that can command teares in sport When Christ laments the state either of our sinnes or our selues hee shewes that one is at the height of rising the other neere casting downe Christs double sigh ouer Ierusalem is as I may say fetched and deriued from those double woes of her the vnmeasurable sinne that killest the Prophets the vnauoydable Iudgement thy house is left vnto thee desolate Ingentia benesicia ingentia peccata ingentes poenae Great benefits abused occasion great sinnes and great sinnes are the fore-runners of great plagues So that Sinne is an ill coniunction copulatiue that vnites two as contrarie natures as nature it selfe euer produced great mercie and great miserie God is pleased in giuing the former but he sighes at the latter Gaudet in misericordia sua dolet in miseria nostra He reioyceth in his owne goodnesse hee greeueth at our wretchednesse Horrid and to be trembled at are the sinnes that bring heauinesse into the Courts of happinesse and send grieuance to the very thresholds of ioy That whereas Angels and Cherubins the coelestiall Choristers make musicke before the Throne of God for the conuersion of one sinner of one what would they doe at the effectuall successe of such a Sermon as Peter preached They doe if I may speake grieue and mourne at the auersion of our soules so hopefull and likely to be brought to Heauen and at the aspiration of our climbing sinnes But it may be questioned how God can be said to grieue to complaine to be sorrowfull for vs. True it is that there is no passion in God Hee that sits in Heauen hath all pleasure and content in himselfe What is here spoken is for our sakes spoken He dwelleth in such brightnesse of glory as neuer mortall foot could approach vnto the sight of his face is to vs on earth insufferable the knowledge of the inuisible things in the Deitie vnpossible Therefore to giue some ayme and coniecture to vs what hee is hee appeares as it were transfigured into the likenesse of our nature and in our owne familiar termes speaketh to our shallow vnderstandings Hominem alloquens humano more loquitur As an old man speaking to a Childe frames his voyce in a childish phrase Before a great vessell that is full can powre liquour from it selfe into a little empty Pot that stands vnder it it must stoope and decline it selfe Thus he descends to our capacities and that man may know him in some measure hee will be knowne as man Sometimes by bodily members Eyes Eares Hands Feet Sometimes by spirituall affections Anger Sorrow Iealousie Repentance By which he signifies not what hee is indeed but what is needfull for vs to know of him For being well acquainted with the vse office and effect of these naturall things in our selues wee may the better guesse at the knowledge of that God â—o whom wee heare them ascribed by translation All which hee hath per siguram non naturam Anger 's effect in vs is reuenge Nothing pleaseth a furious mans nature but wreaking himselfe on his prouoker The passion is Anger the effect Reuenge Whiles God giues the second wee ascribe to him the first and call that in him Wrath which properly is his striking Iustice. Complaints are the witnes of a grieued soule both are sufferings God is here said to complaine Why he is grieued at our sinnes Can he be grieued indeed No nor need he complaine that hath such power to right himselfe Yet hee is often said to be grieued Grieue not the Spirit of God by whom you are sealed vp to the day of Redemption And here to complaine To speake properly God cannot complaine because he cannot be grieued He cannot be grieued because he cannot suffer Euery blow of ours though we were as strong and high as the sonnes of Anak lights short of him If some could haue reached him it had gone ill with him long ere this All is spoken per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is sine ira irascens sine poenitâ—ntia poenitens sine dolore dolens angry without anger grieuing without sorrow These passions are ascribed to him quoad effectum non quoad affectum They are perfections in him what are affections in vs. The complaint that once God made against a whole world as hee doth here against Israell is expressed in more patent and significant tearmes It repented the Lord that hee had made man on the earth and it grieued him at his heart God so complaines against mans sinne that hee is sory that hee made him This saith Augustine non est perturbatio sed iudicium quo irrogatur poena It is no disturbance in God but onely his Iudgement whereby hee inflicts punishment And further Poenitudo Dei est mutandorum immutabilis ratio Gods repentance is his vnchangeable disposition in things of a changeable condition It is mutatio rei non Dei the change of the thing not of God Cum ij quos curat mutantur mutat ipse res prout ijs expedit quos curat Hee willeth an expedient alteration of things according to the alteration of them for whom hee prouides So God is said to repent that hee made Saul King or that hee threatned euill to Niniueh In all which hee changed non affectum sed effectum the externall worke not his internall counsell For as the Schoole speakes immutabiliter ignoscit he vnchangeably pardons whom hee meanes to saue though they feele it not till conuersion so immutabiliter non ignoscit hee vnchangeably retaines their sinnes in his Iudgement-booke which amend not as Saul The nature of Repentance is Sorrow the effect of repentance is the abrogation of something determined or vndoing if it be possible of some thing done Repentance is not in God in regard of the originall nature of it he cannot sorrow but is in respect of the euentuall fruit when hee destroyes that world of people hee had made Not that his heart was grieued but his hands his iustice and power vndid it Aliud est mutare voluntatem aliud velle mutationem It is one thing to change the will another thing to will a change There may be a change in the matter and substance willed though not in the will that disposeth it Our will desires in the Summer a lighter and cooler garment in Winter a thicker and warmer yet is not our will changed whereby wee decree in our selues this change according to the season Thus Quicquid superi voluere peractum Whatsoeuer God would that did he in heauen and earth in the sea and all deepe places God is immutabilis naturae voluntatis consilij Vnchangeable in his nature will and decrees Onely these are verba nostrae paruitati accommodata words fitted to our weake capacities Well in the meane time they are grieuous sinnes that make our gracious God thus seemingly passionate There is great cause sure if so patient and forbearing a God be angry sorrie penitent greeued that he hath
were all condemned to an Ephesian fire that we might say as Alcibiades of that Athenian heape of burning scrowles Nunquam vidi ignem clariorem We neuer saw a clearer fire 4. Theeuerie needes no more then the name to proue it a Water of Stealth This robbes man of his goods those temporall things whereof God hath made him a proprietarie A sinne which Vsurers and Money-mongers doe bitterly raile at They that are of no religion yet plead religion hard against Theeues They can lay the law to them that haue no conscience themselues They rob a Countrey yet thinke themselues honest men and would hang a poore pettie robber for fortie pence Let him answere them in the Satyre O maior tandem parcas in sane minori As no theft can scape condemnation so yet diâ—ferent degrees shall be punished with diâ—ferent torments Extortion vsury fraud iniustice are not lesse thefts because lesse manifest Antiochus could make a black horse which he had stollen seeme white and a white blacke so these Theeues haue trickes to make euill good and good euill especially tacente lege so long as the law holds her peace But as the other escape not the Gallowes so one day Dabit Deus his quâ—que funem God will giue these also condigne punishment They say that the dung of the Blacke-bird falling on the Oake turnes into slime of that slime is made Birdlime of that Birdlime is the Birde her-selfe snared So these graund Theeues twine a cord of three strings Iniurie Vsurie Fraud Couetousnesse twists them into a rope the Deuil makes the noose aâ—d of this cord they are strangled A threefold Cable is not easily broken Whiles they steale from others the interest they rob themselues of the principall their soules They please the world with their baites ready money but there is a hooke vnder the baite Munera magna quidem misit sed misit in hamo Sic piscatorem piscis amare potest I haue reade of an Athenian such another Fisher that he had in an apparition a net giuen him to catch whole Cities in but for all that hee died a beggar These Theeues haue such nets to catch whole Townes Commons Churches Steeples and all but in the end the net breakes and the Fisher topples into the deepe whence he neuer comes out againe for these Swine so roote into the earth till they eate themselues into hell I do not spare with conniuence the Iunior Theeues because I bring their Fathers to the barre first He that shall with a violent or subtill hand Lyon-like or Foxe-like take away that which God hath made mine endangers at once his body to the worlds his soule to heauens sword of Iustice and shall passe from a temporall Barre to the Tribunall Iudgement of Christ. Let not misconstruction heare me there are more of these dye honest men then of Vsuâ—ers for one Vsurers repentance I will produce you tenne executed Theeues Onely here it is the great Theâ—ues agree one with another Claw me and I will claw thee Winke at mine and I will not see thy faults They tune like Bells and want but hanging For these Theeues I might indeede be silent and spare my breath to the conuersion of more hopefull sinners but we must free our consciences from the guiltinesse of not reprouing least they curse vs on their Death-beds as that Vsurer made his will wherein hee bequeathed his soule to the Deuill for extorting his Wife for inducing his Deacon for induring or not reprouing Though euery Vsurer makes account to walke to hell yet since both hell and heauen be equally set to his choyse why should he chuse the worst way let not his Minister for silence beare him company Well the Thiefe knowes his doome a double banishment out of the Territories of earth out of the confines of heauen therefore let him that hath stollen steale no more Repentance shall bee sure of mercie And let not the great Thiefe thinke to scape as hee is a Gallimaufrey of all sinnes so he shall haue a Rendeuous of all punishments His house is the Deuils Tauerne the guests haue sweet wine but a sharpe reckoning The Deuils Fence-schoole as the stabbings woundings hackings rackings which torture the Common-wealth are there experimentally taught The Deuils Brothell-house where the Vsurer is the Bawde and his money 's the Harlots onely they differ from Harlots in their pregnancie and teeming for they lay like Pigeons euery moneth marry because the Deuill is Land-lord his rent eates out all their gaines 5. Slaunder is a water in great request euery guest of the Deuill is continually sipping of this Viall It robs man of his good name which is aboue all riches There be some thinke to scape this censure though they speake euils of others yet true euils but Cham is cursed for declaring his Fathers nakednesse though true These are like vultures ad male olentia feruntur They passe ouer Mâ—â—dowes and flowers to fall vpon carions like Flyes they leape ouer all a mans good parts and vertues to light vpon his sores If Noah had not been once drunke Cham had lost his sport There are many of these Ziphims that to currie fauour with Saul betray Dauid but in my opinion Doegs truth was worse then Rahabs lye A mans good name is deere Plerique famam qui non conscientiam verentur Manie stand vpon their credite that neglect their conscience Vilium est hominum alios viles facere et qui suo merito placere non possunt placere velle aliorum comparatione It is the part of vile men to vilefie others and to climbe vp to immerited praise by the staires of anothers disgrace This is no new dish at some Nouelists table to make a mans discredite as sawce to their meate they will tosse you the maligned's reputation with the rackets of reproach from one to another and neuer bandie it away till they haue supped If they want matter Iealousie is fewell enough it is crime enough for a Formalist so they terme him that hee is but suspected guilty But the Matrone of the Cloyster would neuer haue sought the Nunne in the Vault if shee had not beene there her selfe It was Publius Claudius his best pollicie least Cicero should accuse him iustly of Sacriledge to step in first and tell the Senate that Tullie profaned all religion in his house Thus he that hath most corrupt lungs soonest complaines of the vnsauourie breath of others The Calumniatour is a wretched Thiefe and robs man of the best thing he hath if it be a true Maxime that the efficacie of the Agent is in the apt disposition of the Patient whiles thou depriuest man of his credit thou takest from him all power to doe good The slanderer wounds three at one blow Vno ictu vno nictu 1. The receiuer in poisoning his heart with an vncharitable conceite 2. The reputation of the slandered for a mans name is like
Glory 1. God himselfe is the feast-maker he is Land-lord of the world and â—illeth euery liuing thing with goodnesse The Eagles and Lions seeke their meate at God But though all the sonnes of Iacob haue good cheare from Ioseph yet Beniamins messe exceeds Esau shall haue the prosperitie of the earth but Iacob goes away with the blessing Ismaell may haue outward fauours but the inheritance belongs to Izhak The King fauoureth all his subiects but they of his Court stand in his presence partake of his Princely graces Gods bountie extends to the wicked also but the Saints shall onely sit at his table in Heauen This is that feaster qui est super omnia et sine quo nulla sunt omnia Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for euer 2. The cheare is beyond all sense all science Eye hath not seene nor eare heard nether haue entred into the heart of man the things God hath prepared for them that loue him The eye sees much the eare heares more the heart conceaues most yet all short of apprehension much more of comprehension of these pleasures Therefore enter thou into thy Masters ioy for it is too great to enter into thee 3. The company is excellent the glorious presence of the blessed Trinitie the Father that made vs the Sonne that bought vs the Holy Ghost that brought vs to this place The holy and vnspotted Angels that reioyced at our conuersion on earth much more at our consolation in Heauen All the Patriarchs Prophets Saints before the Law in the Law in the Gospell the full Communion of Saints Here the more the mirrier yea and the better cheare to Oh the sweet melodie of Halleluiahs which so many glorified voyces shall sing to God in Heauen the hoarcenesse of sinne and the harshnesse of punishment being separated from vs with a bill of euerlasting diuorce 4. Admirable is the Banketing place the high Court of Heauen where our apparell shall be such as beseemeth the attendants on the King of Kings euen the fashion of the glorious body of Christ. The purest things are placed highermost The earth as grossest is put in the lowest roome the water aboue the earth the ayre aboue the water the fire aboue the ayre the sphaeres of Heauen aboue any of them and yet thâ— place where this feast is kept is aboue them all the Heauen of Heauens Take here a slight rellish of the cheare in Gods kingdome where your welcome shall be answerable to all the rest Eate oh my friends and make you merry oh well-beloued And then as those that haue tasted some delicate dish finde other plaine meates but vnpleasant so you that haue tasted of heauenly things cannot but contemne the best worldly pleasures As therefore some dainty guest knowing there is so pleasant fare to come let vs reserue our appetites for that and not suffer our selues to be cloyed with the course diet of the world Thus as wee fast on the Eues that we may feast on the Holy-dayes let vs be sure that after our abstinence from the surfets of sinne we shall be euerlastingly fed and fatted with the mercies of God Which resolution the Lord grant vs here which Banket the Lord giue vs hereafter Amen FINIS THE Sinners passing-Bell OR A complaint from Heauen for Mans Sinnes Published by THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire 1 CORINTH 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe AVGVST EPIST. 188. Ipse sibi denegat curam qui Medico non publicat causam Hee hath no care of his owne cure that declares not to the Phisition his griefe LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines-Bursse 1614. TO THE TRVLY-NOBLE KNIGHT Sr. Anthony Sainct-Iohn sauing health Right Worshipfull THe sicknesse of this World is growne so lethargicall that his recouery is almost despaired and therefore his Phisitians finding by infallible symptoms that his consumption is not curable leaue him to the malignancie of his disease For the eye of his faith is blinde the eare of his attention deafe the foote of his obedience lame the hand of his charitie numm'd and shut vp with a griping couetousnesse All his vitall parts whereby he should liue to goodnesse are in a swoune he lies bed-rid in his securitie and hath little lesse then giuen vp the Holy Ghost It cannot be denied but that he lies at the mercie of God It is therefore too late to tolle his Passing-bell that hath no breath of obedience left in him I might rather ring out his knell Yet because there are many in this world that are not of this world many sicke of the generall disease of Sin whose recouerie is not hopelesse though their present state be happelesse and some that if they knew but themselues sicke would resort to the Poole of Bethesda the waters of life to be cured I haue therefore presumed to take them apart and tell them impartially their owne illnesse Oh that to performe the cure were no more difficult then to describe the Maladie or prescribe the remedie I haue endeuoured the latter the other to God who can both kill and giue life who is yet pleased by his word to worke our recouery and to make me one vnworthy instrument to administer his Phisicke Now as the most accurate Phisitians ancient or moderne though they deliuered precepts in their facultie worthy of the worlds acceptance and vse yet they set them forth vnder some Noble Patronage so I haue presumed vnder the countenance of your protection to publish this phisicall or rather metaphysicall Treatise for as the Sicknesse is spirituall so the cure must be supernaturall Assuring my selfe that if you shall vse any obseruation here and giue it your good word of Probatum est many others wil be induced the more redily to embrace it My intent is to doe good and if I had any better Receite I would not like some Phisitians I know not whither more enuious or couetous with an excellent Medicine let it liue and die with my selfe God conserue your either health and giue you with a sound body a sounder faith whereby you may liue the life of Grace heere of Glory hereafter Your VVorships humbly deuoted THOMAS ADAMS THE Sinners Passing-Bell OR A Complaint from Heauen for Mans Sinnes The fift Sermon IEREM 8.22 Is there no Balme in Gilead Is there no Phisitian there why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered THis is a world to make Phisitians rich if men loued not their purse better then their health For the world waxeth old and old age is weake and sickly As when death begins to ceaze vpon a man his braine by little and little groweth out of order his minde becomes cloudy and troubled with fantasies the channels of his blood and the radicall moisture the
there had bene Mercy nay no Mercie somewhat yet if Knowledge had stood constant no Knowledge in the Land So 2. positiuely there was Swearing can swearing be without lying no lying too is the tongue alone set on fire at the Deuils Forge no the hand is also a firebrand of Hell Killing Stealing Adulterie ioyne their forces and to giue testimonie against their singularitie Blood touchèth blood How should reprobates else fill vp the measure of their sinnes Thus when the vngodly haue eate and drunke they may rise vp to play Will you descend to personall instances loe Iudas is new come from this Banket giue him a vomite and what lyes on his stomach strange waters and abundance of them behold the Spanish waters of Pride the Romish waters of Treason the Italian waters of Murder the Iewish of Hypocrisie the Turkish of Theeuerie the Grecian of all Villanie aske Mary Magdalene what varietie was at this Banket she will tell you of seauen Viols seauen Deuils you may heare another tel his name Legion Bidde Absolon giue you a Tauerne-bill or short Inuentorie of these waters and hee will read you In primis the swelling waters of Pride Item the surfetting waters of Luxurie Item the scalding waters of Adulterie Item the red waters of Bloodinesse Item the blacke waters of Treason and for the shot aske him the totall summe of the Bill and hee will tell you Damnation If sinnes be thus familiarly linked in one man how doe they tune in a Consort how agree they in Companie nothing better not a Broker and a Pawne not a deare yeere and a Cormorant Hence Christ cals the way to perdition the broad way You can not stirre a foot in the great Road to the Citie of Hell Pluto's Court but you meet sinnes in throngs vanitie is the largest and most beaten thorow-fare of the world Some double in their companies some treble some troupe none goe single vae soli if one sinne were alone it would be easily vanquished The Deuill knowes that vis vnita fortior collected strengths are vnconquerable and therefore driues his waters so that vndae super advenit vnda one waue seconds the former 1. Sometimes they goe like Beasts by couples Rom. 13. Ryot and Drunkennesse Chambring and Wantonnesse Strife and Enuy. Ierem. 23. Adulterie and Oâ—thes and Ierem. 2. My people haue committed two euills c. 2. Sometimes they daunce in Triades by threes Phil. 3 Gluttonny Pride Couetousnesse Gallat 5. Vaineglory Prouocation Malice Amos 1. For three transgressions and for foure c. If there bee not rather a great number meant Saint Iohn abridgeth all the vanitie of the world into a triplicitie All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lusâ— of the eyes the pride of life This is the Trinitie the world doth worship Haec trià pro trino Numine mundus habet 3. Sometimes they come by whole heards and droues like the Host of the Aramites Galat. 5. you may read them mustred vp Adulterie c. Thus I haue shewed you the multiplicitie of these waters what remaines but that thâ— sâ—me fire of Gods Altar that hath enlightened your vndâ—â—â—tandings doe a little also warme your conscienceâ— should preuent the methode of my Teâ—â— â—f I sâ—oulâ— yet shew you the direfull dismall operation of these waters yet somewhat I must say to make you loath them As Captaines prouoke their Souldiours Per verbum vocale per semivocale per mutum By vocall speeches semi-vocall Drummes and Trumpets mute Ensignes so God disswades you from these waters 1. By his word Viua et viuifica voce A liuing and enliuing word either in the Thunders of Sinai or Songs of Syon which the Word incarnate hath spoken 2. Or by his semi-vocall writings for at the beginning God talked with man by himselfe but after finding him estranged from his Creator he sent him his minde in writing And this hee makes sounding by his Ministers 3. Or by his dumbe Ensignes wonders terrours Iudgements vpon the louers of these waters Trust not too much to these waters they are not so virtuall as the described Inviters the Deuils Prophets tell you Sathan had long since his Water-Prophets such were the Oracles Colophonium and Bronchidicum wherein one by drinking of waters the other by receiuing the fume of waters fore-tolde future things Porphyrie obserues that antiquitie called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Madnesse but the errour and impudence of succeeding ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diuinations These were the Priests of Bacchus welcome to the world as those would haue beene to Israell that Prophecie of wine and strong drinke Men heare of strange fountaines famoused for wondrous cures and runne straite thither The Deuill is a Iuggler and would make men beleeue that if they drinke at his fountaine of Idolatrie they shall haue good lucke after it hee blushed not to lay this batterie of Temptation to the Sonne of God As good lucke as Sampson had when he drunke out of the Asses tooth and presently after lost his eyes or rather as he that to finde his Horse must by the Masse-Priests direction drinke at Saint Briâ—gets Well accordingly found his Horse and riding home â—hereon broke his necke Yeeld it a Fable the Morall shall yeeld vs this that we trust nothing which hath not Gods word for warrant Charmes Spels Coniurations are all vanities lying vanities he thaâ— trusts thereto forsakes his owne mercie Fearâ— these waters for they are dangerous sinne is not more cooleâ—n the tâ—st then it is fierie in the operation Afflicâ—ion is hote to the rellish you cannot drinke of my Cup but coole easefull peacefull in the digestion but these waters are mel in ore fel in corde sweet in the palate bitter in the stomach The Oracle gaue it Ninum prius capi non posse quam fluuius ei fiat hostis Niniueh should not be taken before the waters became her enemie she feared no invndation the Sea was too remote yet in the third yeere of her Seige the waters of the Cloudes broke loose and with abundant raine ouerwhelmed the walls Muros deiecit ad stadia viginti to twentie furlongs We liue secure and deuoure these waters of iniquitie as Fishes the water of the Sea but when God shall make our sinnes compasse vs at the heeles and raise vp these flouds against vs we shall crie as the drowning world woe vnto vs the waters are become our enemies the flouds of our owne sinnes ouerwhelme vs so the Drunkard drinkes a riuer into his belly that drownes his vitall spirits with a Dropsie Let vs pumpe out these waters of Sinne which wee haue deuoured It is the onely course we haue left to keepe our Ship from sinking Euomite quos bibistis fluuios Cast them out by repentance this is a sauing vomite or else God will giue you a vomite of Sulphure and
the house of the Thiefe and into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remaine in the midst of the house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof ROYARD Homil. 1. in I PET. 3. Reddere bonum pro bono Humanum reddere malum pro malo Belluinum reddere malum pro bono Diabolicum reddere verò bonum pro malo Diuinum To returne good for good is the part of a Man To returne euill for euill is the part of a Beast To returne euill for good is the part of a Deuill To returne good for euill is the part of a Saint LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Ralph Mab and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Gray-hound 1614. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND Vertuous Lady the Lady Iane Gostwyke Baronettesse sauing Health MADAME I Am bold to adde one Booke more to your Library though it be but as a Mite into your Treasurie I that haue found you so euer fauourable to any worke of mine cannot but confidently hope your acceptance of this Not for the worth of it but because it beares your Name and my dutie to it in the forehead and offers it selfe to the world through your Patronage Somewhat you shall finde in it to harten your loue to Vertue much to encrease your detestation to Vice For I haue to my power endeuoured to vnmaske the latter and to spoile it of the borrowed forme that sober eyes may see the true proportion of it and their loathing be no longer with-held I cannot doubt therefore that your approbation of the Booke will be frustrate by the Title I am content to furnish out Satans Feast with many speciall Dishes and to discouer the VVaters of Iniquitie which hee hath broached to the World Not to perswade their Pleasure but lest Ignorance should surfet on them without mistrust Lest the peruerted Conscience should securely deuoure them without reprehension Here you shall see in a small Abridgement many actuall breaches of Gods sacred Law not without liablenes to condigne punishment You heard it with attention spoken in your priuate Church You gaue it approuall I trust you will as well owne it written It is not lesse yours though it be made more publike I need not aduise you to make your eye an helpe to your soule as well as your eare They that know you know your apprehension quicke your Iudgement sound and that which graceth all the rest your affections religiously deuoted Yet since it is no small part of our goodnesse to know that wee may be better I presume to present this Booke and with it my owne dutie to your Ladiship the poore testimonie of my present thankefulnesse and pledge of my future seruice The God of Power and Mercie continue his Fauours to you who haue still continued your fauours to Your Honours humbly deuoted THOMAS ADAMS THE Second Seruice of the Deuils Banket The second Sermon PROVERB 9.17 Stollen waters are sweet and Bread eaten in secret is pleasant WEE haue already serued in the first course at the Deuils Banket and feasted your eares with those Waters from which God keepe your soules fasting Some things are proposed to our practise some things are exposed to our contempt and dislike The more accurately the Scriptures describe sinnes the more absolutely they forbid them where wickednesse is the subiect all speech is declamation As no spectator at those horrid Tragedies where Oedipus is beheld the Incestuous Husband of his owne Mother or Thyestes drunke with the blood of his owne Children or at any of the bleeding Bankets of the Medea's can receiue those horrours aâ— the Windores of his senses without terrour to his bowels and trembling to his bones so when you heare the relation of the Deuils cheare all the flattering petulant insidious nature-tickling dishes of delight the rarities of Impietie the surfets of the World Horse-leaches to the blood Witches to the affections Deuils to the Consciences of men thinke that they are related that they may be reiected to bestow vpon the Deuils Cates his owne names the glory of Pride the satietie of Epicurisme the gallantnesse of Ebrietie the credite of Murder the greatnesse of Scorne the gracefulnesse of Swearing the brauerie of the stigmaticke Fashion the securitie of Vsurie the singularitie of Opinion the content of Superstition nunciantur vt renuncientur thinke not they are prescribed for you when they are described to you Monstrantur vt monstra they are set foorth as monsters that they might be loathed they are aduanced as Traytours heads in terrorem futuri proditoris to the terrour of him that should be tempted to future Treason Gods intent in declaring this Banket of Sinne is to make you loathe it and that which is written is for our instruction to deâ—erre not to commend as some of the Heathen had a custome in their solemne Feasts to make a bondslaue drunke and then set him forth as a rediculouâ— obiect to their children This Banket then perâ—ibetur vna prohibetur is at once declared and declaimed spoken of and forbidden lest through ignorance you should like and eate it you are more fully made acquainted with the vilenesse of it Hence our royall Preacher drawes the Curtaine of the World and shewes you all the delicates of her Table not to whet your appetites to feed on them but to coole your courage disharten your opinions alienate your affections giuing you a true censure of their worthinesse all is vanitie and vexation of soule They are detected that â—hey might be detested Therefore if any of Gracchus brood shall like a Catilmary disposition the better because Tully hath indicted interdicted condemned it if any sonne of Beliall shall more affectedly deuoure some morsell of damnation at this Feast because the Preacher hath execrated it and deriue at once notice and incouragement from our terrifying censures testimonium sibi ferat condemnationis let him beare in himselfe the euidence of his owne condemnation They are wretched men qui minimè declinant quod boni maxime declamant that most impetuously pursue what all good men disswade running with Ahimaaz the more eagerly because their friend Ioab forbids them So blasphemously spake the sacrilegious spoilers of Proserpines Temple in Locris whose ring-leader was Dionisius Videtis ne amici quà m bona nauigatio ab ipsis Dijs sacrilegis tribuatur sailing home and now arriuing at the Hauen safe see you not my friends saith Dionisius how faire and fortunate a Nauigation the Gods vouchsafe to Sacriledge as if they therefore robbed the CHVRCâ— because they were by the Oracle expressely inhibited so gens humana ruit in vetitum nefas mans nature praecipitates it selfe into forbidden wickednesse This is an horrid sinne peccatum primae impressionis sine nomine adaequato a wickednesse of that nature that there is no name significant enough to expresse it The manners of the
doings your transgressions doe appeare So the same people to the Sonne as they had erst to the Seruants Wee will not come vnto thee How often would I haue gathered you but you would not Yee will not come at mee that you might haue life 1. The way is easie 2. You shall haue life for comming it is worth your labour 3. You can haue it no where else then Come to mee No you will not come at mee as Daniel answered Belsâ—azzar Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe and giue thy gifts to another These are sinnes with lifting vp the hand and heâ—le against God the hand in opposition the heele in contempt There are two Ladders whereby men climbe into HEAVEN the godly by their Prayers the wicked by their sinnes By this latter Ladder did Sodome and Niniueh climbe GOD graunt our sinnes be not such climbers that presse into the presence Chamber of HEAVEN and will bee acquainted vvith GOD though to our confusion Are our wickednesses done in this Râ—â—â—on and Sphaere of sinne the Earth and must they come to Heauen first Must the newes be at the Court of what is done in the Coâ—ntrie before the Countrie it selfe know of it Our consciences take no notice of our owne iniquities but they complaine in the audience-Court of HEAVEN and few out an Outlawry against vs. So impudent and vn-blushing is our wickednesse that with the Prophet wee may complaine Were they ashamed when they had committed abhomination nay they were not at all ashâ—med neither could they blush Our sinnes keepe not low water the tide of them is euer swelling they are obiects to the generall eye and proud that they may be obserued And let mee tell you many of the sinnes I haue taxed as secret and silent as you take them and as hoarcely as they are pleaded to speake are no lesse then Thunder to Heauen and Lightning to men They doe votally and vocally ascend that vvould actually if they could The labourers hyre cries in the gripulous Landlords hand The furrowes of the Incloser cry complaine nay weepe against him for so is the Hebrew word The vaine-glorious builder hath the stone crying out of the Wall against him and the beame out of the Timber answering it The Blasphemers tumult cryes and is come vp into the eares of God The Oppressors rage and violence reacheth vp to Heauen and is continually before mee saith the Lord. These are crying sinnes and haue shrill voices in Heauen neither are they submisse and whispering on the Earth To bee short most men are eyther Publicanes or Pharises eyther they will doe no good or loose that they doe by ostentation Many act the part of a religious man and play Deuotion on the worlds Theater that are nothing beside the Stage all for sight Angels in the High-way Deuils in the by-way so monstrous out of the CHVRCH that they shame Religion It was prouerb'd on Nero It must needes be good that Nero persecutes their vvicked liues giue occasion to the world to inuert it on them It must needs be euill that such wretches professe Others are like Publicanes Onely they were Christened when they were Babes and could not helpe it but as angry at that indignitie they oppose Christ all their liues Take heed Beloued Hell was not made for nothing The Deuill scornes to haue his Court emptieâ— you will not bend you shall breake you will not serue God God will serue himselfe of you Put not these vices from you by your impudent cloakings How many staâ—d here guiltie of some of thesâ— sinnes How many may say with Aeneas Et quorum pars magna sui whereof I haue a great share Many cry out the dayes are euill whiles they helpe to make them worse All censure none amend If euery one would plucke a brand from this fire the flame would goe out of it selfe But whiles wee cast in our iniquities as Fewell and blow it with the Bellowes of disobedience wee make it strong enough to consume vs yea and all we haue For God will not spare euer he is iust and must strike Shall wee loosen our hands to impietie and tye God from vengeance I haue often read and seene that Mercy and 〈◊〉 meet together that Righteousnesse and Peace kisse one â—nother But Mercie and sinnefulnesse keepe not the saâ—e hoâ—sâ— Peace and wickednesse are meere straâ—â—ers To reconcile these is harder then to make the Wâ—lfe and Lâ—mbe liue together in quiet Thinke not that God can not strike Mars vlâ—or galeam quoque perdidit res non potuit seruare suas The Hâ—â—then Gods could not auenge their owne quarrels But our God caâ— punish a thousand wayes Fire Plague Warre Famine c. Milla nocendi artes Our sinnes may thriue a while and batten becaâ—se they liue in a friendlâ— Ayre and apt Soile but in the end they will ouerthrow both themselues and vs. Ciuitatis euersio est morum non murorum casus A Cities ouerthrow is sooner wrought by lewd liues then weake walles Were the walles of our Cities as strong-Turreted and inexpugnable as the wall that Phocas built about his Pallace yet it may bee really performed on them as the voyce in the night tolde him Did they reach the Clouds they may be scaled the sinne within will marre all Graâ—iores sunt mimici mores praui quà m hostes infesti Our worst enemies are our owne sinnes And thougâ— these punishments fall not suddenly yet certainely if repentance step not betweene Adam did not dye presently on his sin yet Gods Word was true vpon him for hee became instantly mortall sure to die and fell as it vvere into a Consumption that neuer left him till it brought him to the graue GOD hath leaden Feet but Iron hands take heede ye feasting Robbers when God strucke that secret theefe Iudas hee strucke home he tooke away the world from him or rather him from the world and sent him to his owne place Feast Reuell Ryot Couet Ingrosse Extort Hoord whiles you will Earth is not your House but your Bridge you must passe ouer it either to Canaan or Egipt Heauen or Hell euery man to his owne place Graunt oh deare Father that wee may so runne our short Pilgrimage on Earth that our dwelâ—ing-place may bee with thy Maiestie in Heauen through the merits and mercies of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. AMEN In conviuium Diabolicum They that to glut on sinnes such pleasure haue Descend with sickly Conscience to their graue Vnlesse Repentance and true Faith make sure The physicke of Christs bloud their wounds to cure Forbeare thou Christen'd soule the Deuils Feast And to Heauens Supper be a welcome Guest FINIS THE SHOT OR The vvofull price vvhich the wicked pay for the feast of Vanitie BY THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire LVKE 16.25 But Abraham said Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and
nature of mans the effects and helps of dubitation according to the saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doubting is the Mother of questioning He that doubteth not will not aske no Gods demaunds are not to satisfie himselfe but vs Illations vpon our actions That from the proposition of our sinnes and the assumption of his questions we may conclude against our selues as Dauid I haue sinned Neither can we giue sollution to his interrogatories Who dares who can answere God hee is not as a man saith Iob that I should answere him The intent is then to iustifie himselfe to put into our conscience a sense a Science of our owne iniquities God so apposed Ionas Doest thou well to be angry And againe Doest thou well to be angry for a Gourd Art thou discontent for so contemptible a thing a poore vegetatiue creature and doest thou grudge my mercie to so many rationall creatures brethren of thine owne flesh Gods question was a manifest conuiction as strong as a thousand proofes Ionas sees his face in this little Spring as if he had stood by a full Riuer Christ that had the best methode of teaching and could make hearts of flint penetrable moued his Disciples mindes remoued his aduersaries doubts frequently by questions He starts Peter that was numinis Dei et nominis sui immemor forgetfull of his God of himselfe with a quid dormis what sleepest thou Hee rectified the mistaking iudgements of his Apostles that turned his spirituall dehortation from the Pharises leauen to the litterall sense of forgotten bread with a double demaund Obliti ne estis c. Doe ye not yet vnderstand nor remember the fiue loaues of the fiue thousand c. Could so miraculous a Banket as quickly slip from your mindes as it did from your mouthes So hee informed their vnderstandings concerning himselfe which so much concerned them to know Whom doe men say that I am All which impliâ—d not his owne ignorance but impelled their knowledge Hee knew all the former questions so well as the latter whereof hee could no lesse be ignorant then of himselfe Onely hee spake in a catechising forme as the Ministers question succours the Nouices initiall vnderstanding His reproofes to his enemies were often cloathed in these interrogatorie roabes How say they that Christ is Dauids Sonne When Dauid himselfe calleth him Lord confuting that false opinion that the Iewes had of their Messias whose temporall Monarchie they onely gaped for If hee was onely to be the Sonne of Dauid in the flesh how doth he call him Lord and equall him with the Father A question that did enforce a conclusion himselfe desired and a confusion of his enemies conceits The like ver 4. He cramped their criticall and hypocriticall exceptions with a question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men which confuted their arrogance though they would haue salued it with ignorance ver 7. We cannot tell This manner of discussing is not more vsuall with God then effectuall It conuerteth the Elect it conuinceth the Reprobate Wheresoeuer it is directed it pierceth like a goad is a sharp stroke to the conscience and howsoeuer the smart is neglected it leaueth a print behind it If wee take the words spoken in the Person of God they manifest his complaint against Israell When God complaines sinne is grieuous Wee neuer read God breaking forth into this compassionate forme of speech but Iniquitie is growne proud of her height She nestles among the Cedars and Towers like Babell when hee that can thunder it downe with fire doth as it were raine showers of complaint for it It argues no lesse goodnesse in the Father then wickednesse in the Children when hee doth plaine that can plague and breath out the ayre of pitie before he send the storme of Iudgement So you may see a long prouoked Father that after many chidings lost to his deafe Sonne after some gentle chastisements inflicted and intended to his calling home he findes his errours growing wilder his affections madder his heart more senselesse his courses more sensuall hee stands euen deploring his wretchednesse that could not amend his wickednesse and whiles Iustice and Mercie striue for the masterie as loath that his lenitie should wrong his Integritie or yet that he should be as an executioner to him whom he had begotten to be an executour to himselfe hee breakes out into complaint With no lesse pitie nay with farre greater mercie doth God proceede to execute his Iudgements vnwilling to strike home for his mercie yet willing not to double his blow but to lay it on sure at once for our sinnes and his owne Iustice Or as some compassionate Iudge that must censure by the law of his Countrey an Hereticke striues first with arguments of reason to conuert him that arguments of yron and steele may not be vsed against him and finding his refractarie disposition culpable of his owne doome by wilfully not being capable of good counsell proceedes not without plaints and teares to his sentence So doth the most iust God of Heauen with the most vniust Sonnes of men pleading by reasons of gentle and gracious forbearance and offering the sweet conditions of happy peace and as it were wailing our refusall before hee shoote his arrowes and consume vs or make his sword drunke with our bloods God hath Armies of Starres in the skie Meteors in the ayre beasts on the earth yea of Angels in Heauen greater Hoasts and lesse and whither he sends a great Armie of his little ones or a little of his great ones he can easily and quickly dispatch vs Loe he stayes till he hath spoken with vs and that rather by postulation then expostulation He is not contumelious against vs that haue been contumacious against him If his words can worke vs to his will hee will spare his blowes Hee hath as little delight in smiting as we in suffering nay he suffers with vs condoling our estate as if it were which cannot be his owne For wee haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Hee feeles the griefes of his Church the head akâ—s when the members suffer Persecutors strike Christ through Christians sides Saul strikes at Damascus Christ Iesus suffers in Heauen Mediately he is smitten whiles the blowes immediately light on vs. He could not in the dayes of his â—lesh forbeare bitter teares at Ierusalems presâ—nt sinne and future iudgement How grieuous is our iniquitie how gracious his longanimity He that weeps for our auersion passionately desires our conuersion vnfainedly How pathetically he perswadeth his Churches reformation Returne returne oh Shulamite returne returne How lamentingly deplores he Ierusalems deuastation If thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Let vs not thinke him like either of those Mimicks the Player or the Hypocrite who truly act the part one of another but hardly either of an honest man
round about you and whiles you quake at the plagues so naturall to our neighbours blesse your owne safetie and our God for it Behold the Confines of Christendome Hungarie and Bohemia infested and wasted with the Turkes Italy groning vnder the slauerie of Antichrist which infects the soule worse then the Turke infests the body Behold the pride of Spâ—ine curbed with a bloody Inquisition Fraunce a faire and flourishing Kingdome made wretched by her Ciuill vnciuill warres Germany knew not of long time what Peace meant neither is their warre ended but suspended Ireland hath felt the perpetuall plague of her Rebellions And Scotland hath not wanted her fatall disasters Onely England hath line like Gedeons fleece dry and secure when the raine of Iudgements haue wetted the whole earth When God hath tossed the Nations and made them like a wheele and as the stubble before the winde onely England hath stoode like Mount Syon with vnmoued firmenesse Time was she petitioned to Rome now she neither feares her Bulls nor desires her Bulwarkes The destitute Brittaines thus mourned to their conquering Romanes Aetio ter Consulâ— gemitus Britannorum Repellâ—nt nos Barbari ad mare Repellit nos mare ad Barbaros Hinc oriuntur duo funerum genera quia aut iugulamur aut submergimur To the Romane Consull the Brittaines send groaning in stead of greeting The Barbarous driue vs vpon the Sea The Sea beates vs backe vpon the Barbarous Hence we are endangered to a double kinde of death either to be drowned or to haue our throates cut The Barbarous are now vnfeared enemies and the Sea is rather our Fort then our Sepulcher A peacefull Prince leads vs and the Prince of peace leads him And besides our peace wee are so happy for Balme and Physitians that if I should sing of the blessings of God to vs this should still be the burden of my Song What could the Lord doe more for vs There is Bâ—lme at Gilead there are Physitians there Will there be euer so Is there not a time to loose as well as to get Is whiles the Sâ—nctuarie is full of this holy Balme Gods word if whiles there is plenty of Physitians and in them plenty of skill the health of Israell is not restored how dangerous will her sicknesse be in the priuation of both these restoratiues They that grow not rich in peace what will they doe in warre Hee that cannot liue well in Summer will hardly scape staruing in Winter Israell that once had her Cities sowne with Prophets could after say Wee see not our signes there is not one Prophet among vs. They that whilome loathed Manna would haue beene glad if after many a weary mile they could haue tasted the crummes of it He whose prodigallity scorned the bread in his Fathers house would afterwards haue thought himselfe refreshed vvith the huskes of Swiâ—e The Sâ—nne doth not euer shine there is a time of setting No day of iollitie is without his euening of conclusion if no cloud of disturbance preuent it with an ouer-casting First God complaines men sing daunce are Iouiall and neglectfull at last man shall complaine and God shall laugh at their destructions Why should God be coniureâ— to receiue his Spirit dying that would not receiue Gods spirit liuing All things are whirled about in their circular courses and who knowes whither the next spoake of their wheele will not be a blanke Euen in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse If the blacke stones of our miseries should be counted with the white of our ioyes we should finde our calamities exceeding in number as well as they doe in nature Often haue wee read our Sauiour weeping but neuer laughing Wee cannot chuse but lament so long as we walke on the bankes of Babilon It is enough to re-assume our Harpes when we come to the high Ierusalem In Heauen are pure ioyes in Hell meere miseries on Earth both though neither so perfect mixed one with another Wee cannot but acknowledge that wee begin and end with sorrow our first voyce being a crie our last a groane If any ioyes step in the midst they doe but present themselues on the Stage play their parts and put off their glories Successiuely they thrust vpon vs striuing either who shall come in first or abide with vs longest If any be more daintie of our acquaintance it is ioy It is a frequent speech fuimus Troes we haue beene happy Cum miserum quenquam videris scias cum esse hommem cum vero gloriosum sciâ—s cum nondum esse Herculem If thou seest one miserable that 's a man but if thou seest another glorying yet that 's no God There is no prescription of perpetuitie It is enough for the Songs of Heauen where Saints and Seraphins are the Choristers to haue no burden as no end belonging to them Let that be the standing house where the Princes of GOD shall keepe their Court without griefe or treason our Progresse can plead no such priuiledge We must glad our selues here with the intermission of woes or interposition of ioyes let that place aboue chalenge and possesse that immunitie from disturbance where eternitie is the ground of the Musicke Here euery day is sure of his night if not of clouds at noone Therefore mutet viâ—am qui vult accipere vitam let him change his life on earth that lookes for life in heauen Tu quamcunque Deus tibi fortunauerit horam Grata sume manu nec dulcia differ in annum Take the opportunitie which Gods mercie hath offered thee It is fit that God should haue his day when thine is past Your saluation is now neerer then you beleeue it but if you put away this acceptable time your damnation is neerer then you feare it Mourne now for your sinnes whiles your mourning may helpe you Thaâ— is the Mourners marke yet the last letter of the Alphabet for an vltimum vale to sinne Euery soule shall mourne either here with repentance or hereafter in vengeance They shall be oppressed with desperation that haue not expressed contrition Herodotus hath a tale of the Pipeâ— that comming to the Riuer side began to play to the fishes to see if they would daunce when they were little affected with his musicke he tooke his Net and throwing it among them caught some which were no sooner cast on the dry ground but they fell a leaping to whom the Piper merrily replied that since they had erst scorned his Musicke they should now daunce without a Pipe Let it goe for a fable Christ saith to vs as once to the Iewes Wee haue piped vnto you the sweet tunes of the Gospell but ye would not daunce in obedience time will come you shall runne after vs as the Hinde on the barren Mountaines but then you may daunce without a Pipe and leape Leuolto's in Hell that haue daunced the Deuils Measures on Earth This is the time you
of Christ. A weake body is a kinde of occasion to a strong faith It was good for me saith the Psalmist that I was in trouble It was good for Naaman that he was a Leaper this brought him to Elisha and Elisha to GOD. It was good for Paul that hee was buffeted by Satan It is prouerbially spoken of a graue Diuine that as pride makes sores of Salues so Faith makes Salues of sores and like a cunning Apothecarie makes a Medicinall composition of some hurtfull simples Of all hearbs in the Garden onely Rue is the hearbe of grace And in what Garden the rue of affliction is not all the flowers of grace will be soone ouer-runne with the weedes of impietie Dauid was a sinner in prosperitie a Saint in Purgatorie The afflicted soule driues vanitie from his dore Prosperitie is the Play-house Aduersitie the Temple Rarae fumant foelicibus arae The healthie and wealthie man brings seldome Sacrifices to Gods Altar Israels miserie had beene enough to helpe her recouerie if shee had gathered and vnderstood her vexation to God by Gods visitation on her and guessed the soules state by the bodies Shee did not therefore her sicknesse abides As Christ to the Pharises You say you see therefore be blinde still 3. As she did neither directly feele it nor circumstantially collect it so shee neuer confessed it Prima pars sanitatis est velle sanari The first entrance to our healing is our owne will to be healed How shall Christ either search our sinnes by the Law or salue them by the Gospel when we not acknowledge them Ipse sibi denegat curam â—ui Medico non publicat causam He hath no care of his owne Cure that will not tell the Phisitian his griefe What spirituall Phisitian shall recouer our persons when wee will not discouer our sores Stultorum incurata pudor malus vlcera celat Lay the guilt on your selues if you ranckle to death It is heauy in thy friends eares to heare thy groanes and sighes and plaints forced by thy sicke passion but then sorrow pierceth deepest into their harts through their eyes when they see thee growne speechlesse The tongue then least of all the losse doth mone When the lifes soule is going out or gone So there is some hope of the sinner whiles he can groane for his wickednesse and complaine against it and himselfe for it but when his voyce is hoarâ—'d I meane his acknowledgement gone his case is almost desperate Confession of sinnes and sores is a notable helpe to their Curing As Pride in all her Wardrobe hath not a better garment then humility many clad with that was respected in the eyes of God So nor humillity in all her store-house hath better food then Confession Dum agnoscit reus ignoscit Deus Whiles the vniust sinner repents and confesseth the iust God relents and forgiueth The confident Pharise goes from Gods dore without an Almes what neede the full be bidden to a Feast tolle vulnera tolle opus medici It is fearefull for a man to binde two sinnes together when hee is not able to beare the load of one To act wickednesse and then to cloake it is for a man to wound himselfe and then goe to the Deuill for a playster What man doth conceale God will not cancell Iniquities strangled in silence will strangle the soule in heauinesse There are three degrees of felicitie 1. non ofâ—endere 2. noscere 3. agnoscere peccata The first is not sinne the second to know the third to acknowledge our offences Let vs then honour him by Confession vvhom vvee haue dishonoured by presumption Though we haue failed in the first part of Religion an vpright life let vs not faile in the second a repentant acknowledgement Though wee cannot shew GOD with the Pharise an Inuentory of our holy workes Item for praying Item for fasting Item for paying Tythes c. Yet as dumbe as we are and fearefull to speake we can write with Zachaay His name is Iohn Grace grace and onely grace Meritum meum misericordia tua Domine My merit oh Lord is onely thy mercie Or as another sung well T is veré pius ego reus Miserere mei Deus Thou Lord art onely God and onely good I sinfull let thy mercie be my food Peccatum argumentum soporis confessio animae suscitatae Sinfulnesse is a sleepe Confession a signe that we are waked Men dreame in their sleepes but tell their dreames waking In our sleepe of securitie we leade a dreaming life full of vile imaginations But if wee confesse and speake our sinnes to Gods glory and our owne shame it is a token that Gods spirit hath wakened vs. Si non confessus lates inconfessus damnaberis The way to hide our iniquities at the last is to lay them open here Hee that couereth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie Thiâ— is true though to some a Paradoxe The way to couer our sinnes is to vncouer them Quae aperiuntur in praesenti operiuâ—tur in vltimo die If wee now freely lay open our iniquities to our God he will conceale them at the latter day Else cruciâ—nt plus vulnera claâ—sa Sinnes that are smothered will in the end â—ester to death The mouth of Hell is made open to deuoure vs by our sinnes when we open our owne mouthes to confesse wee shut that Israell is not then restored because her sicknesse is not declared 4. The last defect to Israels Cure is the want of application What should a sicke man doe with Phisicke when hee lets it fust in a vessell or spils it on the ground It is ill for a man to mispose that to losse which God hath disposed to his good Beloued Application is the sweet vse to be made of all Sermons In vaine to you are our Ministeries of Gods mysteries when you open not the dores of your hearts to let them in In vaine we smite your rocky hearts when you powre out no floods of teares In vaine we thunder against your sinnes couetous oppresâ—ions of men treasonable Rebellions against God when no man sayes Master is it I Quod omnibus dicitur nemini dicitur Is that spoken to no man which is spoken to all men Whiles Couetousnesse is taxed not one of twenty Churles layes his finger on his owne sore Whiles Lust is condemned what Adulterer feeles the pulse of his owne conscience Whiles Malice is enquired of in the Pulpit there is not a Nâ—bâ—â—ish neighbour in the Church will owne it It is our common armour against the sword of the spirit It is not to me he sâ—eakes For which God at last giues them an answerable plague they shall as desperatâ—ly put from them all the comforts of the Gospell as they haue presumptuously reiected all the precepts of the Law They that vvould particularise no admonition to themselues nor take one graine out of the vvhole heape of Doctrines for