that his loue be For if the partie wronged shall yéelde vnto him that doeth the wrong and shall séeke his good will and his good what rare loue do we account it yea so rare as is seldome the more is the pittie to be séene among vs. This loue of God therefore in this poynt is a rare loue and excéeding admirable in that hee loued vs being his enemies and sought after vs when wee sought not after him according to that he saieth by the Prophet Esay 65.1 I haue offred my selfe to be found of them that asked not For so the verbe Passiue there vsed is to bee translated Like as the Apostle Ro. 10.20 rendreth it I haue bene made manifest For otherwise the sence of the first comma in that swéete sentence cannot be perceiued I offered my selfe saieth God to bee founde of theÌ„ that asked not I was found of theÌ„ that sought mee not I saide behold mee beholde me to a Nation that called not vpon my name And as by the ministerie of his Prophets in former time so by our Ministerie now doeth he still seeke after vs that continue still our enmitie to him For wee are the embassadours saith the Apostle 2. Corinth 5.20 for Christ as though God did beséech you thorow vs we pray you in Christ stead that ye bee reconciled vnto God The greatnesse therfore of God his loue towards vs in this behalfe doeth the Apostle S. Paule highly as it deserueth renowne Doubtlesse saieth he for a righteous man one can scarcely be found that will die but for a good man it may bee one dare die but God magnifieth his mercie vnto vs Rom. 5 that when we were his enemies Christ dyed for vs. And againe when wee were enemies we were reconciled vnto him by the death of his Sonne This he prosecuteth in many words in the 2. Ephes but especially in the 4. verse in these words But God which is rich in mercie thorow his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead in sinnes that is his mortall enemies he quickned vs together in Christ Thus wee sée how in this respect this holy Apostle magnifyeth the greatnesse of Gods loue and grace Ephe 2 7. calling it the exceeding riches of his grace for that he loued vs when we were his enemies And therefore doe wee not accounte them worthily enemies to the grace of God who doe obscure or rather denie this his great grace operibus praeuisis by workes fore-séene and I know not what the Lord Iesus himself saw no such workes fore-séene when he taught vs to say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but that which was our dutie to doe This our Apostle sawe no such fore-séene workes and there fore he renowneth this loue of GOD Rom. 11. â— because hee loued vs first saying in the 4. chap. 10. Herein is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs first and againe in the 19. verse We loue him for he loued vs first This doctrine then teacheth vs that by grace we are saued and therfore not by works alone nor by grace and workes together for workes and grace cannot goe together in the worke of iustifycation for so the Apostle reasoneth If it be of grace it is no more of works or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Aug de fide et oper Cap. 14 Well therefore saith S. Augustne concerning good workes Sequutur iustificaâ—uÌ„ non praecaedunt iustificandum they follow him that is iustifyed they goe not before him that is to be iustifyed For by the way this is to be noted that though workes saue vs not yet we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Iesus vnto good works for to glorifie him that saued vs according as Zacharias sayth in his song Wee are deliuered from the hands of our enemies that wee might serue him without feare all the dayes of our life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him And the grace of God saieth the Apostle vnto Titus that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world And our Apostle maketh this to be our dutie namely to purge our selues wherof if time would permit to come to the handling of the part which is the second parte of our text we would by the grace of God more largely speake Secondly this doctrine teacheth vs to loue one another which lesson this our Apostle inferreth vpon the loue of God 1. Thes 4.9 in the 11. verse of this Chapter Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another 1. Iohn 3.18 So S. Paule sayeth We are taught of God that is by the example of God Iohn 2.16 to loue one another and that not in worde and in tongue giuing onely faire words Goe in peace be filled bee warmed and giue naught and thinke naught but in deede and in truth that is wee ought to manifest our loue vnto all by dealing faithfully and truely with all men and to them that are in want by ministring vnto their necessitie For hereby is loue proued as by a touch-stone If any man hath this worlds goods 1. Ioh. 3.1 and seeth his brother want and shutteth vp his compassion froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in him as if hee should saye Such a man neither loueth God nor man And beloued now is the time if euer you will that you must manifest your loue to God by tender compassion on them that are in néede I néed not to vtter vnto you the great miserie of the poore of this Citie and of the Suburbs thereof the want of the Widdow and of the fatherlesse and of the poore man of occupation who in this time wanteth woorke and therefore wanteth foode for him and his familie Their crie is come before you out of this place and you haue most honorably and charitably considered of it I beséech you in the tender bowels of the Lord Iesus consider of it still for the sicknesse thus still though not in so great measure the Lord be euer praised for it continuing the Winter so hard approching and none or litle worke as they say stirring the number of the poore their necessity do encrease daily your liberality therefore must also encrease Rather then the poore should want make a banke for the poore it would be the most honorable banke that euer was made and most profitable for the aduenturers Let him that hath twentie thousand pound cast in two thousande Let him that hath ten thousand pound cast in a thousand Let him that hath a thousand cast in a hundreth let him that hath an hundreth cast in ten I know I shall be censured by many to speake like a foole but I regard not their censure For this
bloud in the middest of the stréets torne with their Wyer whips dis-membred with their long Kniues thrust thorow with their sharpe swords and no man to haue buried them Malecontents among our selues as Papists and Athests had hoped to haue got this rod into their handes and as by often Treasons against our late blessed Soueraigne so by stronge conspiracies against our now most gracious and vndoubted King whom God for euer kepe from out of their handes they haue attempted it A day of horrour and confusion a blacke and dismall day beloued would that haue bene for then whereas now you kéepe your seates of honour and for euer may you kéepe them and euerie man possesseth his house and home in peace and each neighbour ready to comfort his neighbour and all may come with safetie to this place and to other places of Gods worship to make their supplications before him then I saye ye should haue séene that verefied which is in the Prophecie of Esay Esay 3.5 Nothing but oppression and violence Children presuming against the ancient and the vile against the honorable Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim Esay 9.21 and both against Iudah The Papist against the Athest the Athest against the Papist both against the true Professour You should haue séene then your houses ransacked your wiues and your daughters dishonoured your swéete children and babes horriblie murthered and euery mans sworde imbrued in the bloud of his neighbour Blesse we therefore God and for euer blesse wee him who hath not giuen vs as a praye vnto our enemies handes but brought vpon their owne pates the destruction mischiefe they deuised for others Himselfe reseruing the rod of our correction into his owne hand And besides which also magnifyeth his loue excéedingly taking the rod to beate vs with which is a more gentle and fauorable rod 2. Sa 24 14 than the rest as appeareth by the choice of King Dauid who chose rather to fall into the hands of God then of man who chose rather the Pestilence then hunger What wofull miserie the sworde of the enemie would haue brought you haue heard And I pray God by experience we may neuer know What calamitie famine and hunger causeth you may easely consider when as it forceth to sustaine nature by vnnaturall foode and the mother to féede vpon her yong babe 1. King 6.25 Examples there are in this behalfe most lamentable which I omit In this disease wherewith the Lorde hath visited vs there is either a spéedie death and dissolution or a spéedie recouerie for the most part without languishing in long torment and paine and much comforte séene in the quiet and milde yéelding vp of their spirits to God whom hee marketh and taketh to himselfe Againe the Lord like a pittifull Father for how shall I make an ende to speake of his mercie that is endlesse vppon the onely promise of amendment haue slacked his hand Exod 34 6 7 to shewe and to manifest vnto vs that he is full of mercie and aboundant in compassion and that if we will truly humble our selues he hath done and his wrath is past As therefore yee haue begone so continue your holie exercises of Preaching of Prayer of Fasting that it may not be formall only and hypocritical which the Lorde reprooueth so much in the Iewes Is this the fast that I haue chosen Esa 58.5 6 7 that a man afflict his soule for a day and hang downe his head like a Bull-rush Remēber that the substance of true fasting is to loose the bands of wickednesse to let the oppressed goe free to take off the heauie burthen and to breake euery yoke To deale the bread to the hungrie to bring the poore that wandreth into thy house to couer the naked and to doe such other workes of mercie And that which shall best please the Lord right honorable is if by the sworde of your authoritie yee shall represse the insolencie of them who not regarding the heauie hand of God continue in their blasphemie in the profanation of the Sabaoth in their drunkennes and in such other detestable sinnes who say with the Epicure Let vs eate let vs drink for to morrow we shal die who make a pray a spoyle to thēselues in this heauy time of sicknes by imbeazeling of the goods of thē that be diseased deceased by defrauding of the widow by defeating of the Orphanes by robbing of the naturall kindred of their right If such complaints come before you right Honorable as I feare mee many will deferre not to do iustice for if you do the Lord will sée it and reuenge it but if yee execute the iudgement of the Widow and of the fatherlesse If you defende him that is oppressed from the hande of him that oppresseth him If you maintaine the right and punish the wrong Then you shall sée that God who hath thus gratiously begunne will euery day more and more slacke his hand vntill he hath remooued this euill disease from you then you shall sée that hee who hath wounded you will heale you then you shall sée that he who hath in his anger for a moment visited you will in euerlasting compassion embrace you that you may sée this your Citie againe peopled by the ioyfull returne of your fellow citizens that are here and there dispersed that you may sée those seats which are by you emptie with the Honorable graue Iudges of the Lande with your worshipfull brethren replenished that you may sée your trades and traffiquing which is now dead to be renewed that you may sée your Tearmes and Sessions of Lawe no more omitted that to conclude you may sée health and prosperitie againe within your walles that you may heare the voice of the bridegrome and of the bride and the noyse of mirth and reioysing more than in the daies of good Quéene Elizabeth Now it remaineth that hauing thus farre forth discoursed of that high dignitie and preferment whereunto we are aduanced in being made the Sonnes of God and heires of God ioynt-heires with Iesus Christ the onely begotten and naturall Sonne of the Father of such a celestiall and glorious kingdome and hauing considered the original from whence so great mercy floweth vnto vs which our Apostle sheweth to bee the méere loue of God which loue appeareth to be loue out of measure Because hee hath bestowed it vpon vs that were his enemies Because he hath gratis and fréely without our desert giuen it vnto vs Because he hath giuen his only Sonne to death to answere his iustice for vs Because he vouchsafeth to be called our Father and more then our Father pittieth vs Correcting vs with his more gentle and not with his sharpest rod repenting of the punishment before we repent vs of our sinnes It remaineth I say that wee procéede to the answere of the first obiection which here ensueth For this cause the worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him But for that the time is spent I must leaue the consideration thereof vnto your godly priuate Meditations which I may the more safelie doe hauing in such sort conformed this holie and comfortable doctrine vnto you as that all the obiections of man or Deuill shall neuer be able to preuaile against it And now thou O Lord our God which hast in this wise so excéedingly magnified thy mercies vnto vs in calling vs to be thy children and hast not for al our rebellions against thée cast vs off and vtterlie reiected vs but chastized vs in great mercie for our sinnes and corrected vs for our transgressions we beséech thée to sanctifie this thy fatherly punishing hande vnto vs that wee may make right vse thereof in louing thée for thy mercie and fearing thée for thy iustice That for the time of our life that remayneth we may more religiously and more holily walke before thee in all godlinesse of life and conuersation And to this end we praye thee to giue a blessing to the ministerie and Preaching of thy holy worde at this time that gratiously pardoning passing by whatsoeuer weaknesse and infirmities haue bene committed in the speaking hearing hereof thou wouldest please to make it effectuall vnto vs for the glorifying of thy name for the edifying of our selues in faith for the humbling of our soules by repentāce for the reforming of our liues from all vngodlinesse and so finally for the turning away of this thy feareful Plague and punishment and for the purchasing of thy wonted fauours and blessings onto vs and that for Iesus Christes sake our onely mediator and aduocate To whome with thee and the holy Ghost three Persons one true euerliuing and euerlasting God be rendred all praise power Dominion and thanksgiuing both now and for euer Amen
more then the honour of his birth-right And deserue we not a greater condemnatiō if we prefer earth to heauē a momentable pleasure to an eternall endles weight of glorie Our kingdome beloued is not the lesse to bee accepted for that it is not earthly but ten thousand thousand times the more to be estéemed for were our kingdome earthly it should be also transitorie were our kingdome earthly wee should haue therein much sorrow care and griefe mixed with smal felicity were our kingdome earthly wee might soone be dispossessed thereof either by open warres or by secrete conspiracie How suddenly was Zedechias dispossessed of his kingdome and caried captiue into Babilon his eies thrust out Iere. 52.11 and him selfe thrust into perpetuall prison Howe lamentably doth Moyses when he was made gouernour of that people complaine of the heauie burthen thereof Num. 11.15 and in the bitternesse of his soule desireth of the Lord that he would rather kill him then to laye so heauie a loade vpon him And for the transitorie estate of kingdomes as of al other earthly things both small and great who séeth not that they can endure no longer then the earth endureth ◠Pet. 3 7 which yet it belong must by fyer be consumed with all the workes therein And yet who hath a lease of his life or an assurance to hold his good til then How many thousands of our brethren within some fewe wéekes by their spéedie death hath left vnto vs a president of this our fickle and vncertaine state many of them leauing their substance not an inheritance for their babes but a praye a spoyle to strangers to waste and to deuoure 1. Pet. 1.3.4.5 Blessed therefore be God the Father of our Lord Iesus who according to his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To an inheritance not mortal but immortall inuisible vndesiled neuer fading reserued not on earth but in heauen for vs Which are kept by the power of God thorow faith vnto saluation which is prepated to bee shewed in the last time Thus we haue séene how euery maner of waye this our heauenly enheritance excelleth all earthly kingdomes and thereby to how great a dignitie it is that we are exalted vnto in that we are made the sonnes of God and heires of that euerlasting kingdome of glorie And the consideration hereof ministreth great comfort vnto vs in regards of our deare friends deceased for that we know that so many of them as dyed in the faith of Christ they haue receiued the possession of this kingdome enfranchized with a more glorious fréedome then all the fréedomes of the world and haue gotten the victorie of Satan sinne and Hell 1. Thes 4.16 and death no longer to holde their bodies thē the trumpet shal sound Arise ye dead and come into iudgement Why therefore should we bewaile them who from miserie are gone vnto glorie who from pouertie are ascended vp into a throne of maiestie who from continuall labour and toyle are remooued into a place of perpetuall rest and quietnesse◠according vnto that voice that saide vnto Iohn Write Reuel 14.13 blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours For ourselues whom God in mercie hath yet passed by and granted to liue to sée this day we may hereby receiue this comfort that we being his children this visitation if it shall please him to laye it vpon vs as he hath done vpon many of our brethren better then wee shall not tende vnto our destruction but to the giuing of vs season and liuerie as it were and full possession of this our heauenly inheritance But you will say vnto me Is there then no note of God his displeasure and anger in this sicknesse Is it not an heauie iudgement of God which our sinnes haue drawne downe vpon vs Yes verilie manifest notes of God his iust conceiued wrath and fearefull iudgements appeareth in this visitation and that as to the bad so to the good as to them that are dead so to vs that remaine aliue A feareful iudgement it is to the wicked and reprobate if there be any such that haue departed who as they liued not in the feare so died not in the fauour of God For this sudden cutting them off sheweth that their sinnes were ripe and growne to a full height and that they are now gathered as it were in bundles to be throwne into hell fyer A fearefull iudgement also it is euen to God his owne children that are departed the guilt and eternall punishment of whose sinnes though they bee forgiuen in Christ and they receiued to mercie through him yet God by this extraordinarie and sharpe though temporall affliction would shew that hee was highly displeased both with them and with vs for our sinnes and that therefore he hath taken them away the most of them in the prime and middest of their daies from further enioying the blessing of long life which also he promiseth vnto them that truely doe loue and honour him A fearefull iudgement it is vpon vs that are remaining for what is this deuiding in so vncomfortable a maner of the husband from the wife of the wife from the husband of parents from their children children from their parents of friend from friend and acquaintance from acquaintance but as it were a torturing and deuiding of the same bodie into diuerse pieces when the husband dieth the wife hath lost her head when the wife dieth the husband hath lost his right hand When the parents die the children haue lost the eye to guide them when the children die the parents haue lost the sight that should comfort them when a brother dieth the brother hath lost parte of his owne flesh and bones when a friend dieth his friend hath lost as the Philosopher calleth him alter idem another himselfe Besides the calamities which befal the common states as not onely whole families to be desolated but Cities and Townes to be dispeopled the number of poore Widowes and Orphanes to bee encreased trades and occupations to be ceased yea tillage it selfe to be decaied whereby sore famine is threatned It passeth my reach beloued to sounde the depth of God his fearefull iudgement in this behalfe for this breach made vpon so many thousands of the people is as it were a breach made in the wall of a citie whereby the enemie entreth and possesseth the same What then remaineth but that wee turne from our sinnes that God may turne from his wrathfull indignation A naturall Father though hee loue his sonne well wil not leaue chastising him till hee hath left offending and if in the time of his chastisement hee sheweth himselfe stubborne and to haue an obstinate minde to continue in his naughtines he wil lay on more heauie stripes and his soule shall not spare for his murmuring we haue a most tender and mercifull Father
gratious and abounding in all compassion towardes vs we haue offended him in most grieuous feareful maner It grieueth my hart O London to thinke vpon much more to rehearse the horrible sinnes committed in thée for consider whether as against Ierusalem God may not complaine thus against thée In thee they haue despised Father and Mother Ezech. 22.7 In thee they haue oppressed the stranger In thee they haue vexed the fatherlesse and the Widdow Thou hast despised mine holy things and polluted my Sabboth In thee are men to carie tales to shead bloud In thee are they that eate vpon the Mountaines as Popish recusants In the middest of thee they commit abhominations as incest and adulterie In thee are they that take gifts to shed bloud Thou hast taken the vsurie and the increase and thou hast defrauded thy neighbour by extortion And would to God that this bitter complaint were all and that it might be onely against thée But against thée O England in generall doth God thus complaine with a Bill containing the same and more more grieuous accusations both against Courte and Countrie against Church and common weale as of blasphemie of drunkennes of pride couetousnesse of horrible Witchcraft sorcery of immeasurable briberie of buying selling offices in the common weale of buying selling dignities in the Church of insatiable auarice ambition in both in the one of heaping offices to offices in the other of laying benefices to benefices in neither a care or conscience to performe the dutie to the common good but to their owne gaine and commodities And herein God appealeth to the consciences of you all that he slandereth not the state neither doeth this bill of complaint tend to the disparagement of our late blessed Soueraigne deceased in whose times these abhominations sprāg and grew vp and increased to such an height For be it farre from me that I should let a sillable fall to the dishonour of her being dead whom as dutie bound with my soule I honoured being aliue The like enormities to these fell out in the raigne of good and vertuous kings Yea in their raigne who were most renowned of al the rest as of Ezechiah and Josias as appeareth by the complaint of the Prophets who prophecied in their daies It was in the daies of Ezechiah that Esaiah the Prophet thus complayneth Esa 22.12 In that daye did the Lorde God of Hostes call vnto weeping and mourning to baldnesse and to a girding of Sackecloth and beholde ioy and gladnesse killing of Sheepe slaying of Oxen eating drinking to morrow we shall die It was in the time of Ezechiah when Micah the Prophet thus cōplaineth cap. 7. ver 2.4 The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men the best of them is as a bryer and the most righteous sharper then a thorne hedge It was in the time of Josiah Jere. cap 3. vers 6. 10. That God commanded Ieremie thus to vp-braide Iudah The rebellious Israel hath iustifyed her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah for they haue not returned vnto me with all their hart but fainedly saith the Lord and therefore he biddeth him Iere. 5.1.3.4.5 c. To runne to and fro in the streetes of Ierusalem and to aske and to enquire if he could finde a man that executeth iustice and iudgement and seeketh the truth he would spare it And he got him to the poore men alas they were then as for the most part they are now Ignorant and foolish they knew not the waye of the Lord nor the iudgement of their God He went to the great men and they were such as for the most part they are nowe they made great profession but they also had altogether broke the yoke burst the bands that is they would not be ordered by the Law of God It was in the time of Iosiah that Zephaniah the Prophet complaineth thus Zeph. 1.12 That there were men in Ierusalem frozen in their dregs say in their hearts the Lord will neither do good nor euill nay thus more generally in the 2. cap. 1. 2 Woe be to the polluted to the robbing Citie she heard not the voice shee receiued not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drewe not neere to her God And particularly as it were by name in the 3. verse Her Princes within her are as Lyons her Iudges as Wolues in the Euening which leaue not the bones to the morning her Prophets are light and wicked persons her Priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie and wrested the Law And yet all these corruptions whereof they thus bitterly complaine and for which they were not accused for slandring of the state were no stayne to their memoriall For that they laboured and endeuoured to their vtmost to haue reformed them as their histories sufficiently doe shewe and therefore are Chronicled to haue done vprightly in the sight of the Lord. In like manner who is ignorant of the godly zeale of Quéene Elizabeth for the true worship and seruice of God for suppressing of vice both in Church common weale and maintenance of vertue so that her Throne shee left and resigned to Noble King IAMES vnstained of these abhominations the guilt thereof to cleaue to them and their posteritie who were the causers of them But as Ioab and the sonnes of Zeruiah were to hard for Dauid and Sebna was a Patron of vngodlines vnder Ezechias and the Princes the Iudges the Prophets the Priestes corrupt vnder Iosiah and yet none of these good Kings bore the blame of their euill counsellours Sam. 3.39 So it is nothing to the impeachmēt of the honour of Quéene Elizabeth but rather renowneth her much that she continued her course and to the last yéere encreased her zeale Esa 22 15 which could be quenched neither by any Ioab nor by al the sonnes of Zeruiah nor by any Sebnah nor by any ambitious Prince or corrupt Iudge or flattering Prophet or Prelate nor by that maine sea of iniquitie which in her time so outrageouslie burst foorth But it tendeth much to the condemnation of this Citie and our Lande that hauing so godly a Gouernesse wee regarded not her gouernment but neglected her Lawes and liued after our own wils and pleasures in all the abhominations before rehearsed And nowe what could our gratious God and heauenly Father do lesse then first taking her to his mercie whom we were vnworthie longer to haue to take the rodde into his owne hand to beat vs for our sinnes to correct vs for our iniquities to prooue if his owne chastisement would effect our amendment Let vs therefore euerie one of vs in the feare of God who stand in awe of his iudgements turne from his owne euil waies and from the wickednesse that is in his handes as did the Niniuites Iona 3 10. Let euery man cease to do euill Esa 1.16 and learne to do well Let euery