenti to one that deserueth rather it giueth immerenti to an vnworthy person to man polluted with his owne blood grace saith Thou shalt line Ezek. 16. Yea dat contraria merenti grace is indulgent euen before a man is penitent God setteth forth his loue in that when we were enemies Christ dyed for vs Rom. 5. And such was the grace that altered St. Paul as St. Austin obserues vt tam magna efficacissima vocatione conuerteretur Paulus gratia Dei erat sola quia eius merita erant magna sed mala St. Paul doth very iustly ascribe the change that was made in him to this powerfull and this mercifull Cause And seeing we are all by nature children of wrath we must all ascribe our Regeneration to the same Cause Tit. 3. It is worse deceipt than that of Alchemie for a creature to assume vnto himselfe the transforming of a sinner God only can change as earthly mettals so earthly men of vessels of dishonour make vessels of honour of vessels of wood make vessels of gold and of vessels of wrath make vessels of mercie Who is found of them that seek him not and manifested to them that enquire not after him Esay 65. This destroyes the errour of the Pelagians And let them that are receiued into grace remember to whom they are indebted for it it will make
taught that as this people were to be a seed not only according to the flesh but also according to the promise so were they to enter into the Couenant as persons clothed with this double relation to their Ancestors We haue a double birth one from ours mothers wombe the other from the Churches wombe the latter we claime in right of our parents from whom wee haue the former and we should remember that God expects we should bee as well heires of their Faith as of their Lands and not looke otherwise to haue any interest in his Couenant except we be as well children of Israel as of the house of Iacob Well by this time you reasonably vnderstand who the parties are that enter into the Couenant Now I must shew you that Moses whom before I described was their common Minister It is plaine in the text that hee went vp from the people vnto God that is to the mountaine of God as the seuentie supply adde to the representation of God that was vpon the mountaine for that is meant by the name of God And God sent him downe with a message to the people that is plaine in the text God called him out of the mountaine saying thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob c. It may be a question whether Moses went vp before God called as some thinke he did to relate the successe of his embassage to Pharaoh and to receiue instructions what manner of worship God would haue done vnto him in that place in performance of the signe which hee gaue to Moses of good successe or to bee farther directed what the people should now doe These may bee thought reasonable inducements to Moses to goe vp vncalled Others thinke that God called before Moses went vp The reason is because hee had before beene checkt for comming too neere when God first appeared there vnto him it is likely therefore say they hee would be more modest and not ascend before he was called therefore they render the text for God had called him But whatsoeuer is to be thought of this question the whole Chapter putteth it out of question that he went betweene them both that he was Gods mouth to the people and the peoples mouth to God and so was as the Apostle calleth him a Mediator Gal. 3. But least we mistake we must obserue that there is a principall and a Ministeriall Mediator S. Ambrose openeth the difference betweene them Tom. 2. p. 3â—â— the briefe of it is Moses was but a figure whereof Christ was the Truth or to speake in the Apostles words Christ was the sonne and Moses was but the seruant to signifie that there is such distance betwixt God and man that they cannot come together without some interuenient person God appointed properly his sonne to be the Mediator but in a type of him hee appointed Moses And there is a perpetuall succession of such mediating persons in the Clergie which doe administer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they informe vs of Gods mind and present the Churches dutie vnto God and though in a much lower degree then Moses yet we must repute them Mediators Ministeriall Mediators otherwise the word cannot bee vsurped without arrogancie by any meere creature I haue done with the common Minister and come now to the first branch of the solemnitie which is the mutuall stipulation mutuall I say this is worth the marking That God would bee pleased to Contract that may Command this is a great grace done to man for so though wee owe all our dutie to him yet for our performance of it he becommeth now a debtor vnto vs. Not only so but also our good deeds haue a double valuation one of Iustice another of Mercie Gods Iustice when it scanneth them findeth them very meane Mercie setteth a higher rate vpon them it esteemeth them not only as a dutie but as a meanes which by Gods ordinance may acquire a reward So is God pleased to grace our dutie for it hath not this estimate ex dignitate operis for any intrinsecall worth but ex dignatione gratiae out of Gods gracious acceptance The Fathers meant no more by the merit of workes and wee should not differ from the Church of Rome about the word merit if they did not racke it farther It is too much pride to challenge the reward of our workes at Gods Iustice which are happie if we may expect it from his Mercie the rather because the little which God requireth and would accept the best of vs doe not performe as wee should wee need a second that we may haue the benefit of his former grace Though the Stipulation be mutuall yet God maketh the first motion and indeed who should begin in such a worke who can thinke himselfe worthy of such a Contract if it were not offered of God especially being in the state of sinne Nay when it is offered we haue good reason to thinke our selues most vnworthy of it 8. Sam 25. Abigail when Dauids seruants told her that hee would take her to wife bowed her selfe on her face to the earth and said Behold let thy handmaid bee a seruant to wash the feet of the seruants of my Lord. And how then should wee abase our selues when an offer is made vs of marriage to the sonne of God Such hopes could neuer enter into our hearts therefore God must needs preuent vs therein we cannot presume that we shall come so neere him except he vouchsafe thus to fauour vs. But let vs come to the Motion and see whereof he doth remember them From the first time that Moses brought them the message that they should bee deliuered out of Egypt they had shewed themselues vntoward people murmuring vpon the least occasion and repenting that they had hearkened to Gods voice and come out of Egypt God doth not challenge them for this though well he might and the best of vs would haue done we would not haue endured so great vnthankfulnesse but God was more patient Before the contract hee did not so much as reproue them much lesse strike them for their murmuring And how often doth God passe in silence our sinnes and winne vs to our owne good with second fauours when he might iustly punish vs with neglect of the former In steed thereof he recounts those things wherein he had alreadie well deserued of them that the remembrance thereof might make them more willing to enter the couenant by vertue whereof God was pleased to deserue of them much better The workes of God whereof they are put in mind are two The first is that which he had done for them and it was a worke of Iustice he had reuenged the wrongs which they had receiued from the Egyptians The Egyptians were of the posteritie of Cham infamous for Idolatrie Quis nescit qualia demens Aegyptus portenta colat so that there was cause enough why God should destroy the Egyptians though they had nothing to doe with the Israelites but
sit hominem scire arbitror neminem nisi forter cui spiritus diuinitus estenderet Austin de Ciuit. Des lib. 2. cap 16. Non quareâ—dum vbi Gebennae ignis situs sit sed magis quo pacto enitari possit Chrysost Hom. do prâ—mys sanct â—om 1. pag 443. Cyril Alexanâ—in p. 710. and worse Historiographie haue deliuered a great deale of vngrounded stuffe concerning the nature and place of this sire but wee shall doe well to follow the sobrietie of the Fathers Greeke and Latin Touching Hell fire what kind it is of and where in what region of the earth I thinke no man can tell except hee to whom God will bee pleased to reueale it saith Austine and Chrysostome We must not be curious to know where is the place of Hell fire but studie rather how is auoid it Only let vs learne of Nazianzen that there is a double vse of fire for therewith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men are doomed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or they are purified We haue not now to doe with the purgatiue but with the correctiue vse of fire and seeing that fire is the symbol of plagning we must from our fire learne two properties of fire it searcheth most and spareth least it leaueth no part vnseized vpon and looke whereon it seizeth it afflicteth to the vttermost which Nabuchadnezer knew that chose that wherewith to torment the seruants of God yea God himselfe doth shew who therewith destroyed Sodome and Gomorra certainly in the Valley of Hinnom it was so dreadfull that the Holy Ghost was pleased to vse it as a symbole of the tortures of Hell which leaue no part of the tormented vnpained and paineth euery part extreamely Only when we looke vpon our fire wee must obserue two differences betweene that and the fire of Hell First Hell fire goeth farre beyond it in degree well may the torments be like they are not equall Secondly they are vnlike in durance for ours consumeth and is consumed but Hell fire neither wasteth his fuell nor is wasted it selfe both are euerlasting so that let ours afflict neuer so painfully Sie perit â—t possit saepe perâ—â—e Horaque erit tant is vltima nulla malâ—â— it cannot afflict long but hee that is in Hell fire endureth an euerliuing death The tree that growes in the field growes for fuell and it is no wonder to see it proue so but a heauie thing it is for a tree to to become fuell that grew to beare fruit But in this case the case of a barren fruit tree is worse then a tree of the field because a tree of the field may bee cut downe not for fuell but for building but fruit trees are not fit for building and nature hath made this their ineptnesse a priuiledge against the Axe when for the building of stately Palaces the trees of the field goe downe they stand and are not cut downe vntill they giue ouer-bearing fruit and then they are cut downe only for fuell for they are good for nothing else Ezechiel hath a whole Chapter of it wherein as in a glasse wee may behold the condition of a sinner If you put these parts of the Iudgement together you may easily perceiue that they amount to a totall a finall eradication It is totall for if a tree bee cut vp by the roots there is no hope of the branches because the branches haue no life but deriuatiue from the root cut a tree as close to the root as you will Iob will tell you there remayneth still hope of him but it is past hope when the root is dead As the Iudgement is totall so it is finall Chap. â—4 we neuer heard of the second grasting of a tree certainly not of these trees The Parable of the foolish Virgins sheweth that there is no getting in when the doores be shut and that there is no passage from Hell to Heauen Mâ—t. 25. Lâ—â—e 17. Abraham telleth the rich Glutton burning in those flames But of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reprobation of and Bill of Diuorce giuen to to the Iewes I spake enough when I spake of that which they were willed to flie which in former words of this Sermon is called wrath to come wherefore I forbeare to enlarge this point any farther only wishing vncurable Impenitents herein to behold what a feare full thing it is to sall into the hands of the liuing God You haue heard of the persons and the Iudgement that the one of them doth denounce against the other But the Iudgement is not onely threatned but threatned that it shall come vppon them speedily and ouertake them vniuersally the speed is intimated in the first word Now now is the Axe laid to the roote of the tree all the words are present Now is put Now is cut which carrie with them an Emphasis and hasten the repentance of the hearer Before it was calied Wrath to come least therefore they should put it farre from them as the wicked in Amos and the bad seruant in the Gospel and grow Atheisticall scoffers as some doe in Esay and others 2. Peter 3 he is instant wiih them and proposeth this Iudgement as imminent But this seemeth to be a Paradox Iohn was the Harbinger of Christ and with Christ began the Kingdome of grace and how doth he then make it the time of Iudgement so terrible a Iudgement We must therefore obserue that God neuer did any publike remarkable good to magnifie his mercie but he did withall shew the world some notable spectacle of his wrath therein to magnifie his Iustice when Noah was saued the world was drowned and fiue Cities burnt when Lot was deliuered how were the Egyptians destroyed when Israel was set free And when the Gentiles were receiued into the Church what a desolation did hee bring vpon the Iewes God will haue feare and hope still to liue in the hearts of the sonnes of men Adde hereunto that Christs comming is the last offer of Grace both to Iewes and Gentiles he that refuseth now shall neuer speed marke this point pressed by the Apostles both to the Iewes and to the Gentiles This is the reason why the Baptist Christ his Apostles beginne their Preaching with Repent Aâ—â— 13 Acts 14 17. this is as the greatest so the last manuring the tree that proueth not now must needs downe needs into the fire But is not God alwayes putting the Axe to the tree yea verily he maketh daily spectacles of them but to whole Nations he putteth not the Axe euery day hee forbeareth them vntill they haue filled vp the measure of their sinne But if they abuse his patience and long-suffering whereby hee laboureth to draw them to Repentance then they shall find that they haue treasured vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Rom 2 the Axe shall goe vnto the root But in this Iam there are two other remarkable things the one is noted by Saint Ambrose Hine disce quà m Philanthroâ—os
More distinctly to breake vp this Application I will obserue therein Argumentum and Argumentationem What is affirmed and How it is inferred That which is affirmed is in a word this The Religious deuotion of the Militant Church is very powerfull but is not very lasting The Church is here called the Elect of God but we haue to doe with no more of them then are on earth that limitation is in the end of my text wherefore no more of the Church is here mentioned then that which is militant The Church being militant is made deuout by the Crosse the Elect therein are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being conscious to themselues of their owne weaknesse they call for helpe against their aduersaries The text telleth vs to whom and how They call vnto him that is best able and most willing vnto God and to him they call earnestly for they crie and constantly for they cry day and night Such is the religious deuotion of the Church Militant And such deuotion is Powerfull marke with whom and to what effect It is powerfull with him to whom the Church prayeth it preuailes with God And the effect to which it preuaileth is vindicatio cum vindictà the deliuerance of the Church to the vtter confusion of her foes God will auenge his Elect. But yet in this auenging festinat lentè God maketh no more haste then good speed for he forbeareth long and yet he stayeth not so long as to come too late hee will auenge speedily The deuotion is powerfull But it is not very lasting the rest of the text will teach that Neuerthelesse c. though deuotion steed vs so much yet become wee most lither when we should ply our helpe most And here marke first how the word is changed Before our deuotion was called crying here it is called faith There is good reason for the change for Prayer if it be religious is Oratio fidei it is endited by and vttered from our saith This crying faith or faithfull crie hath a wayning the nearer the world is to an end the older it groweth and becommeth weaker The end of the world is here meant by the comming of the Sonne of man at that time the dotage shall I call it or rather death of this deuotion shall appeare for it shall be sought for then but it will not then bee found there will bee then found no such praying as is powerfully deuout These things shall you find in that which is affirmed After that you must see how they are inferred And we shall find that the inference is made strangely but strongly Strangly for whereas God should be a patterne to the best of men here one of the worst of men is made a paterne vnto God And that is strange But yet the conclusion is strong for if there be any sparkle of compassion in stonie hearted man how tender are the bowels of our most gracious Father Whatsoeuer good the best of men will doe God will doe the same insinitely much more You haue the contents of my text what remayneth but that wee beseech God that I may cleere them so plainly and you so religiously entertaine them that whereas the ends of the world are hastening vpon vs our languishing deuotion may so be quickned that we may come with boldnesse to the throne of Grace obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in all our time of need The first particular which I pointed out was the Title that is here giuen to the Church it is here called Gods owne Elect which is all one in the Originall Tongue with Ecclesia the things as well as the words haue a neere cognation And if you looke vpon them well they are though a short yet a full definition of the Church for the Church doth consist of a number of persons exempt from the common condition of men and none can so exempt them but only God More plainly Men by the common condition of their nature since the fall are children of wrath a Masse of Perdition they are without God without Christ without the Spirit without the Couenant without hope without all true life To be elected is to be taken not only out of the number but out of the condition of such wretched men to be made vessels of mercie a new lumpe vnto the Lord to be admitted into Gods house to bee incorporated into Christs bodie to be possessed of the Holy Ghost to be made parties to Gods Couenant partakers of the Communion of Saints and heires of euerlasting life This is the Exemption or Election here remembred And such an Exemption such an Election none can make but God God only can forgiue sinnes release punishments giue grace adopt for sonnes finally doe whatsoeuer was before exprest in the Exemption euerie branch is a Royall Prerogatiue of the King of Heauen But I must not omit to obserue vnto you That if Gods Election I speake not of the eternall Decree but the manifestation thereof in the Church militant there are two Acts. The first is the admission of persons into the outward Congregation and vnto the Sacramentall Obsignation which is nothing else but the outward profession of man that he is a partie to the Couenant of God Deut. 7. Psal 146. and so Moses telleth the Israelites that God hath chosen them to be his peculiar people which is no more then that God hath giuen them his Law which he had not done to euery Nation Rom. 9. Saint Paul addeth more particulars of this kind and in this respect giueth the name of Elect to whole Churches of the Gentiles But besides this Outward there is an Inward Act of Election and that is the operation of the Holy Ghost giuing vnto vs spirituall Wisdome and Holinesse making vs Gods children and members of the mysticall Bodie of Christ And that Church which wee beleeue in the Creed is partaker of both these Acts of Election aswell the Inward as the Outward and these latter are Electi ex Electis whom Christ doth designe when he saith in the Gospel Many are called but few are chosen Because there are none in this world actually of the Church inuisible but those that are in the visible and men cannot distinguish betweene the persons that partake either only one or both of the Acts of Election therefore in my text we will take the definition of a Church in the widest sense according to the rule of Charitie which the Scripture obserues although the power of denotion doth properly concerne the whole visible Bodie by reason of the better part thereof those which are aswell inwardly as outwardly of the Church The vse that wee must make of this definition of the Church is by the first word to be remembred of our Prerogatiue If we doe partake only the outward Act of Election how much are we better then the Heathen that know not the true God nor the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ and are destitute of all those meanes by which
Gods Word which is the first Branch of Iustice The second is Integritie Integritie I told you is Iustitia in facto when iust deeds are squared by iust wordes The Deed heere is Iudging and this word must lead vs to another Chapter the 12. of the 2. of Sam. Where the same Nathan commeth vnto Dauid with a second Message a Message that containeth a performance of that which God promised in the former Message hee promised that if he did sinne hee should smart and there hee maketh him smart hee promised that hee should not so smart but hee should haue good proofe of Gods greater Mercie and there he feeleth it in the Absolution from his sinne So that Gods Deeds in Iudging keepe good correspondencie with his Wordes therefore is Integritie ascribed vnto them for what is the integrity of a Iudge but the true temper of Seuerity and Mercy if God be Iudge the gracious mixture of the Law and the Gospel where both these are put in practice and put in practice as they ought there is Integrity so much is wanting of Integritie as is wanting of these if Seuerity bee administred without Mercy or if Mercy haue not the vpper hand of Seuerity there wanteth Integritie in the gouerment of the Common-weale because he is commanded of God so to temper his Iudgement And God may seeme to come short of his Integritie if hee did not mixe and mixe so his Law with his Gospell as he himselfe being otherwise free hath by promise laid a tie vpon himselfe Hee couenanted with Dauid to administer the Law vnto him and chastise his sinnes but citra condignum with the rod of a Man and not of God He couenanted with him to administer vnto him the Gospell but vltra condignum not after the manner of Men but after the manner of God Thus to administer both Law and Gospell so to dispence Mercy and Seuerity is Gods clearing himselfe in Iudgement I called it his Integritie Ioyne these now together Promissionem et Praestationem the 7. and the 12. of the 2. of Sam. whereof one containeth the promising Word the other the performing Iudgement and couple the Integrity of the Performance with the Fidelity of the Promise and you haue an excellent Picture or Representation of the Iustice wherewith God doth gouerne his Church Now this Iustice must haue its Praise As God is Iust in speaking so must hee bee Iustified as hee is cleare in Iudging so must hee be clarified that I may so say that is glorified These two Verbes doe not import that the Creature can infuse any perfection into the Creator will wee nill wee these things are in him Fidelitie is inseperable from his wordes and Integrity from his Iudgements all that can be done by vs is Cognitio Recognitio we are bound to take notice of them and not to smother our knowledge but yeeld God the glory that is due vnto them To this end doth God manifest his perfections vnto the reasonable Creature and in their owne Cases doe they feele and see in other Mens Cases the experience of them Saint Paul seemeth to read the latter part of the Text otherwise then here is exprest for hee hath Rom. 3.4 that thou mightest ouercome when thou art iudged whereas heere it is that thou mightest be cleare when thou iudgest They are not words of a contrary meaning but Saint Pauls Text which followeth the Septuagint doth adde an obseruation ouer and aboue that which you haue heard that is Though God be Iudge of all the world yet worldly men sticke not to take vpon them to iudge God yea and God is pleased to put his Iustice vpon tryall as wee read Esay 1. Micah 6. and elsewhere so carefull is hee that not onely his proceedings be iust but his Iustice euident also so euident as that whosoeuer shall contend with him in Iudgement shall bee driuen to yeeld The best haue oftentimes doubts and disputes they question Gods Integritie how the Gospell and the Law can stand together and God at the same time condemne and absolue and yet bee iust God would settle their consciences Vnbeleeuers not onely quarrell with but deny also Gods Integritie but the Mouthes of all gainsayers shall bee stopped they shall bee forced to subscribe to confesse that God is cleare in Iudging free from all drosse of contradiction that Mercy and Truth may kisse each other and the Law goe hand in hand with the Gospell as after appeares And so haue I declared vnto you the praise of Gods Iustice I come now to shew you the reference that it hath vnto K. Dauids sin which that I may the better do you must obserue that the former words Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight may be vnderstood either Materialiter or Formaliter as a Description of sinne or a Supplication of a sinner Some vnderstand them after the latter fashion and so King Dauid Non not at finem peccati sed precationis hee noteth not the end of his Sinning but the end of his Praying Non dicit quo fine fecerit Malum sed quo fine nunc faciat bonum hee doth not shew vs whereat he aymed when he sinned but what he desireth now heeprayeth Hee desireth that as in amplifying of his sinne hee doth by a Comparison amplifie Gods Iustice for Contraria iuxta posita magis elucescunt Vertue neuer shineth more gloriously then when vice is made a foile vnto it so his recouery may bee a Monument of Gods Mercy And we may well propose vnto our selues in our confession the setting forth of Gods glory and this may be the end of it yea comfortles were our Confession if it were not for this end God would not accept it neither should wee haue good of it the more we humble our selues to magnifie God the more wee doe our duty and the more wee shall tast of his Mercy To make good this sense some take in some of the former words I acknowledge my sinnes yea goe backe as farre as the beginning of the Psalme Haue Mercy vpon me O Lord. And indeed those two must concurre the humble Repentance of a sinner and the gracious Indulgence of a good God that God may be iustified in his sayings and cleare when he his iudged O Lord saith Gregorie if thou doe not forgiue the Penitent thou wilt haue none to whom thon mayst performe thy Couenant Ruffinus and diuers other Fathers doe amplifie this sense and restraine it to the particular Case of King Danid as if the gracious promise in the 7th of the the 2. of Sam must needs fall to the ground if the indulgence specified in the 12th of the 2. of Sam. had not released the forfeiture which God might haue taken for King Dauids sinne Though this be a religious and a true sense of the word yet hath Saint Paul taught vs another that doth better fit the Contexture Rom. 3.4 wherefore Saint Chrysostome and
that the speaking here meant is Verbum Mysticum though the letter immediately note Dauid and his Posteritie yet in them the Holy Ghost representeth Christ and his Church here can be no question but the promise that in Christ is made to the Church hath a temper of the Law the Gospell the Church in all Ages doth experience the truth thereof Wherefore we must take the Text vnto our selues and make vse of it in our owne Case we haue no more promised then Dauid had nor shall we feele lesse then he did as his so ours both Verbum Iudicium Promise and Performance are mixt of the Law and the Gospell but so that the Gospell hath the vpper hand of the Law Deus vincit malum bono God doth euer ouer come euill with Good Non ex merito Peccati sed ex beneficio Misericordiae Non ex dignitate nostra sed dignatione suâ Not that sinne deserueth this at his hands but God is pleased to shew the goodnesse of his Nature and to be gracious vnto vs when we carrie our selues gracelesly towards him And indeed it argueth wonderfull Goodnes when it is vouchsafed to such as are so vnworthy thereof The vse of all that you haue heard serueth first to direct our faith vnto its true obiect which I told you is Verbum mixtum we must so apprehend a Mercifull God as that we forget not that hee is Iust and so remember that he is iust that we forget not that he is Mercifull we cannot omit eyther of these but we shall either presume or despaire if wee forget him to be iust we will bee apt to presume and bee apt to despaire if we forget him to be Mercifull But we must add a Cautionarie Rule in this limitation of the Obiect of our Faith and that is wee must not apprehend Gods Mercy and his Iustice as Coordinata but as Subordinata I speake not of them as these things are in God for so they are more then Coordinata they are in his simple nature all one but as they shine in the effects which are produced by him for so they are alwaies Subordinate In those that are Vasaira we may perceiue that Mercy is subordinate to Iustice for the fauours that they receiue out of Gods Mercy through their abuse of them serue but to set a sharper edge vpon the sword of Gods Iustice But in those that are Vasa Misericordiae the Iustice of God is subordinate vnto his Mercy and his strokes on them worke such a godly sorrow and good amendment that Gods mercies are thereby redoubled vpon them Thus must wee learne to conceiue of the true Obiect of our Faith And our Faith so informed will add sinnewes to our Hope For what better support can our Hope haue then Verbū Mixtum to conceiue that God will not suffer vs to runne wild though our Nature bee luxuriant but will timely vse the Law and represse the breaking forth of sinne and correct what is awrie within vs. And when wee smart is it not a comfortable support of Hope that God cannot forget to bee mercifull nor shut vp his louing kindnesse for euer in displeasure He will supple that wound with Oyle which he scoureth with wine and the sweetnes of the Gospell timely administred shall make vs forget all the sowernes that we felt in the Law Finally as this Text serueth to direct our Faith support our Hope so doth it to inflame our Loue for can there bee a greater motiue vnto loue then this Mixtum Verbum for therein we haue reall proofe of Gods Loue therein we finde that hee loueth vs Verè though seuerè though with Correction yet to Saluation And can wee doe lesse then requite loue with loue loue him dutifully that loueth vs so mercifully Neither are we only taught that we must loue God but how we must loue our Neighbour also our Charitie to our Brother must imitate Gods Charity towards vs wee must ioyne therein the Law with the Gospell first humble then comfort them that goe astray so shall wee neither cherish sinne nor yet destroy a sinner And if wee haue the like proofe of this Verbum Mixtum as King Danid had we must giue glory vnto God as Dauid did There is none of vs but sinneth and expecteth fauour let vs not bee Libertines and make Gods fauour the end of our sinne as it is to bee feared ouer many doe but let vs repent and when we repent let vs admire and adore that Diuine Prouidence that with a spirituall indignation doth breake the Serpents Head that bruised our Heele and tread Satan vnder our feete that made vs tread awry let vs consider the reason why the hainousnesse of our sinne doth not depriue vs of Heauen which is onely this that God will be good vnto vs for his owne Name sake 1. Sam. 12. because he hath chosen vs to bee his Children and therefore let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.2 but vnto thy Name giue the prayse In a word Let Gods dealing with vs teach vs how we should deale with others wee must doe them good notwithstanding they deserue euill Let vs not suffer our selues to be ouercome with euill Rom. 12 2◠but ouercome euill with good PSAL. 51. VERSE 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceiue mee THe sinne which King Dauid confesseth in this Psalme is partly that which himselfe Committed partly that which he Inherited from his parents of that which himselfe Committed I haue already spoken whrefore I must now come on and open vnto you that which he Inherited It is exprest in these words which now I haue read vnto you here King Dauid doth Acknowledge and Plead it hee acknowledgeth 1. what this sinne is and 2. that himselfe is taynted with it hee pleades it in great humility the strongest motiue to worke Gods pitty These poynts offer themselues in this Text and of these will I now speake briefely and in their order I beginne at his Acknowledgement whereof the first branch teacheth vs what Sinne inherited is But before I open it vnto you I may not omit a good Obseruation of Gregorie the Great which sheweth vs how this point of confessing Sin inherited In Psal 5. springeth from the confession of other sinnes which our selues haue Contracted Saepe dùm quaedam malè gesta plangimus ipsa vi amaritudinis ad discutiendos nos excitati alia nobis plangenda inuenimus c. He that is seriously penitent for one sinne is rowsed by godly sorrow to make a farther inquirie into himselfe which leades him to a discouerie of many other sinnes which his memorie or his Conscience passed by vnregarded but whereof hee then becomes so sensible that he thinkes thē worthy to be repented of heartily Certainely Dauid did so he is not only pressed and burthened with the conscience of Adulterie and of his Murder but he is pained also
King Dauid spake no more in his owne person then may beseeme the person of euery man especially if he be a Christian And therefore his practise should be a patterne vnto euery one of vs we are as hee was Si Dauid talis Rex talibus parentibus in peccato natus quanto magis Nos The fountaine of Corruption runnes as high now as euer it did well may wee deeme our selues worse better without intolerable arrogancy wee cannot deeme our selues therefore his Ecce Behold will well beseeme vs and we may well fall as low as he in the Confession of our sinnes I presse this the rather because this is a secret which Philosophers could not Hereticks would not know and so indulgent are we to our selues that we are too willing to be ignorant of at least to forget that which our proud nature doth not easily brooke The lesse the Old man doth like it the more should the New man studie it And that we studie it not in vaine let vs all pray God that wee may haue Grace to exemplifie so good a Sampler that we may so deepely launce our Spirituall woundes as that they may be the better cured by our Heauenly Physitian and the more seuere we are against our selues we may finde our Sauiour more mercifull vnto vs. Amen PSAL. 51. VERS 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisedome Kâ—ng Dauid in that Vow which in this Psalme hee maketh for himselfe prayeth that he may bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace To this end hee layeth open his own wickednes and layeth hold vpon Gods goodnesse how he layeth open his own wickednesse you haue heard at seuerall times as I vnfolded the verses that goe before and you shall God willing heare particularly how he layeth hold vpon the goodnesse of God as I shall haue opportunitie to expound vnto you the following verses But my Text commeth in betweene these two maine poynts so that it is hard to say to whether of them it referreth most for surely it may fairely be referred to either of them it may bee referred either to King Dauids vnfained repentance for his sinne or steadfast considence in the mercy of God therefore it is diuersly expounded by others and it will not bee amisse if I shew you how the words looke backward and forward respect King Dauids either godly sorrow or hope of Grace To come to the Text The argument of it is remarkeable Sinceritie Sincerity is fitly described in these words truth in the inward parts without truth there can be no Sinceritie but the truth that maketh perfect Sincerity must be in the inward parts Touching this Sincerity wee are moreouer taught first of what regard it is secondly how we may attayne it It is of principall regard because entertayned with the best affection that is Delight and this affection is in the greatest person it is in God God desireth this truth in the inwards parts But how may it be had surely not without diuine instruction of our inward man The inward man is noted by the secres part that must be furnished with good grounds which here are meant by Wisdome and this wisedome must come from Heauen God must make vs know it These particulars wherein Sincerity is set forth in this Text are remarkeable particulars so wee are taught by the first word behold Behold they are euident they may not be denied Behold they are vsefull euery one must make his profit of them And so haue I set before you the contents of this Scripture which I shal now farther enlarge as the time shall permit and we may best be edified But before I doe enter vpon the distinct poynts I must acquaint you with the Language of the holy Ghost which vseth often times to mention parts of our bodies when it meaneth the powers of our soules the reason whereof is in vulgar experience because so long as the soule dwelleth in the body the powers therof in their working make some sensible impression vpon the parts of our body those parts which euen for this cause haue by the wisest Philosophers and most iudicious Physicians been reputed the proper seats if not of the whole soule yet of the seuerall faculties therof My Text doth occasion me to instance in two parts the Kidneys and the Heart which are here to bee vnderstood though in the translation they are not exprest in the Originall the Kidneys are plainely mentioned which because they are two therefore they are translated parts and those inward or hidden parts because in the body the Kidneys are vsually couered with fat The Heart is a single entrall and therefore called by the name of a part also a hidden part because of the couerings wherein it pleased God that naturally the heart should be inwrapt vpon these two parts seuerall powers of our soule doe worke at least when they worke or are wrought there will be some sence thereof in these parts in the Kidneys of Affections as of Resolutions in the Heart this euery man that obserues himselfe may easily assure himselfe to be true Hauing thus opened vnto you the reason why the Holy Ghost thus speaketh let vs now come and looke a little farther into the things By the inward parts then are meant the Kidneys and by the Kidneys the Affections that discouer themselues therein now our Affections haue long since by those that haue been curious obseruers of them been reduced vnto foure Heads wherof two are exercised with Euill and two with Good Euill if it be absent wee feare and if it be present we Grieue as for Good that which we haue not we Desire and we ioy in that we haue To apply this to my Text I told you that it looketh backward and forward to Dauids Repentance and to his Confidence If to Repentance then to Euill malum culpae the Euill of sinne for which hee Grieued and malum poenae the wages of Sinne which he iustly Feared If to Confidence then to Good to Mercy which so farre as he had receiued hee ioyed in and desired so much as he had not yet receiued These are those inward parts the affections of King Dauids soule that are to bee vnderstood in this place in these it is that Sincerity must appeare so much is intimated by the word Truth But what is Truth surely nothing else but a conformitie of one thing to another whereof the one is the Sampler and the other is the exemplification All that is in mans nature receiued its being from God and was formed according to the patterne of Gods eternall decree which hee exprest in the Creation and which hee often toucheth at in the reproofes which taxe the obliquities of our nature we should bee in our Affections as God first made vs and that is the first Truth required in them a Truth that is opposed vnto vanity that vanity which doth dimimish the wel-being of
is not the first time that we are beholding to Gods grace the very word Regeneration may teach we had this cleane heart and right spirit when we were first created for wee were created after Gods image sinne lost it grace restored it now you know that if a Tenant forfeit his Lease and a Land-lord after re-entry restore it to him againe this is a worke of his goodnesse which is more then a worke of his ability for many are able and doe it not therefore if any being able doe it the inducement is not his ability but his goodnesse the like must we conceiue of God it was his pittying mercie that imployed his almighty power to repaire what we had ruined to recouer what we had lost to restore what we had forfeited a cleane heart and a right spirit Finally both the creating and the renewing are actus continui workes that God neuer intermitteth otherwise we should quickly come to nothing or rather which is worse then nothing become fire-brands of hell for wee dayly forfeit by sin and God may daily take aduantage of our breach of his Couenant Adde hereunto that our Regeneration is not in facto but in fieri and therefore needeth a perpetuall influence and supportance for this cause though Dauid were now in the state of grace yet doth he begge grace of God though God had created in him a cleane heart yet doth he desire that God would create a cleane heart in him and though he bad renewed in him a right Spirit yet doth he pray that God would renew a right Spirit within him so doth he wisely prouide against forfeitures and religiously beg the increase of that which he had receiued But I conclude sicut rogauit Dauid it a debet vnusquisque nostrûm saith S. Hierom Dauids prayer is a praier that beseems vs all we all beare about vs a body of sin and we should all desire that it might be abolished We should indeed but who doth who doth enquire into the vncleannesse of his heart and the crookednesse of his spirit or who taketh notice whether there be in him at all any part of Regeneration nay who doth shew that there is any Nazianzene Oratione 43. writing de Encaeâ—ijs doth giue a good obseruation how a man should know whether his heart haue any part in this Creation or his spirit in this Renouation yesterday thou wert a time seruer to day thou art not ashamed of thy Sauiour Christ yesterday thou didst affect the praise of men to day thou settest more by an honest life yesterday thou wert delighted with vain spectacles to day thou art giuen to diuine meditations c. if thou find such a change Haec mutatio dextrae excelsi God hath put to his mercifull power to make thee a new man if it be otherwise with thee and the day following find thee as bad as thou wert the day before thou hast no part in Regeneration A fearfull case because the Psalmist mouing the question to God Psal 24. Who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place answers Euen he that hath innocent hands and a pure heart Wherfore be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds put on the New-Man Eph. 4.25 which after God is created in righteousnes true holines or because this is a worke too hard for any one of vs Let vs euery one pray with K. Dauid in this place Create in me a clean heart ô God renew a right spirit within me AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from mee KIng Dauids desire set forth in the first part of this Psalme is that hee may be restored vnto and preserued in the state of grace How he desires to bee restored you haue hitherto seene you haue seene how hee sueth first in generall that Gods Mercie would relieue his Miserie Gods great mercy his deepe miserie Secondly in speciall how hee brancheth his owne sinne and Gods grace hee confesseth sinne which himselfe committed and that which he inherited from his parents and hee beggeth a two-fold grace that the cure may be proper to each kind of sinne finally he would not haue a plaister narrower then his sore nor a medicine that could not throughly remedy his disease Thus he desires to be restored But to be restored is not enough a Penitents desire must carrie him farther for how shall it appeare that hee doth vnfainedly sorrow for sinne and affect goodnesse except he be as desirous to continue in as to bee brought vnto the state of grace 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Nay Saint Peter will tell vs that it were better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after wee haue knowne it to returne like dogges to our vomit and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Wherefore the second desire was necessarie for King Dauid and must bee exemplarie vnto vs. Let vs come then to it It is set downe in this and the following Verse and conceiued in a double prayer first in deprecation and secondly in supplication a prayer against that which King Dauid deserued and a prayer for that without which King Dauid could not perseuere we will meddle now onely with the former prayer But in the passage I may not forget a good note of Saint Bernards where he commends King Dauids method Serm. 3. de Penticost and obserues that after hee hath prayed Create in me a cleane heart O Lord renew a right spirit within me he prayeth seasonably Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me When we offend we fall into sinne and out of fauour and when we repent wee must not desire to be receiued into fauour vntill we are first acquitted from sinne otherwise wee shall betray that we wish there were no Sanction of the Law but as for the transgression of the Law we are not much moued therwith wheras the least sinne must be more irkesome to a repenting soule then the most grieuous punishment But let vs breake vp this prayer wherein I will note two things 1. the Manner and 2. the Matter the manner is a prayer against the matter is that which King Dauid deserued Now that which he deserued comprehends two fearefull iudgements 1. Reiection and 2. Depriuation I will cleare these two tearmes vnto you While we are in the state of grace wee haue communion with God and God hath communion with vs God receiueth vs into his family and we attend him we weare his liuerie and are knowne to belong vnto him the first giueth vs free accesse vnto his presence and the second is a participation of his holy spirit Sinne as much as lieth in it dissolues both these communions for we deserue by it first that God discharge vs of his seruice giue vs no longer place in his family which is that which I called Reiection Secondly we deserue that God take from
would receiue and something that hee must render render out of thankfulnesse for that which out of the goodnesse of God he receiues I haue ended the first of these two parts King Dauids desire hath beene vnfolded vnto you the briefe whereof is he desired to be restored vnto and preserued in the state of grace Let vs now goe on and heare King Dauids Promise heare what he will render thankfully if God vouchsafe mercifully to grant his desire King Dauid doth promise that hee will religiously serue God this is the summe of his promise But in the pursuite of this point we shall be led to see first of what kind his seruice is and then what reason hee giueth for his choice Gods seruice is either Morall or Ceremoniall The seruice which King Dauid doth promise is morall this is plaine in my Text and the two following verses Will you know the reason of this his choice You haue it in the 16. and 17. verses the reason is Gods good pleasure his choice is guided by that God delighteth more in Morall then in Ceremoniall seruice absolutely he doth so and especially in pacification for such enormous such hainous sinnes But let vs looke into the Morall seruice which he promiseth there me thinkes the first thing I see is that Kiing Dauid hath sped of that which he desired last He desired a free a liberall Spirit and surely but from a free a liberall spirit so large a promise could not proceed His promise taketh vp both Tables of the Decalogue his dutie to God his dutie to his Neighbour His dutie to his Neighbour he will edifie others his dutie to God he will glorifie him At this time I will insist only vpon his promise to edifie his Neighbour for that is the proper argument of my text wherein I shall shew you first seuerally what Meanes he vseth and what Successe he hoped for The Meanes are the teaching of Gods wayes Gods wayes the best of lessons but such a lesson as cannot be knowne without teaching His Successe is the conuersion of those that are taught But more distinctly in the teaching wee must consider Quis Quos who is the Master and what Schollers hee taketh in hand The Master is King Dauid King Dauid newly conuerted by grace Ego docebo I will teach But whom Transgressors Sinners those that are such as I was and indeed such Schollers need such a Master those that goe astray such a one as is newly returned home This we must obserue in the Teaching And in the Conuerting we must moreouer obserue Vnde Quo from Whence and vnto whom these Schollers shall returne Whence that is implyed in their name Transgressors Sinners then must they returne from their transgressions and from their sinnes that is from their owne wayes But whether vnto God from whom they went vnto him they must returne and to returne vnto God is to returne vnto Gods wayes and so to learne the lesson which their Master teacheth them Hauing thus seuerally considered the Meanes and the Successe wee will consider them ioyntly wee will see how fitly they are coupled together There is no true conuersion without teaching and teaching must worke that conuersion which must bring a Sinner vnto God You heare the particulars wherat God willing I shall now touch I pray God I may so doe it that wee may all carrie away a true touch thereof But first you must take a lesson from the connection of the parts of King Dauids vow of his Promise with his Desire and the lesson is wee must not be vnthankfull when God is mercifull vnto vs not that God can be bettered by ought which we doe for the Psalmist doth teach Bonum meum nihil ad te Esal 16. My good reacheth not vnto thee but we should testifie that we receiue not Gods grace in vaine our fruit must shew what trees wee are and because we are it by an others gift Ingenuiest agnoscere imitari benefactorem suum There is no truer character of ingenuitie then an humble acknowledging whose creatures we are and a careful resembling of our Creatour Especially seeing our gifts are bestowed vpon vs not only vt ornamenta but instrumenta not only to recommend vs but also for the good of others We see it in the frame of the whole World in Heauen and in earth neither of them is more beautifull then vsefull yea the more glorious the more commodious are the parts of the Great world which should make our little world blush if wee vse our indowments as many doe their garments for pride and not for profit that fooles may gaze on vs and no body be the better for vs. This lesson we must take in the way Let vs now come to the particulars whereof the first is the meanes that are vsed the teaching of Gods wayes Gods wayes I told you is the best of lessons for wee are in this world Viatores way-faring men and what should way-faring men spend their Studie vpon but that which is answerable to their name that is a Way Yea seeing we are not only wayfaring men but as the Apostle teacheth peregrinamur a Domino 2. Cor. 5. we are absent from the Lord what other wayes should we studie but vias Domini the Lords wayes the wayes that are here mentioned in my Text. Surely that must needes be the safest way for it is sine diuerticulo sine praecipitio it is a very straight way it hath no turnings where a man may lose himselfe and it tends all vpward no feare of tumbling into the gulfe of perdition But the way of the Lord though in it selfe but one is yet considered two wayes first as God doth trauell in it vnto vs secondly as we walke in it vnto God for both causes it is called via Domni and good reason for God is such a Lord as doth praeire not onely praecepto but also exemplo he leadeth vs not onely by good Lawes but also by his owne good deedes and doth before vs whatsoeuer he commands If hee command vs to be holy iust true mercifull Psal 145. the Lord himselfe is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes and in another Psalme All the wayes of the Lord are mercie and truth But what need any more proofe Psal 25.10 when our goodnesse is but his Image and our liuing well but a shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called vs. So that if a man were to choose a way 1. Pet. 2. hee can desire no better then the way which the King doth goe in himselfe and can a Christian haue a better then is the way of God Way or wayes the Holinesse is but one but it sheweth it selfe in many formes in wisedome in righteousnesse in temperance in patience in whatsoeuer other vertue the Charitie is still but one but such a one as is able to giue fit entertainement to euery obiect and because the entertainement is various
wee reade sometime Vias the wayes of the Lord and wee reade sometimes Via because the Charitie is alwayes but one and we should haue such grace as may answere all occasions neither is it true regenerating grace that is vnprepared for any alteration that can beare prosperitie but not aduersitie that can conuerse with God but not with men that can not bee militant as well as triumphant This propertie is a good toueh stone for euery man to trie his grace thereby But to leaue the Lesson and come to the Teaching The way is such as no man can goe without a guide and no maruell for no man euer went it twice no man euer passed from Earth to Heauen and being there came downe to the earth to returne to heauen againe haply if he did he might haue remembred the way and so goe it the second time without a guide but God alloweth not a second iourney to heauen therefore is euerie man a stranger in this way whereupon it must needes follow that euerie man doth need a guide or else he cannot be sure that he goeth a right especially seeing the way he must goe is bee set on either side with so many broad but mis-leading pathes Teaching then is necessarie for those that meane to goe the way Hauing thus in a generalitie shewed you the meanes that is vsed wee must now distinctly consider Quis Quos who is the Master Ego â—ocebo King Dauid saith he will take vpon him to be the master But King Dauid must be considered as a newly conuerted Paenitentiarie as one restored vnto and established in the state of grace he had plucked out the beame out of his owne eye before hee offered to plucke the moates out of his brothers eye hee was illightned himselfe before he offered to illighten others and he would not purge others before hee was purged himselfe Grat. 1. Nazianzene hath a good rule Cauendum est ne admirandae virtutis malipictores simus we must take heede that we blurre not the vertue which we desire to limme A man that goeth about to teach another the wayes of God is by that father resembled vnto a Painter that draweth Gods Image vpon his brother now he accounts him a good Painter that is himselfe a good patterne of the virtue that he doth teach but hee is but a bad Painter that blotteth out with his life what hee Painteth with his tongue who may bee cast off with that scornefull Medice cur a teipsum who will beleeue him whose deedes discredit his words Dauid was not such a Painter he taught not others before he had learned himselfe But how did he teach Two wayes exemplo verbo his very case was a good Sermon a Sermon of the wayes of God of his way of Iustice of his way of Mercie Dauid was a monument of both A monument of Gods iustice who though he were a man after Gods owne heart yet did God not suffer his sinnes vncorrected A monument of Gods mercie for though his sinnes were very grieuous yet vpon his vnfeined repentance they were graciously pardoned So did he teach by his example teach men not to presume because in him they may see God is iust teach them not to despaire because in him they may perceiue that God is exceeding mercifull As he teacheth by example so doth hee by his word also witnesse this Psalme wherein he taught the Church in his time teacheth vs now and shall teach men vntill the worlds end for what is the contents thereof but this Come vnto me hearken vnto me I will shew you I will teach you what God hath done and for my soule Adde hereunto that Dauid was a King and his care that hee voweth may goe for a teaching for Kings communicate in the name of Pastors in the Scriptures they are more then once called by the name of Shepheards and Constantine the Emperour said well that Kings were Episcopi ad extra they haue a kind of Bishopricke and must be carefull of the ghostly wel-fare of their charge But we may not mistake Dauid did not take vpon him the Priest-hood as Vzziah his successor did and was plagued for doing it he kept himselfe within his bounds hee did but that which all that are trusted with Ciuill Authoritie are bound to doe except what in this kind he did as a Penitent or as a Prophet and his example is a good admonition for of all his ranke all in his case yea it may admonish all It was Caines voice that said Numquid ego sum custos fratris Am I my Brothers keeper Yea God hath giuen saith the Sonne of Syrack a charge vnto euery man concerning his brother The law will not suffer a man to neglect his brothers Oxe or his Asse going astray or sinking vnâ—â—â—â— his burden hath God care of Oxen or doth he not intimate thereâ—â— how much more wee must care for the master of those beastes It is the propertie of good men that the good which they receiue from God they dispense to others and are as carefull of other mens saluation as of their owne according to the rule Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe We haue found the Master Let vs now seeke out the Schollers wee find them here to bee Transgressors Sinners an vntoward subiect you would thinke for a Master to worke vpon to tame such head-strong Colts and bring such persons to a better course and yet nihil aptius nihil acceptius no Schollers are more fit to be vndertaken by such a Master and such a Master cannot better please the Master of Masters that is God then by vndertaking of such Schollers vndertaking to teach transgressors and sinners to teach them Gods wayes that haue gone farthest our of the way for such must you vnderstand by these words It is euerie mans worke to set them forward that are in the way to teach the righteous it is a harder taske to fetch them in that are gone out and such a Master must put himselfe to the hardest taske A Souldier that hath plaid the coward cannot recouer the reputation of a valiant man by aduenturing no farther then ordinarie Souldiers but by vndertaking some dangerous assault or trying his valour vpon an enemie of note and no teaching is worthy of a conuert but the teaching of those that are much auerse for how should hee shew that he doth throughly detest sinne that hauing rooted it out of himselfe can indure it in another No his owne passion will fill him with compassion the remembrance of the losse which himselfe sustained of the smart which himselfe hath felt the experience I say of this double euill will not suffer him to stand as an idle spectator while the spirituall thiefe the murderer doth spoyle doth slaughter others he will be aiding to such forlorne ones with his best with his readiest succour Adde hereunto that they that are conuerted were corrupters while they were in the state of sinne they led many out
if your respect vs which apprehend it by faith for it is nothing else but Gods indulgâ—nce vpon our repentance but if wee looke vnto God then it is plâ—â—â—â— Iustice for it is Instice for him to keepe his promise We must risâ— a step higher and in this word find Christ the Apostle 〈◊〉 vs that he is made righteousnes vnto vs 〈…〉 the Prophet that he is the Lord our righteousnesse And verily this sweete temper of Mercie and Iustice is wrought in him and through him deriued to vs and therefore it is called the righteousnesse of saith and the righteousnesse of God reuealed without the 〈◊〉 when â—â—â—th apprehends stedfaâ—â—ly what God promiseth faithfully then is manifested this mâ—rcifull righteousnesse And see how God putteth it out of all doubt that men are iustified by faith not by the workes of the Law for though it be a true rule that it is so yet when we doe see the â—â—mplâ— of 〈◊〉 worthy a person as King Dauid the rule becomes more eâ—ident Wherefored will neuer bee in the number of those that presuming of their me its and willing to establish their owne righteousnesse will not submit themselues to this righteousnesse of God Psâ— 1. but I will goe in the shâ—â—ngthoâ— the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse euen of thine onely this mercifull righteousnesse of God There is one pâ—ant more to be obserued in this argument of Dauids denotion which I may not omit it is made by Gregorie the great vpon the word Tuam Hâ—miniâ—sâ—â—â— videtur vt sâ—um vlsciscatur inimicum Dei 〈…〉 consitenti relax â—e offensam At the Barre of man it goeth for 〈◊〉 â—â—e if we repay all men as they desâ—rue but at the Barre of God 〈…〉 we find another kind of Iustice If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull indâ—ust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse the rule is generall all may haue the benefit of it though ouer and aboue the generall rule 〈…〉 King Dauid had a speciall promise at the performance whereof he aymeth in this place But enough of the argument I come now in few words to open the maner how he performeth his Deuotion His performance is first publike for he will vtter it with his tongue The tongue is in the Scripture called Dauids glorie 〈◊〉 30.12 and the best member that he hath because by it hee did vent what he inwardly conceiued and out of the abundance of his heart his mouth did speake the Angell giueth a good obseruation to young Tobie 〈◊〉 12 It is good to keepe close the secret of a King but it is honorable to ueale the workes of God therefore we must not keepe silence when we haue found mercie The reason is cleare we must not be ashamed to acknowledge our Benefactor so to doe would argue too much selfe-loue and pride and in so doing wee should take vnto our selues the glorie of God Secondly what God doth for vs he doth it to encourage others and how should they be encouraged Psal 34. except we doe informe them What God hath done for our soule And the most naturall meanes of informing is by the tongue by that may we direct the eyes of men to behold Gods doing yea and worke their affections also to entertaine them with due regard particular persons yea whole Congregations may be rowsed may bee perswaded by the tongue therefore I told you that the mention of the tongue doth import that the Deuotion shall be publicke Neither publike onely but cheerefull also for so hee saith that his tongue shall sing a loude and well doth this beseeme King Dauid for hee was the sweete singer of Israel he would bestow his best abilitie in praysing of God The word importeth two things first the propertie of thankes it must not be sullen and dumpish as blessings come readily from God so must they gladly be entertained by men he is vnworthy of them that doth not so expresse the comfort that he taketh in them Secondly the words note the Character of a Triumph which is Exultation we heard before that Dauid was pained with the horror of his sinne and danger out of this if he may escape see what he promiseth hee will make melodie to the Lord he will conceiue his deliuerance in a Psalme so you must vnderstand him he meaneth not a tune without a Dittie but this as other of Gods blessings hee will leaue of record it shall be entred into the Booke of Psalmes But forget not to obserue that whereas the Titles of the Psalmes euen of this Psalme shew that Dauid deliuered his Psalmes to the publike Musicians of the Temple by them to be sung at the seruice of God hee disdained not to act the same part himselfe as he daunced before the Arke in a linnen Ephod so it should seeme by many of his Psalmes he did not thinke scorne to range himselfe also with singers with his hand with his voice to sound and set forth the righteousnesse of God Wee are naturally cheerefull after a danger escaped if it be but corporall how much more should we bee so when the danger escaped is spirituall How should our hearts daunce for ioy and our tongues breake forth into the praises of God But I must conclude in the whole Text we may obserue three notable things the wisedome of faith the confidence of hope and the earnestnesse of charitie The wisedome of faith stands in discerning the true helpe in trouble the confidence of hope stands in laying hold thereon according to our interest in the person the earnestnesse of charitie stands in our feruent importuning of him Secondly the wisdome of our faith stands in selecting the argument of our Deuotion the confidence of our hope stands in our publike profession thereof the earnestnesse of our charitie stands in the alacritie of our spirit in the cheerefull resounding of that publication Of this double wisedome confidence and cheerefulnesse Dauid is here an excellent example vnto vs God giue vs grace to make vse of his example for we may all fall into his case boh of trouble and comfort bodily and ghostly PSAL. 51. VERSE 15. O Lord open thou my Lippes and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise YOu haue heretofore heard from me opening former words of this Psalme that King Dauid out of a thankfull heart promised to glorifie God Now God may be glorified either in regard of some speciall fauour which he vouchsafeth any of vs or in regard of that generall worth which he hath in himselfe Dauid promised to glorifie God both wayes How he would doe it in regard of the speciall fauour which himselfe had receiued I shewed you when I opened the Verse that goeth immediately before and in opening the Verse which now I haue read I must shew you how he would glorifie God in regard of that generall worth which is in God This is the scope of my present Text. Gods generall
goodnesse of a Creature and if it faile no lesse power then this can restore it againe In a word there is none other Good but hee and therefore none but he can doe good whether it be naturall or morall good good of Grace or good of Glory all are but drops whereof he is the Ocean and hee is the Sunne from whom these beames doe issue His Ability is not all the reason why the suite is directed vnto him but his Promise also must bee ioyned thereto Take the words corporally then hath Dauid a speciall promise both of the indulgence and beneficence of God 2. Sam. 7. take them spiritually and then the blessings come within the generall promises of Gods Couenant for that hath the promises both of this Life 1. Tim 4 â— and of that which is to come For doe good you see there is reason to pray to God and there is as much reason for Build thou the wals Men cannot so much as build corporally except the Lord build the house he laboureth but in vaine that buildeth much more spiritually Psal 127. seeing none can giue the spirit but himselfe and all our sufficiencie is from his spirit without which we can doe nothing God is the wall of our wall hee standeth about those that feare him as the Hils about Ierusalem Psal 125. Psal 147. he will build vp Ierusalem and gather together the out-casts of Israel But when wee make God the Author wee doe not exclude the Instruments our selues and others but shew their impotencie if he make them not both able and effectuall The Person is well chosen to whom the suite is directed but that is not enough there must bee some motiue also which may plead for the Sutor And here is the most preuailing motiue nothing without God euer moueth him to doe good many things from without may prouoke his vengeance but nothing can draw from him works of Grace but that which is within him And that which is within him the first mouer is alwayes his good will Gods will is alwayes good but wee then vse the addition of good when we feele the gracious effects thereof when God dealeth with vs according to the sweetnesse of his Nature not the rigour of his iustice And this phrase commeth then in seasonably when wee haue deserued the contrary as Dauid now had and all men doe when they are put to this Petition doe good build vp witnesse all the Instaurations that haue beene since the beginning of the World Nothing can bee had from God by merit but we owe it all vnto Gods Mercie who for his owne sake doth repaire his Church as at first he gaue it a being onely for his owne sake And it is happie that that is the onely motiue for were it not for that wee should bee left comfortlesse but from this wee may receiue more then wee can hope for Hee dealeth like a God 2 Sam 7. and not like a man Secondly this phrase may note some remarkable thing touching the nature and measure of the gifts The nature as if Dauid did desire that most which would please God best and did not sue to God for other gifts then such as he taketh the greatest content in and so that he might obtaine Gods good will for Sion and Ierusalem hee passeth not for all the rest And indeed it it is true spirituall wisedome to make Let mee finde grace in thine eyes the vpshot of our suite and to seeme to minde no thing else but the recouery of Gods good will 1. King â— wee are sure then to speed with Salomon of any other good though wee mention it not in our prayers Finally this phrase may note as the nature so the measure of the gifts it implyeth that we presume not to carue to our selues but leaue him to enlarge or contract his bountie as it seemeth best vnto him And indeed as he knoweth best what is good for vs so is he the best proportioner of his gifts and will deale more freely the lesse we presume to prescribe vnto him But let vs draw to an end I told you that in the whole Text you might obserue two remarkable Vertues shining therein The first is Confidence In the beginning of the Psalme King Dauid seemed to bee a very wretch so sinfull that he might well seeme vnworthy to open his mouth for himselfe yet hauing vnburthened his conscience and poured forth his soule for himselfe hee gathereth strength and groweth bold to pray for others for the whole Kingdome yea for the whole body of the Church hee presumeth to importune God to bestow the greatest of his temporall and spirituall blessings And the conscience of sinne must not so dishearten vs but when wee haue made our owne peace wee may become suitors for others also It is an argument of the Communion of Saints and Christ out of a fellow-feeling hath taught vs to say Our Father 1. Tim. 2.1 yea the Apostle willeth vs to pray for all men But as we must pray with this Confidence like Dauid so must wee bee like Dauid in seasoning our prayers with Compassion though we doe well enough our selues yet must we not be senslesse of other mens wants nor finde ease in ease while others are in danger especially if our selues haue beene the cause of their danger as Dauid was who as much as lay in him exposed all Israel to ruine and destruction Hee had reason therefore to remember it in his prayers and desire God to be gracious vnto it God hath visited our Land with a Plague of Raine and no doubt but our sinnes are the cause of so vnseasonable weather for Genes 3. Cursed be the Earth for thy sake hath a constant truth and God doth not distemper the Seasons except we be first distempered You shall doe well therefore to looke vpon the Land with Compassion and remember in your denotion the distresses thereof Finally learne from King Dauid to put into our prayers those to whom wee haue specâ—all reference Would the time permit this Note might be enlarged to Parents Masters Magistrates Pastors I will insist onely on Sion and Ierusalem to that wee haue the neerest reference No consanguinity no affinity worketh so straight a band as doth the Communion of Saints yet is there nothing that moueth men lesse I would it did moue more especially at this time when Sion is as a wildernesse and Ierusalem a desolation what with the Turke and what with the Pope euery where is the sword bathed in Christian bloud if euer Ne â—rascaris Domine would now be a seasonable Antheme wee should all pray Be not wrath very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for euer And I would there were that compassionate disposition in vs which appeared in the captiue Iewes Psal 137. when they said If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning if I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of
errours in Chronologie I will not trouble you with enumeration of them they that are learned may find them in the Chronologies the ignorant may find enough in the common Almanackes That which I will obserue vnto you is That our mercifull God hath so done his wonderfull workes that they ought to be had in remembrance and amongst other helpes of memorie God vseth this of Chronologie We should not thinke of these dates of times but we should refresh our memorie of that which was done at the beginning of that date God was pleased that the Israelites should so bee remembred of their deliuerance out of Egypt And the Church by whose ordinance the yeere of the Lord is so familiar in our tongues and in our pens would haue vs still thinke how much we are bound to God for the Incarnation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Descend to smaller matters but yet of good regard when you find in your Almanacke the generall Earthquake the yeere eightie eight the Gun-pouder treason c. Consider with your selues that neither Gods iudgements nor his mercies ought to bee forgotten by vs. Yea this Chronologie must put vs in mind that neither our being nor our being that which we are be it good or bad was alwayes the same There was a time when it was otherwise with vs and the memorie thereof must not be buried in obliuion least we proue vnthankfull as certainely we will if we make not so good vse of the Chronologie And let this suffice concerning the first circumstance the circumstance of time the Beginning and Ending thereof Let vs now come to the second Circumstance of Place And here wee must first see Whence the Israelites came immediatly they departed from Rephidim a place of pressure and the last place where they conflicted with difficulties before they receiued the Law Exod. 17. Numb 33. There was no no water and there Amaleke set vpon them But God relieued them supplying them with water and giuing them victorie ouer their Enemies God did not giue them a Law before hee had giuen them good proofe of his gracious power hee made them feâ—â—e the extraordinary reliefe of his hand before hee spake vnto them with his voice thus dealt hee in deliuering of the old Testament And thus dealt Christ in deliuering of the New hee wrought miracles before hee preached Sermons And indeed this is a very likely way to preuaile with men to haue their reason first subdued before their faith bee informed When reason is first brought to confesse that which is done cannot be done but by a diuine power then will faith easily beleeue that what is spoken Iohn 3. is a diuine word Learne this of Nicodemus Master wee know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man could doe that which thou doest except God were with him Act 14 v. 16. So were the men of Lystra the jaylour and others brought to beleeue Another note is that there is great difference betweene Gods dealing with them before they came to Rephidim and when they came there For before they came there their deliuerance from their enemies was wrought by God without any concurrencie of theirs Exod. 14. v. 13. Feare you not saith Moses stand still and see the saluation of the Lord which hee will shew you to day But afterward when Amalek came and fought with Israel Exod. 17. v. 9. then Moses said vnto Ioshua Chuse vs out men and goe out fight with Amaleke c. I will pray Though God was pleased to deliuer them from their enemies yet not without their owne labour of body yea and deuotion of mind too after he had once set them free Therefore it was fit they should now haue a Law to guide them in their actions and in their deuotions and God giueth them one And vs whom preuenting grace doth first make Christians without any cooperation of ours afterward will God haue to be instruments to cooperate with him and that in this cooperation we follow his direction for hee loueth not wil-worship and therefore that wee may doe what pleaseth him in the seruice wherein hee vseth vs hee giueth vs for our Guide his sacred Law Thirdly whereas God first gaue them Victorie and Water at Rephidim and when they were free from bodily danger and prouided of food then God gaue them the Law We may here obserue Greg. Niss de vit mos p. 17â— that Homo supponitur in Christiano and our animall life must be prouided for that we may intend our spirituall Come we at length to the last Terme of this second Circumstance and that is the Place whether they came and where they setled This place was the wildernesse of Sinai they pitcht before that mount First the place was a wildernesse Philo Iudaeus inquires the reason De Deâ—â—log why God would giue his Law not in some Citie but in a vast Desert And though hee resolue modestly what is the true reason God onely knoweth yet doth he yeeld some likely reasons One is this because the worldly imployments of Citizens wherein their thoughts and desires are for the most part taken vp make all sinnes abound there both against the first and second Table and men so prepossest are not capable of good lawes Retirednesse from such imployments and solitarinesse which silence those clamorous and disturbing thoughts and affections open mens eares and hearts better to listen to God When wee are weaned from the world we are fitter to bee Gods Disciples to learne what he teacheth therefore God saith Ose 2. v. 14. ducam vos in solitudinem loquar ad Cor. This made many in the Primitiue Church to forsake Cities and the frequencies of people and in solitarie places to to giue themselues to spirituall contemplation Which custome degenerated long since into superstition whereof the Church of Rome hath too many spectacles in there Anchorites and Ermites mâ—ere hypocâ—ites which abuse the credulitie of the simple with their seeming holinesse A second reason which he giueth is that as Nauigators before they set to Sea are prouided of Tackling and other necessaries which they must vse at Sea so God was pleased to furnish the Israelites in their way with those Lawes which they were to make vse of when they came into the Holy-land You may if you please improue this reason mystically Canaan was a type of Heauen the wildernesse a type of the world which we must passe through the grace whereby we must liue in the world to come we must be furnisht with in this present world Glophy 〈◊〉 To leaue Philo Iudaeus take another from Cyrillus Alexandrinus Desertum typus Ecclesiae militantis a Desert is a type of the militant Church certainely this Desert was it did most liuely represent to the Israelites what they were by Nature and what they became by Grace This wildernesse was of it selfe a disconsolate place it had neither meate nor drinke for reasonable creatures yet did
before that Ascension an Ascension of our Conuersation before the ascension of our Person Colos 3. Phil. 3. We must seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God We must haue our conuersation in heauen Of this the Hill putteth vs in mind as we are excellently taught by the Psalmes proper for this day the 15. 24. and 68. read them at your leasure and remember to learne out of them that groueling thoughts beseeme not the children of God I come at length to the last point the Israelites encamped before this mountaine Numb 9. the cloud which was their guide rested on it and where that rested they were to encampe and not to moue except that moued before them This was their twelfth and their longest station the cloud moued not hence almost in the space of a yeere the Tabernacle was built here and so much of the Law as is recorded vntill the tenth of Numb was deliuered before they departed hence But that which I chiefely note is that the place where they encamped was not onely sacred as you haue heard but also fore-appointed of God For when God appeared to Moses in the bush Exod 3. he said vnto him This shall be a token that I haue sent thee when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt Li. 2. c. 12. you shall serue God vpon this Mount Which Flauius Iosephus expresseth verie well In hoc loco sacrificium gratiarum actionis ob felicem successum offeretis where I first acquainted thee with the glad tydings which thou shouldest carrie to my people there shalt thou and my people offer me the sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing when I haue made good my word We haue a laudable custome this weeke to perambulate our parishes and in the fields to sing certaine Psalmes or read certaine portions of Scripture this some dislike as superstitious it is because themselues are not so religious as they should be You see Gods precept and the practise thereof you haue in the twentie fourth Chapter you haue likewise Iacobs vow and his performance of that vow by Gods owne appointment Gene 28.35 Though we must serue God in the Church and at home that hindreth not but we must serue God also in any other place where he hath done vs good or doth as in our Cattle Corne or whatsoeuer else belongeth vnto vs. The Iewes haue a conceit and others out of them that the Israelites pitcht vpon the East-side of the Hill that they might worship towards the West But that agreeth not with the storie because they came out of the South and it hath a false ground that what was commanded them when they were within the Tabernacle and the Temple whereof neither was at this time built should bee obserued wheresoeuer they were which could not be obserued after they were built for they were euer to pray towards them and that could not alwayes be East But the truth is as it appeareth verse 9. they pitcht about the hill as they might best see the representation of him and he might best be heard of them that was their chiefe generall There is a mysterie in it worth the marking with which I will end It sheweth that the Church is alwayes in Gods eye and God must alwayes be in the Churches eye And this is on his part a most gracious on our part a most blessed aspect LEt vs beseech God that we may bee euer as the apple of his eye and he may euer be the delight of our eyes in his Church Militant that so he may lift vp the light of his countenance vpon vs and wee may behold him as he is and that for euer in the Church Triumphant AMEN The second Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 3 4. And Moses went vp vnto God and the Lord called him out of the mountaine saying thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob and tell the children of Israel Yee haue seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings and brought you to my selfe WHen I began to vnfold this Chapter vnto you I told you that the contents thereof were the Circumstances and the Solemnitie that did fore-runne the promulgation of the Law The Circumstances were two the Time the Place I haue spoken of both I now come on to the Solemnitie In opening whereof we shall see First that there is a common minister vsed therein Then that there are two principall branches thereof The Minister is Moses he was common to the parties that did conâ—ract The Parties were First The Lord God Secondly the house of Iacob and the children of Israel betweene these Moses went Hee went vp from the people vnto God and God returned him with a message to the people God called him out of the mountaine saying Thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob The branches of the Solemnitie are two The first is a mutuall Stipulation which past before the parties met The other is a Preparation of the parties against their meeting answerable to either of their persons Though the stipulation were mutuall yet God beginneth and hee maketh the first motion then the Israelites answere and entertaine his offer In the motion which God maketh we must consider First whereof hee remembreth them Secondly vpon what termes hee will contract with them He remembreth them of two of his vndeniable workes One done for them The other done to them That which was done for them was a worke of Iustice it was Vindicta the reuenge of their wrong vpon that which he did to the Egyptians The worke which he did to them was a worke of mercie it was Vindicatio their deliuerance But touching this worke wee are taught more distinctly wherein it stood and whereat it aymeth or rather the Manner and the End of it the Manner God carried them on Eagles wings the End God brought them to himselfe These were the workes and they were vndeniable vos vidistis You saw those things with your eyes and you can desire no better proofe Only thus farre purpose I God willing to goe at this time and therefore I will not encumber your memories with breaking vp the Chapter at this time any farther That then we may orderly pursue our present purpose you may remember that the first particular I pointed out was the common minister And He was Moses a remarkable person Flauius Iosephus and Philo Iudaus amongst the Iewes Eusebius Caesariensis and Gregorie Nyssen amongst the Christians to omit others haue set out the life of this Worthy at large though some of them haue inserted Apocryphall relations Not to trouble you with whatsoeuer might be gathered out of them I will only out of the Scripture giue you some short notice of the man In Exodus the second he is set out as a spectacle of Gods extraordinarie prouidence by the barbarous Commandement of a cruell King he was exposed to the mercie of the riuer Nilus but he was
God tooke an occasion from the wrongs done to his people to powre forth his displeasure vpon them Wisd 19. The wrong was double First they brought friends into bondage that had wel deserued of them The storie is plaine in Genesis how Ioseph saued them from perishing by famine and therefore how willingly they receiued him and his into the Communion of their Lawes therefore it was against all Law to make them bondmen God therfore which is iudge of all the world sent Moses and by him commanded Pharaoh to deliuer them and to suffer them being his first borne to goe three dayes iourney into the wildernesse and sacrifice vnto him But so farre was Pharaoh from obeying God that hardning his heart he vexed the Israelites more What then did God In reuenge of his people hee brake Pharaohs hard heart hee made the proud King giue him the glorie both of his Iustice of his power while he destroyed that ancient that goodly Kingdome and slew the persons the principall persons of it the ofspring of those whom Ioseph had saued together with their countrie Moreouer hee forced them to make an amends to the Israelites for their seruitude not onely in willingly letting them goe but in furnishing them also for their iourney with the richest of their garments and most precious of their Iewels This did God to the Egyptians And indeed it was God that did it For though there were some ceremoniall meanes vsed yet there were none vsed that were effectuall Moses and the people did but looke on Gods immediate power produced those wonderfull effects The same God that tooke this vengeance for them is the same still and he will neuer suffer his Church to be vnreuenged though hee suffer her to bee cruelly persecuted when he seeth time hee will doe to her enemies as he did to the enemies of Israel Saint Paul Saint Peter and Saint Iude teach it briefely 2. Thes 1. 2 Ep. 2. Saint Iohn in the Reuelation deliuereth the Doctrine more a large by way of prophecie and the Ecclesiasticall Storie sheweth that that prophecie is accomplished for a good part of it The second worke sheweth what God did to the Israelites and that is a worke of Mercie Moses here teacheth the Manner and the End of it The Manner God bore them on Eagles wings we account it a great honour that God doth vnto men when hee giueth his Angels charge ouer them to carrie them in all their wayes that they dash not their foote against a stone And indeed it is a great honour that these glorious spirits which attend Gods throne should become ministring spirits and attend sinnefull men How great an honour is it then that God doth vs Heb. 1.14 when hee himselfe vouchsafeth to bee the supporter of Israel Carrieth them as a man carrieth his little babe God putteth them in mind of it by Esay Chap. 46. vers 3.4 Hearken vnto me O house of Iacob Deut. 1. and all the remnant of Israel which are borne by me from the belly which are caried from the wombe and euen to your old age I am he and euen to the hoarie haires will I carrie you I haue made and I will beare euen I will carrie and I will deliuer you And Christ like the good shepheard in the Gospel beares his sheepe and so likewise in the Prophets And indeed the passage out of Egypt was a Diuine transportation for of so many hundred thousand that past so great a iourney through so desolate places ther was not one sicke not one tired and how could they haue all beene so well at ease except God had carried them They might well take to themselues those words of Esay 〈…〉 31. They that waite vpon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount vp with wings as Eagles they shall runne and not be wearie they shall walke and not be faint When at any time wee haue strength to doe that which neither in our owne iudgement nor in the iudgement of others we are able to doe we must giue the glorie of it to God as Dauid doth in the 18. Psalme we must acknowledge that God did carrie vs through God doth not onely say that he did carrie them but hee carried them vpon Eagles wings quasi super alas aquilarum saith the Chalde Paraphrase as it were vpon Eagles wings There is a Simile in the phrase which breedes two inquiries first who is vnderstood in the Eagles secondly what the Wings meane Some vnderstand Moses and Aaron the two guides that led the people of Israel out of Egypt and will haue them compared to Eagles Propter acumen intelligentiae altitudinem vitae by reason of their piercing iudgement Hom 46. in Matth. and their holy life Saint Chrysostome nearer to our purpose saith that they were Mollissimae pennae misericordiae diuinae as it were the downe feathers of Gods mercie because they handled the people committed to their charge tenderly and intreated them gently in imitation of Eagles of whom some report how truely let the naturalists inquire that whereas other birds carrie their yong ones in their talents or clawes which cannot bee done without some griping they lay them vpon their wings and so transport them without any grieuance which is a good embleme for Magistrates and teacheth them paternall affection towards their people Saint Ambrose resembleth Christ to an Eagle Lib. de Solomone and that in three points First because as the Eagle fluttereth ouer her yong ones and safegards them from any that would annoy them so doth Christ carefully protect his Church Secondly as the Eagle stirreth vp her nest and taketh vp her yong ones enforcing them to looke towards the Sunne thereby trying her generous or degenerating brood euen so doth Christ make triall of true and counterfeite Christians he reiects them as counterfeits that haue but Owles sight and which hate the light but those which can looke vpon the Sunne of righteousnesse and delight in beholding him they goe for true Christians And why They can see their pray a farre off and where the carcasse is there will the Eagles be Sursum Corda though Christ be in heauen their thoughts ascend thither Thirdly the Eagle hateth the Serpent and wheresoeuer hee seeth him renteth him with his beake and Christ the seede of the woman did breake the Serpents head there is perpetuall enmitie betweene them and their seede There is good correspondencie in these points betweene Christ and the Eagle but they cannot be so fitly applied in this place because the word in my Text is plurall Aquilarum of Eagles except wee shall say that Christ had in him the perfection of many Eagles or was attended with many Angels which are sometimes compared to Eagles Ezek 1. Reu 4. and the Cherubins in the Temple and Tabernacle had large and broad wings But let vs come to the wings By them are meant two things the first is the height the second
God then it can be by any man The second difference is in the measure a double measure of the stroake and of the time Touching the stroake Nazianzen obserues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naziá Orat. 15. p. 228. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in this world God doth allay his seueritie with mercie but they that shall be punished in the world to come shall drinke the very dregges of the cup of his wrath the iudgements in this life are but the smoke of wrath the preface vnto torments such stripes as Schoolemasters giue vnto little children that learn their A.B.C. But the iudgments in the world to come they are more then smoke they are the flaming fire it selfe read Mal. 3.4 they are more they the preface to torments they are the torments themselues so we read of the rich Glutton that he was in the torments Finally they are more then childrens smart they are the stripes of the oldest Truants such as are prouided for the Deuill and his Angels Eâ—eck 8.18 Then God will deale in his furie his mercie will not spare neither will hee haue pitie and though they crie in his eares with a loud voice hee will not heare them If any bodie desire to know more of the measure of the stroake let him reade the Prophets they are copious in amplifying the terrour of the Lords Day Besides this measure of the stroake there is a measure also of the time for in this world afflictions are but momentanie in the world to come they are eternall here heauinesse may continue for a night but ioy commeth againe in the morning as God doth not suffer all his indignation to arise so is he very quickly reconciled so quickly that it scarce can be remembred that he was offended certainly it is too vsually forgotten But in the world to come wrath is permanent Affliction as Nahum speaketh ariseth not the second time the worme neuer dieth neither doth the fire euer goe out This being the oddes in the measure it proueth that in comparison that which is inflicted in this life deserueth not the name of wrath especially if you adde the third difference the difference in the End Saint Austine doth giue vs a distinction of wrath Conâ— 2. â—â— Psal 58 â—a consunâ—ptiâ—nis Ira consummationis and telleth vs that there is a wrath consuming and a wrath consummating a wrath which God inflicts to make men the better and a wrath which God inflicts therewith vtterly to destroy men that is the wrath which he inflicteth in this life and this is the wrath which hee inflicteth in the life to come And indeed God in this life doth not punish man but the Deuill God reserueth mans punishment to the life to come The corruption that is in our nature is the Deuils possession in working out that God worketh out him and it is his intent to worke him out his stroakes here are like a physicall potion giuen to a sicke bodie not to abide in him but when it hath drawne vnto it selfe the matter of his disease to be cast out againe with the humour that did offend him This is the true end of Gods chastisements in this world But it is as true that this physicke doth not alwayes sort this effect the fault is not in the potion but in the stomacke that taketh it if the stomacke haue strength to make vse of the potion then doth it recouer thereby but if it want strength then doth the potion increase the peccant humours and augment the patients disease The wicked for want of grace are the worse for their punishment it proueth vnto them wrath of consumption but they that haue grace are the better wrath to them is better then laughter as the Preacher speaketh because by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better â—celes 7. and chastisement bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 yea Maior ira quädo Deus non requirit Saint Austine obserues well God is most displeased with vs in this world when hee is displeased least and his long patience here doth prognosticate his heauier vengeance hereafter it maketh it suspitious that we are bastards and no sonnes if seeing such is our infirmitie that wee cannot but sinne wee bee not timely reclaimed by chastisement of sinne But to shut vp this point that which proceedeth from loue and is executed with so tender a hand to so good a purpose as is our perfection doth not deserue the name of wrath this name belongeth more properly to that punishment which proceedeth from Gods hatred and is executed without mercie to the eternall destruction of man and that is The wrath to come therefore is the day thereof properly called The day of wrath and the persons that suffer then are properly The vessels of wrath In the number of which that we may not be we must harken to the Remedie And the Remedie is flying flie from the wrath to come if the Remedie be flying then there is no standing to it no trauersing of our indictment no bribing of our Iudge no priuiledge of our persons no reliefe from our strength no standing to it by these or any other meanes we must flie But flying is either corporall or spirituall the corporall will be attempted it should seeme so by Christs relation in the Gospel and Saint Iohn saith in the Reuelation Reuel 6 that Captaines and rich men and great men shall flie to the rockes to the hils and desire to be couered to be hid from the wrath of the Lambe but all in vaine for they are reiected by rocks and hilles And indeed whether should they flie then when all the world becommeth Gods jayle and euery creature becommeth his jaylour yea the showre that doth attend Christs comming to judgement is a showre of snares Psal 7. Amos 5.19 and the Prophets Amos especially doth excellently shew the vanitie of this flight It shall be as if a man did flie from a Lion and a Beare met him and he runneth from the Beare vnto a wall and there a Serpent biteth him that is whithersoeuer he turne he shall find those that will seize vpon him he cannot possibly escape not by flying corporally He must then flie spiritually and indeed it is spirituall flight that is the Remedie But what is spirituall flight Surely wee must conceiue and bee in trauell with amendment of our liues and neuer stop vntill we haue brought forth a compleate spirit of saluation that is we must flie from sinne and flie vnto grace in both which consisteth the flight from wrath Quem poenit et peccati iram Der mortalem facit Lactantius de ira Dâ—â— Hee that iudgeth himselfe in this world he whose heart is prickt with remorse of sinne whose heart trembleth melteth and is broken with the feare of Gods wrath hee that singeth the song of mercie and layeth hold vpon the Mercie-seat desiring
that this Text may be applyed vnto Christians for euen of them also more then a good many arâ—â— â—nted with this Ignorance with this Arrogance they maime the truth in contenting themselues with outward Characters little caring for the inward which principally make a Christian and how many doe enter their names into Gods Book in Heauen before euer they looke whether they haue a counterpart thereof written by the finger of the Holy Ghost in their soules And what wonder if this Ignorance breed Arrogancie and they that think better of themselues then they should think worse then they should of others But let vs take care to be sure of our Resemblance before wee crake of our alliance let vs find in our selues Faith and Charitie Abrahams vertues and then hope well that wee are Abrahams children let vs so hope well of our selues that we despaire not of others Gods hands are not tyed his power hath no bounds they that seeme to be of least hope may proue more worthy then our selues But whether we looke vpon our selues or others if we find that of stones we are become the children of Abraham let vs magnisie God according to his mercie which we shall the better doe if wee call to mind what we were and what we are how senslesse we were how litle feeling we had of Gods either words or workes how brutishly wee adored the basest of the creatures Neither were wee only so senslesse but we were most worthlesse also poore soules indeed spirituall Lazars not worth the looking after but with contempt And as we had litle so it was litle wee could doe wee could doe no good either in glorifying God or edifying the Church or increasing our owne comfort wee were as barren to these things as very stones But see now these stones doe liue our hearts are sensible of the influence of Heauen and wee adore only him that liueth for euer hee with a liberall hand hath inriched vs and wee with a cheerefull heart fructifie vnto him wee cannot turne our eyes vpon our selues but wee behold his mercies and wee present before his sacred eyes our most humble duties Thus should we magnifie our God that hath done so great things for vs for vs I say that are the Ofspring of them that were sometimes very stones I end with Saint Bernards Caution Bernard de Scâ—la claust pag. 1253. God indeed can raise of stones children vnto Abraham as sometimes he did Saint Paul yet must we not tempt God and neglecting what is to be done on our part presume that Gods hand will worke all wee must reade the Scripture meditate therein Seeke knocke pray and then we shall find grace the windowes of Heauen will bee opened vnto vs and the hand of God will new mould vs he will mollifie whatsoeuer is stonie in vs and supply whatsoeuer worth we lacke what God can doe that he will doe if we be in any part stones hee will make vs euen in that part also Children of Abraham and if Children then Heires Heires annexed with Iesus Christ. GOd by his grace make vs all Abrahams Sonnes and giue vs all grace to walks Abrahams steps that wee may all finally meete in Abrahams besome Amen The fifth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 9. And now also is the Axe laide vnto the roote of the trees euerie tree therefore which bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire SAint Iohn Baptist preaching to the vnbeleeuing Iewes shewed them that they were sicke both at head and heart and therefore applied fit remedies to either part Hauing before in your hearing ended the first remedy that is applied to the Heart I began the last time I spake out of this place to intreat of the second remedy which is applied vnto their head Their head was sicke of Ignorance and Arrogancie both double I haue spoken of their Ignorance and the first branch of their Arrogancie their appropriating Abrahams family vnto themselues there remaineth yet one branch of the Text that which checketh their second pride their conumpt of God They did contemne God in that they set light by the Iudgements that were denounced from him marke their ground they thought they had such interest in Abraham that for his sake God would spare them and his wrath should neuer seize on them But they heare from the Baptist that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be blotted out and if they haue not some worth of their owne besides that of their Parent they must looke for an imminent totall finall eradication for Now is the Axe laide to the roote of the trees c. These words are a Parable and therefore they haue a Morall For a Parable is a Comparison of things spirituall vnto corporall wherein the things corporall and spirituall doe mutually giue light each vnto other the spirituall doe guide vs in the setting bounds vnto the corporall and the corporall doe helpe vs to vnderstand the secrets of the spirituall seeing then the spirituall is the key that must vnlocke the corporall sense we can say little to the corporall vntill we haue found out the spirituall But where shall we find it It is not here wee must looke it else where We haue it for a good part in Saint Iohn cap. 15. where Christ speaketh thus I am a Vine you are branches my father is an Husbandman Cap. â— euerie branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away and cast into the fire Esay is more full and expresse to my Text The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel and Iuda is his pleasant plant hee looked for iudgement and behold oppression for righteousnesse and behold a crie therefore hath the Lord of Hâ—sts reuealed this in mine eare many houses shall be desolate faire â—nd goodly houses left without inhabitants yea hell hath enlarged it selfe the mouth thereof is opened without measure their glorie their multitude their pompe euerie one that reioyceth shall descend into it According to this MoÌ„rall if we breake vp the Parable wee must obserue the Persons therein contained and the Iudgement that is denounced the persons are two God compared to a husbandman surueying his Orchard the Iewes compared vnto Trees of the Orchard Trees planted therein to beare good fruites Of the Iudgement we haue here the Cause and the Parts The cause is the Iewes not liuing sutably to their incorporation which is represented by a Tree not bearing good fruites The parts are two first the Iewes are depriued of that blessed estate wherein they stood the Axe is put to the roote and by the roote they are cut vp so the Parable doth resemble it Secondly they are exposed to the miserie which they deserued they are cast into the fire A fruitlesse tree burning in the fire is the Embleme of a sinner tormented in hell If you lay these two parts together they are a totall a finall desolation for kill the roote kill the whole
true Oliue is the Iew and if the Gentile partake of the fatnesse thereof he must be grafted thereinto and become a Branch of that Oliue To the Ephesians more plainly more fully he maketh the receiuing of the Gentiles into the Church to bee an admission into the Couenant into the Common-wealth of Israel Ephes 3. a becomming one body with them But as the Gentile becommeth a Iew so is it not a Iew according to the flesh but according to the spirit A Sonne of Abraham he is but a spirituall Sonne the partition wall is taken downe yea the Arke it selfe is remoued Ieremy 3. and the Ceremonies which cloath the Religion of the Iewes cease they are not imposed vpon the Gentiles Yea the Iew himselfe becommeth a Gentile the Iew I say becommeth a Gentile carnally as the Gentile becommeth a Iew spiritually Of the ten Tribes it is most cleare that after their Captiuity they neuer returned and there is no such Nation to be heard of in the world they are mingled with other Nations and become Gentiles according to the flesh And as for the other two Tribes that made vp the Kingdome of Iuda many thousands of them were conuerted to the Christian Faith in the daies of the Apostles and yet there is not extant any Nationall Church of them neither was there long extant any they also are become Gentiles according to the flesh And God that buried the bodie of Moses so that it could not be found lest the Iewes should commit Idolatry with that body whereby God had wrought so great Miracles seemes also to haue as it were buried so many Iewes as became Christians by mingling them with the Gentiles lest that superstition which hath besotted the Gentiles to goe a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land should haue wrought more strongly in making them dote vpon that holy people But God hath turned all the world into a Canaan hath of all Nations compounded the Israel of God Of a truth saith St. Peter I see there is no respect of Persons with God but in euery Nation whosoeuer beleeueth and feareth God is accepted of him There is neyther Iew nor Gentile Graecian nor Barbarian bond nor free but all are one in Christ all are contained vnder this name Vs. In the Prophet vpon this ground Israel seemes to note the Gentiles Ezek. 37. when both Iuda and Israel are remembred to bee conuerted to God and the whole house of Iacob You see of what Nation the People is now see of what Condition Borne to Vs giuen to Vs. And who are we for whom God hath done this Gifts are bestowed vpon Persons eyther for their worth or for their need For their worth and so they are Munera honoraria they are presented in dutifull acknowledgement of their worth whether it be worth of vertue or worth of degree For their need and so they are Munera eleemosynaria conferred out of a pitifull compassion of others wants This gift is not of the first kinde it cannot be Honorarium There was no worth in vs which God should honour with this gift bestowed vpon vs. Our degree was of no regard our vertue of much Iesse the former was none in comparison and the later was none at all It must then be Munus eleemosynarium and indeed so it was the Scripture so speaketh of it Through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high hath visited vs so saith Zacharie And St. Paul Tit. 3. After the kindnesse and loue of our Sauiour towards man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his mercy he saued vs. And indeed it was a worke of great mercy For whereas there is but duplex malum malum Poenae and malum Culpae a double euill of Sinne and Woe we were plunged deepe in both deep in Sin deepe in Woe To pity him that is deep in woe is not strange it seemeth to be the proper act of Mercy but pity towards Malefactors the Philosophers acknowledge none No man say they pitieth a Thiefe when he goeth to the Gallowes or a Murderer feeling the stroke of Iustice how much lesse would they pity them if the sinne were against themselues and that committed by a Vassall against his Lord a Vassall that had receiued much fauour against his Lord from whom he receiued it In such a case they acknowledge no pity Yet this is our case and we haue found pity so great pity that Christ was borne for Vs and Christ was giuen vnto Vs. So that of this pity as well Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely the Cause but the Occasion must be found in God It is cleare that the proper Cause is the goodnesse of God and it is as cleare that the occasion also must bee fetched from him Were there onely malum Poenae in vs there might bee found in vs an Occasion of Mercie but seeing there is also malum Culpae there cannot but bee an Occasion of Iustice Our double Euill worketh a double Occasion and so maketh Mercie and Iustice as it were to striue in God And indeed both take their occasions Natus satisfied Iustice for a Person came forth that was able to giue full satisfaction vnto Iustice but Datus satisfied Mercy because this Person was freely bestowed vpon Vs. So that if we put Borne for Vs and Giuen to Vs together we see the sweet Harmony that is in the Quire of Gods Attributes None singeth alone they concent together yet so that some one doth most loudly speak the praise of God and in our case Mercy reioyceth ouer Iudgement For though our sinnes haue occasioned Iustice and therefore Christ was borne for Vs that he might satisfie that iustice that was too heauie for vs yet our Woe occasioned Mercy which gaue Christ vnto Vs that in our own Person we might enioy the Blessings of God We are borne for our selues that we may liue and haue all the comfort of our life present to come blessings which we wanted and by which when we receiue them our state is the better It is not so with Christ he was borne for others not for himselfe and giuen to others not to himselfe for what wanted he whereof he needed a supply Hee was in the forme of God and what good is there that is not in the Nature of God which is the ouerflowing Fountaine of all good Looke vpon the State of Christ this Point will appeare clearly No man will doubt but his Birth was for the good of others that considereth that his glory is not his owne but ours He sitteth indeed at the right hand of God and is lifted vp aboue all Angels and Arch-angels and euery Name that is named in Heauen and Earth in this World and that which is to come but what gaineth he by it who was from eternity most high in the glory of his Father Christ himselfe affirmeth it Iohn 17. Glorifie mee O Father with that glory
and the gold is his The second remembrance is grounded vpon Christs will and in sense hereof wee may learne of King Dauid thankefull deuotion When Nathan brought him a message of more good than euer hee expected hee went vnto the Tabernacle and first villifieth himselfe Who am I 2 Sam. 7. O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto then he magnifieth Gods mercie This was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy seruants house for a great while to come then he doth as we must all doe turne Gods promise into a prayer And now O Lord God the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and concerning his house establish it for euer and do as thou hast said God did it for Dauid he will do it for vs whereas they that are temples of grace haue a farther hope to be temples of glorie if we beleeue his power and desire the accomplishment of his will wee shall in due time experience a comparison which is beyond all comparison we shall be cloathed with a later house in heauen the glory whereof shall infinitely exceede the glorie of the former house of God which we are vouchsafed to be while we liue here on earth WHich God grant vs for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the holy Ghost be rendred all honour and glorie Amen THE FIFT SERMON And in this place will I giue peace THe exceeding grace that Christ would vouchsafe to Zorebabels Temple I reduced to his bountie in giuing and the securitie of his gift Of the bounty I haue spoken it followeth that I now come to the security that is exprest in those words that now I haue read vnto you Wherein we will see first seuerally by what name the securitie is called it is peace secondly where is the resting place thereof in this place then ioyntly how the place commeth to bee possest of that peace wherein wee shall consider that this worke is a free-gift whereof the only giuer is our Sauiour Christ I will giue saith he peace in this place These be the particulars whereof God willing I shall now speake briefly and in their order First then of the peace Peace is nothing else but a free enioying of whatsoeuer good we haue But the good which we haue may be eyther ordinate or inordinate full or scant and so the enioying thereof may bring vnto vs a peace true or false perfect or imperfect If the good be ordinate the peace is true and if full then it is perfect but the peace is false if the good be inordinate and the peace cannot be perfect if the good be scant I will speake somewhat of the false and imperfect peace that thereby you may the better conceiue the true and perfect Wee must know that vnto flesh and bloud many things doe rellish as good which indeed are nothing so for the true character of good is a conformitie to Gods will the warrant whereof is his word from which all sinfull lusts doe swarue and yet in them doe carnall mindes place their good and the enioying of them is the worlds peace For what is carnall securitie but a plunging of a mans selfe into all kinde of wickednesse without remorse of conscience or feare of iudgement Amos cap. 6. doth describe such persons as stretcht themselues vpon iuorie beds dranke wine in bowles eate calues from the stall cheared vp their spirits with musicke This was their good a sensuall good yea and a senslesse too for they tooke not to heart the affliction of Ioseph but approaching to the seate of iniquitie put farre from them the euill day This is a false peace grounded vpon an inordinate good Our Sauiour Christ maketh the like description of the old world Matth. 24. they were eating drinking marrying and giuing in marriage when the floud came and tooke away those vngodly ones Hee speaketh not of ordinary marriage Gen. 6. which is Gods institution but alludes to the storie of the sonnes of God marrying with the daughters of men And as their marriage was irregular so was their eating and drinking too for they were feasts congratulating their irregular wedlocke much like the feasting of the children of Israel when they worshipped the golden calfe Exodus 32. The Wise man speaking of Idolaters passeth this censure vpon them cap. 14. liuing in the great warre of ignorance those so great plagues they called peace But this is not Gods it is the diuels peace qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dum vult cudere cudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh men like bedlems who gashing themselues with kniues laugh in the beholders face risu sardonio they laugh and dye By this security doth the diuell lull men asleepe in their sinnes that they may the better bee ouertaken with an vnexpected ruine for when they â—ry peace peace then as the Apostle foretold 1 Thes 5. commeth sadden destruction In the middest of their pleasure they goe in a moment downe into hell Iob. I would wee had not too many spectacles of this peace that of the Poet may be truly verified of vs I am patimur longae pacis mala saeuior armis Luxuria incubuit the peace which God hath granted vs from forraigne enemies what hath it wrought but this sinfull peace peace in sinne neuer did this land by prophanenesse by iniustice by riot more offend God and neuer was it more senslesse thereof And the Church may well complaine in the words of the Prophet Esay 38. in pace meâ amaritudo amarissima this calme of ours is a very storme a storme of sinne that will bring a storme of woe The Prophet Ieremie cap. 48. hath an excellent resemblance of a vessell of wine which while it is settled vpon the lees hath a good taste and smell but stirre the lees you marre the wine it will then become muddy and vnsauourie The wicked thinke they haue no lees nothing that can interrupt or alter their state but when God commeth to poure them from vessell to vessell they will finde the contrary they will finde that Christs saying in the Gospell is true Matth. 13. Voluptuousnesse and couetousnesse are nothing but bryars and thornes and they will iustifie that saying of the Preacher Eccles 1. All is vanitie and vexation of spirit Gods heauie hand hath beene long off from vs but it vseth to come vpon irrepentant persons with redoubled strokes Esay 57.21 Seeing then non est pax improbo it is no peace which the wicked haue in their prosperitie and that which they haue they cannot long enioy I will conclude with the admonition of Moses Deut. 29. Take heede lest there bee amongst you a roote that beareth gall and wormewood and it come to passe that when any man heareth the words of the curse denounced against the breakers of the Law he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the
came the Nations should beat their swords into plough-shares Esay 21 and their speares into pruning hookes Nation shall not lift vp sword against Nation neyther shall they learne warre any more cap. 11. the same Prophet by an allegorie doth elsewhere teach that where Christ commeth and is entertained he doth ciuilize the most barbarous Nations The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard lye downe with the Kid the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice denne they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters couer the sea Worthily therfore doth the Apostle call Christ our peace whose kingdome is righteousnes Ephes 2.14 Rom. 14.17 peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Moreouer obserue that to whom we owe our glorie to him wee owe our peace the blessings of God doe much affect vs as being good but except we haue securitie in the possession of them wee lose most of our content for it is a great accession to miserie once to haue been happy and plus refert vndè quà m quò cadas he that taketh a downe-fall from an high place is more sensible of that which he hath lost than of that which he suffers Therefore the addition of peace vnto glory doth import no small comfort which Esay also foretold cap. 4. Vpon all the glory shall be a defence The Apostle speaketh significantly Phil. 4.7 The peace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bee as a Court of guard to keep our hearts and mindes in the state of grace whereunto we are brought by Christ They that are rich and are to conuey their goods by sea or land haunted with theeues pyrants doe thinke themselues to be so much more or lesse bound to those that will secure their passage as their goods are more or lesse precious Goods of greater price than is the glorie of the house before specified there cannot be how great then is our debt vnto Christ who safe conducts vs with our glorie through the wildernesse of this world maugre the might and malice of the Serpent and the Lion of all our deadly foes You haue heard who settleth the peace in the place you must now heare how Hee giueth it And it is truly tearmed a gift for whereas there are two kindes of peace one made betweene parties whereof each is able to make good his quarrell against the other yet they are contented to auoyde trouble to agree vpon reasonable conditions the other kinde of peace is that which a conqueror out of his goodnesse vouchsafeth to persons subdued which are at his mercie and whom by the law of armes he might make slaues Our peace is of this later sort we all deserued to bee captiues to the diuell for wee were all become children of wrath by Adams sinne Ephes 2.3 When we lay thus weltring in our bloud no other eye pitying vs then God said vnto man Thou shalt liue Ezech. 16. Hee gaue him this peace therefore is peace a free gift Neyther a free gift onely but a stable also they are not induciae but pax not a cessation from armes for a time that admitteth a returne to warre againe but a reconciliation for euer a couenant of salt Gods mercie shall not depart and this couenant shall not be remoued Esay 54.10 Ezech. 37. Prou. 1. v. vlt. You haue heard what the peace is the place where it resteth by whom and how they are ioyned together what remaineth but that euery man enquire whether he haue this peace or not in this enquirie we must proceede ascendendo not descendendo the lower must assure vs of the vpper degree The abolishing of the guilt of our sinne is the darkest branch of our peace which wee know onely by faith But for the triall of this point of faith we must haue recourse to our conscience and inquire what peace we find there For the peace of our conscience is the looking glasse of that peace which we haue with God if we finde none there we haue none with God and we may be sure we haue it with God if we finde it truly there Truely I say for a man may be deceiued in the triall of his conscience many haue quiet consciences but it is because they are seared Wherefore we must looke one steppe lower and iudge of the second degree of our peace by that which we finde in the third we must see it in our mortification and subiection of the flesh to the spirit for iustification which doth quiet the conscience is inseparable from sanctification which doth reforme our nature Finally to remoue all doubt concerning sanctification we must looke to the effects thereof for a good tree bringeth forth good fruit and our conuersation will testifie our sanctification if our deeds be seasoned with charitie the spirit of God doth rest in our soules This inquirie is most behoofe full in these daies wherein more talke of peace than doe partake thereof partake I say of that true and full peace which here is meant by Haggai Yet lest men stumble by ouer great curiosity and dis-hearten themselues for the diuell is apt to make men as well despaire that they haue not peace when they haue it as to presume that they haue it when they haue it not wee must distinguish inter pacem viatoris and comprehensoris the peace of the Church militant and that of the Church triumphant Touching the Church militant it hath outward crosses and inward conflicts We doe not alwaies apprehend the light of Gods countenance it is often ouercast and hee is despleased with vs but it is as a father with his childe of whom the Poet Sit licet in natos facies austera parentum Aequa tamen semper mens est amica voluntas Therefore the cloud will dissolue and the light will cheere vs againe The worme is not so dead but if we sinne it will giue vs a remembrance a happy remembrance for it awakeneth vs to repent and beleeue which so soone as we doe the smart is at an end The law of our members will often times rebell against the law of our mindes and carrying vs captiue vnto sin will make vs cry out with St. Paul Rom. 7. O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee front this body of death but the conclusion is comfortable Thanks be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Finally very often when we speak vnto men of peace they will prepare themselues to war for except we will riot communicate with them in their sin they will hate vs so that we must redeeme our inward peace with an outward war In this case let it be our comfort that much happier is the war that keeps vs close to God than that peace which will separate vs from him Psal 23. Though I walke in the middest of the valley of
And if being a farre off his sight caused ioy being come so neare how much more ioy must the sight of him cause If the Type wrought so how must the Truth it selfe worke And if the Father of the Type were so affected ought not the Mother of the Truth to be affected much more Certainly she must needs haue Ioy. But what is Ioy Ioy is a pleasing euidence of the loue which we beare to any thing which we acknowledge to be good so that Ioy though it be but one thing yet it presupposeth two other things Knowledge and Loue as the rootes from whence it springs The first roote is Knowledge for where there is no Knowledge there can be no Ioy. Marke the great and the little world though each bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly frame inriched with many markable indowments yet is not the great world priuie to the indowments it hath no not the eye thereof I meane the summe of whom the Poet long since spake truely Per quem videt omnia mundus Et videt ipse nihil So that the passage in the 19. Psalme The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke c. is to bee vnderstood passiuely not actiuely or to speak it more plainly they do it as a Scripture but not as a Lecture they are a silent representation But the little world is not only passiue but actiue hee can contemplate whatsoeuer perfection is in himselfe or others it is the very nature of his vnderstanding to become all things and to beare about it selfe which it can studie at all times in it selfe a mappe of all the world Whether therefore we consider the great or the little world we may call each of them a booke but such a booke as to the reading whereof none is admitted vnder the degree of a man And herein consists the first excellency of the reasonable soule this is the first act wherein it ariseth higher than the vnreasonable man goeth beyond a beast in the knowledge of perfection and this knowledge is the first roote of Ioy. From hence springeth a second which is Loue. Knowledge is not vnfitly compared vnto a seale which is grauen not for it selfe but to set a print vpon the waxe and our heart is as waxe and easily receiues the impression of our knowledge Now the print which the knowledge of perfection leaueth in the heart is Loue according to the Greeke Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor transit in rem amatam knowne good cannot be long vnaffected because the heart is as transformable into all good as the vnderstanding into all truth the heart I say that hath his right temper and is capable of his proper obiect that obiect discerned must needs breed loue Loue which is Virtus vnieâ—s a Vertue which maketh a match betweene our soule and perfection for as Knowledge is the eye whereby the soule seeth it so is Loue the hand whereby it closeth with it Duaâ— ciuitates distingunt duo amores St. Austin So that Loue is the second act of the reasonable soule an act which distinguisheth betweene good and bad men and is the second roote of Ioy. When Knowledge and Loue haue done their part then commeth in the reasonable soules last worke and that is Ioy which is nothing else but the euidence of loue for where there is no loue there is no Ioy but we cannot but ioy in that which we loue for Ioy is the naturall fruit of loue and we cannot loue any thing but the heart will haue a pleasant feeling thereof This third act of the reasonable soule putteth a difference between happy and vnhappy men for Ioy is the vpshot of all our endeauours nothing can satisfie till wee come to it and he that hath it resteth therein We studie we loue both that we may Ioy but beyond ioy we cannot goe And this I thinke is the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so vsually receiued for the common salutation But wee may not onely consider the Nature but the Power of Ioy also great power for it is in the pleasure of Ioy how much we shall be capable of whatsoeuer good wee either know or loue the enlarging of our heart more or lesse is the act of Ioy and as much as wee ioy so much is our heart inlarged Marke then as is our Knowledge so is our Loue for we can loue no more than we know and as is our Loue so is our Ioy for Ioy is an effect of Loue but as is our Ioy so is our portion of good wee can receiue no more than our vessell will containe and the measure thereof depends from Ioy. To come now vnto the Angels words he calleth vpon the Virgin for this Affection the affection of Ioy what meaneth hee thereby Out of that you haue heard you may gather this he would haue her most sensible most capable of that diuine obiect which in his following words he presents vnto her And what the Angell commended vnto the Virgin giue me leaue Fathers and Brethren to commend vnto you Ioy. When we receiue the message of grace certainly it is Gods pleasure that we should reioyce in his blessings Lord saith Dauid lift thou vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Psalme 4. and what followeth That shall put more ioy into our hearts than they whose corne and wine is increased The want of this Ioy cost the Israelites deare Deut. 28. Because saith Moses thou seruest not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a chearfull heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and nakednesse and the need of all things Wherefore at all times Let our garments be white and let not oyle be wanting to our beads Eccles 9.8 whensoeuer the Lord doth answer the desire of our hearts O then be â—oyfull in the Lord serue the Lord with gladnesse and come before his tresence with a song for we forfeit Gods fauour if it bee not vnto vs the very ioy of our heart And no maruell for to want this affection in the midst of Gods mercies what doth it argue but that either wee want the Vnderstanding of men and discerne not our blessing or else want that Loue that should be in good men wherewith to imbrace the same or at least wee make not so much vse of Gods mercy as thereby to become happy men for happy men we are not without Ioy that affection that is here commended by the Angell And thus much of the Affection As for that Iowly obeyzance wherewith the Romanists say the Angell spake the word I thinke the mention thereof more vnworthy your learned eares than their superstitious pens that haue so childishly obserued it vnto vs. And therefore I passe from the Affection to the Motiues that must worke the same In vaine should the Angell call for the Affection except he proposed the Motiues for our affections stirre not but as
these prerogatiues and therfore it preacheth vnto vs that which Canaan preached to Israel Amendment of life and constancy therein The second Motiue which the place doth yeeld is the tenure thereof God saith Salomon gaue it to our fathers they held in franck Almoigne and God telleth vs in the Psalme that hee gaue it them to this end that they might keep his statutes and obserue his Lawes And should not men bee dutifull vnto God when God is so liberall vnto men Wee may thinke haply that this doth not concerne vs because we came otherwise by our Lands If we thinke so wee plod too much vpon the second causes but we must know that whether we come by them by purchase or by gift we are beholding vnto Gods blessings for the mony wherewith wee purchase and for their good will which bestow it on vs and the same God that could haue hindred vs of both can strip vs of both at his pleasure But to shut vp the matter of my Text. You see the end of Gods plagues and of his mercy They doe sollicit vs to returne in time This doth call vpon vs not to bee weary of well-doing Wherefore let vs entertaine Gods chastisements prudently let vs not contemne them because they are fearefull and the contempt of this temporall will but procure vs eternall wrath at least in this life God may rise from smaller vnto greater plagues Nor let vs despaire because God is mercifull yea he hath shewed a great deale of mercy in that multi corriguntur in paucis in presenting before vs some few mens harmes hee bids vs all beware and what should our praier be but Domine ne in supplicijs nostrie alios erudiamus Let not vs by thy heauy hand bee made examples to others cum liceat nobis aliorum cruciatibus emendari whereas if wee haue grace other mens corrections may be our instructions To you of this assembly let me say boldly That the greater we are in place and power the greater share should we haue in this worke of Repentance by our example we should teach the people compunction for sin correction of life the two most preuailing folliciters of Gods mercy and preseruers of a State God forbid that it should be with vs as it was with Israel Ier. 5. Amos 6. that God should find the great men more sons of Belial than the meaner sort it would be a shrewd prognostication of very euill dayes to come This day promiseth better things I pray God the continuance be answerable and that we repent not that wee haue resolued to repent but that euery day sinne may more and more dye in vs and grace liue more and more if we do so we may be sure that though for a time we sow in teares yet in due time wee shall reape in ioy Nothing remaineth now that I haue for your greater edifications opened and applied the pious assertions that are contained in my text but that wee should returne it againe into that forme wherein King Salomon conceiued it and make it our common petition vnto God LOrd there is great feare of a famine the pestilence hath entred already far vpon vs by the enemies of thy truth and our peace we are forced to prepare for war we knowing euery man the plague of his owne heart cast our selues downe before thy Throne of Mercy deprecating thy wrath and supplicating for grace beseeching thee to take off thy heauie hand from vs and fight for vs against our enemies because without thee vaine is all the strength of man Heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place forgiue do and giue to euery man of vs according to his waies Thou which only knowest the hearts of all men that we may fear thee all the dayes which we liue in this good Land which thou hast giuen to our fathers And bee vouch safed after this life to attend thy Throne with thy blessed Saints in the Kingdome of Heauen Amen יהוה TWO SERMONS PREACHED in WELLS at the Ordination of MINISTERS THE FIRST SERMON MATTH 28. Vers 18 19 20. All power is giuen vnto mee in Heauen and in Earth Goe ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you And lo I am with you alway euen vnto the end of the world Amen THese words contain one of the last solemne acts which our Sauiour Christ performed immediately before he ascended into Heauen and that was his sending of his Apostles to conuert the world In this act our Sauiour Christ doth informe them first of his owne right to send All power is giuen me both in Heauen and in Earth then of the errant whereupon they were to be sent Goe yee therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them c. But more distinctly About Christs right our first enquiry must be of what sort the power here mentioned is and wee shall finde that it is heauenly and my Text will teach vs that this heauenly power of Christ is lawfull because giuen vnto him and full because in it selfe vnlimited it is All power and extendeth to euery place it worketh both in Heauen and Earth Vpon this power of Christ is grounded the Apostles Embassage that must you gather out of the Illatiue Therefore In the Apostles embassage or errant we will consider their common charge and comfort In the charge we shall see 1. What they must doe they must Goe Ite 2. To whom they are sent and whereabout They are sent farre and wide Goe yee to all Nations That which they must doe is to winne them vnto Christ teach them or as the Originall hath it make them Disciples If they preuaile with any if any entertaine the Gospell then they are to consecrate their persons vnto God Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and to worke their obedience wholly conformable to euery one of those precepts which themselues had receiued from Christ Teach them to doe all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you This is their common charge Their common comfort standeth in the powerfull and perpetuall assistance of Christ Assistance He is with them and this presence is powerfull for he that is present is Ego I that haue all power both in Heauen and Earth and it is perpetuall Hee is with them alwayes vnto the worlds end Alwayes without intermission vnto the worlds end therefore not onely with their owne persons but also with their successors Vpon this common comfort they must all fixe their eyes Ecce Behold it and their faithfull prayer must hopefully expect it so much is meant by the close of all Amen These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text to our consideration I will God willing speake of so many of them as the time will permit Consider you what I say and the Lord giue you a right vnderstanding in
vncharitablenesse in our supernaturall cognation Naturall brethren maligne each the other either because the affection of Parents is vnequall or because they shall not haue equall part in the Inheritance but GOD embraceth all his children with the same loue and they are all called to be heires of the same Kingdome therefore they should all haue alike tender bowels one towards another As the name of Brethren calleth for compassion so doth the name of spirituall also by spirituall is ment he that is strong in Faith and hath not yeelded to temptation he that is led by the Spirit and hath not fulfilled the lusts of his Flesh the more he is so spirituall the more compassionate he must be Greg. Mag◠Vera iustitia compassionem habet falsa indignationem It is a shrewd argument that our righteousnesse is pharisaicall and not Christian if we rather insult then shew pittie who more spirituall then GOD then Christ then the Angels The best of men cannot match the meanest of them in the holines of Spirit and yet the Angels reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Luke 19.7 and how doth Christ the good Sheepeheard take comfort in the recouerie of the lost Sheepe And as for GOD you read his disposition in that countenance and cheere wherewith the Father receiued his prodigall child Where there is lesse kindnesse there is lesse of the Spirit as in the Diuell who calumniateth amplyfieth sinnes aggrauateth Iudgements and we are too like him if our bowels be crueltie You see who must shew compassion and read their duties in their names But if their names will not worke enough the ground that the Text addeth inforcing this dutie doth more strongly presse them and the ground is considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our eies happily are watchfull but are more fixed vpon others then vpon our selues we take delight to pry farre into other mens faults and a pleasing thing it is to flesh and blood to be learned in such arguments But it is but a propertie of Vultures and Rauens that quickly sent carrion and hast vnto it the Holy Ghost here taketh off our eyes from other obiects and fastens them vpon our selues we are the book which our selues should most study we should know none so well as our selues But when we are brought so farre as to study our selues we study like the Pharisee read nothing in our selues but our owne perfections if GOD hath giuen vs any guifts we need no spectacles to read it the characters are alwayes of the largest sise yea we oftentimes read more then is written and giue thankes to GOD for that which he hath not bestowed or not bestowed in that measure which we suppose we haue Because of our ouer great docilitie to study this argument the Scripture passeth by it and reads vs another lesson the lesson of our infirmities looke we must vpon our selues yea and to our selues also but that which we must behold and heed is least thou also be tempted Consider Quia homo es habens naturam mutabilem saith THEODORET No man in this world is so spirituall but he is also carnall St HIEROME with this Text censured the Heretickes of old and we may censure some that liue at this day who thinke that a righteous man is such a tree as can beare no bad fruit but posse peccare is the portion of euerie mortall man and he that standeth may fall for we all walke in the middest of snares Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod haec est euen he that hath ouercome temptation knowes how hard a thing it is to be tempted And if it be hard then should not we be hard hearted towards them whom it foyleth Which obseruation is not vnnecessarie because our nature is as prone to rigor as it is to sinne we are to haue an eye to both and indeed nothing will make vs sooner auoid the temptation vnto rigor then the acknowledgment that our felues are prone to sinne it is St AVSTINS rule Nil sic ad misericordiam inclinat ac proprij periculi cogitatio he that knowes he may need mercie hath a good inducement to shew mercie Wherefore as to the comfort of the Penitent I may promise her that her teares are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though she sow in teares Basil she shall reape inioy so let me aduise you to forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you He that is mercifull doth good to his owne soule saith SOLOMON Prou. 11. Ecel 8. Eph. 4. Colos 3. Wherefore despise ye not a man returning from his sinne be courteous one towards another and tender hearted forgiuing freely as God for Christ sake forgiueth you St PAVL doth teach vs this lesson in this Text the Text is documentum exemplum the matter of it informeth vs yea the phrase is a good patterne vnto vs in deliuering an argument of mercie he vseth not a word that doth not sauour of mercie Homo noting the pronesse of our nature to sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the occasions of sinne praeoccupatus the surprisall all in fauour of the Penitent And what meaneth the name of Brother Spirituall the Spirit of Meeknesse Consider thy selfe Thou mayst be tempted Are they not as water cast vpon the fire of our zeale to temper it if it grow too hot Then looke we on the words all call vpon vs that as we are eye witnesses and eare witnesses of this Penitents confession contrition so we should let GOD and the Angels see how full we are of compassion Compassion that must moue vs all to pray to GOD for her that God by the power of the keyes may loose her from those bands wherewith her sinne her crying sinne hath tyed her God heare vs and worke by vs and in vs that she may be fully restored and her fall may make vs all to beware Amen Blessed are the mercifull for they shall find mercie A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME A MAN DID PENANCE FOR INCEST WITH HIS WIVES DAVGHTER 1 CORINTH 5. VERSE 1 c. 1 Jt is reported commonly that there is fornication amongst you and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife 2 And ye are puffed vp and haue not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from amongst you 3 For J verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue iudged already as though J were present against him that hath so done this deed 4 Jn the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ 5 To deliuer such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Jesus THE present occasion led me to this Text and this Text that I haue read vnto you well fitteth
vpon whom this Law was made blasphemed but in his rage as appeares yet he dyed for it Wonder not at GODS seueritie he measureth no more to himselfe then he doth to Parents Exod. 21 to Magistrates He that curseth his father and his mother the parents of his flesh must be vsed so and shall not he be vsed so much more that curseth the Father of his Spirit He that speaketh euill of the Ruler of the people must be vsed so and shall not he that speaketh euill of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The comparison maketh Quicunque in GODS case to be most iust To which root we shall refer your Blasphemie that are the penitent I know not in charitie we hope the best we hope that it commeth from a mixture of grosse ignorance and vnruly passions for these doe rayse euill thoughts and murmurings That it doth so let it appeare in your repentance St Paul in conscience of his Fall by ignorance gaue himselfe no better a title when he had occasion to mention it then Maximus peccatorum the most grieuous of sinners euen when he lead a most holy life he could not forget his fall in the hight of GODS grace And of St Peter the Ecclesiasticall Storie reports that at the crowing of the Cocke the Remembrancer of his Fall euerie night during his life he did wash his bed and water his couch with his penitent teares GOD make you so mindfull and so sorrowfull otherwise you will betray that your Blasphemie sprang from malice and then be sure that the same GOD that commanded such seueritie to be executed here on earth will himselfe execute much greater vpon all those which through irrepentance goe to Hell Yea haply he may euen in this world make you a Spectacle of a forlorne wretch to the terrour of others as he did Sennacherib Hercdot â—â—b 8. vpon whose Statua there is this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let euerie one that looketh vpon me learne to be godly Such a Spectacle I say may he make you if by often recounting and bewayling of this crying sin you doe not quench the fire of his wrath and preuent his iudgements For God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine The last point is that it must be done without all indulgence Moriendo morietur he shall surely dye surely be stoned We may not with Eue turne surely into ne fortè lest the Diuel worke vpon vs and we prouoke GOD as Saul did in Agags case and Ahab in Benadads You haue heard the Law A word of those to whom it was giuen and so I end In the entrance of my Text you find that it was giuen to the Israelites the Israelites were the people of GOD and surely it concernes them if any to be most zealous of his glorie who is their Glorie But did it concerne them onely Then it is dissolued because their Common-weale is at an end Take therefore a Rule That if a Law which in the institution thereof was Nationall to the Iewes in the equitie of it be Oecumenicall euerie Christian nation is bound to giue it a Reuiuor though they may varie the punishment as they find it expedient for their State And indeed this hath receiued such a reuiuor in most Christian States Iustinian the Emperour of Constantinopâ—e made it capitall The wise Gothes inflicted an hundred stripes for it and in disgrace shaued the delinquents head and beard and imprisoned him during life Fredericke the Emperour cut out the tongue of all that offended in this kind St Lewis of France caused their tongue to be bored with a hot Iron wishing that his owne tongue might be so vsed if euer he did blaspheme Philip of Vuloys caused their lips to be slit And touching our owne State I haue nothing to say in excuse thereof for that it hath all this while left this sinne onely to Ecclesiasticall censure and hath not prouided some corporall punishment for it but that of Solon who being demanded why he made no Law against Parricide answered that he thought none in his Common-weale would euer be so impious to commit it So I thinke our State thought there would neuer rise such lewd persons amongst vs But seeing there doe it is high time we had some sharpe occasionall Statute to represse them If holy Iob were so carefull to sacrifice for and sanctifie his sonnes ne fortè lest peraduenture they had sinned with what zeale should we be stirred vp when we see the fact is most apparent I conclude Let all Blasphemie be put out of all our mouthes yea and hearts also and let vs pray GOD to set a watch before our lips and keepe the doore of our mouthes that his grace may rule in our hearts that he may be our feare and his prayse may be our talke that praysing him here on Earth we may be admitted into the number of his Saints which with heart and voyce prayse him for euermore in Heauen A penitent Prayer for a Blasphemer MOST Sacred and most dread Almightie Euerlasting God to whom the Angels continually doe cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Hoasts the glorie of whose admirable and comfortable wisedome reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily and sweetly ordereth all things J the vnworthiest of men the most grieuous of sinners humbly sorrowfully prostrating my deiected disconsolate both soule and body before thy holy eyes pray that the sighes and groanes of a broken and contrite heart may not be excluded from thine offended eares Lord J haue beene deepe in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Sathan hath filled my heart therewith and out of the aboundance thereof my tongue hath sent forth many flashes euen of the fire of Hell as a brood of the Serpent J haue set my mouth against Heauen J haue blasphemed the holy the reuerend Name of my God and vilified his vnchangeable vnchallengable Prouidence Haddest thou dealt with me as I deserued fire and brimstone from Heauen should haue consumed me or the Earth should haue gaped and swallowed me downe quicke into the pit of Hell J deserued to be made a spectacle of thy iust vengeance that gracelesse wretches seeing my iudgement might feare my offence J confesse this ô Lord J confesse it vnfainedly penitently but woe is me if J haue no more to confesse but these my euill deserts Thy long-suffering towards me putteth me in better hope yea this medicinall confusion whereunto thou now puttest me puts me in good hope that thou hast not forgotten to be mercifull vnto me neither hast thou shut vp thy tender mercie in displeasure Lord J doe not despise this goodnesse of thine that leads me to repentance that workes in me remorce of conscience And from that penitent Blasphemer that proued a most worthy Apostle from his mouth doe J take vnto my selfe that saying worthy of all men to be receiued That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue
sinners euen such sinners of whom I am chiefe Now then J beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercie and forgiueth iniquitie and sinne Be mercifull J beseech thee to the impietie of thy seruant according to thy great mercie let the vngodlinesse of my heart of my mouth be blotted out of thy remembrance let it not bring vpon me the vengeance J deserue but create in me a new heart and touch my tongue with a cole from thine Altar that J which am vnworthy by reason of my scandalous crying sinne to meditate on or make mention of thy glorious Maiestie thy diuine Wisedome may haue a heart alwayes enditing good things and my blasphemous tongue may be turned into an instrument of thy glorie So shall my soule be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when J shall prayse thee with ioyfull lips and J shall sing forth thy wonderous mercie all the dayes of my life Heare me ô Father of mercie for giue me amend me and establish in me this holy purpose of my repentant heart to thy glorie and the comfort of enormous sinners for Jesus Christs sake by the powerfull operation of thy Holy Spirit Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWS IN WELLES A SCHISMATIQVE DOING PENANCE WHO HAD FOR MANY YEERES ESTRANGED HIMSELFE FROM THE COMMVNION OF OVR CHVRCH 1 CORINT 3.18 18 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise A Particular visible Church is built vpon two foundations Vnion and Communion a louing vnion of the faithfull and an holy communion in sacred things Both these must be preserued or else that Church will come to naught Now there were amongst the Corinthians that did vndermine these foundations some rent the vnion and the communion was corrupted by other-some St Paul wrot this Epistle to amend them both And marke what a distinct course he taketh He first setleth the vnion before he offereth to purge the communion And there is good reason why for though the louing vnion of the faithfull be vnprofitable if it be without a holy communion in sacred things yet is a holy communion in sacred things impossible if you take away the louing vnion of the faithfull Therefore lest St Paul should lose his labour in redressing of the communion he first taketh care of repayring the vnion The first thing then that in the Church of Corinth he reformes is Schisme and he spends well-nigh foure Chapters in reforming thereof in throughly searching into the disease and applying thereto a soueraigne remedy The words that now I haue read vnto you belong to the remedy and you shall find them to be a principall branch thereof Let vs come more closely to them Of medicinall remedies some are preseruatiue some are restoratiue The preseruatiue are for the sound the restoratiue are for the sicke You shall find them both in my Text and you shall find that they are Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue remedy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence or the preuention of Schisme you haue it in these words Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance or the recouering of a Schismatique it followeth in these words If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise But more distinctly In the preseruatiue we are to behold our naturall weakenesse and therefore to learne spirituall carefulnesse St Paul supposeth that we are prone to deceiue our selues and therefore aduiseth that no man should doe himselfe that wrong Let no man deceiue himselfe In the restoratiue we must behold first the distemper of a Schismatique and then the cure fitting to such a distemper The distemper is a carnall selfe-conceit a selfe-conceit for the man thinkes himselfe wise but the selfe-conceipt is but carnall as appeares by the limitation or extenuation rather that is added to his wisedome he is onely wise in this world Such is his distemper Whereof the first cure is an exalting humilitie The first branch is humilitie He must become a foole but he need not be disheartened there followeth an exaltation thereupon He becomes a foole that he may be wise These are the remedies And they are as I told you Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any That which hath befalne this man may be the case of the best of vs all These are the particulars which GOD-willing I shall now enlarge and apply vnto this present occasion I pray GOD we may so doe it as that we all not this Penitent onely may be the better for it The first remedy is the preseruatiue and therein the first thing that I pointed out is our naturall weaknesse This St Paul supposeth we may gather it out of that which he aduiseth for in vaine were his aduise if there were not a truth in that which he supposeth but farre be it from vs to thinke that the Holy Ghost doth require any thing in vaine let it stand then for an vndoubted truth that we are prone by nature to deceiue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verbe is deriued which is vsed by the Apostle signifieth a leauing of the right way which putteth vs in mind that in this world we are but way-faring men When we are admitted into the Church we are set in the path which will lead vs to our euerlasting home but when we are in it we may goe out of it It appeares too plainly in Adam and Eue and it is not to be expected that the children should be better then the parents especially seeing our restitution commeth short of that measure of grace which they had in their Creation It being true that we may the question is How it comes to passe that we doe goe out of the way and leaue the straight path wherein we are set the Scripture obserues two meanes the one without vs the other within vs that is the world this is concupiscence the world allures concupiscence inclines Adde hereunto a third that is the diuel he blancheth the world that it may allure more strongly and worketh concupiscence by perswasion that it may yeeld more readily and these betweene them consummate the deceipt whereby we are led out of the way But betweene these we must obserue a great difference that which worketh the deceipt from without is but an occasion that which worketh it from within is the true cause thereof the world the diuel Suadere possunt cogere non possunt they may sollicit powerfully but they cannot inforce vs vnwillingly to goe out of the way Physicall actions may be constrayned morall cannot I may haue
worke and the reward without any other respect but merit of congruitie there might haue beene seeing GOD was pleased freely and graciously to propose to the worke so great a reward and to bind himselfe by promise to performe his Couenant of life if man did performe his couenant of obedience And this congruitie carrieth with it a Iustice for GOD is no lesse iust when he keepes his word then when he equalleth a reward to a worke But his first word was Legall the word wherewith we haue to doe is Euangelicall a word published by the Prophets and Apostles wherein there is mercie not onely in that GOD proposeth a reward to the worke but also for CHRISTS sake bestoweth the reward notwithstanding our defects in the worke for touching the worke of our passiue obedience St Pauls rule is true Non sunt condignae passiones c. Saint St Bernard openeth St Pauls meaning fairely and fully lest any man should restraine it out of a vaine conceit of any worth of his owne Non sunt condignae saith he vel ad praeteritam culpam quae remittitur vel ad presentis consolationis gratiam quae immitticur vel ad futuram gloriam quae promittitur our momentaine afflictions which are but for a little time doe worke an exceeding eternall weight of glorie Vsura sortem excedit Away then with all pride and let no Romanists presume of more then GODS free mercie for all our title is concluded in The Lord hath promised And what he promiseth shall be performed that appeares in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be no distrust no distrust if the person be not mistaken to whom the promise is made that is to the patient man he shall be sure of it There is a question An iustus possit excidere a gratia but of this which is in my Text there is no question Papists Lutherans Protestants all are agreed that he that perseuereth to the end shall be saued shall be glorified And I would to GOD the world did take more care to perseuere then to dispute of the certaintie of perseuering Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the future tense intimates that Beatitudo hic parari potest possideri non potest we must stay our time and in due time we shall not faile Nazianz. trat 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let vs not be wearie of well-doing for in due time we shall reape if we faint not The last point that I note is that whereunto St Iames applyes both the nature of patience and also the description of the end thereof it is to resolue rich-men humbled that they must reioyce and I doubt not but by this time you will say they must reioyce Let affliction be vnsauourie yet temptation rellisheth well for what generous nature doth not affect to haue his vertue most conspicuous especially that vertue which is the life of all vertue I meane the loue of God There is then matter of Ioy included in the nature of the Crosse If in the Nature much more in the End for this end is blessednesse and this blessednesse is the Crowne of life looke how many words so many seeds shall I say nay clusters of ioy The Moralist teacheth that pleasure is inseparable from blessednesse and how sweet life is aske but the Naturalist whose axiome that is Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will giue for his life And as for a Crowne all Histories will teach vs that there hath beene no kind of Festiuitie amongst the Ancients whereof one token was not the wearing of a Crowne But if we consider moreouer that the blessednesse here mentioned is entire the life heauenly the Crowne eternall then I am sure there will be no question made of the ioy the ioy that attends the end of patience Let Iulian seeke to disgrace the Crosse and not endure it vpon his Standard he shall find it in the verie entrals of beasts crowned to his confusion Let all the enemies of the Church crowne vs here with thornes as they did our Sauiour CHRIST yet let vs be of good courage as his so ours shall be changed into a Crowne of glorie Affliction is not destructiue nay that which is the path of death in the eyes of men is vnto the godly the path of life The wicked thinke to doe vs hurt as Iosephs brethren did when they sold him but as Ioseph answered GOD meant it vnto good and so doth he worke our good out of the malice of all our Foes Sicut non minuitur patris dilectio quod Christus passus sit ita neque nos minus diligimur quod tentamur If we suâ—â—er with CHRIST we shall raigne with him GOD will bring vpon Dauid a blessing for Shimei his curse and all that suffer for CHRIST shall one day haue occasion to sing that part of the eighth Psalme which belongs to you no lesse then to CHRIST Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him Thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels by affliction but hast crowned him with glorie and honour The conclusion of all is Kings are not free from nay they are most subiect vnto the Crosse they must not be the worse for it nay their vertue must become the more resplendent by it so shall they be twice happy happy here on earth in that they beare the Crosse vpon their Crownes and happy in Heauen where GOD shall set the Crowne vpon all their Crosses GOD grant all states according to their degrees this Patience that they may euerie one in Heauen receiue his measure of the Recompence Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL IOHN 2.16 16 Make not my Fathers House an house of merchandize THE whole Chapter is a portion of this dayes Liturgie and the latter part thereof containeth a preparation against Easter for that Feast drew neere as we read at the 13 verse and we read there also that CHRIST then went vp to Hierusalem First He went vp to be a good example vnto others of obeying the Law Secondly to giue a solemne beginning to that Function whereunto he was not long before inaugurated at his Baptisme When for these ends he came into the Temple at the verie entrance he perceiued the prophanation thereof and therefore the first worke that he vndertooke was to reforme that place In this Reformation he manifested potentiam potestatem power and authoritie power in his deed and in his word authoritie but a Miracle in both His deed was a miracle St Hierome commenting vpon the like reported Math. 21. affirmeth that it was the greatest Miracle that euer CHRIST wrought If that much more this for CHRIST was now lesse knowne and worse attended therefore it was the more strange that being but one man in shew a meane man he should not onely set vpon but expell also out of the Temple so great a multitude and that of no meane ones yet such was
others Lib. 5. cap. 1â— saying Who can forgiue linnes but God onely St Irenie giues the reason Quomodo rectè remissa peccata nisi ille ipse in quem peccauimus donet remissionem He is the only I egislator as St Iames speaks and concludes that he onely hath power to condemne and absolue Therefore doth GOD Esay 43 and 44 claime this as his peculiar it is the peculiar of his Word to acertaine our Faith and of his Spirit to vnburden our Soules and insteed of the heauinesse that did oppresse to cheare vs vp with spirituall ioy Hitherto you haue seene a good correspondencie betweene the Co fession and the Remission but now you must heare of a great difference for Dauid was come no farther then Dixi he had a good purpose to confesse but of GOD which is the searcher of the heart he witnesseth that he was come to Remisisti granted the parden before it was asked so doth St Austin paraphrase these words Vox mea in ore nondum erat sed auris Dei iam in corde erat And what is this but a proofe of that gratious promise which GOD himselfe hath made in the Prophet Esay 〈◊〉 6 5. Oâ—at â— Orat. 15. before they call I will answer and while they speake I will heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryed out Nazianzene when he conâ—dered this But else-where he giues the reason of this celeritie â—ra est opus alienum when GOD is angry he goes against his owne natuâ—e but eius proprium est misereri it is as it were naturall to him to do good vnto men You need no better proofe then the parable of the proâ—igall child man cannot be so forward to receiue good but GOD is much more forward to bestow it and what greater incouragement to confesse most humbly then to obserue that GOD deales with a confessing sinner most gratiously And indeed we ought to obserue it for which was the last point to be handled on the Text the successe is remarkable It is signed with Selah Not to trouble you with the vse of this word in Musicke The learned make hereof a double morall vse for it is either a note of so â—e great thing and then they render it by the superlatiue degree or of some constant thing and so the Caldee rendreth it in aeternum Both these morall vses sit our purpose for the two maine branches of my Text are great and constant truthes What is there in the Confession that is not great Is it not a great thing to see a man so to put off selfe-loue and pride the properties of his corrupt nature and not onely acknowledge himselfe to be but also to humble himselfe as being a sinfull wretch To vse that rhetoricke wherewith he was wont to shift off his blame in amplyfying of his owne sinne In being so charitable as to eâ—cuse all the more to accuse himselfe and the more to set forth GODS glorie not to sticke euen in the hearing of men to be the publisher of his owne miserie This is great but due But how much more great is it to see GOD the Iudge of man so little to be moued with the heynousnesse of sinne as to send a Prophet to comfort an humble sinner yea to send his Spirit to ease the broken heart to take off the load from his Rebels and lay it vpon his deare Sonne And herein to preuent him who might well thinke himselfe happy if he spead after long attendance Certainly these things are great the more great because not due But as they are great so they are constant also for what king Dauid did must be done by all and all in so doing may looke for the same successâ— Salomon hath a generall rule Proâ— 28. He that hides his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them and forsaheth them shall find mercie The Apostles confirme it If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue saith St Iohn and St Paul If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But the more is the pittie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are many as Tertullian speakes which either deferre Nazianz. or abhorre this worke of Confession vt publicationem sui as if they should be too well knowne thereby either to GOD or men praesumo pudoris magis memores quam salutis more respectiue of a little false credit then of eternall life whereby you may perceiue the truth of St Chrysostomes note Inuertunt homines Dei ordinem Diaboli instinctu Deus enim pudorem dedit peccato confessioni siduciam but Diabolus peccato sidâ—â—iam confessioni pudorem the world hath too many spectacles of this peruerse dealing to whom we may vse the words of Tertullian Ne tu verecunde bonus qui ad delinquendum exporrigis frontem ad confitendum contrahis Is it not forsâ—oth a goodly modestie to be impudent in sinne and shamefast in the censure thereof But to what end doth man auoid this shame Surely to fall into a worse for he that will not be ashamed voluntarily shall against his will be put to shame Certainly the shall at the last day when GOD shall reueale all secrets in the sight of Angels and men Yea haply GOD will bring it to light in this world for some men haue their maske taken off here and their nakednesse discouered before they dye so that it is ill prouidence è malis maximum when we must chooâ—e one of two euils to reserue our selues vnto the worst And whereas he which accuseth himselfe need feare no accuser to spare himselfe that he may haue many and those that are much worse to accuse him But if a man be senslesse that he will not prouide what is best for himselfe yet let him not be so gracelesse as to doe wrong vnto GOD Peccator cum sis Nazianz. accede vt glorifices Deum occasionem praebeas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Si dubitas accedere inhibuisti bonitatem and we shall find that GOD can worse brooke the contempt of the Gospel then the breach of the Law Wherefore let vs listen to the Sonne of Syrach Cap. 4 and not be ashamed to confesse our sinne let vs sowe in teares that we may reape in ioy for blessed are they which now mourne for they shall be comforted Let euerie one of vs haue that good testimonie of our conscience which Iob had I haue not hid my sinne Cap. 31 as Adam conceiuing iniquitie in my bosome and we shall be able with King Dauid to pray and pray with hope Lord haue mercie vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee If we follow Dauids practise and say as he did we will confesse our sinnes against our selues vnto the Lord we shall be able vpon our owne experience euerie man to boast of King Dauids successe and to say Lord thou hast forgiuen the iniquitie of my sinnes A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL
not haue Gods paines so wasted vpon him hee would haue it sort a good effect and make him to bee as without blame in regard of Innocency so without spot in regard of Sanctitie we must desire that wee may bee renewed aswell as discharged as thoroughly renewed as fully discharged that we may be acceptable in Gods eyes and comfortable in our owne Put now these two together the description of Miserie and the Petition for Mercy and you shall finde diuerse remâ—akable things therein First that Miserie presenting it selfe vnto Mercy doth take a right course Nathan did charge Dauid with sinne and threatned him many plagues you finde not heere that he doth mention Gods plagues but his owne sinnes he spends his desire not in deprecating the Plagues but in ridding himselfe of his Sinnes And this is good spirituall wisedome for seeing plagues come for sinnes wee are sure that we shall neuer eate of that Fruit if we plucke this Tree vp by the roots if sinne cleaue not to vs we need not feare Gods wrath either we shall not feele it or we shall bee the better for it Pharoah and Pharoah-like Men haue an eye to their plagues not to their sinnes and therefore as he so they are eased of one plague to fall vnder another if Gods Mercy heare our Prayers and ease vs of any Affliction and doe not rid vs of our sinne let vs assure our selues that we are but like a Prisoner reprieued that may bee hanged when he least feares death Secondly Miserie must learne of King Dauid to lay it selfe fully open that it may be fully cured Ambros Quis nostrum qui peccatum confitetur non perstringendum potius quam repetendum putet When we repent happily we can be contented to glance at our sinnes but we will bee loath to looke farre into them and search our wounds to the quicke But King Dauid doth not so hee doth aswell amplifie Sinne the Cause of his Misery as he doth distinctly sue for the branches of Gods Mercy Gods Mercy And indeed God is the Person to whom he sueth for Mercy he directeth his Prayer vnto him from him he doth expect this Mercy But here is a Paradox for he that is ougly in his owne eyes how can he but be odious in Gods and how dares a guilty Prisoner offer himselfe at the Bar of his Iudge Gods face is against those that do euill Psal 34.15 to root out their remembrance from the earth This is true and yet Dauid goeth to him and no maruaile there is no flying from him but to him hee only can restore a sinner restore him to his owne fauour and rid him of that that intercepteth the influence of the coÌ„fortable beames of grace the Church confesseth it in the Collect it is Gods property to haue mercy and it sayth it according to the Scripture Daniel confesseth it 2. Cor. 1.3 To thee O Lord God belongeth Mercy and forgiuenesse Saint Paul maketh God the Father of Mercies Moses or God rather speaking to Moses sheweeh vs that it is an especiall branch of Gods glory in that Proclamation which hee maketh Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering c. But as Mercy is Naturall vnto God so it is not comfortable vnto vs but as it is deriued through Christ therefore we must marke the Words Chesed and Racham words wherein King Dauid doth expresse Gods Mercy for they note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Affection the bowells of a Father towards his Children Now God is not a Father vnto vs but by Adoption and we are not adopted but in Christ which is the onely Sonne God doth except vs in his Beloued in him it is that he hath Mercie vpon vs Therefore these very Words louing kindnesse are in the New Testament applyed to Christ comming in the flesh Christ also in the Old Testament is noted by the Propitiatory or Mercy-seate and in the New Testament he is called our Propitiation 1. Iohn 2.2 Heb. 2.17 and Mercifull high Priest The nature of sinfull men without Christ and God that is iudge of all the World are Infestissimi inimici they will neuer agree together our infirmitie will be ouerwhelmed by the diuine Maiestie but it is Christ that turneth the dreadfull Tribunall into a Throne of Grace Neither must we seeke onely for Gods kind affection in Christ but his gracious Actions also no hope of Dele nor Laua but in him and by him It is true that God by the Prophet tells vs that it is he that blots out our sinnes for his owne sake Esay 43 44.59 27. and bloâ—teth them out like a cloud and casts our sinnes into the Sea But hee doth not this immediately hee doth it by Christ Daniel teacheth Chap. 9. Coloss 2.14 that Hee was to finish wickednesse seale vp sinnes and reconcile iniquitie Saint Paul teacheth it saying that Christ fastened and cancelled the Obligation that was against vs on his Crosse Finally the Father sent him and he sent his Apostles with power to remit and to retayne sins which must needs implie that Dele blot out belongeth to Him And as Dele so Laua Zacharie foretold it In that day meaning the dayes of the Gospell there shall be a fountaine opened to the House of Dauid Zâ—ch 13. and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleanesse Saint Paul sheweth the accomplishment of it Ephe. 5 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the Word that hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Neither must we be beholding to Christ only for these gracious Actions רב but for their measure also The Text tells vs that there is not onely Mercy in God but that Mercy is of a large size it is called here Rob we translate it Multitude it signifieth also Magnitude The Conscience of a Sinner is afflicted some times with the Number sometimes with the excesse of sinne least we should sinke vnder either burden this word must specially be heeded which doth assure a distressed Conscience that there commeth not only Mercy from God but Great Mercy also so Great as that his Mercy reioyceth ouer his Iudgement there lieth an Appeale from God vnto God from God the Righteous to God the Gracious and God in regard of his Mercy is in a manner Greater then himselfe with this Moses presseth God significantly Num. 14. Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be Great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is slow to anger and of Great Mercy c. in the whole period hee importuneth him to shew that his Mercy exceeds his Iustice. The Scripture doth amplifie this point by setting downe the dimensions of his Mercy telling vs sometimes 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 11 33.
Psal 145. Psal 25. of the hight of it it reacheth vnto Heauen sometimes of the depth of it it fetcheth men from Hell sometimes of the width of it it is ouer all his workes sometimes of the length of it it hath bin euer of old His tender Compassions faile not they are renewed euery Morning Lamen 3. But all this is to bee vnderstood in Christ his Incarnation his passion the whole Redemption that hee wrought is indeed Magna Misericordia a wonderfull Mercy Saint Paul mentioning the breadth the length the depth and the hight of it teacheth vs that it passeth all knowledge Ephe. 3. Neither is it Great onely but in this Greatnesse we must obserue Magnitudinem Multitudinem Saint Chrisostome doth excellently amplifie this poynt in regard of both branches Ores nouas inauditas Behold and wonder the first fruits of those that come to Christ are those which were most desperately enthrauled to Satan Magi Publicani Meretrices latro blasphemus the Conuersion of such persons is an vndoubted Argument of the Magnitude of his Mercy And touching the Multitude beleiue his answer to Saint Peter Mat. 18. â—â— who asking Christ Whether hee should forgiue his Brother seauen times replied Not only seauen times but seauentie times seauen Eze. 18.21 At what time soeuer a Sinner doth repent from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lord. And verely were it not for this double Greatnesse that is in Gods Mercy few should bee saued for Psal 130. If thou Lord shouldest bee extreame to marke what is done amisse who were able to stand but with thee there is Mercy we would despaire of our cure if there were not such physicke of our great sores if there were not such a soueraigne medicine but this is our comfort Where sinne aboundeth Grace aboundeth much more Rom. 3.20 There is no sinne either so great or manifold which cannot be remedied by the Mercifull bowells of Christ It was Cains voice Gen. 4. my sinne is greater then can be forgiuen but a Father Saint Austin I thinke replieth to him Mentiris Cain this thy complaint is a blasphemous derogation from the vnmeasurable bowells of Christ and the Nouatians were long since condemned by the Church which straightned the power of the Remission of sinnes which Christ hath left vnto the Pastors Marke now the Correspondencie of the branches of this Text. Wee found Magnitude and Multitude in the Miserie of Dauid and they did need a Magnitude and Multitude in the gracious operations of Mercie and here we doe finde in the third place that Mercy is so well stored that it can doe as much as is required by Miserie Whereupon two thinges follow It is vnbeseeming diuine Mercy to bee scant in giuing and humane Miserie is foolishly modest that is spare in asking But this Diuinitie must not be abused it was neuer intended to encourage Presumption but God would haue it published to keepe men from Desperation It is wholesome Doctrine for them that are Miserabiles which labour and are heauie laden with the burden of their sin but it is dangerous to them that are onely Miseri such as are grieuous sinners but haue no sense of their wretched state The last point in the Text is Secundum Misericordiam Haue mercy vpon me according to that which is in Thee not that which is in Mee Nothing to moue God but onely the free goodnesse of God certainely to moue Mercy nothing else can be pleaded by Miserie Dauid had done many good things Omnes voluntates Dei as Saint Paul saith Acts 13. hee had restored Church and Common Weale and made many sweet Songs to the honor and prayse of God But he remembreth none of all these in his Prayer he doth not desire to speede for any of those And why Bona Opera Deo placere possunt Deum placare non possunt while wee doe them though imperfect yet are they well pleasing vnto God thorough Christ but if we doe contrary vnto them we may not pleade them for Satisfactions for our sinne No Gods Rule is Eze. 18. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned therefore Dauid prayeth discreetly when he referreth God to his owne Goodnes and pleades nothing of his owne Worth and we must in the like Case lay before God only our beggery and commend that vnto Gods Mercy the lesse we haue the more wee shall find in him if wee are not ashamed to confesse our owne basenes and his Goodnesse But it is time to draw to an end Audi peccator orantem peccatorem whosoeuer thou art that art a sinner learne from King Dauid the argument of penitent Prayer It must represent a feeling Miserie and a tender Mercy and the feeling of Misery must make vs seeke vnto tender Mercy It was a strange errour in Saint Peter that when he had seene a glimpse of Christs Glorie Luke 5. â— brake out into these words Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull Man hee should rather haue desired that Christ would approach him for with whom should a Patient desire rather to be then with his Physitian or a Sinner then with his Sauiour Surely Saint Peter at another time Iohn 13.2 though at first he made dainty that Christ should wash his feete yet when Christ told him except I wash thee thou canst haue no part in me replied Wash Lord and not my feete onely but my hands and my head also There is none of vs that doth not daily runne in arrerages to God that doth not staine that garment of Innocencie which he receiued in his Baptisme and what should we do then being in such a case but that our selues may be written in the booke of life desire that our sinnes may be blotted out of the Booke of death that we be not cast out of heauenly Hierusalem â—euel 7.14 as an vncleaÌ„e thing wash our garments white in the blood of the Lambe No doubt but as King Dauid so wee shall haue Paroxismes sharpe sits of despaire when our Conscience curiously suruaieth our Miserie But the eyes of our soule must not dwell there we must lift them vp vnto the Mercy-seate et abyssus abyssum inuocet let the depth of our Misery seeke a reliefe in the depth of Gods Mercy be our sins neuer so many bee they neuer so great we shall find more bowells of tender Mercy greater loue kindnesse there then our Sinnes can need Yea not onely finde them there in God but seele them also streaming from thence to the full reliefe of our distressed soules We shall feele them so acquitting so cleansing vs that we shall be assured that we are vessells of Mercy though we deserue for our sinnes to be Vessells of Wrath. I Shut vp all with this Prayer O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but