Saint Peter out of darkenesse into his marvellous 1 Pet. 2. 9 10. light which in times past were not a people but now the people of God which in times past were not under Mercy but now have obtained Mercy We have not loved God but hee us Venit medicus ad aegrotos via ad errantes lux ad tenebras vita ad mortuos redemptor ad Bern. captivos The Physitian came unto the sicke the way to wanderers light to darkenesse life to the dead a redeemer to the captives Wee were sicke hee healed us wee wandered hee reduced us wee were blind hee lightend us wee were slaves hee redeemed us No man commeth to the Father but by him Iohn 14. 6. This is not onely that generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercy and Grace of God which pertaineth to all creatures Beasts Fowle Fishes whereof I spake before but this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peculiar to man only the Scripture calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riches of his bountifulnesse c. For The Lord is rich in Mercy rich in mercy because Ephes 2. 4. the treasury of his Mercy and Grace is never exhausted the fountaine never dryed up rich in Mercy because he never ceaseth to communicate the riches of his Mercy and Grace to us rich in Mercy because hee pardoneth all our sinnes upon our true repentance rich in Mercy because he not only pardoneth al our sins upon our true repentance but giveth us repentance and The abundant riches of Gods mercies faith to beleeve the remission of our sinnes rich in mercy because he giveth us privative grace to escape evils and positive enabling us to doe good finally rich in mercy because he preventeth us with mercy and grace before we seeke him and followeth us with mercy and grace when we have found him Bernard in a certaine Sermon makes mention of a seven-fold De Evang. septem panum mercy or grace which hee saith each child of God may finde in himselfe The first is a preventing mercy or grace by which the Lord preserves his Elect from falling into grosse evils Fateor fatebor saith he nisi quia Deus adiuvit me paulo minus cecidisset in omne peccatum anima mea I doe and will ingeniously confesse that unlesse the Lord had preserved mee by grace my soule had gone neere to have fallen into all sinne The second is his forbearing mercy or grace whereby the Lord waiteth for the conversion of a sinner in regard whereof the same Author writeth thus Ego peccabam tu dissimulas non continebam a sceleribus tu à verberibus abstinebas I sinned O Lord and thou seemest not to regard it I contained not my selfe from wickednesse and thou abstainest from scourging me for the same The third is an altering and changing mercy or grace which makes a man setled in the resolution of holinesse whereas before he was prophane and loose in behaviour The fourth is an imbracing mercy or grace whereby God assureth the Convert of his favour The fifth is a confirming mercy or grace which strengthneth and upholdeth the righteous in his goodnesse The sixth is a mercy or grace that sets him in hope and expectation of glory The seventh is a crowning mercy or grace which is the Livery and seisin and full possession of the Kingdome of heaven Thus the LORD hath seven mercies or graces nay seventy times seven mercies even an innumerable multitude of compassions all which Saint Iude here wisheth unto the Saints by which it appeareth how great a blessing the Apostle wisheth in wishing mercy Mercy be unto you For indeed all that wee have is of mercy not of merit of favour not of debt of grace not of nature It is his mercy that wee Lament 3. 2. be not consumed therefore when we pray let this be our petition O God be mercifull unto me a sinner and when we give thankes let Luke 18. 13. Psal 36. this be the foot of our Song For his mercy indureth for ever For his mercy indureth for ever His mercy is Communis peccantium portus the common harbor of all penitent sinners For it is not the wisdome God nor his power noriustice that preserves us from destruction but his mercy So many idle words uttered in a day so many vaine Mercy that we are not consumed thoughts conceived so many evill workes committed I speake positively and now privatively so few prayers in us so few thankesgiving so few almes so weake faith so little knowledge so cold zeale so small love It is not a mercy but a miracle that we are not all consumed that the ayre infecteth us not as it did Iuda that the heavens raine not downe fire and brimstone 2 Sam. 24. as they did upon Sodome that the clouds open not and drowne us all as they did the old world that the earth doth not open Gen. 19. and swallow us all as it did Dathan such pride in the rich such envie in the poore such peevishnesse in age such riot in youth Gen. 6. Numb 16. such robbery on the land such piracy on the Sea such impiety in the Church such iniury in the Common-wealth such wickednesse and Atheisme in all it is a rare mercy that wee be not all consumed The Angels desire an end of this evill world the Saints departed wish the accomplishment of the Elect the number full the body of Christ made perfect The Saints in earth cry Veni Esa 6. Apoc. 6. Apoc. 22. Domine Iesu veni citò Come Lord Iesu come quickly Why doe wee not desire to be loosed that as wee are partakers of his generall speciall and temporall mercies and graces here so we may be partakers of his eternall mercies in heaven The second blessing which the Apostle prayeth for is peace which is taken three waies First for externall peace between man and man Secondly for internall peace betwixt God and man peace of conscience Thirdly for prosperity and the happy event of all things And in all these significations it may be taken in this place in a godly sense if wee take it in the first sense it is a notable blessing and to be prayed for of all men as Iude doth here for peace is the ornament of all places as a Crowne of gold upon their head the Kingdome of Christ is adorned by it The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with Esa 11. 6. 7. 9. the Kid and the Calfe and the Lion and the fat beast together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Beare shall feed together their yong ones shall lye together and the Lion shall eat straw like the Bullocke and the sucking child shall play upon the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the Cockatrice hole then shall none hurt nor destroy in all the Mountaine of my holinesse Here men by reason
and bring him quickly into our Ladies bands and make him sinke by beggerie The Apostle Paul useth many reasons against it able to move an heart of flint if there be any droppe of grace in him if he pertaine to Gods election if he be not vas irae a vessell of wrarh a reprobate a firebrand in Hell 1 Cor. 6. 13 14 a member of the Divell His first reasons is that The body was made for the Lord a swell as the soule his second That the body shall 15 16 18 19. be raised up at the last day to an incorruptible estate His third That our bodies are the members of Christ His fourth He that coupleth himselfe with an harlot is one body with an harlot the fifth This is sinne in a speciall sense against our owne bodies the sixth The body is the temple of the holy Ghost finally The body is bought with a price and therfore is not our owne These are the reasons that the Apostle useth against this sinne to make all men to deny it and defye it But to proceede the wrath of God against this sinne of whordome is as the fire of Aetna not only to burne the whrne and the whoremonger but their seed as one said the bastard shall be a faggot a firebrand in Hell to burne the parents For the children of adulterers shall not be partakers of the holy things and the seed of the wicked bed shall be rooted out and though they Wisd 3. 16 17 18 19. live long yet shall they be nothing regarded and their last age shall be without honor if they dye hastily they have no hope neither comfort in the day of triall For horrible is the end of the wicked generation And againe the bastard-plants shall VVisd 4. 3 4. take no deep root nor lay any fast foundation For though they bud forth in the branches for a time yet they shal be shaken with the wind for they stand not fast they shal be rooted out As The divell prevailes most by uncleannesse one said of the theefe on Christs right hand that Luke nameth one theefe to let us see that all theeves are not damned and yet but one theefe to let us see that all theeves are not saved So say Luke 23. I of Iephta that God nameth one bastard to let vs see that all Iudg. 11. 1. are not rejected of God and yet but one to let us see that all are not accepted of God I exclude them not from the Covenant of life I abridge not the mercies of God I clip not the wings of his compassion towards them For it is as great a sinne to abridge the mercies of God to the penitent as to dilate it and prostitute it to the reprobate For the Lord is stronge mercifull Exod. 34. 6 7. and gracious slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne And againe Hee is gracious and slow to anger and of great kindnesse Ioel. 2. 13. and repenteth him of the evill But this is it that I insist upon and take in hand to prove that God punisheth the uncleane and incontinent persons even in their seed aswell as in their bodies goods and name and let all men that take pleasure in this sinne assure themselves that the end will be bitter as worme-wood Prov. 5. 4. and sharpe as a two-edged sword For hee that followeth a strange woman is as an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole that goeth Prov. 7. 22. to the stockes for correction till a dart strike thorow his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that she is in danger For they that goe to a strange woman seldome returne againe neither take they hold of the Prov. 2. 18. way of life If they reply that David did commit adultery and yet did returne I answer it is true of many thousand adulterers one David did returne but thou hast cause rather to feare to perish wirh the multitude than to returne with David But before I prosecute this point further note the mercy and wisdome of God in the decalogue In the first precept he provideth for our callings that no man contemne us but honour us in the sixth for our bodies that no man kill them in the eighth for our goods that no man steale them in the seventh for our wives that no man abuse them that none violate their chastity and therefore severely hath God revenged this sinne he hath punished it in the great ones hee hath set a marke a brand of vengeance upon them as upon Pharoah in Egypt and Abimilech Gen. 12. Psal 160. 30. in Gerar and yet they touched not Sara but onely intended it So Phinees ranne thorow a Lord and Lady Moses Numb 25. hanged the heads and Princes of the people And if God hath not spared the high cedars of lebanon looke not that he will spare the low shrubs Potentes potenter punientur the mighty shall Wisd 6. 6. Acts 10. 34. be mightily punished and meane men shall bee punished also Deus non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is no accepter of persons Eusebius Cremonensis reporteth of Ierome that on his death-bed he used these words unto his Disciples Ensis diaboli est luxuria ô quot illa romphaea inter fecit lechery is the sword of the divell ô how many hath this sword slaine Est rete diaboli ô quot illud rete inescavit Many of the Saints have beene overtaken by adultery it is the net of the divell O how many hath it deceived Est esca diaboli it is the bait of the divell O how many hath this baite entrapped There is no sinne in the second table wherein the divell hath more prevailed and gone away a greater conquerer than in this sin of Whoredome and therefore it is noted that in Mary Magdalen there were seven divels For this sinne wee read Luke 7. Gen. 6. that it repented God that ever he made man and indeed the mischiefes that come of this sinne be manifold Nam luxuria corpus debilitat memoriam hebitat cor aufert oculos caecat famam denigrat marsupium evacuat furta homicidia infert iram Dei provocat for lechery weakneth the body infeebleth the minde dulleth the memory taketh away the heart blindeth the eyes hurteth the good name emptieth the purse causeth thefts murders and all other sinnes kndleth Gods wrath For this sinne God brought a floud of water upon the old world and for this sinne the Lord reigned fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven and destroyed Gen. 6. Sodome Yea for this sinne God slew foure and twenty thousand Cave vinum cave mulieres take heed of wine take heed of women he that useth wine carryeth fire in his bosome and a woman is sagitta diaboli the arrow of the divell Homo mulier sunt ignis palea
rara virtus as S. Bernard tearmes it made him thinke neither these nor any of his Sermons or writings worthy of publike view so as though hee were much importuned by offers and earnest entreaties yet would not be drawne to publish any of them But for as much as it is not meete those learned labours should dye with him whereby hee being dead may with Abel yet speake and the living bee furthered in the way of life I resolved to publish these Sermons upon S. Iude Preached in a weekly Lecture to a publike audience on the market day at Northwalsham in Norfolke Intending God assisting if I may understand these to become acceptable profitable to the people of God to publish more In the meane time I shall send these forth with Iacobs blessing and prayer for his Sonnes Gen. 43. 14. God Almighty send thee mercy in the sight of the man c. In the sight of the proud man that he be no more high-minded as Herod In the sight of the poore man that hee may bee content with the things hee hath already as Paul In the sight of the stubborne man that he may yeeld with Saul and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe In the sight of the penitent man that his wounds may be bound up and Wine and Oyle powred into them In the sight of the barren man that he may live and bring forth much fruit In the sight of every man that they may draw neere to God with a pure heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in their hearts from an evill conscience and washed in their body with pure water But especially in the sight of our Ioseph our Iesus who blesse thee and these to thee and all other meanes of furthering thy salvation to whose grace I commend thee this tenth of April 1633. Thine in Christ Jesus Samuel Otes THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST SERMON Vpon Saint IVDE A Briefe description of the Author Penman Argument Occasion of the Epistle The division of it into five parts 1 Superscription 2 Exordium 3 Proposition 4 Exhortations Dehortations 5 Conclusion Superscription in three 1 Person writing 2 Person written to 3 Salutation Person writing by three His Name Office Alliance The Contents of the second Sermon THe persons to whom he writ described by their Vocation and Sanctification In Vocation he describes the fruits kinds and parts necessity diversity in respect of time and place In Sanctification that it followes Vocation and is threefold how distinguished from Iustification what place it hath in salvation The Contents of the third Sermon THat wee may have the benefit of Redemption wee must have both Reconciliation Sanctification and Continuall preservation in the estate of grace In Reconciliation there is necessary Remission of sinnes Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse Sanctification consists in Mortification and Vivification Arguments to vrge Sanctification preservation both of body and soule especially the soule in sanctification till brought to glorification The Contents of the fourth Sermon THe Salutation wherein he wisheth three Mercy Peace and Love Of Mercy and Peace in this Sermon Mercy fourefold That that concernes the soule and salvation thereof is sevenfold Peace three-fold Externall Internall Eternall Outward prosperity and happinesse The Contents of the fifth Sermon HAving spoken afore of Mercy and Peace here he speakes of Love Love is twofold Of God to Man Of Man to Man both set out by their Excellency and their Effects The want of the latter noted the kinds of Love condemned finally not onely Mercy Peace and Love as positive graces are wished but the continnall increase and multiplication of them The Contents of the sixth Sermon THe proposition in the second part of the Epistle vnfolded that faith must be maintained wherein two things 1 They must labour to maintaine faith 2 The reasons and they are three 1 From the person of the Apostle 2 From the person of God 3 From the person of the Adversary In this Sermon of the first viz. that Faith must bee maintained with all earnestnesse and of the first reason drawne from the person of the Apostle namely his love his paines and his mildnesse The Contents of the seventh Sermon THe second reason drawne from the person of God that gives faith wherein three 1 That Faith is a gift 2 That given once 3 That given to the Saints In the first the divers acceptions of faith 1. How the true faith is given In the second that the same Faith is in all ages In the third that only the Saints have this true faith wherein the divers acceptions of faith are set downe and that here is meant the Saints upon earth The Contents of the eighth Sermon THe third reason is drawne from the persons of the Adversaries who are described 1 By their life 2 By their end By their life that they 1 Creepe into the Church 2 Be A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God 3 Be Libertines 4 Are blasphemers denying God and Christ c. The three first here handled The Contents of the ninth Sermon THe third reason from the persons of the adversaries is further prosecuted in regard of the fourth branch of their impiety in their life 〈…〉 the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ wherein is shewed how many wayes God and Christ are denyed And prooved that God is the only God And that Iesus Christ is our Lord Iure Creationis Iure Redemptionis The Contents of the tenth Sermon THe third reason from the Adversaries is further prosecuted in regard of the end which is by the Apostle here said to bee condemnation and in that they are said to be before ordained to this condemnation as by Gods decree The two parts of Gods decree Election and Reprobation largely handled The Contents of the eleventh Sermon NNotwithstanding they to whom he wrote knew before yet he puts them in remembrance of the mercies of God in delivering the Israelites and his justice in destroying them growing rebellious Wherein note 1 The necessity of inculcating and often reiterating doctrines before knowne 2 Gods mercy to the Israelites especially in their deliverance out of Egypt which is largely described 3 The greater his mercies the more grievous his punishments upon the contemners thereof The Contents of the twelfth Sermon THe Israelites sinne that brought their destruction was infidelity though other sins yet this the root of all as proved in them and all The nature the kinds the necessity excellency and utility of faith is set out Secondly the sinne of the Angels what it was wherein their nature and office their number kinds their sinne being in generall Apostacy the nature of that sinne and wherein it consists and how odious it is is described The Contents the thirteenth Sermon THe punishment of the Angels that fell which is to bee reserved in everlasting chaines hence 1 Comfort to man that though his malice be infinite yet his power is limited 2 Confusion to him that though he be already
and the merits of Christ Iesus and here he confutes the errour of the Papists holding justification by works either of themselves or joyned with Christs merits discovering the error and discoursing the point largely and learnedly and shewes that both election vocation justification sanctification and salvation are all of grace and mercy The Contents of the five and thirtieth Sermon HAving shewed the summe of the Apostles exhortation to be that they should use discretion he teacheth the necessity thereof in all sinners that they and all should bee compassionate over the soules of them that are in danger to perish comforting the weake and terrifying the obstinate and hee admonishes all to suffer not onely the words of exhortation but reprehension also Lastly expounding the Apostles phrase of saving by feare to be the endevouring to save by excommunication the chiefest discipline of the Church he sheweth how fearefull a thing it is to bee cast out of the Church by excommunication and distinguisheth of the kinds thereof and describes thevses and ends thereof The Contents of the sixe and thirtieth Sermon FRom Saint Iudes phrase of saving by pulling 〈◊〉 of the fire he observeth first the fearefull estate of the wicked by that and many other resemblances used by the holy Ghost and especially that they are subject to sudden destruction whereas the godly are provided against sudden accidents or death secondly in that he exhorts to save such hee takes occasion to set out the excellency and necessity of the Ministery being Gods ordinance to save soules and confutes the conceit of them that vilifie this function as unnecessary and sheweth that it is the greatest happinesse that can come unto a people to have a godly and learned Ministery seeing they have thereby light life and salvation The Contents of the seven and thirtieth Sermon VPpon Saint Iudes Caveat Hate the garment spotted by the flesh c. he sheweth that wee must bee so farre from sinne as weâ— must abstaine from all appearance of evill and avoid evill company both in respect of God â—hose enemies they are and of our selves both in regard of our outward and inward estate Further he sheweth that we must hate sinne first because the whole Trinity hates it secondly because Satan the enemy of God and our soules is the Author of it yet so as we must hate it as it dishonours God not as it dishonours us and hate the sinne it selfe not the person except a knowne reprobate and hate it for conscience sake not for by respects and he reproves those that are so farre from hating sinne as they will not be drawne to leave sinne And here taking occasion of a fearefull earthquake hapning on Christmas Eve 1601. whilest hee was in the Pulpiâ— preaching he discourses first of the fearefulnesse of this presage of judgement as if the earth trembling under sinne threatned to swallow up sinners or that some fearefull judgement was at hand Secondly for the time being Christmas Eve he applyes it as a Caveat given of God that the solemne Feast following might not be prophaned The Contents of the eight and thirtieth Sermon HE commeth to the conclusion of the Epistle wherein the Apostle commending them to Gods grace to keepe themselves from falling he observes two things 1 Mans weaknesse ready to fall 2 The power of God able to keepe him First he sets out mans weaknesse shewing that he can doe nothing of himselfe without Christs grace and therefore though he be exhorted to stand and keepe himselfe yet God workes in him the will and the deed otherwise he would not stand among so many powerfull enemies and temptations and therefore wee should continually pray He sheweth that our pronenesse to fall came from our fall in Adam yet by grace wee are either preserved from falling or raised being fallen That the Saints are sometimes suffered to fall it is for the further manifesting of Gods grace and mercy yet they never fall totally nor finally Not onely particular men but the whole Church may erre though not totally and finally And the Popes have erred shamefully The Contents of the nine and thirtieth Sermon PRaying for them that they might bee preserved blamelesse hee shewes how this can be not for that they should have no sinne but for that none should be imputed for our righteousnesse stands rather in the remission of our sinne then in the perfection of vertue and he confutes the opinion of the Papists and divers others that vaunt of perfect purity and expounds those places of Scripture that ascribe purity or perfection to the Saints and sheweth how they are so called namely Imputative Comparative or Inchoative Non perfective Distinguisheth of the degrees of perfection in the Church and confuteth the opinion of Papists concerning justification by workes Lastly praying for them that in the life to come they may behold his presence with joy he setteth out the joyes of the life to come both simply and comparatively and exhorteth to seeke to attaine to them and contemneth the glory and joyes of the world in respect of them The Contents of the fortieth Sermon HEre he enters upon the last point in the conclusion of the Epistle namely Praise and thanksgiving to God sheweth that the Apostles concluded their Epistles with it and often upon the mentioning of Gods abundant mercy in Christ breakes out into it that David is very frequent in it and so are all the Saints and wee ought to imitate them and praise God according to all the Attributes whereof Iude mentioning sixe viz. Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Dominion Power he insisteth in this Sermon in three of them namely Wisdome Salvation and Glory and sheweth first that onely God is wise all men are either ignorant or have but naturall worldly wisdome not true wisdome untill God infuse it That Gods Wisedome appeareth in creating and disposing all things but especially in preserving and governing his Church and exhorts to submit unto it Secondly he proceeds to the second Attribute of Saviour and shewes that this is the most comfortable to us and that he saves by Christ yea that the name of Saviour is proper to Christ who purchased salvation for us by his death that we must therefore bee thankefull to him not derogate from his glory as the Papists doe minsing Christs merits and mixing with it their owne and ascribing too much to nature and free will He proceedeth to the third Attribute of God namely Glory that this is an acceptable Sacrifice to God but neglected by us we pray in our wants not praise God when they be supplyed that wee ought to performe this duty continually and if we doe not glorifie God here we shall not be glorified with him hereafter He reprooves two sorts that rob God of his glory the Proud and the Envious We must not imitate them but praise God alwayes in all things with all the parts of our bodies and powers of our soule The Contents of the one and fortieth Sermon HEre
of the World to them all Venite benedicti come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome Mat. 25. 34. prepared for you and therefore as the Hart desireth the water-brookes so long their Soules after God their Soules after God yea after the living God and they cry day and night Come Lord Jesus come quickely Thou which art our Lord by right of creation by right of redemption by right of gubernation Apoc. 22. by right of preservation Come come away quickely and crown us with glory receive us into thy kingdome where is Gaudium sine fine sine metu finis Ioy without end without feare of end Thus much of the Persons saluted their vocation sanctification and reservation to Iesus Christ THE FOVRTH SERMON VERS II. Mercie unto you and Peace and Love c. Mercy Peace and Love from Father Sonne holy Ghost I Am now come to the Salutation wherein the Apostle wisheth and prayeth for three things 1 Mercy 2 Peace 3 Love Three things more excellent than Mat. 2. the three gifts which the Wisemen bestowed on Christ Gold Frankincense 2 Sam. 23. and Myrrh three things more puissant to overthrow the Divell than the three mighty men that were in the hoast of Israel to overthrow the Philistines and to fetch water out of the well of Bethelem that David longed for three things more comely than the three things that Salomon commended that is a Lion Prov. 30. among beasts a Gray-hound and a Goat Mercy which is the first thing here wished for is ascribed to God the Creator Peace which is the second to Christ the 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes 2. 14. Rom. 5. 5. Reconciler Love which is the third to the holy Ghost the Comforter For God hee is called The Father of Mercies Christ is called Our Peace and the holy Ghost Love The Apostle therefore in saying Mercy Peace and Love be multiplied is as if he should have said The God of Mercy forgive you your sinnes the God of Peace give you Peace that passeth all understanding and the God of Love grant that your Love may abound more and more that yee may bee rooted and grounded in Love And yet all this proceedeth from one and the same person Generall and speciall Mercies of God for albeit Mercy be ascribed to the Father Peace to the Sonne and Love to the holy Ghost Creation to the Father Redemption to the Sonne and Sanctification to the holy Ghost yet all these create redeeme and sanctifie For wee worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity wee confound neither the persons nor yet their worke Mercie be unto you Mercy in God is not passive but active Non quoad affectum sed quoad effectum No suffering with us in our wants but succouring us in them Mercy is here taken for grace and the meere favour of God The Apostle therefore in wishing Mercy Peace and Love to the Saints teacheth us Quales esse debent Christianorum salutationes nos literis nostris epistolis honorem opulentiam salutem longam vitam amicis optamus Iudas verò misericordiam pacem charitatem dona coelestia his tribus Ecclesia opus est aliter actum esset And first hee beginneth with Mercie For instead of Grace used by the Apostle Paul in sundry of his Epistles Iude heere nameth Mercy which is all one Mercy and Grace is that whereby all good is conveyed to us therefore an excellent blessing to bee prayed for and this Grace and Mercy of God is fourefold 1 Generall 2 Speciall 3 Temporall 4 Eternall The generall Grace and Mercy of God are those graces and mercies that hee bestoweth upon all men Hence is it that hee causeth the Sun to shine upon good and bad and his Raine to fall upon the just and unjust For there bee some good things which God giveth indifferently both to the good bad as Riches Honour Strength Beautie Health c. And there be some good things which God giveth onely to the good and not to the wicked as saving Faith saving Grace a new Heart a right Spirit peace of Conscience joy in the holy Ghost eternall Life And there are some evill things whereof the good taste as well as the bad as Sickenesse Sorrow Weakenesse of body Imprisonment Famine Sword losse of Friends c. And there are some evill things which God layeth upon the wicked and not upon the good as intolerable horror of conscience desperation Psal 104. 17 18. damnation c. This generall Grace and Mercy of God is over all his cratures the Fowles of the Aire the Fishes in the Psal 145. 9. Sea the beasts of the Fields His Mercie is over all his Workes His speciall Mercy is that whereby hee succoureth his elect This was the Mercy of God that preserved Lot from the burning of Sodome Daniel from the devouring jawes of the hungrie Gen. 19. Lions David from the cruelty of Saul and the Israelites Dan. 6. from the firy Furnace This is that Grace and Mercy which the child of God above all things desireth Lord lift thou up Psal 4. the light of thy countenance upon us His temporall Mercie is that whereby hee spareth sinners and standeth at their doores expecting and waiting their conversion Temporall and eternall Mercies Hereupon one descanteth very finely saying When vaine pleasure biddeth us to sell God and be gone his Mercy and Grace will not so part with us when we are lost in our selves his Mercy and Grace findeth us out when wee lye long in our sinnes his Mercy and Grace raiseth us up when wee come unto him his Mercy and Grace receiveth us when wee come not his Mercy and Grace draweth us when we repent his Mercy and Grace pardoneth us when wee repent not his Mercy and Grace waiteth our repentance The eternall Mercy and Grace of God is that which concerneth our everlasting Salvation this is that Mercy and Grace principally wished for By Grace wee are saved through Faith not of Ephes 2. our selves for it is the gift of God This word Mercy or Grace teacheth us to looke up unto God not unto our selves if wee looke to bee saved wee choose not the Lord but he us Vt salus esset penes figulum non penes lutum Aug. Paul ascriberh all to Grace and Mercy By the Grace of God saith hee I am that I am and his Grace which is in me was not in vaine and thus he taught the Romanes At this present there is a remnant through the election of Grace and if it bee of Grace it is no more of Workes or Rom. 11. 5 6. else Grace were no more Grace but if it bee of Workes it is no more Grace or else were worke no more worke an invincible Argument Peter letteth the Iewes see Terminum a quo terminum ad quem pervenerunt their state under the Law and under Grace Hee hath called you saith
with an high hand an hard heart and a whorish forehead such are idolaters blasphemers drunkards usurers adulterers robbers which say yet once more will I doe this or that sinne once more will I dallie one cup more will I have for God say they is patient and long suffering thus sin toucheth sinne but God will whet his sword and bend his bow and Psal 7. 11 12. then yee know what followes the blacke arrowes and instruments of death Paul sheweth a better end of grace than wantonnesse hee saith The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared Tit. 2. 11 12. and teacheth us to deny impietie and wicked worldly desires and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The goodnesse of God leadeth us to repentance honor health wealth long Rom. 2. 4. life taketh thee by the hand and leadeth thee to repentance as the Angell led Ezechiel into the Sanctuarie Noli peccare spe nam Bern. paenam dabis re sinne not in hope for thou shalt smart for it indeed It is as great a sinne to presume of grace and mercy as to despaire of grace and mercie for they that despaire may be raised up but such as presume are seldome saved He that heareth Deut. 29. 19. 20 21. the Words of this curse and blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke in the stubbornesse of my heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not be mercifull unto him but then the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him and the Lord shall put out his name from under Heaven Therefore Paul in all his writings when he handleth the doctrine of grace and mercie he handleth it very warily as a man handleth gunpowder or quicke-silver lest they should turne it into wantonnesse As 1 Tim. 4. 10. We trust in the living God which is the Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4. 10. Rom. 8. 1. especially of those that beleeve And Rom. 8. 1. Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Cerist Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And 1 Pet. 2. 9. Yee are a chosen generation Gal. 5. 24. a royall priesthood an holy nation that yee should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his marveilous light God is a Saviour of all that is of all beleevers there is no condemnation so that we walke in the spirit we are Christs if we crucifie the flesh a royall priesthood if we shew forth the vertues of him that hath made us Kings and Priests Other wisdome hath no portion of the Spirit of God we have neither part nor fellowship in Iesus Christ Sumus in felle nequitiae wee are in gall of bitternesse Let us not then turne the grace of God into wantonnesse as Gods benefits and bounty oft make licentious and impious many do for the better God dealeth with them the worse they deale with him turning grace into wantonnesse and Christian libertie into carnall licentiousnesse not regarding the Apostles Counsell Brethren yee have beene called into libertie only use not your libertie as an occasion unto the flesh but by Love serve yee one another Gal. 5. 13. If God give us an inch wee take an ell and abuse his goodnesse God dealeth with us as a nurse doth with her Child he nourisheth and bringeth us up but wee deale with him as the Asses foale with her damme when she hath sucked her damme shee kicketh with her heele as the swallow doth with men she harboureth with us all summer and in winter departeth and leaveth nothing but dirt behind her Thus Moses complained of Israel Doe yee so reward the Lord O yee folish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee he hath made thee and proportioned thee So Deut. 32. 6. Esau complaineth of Iuda I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner and the Esa 1. 3. Asse his masters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath no understanding Ieremie reneweth the same complaint a little before the captivity They said not where is the Lord that brought us out of the land of Aegpyt that ledus thorough the wildernesse thorough a desart Ier. 2. 6. a wast land thorough a dry land and by the shadow of death by a land that no man passed thorough and where no man dwelt and againe O generation take heed to the word of the Lord have I beene as a wildernesse unto Israel or a land of darkenesse wherefore saith my people then wee are Lords we will come no more unto thee Can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number The matter is more fully handled by Ezechiel Ieremie his mate and companion both before and in the captivity saying Thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth when thou wast naked and bare and wast polluted in thy blood Thus all the Prophets Ezech. 16. 22. with open mouth crie out against iniquitie The richer wee are the vainer wee are the higher wee are the prouder wee are the stronger wee are the crueller and the more quarrellous wee are the yonger the lascivier the more healthfull the more sinnefull and carelesse wee wound God with his owne weapon For hee that should have beene upright when hee waxed fat spurned with the Deut. 32. 15. heele thou are fat thou are grosse thou art laden with fat therefore hee forsooke God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his salvation We abuse every blessing of God wee are like Aesops snake that lay still in the frost but stung him that warmed her in his bosome so long as God keepeth us sicke and lame and poore we are in some order our eares are full of Sermons our lips full of prayers our hands full of almes our hearts full of holy meditations For when the outward man perisheth the inward man is renewed daily but if we come to health and wealth and strength we rage 2 Cor. 4. 16. like Giants we are like bad ground which the more sweet dewes it receiveth the more weeds it bringeth out And therefore wee Gods patience makes us presumptuous are neere unto cursing whose end is to be burned If God give some libertie and remission wee stretch it too farre if hee permit hawking and hunting we spend most of our dayes in it wee make an Hebr. 6. 8. occupation of play Because God permitteth us to eate and drinke and weare apparell wee eate till wee surfet and drinke till wee be drunken and attire our selves like peacocks like Geta the Emperor that was served
Et ecce mactant boves oves They fall to killing of sheepe and Esa 22. 12 13. slaying of oxen eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morrow we shall dye They turne praying into playing fasting into feasting mourning into mumming almesdeeds into misdeeds As Xerxes being weary of all pleasures promised rewards to the inventers of new pleasures which being invented Ipse tamen non fuit contentus he himselfe was not satisfied was not content The word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from a towne in Pisidia called Selge built by the Lacedaemonians where all were temperate and not one drunkard the contrary whereof is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lasciousnesse such men sinne with an high hand All sin but these men sinne presumptuously they never pray with David Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Sinne in them raigneth Psal 19. not dwelleth contrary to the rule of the Apostle Let not sinne Rom. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 10. Ephes 4. 19. Esa 5. raigne in your mortall bodie that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof they walke not after the spirit but after the flesh they commit sinne with greedinesse they draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with cartropes But man with man will not reason so the sonne with his Fathers the servant with his master the subject with his Prince will the servant be vile and unfaithfull because his master is courteous unto him Absit God forbid Here I must answer one slander or challenge of the Papists they call us Libertines as Howlet and others but they take upon them to iudge betwixt us and the Libertines as the Asse tooke upon him to judge between the Cuckow the Nightingale of all others the Asse might worst doe it and of all others they may worst do it seeing most of their doctrines tend to libertie proving all men to sinne by their pardons and indulgences saying that holy water doth take away sinne that the signe of the Crosse driveth away the Divell calling with Alexander whordome adulterie incest Peccadilla little sinnes excusing the Popes theft as the theft of Israel his drunkennesse as that of Exod. 11. Gen. 9. Iudg. 15. Noah his murders as those of Samsons All their doctrines tend to libertie as their doctrine of ignorance to be the mother of devotion the doctrine of auricular confession which some learned call the Popes fishing net the doctrine of Purgatorie which Popish Doctrine tend to liberty others call the Popes milch Cow or the soule or panche of the Masse their doctrine of satisfactions that a man may be delivered out of hell by the satisfaction of others as was Traian the Pagane Emperor by the prayer and almes of Gregory What naturall man under heaven would not sinne if hee knew that the Pope could give him pardon that hee could free him from hell and purgatory So that truly if I were not a Protestant I would be a Papist if I respected the pleasure of the flesh THE NINTH SERMON VERS IV. And deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus God is denyed many wayes SAint Iude having described the wicked by their hypocrisie that They creepe into the Church and by their Atheisme For hee saith they were Vngodly men and by their Licenciousnesse saying They turne the grace of God into wantonnesse hee commeth now fourthly to describe them by their Blasphemy That they deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ Now there bee many wayes to deny God as to deny his Attributes his Power Providence Iustice Mercy Truth Strength Eternity for these be the names of God and of the essence of God and these are denyed in the lives of most men Some deny his Power as the Proud do some his Providence as the Infidels some his Iustice as the Impenitent some his Mercy as the Desperate some his Truth as Lyars and perjured men some his Strength as the Fearefull doe Of the first sort was Pharaoh of the second sort were the Israelites of the third sort were the Libertines of the fourth was Caine the fifth were Zedeohia and the house of Saul of the last were the Iewes Pharaoh asked Who is God that Exod. 5. 2. Psal 78. 19 20 21. I should let Israel goe The Israelites distrusted God for bread Can God quoth they prepare a Table in the Wildernesse behold hee smote the Rock that the water gushed out the streames overflowed Can hee give bread also and prepare flesh for his people Of the third sort Outward professiō nothing without inward integritie were the Libertines Which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Of the fourth sort was Cain my sin is greater than can bee forgiven Vpon whom Augustine replyeth finely Mentiris Cain mentiris in gutture major est Dei misericordia Cain thou lyest thou lyest in thy Iude 4. Gen. 4. Aug. throat greater is Gods Mercy than any mans Iniquity of the fifth was Zedechias who forswore himselfe and had therfore first his children slaine before his Face then his own eyes put out and lastly he was carryed away prisoner into Babylon of the last sort were the Iews who relyed upon the Egyptians Now who offendeth 2 Reg. 25. Esa 31. not in one of these or most of these But especially wee deny God in our lives in our deeds thus the Cretians deny him They professed they knew God but by workes they did deny him and were abominable disobedient and unto every Tit. 1. 16. Tit. 2. 3. 5. good worke reprobate and so are we wee have a shew of Godlinesse but wee have denyed the Power thereof I say of Professors as Paul said of the Iewes He is not a Iew that is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but hee is a Iew that is Rom. 2. 28. 29. one within and the Circumcision of the heart is the true Circumcision So hee is not a Christian that is one outward but hee is a Christian that is one within that serveth God in Spirit and in Truth And if wee will serve God truly these Divels must be cast out of us that are in us and wee must say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behinde me Sathan videl the Divels of Avarice Pride Envie Malice c. Which have filled our hearts Mat. 16. 23 as they filled the heart of Andnias The profession of God is knowne by the fruits of it as fire is discerned by the smoke that commeth out of the Chimney as life is discerned by the motion of Man On the contrary if a man would perswade us Act. 5. 3. that there is fire where as there is no heat or that there were life in a carcasse that never moved wee would not beleeve him so beleeve not him that speaketh of God and liveth not in God This is an Axiom in Divinitie that all Adulterers Swearers Theeves Vsurers deny God
For not everie one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven 4 The fourth signe is a strife against sin For as the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit so doth the Spirit against the Flesh And they that are Christs Have crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 17. 24. And hee that is elected will cry out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. Meaning the corruption which yet remained The Law in our members which rebelleth they will tame and give no way to the motions of the flesh 5 The fifth and last signe is the reformation of our whole life a generall walking in the paths of righteousnesse holinesse as our election is knowne unto God from all eternity For the foundation of God remaineth sure and hath his seale The Lord knoweth 2 Tim. 2. 19. who are his so is it knowne to us by our workes and therfore wee are willed To give all diligence to make our election and calling sure by good workes if wee can so live that at the last when we 2 Pet. 1. 10. shall leave this World wee can say with Simeon Lord now lettest Luke 2. thou thy servant depart in peace It is an undoubted signe of our election Our election is perfected by many degrees Paul nameth three degrees of it Vocation Iustification and Glorification for so runne his words Those whom hee knew before hee predestinate and whom hee predestinate them also hee called and whom Rom. 8. 29 30. hee called them also hee Iustified and whom hee Iustified them also hee Glorified But others make other degrees The first to be Christs with his gifts 1 Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 4. 25. Ephes 2. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 8. The second degree is our Adoption The third is our Vocation by the Gospell The fourth is Iustification The fifth is our Sanctification The sixth is our Glorification These are the signes of our election and this election is every God reprobateth in Iustice as well as elocteth in Mercy way free Never man layd hand on this worke never man brought stone to this building but all is from God and his Mercy Let us therefore throw downe our crownes with the Elders and let us say with David Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the praise And if our reason cannot comprehend this our election Psal 115. 1. let our Faith comprehend it Vbi ratio definit sides incipit where Ambr. reason faileth faith beginneth Let our reason bee as Hagar our faith as Sara if reason will presume let Sara let faith take her downe a pegge The other part of Gods decree is Reprobation here named of Iude Of old ordained to condemnation Now whereas many grant election but not Reprobation Reprobation is proved by many places of Scripture Christ saith Every plant which my Heavenly Mat. 15. 13. Father hath not planted shall bee rooted up And Paul speaketh of Vessels of wrath ordained to destruction And Esay telleth us that Rom. 9. 22. Tophet is prepared of old it is prepared even for the King hee hath made Esa 30. 33. it deepe and large c. yet many are squeamish of Reprobation utterly denying it And Ierome was once of the minde hee said that God elected some but reprobated none Now if he deny all reprobation this must bee wrapped up amongst the rest of his errors Haec patrum pudenda tegi patior I love to hide these imperfections 1 Cor. 3. of the Fathers for they did not ever build gold upon the foundation but sometime hay and stubble c. Indeed God reprobates none but for sinne but for sinne he reprobates And thus God is righteous and his judgements just thus Christ divideth the whole world into two parts Corne and Tares Goats and Sheepe the Tares shall bee bound up in bundels and cast into the fire the Goats Mat. 13. 25. shall stand at Christs left hand and shall heare Goe yee cursed into everlasting Hell fire prepared for the Divell and his angels and marke that he saith prepared for the Divell and his angels If of five senses we want foure we cannot deny this Reprobation But what should I light a candle at noone-day or powre water into the Sea or bring the breath of a man to helpe the blast or gale of wind Magna est veritas praevalet great is truth and prevaileth for wee cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. Reprobation standeth with the glory of God for as his Mercy appeareth in Election so his Iustice in Reprobation and his Iustice in punishing sinne is as lawfull as holy as glorious as his Mercy in Christ Iesus For in God they are equall and not qualities but of the essence of God For hee is Iustice and Mercy it selfe God is not made of mercy only as a loafe is of Corne or wood of Trees but of Iustice also And Gods glory shineth as much in his Iustice as in his Mercy God hath made all things for his glory and the wicked for the day of vengeance Shall wee then reason against God and say Why doth he thus Absit God forbid Againe all the works of God have their contraries wherein God not the author of evil but the disposer the infinite Wisedome of God appeareth In Physicke one thing bindeth and another looseth one thing comforteth nature and another thing destroyeth it In the state of the World there is light and darkenesse hony and gall sweet and sowre prickes and roses faire and foule hearbes and weeds In the creation of the creatures every thing hath his contrary the Woolfe to the Sheepe the Weesell to the Cony the Mouse to the Elephant the Dragon to the Vnicorne the Spider to the Flie the Lion to the Beasts the Eagle to the Birds Againe in the Church there are contraries the Elect to the Reject Cain against Abel Ismael against Isaac Hagar against Sara Esau against Iacob Pharaoh against Moses Saul against David the Pharises against Christ the false god against the true God Againe all vertues have their contrary vices Falshood against Truth Hatred against Love Faith against Infidelity Temperancie against Riot Prudence against Folly Liberality against Covetousnesse Chastity against Incontinency Fortitude against Pusillanimity So God hath them that are elected to life and fore-written to judgement for in the whole state of the world God hath shewed himselfe the Authour of Iustice and Mercy If there were no Darkenesse wee should not know the benefit of Light If no sicknesse wee should not know the benefit of health If no death wee should not know the goodnesse of life So Hell makes the blisse of Heaven seeme the greater and this destruction of the wicked the
his mercy is despised like a Prince that sendeth not his army against rebells before he hath sent his pardon and proclaimed it by an Herauld of armes like Tamberlaine who the first day set up his white tents and received all that came the next day blacke betokening the death of the rulers the third day red betokening the bloodshed of all So the Lord hath his white tents of mercy his blacke and red of iustice and iudgement if the one bee despised the other shal be felt hereupon saith Paul But thou after thy hardnesse Rom. 2. 5. and heart which cannot repent treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward every man according to his works More particularly God delivered this people mercifully yea miraculously their shoulders from burdens and their fingers from making of bricke hee drew them out of a fiery oven like the three children he put off their sacke-cloth and girded them with gladnesse and compassed them about with songs of deliverance hee carried them on the Wings of Eagles He brought a vine out of Aegypt hee cast out the Heathen and planted them in Thou madest roome for it and diddest Dan. 2. Exod. 19. Psal 80. 9 10 11. cause it to take roote and it filled the land She stretched out her branches unto the sea and her boughs unto the river God separated them from all the Sonnes of Adam For the most high God who divided to the nations their inheritance kept them as the apple of his eye And as an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her birds stretcheth out her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings So the Deut. 32. 8. 11 12. Lord alone led Israel But for orders sake I will divide the mercies of God into three severall sections or times Their deliverance in Aegypt the first Their comming out of Aegypt the second Their deliverāce after they were come out the third the last For First for their deliverance in Aegypt first it was much that Gods judgements upon the Aegyptians God should love them being come of the Amorites and Hitites wallowing in their blood that he should love them and choose them for his people as Moses said The Lord your God did not set his love upon you nor chose you because yee were moe in number than Ezech. 16. 3. 6. Deut. 7 8 9. any people for yee were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you There was nothing in them why God should choose them for they were no more righteous than others and therefore saith Moses againe unto them Speake not thou in thy heart saying For my Cap. 9. 4 5. Cap. 32. 9 10 11 12. Exod. 1. righteousnesse hath the Lord brought me in to possesse this Land c. For thou shalt inherit this land not for thy righteousnesse or for thy upright heart but for the wickednesse of those nations c. Israel was Gods portion Iacob the lot of his inheritance hee found him in the land of the wildernesse in a wast and roring wildernesse he led him about he taught him and kept him as the apple of his eye As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her birds stretcheth out her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings So the Lord alone led him and there was no strange God with him God multiplied them not by meanes but by miracle For from seventy soules they grew in few yeares to 600000. and which is more the more that they were kept down the more they prospered like to Camomill the more it is troden the more it groweth or to a Palme-tree the more it is pressed the further it spreadeth or to fire the more it is raked the more it burneth God gave them Moses and Aaron and Miriam Mich. 6. Psal 78. 44 45 46 47 48 49 50. and God plagued the Aegyptians for their sake and did marvelous things in the land of Aegypt even in the field of Zoan He turned their rivers into blood and their flouds that they could not drinke hee sent a swarme of flies among them which devoured them and frogges which destroyed them hee gave also their fruits unto the Caterpiller and their labour unto the grashopper he destroyed their vines with haile and their wild figge-trees with the hailestone he gave their cattell also to the haile and their flockes unto the thunderbolts hee cast upon them the furiousnesse of his anger indignation and wrath and vexation by the sending of evill Angels he made a way to his anger hee spared not their soule from death hee Act. 12. Exod. 8. 17. gave their life to the pestilence If it were much to eate up one man with lice what is it to eate up a whole land If it was much to Iohn 2. Exod. 7. 19. Gen. 19. 2 Reg. 6. turne water-pots into wine what was it to turne all the waters of Aegypt into blood If it was a great thing to smite a few Sodomites Aramites with blindnesse what was it to smite a whole land with darkenesse that no man could rise for three dayes So much for the benefits bestowed upon them in Aegypt Now let us see what he did for them in their deliverance out Exod. 10. Exod. 12. Gen. 50. 3. Ier. 31. 17. of Aegypt In their deliverance he smote al the first borne in Aegypt the chiefe of their strength passed by Israel And wheras there was a great cry in Aegypt like that for Iacob for whom was made a great and an exceeding sore lamentation and like that of Rachel who weeping for her children would not be comforted because they were not there was joy in the land of Goshen hee inclined the hearts of the Gods mercy to Israel after their deliverance out of Aegypt Aegyptians to doe them good and they received of them Iewels of silver and Iewels of gold hee strengthened them so that there was not one feeble person among them Aegypt was glad at their departing for the feare of them had fallen upon them All the Idolls of Aegypt fell downe at their departure even as all the oracles Psal 105. 38. of the world ceased at the comming of Christ even that at Delphos Dodo Delos God brought them as a vine out of Aegypt God did cast out the Heathen and planted them hee made Psal 80. 8 9. a roome for them and caused them to take roote and they filled the land 3. After their deliverance when the red sea was before them the Aegyptians behind them the mountaines on each side of them God made a ready passage for them And caused the sea to runne Exod. 14 21 22. backe by a strong East winde all the night and made the Sea dry land for the waters were divided and the children of Israel went thorough the middest of the Sea upon the dry ground but the Aegyptians pursuing them Psal 105.
exhausted and so died most miserably I will not ransacke our owne Chronicles nor report of the judgements that haue lighted vpon divers of our owne nation for this sinne only this I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sufferings of others are instructions to vs to take heede how we meddle with holy and sacred things and that we give to the Church whatsoever appertaineth unto her for certainly if we possesse that which is Gods we shal be dispossessed of God himselfe Another sinne in Caine was hypocrisy he spake Abel faire till he got him in the field So many of us can flatter to serve one owne turne Mel in ore verba lactis Fel in corde fraus in factis Honey in the mouth faire words Gall in the heart deceitfull Esd 4. deeds The adversaries of Iuda and Benjamin would build the Temple with the Iewes Herod desired the Wise men that when Mat. 2. they had found Christ to certify him of it that he might come and worship him Ismael did weepe to Godoliah but the adversaries Ier. 42. of Iuda would haue pulled downe the Temple Herod would have killed Christ as he did the children of Bethlem Ismael slew Godoliah So trust not an Hypocrite whatsoever he saith he meaneth it not his heart is not with thee though he speake thee faire he is a Christian only in name a brother only in shew Of these Hypocrites S. Bernard speakes thus Multi suut oves habitu vulpes actu crudelitate lupi many are sheepe in shew foxes in deed and woolves in cruelty For an Hypocrite hath vulpem in cerebro milvum in manu lupum in corde a Fox in his braine Desperation limits the mercy of God and destroyes the soule and sometime the body a Kyte in his hand and a Woolfe in his heart And therefore our Saviour Christ saith Beware of false prophets which come to you in Sheepes cloathing but inwardly are ravening Woolves which in painted boxes hide deadly poyson in beautifull Sepulchres rotten bones and under Iezabels painted Mat. 7. 16 17. face a whores behaviour And therefore our Saviour calleth them Serpents and Viperous Serpents O yee viperous Serpents yee generation of Vipers how shall yee escape the damnation to come And to shew the certaintie of their damnation Mat. 23. 33. besides the manifold woes which Christ denounceth against them it is said that The wicked shall have their portion Mat. 24. 51. with hypocrites to shew that the condemnation of hypocrites is most certainely sealed Let me therefore use the counsell of Gregory Hypocrita aut esto quod appares aut appare quod es Either bee as thou seemest or appeare as thou art For Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas counterfeit piety is double impiety first because it is impiety and then because it is counterfeit making truth falshood and God a Lier Thirdly there was in Cain Desperation Maius est peccatum quà m remitti potest quoth he my sinne is greater than it can bee Gen. 4. forgiven To whom Augustine answereth Mentiris Caine mentiris in gutture misericordia Dei major peccato tuo major orbe thou liest Cain thou liest in thy throat Gods mercy is greater than thy Psal 103. 11 12 13. sinne greater than the World yea as great as himselfe For as high as the Heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him and as farre as the East is from the West so farre hath hee removed our sinnes from us and as a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the LORD compassion on them that feare him Desperation it is Insanabilis plaga a wound that cannot bee cured and healed It is like the beast mentioned in Daniel that had no name There bee foure beasts mentioned there the first is said to bee a Lion the second a Beare the third a Leopard the fourth is not distinguished by any name at all but it was a fierce and a cruell beast having teeth of Iron and Clawes of Brasse other sinnes they are as Lions Beares and Leopards to spoile and to undoe the soule of Man but the finall destruction of the soule indeede so long as there doeth remaine a seate of Iustice in Heaven is Desperation Yet Desperation is now common and men kill themselves but never did any Patriarke Prophet or Apostle lay bloudy hands on himselfe None have done it but Reprobates 1 Sam. 31. 4. Act. 1. 2 Sam. 17. 23. such as Saul and Iudas who burst asunder in the middest and Achitophel who ended his life in an halter Nero provided swords of Silver to sticke himselfe ropes of Silke to hang himselfe ponds of Rosewater to drowne himselfe in Desperation a great sinne but if it bee damnable to murther another what is it to murther thy selfe as the Gaoler in the Acts would have done had not Paul and Sylas stayed him in that fury Augustine maketh desperation Deut. 5. the greatest sinne next to the sinne against the holy Act. 16. 30. Ghost For hee that despaireth of mercy saith he maketh God a Lier THE ONE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XI And are cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages Covetousnes the roote of evill the ruine of good THe next sinne is the Covetousnesse of Balaam whose story is Numb 23. This sinne is the roote of all evill the spawne of all sinnes a common factour for most villanies of the World the East-wind that blasteth all the trees of vertue it hindreth all goodnesse when thou shouldest give covetousnesse saith it is too much when thou shouldest receive covetousnesse saith it is too little when thou shouldest remit covetousnesse saith it is too great when thou shouldest heare covetousnesse saith it is too farre when thou shouldest repent covetousnes saith it is too soone Thus as Alecto Cui nomina mille mille nocendi artes it hurteth every way They that will be rich fall into 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. divers temptations and snares of the Divel into noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all evill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrowes A covetous man is like a dog in the shambles which will neither gnaw the bone himselfe nor suffer any other curre to gnaw it He is worse than Many woes denounced against covetousnesse Iudas he sold his Master for thirty pence but the covetous carle will sell him for an halfepenny Iudas but once the never contented covetous man continually and every day He eateth the flesh and drinketh the blood of his brother for hee that hindreth a poore mans living hindreth his life therefore these men are said To have their handsfull of blood There is not a sinne Esa 1. 15. in the second Table against which so many woes are denounced as against covetousnesse as Esay 5. 8.
iratus foris mundus ardens intus conscientia urens Anselmus Thinke thou seest all this goe a little out of thy selfe and meditate a little of these sorrowes thinke upon Cain Achitophel Iudas c. thinke thou seest their eyes distill like fountaines their teeth clatter like armed men their mindes contemplating endlesse misery their memories recounting their damnable iniquities their eyes beholding Legions of uncleane spirits their eares hearing the roarings of fiends their noses smelling Sulphur and brimstone their hands catching nothing but flames of fire thinke a little of this nay thinke continually of this For so Chrysostome would have us in all our meetings to speake of nothing but of hell of this blacknesse of darkenesse that so by a Christian course of life we may avoid it for the paine of the damned is so great as a man would not undergoe it an houre for ten thousand worlds and the damned would give ten thousand worlds if it were in them for to give for one houres release of these torments But to follow this a little further If Christ suffering for the sinnes of the world felt such an extremity of torment that hee was like water powred out that all his bones were out of ioynt that his heart was as melting waxe that his strength was dried up like a potsherd and that his tongue did cleave to his iawes Psal 22. 14 15. Againe if his torment was such as that hee did not sweate water only but water and bloud and was in such an Agony that an Angell from heaven was sent to comfort him Luk. 23. If his teares and sorrowes were such that there was but one word betweene him and desperation crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. then what are the paines of the damned O brethren the paines of hell are the whole weight of Gods wrath If the weight of Gods finger bee so great when he striketh us with collicks with gowtes with plurisies with Apoplexies There be all torments in hell of all sorts of all partes c. O what is the weight of his whole hand If his wrath be kindled yea but a little it taketh on like the fire and maketh the hard rocks cleave asunder at the sound of it what will it doe then when it is kindled totally There bee many plagues and torments in this life which make a man to wish with Iob that his mothers wombe had been his grave Iob. 3. Now if a litle griefe be so great in this life what shall bee their griefe when the streames of Gods wrath shall fall upon them How fearefull have Gods iudgements beene against sinne in this life How grievous was the burning of Sodom Gen. 19. how fearefull the swallowing up of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. how lamentable the destruction of Ierusalem What a grievous sight was the burning of this towne How fearfull are those plagues that God menaceth Levit. 26. Deuter. 28. If Gods iudgements against sinne in this life be so grievous how grievous will his iudgements bee in the life and world to come when the wicked shall lie in hell like sheep and death shall devoure them Againe to see the Iustice of God against Apoc. 9. sinne gather it by this argument as men that use to take the length of one arme by another looke how great the mercy of God is so is his iustice great in pardoning great in punishing If in this life the punishment of God be so grievous what will they be in the life to come For here iustice is mixed with mercy what shall it bee when there shall be iudgement without mercy Iam. 3. The Schoolemen affirme that in hell there is Ignis ardoris foetoris terroris ardoris as in mount Aetna foetoris as in mount Egla terroris as in America and in India and certainly all those are in hell Tophet is prepared of old it is prepared for the King it is made large and deep the burning thereof is fire and much wood and the breath of Esa 30. 33. the Lord is a river of brimstone to kindle it Another Schooleman speaking of these torments saith that there is first bonds Take him saith the Gospell bind him hand and foot Luk. 12. Secondly there is darkenesse cast him into utter darkenesse Mat. 22. Thirdly intollerable heate and stinch and therefore it is called a lake burning with fire and brimstone Apoc. 19. Fourthly sequestration from Gods presence Goe yee cursed into everlasting hell fire Mat. 25. Fifthly Thirst Father Abraham send Lazarus that he may dippe the tip of his finger in water to coole c. Luk. 16. Sixthly vision of Divels Mat. 25. Seventhly the howling of the damned Eighthly deprivation of all heavenly ioyes and at last he concludeth that there be all torments in hell For as the Painter being vnable to set out the sorrowes of Niobe was enforced to wrap up her head in a cloute So this Schooleman being unable to set out the torments of hell he is faine to wrap up his speech with all torments There be all torments in hell Other Schoolemen doe distinguish the paines of Hell and Paines in hell double Poena damni poena sensus they say there is Poena sensus poena damni of this paine of sense Gregorie speaketh thus Vae illis quibus paratus est ignis inextinguibilis dolor intolerabilis foetor incomparabilis timor horribilis ubi nil audietur nisi fletus luctus nil videbitur nisi animae damnatae daemones nil odorabitur nisi sulphur foetor nil sentietur nisi ardor ignis habebunt damnati in oculis lachrymas in auribus rugitus in dentibus stridorem in naribus foetorem in ore eiulatum in corde dolerem ineffabilem in omnibus membris ignis ardorem Woe unto them for whom is prepared unquenchable fire paine intolerable stinch incomparable and horrible feare where nothing shall bee heard but weeping and wailing nothing shall be seene but damned soules and Divels nothing shall be smelt but a sulphurous stench nothing shall bee felt but burning and fire the damned shall have teares in their eyes roaring in their eares gnashing in their teeth stench in their nostrils howlings in their mouthes unspeakable griefe in their hearts in all their members the burning of fire this is the paine of sense that the damned shal feele The pain of losse is they shal never see the face of God but they shall be punished with eternall perdition from the presence of God and from the glory of his power 2. Thess 1. 9. If Absalom thought it such a griefe to want his fathers presence and not to see his face 2. Sam. 14. what griefe will it be to the wicked to want the presence of God and not to see his face in the sight of whom is the knowledge of all things 1 Cor. 13. Augustine saith Mala inferni dicere aut cogitare ut sint nemo potest priora sunt quippt
At the first he came as a Lambe now shall he come as a Lion Venit tunc salvare nunc iudicare he came then to save us now he shall come to judge us And yet to speake fully his first comming was not without glory two contraries were conjoyned Summa humilitas summa sublimitas the deepest humility and the highest sublimity Aug. he lay among the beasts yet praised of Angels which sung Gloria in excelsis Glory bee to God on high What is hee Luk 2. that is so base and so glorious so little and so great so poore and so rich poore in the flesh poore in the manger poore in the stable but great and rich and glorious in heaven whom the starres obey great and glorious in the aire Mat. 2. where the Angels sing great and glorious in earth for Herod and all Ierusalem were moved at the tidings of him It is the greatest basenesse Luk 2. for God to bee conceived and the greatest glory to bee conceived by the Holy Ghost the greatest basenesse to be borne Esay 7. of a Woman and the greatest glory to be borne of a Virgin the greatest basenesse to be borne in a stable and the greatest glory to shine in the Heavens the greatest basenesse to deplore among beasts and the greatest glory to be sung of Angels the greatest basenesse to be baptized among sinners and the greatest glory to have the heavens open the spirit to descend and to heare the Father of heaven speaking from heaven This is my beloved Sonne Mat. 3. 16. in whom I am well pleased It is the greatest basenesse to suffer death upon the Crosse and the greatest glory to rise againe from the dead formosus erat in Coelis formosus erat in terra he was faire and beautifull in heaven faire and beautifull in earth faire and beautifull in his throne of glory faire and beautifull in the manger faire and beautifull among the Angels faire and beautifull among the beasts Quid facitis ô Magi puerum ne adoratis What doe yee ô yee Wise-men doe yee worship the child Is he not therefore a King I but where is the Kings Court Where is his Throne Where the continuall resort and haunt of this Court Is not his Court the stable his Throne the Manger They that resort and haunt this Court the Oxe and the Asse Yet vndique formosus est on every side he was faire and glorious The Lords two Courts one of Mercy the other of Iustice For when he spake the sea was calme when he commanded the windes were whist when he called the dead did rise and when he died the Sunne was eclipsed when he rose the earth trembled when he ascended the heavens opened so farre Augustine Thus his first comming was not without glory but his second shall be glorious indeed He shall come in the glory of his Father with Mat. 24. all the holy Angels One speaking of this comming of Christ to iudgement saith Posterior Christi adventus non erit mitis sed terribilis Christs latter comming shall not bee gentle but terrible and fearefull For measure me the greatnesse of one arme by the quantity of another the Iustice of God by the mercy of God If he was so mercifull in his first comming as to take our flesh and to suffer death upon the Crosse for us and how iust how severe will hee bee in his second comming to all those that have either contemned or abused his mercy Quam facilis fuit in primo adventu Looke how facile gentle and propice he was in his first comming tam difficilis erit in secundo adventu so hard so uneasy to bee intreated will he be in his second comming infinit in mercy infinit in Iustice ready to pardon and ready to punish God shall arise and his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall fly before him As Psal 88. 1 2. the smoke vanisheth so shalt thou drive them away and as Wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God And as the Prophet saith God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth Nahum 1. 1 2. wrath for his enemies the Lord is slow to anger but great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked As we treasure up our sinnes so hee treasureth up his wrath Indies crescunt peccata indies crescit ira our sinnes increase daily and his wrath daily Bernard saith that the Lord hath two Courts the one of mercy the other of iustice the one in this life the other in the life to come when he shall come with thousands of his Saints to judgement Here is forum miscricordiae the Court of mercy there shall be forum Iustitiae the Court of Iustice for there he will reward every man according to his Works Augustine bringeth in Christ thus Rom. 2. 6. speaking at the last day Ecce fabri Filium quem irrisistis Behold the Carpenters Sonne whom yee have derided Ecce eum in quem non credidistis Behold him in whom yee have not beleeved behold the wounds which yee have made in my hands and feet behold the side which yee have pierced behold the face which you have beraide with your spittle Behold the glory that shall presse and overwhelme you and the Majesty that shall breake and bruise you For our Iudge will iudge righteously and iustly Hee will reward every man according to his worke that is to them which by continuance Rom. 2. 6 7. in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey Wee must meditate as well on the Iustice of God as on his mercy unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every man that doth evill And here note the blindnesse of the World All men prate of mercy but few talke of Iustice like the Benjamites we cast stones with one hand like Iudg. 19. Mat. 26. Polipheme we see but with one eye with Malchus wee heare but with one eare like the Vnicorne we defend our selves with one horne from God like the Amazones many brethren give sucke to the Church with one pap delivering but one doctrine namely that of mercy But let me speake familiarly If a fellon will not trust only on the mercy of the Iudge at the Assise Let us not deceive our selves against that great Assise day Whatsoever Gal. 6 7 8. a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting In quo statu novissimus vitae dies relinquet in eo resurrectionis primus dies inveniet qualis in isto die quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur In
opened her mouth to sing but she lost her meate by it Thus the flatterer aimeth at advantage at gaine at profit he maketh a shew he is thy friend and wisheth thee well but he is but a verball friend a friend from teeth outward a flattering friend a friend in shew but not in deed like Aristotles fallacions and falling starres which seeme to be and are not a friend only in name one that will give thee his hand but not the heart for he hath a tongue to commend thee but yet no longer then it is for his advantage like Hiena he hath a faire face but a false heart like Iael to Sisera We read in Theognis this saying Seeme with thy tongue to flatter all but in thy deeds love none at all O these flatterers they are lucritam cupidi so greedy of gaine that they have animam venalem a soule to sell for quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames What doth not the cursed hunger of gold drive men to doe This sets them aworke to flatter lie sweare and forsweare and what not Salomon saith of the harlot that she will not leave a man worth a morsell of bread no more will these flatterers they will soake and sucke men as the Ivie doth the Oake and bring them at last into our Ladies bands and make them sing by beggery Chrysostome saith Sicut finis oratoris est dilectione persuasisse medici medicina curasse sic adulatoris est suavi loquio se ditasse As the end of an Oratour is to perswade in loue and the end of a Physician to cure by medicine so the end of the flatterer is with his sweethony-sugar-candy speeches to inrich himselfe and begger thee and the end of his clawing is gaine advantage I will conclude with the saying of Augustine Melius est a quolibet reprehendi quà m ab adulante laudari It is better to bee blamed of any then praised of a flatterer Augustine being asked What was the first second and third part of a good man of a Christian answered Humility so if I were asked What were the first second and third part of a vile man I will answere Pride and he hath pride whose mouth speaketh proud things And of all mouthes let the Popish mouthes goe in the quintessence of pride and bragging they speake of merits workes of Iustification and supererogation enough for themselves and their neighbours wherein they injure both the Iustice Mercy of God for his Iustice cannot be perfect if he take for satisfaction either all or part of that which proceedeth from a The Popes and their flatterers the proudest vaunters sinner they injure his mercies For it is not perfect absolute if he forgive not all the debt but receiveth part of us But his bloud clenseth us from all sinne originall and actuall sinnes secret and open sinnes sinnes of omission sinnes of commission his bloud clenseth all purgeth all doth away all But to proceed 1 Iohn 1. 7. the Canonists say that Papa potest dispensare contra jus divinum jus naturae contra Apostolos contra omnia praecepta Dei The Pope can dispense against the Law Divine the Law of Nature against the Apostles against all the Commandements of God Let God men and Angels judge what mouth now speaketh proudly The great Cham of Tartaria after he hath dined soundeth a trumpet and giveth leave to all Christian Princes to goe to dinner and by this prety conceit maketh himselfe head over Kings and Emperours because Peter said Ecce hîc sunt duo gladij Behold here are two swords Thus this Italian Priest is not ashamed to be called Dominus Deus noster Papa our Lord God the Pope to be kneeled unto with these words Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon us As was Martin the fifth Harding calleth us Goliah and themselves litle David but forasmuch as they have neither Davids sling in their hands nor Davids stones in their scrip they must not looke that the wise Ladies of Israel will with their lutes and timbrels sing before them that David hath slaine his ten thousand but he is Goliah that 1 Sam. 18. crieth I cannot erre Habeo omnes leges in scrinio pectoris I have all lawes in the closet of my brest I am above Councels I judge all no man judgeth me Sum rex regum I am King of Kings I can doe whatsoever Christ could doe All power is given unto me But let us deale with the Papists as Agesilaus did with his enemies Mat. 28. hee pulled off their bombasted coats and shewed their apish wearish bodies to his souldiers saying Ecce ingentia corpora Ecce magna illorum ossa behold their mighty bodies behold their bigge bones The Pope calleth himselfe servum servorum the servant of servants but can hee that is carried on Noble mens shoulders that caused the French King to trotte by his bridle as Zacharie did Childericke the Emperour to hold his stirrop Noble men to kisse his feet bee servus servorum the servant of servants I need not name Hildebrands usage to Henry the fourth at Canusia nor that of Clemens the fifth to Francis Dandalus nor that of Alexander the third to Fredericke the Emperour nor that of Innocentius the third to King Iohn of England nor of Pius Quintus to the Queene But to leave the man of sinne himselfe and to come to the frogges that creep out of his mouth what a croking doe they make How doe their mouthes exceed in pride Staphilus calleth our people hogges dogges Harding calleth our Bishops and Ministers Cumane Asses Martin calleth them novos Oratores Popish Priests and Iesuites notorious railers new Orators Stultos adolescentes Foolish yong men non tam disertos in errore quà m desertos à veritate not so cunning in errour as ignorant of the truth Bellarmine calleth our writers Pecudes Gigantes Monstra Beasts Giants Monsters and saith that they give no honour to Christ nor Angels nor Saints Thus they disgrace us in words and their mouthes speake proud swelling things when they cannot confute us they raile on us and deale with us as Nero dealt with the Christians who hurled them to dogs to be devoured and when the mastives would not touch them he clad the Christians in Beares skinnes to kindle the fury of the dogs that they might take them to bee beasts and not men so they impute all lewdnesse to us to make men thinke that we are that which we are not they are like the beast Bonosus mentioned by Aristotle who having his hornes reflexed not being able to defend himselfe with them three or foure furlongs off poysoneth the dogges with his dung which is so hot as it burneth off all their haire So when they cannot hurt us with truth they defile us with the durt and dung of their calumnies this veine of railing
with a true Heb. 10. 22. heart in assurance being sprinkled in our heatts from an evil conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water All living creatures have their nourishment every one in their kinde some live of the Earth as Molles other some of the Water as Fishes some of the Ayre as the Camelion some of the fire as the Salamander other creatures more noble than they live by meat as the naturall man but others more noble than he as the Angels by meditations contemplations The Soule therefore being a spirituall substance as the Angels is nourished and fed with the same meate that they bee Here is the difference their vision of God is Col. 3. 3. Ephes 4. 18. cleere and manifest ours obscure and darke their life perfect ours imperfect their life is a life of glory ours is called the life of grace As the sea followeth the moving of the Moone for as shee increaseth that waxeth so the perfection of a Christian life dependeth on prayer as our prayers increase so doth our perfection in Christianity increase also For seeing the heart is the beginning of life and of workes Et quale cor talia opera and as our heart is such be our workes if the heart therefore be devout and well ordered our workes will bee devout and good also if otherwise our workes will be vile and naught For unto Tit. 1. 15. the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mindes and consciences are defiled To conclude it is no little proofe of the vertue of prayer to behold the two principall glories and testimonies which the Father gave to Christ Iesus in prayer for in his transfiguration while hee prayed His face did shine as the Sun and his cloathes were as Mat. 17. 2. white as the light and in his Baptisme while he praied The Heavens were opened unto him the Spirit of God descending like a Dove lighted Mat. 3. 15. upon him This should incourage us to pray and to pray alwayes to pray and to pray continually even every moment as the least occasion is offered prayer should bee the key to open the day and the locke to shut in the night when wee rise in the morning we should pray with Abrahams servant and say O Lord God Gen. 14. 12. I beseech thee send me good speede this day when we lay us down at night to pray with the sweet Singer of Israel Lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death and whatsoever wee take in hand Psal 13. 3. either by day or night to prevent it with the blessing of the Psalme Prosper the worke of our hands O prosper thou our handy worke Egredientes de hospitio armet oratio regredientibus de platea occurrat Psal Ier. Ep. intercessio when thou goest out of the house let prayer arme thee Prayer the means whereby wee receive all good things when thou returnest into thy house let prayer meete with thee prayer is vinculum invincibile wouldest thou binde the Almighty that he may not hurt thee Prayer is the band by which hee is tyed and wouldest thou untie him to doe thee good Prayer must doe it Prayer is Clavis Scripturae it is our Oedipus to resolve our doubts it is our Commentary to understand Gods Word Oratio est Deo sacrificium Diabolo flagellum oranti subsidium Prayer is a sacrifice to God a scourge to the Divell and a helpe to our Aug. selves in all our troubles And againe Orationis purae magna est virtus velut fidelis nuntius mandatum peragit penetrat quò caro non pervenit Great is the power of pure prayer for it is a faithfull Aug. in Psal 36. messenger shee delivers her errand and pierceth thither whither flesh cannot come And this was it which made Bernard to say Nemo nostrûm parvipendeat orationem suam dico enim vobis quodipse ad quem oramus non parvipendet eam postquam egressa est ab ore nostrùm ipse scribit eam in libro suo unum in duobus indubitanter sperare possumus quoniam aut dabit quod petimus aut quod novit utilius Let none of us lightly esteeme his prayer I tell you that hee to whom we pray doth not lightly esteeme it after it is out of our mouth he writes it in his booke and one of these two wee may doubtlesse expect either that hee will grant our petition or that which hee knoweth to bee better for us Call upon mee and I will heare thee saith God Aske and you shall have saith Christ Before they cry I will heare them saith Iehovah The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him saith David O then let us call and cry unto him by earnest and hearty prayer night and day but let us pray in knowledge with understanding in faith by beleeving in remorse with seeking in zeale without cooling in attention without wandering in reverence without contemning in constancy without revolting and in love without revenging Let our eyes bee fastned hearts fixed knees bowed mouthes opened and our hands lifted up as to the King of Kings and as Iacob would not let the Angell goe till he were blessed so let not God goe till wee be heard Finely said one Orat misericordia non orat miseria orat innocentia non orat nequitia orat judex desiderat parcere non orat reus ut indulgentiam mereatur accipere Doth mercy pray and shall not miserie piety intreate and shall not iniquity the Physician request and shall not the sicke the rich begge and not the poore the innocent pray and not the guilty the just and he that never sinned fall downe and the sinnefull sinner stand upright the Sonne of righteousnesse bee humbled and the sonne of wickednesse waxe proud shall the judge intreate and desire to pardon and the traytor not begge to bee forgiven Is not Christi actio Christiani institutio Christs practice our president But hee prayes and shall not wee pray Wee must pray for our bodies that they may be preserved for our soules The Holy Ghost the Author of prayer that they may bee saved for our estates that they may bee maintained for our thoughts that they may bee sanctified for our words that they may bee seasoned for our actions that they may bee ordered by Gods Spirit But Saint Iude doth not onely exhort to prayer but also sheweth how wee must pray In the Spirit the which words may be understood two manner of wayes either of the Author of prayer or of the Manner of praying If we understand it of the Author the sense is good for Gods Spirit causeth prayer and every good worke For wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh requests for us Rom. 8. 26 27. with sighs that cannot bee expressed for hee that searcheth the
19. Rom. 9. thy day the things that belong unto thy peace The like wee reade in Paul who wished himselfe to be separate from Christ for his brethren the Israelites And it is all our parts to greeve at sinne in another man and to take pitty upon him according to the words of my Text Have compassion on some but where shall we single out one among the sonnes of Adam that is so compassionate as that hee will sorrow for sinne in another man When he seeth his brother to bee a vicious liver one wedded to wickednesse and sunke in sinne hee will salve it up with humanum est Cato is said never to laugh except once and that was when hee saw an Asse eate thistles that the senslesse beast should take pleasure in prickes which should have been spurs to him to take paines so we seeing our brethren eating up sinne as bread and drinking iniquitie like water rather laugh with Democritus at their follies than with Heraclitus lament their faults And what compassion is in this Cadit asinus est qui sublevet perit anima non est qui curat men will pitie the poore Asse for when hee falleth they will helpe him up againe but they will shew no compassion on mens soules for though they perish they care not herein they are like the base-minded Gergesites who had more care of their swine than of their soules Mat. ◠25. The Elephant if hee meete a wounded person in the Wildernesse hee bringeth him into his way againe and the like is fathered on the Dolphin who when Arion was cast into the Sea speedily conveyed him unto the shoare I could wish that men were Elephants or Dolphins in sparke of good nature one to another To sorrow one for anothers sinne it is not our custome The compassionate Samaritane to the poore passinger may teach us to shew mercy unto sinners his wounds resemble afflicted sinners Mat. 18. his descension from Ierusalem to Iericho his falling from the service of God his spoyling by theeves sinners overthrow by Satan the Priest and Levite which went aloofe Sunt mali ecclesiae ministri bad ministers Now the stranger that infused Oleum misericordiae vinum justitiae the oyle of mercie Lir◠and the wine of Iustice is any good man moved with mercy and compassion at a sinners wretched estate and useth all good meanes to reclaime him To this purpose tendeth the counsell of the Apostle Beare yee one anothers burden and as Christ stretched out his hand to take fast hold on Peter when hee was ready Gal. 6. 2. to sinke into the Sea so ought we towards our faithfull brethren overwhelmed with the waves of wickednesse to have compassion on them and by counsell and comfort out of the Word of God We should not envy the sinner but pitty him to save their soules and this is compassion indeed Augustine speaking of the drunkennesse and other sinnes in Africa said Tollantur ista sed tamen cum commisseratione non asperè non duriter Let these sinnes quoth August be taken away yet with compassion with mercy not sharpely not bitterly Docendo potius quà m jubendo monendo non minando by teaching rather than by commanding by monishing rather than by menacing for those Iewes whom the thunders of Sinai could not terrifie Saint Iohn with the sweete song of Sion did Mat. 3. perswade Againe the same Father aforenamed saith thus Qui phreneticum ligat lethargicum excitat hee that bindeth a phranticke man and awaketh a man sicke of a Lethargie ambobus molestus ambobus tamen utilis hee is troublesome to both yet profitable for them both Rogat charitas hunc ligare illum excitare ambos tamen amare Charitie obligeth a man to binde the one and to awake the other yet to love both Let all bee done in love and pittie and as the Apostle counselleth us Let us follow the truth in Ephes 4. 15. love The Drunkards Vsurers Swearers raile on us in all places in all Faires and Markets What then O pittie them Have compassion on them alas poore soules their state is pittifull Luke 23. not odious Nesciunt quid faciunt they know not what they doe Nec deludendi nec minandi sed plangendi these men are not to bee Aug. mocked nor menaced but mourned for I say to them as Christ said to the woman of Samaria If thou knewest the gift of God and Iohn 4. 10. who it is that saith unto thee c. so if these men knew the gift of God the power of the Word they would not doe as they doe fret not then at these men as David counselleth thee saying Fret not thy selfe because of the ungodly neither bee thou envious for the evill doer for they shall soone bee cut downe as the grasse and wither Psal 37. 1 2. like a greene hearbe And as Christ commandeth thee Breake not a Mat. 12. 20. bruised Reede quench not the smoaking flaxe Paul that so hated sinne and sharpely reproved it in Elymas the Sorcerer saying O full of Acts. 13. 10. all subtilty and all mischiefe the Childe of the Divell and enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight wayes of the Lord Yet writing to the Corinthians hee saith I feare lest when 2 Cor. 12. 21. I come againe my God abase me among you and I shall bewaile many of them which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanenes and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed For as there was nothing that did so much rejoyce his heart as when his preaching profited so nothing did more cast downe his heart then when his labour did no good and againe hee saith We are fooles for Christs sake and yee are wise in Christ wee are weake and yee 1 Cor. 4. 10 11 12 13 21. are strong yee are honourable and wee are dispised unto this houre wee both hunger thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certaine dwelling place and labour working with our owne hands wee are reviled and yet we blesse Wee are persecuted and suffer it wee are evill spoken of and we pray we are made as the filth of the world the off scouring The godly bewaile the fearefull estate of the wicked of all things unto this day He came not with a rod but in love and in the Spirit of meeknes he wept over the Philippians Ieremy cries out against the sinnes of the Iewes saying I harkened and heard but no man spake aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done every one turned to their race as the horse Phil. 3. 18. Ier. 8. 6 7. into the battell even the Stork in the ayre knoweth her appointed time and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord Yet did he it with great
compassion as appeareth by his own words saying Oh that my head were full of water and myne eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of Ier. 9. 1. my people How greeved it Samuel after that God had cast away Saul The text doth say that Samuel mourned for Saul and God did chide him for it saying How long wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing 1 Sam. 15. 25. Cap. 16. 1. I have cast him away for reigning over Israel Samuel did not say as many doe Let him perish Let him die He is a reprobate Let him goe but mourned and sorrowed for him Yea the Lord Iesus wept over Ierusalem so saith the Evangelist When he came neere and beheld the City he wept over it saying Oh if thou haddest Luk. 19. knowne at the least in this thy day the things that do belong unto thy peace c. As if hee should have said Alas poore towne alas poore people yee are now merry and jocund but oh poore soules you know not your state how neere your fall is whereupon one noteth We read that Christ was hungry weary sorry angry how he wept often but wee read not that hee laughed for even this Mat. 21. Iohn 4. Iohn 11. Mat. 3. Mat. 12. 25. laughter proceedeth from vanity Ea sola ridentur quae notant turpitudinem aliquam non turpiter As Christ was God he said I give thee thanks O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hidde these things from the wise and prudent and hast opened them to children But as he was man he sorrowed for the wicked and here by the way note for the weake and penitent that when wee speake roughly and denounce menaces wee doe it not to them but to the impenitent For as a Father sometimes layeth Rats-bane to kill mice and the children ignorantly fall upon it so the weake apply the menaces done to the reprobate to themselves but yet they pertaine not to them but to the bastards to the impenitent The Lord will try the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth Psal 11. 5. 6. iniquity doth his soule abhorre upon the wicked hee shall raine snares fire and brimstone and stormy tempest this is the portion of their cup. Wherefore heare the Word of the Lord ye scornefull men You say that you made a Covenant with death and are with Hell at agreement but your Covenant with death shall bee dissolved and your agreement with Hell shall not stand but the scourge shall runne over you and passe thorow you c. Againe though we must have compassion of some and pitty them yet this compassion and pitty must chiefely extend to the We must imitate Christ in mercy compassion soule of a sinner as partly was touched before for Saint Iude speaketh here of the soule this is the highest and greatest point of compassion in the world to pitty the soule to helpe it Learne this of the Schoolemaster of the world of the wisdome of the Col 2. Hebr. 2. Apoc. 1. Father of the brightnesse of glory the Ancient of dayes for he had pitty on the ignorance of the people saith the Evangelist When he saw the multitude he had compassion upon them because he saw Mat. 9. 36. them destitute as sheep wanting a shepheard He weepeth now over many a congregation in England that is without a pastour hee pittieth all sinners He is a mercifull and faithfull high Priest and hee Hebr. 2. 17. cap. 4. 15. is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Wee are all to learne of Christ to have pitty on our ignorant brethren to instruct them to teach them to exhort thē to do them good blessed are such so saith Salomon He that winneth soules that is that bringeth thē to the knowledge of God is wise the tongue of such a one is as fined Prov. 11. 30. Prov. 10. 20. silver those pastours feed best that are pittifull and compassionate Papists pretend to follow Christ in those things that are impossible as in fasting forty dayes in giving the Holy Ghost to their shavelings in opening the eyes of the blind in doing miracles but in teaching and preaching shewing mercy to the peoples soules they never come neere him they seeke not the rest of their soules as Christ did I am commanded to have compassion on the body of my brother as To deale bread to the hungry to bring the poore that wandreth into my Mat. 11. 29. Esay 58. 7. house to cover the naked and never to hide my face from mine owne flesh but specially I must have compassion on the soule of my brother for the more precious that a thing is the more care is ever to be had of it herein standeth the love of a father to his children of the Prince to his subjects of the minister to his flocke of one friend to another for you know the Commandement Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt Levit. 19. 17. plainely rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne It is strange to see how wee pitty an Oxe or an Asse fallen into a ditch but not a brother drowned in sinne it is vile to set an house on fire but it is vile also to passe by it and not to quench it when it is in our power it is vile to wound a man but it is vile also to passe by him as the Levite did and as the Priest did and not to helpe him as the Samaritane did it is vile to sinne it Luk. 10. is vile also not to reprove a sinner and in time of need not to comfort him to save a soule He that hath converted a sinner from going Iam. 5. 20. astray out of the way shall save a soule from death and he shall hide a multitude of sinnes We thinke it a great matter to give a penny or two to a poore man but what though I helpe his need fill his belly cloath his nakednesse and yet pitty not his ignorance blasphemy and to increase knowledge zeale and the feare of the Lord in him our liberality is maimed wee pitty but the worst and weakest part that is the body follow therefore the Obstinate sinners must bee terrified counsell of the Apostle Instruct with meeknesse them that are contrary minded meaning such as are not come to the knowledge of the trueth but fall through ignorance proving that God at any 2 Tim. 2. 25. time will give them repentance that they may know the trueth Againe as some men are to be pittied so other some are to be reproved and must have the judgements of God denounced against them and must be terrified with menaces for that they sinne of malice not of weakenesse in knowledge not in ignorance they be pertinaces stubborne obstinate opinionative so to be handled For as we must not be too sharpe against a weake brother
serpent must pull out his sting Now death is a serpent and his sting is sinne one may put a serpent in his bosome when his sting is out and wee may Earth-quakes upon extraordinary occasions let death into our bosome when sinne is gone the venim and poison gone But to draw us to a greater hatred of sinne let me apply this late judgement of the earth-quake unto you These judgements Anno Domini 1601. Decembr 24. have never beene but upon great and rare occasions and for horrible and notorious sinnes to note the wonderfull power of God and to presage some rare events some strange plagues to fall upon the world When God gave the Law the earth shooke God did it in fearefull manner to teach Israel that if the earth shooke when God spake much more should their hearts shake The like earth quake was at the restoring of the Law in the dayes of Elias And indeed to whom is the Word of God powerfull 1 Reg. 19. Esay 66. 25. profitable but to him that trēbleth at it Of these former judgements David speaketh O God when thou wentest forth before the Psal 68 7. 8. people when thou wentest thorow the wildernesse the earth shooke and the Heavens dropped at the presence of God even Sinai was moved at the presence of God even the God of Israel Againe in the horrible rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. the one in the Church the other in the Commonwealth the one against the Lords Priest the other against the Lords Magistrate there was an earthquake to teach that hell shall swallow us as it did them if we rebell so Of all judgements these most manifest the power of God and foreshew his great anger so David spake The earth trembled and quaked the foundations also of the mountaines moved and shooke because hee was angry smoke went out of Psal 28. 7 8 9. his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth coales were kindled thereat he bowed the Heavens and came downe and darkenes was under his feete c. When Vzziah would usurpe the Priests office and Zach. 14. ◠confound Church and Commonwealth and make a Chaos of all religion and goodnesse God shooke the earth and when Iericho fell it is thought by the learned to have bene by an earth quake Iosh 6. And when the wicked Iewes crucified the Lord of glory all creatures Mat. 27. shewed their disliking the Sunne was eclypsed the Heavens lost their light the starres were moved the vaile of the Temple rent asunder the graves opened the dead rose the earth quaked O dura obdurata indurata corda hominum quae non contremiscunt O durate and obdurate and indurate hearts of men that cannot tremble David speaketh of the rare Iudgement of God in this case and thereby stirreth up all men to feare God Shall the wildernes quake and shall not our hearts quake Absit The voice of the Lord maketh the wildernes to tremble and shall not Psal 26. 5. wee tremble In the great persecution of the Church S. Iohn speaketh of an earthquake Let us not thinke that these judgements Apoc. 6. 12. bee ordinary and rise altogether of naturall causes for great hurt hath ensued The three famous Cities of Asia Laodicea for wealth Hierapolis for learning and Colossos for strength were all overthrowne with earth-quakes Constantinople was tormented with shaking a whole yeere together In the dayes of Boniface Earth-quakes fore-runners of fearefull Iudgements there happened an Earth-quake and after followed such a plague of scabbes and botches as a man could hardly tell his owne dead from other mens Burdeam was mightily shaken with Anno. 741. an earth-quake And in the yeere of our Lord 1171. the City Tripolis a great part of Damascus in Antiochia and Halapre the chiefe City of Loradin and other Cities of the Saracens either perished utterly or were wonderfully defaced And An. 1539. in divers places as at Venice Florēce there were great earth-quakes which did much hurt In Anno 1579. April the 6. an earth-quake tolled the great bell at Westminster and threw downe a piece of Dover Castle and part of Sutten Church in Kent to note unto us that our sinnes overburden the earth the earth grones and would be eased God shakes his hand the earth trembles man is carelesse beware it gapes not and swallow thee up quicke When Arrius heresy was entertained in Antioch God punished it with earth-quakes to give a Caveat how wee admit of heresy and six great Cities in Greece in the dayes of Tiberius and twelve Cities of Campania in the dayes of Constantine And wee all now might have beene swallowed up if Gods mercy had not bene the Anno. 1601. greater Blessed bee God who kept us and hee keepe us evermore But surely this earth-quake prognosticateth that God is comming to Iudgement As the City of Rome was never shaken but it presaged some strange event The yeere before the Carthaginian warre there were 57. earthquakes at Rome but there presently followed a lamentable warre After an earth-quake in Venice there followed a famine and upon the necke of that a plague which beginning farre North spred over the whole earth but so raged at Venice as scarcely one lived of an hundred but as a wonder lasteth but nine dayes so this earth-quake will be forgotten of many When Ananias fell downe dead suddenly Act. 5. at the feete of Peter all the Church trembled and this should make us all tremble For in my judgement it is a forerunner of Christs comming or else of some fearefull judgement of warre Mat. 26. 7. Pliny or famine or of pestilence For an heathen man could say that earth-quakes portend and foretell fearefull matters ensuing And note that God sent it at this time to begin our Christmas with it so mis-spent of all men The Heathen had their Floralia Bacchanalia Cerealia they went naked surfeted and were drunken and they light torches to Proserpina going naked and what else doe wee Wee eate and drinke and rise up to play and goe up and down showting and revelling Hath the grace of God appeared to Tit. 2. 11. this end Brethren hath the Lord Iesus gotten twelve dayes of his Father for prophanenesse swearing revelling c I am ashamed that the Turke the Iew the Persian should know this Propter nos male audit nomen Christi The name of God is blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. among the Gentiles through us The heathen had their Cerealia Fearefull earth-quakes and comets warne to repent as I said before wherein they surfeted to Ceres and their Bacchanalia wherein they were drunken to the honour of Bacchus they had their Floralia wherein they were idle and gave themselves to lust and Venerie Wherein differ our Christmas feasts from theirs it being spent only in eating drinking nay gluttony and drunkennes riot cards dice swearing swaggering toying fooling and what not
servant Nam naturae gratia se apponit daemoni Deus malae consâ—â—tudini bonus usus multitudini malorum spirituum exercitus Angelorum Grace opposeth it selfe to nature God opposeth himselfe against the Divell good custome against evill an hoste of heavenly Angels against a multitude of evill spirits For the Angels of the Lord doe pitch their tents about them Psal 34. that feare him God telleth us that his grace is sufficient for us and that his power is made perfect is knowne and evidently seene through our 2 Cor. 12. 9. weakenesse A question here may bee asked If God bee able to keepe us from falling why then doth hee suffer us to fall Why did hee let Adam fall by the subtilty of the serpent why did he let Lot Gen. 3. Gen. 19. Numb 21. 1 Reg. 11. fall in Zoar by wine and strong drinke Why did hee suffer Moses in the desart by infidelity Why did he let Salomon King Salomon wise King Salomon fall by women Why did hee let Peter fall through feare into lying perjurie banning and cursing Mat. 26. Why doth hee suffer most of his Saints to fall some into one sinne some into another and all into some sinne So that it may bee said of the best of them Septies in die cadit justus the Prov. 24. Iam. 3. 2. righteous man sinneth seven times a day Et in multis peccavimus omnes in many things wee offend all Hereto I answere Adams fall was permitted of God to bring to passe this eternall counsell decreed before the foundation of the world concerning the incarnation of his Sonne and the redemption of mankind through him Nam tu quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God Secondly concerning Rom. 9. the fall of other Saints God permitteth them for two causes either that his mercy might bee made manifest in their God permitted Adam and the Saints to fall for divers reasons pardon and reclaiming or else that they may see the frailty of their nature that they stand not by themselves but by God For the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to direct his pathes that thus God may humble us and that hee that standeth may take heed hee fall not Saint Iude saith not that God ever keepeth us Ier. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 12. from falling but that hee is able to keepe us and will so farre forth doe it as shall stand with his glory and our consolation And this withall I note that God never suffereth his to fall for ever Qui ex Deo est non peccat Hee that is of God sinneth not that is non peccat in aeternum hee sinneth not for ever their 1 Iohn 3. light is eclypsed sometime like the Sunne but never quenched like the fire on the Altar in the Babylonicall captivity they sleepe but they wake againe to righteousnesse they bee not in a lethargie in a dead sleepe like Coranus and Plato who slept and never waked againe â—hey fall sometime but they rise againe like the Dromedary they lye not by it like the Elephant that wanteth jointes they have weeds and faults but they have corne and vertues also like the fields of Sharon whereas the wicked are as Sichem sowne with salt where never fruit grew they have leaves Cant. 4. but they have fruit also like the vine of Megeddo but the wicked Iudg. 9. Mar. 11. are like the figge-tree that Christ cursed they are all leaves all sinne being full of unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse Rom. 1. 29. full of envy of murder of debate taking all things in evill part they lie downe in sinne they sleepe in sinne they rise up in sinne in the morning they live in it they dye in it it is Alpha Omega Aleph and Tau first and last for the wicked are strangers from the Psal 58. 3. wombe even from the belly thy have erred and spake lies They fall and never rise againe they sinne and repent not of the uncleannesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed 2 Cor. 12. 21. In one word God is able to keepe us and doth keepe us else should wee fall as often as wee are tempted For wee are as dry stubble apt to receive fire but there is a plurality of mercies with God Hee is rich in mercy hee hath mercy for thousands he hath Ephes 2. Exod. 20. Psal 51. Psal 126. â— Ephes 1. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 8. a multitude of mercies he hath lesser mercies and greater mercies Hee filleth our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with joy hee hath corporall blessings and spirituall blessings temporall joyes in earth and everlasting joyes in heaven hee hath a preventing grace in delivering from sinne and a following grace in pardoning sinne he hath an infusing grace and a restraining grace and Iohn 17. 2 Cor. 12. 7. his grace is sufficient for us But here a question may be moved whether the Church may fall from God in doctrine in manners num errare potest tam fide quà m vita whether it may erre as well in faith as in life To this some answer Ecclesia non cadit non errat universaliter totaliter fundamentaliter finaliter that the Church doth not fall doth not erre universally totally fundamentally finally non universaliter The best have erred in omnibus membris not universally in all the members non totaliter in singulis fidei capitibus not totally in every article of faith non fundamentaliter in praecipuis capitibus not fundamentally in the chiefe heads non finaliter in aeternum not finally for euer unto perdition But admit this yet it may fall it may erre The question is not what it doth but what it may doe Ecclesia potest errare the Church may erre whether yee respect it as universall in Councels or the singular members thereof severally quoth Danaeus for it is manifest that I may erre and you may Danaeus erre and hee may erre sic de singulis and so of every one For wee set but in part the which words are meant of every one wee 1 Cor. 13. 9. proceed and goe forward daily wee are not yet come unto perfection wee see the most excellent men have erred as Thomas in Phil. 3. Iohn 20. Act. 10. Num 9. Exod. 32. Act. 1. the resurrection Peter in circumcision Moses in the Passeover Aaron in the golden Calfe in Idolatry All the Apostles in the Kingdome of Christ Lactantius Eusebius Apollinaris Arnobius were tainted errore Chiliastarum with the error of the Chiliasts which held that Christ should come personally and raigne as a King in this world a thousand yeeres yea all men are lyers and all pray Forgive us our trespasses yea looke into the Apocalyps and Mat. 5. Apos 12. 2 Reg. 11. yee shall find that the woman fledde into the wildernesse the whole visible Church under
and concludeth his Epistle with it Grace bee with you Amen for wee must not doubt of Gods promises but beleeve stedfastly That all the promises of God are in Amen diversly used in Scripture Christ yea and are in him AMEN Againe this word Amen teacheth us to desire earnestly 2 Tim. 4. 22. and fervently the thing wee pray for For the prayer of the righteous availeth much if it bee fervent David was fervent in his Iam. 9. 16. Psal 106. 48. prayer Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever and let all the people say Amen And verily this word Amen noteth our desire our earnest fervent desire to bee heard and to obtaine it is in effect thus much O Lord thus bee it unto mee what my tongue or soule have begged give it me grant it me Amen Amen So Lord even so Lord. FINIS THE TABLE OF THE Sermons upon Saint IVDE Points handled Serm. 1. THe holy Ghost the Author of all Scripture Fol. 1. Two Iudases 1 Iscariot 2 Brother of Iames 1 Some Scriptures doubted of 2 A threefold office of the Church concerning Scripture 3 Honourable titles given the wicked why 4 Stormes should not discourage the godly ibid. Three sorts of servants ibid. Gods service most happy 5 Gods service perfect freedome ibid. Brings all good to us 6 All other service vile or dangerous 7 Mans dignity in three things 8 Priviledges of Gods servants ibid. Pope abuseth the title of servant 9 Servants must imitate their Master obey him 10 Gods servants rewarded ibid. Servants may not Lord it over the rest of the Family 11 Godly profession brings more glory than honourable alliance 12 13. Sermon 2. VOcation the first step to Salvation 15 Before calling wee are children of wrath not capable of Christ 16 The happinesse of having the Gospell 17 Vocation Externall Internall Invitation Admission 17 18 Externall calling unprofitable without internall 18 The efficacie of Gods Word in the ministery thereof 19 Vocation diverse in respect of time and place 20 None called for desert ibid. Sanctification followes vocation 21 God as he beginne will finish till he glorifie ibid. Sanctification three-fold Imputed unto us Wrought in us Wrought by us 22 Difference of righteousnesse of Iustification and Sanctification 23 Papisticall doctrine tends to licentiousnes ours to holinesse ibid. Faith and Workes joyned in the person justified in the act of justification 24 Sermon 3. CHrists Priesthood two parts Redemption Intercession 26 Redemption hath two parts Reconciliation and Sanctification ibid. Reconciliation consists in two points Remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnesse 27 Iustification what it is ibid. Adoption what it is ibid. Benefits of Adoption and Iustification 27 Sanctification consists in mortification and vivification 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his beginning godly sorrow his companion the Spirituall combat ibid. Sanctification but in part as our knowledge ibid. Divers acceptions of holinesse 29 Wee must bee holy because God is holy 30 Wee must bee holy because it is the end of our Redemption 31 Without holinesse no salvation ibid. Wee must bee holy because called Saints ibid. All our holinesse is from God 32 The persons of the Trinity distinguished 33 Preservation in the state of Grace the chiefest blessing 34 Gods providence preserves in all accidents of life 35 God frees from all afflictions 36 God preserves his Scriptures and Saints 37 Gods preservation of soule and spirituall estate most gracious 38 39 Sermon 4. MErcie Peace and Love three most excellent gifts 40 How these three flow from the Trinity ibid. How mercy in God 41 A rule for Christian salutations ibid. Mercy fourefold ibid. Generall mercies bestowed on all ibid. Speciall mercies on the elect ibid. The long suffering of God 42 The greatest mercy concernes salvation ibid. Our election is of Mercy ibid. Gods abundant mercy in Christ 43 Mercy seven-fold ibid. All that wee have is of mercy ibid. Misericordia communis peccantium portus ibid. Peace three-fold 44 Peace the ornament of the Church and signe of Christs Kingdome ibid. God the Author of Peace 45 A commendation of peace ibid. Contention cause of destruction 46 Vnion makes powerfull ibid. True peace to bee sought and imbraced 47 Righteousnesse cause of peace ibid. Peace of Conscience passeth all understanding 48 Prosperity profiteth not without peace of Conscience ibid. The wicked have no peace 49 Christ dyed rose ascended to perfect our peace ibid. Peace is used for outward prosperitie 50 All priviledges spirituall and temporall belong to the godly ibid. Yet sometime God withholds outward blessings 51 Sermon 5. God loves the fountaine of mercy peace and all good things 52 Gods love is most abundant immeasurable immutable unspeakeable 53 How God is said to be love ibid. Love of man to man the most excellent vertue 54 No Love to man without the love of God 55 True love rare among men 56 That love which is truely Christian must be embraced all other abandoned 57 Not sufficient to have grace but there must be a desire of increase till we come to glory 58 Sermon 6. FAith the most necessarie and excellent vertue 61 Sonnes three-fold by Nature by Doctrine by Adoption or Inspiration 62 Faith set out by it's attributes that wee might labour for it 63 Many carelesse to get Faith or maintaine it ibid. Faith must bee maintained to the death 64 A foure-fold fight and flight of Ministers ibid. The zeale of Idolaters and Heretickes for false religion should make us to be zealous for Gods truth 65 Divers degrees of zeale ibid. God lookes to the truth of our zeale not the heate 66 God accepts according to that a man hath if in truth ibid. Love ought to bee shewed in all our instructions and reprehensions 67 What love required in Ministers to their people ibid. Wee must be zealous in the matter of Religion and industrious for our soules 68 Salvation ought to be our onely ayme to have it assured to our selves and propagated to others 69 Many more regard humane writings yea vaine pamphlets than Scriptures 70 All men ought to labour to get assurance of salvation 71 Salvation common in three respects ibid. As salvation is common so the Church Catholicke 72 Writing the most safe meanes to performe God truth ibid. Traditions bring errors to the Church 73 Exhortation powerfull urged in meekenesse 74 The Minister must exhort and the people suffer the Word of exhortation 75 Sermon 7. GOds truth must bee maintained 76 Faith the gift of God a fruit of the Spirit ibid. Divers acceptions of Faith 77 Divers excellent attributes of saving Faith ibid. Faith a worke of the Trinity 78 The meanes to beget Faith outwardly the Ministery of the Word inwardly the operation of the Spirit 79 True Faith in few in all ages ibid. True Religion most ancient and Scriptures before all other writings 80 As God is immutable so his truth and Religion ibid. Though types and shadowes vanish truth and
243 The envious is fretted at good and glad at the evill betides any ibid. Cain was prophane and grudged at Gods sacrifice 244 Many like Cain grudge to give that is good to God ibid. Gods Ministers are to have honourable maintenance 245 Sacriledge odious among the Heathen they have observed the vengeance of their gods have followed such as have beene sacrilegious ibid. God himselfe hath punished sacriledge in all ages 246 Hypocrites and dissemblers pretend good intend evill ibid. God detesteth hypcrisie and falshood 247 Desperation the bane of the soule excluding Gods mercie ibid. Sermon 21. COvetousnesse the roote of evill and ruine of good 249 Many woes against covetousnesse 250 The covetous man trusteth more in his riches than in the blessed Trinity ibid. Covetousnes deprives the covetous of the 8. beatitudes and makes them subject to the contrary curses 251 Covetousnesse insatiable 253 Covetousnes excludes out of Heaven ibid. Riches unprofitable to soule and body credit and estate 254 A couetous minde never satisfied 255 Vsurers more cruell than wilde beasts ibid. Riches uncertaine not to bee relied on 256 Riches unprofitable if in superfluity 257 Riches preserve not neither from temporall nor spirituall evils 258 Riches not hurtfull by nature but by corruption ibid. Riches hurtfull to the outward and inward man 259 Sermon 22. GOds mercy contemned draweth on judgement 261 The utility and necessity of both Magistracie and Ministery in Church and Common-wealth 262 Government necessary for preservation of states ibid. Three formes of Government viz. Monarchy Aristocracy Democratie ibid. Reasons why Monarchy the best 263 All lawfull government of God ibid. Rebellion pernicious not onely to states but to the Rebels themselves 264 Resemblances being ordinary teach best 266 Preachers may use humane learning but the Word must be his ground to give light 268 The creatures afford a double consideration one naturall another morall or spirituall 269 Epicurisme hath many sinnes accompanying it ibid. Drunkennesse and glutonny odious and pernicious 270 Nature teacheth temperance and sobrietie 271 Wee are most prone to sinne in our drunkennesse ibid. Drunkennesse makes uncapable of Gods spirit and spirituall graces 272 Gluttonous Epicures neither glorifie God nor releeve the poore ibid. Dangerous to converse with Epicures lest stained by them 273 How one may converse with the wicked 274 Love-feasts how used abused abolished 275 Sermon 23. PRide many wayes occasioned every way odious to God 277 Pride vaine in three respects 278 Pride hath beene in all places and all sorts ibid. The godly sometime overtaken by it ibid. Pride is expressed in the things that pertaine to God sixe wayes 279 Pride shewes it selfe many wayes ibid. The proud man insulteth over all 280 Though all prone to pride yet usually the basest proudest ibid. Pride the cause of contention ibid. Pride makes us forget our mortalitie ibid. The proud odious to all God Angels Men onely please the Divell 281 God detesteth pride ibid. Pride is both in Church and Common-wealth and causes heresie in the one and disorder in the other 282 Pride so puffes up men as they become not onely foolish but phrentike ibid. Pride brings shame and destruction 283 Pride will shew it selfe after the death of the proud 284 Knowledge and riches the cause of pride ibid. True zeale like fire that kindleth and burneth by degrees till it come to a full flame 285 Hypocrisie most odious to God and severely punished by him ibid. Sincerity most pleasing to God 286 Christ pronounced against no sinne so many woes as against hypocrisie 289 Hypocrisie blasphemy ibid. Hypocrites make faire showes without truth inwardly pretend religion when they intend the subversion of it 290 Sincerity very rare hypocrisie hath banished 292 Men often compared to trees to shew that God lookes for fruits or wee must looke for the axe ibid. Many carnall gospellers few true professours 293 Most like trees twice dead both in words and deeds 294 Wee must take heed of the sinne of hypocrisie lest wee indure the punishment ibid. Sermon 24. HEll set out by divers names yet none sets it out sufficiently but are as shadowes or the beginning of sorrowes 213 Hell torments amplified being opposed to the joyes of Heaven 297 The damned every way tormented 298 The effects of Gods wrath in afflicting Christ bearing our sinnes and punishing others temporally may serve to set out the torments of the damned whom he punisheth eternally 299 The damned suffer all punishments both of losse and sense 300 The horror of hell should make us abhorre sinne 301 Nothing more hard then the impenitent heart 302 Hell torments as unspeakable so everlasting and irremissible 303 Hell fire compared with our elementary fire in five respects 304 Iudgement and damnation necessary to be preached in time of sinne and security 306 The wicked shall be tormented according to their sinnes the greater sinnes the greater punishment 307 Sermon 25. THere must bee a tyme of manifesting Gods Iustice as well as his power and mercy 301 Antiquity with verity most authentike 308 Traditions equalled with Scriptures by Bellarmine and the Papists ibid. The Scriptures all sufficient for faith and manners 311 Though some scriptures are lost yet so much as is necessary to salvation is preserved ibid. Iudgement fourefold 312 Iudgement generall must needs be as prooved by Scripture ibid. The second person of the Trinity shall judge 313 Christ shall judge as man and why 314 Though Christ shall come in his humanity to judge yet with power and great glory 315 Iudgement fearefull to all much more to the wicked ibid. Christs second comming to judgement compared with his first 316 Christs glory appeared in his humility at his first comming 317 The greatnes of Gods mercy at first aggravates the severity of his justice at the last 318 God hath two Courts Forum misericordiae Forum justitiae Ibid. Gods judgement impartiall 319 Iudgement shall be generall of all men and of every Worke Word Thought 320 Swearers blasphemers most abominable 322 Gods judgement most certaine 324 The conscience of the wicked tell him there will be a judgement 325 The consideration of Christs comming to judgement ought to terrify the wicked comfort the godly instruct all 326 Sermon 26. MVrmuring two-fold against God and against men 329 Murmuring and discontent in most ibid. Murmuring the sinne of the Israelites 330 Murmurers never content ibid. Murmurers severely punished 331 We must patiently subject our wils to Gods 332 The remedies against murmuring ibid. The Saints have bene discountenanced yet subjected their wils to Gods will and have been pacified and comforted 334 Man murmures against man for diuers causes 335 All estates are discontent and murmure against others 336 Murmuring the property of base and envious persons ibid. The lusts of the flesh must be tamed 337 God uses many meanes to teach us to tame our lusts ibid. Most men rather follow their lusts than obey Gods Word 338 Evill thoughts and inordinate affections must be vanquished ibid.
excellent of all vertues 413 All vertues vaine without love ibid. Many excellent properties of Love 414 Little love in this age ibid. Love makes men of one heart 415 Many men implacable cruell like Wolues or Divels ibid. An exhortation to love 416 Foure properties of love that it be holy just true constant ibid. The love amongst Atheists and impious condemned 417 The excellency of Love ibid. Atheists agree like a kennell of dogs 418 Most love for lucre ibid. Gods love to us infinite 419 Gods love to us diversly distinguished ibid. Gods loue set out by all the dimensions yet transcendent and unmeasurable ibid. No love comparable to Gods Love 420 Gods love to us the cause of our love to him and the godly ibid. Foure reasons or motives to incite us to love God 1. à mandato 2. ab aequo justo 3. à commodo 4. ab officio 421 The manner how God is to bee loved 422 Love a debt that all owe to God and man but few poy it ibid VVe must shew our love to God by keeping his commandements and serving him 423 An honorable and happy thing to love God ibid. Sermon 34. THe hope of eternal life allays the hardnesse of Gods Commandements 425 Hope of reward makes men endure labours and dangers 426 The blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven 427 Christ and the Saints in their sufferings had an eye to the reward ibid. The joyes of Heaven unspeakable incomprehensible 428 The glorified bodyes shall have spirituall and heavenly qualities namely clarity agility subtility unpassibility and immortality 429 The principall points wherein the glory and joy of the glorified soule and whole Saint consist 430 Earthly mindes regard not Heavenly joyes 431 Divers errours concerning eternall life 432 The joyes of Heaven eternall and infinite ibid. Heaven compared with the wombe of the world 433 An exhortation to seeke after eternall joyes ibid. Eternall life onely the free gift of God 434 Merit end mercy gift and desert opposite ibid. Papists works many of them merit death 435 Merit three-fold Congrui Digni Condigni ibid. None can merit ex condigno but Christ 436 Our works cannot merit because finite and unperfect ibid. Christs righteousnes ours 437 Our works merit not jointly with Christs ibid. Grace threefold Praeveniens Subsequens Consummans ibid. Many Papists renounce their merits and fly to Gods mercy 438 Our election vocation justification sanctification all from grace 439 We must not trust in our works but confesse our sinnes ibid. Sermon 35. DIscretion necessary for distinguishing sinnes and sinners 441 Ministers must use discretion not deale alike with all sinnes and sinners ibid. How to restore with mâ—ekenes them that are fallen 442 VVee should pitty and pray for sinners and not despise them ibid. Many men more compassionate toward their beasts nhan brethren 444 Wee must tak away sinnes with mildenesse and mercy if possible ibid. Reproofe though not pleasing yet profitable 446 Compassion must be shewed especially to the soule 447 The Saints bewaile the estate of the wicked ibid. Threats of judgement belong to the wicked 448 The obstinate must be terrified not soothed ibid. Iudgements denounced against soothing false prophets 449 Reproofes more profitable than soothing flattery 450 Excommunication a grievous censure ibid. Excommunication three-fold 451 Two uses of Excommunication ibid. Sermon 36. THe sinner alwayes in danger 452 The fickle estate of the wicked set out by divers resemblances 453 No estate permanent 454 Sudden destruction waite on the wicked ibid. Death comes not sudden to the Godly 455 The Godly prepare by repentance and godly life for death while they have time 456 Repentance must not be deferred ibid. The saving of soules a most blessed worke 457 Though God save yet both Grace and Faith and Ministery concurre 458 Tho Ministrie being Gods ordinance to save soules is not to be slighted though the World despise them ibid. Foure faculties in the soule whereby it converts the food of the Word and Sacraments to nourishment of the spirituall life 459 The necessitie and excellent fruits of the Ministery set out by divers resemblances 460 The happy estate of them that have means of knowledge 461 Salvation and the misery of them that want it ibid. Sermon 37. NOt onely evill but all appearance of evill is to bee avoided 462 Sinne must bee hated not sported at if if wee love our owne soules ibid. No communion to be holden or society with the wicked 463 Wicked men must be avoided in respect of God and ourselves ibid. Sinne as contagious as the plague and more dangerous 464 Wee must hate sinne because the whole Trinity detest it 465 Wee must hate sinne because Satan is the author being enemie to God and our soules ibid. Sinne must bee hated because it dishonours God not our selves 466 Wee may not hold amity with the wicked boing Gods enemies 467 The amity of the wicked treachery ibid. Sinne onely is hated of God and man and not the person except reprobate 468 Two judgments the one of Faith the other of Charity 469 Wee must leave sinne of conscience not for other respects 470 The punishment of sinne ought to deterre from sinne ibid. Earthquakes an evident signe of Gods anger and a forerunner of judgement 471 Many earth-quakes in many places and much hurt 472 Christians not to be prophaned 473 Sermon 38 VVE are not sufficient to doe any good of our selves without grace 476 Exhortations do not shew what we can but what we should doe 477 Grace both preserves from falling and raiseth us being fallen 478 Our enemies many and powerfull 479 Prayer the best meanes to repell Satan and his temptations 480 All sorts of men have fallen even the Saints ibid. All have the Seminarie of all sinnes in them 481 Grace worketh all in all ibid. Wee walke in the middest of snares 482 God suffered Adam and doth still suffer the Saints to fall for divers reasons 483 Difference betweene the sinnes of Saints and Reprobates ibid. Whether and how the Church may erre 484 The best have erred ibid. The Pope may erre and many of them have erred 485 The distinctions about the erring of the Pope nice and frivolous 486 Sermon 39. HOw wee are said to bee blamelesse notwithstanding we are full of sin 487 Two kindes of righteousnesse 488 Our righteousnesse consists rather in the remission of sinne than perfection of vertue ibid. How we are said to be perfect and yet imperfect 489 The Iesuits and latter Popish writers the worst 490 The Church and members of it impure in it selfe but perfect and pure in Christ 491 Our service may be sincere not perfect 492 Iustification by workes confuted how justified by faith explained 493 Papists flye to the mercy of God and merit of Christ 494 No true joyes and pleasures in this world but all in Heaven ibid. The Saints in Heaven shall have fulnesse of joy undique 495 Heaven the land of the living and Earth land of dead men 496 God shall be all in all to the Saints in Heaven ibid. Worldly minded men desire not Heaven 497 Our life nothing to eternall life ibid. All honours and pleasures on earth nothing to them in Heaven 498 The World fraudulent turbulent momentary 499 Christ the onely comfort to the elect both in this life and that to come ibid. Many hindred from Heaven by pleasure Sermon 40. PRayer and praise the two chiefest parts of Gods worship must follow one another 501 The glory of God hath beene celebrated by all Saints 502 Wee slauld not thinke of the mercies of God in Christ without praising him 503 God described by many attributes yet none can sufficiently set him out ibid. God onely wise all men ignorant and foolish 504 Wee have no true wisedome till infused by God ibid. All wisedome and Knowledge hid in Christ 505 Destinction betweene Science and Sapience ibid. Worldly wisedome folly ibid. Gods Wisedome seene in creation and disposing of all creatures and governing the Church 506 Christ a mercifull and powerfull Saviour in life and death ibid. No Saviours comparable to Christ 507 The Papists derogate from the power and merit of Christ ibid. The imputative righteousnes of the Saints more set out Gods glory than the inherent 508 Mans worke cannot merit ibid. What it is to glorifie God 509 Thankefulnesse the onely sacrifice that God requires ibid. We pray in our wants and doe not praise God when we are releeved 510 Thankesgiving and the praise of God the end of our creation ibid. They thrt doe not glorifie God here shall not be glorified of him hereafter ibid. Two theeves that rob God of his glory and justice 511 A powerfull exhortation to praise God and give up our selves in thankefulnesse ibid. If no praise of God in the mouth no thankfulnesse or grace in the heart 512. Sermon 29. VVHat it is to ascribe majestie to God 514 Miracles are admired for the rarenesse 515 All Gods ordinary workes wonderfull 516 Our dulnesse in ascribing to God majestie in regard of his workes ibid. God reâ—eales himselfe sixe wayes ibid. Gods judgement do not worke Repentance ibid. Wherein Gods dominion standeth 517 Gods three-fold kingdome of power grace glorie ibid. Wee ackowledge our selves subjects of Christs kingdome of grace and yet are rebellious 518 Three properties in the Angels Obedience Libentissime Citissime Fidelissime Obediunt 519 Notorious sinners Satans bond-slaves ibid. Wee must be pure in soule and body that Christ may dwell and rule in us 520 Gods power omnipotent ibid. Christ every where present by his power though not corporally ibid. Christs omnipotenty gives comfort to the Christian 521 Gods incomprehensiblenesse set out by comparison ibid. Christ all in all to us 522 God cannot doe those things that imply contradiction or defect ibid. How attributes are ascribed some time to the whole Trinitie sometime to particular persons 523 All Gods attributes are eternall ibid. God must bee praied and praised for all things temporall and eternall 524 Amen the diverse significations thereof and the efficacie thereof in the conclusion of our praiers ibid. Note that the folio's are mistaken at fol. 425. where you shall finde this marke 〈◊〉 FINIS