other the one negatiue he maketh not the wicked innocent the other affirmatiue he visiteth iniquitie Consider secondly the extent of the one and other His mercy extendeth vnto thousands his iudgement vnto three or foure generations Here is mercie and riches of mercie This therefore being so peculiarly annexed vnto the diuine nature the Church for many hundred yeeres harh vsed that excellent Collect O God whose nature and property is euer to haue mercy c. And this bringeth vnto my remembrance the saying of Tullie so much applauded by S. August lib. 9. de Cruit Dei when hee pleaded before Caesar for the life and liberty of Ligarius his friend O Caesar saith he none of thy vertues is more admirable or gracious then thy MERCIE Men come neere vnto God in nothing so much as in sauing the afflicted Thy fortune hath nothing greater then that thou hast power thy nature nothing better then that thou hast will to shew mercie and to saue others So I may say of all Gods proprieties none is more admirable and gracious then his mercy It is not his power it is not his knowledge it is not his wisdome but it is his Mercy wherein we chiefely reioice I should despaire if there were not mercy in him since there is so much iniquity in me But because of sinners hee shall be called mercifull 2. Esdr 8.31 Thus his mercy hath an aduantage by our sinnes to declare and to expresse it selfe For though in him there is an habit if I may so speake of mercy alwaies yet the act of mercy requireth sinne precedent in vs which giueth matter and occasion vnto the same There is a double matter of mercie the one whence it proceedeth the other where it is shewed The first is in God onely the second in vs. The heauens neede not the mercy of God saith August in Psal 32. because there is no misery in them but the earth needeth it and where the misery of man hath abounded there the mercie of God hath abounded much more If therefore I haue committed sinne then I haue fit matter for the declaration of his mercy In this ô Lord thy goodnesse shall be praised if thou be mercifull vnto vs who haue not the substance of good works 2. Esdr 8.36 In truth many haue the shadow not the substance of good works Now though it is an euill cause saith Seneca which requireth mercy yet there is no cause so euill which can despaire of mercy For as I haue the matter of or for mercy in me to wit my sins so if I haue the means to apprehend this mercy which meanes is faith alone the mercy of God shall bee commended through mine iniquity and my owne sinne shall turne to my owne safety All things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose Rom. 8.28 Omnia cooperantur saith S. Augustine all things worke etiam peecata Domine euen our sins also ô Lord. For by sinne we haue experience of our infirmity our infirmity draweth vs vnto humility humility lifteth vs vp vnto God in God euery man hath his quietus est perfect rest and endlesse peace Thus it is true that sinne which naturally and of it selfe worketh damnation may occasionally and by accident worke saluation also but by his power who brought light out of darkenesse and worketh our good out of our own euill I dare not therefore adde this grieuous sin vnto my other sinnes to despaire of mercy For as to commit a sinne it is the death of the soule so to despaire of mercy it is to descend into hell And some feare not to affirme that Iudas sinned more by despaire of mercy then by treason against his Lord. For what is more sacrilegious saith Fulgentius then to deny Gods mercy in forgiuing our sins If he be a skilfull physitian he can cure all our infirmities if a mercifull God hee can forgiue all our sinnes Therefore Dauid Psal 103. exhorteth his owne soule to praise the Lord and again to praise the Lord. Why He forgiueth all thy sinne healeth all thine infirmities If this be so let no man despaire of the physitian and remaine in his sicknes let no man extenuate Gods mercy and pine away in his sinnes For Christ died for sinners Rom. 5.8 And Christ came into the world to saue sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 If I were not a sinner he were not a Sauiour Qualecumque fit ergopeccatum c. Whatsoeuer then thy sinne be God can and will pardon it if thou by despaire doest not close vp his hands and shut vp the gate of indulgency against thy self Finally he concludeth his exhortation out of the prophet Esay 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgiue Yea multus ad ignoscendum as he rendreth it neerer vnto the originall text In hoc multo nihil deest in quo est omnipotens misericordia omnipotentia misericors He can pardon for his mercy is omnipotent he will pardon for his omnipotency is mercifull Therefore let no man despaire Thus much of the first motiue or cause to wit the mercy of God And so I come vnto the second which is his LOVE as it followeth here in my Text through his great loue wherwith he loued vs euen when we were dead by or in sins Here is loue the cause of mercy I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therefore with mercy haue I drawne thee Ierem. 31.3 The riuer of mercy issueth from the fountaine of loue But of this I haue spoken * Pag. 8. before Now for the Text it selfe you may obserue First that this affection or attribute is comfortable because it is loue specially in God Secondly that this loue is commendable because it is great Thirdly that this greatnes is admirable because it is toward vs. Concerning the First to wit the affection or attribute loue in God the beloued disciple teacheth vs that God is loue 1. Io. 4.8 And so loue is attributed vnto him in the abstract because it is in him not as an accident and by participation but by essence as S. Bernard speaketh diuinely of this other properties in God He loueth as charity he knoweth as truth he fitteth as equity he ruleth as maiesty he gouerneth as the beginning he defendeth as health he worketh as power he reuealeth as light he assisteth as piety All these things the Angels doe yea we also doe but yet in an inferiour manner not by that good which we are or haue in our selues but which we participate of him But it is otherwise in GOD whatsoeuer is attributed vnto him is God himself For he is a simple vncompounded being in whom all things are one So that the variety of his attributes is not from a diuersity of affection in him but of effects vnto vs. But J
little in our eyes as Lot said of Zoar is it not a little one and my soule shall liue Gen. 19.20 yea perhappes none at all God said by a direct affirmation thou shalt not eate of the tree of knowledge for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 The woman commeth in with a mincing hesitation lest perhaps you die Genes 3.3 The Diuell with a peremptorie negation you shall not die at all Such goodly creatures as you die for an apple or some fruit of litle value No saith he you shall not die But Gods word was the truer for Adam did die the death The lesser the precept was in respect of the matter and thing it selfe the greater was the sinne in respect of the disobedience contempt Secondly when we haue committed a sinne vpon his suggestion our consent then he bringeth another false glasse wherein he maketh our sinne appeare so great that God himselfe is not great enough to forgiue the same My sinne is greater saith desperate Cain Gen. 4.13 then that it can be forgiuen But here Cain I dare giue thee the lie or rather thy Diuell who is the father of lies Ioh. 8.44 for no sin is so great but that God can such is his power and will such is his goodnes forgiue the same Js it not simply the sinne committed but our impenitencie added vnto sinne which maketh it irremissible in euent that is otherwise remissible in it selfe In all such temptations therefore which doe or may assault vs it is good to haue S. Peters counsell 1. Pet. 5.9 euermore set before our eyes Resistite resist him How must we resist him Fortes being strong and stedfast Wherein must we be strong and stedfast In fide in faith that it may apprehend the grace of God For if I sinne he hath grace If my sinnes be great there is the riches of his grace If my sins be in number as the sands of the sea and were euery sand a milstone there is the exceeding riches of his grace Exceeding aboue all my sinnes For if it be true and it is most true that the mercy of God is ouer or aboue all his works Psal 145.9 is it not ouer aboue all my works also Howsoeuer his be good and very good Genes 1.31 mine euill and very euill that is not the point he will not haue his grace and mercy to bee exceeded by my sinnes Plus potest dimittere quà m ego committere he can remit more vnto me then I can cōmit against him And so much of the first The SECOND particular is the Tendernesse of Gods affection through his kindnes Sweete is the name and sweeter is the thing Thy louing kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee Psal 63.3 Let mee repeate it once againe O that I might dwell for euer in the contemplation of this heauenly and diuine sentence Thy louing kindnes is better then life therefore my lippes shall praise thee O Lord thou art without passion but not without compassion The Lord is mercifull and righteous and our God is full of compassion Psal 116.5 In regard whereof it is that in the holy Scriptures wee finde him compared sometimes to a Friend somtimes to a Father somtimes to a Mother sometimes to an Husband that so by these familiar speeches we might aspire vnto some sense knowledge of his indulgent and compassionate nature But since before his other attributes were attended with certaine epithetes to amplifie the dignity thereof as rich Mercy great Loue exceeding Grace is there none here for his Kindnesse which is the spring and fountaine whence all the rest proceed It needed not the cause is sufficiently commended by the effects Howbeit wee may assume certaine epithetes from some other passages of Scripture as in that place which I mentioned before Thy louing kindnesse and Ionah 42. Thou art of great kindnesse Compound these simples and you shall haue great louing kindnesse in God This this is it which aboue all other things doth winne our hearts vnto God if not in piety yet in good nature For what doth more singularly affect vs then the kindnesse and sweet disposition of a Friend or what can oblige vs more in the straitest bonds of loue Woe is me saith Dauid for thee my brother Ionathan Why Very kind hast thou beene vnto me 2. Sam. 1.26 But the kindnesse of God doth as far surpasse the kindnes of man as GOD excelleth MAN that is to say infinitely beyond all proportion and without any measure And so much of the second The THIRD particular is the Obiect of this kindnesse Vs his kindnesse toward vs. Not toward the good Angels they were in the possibility not in the act of sinne So they needed not redemption from sinne but confirmation in grace and consequently they needed not the kindnes of God at the least not in this sense whereof I now intreat Not toward the bad Angels whom God left iustly vnto obduration in their pride against him and malice against vs. Not toward vnreasonable creatures they were not capable thereof But toward vs. Men who needed it and fell by the suggestion of others and were capable of this kindnesse but had no means to redeem our selues from the power of Satan who held vs in the captiuity of sinne and death Here then was a fit case wherein the kindnesse of God might fully and excellently declare it selfe And truly God did thus declare his kindnesse but yet in iustice also S. Bernard describeth it ingenuously and bringeth in the Sonne of God speaking in this manner Behold how for my sake my Father doth lose his creatures The Angels affected my highnesse but presently he strooke them with an incureable wound Then Man affected my knowledge vpon him also my Father had no pitie neither did his eye spare him Hath be then care of oxen He made onely two noble creatures partakers of reason and capeable of felicity to wit Angels and Men but loe for mee he hath destroied all Men and many Angels Now therefore that men may know how I loue the Father recipiat per me quos quodammodò propter me amisisse videtur Let him receiue them againe by my meanes whom he seemeth in a maner to haue lost for my sake So the Sonne of God restored vs againe vnto his Father by iustice paying the iust price and full ransom of our sins Thou hast redeemed vs vnto God by thy bloud Apocal. 5.9 By the expense of his temporall he hath purchased our eternal life That we might haue it as a gift he hath giuen himselfe for vs. Therefore wel saith the Apostle here in my text that the kindnes of God towards vs was in Iesus Christ And this is the FOVRTH particular in this verse First of the words secondly of the matter In the words there are many obseruable points but I may not be copious therein as namely Iesus is a name of saluation Christ a name
Senec. in Med. Fugimus läson fugimus hoc non est nouum it is no newes to heare of such flying many fled before me I wish that neuer any fly after me to go into a forraine land But here I may demand of my selfe as Eliah sometime demanded of Ahaziahs seruants q 2. King 1.3 Was it not because there was no God in Israel England that I went to enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron Rome concerning my estate I spake of Philistims before but now I was in the hands of Philistims indeed for whom J had neuer ground as r Judg. 16.21 Sampson did vnlesse I as * Ibid. Sampson was had beene first depriued of mine eies Now I began to be in trauel with an vnhappy birth which I had conceiued before I meane that Purgatory-discourse which in the heate of my ignis fatuus and popish zeale I sent back into my countrey as you know I wish you knew not But as it had no right to inherit in this kingdome since it was borne in transmarine and forraine parts so it was vnfit to be naturalized heere which came from so vnnaturall a Parent Howbeit I measure not my fact by the euent my intentition was not the lesse euill because the effect was not more euill No I spared none not the truth of God much lesse them by whom it was maintained in this Land In which number there are two whom I scandalized as vniustly so chiefly aboue the rest The one is the learned and venerable Deane of Winchester of whose knowledge and charity I haue had so much experience that whether he be melior or doctior a better man or a more learned Diuine I can not easily resolue Only I can resolue with Seneca that of these two commendations ô virum doctum and ô virum bonum the latter doth excell the first The other is the like learned and venerable Deane of Glocester of whom J may protest vnfaignedly ſ Hieron ad Augustin inter Epist Aug. 14. Coepi illum antè amare quam nôsse I began to loue him before I began to know him in regard of that which I haue heard and which I haue seene with mine eies These I say are the men whom J scandalized as vniustly so chiefly aboue the rest And so I fell expressely into t Vide. epist Aug. 13. S. Hieromes censure Puerilis est iactantia accusando illustres viros suo nomini famam quaerere it is a childish vaunt in any by accusing illustrious men to seeke his owne existimation and fame But they haue taken some amends of me according to their will there are others vnto whom J would make amends according to my power I will name one in steed of all the most Reuerend Archbishop of Yorke a faire iewel a rich diamond of this Church Vpon him this euill aspersion was long since cast by Edm. Campian and lately renewed by me to wit that his Grace being sometime familiarly demanded by Campian in this manner Whether hee that imploied himselfe daily in perusing the ancient Fathers could indeed be of that opinion himselfe which he perswaded vnto others did answer thereupon That truely he could not if he should read the Fathers and beleeue them alike But why did I reinforce the obiection of the one and conceale the defence of the other made in so renouned a place and recorded by so venerable a person For though I might appeale vnto the testimony of his Auditors who remaine vnto this present yet I will goe from the liuing to the dead and inquire what is deliuered and commended by u Jn resp ad Camp pag. 656.657 M. Doctor Humfrey vnto all posterity in this behalfe But because it might be tedious vnto you to recite the whole passage I will select one parcell therof to wit that his Grace hauing sundry wayes refelled this calumnious imputation did finally sweare by inuocation of the blessed Trinity the FATHER the creator of all things the SON the iudge of all the world the HOLY GHOST the comforter of vs all that so far as he could remember or possibly recall to mind this pretended answere concerning the ancient Fathers neuer fell from him in earnest nor iniest What can you require more for your satisfaction in charity or in reason Varius dicit Scaurus negat vtri creditis when Varius accused Scaurus of treason in a profuse and copious speech Scaurus replied briefly Varius saith it Scaurus denieth it whom do you belieue Likewise Edmund Campian a Iesuite hath said thus as you heare Tobias Matthew a Christian denieth it nay more hee sweareth by the sacred name of God in the holy assembly of his Church that he is iniuriously charged Whom then doe you belieue This was his x See Doct. Humfrey pag. 657. own defence I haue borrowed it from himselfe howbeit a great part of its efficacy and force is lost in this conueyance y Val. Max lib. 8. cap. 10. in fine In Demosthene magna pars abest Demosthenis cùm legitur non auditur A great part of him is wanting when he speaketh by an others tongue though as z Jbid. one saith of Demosthenes his worke in it selfe also is so ful perfect that nothing can be added vnto the same VVEll All this while I haue told you what I haue done to God yea that which I haue done vnto the least of his seruants I haue done also vnto himselfe It remaineth now that J tell you what God hath done to me I say what God hath done For though I acknowledge gratefully that som persons of quality worth were instrumēts in that good which hath succeeded vnto mee according to his wishes rather then mine owne yet I acknowledge God him onely to be the author of the same and that He hath done it out of his Mercy Loue and Grace Wherfore Come and hearken all you that feare the Lord and I will tell you what he hath done vnto my soule His first blessing vnto me was Reuocation into my natiue country deare because a COVNTRY more Because SVCH a country the sweetnesse and felicity whereof is known better carendo then fruendo by wanting it a while then by enioying it alwayes and so it is in euery temporall or spirituall good Here now some wil imagine that either in my discessiō or in my reuersion or in both my ends were drawn rather ab vtili then ab honesto that I serued my owne turne in this returne that I departed with the resolution of a Caesar protesting vnto his mother vpon taking of his leaue Se nisi Pontificem non reuersurum so I without a Benefice or Dignity in the Church would neuer returne into the Land But as the manner of my returne if it were fit to be exposed in this place might acquit mee fully from the suspition of such an impious deuice so they who had the best experience of my mind at that time might then see will yet