saith St. Paul Many in Title many in Opinion Some are Lords and Gods ex authoritate so are Kings and Magistrates God standeth in the congregation of Lords he is Iudge among the Gods Others will so stile themselues ex vsurpatione as the Canonists say of their Pope Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope But he is but a Lord and God in a blind and tetrycall Opinion The Lord is onely Almighty able to doe more by his absolute power then he will by his actuall Able for potent not impotent workes He cannot lie he cannot die Diciter omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod non vult He is called Almightie in doing what he pleaseth not in suffering what he pleaseth not This is his Greatnesse As his Mercie directs vs to loue him so let his Maiestie instruct vs to feare him I will briefly touch both these affections but Loue shall goe formost LOVE OVr God is Good and good to vs let vs therefore loue him 1. It is an Affection that God principally requires 2. It is a Nature wherein alone we can answere God For the former God requires not thy Wisedome to direct him nor thy Strength to assist him nor thy Wealth to enrich him nor thy Dignitie to aduance him but onely thy Loue. Loue him with all thy heart For the second Man cannot indeed answere God well in any other thing When God iudgeth vs wee must not iudge him againe When hee reprooues vs wee must not iustifie our selues If he be angry wee must answere him in patience if hee commaunde in obedience But when God loues vs wee must answere him in the same nature though not in the same measure and loue him againe Wee may not giue God word for word wee dare not offer him blow for blow wee can not requite him good turne for good turne yet wee may can must giue him Loue for Loue. Nam cum amat Deus non aliud vult quà m amari Now because euery man sets his foote vpon the freehold of Loue and sayes it is mine let vs aske for his Euidence whereby he holdes it We call an Euidence a Deed and Deedes are the best demonstration of our right in Loue. If thou loue God for his owne sake shew it by thy deedes of Pietie If thou loue Man for Gods sake shew it by thy deedes of Charitie The roote of Loue is in the Heart but it sendes foorth Veines into the Hands and giues them an actiue and nimble dexteritie to good Workes If you loue mee sayth Christ keepe my Commandements If you loue man shew your Compassion to him Obedience to our Creator Mercie to his Image testifie our Loues Hee that wants these Euidences these Deedes when that busie Informer the Diuell sues him will be vnhappily vanquished FEARE LEt vs pà sse from Loue to Feare we must Loue our good God we must Feare our great Lord. It is obiected against this passage of vnion that perfect loue casteth out feare It is answered that feare brings in perfect loue as the Needle drawes in the Thread And it is not possible that true Loue should be without good Feare that is a filiall Reuerence For slauish feare be it as farre from your hearts as it shall be from my discourse Now this Feare is a most due and proper affection and I may say the fittest of all to be towards God Indeed God requires our Loue but we must thinke that then God stoupes low and bowes himselfe downe to be loued of vs. For there is such an infinite inequalitie betwixt God and vs that without his sweet dignation and descending to vs there could be no fitnesse of this affection But looke we vp to that infinite glory of our great Lord looke we downe on the vilenesse of our selues sinfull dust and we will say that by reason of the disproportion betweene vs nothing is so sutable for our basenesse to giue so high a God as Feare Therefore Comeye Children hearken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Feare the Lord all ye his Seruants as well as Loue the Lord all ye his Saints Now this Feare hath as many Chalengers as Loue had When this Booke is held out euery mans lippes are readie to kisse it and to say and sweare that they feare the Lord. Loue had the Testimonie Charytie and Feare must haue his Seruice Psal. 2. Serue the Lord with feare It is mans necessitated condition to be a Seruant Happy they that can truly call Christ Maister Yee call mee Lord and Maister and ye say well for so I am Hee that serues the Flesh serues his fellow And a Beggar mounted on the backe of Honour rides post to the Diuell This is a cholericke Maister so fickle that at euery turne he is ready to turne thee out of dores Wee may say of him as of the Spaniard Hee is a bad Seruant but a worse Maister Hee that serues the World serues his Seruant as if Chams curse was lighted on him Seruus seruorum a Drudge to Slaues a Slaue to Drudges He that serues the Diuell serues his Enemie and this is a miserable seruice Sure it was a lamentable preposterous sight that Salomon saw Eccle. 10. I haue seene Seruants vpon Horses and Princes walking as Seruants vpon the Earth And Agur numbers it among those foure things whereby the World is disquieted A Seruant when he raigneth and a Foole when he is filled with Meate an odious woman when she is marryed and a handmaid that is heire to her Mistres Iudge then how horryble it is that men should set as the Sauages of Calecut the Diuell or his two Ingles the world and the flesh in the Throne whiles they place God in the foote-stoole Or that in this Common-wealth of man Reason which is the Queene or the Princes the better powers graces of the Soule should stoupe to so base a Slaue as sensuall lust Delight is not seemely for a foole much lesse for a Seruant to haue rule ouer Princes St. Basil not without passion did enuie the Diuells happynesse Who had neither Created vs nor redeemed vs nor preserueth vs but violently Labours our destruction that yet he should haue more seruants then God that made vs then Iesus Christ that with his owne precious Blood and grieuous sufferings bought vs. Well hee is happy that can truly say with Dauid I am thy Seruant O Lord I am thy Seruant and the Sonne of thy Handmayde This Seruice is true Honour for so Kings and Princes yea the blessed Angels of heauen are thy fellowes God is Good that we may loue him the Lord is Great that wee may Feare him Wee haue heard both seuerally let vs consider them ioyntly and therein the securitie of our owne happinesse It is a blessed confirmation when both these the Goodnesse and the Greatnesse of GOD meete vpon vs. His Greatnesse that hee is able his
punctually haue directed these Wise-men that trauelled by it 2. By the Motion The course of other Starres is circular this Starre went straight forward as a guide of the way in the same manner that the Pillar of Fire went before Israel when they passed out of Egipt 3. By the Time of Shining Other Starres shine in the night onely this Starre gaue light in the broad day as if it were a Starre appoynted to waite on the Sunne Stella Luce vincens Luciferum Magos ducit ad Regem Syderum Of this Starre did that Coniurer prophecie Num. 24. There shall come a Starre out of Iacob c. It was a true Starre it was a new Starre created by God in Heauen for this purpose Not that the birth of Christ depended on this Starre but this Starre on his birth Therefore it is called Christs Starre ver 2. His Starre This Starre serued To them Ad Ducendum To vs Ad Docendum It led them really let it also lead vs figuratiuely to Christ Them Per visum vs Per fidem By the consent of Diuines this Starre did prefigure the Gospell And indeed For what other Light directs vs to Christ Not the Starre of Nature Did not euery steppe it taught vs to tread bring vs further off If it heard of him it sought him as Laban sought his Idols in the Tents or as Saul sought his Asses in the Mountaines or as Ioseph Mary fought him among their Kinsfolks Either in the Tents of soft ease and securitie or in the Mountaines of Worldly dignitie or among the Kindred of the flesh friends and company Not the Starre of the Law for this told vs of a perfect obedience and of condemnation for disobedience of Gods anger our danger of sinne and death This Starre would haue lighted vs to Heauen if we had no Cloudes of Iniquitie to darken it to our selues And that which S. Paul speakes Gal. 3. The Law was our Schoole-maister to bring vs vnto Christ is to be vnderstood of the legall Tipes and Sacrifices Where by an Oblation of the blood of Beastes was prefigured the Blood of that Lambe which should expiate all our sinnes The Gospell is this Starre and blessed are they that follow it It shall bring them to the Babe Iesus God hath fixed this Starre in our Orbe but how few are so wise as these Wise-men to follow it That Starre was somtimes hidden this shines perpetually It is horror and shame to speake it wee no more esteeme it then if wee were wearâ—e of the Sunne for continuall shining I am loth to part with this Starre but other Obseruations call mee from it You heare Gods Leading marke their Following This is described Ex Aduentu Euentu by their Accesse Successe Veniunt Inueniunt They Come they Finde Their Accesse Some haue thought that these Magi hauing so profound skill in Astrologie might by calculation of times composition of Starres and Sâ—ellations of the Heauens foreknow the birth of the Mesâ—ias But this opinion is vtterly condemned by Augustine and all good men And it shall onely helpe vs with this Obseruation God purposed so plentifull a saluation by Christ that he calls to him at the first those who were farre off Farre off indeed not onely in a locall but cereâ—oniall Distance For place they were so farre as Persia from India from thence most Writers affirme their comming For the other respect he calls those to Christ who had runne furthest from Christ and giuen themselues most ouer to the Diuell Magiâ—ans Sorcerers Coniuriâ—s consederates with Sathan in the most detestable arte of Witchcraft These that had set their faces against heauen ' and blasphem'd out a renuntiation of God and all goodnesse euen at those Doores doth Gods spirit Knocke sends them by a Starre to a Sauiour Be our â—innes neuer so many for number neuer so haynous for nature neuer so full for measure yet the mercie of God may giue vs a Starre that shall bring vs not to the Babe Iesus in a Manger but to be Châ—ist a King in his Throne Let no penitent Soule despaire of mercie Christ manifested himselfe to two sortes of people in his swathing Cloutes to these Magitians and to Shepheards the latter simple and ignorant the other learned and wicked So August In rusticitate Pastorum imperitia proeualet in Sacrilegijs magorum impâ—etas Yet to both these one in the day of his natiuitie the other in this Epiphanie did that Sauiour with whom is no respect of of persons manifest his sauing mercie Whether thou be poore for Goods of the world or Poorer for the Riches of grace be comforted thou mayest one day see the saluation of God 2. Obserue their obedience they Come instantly on Gods call They haue seene his Starre and they must goe to him They regard not that Herod was an enemie to the King of Persia their Maister they come to his Court to enquire for Christ. When they are there let Herod be neuer so troubled about the name of the true and new-borne King of Iewes they haue the inward direction the record of an ancient prophecie added by the Priests ver 6. from Micah 5. 2. Thou Bethlem Ephratah though thou be litle among the thousands of Iudah yet out of thee shall hee come forth vnto me that is to be ruler in Israel Hereupon they goe Obedience when it hath the warrant goes vpon sound and quicke Feete Necfalâ—a fingit nec vera metuit impedimenta No obstacles can stay it no Errors stray it nor Terrours fray it it is not deluded with toyes nor deferred with ioyes It â—arries not with the young man in the Gospell to kisse his Friends nor with the Old man to fill his Barnes but Currit per saxa perignes through all dangers and difficulties with a faythfull eye bent vpon the Callers promises And this is that other Vertue remarkable in these Wise-men 3. Fayth They come to the Priests made acquainted with the Oracles of God to inquire of this King The Priestes resolue the place of his birth from the Prophet but though told of his Starre they will not stirre a foote towardes him Perhappes it might cost them their Honours or liues by the Kings displeasure therefore they will poynt others but disappoynt their owne soules Heere is a strange inuersion Veritas illuminat Magos Infidelit as obcoecat Magistroâ— Trueth guides the Magitians Vnbeliefe blindes the Priestes They that were vsed to Necromanticke Spelles and Charmes begin to vnderstand the truth of a Sauiour whiles they that had him in their Bookes lost him in their Hearts Vtuntur paginis quarum non credunt eloquijs They turne ouer the leaues and beleeue not their Contents To what end were all their quotidian Sacrifices If they were not types and figures of a Mesâ—ias what other thing made they their Temples but a Butchers shambles Now the Mercy and Grace of our Lord Iesus keepe vs from this apostate wickednesse Let
THE SACRIFICE OF Thankefulnesse ¶ A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the third of December being the first Aduentuall Sunday Anno 1615. By THO. ADAMS Bern. in Cant. Serm. 35. Gratiarum cessat decursus vbi recursus non fuerit Whereunto are annexed Fiue other of his Sermons preached in London and else-where neuer before Printed The Titles whereof follow in the next Page LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1616. ⧠The Titles of the Fiue Sermons 1. Christ his Starre or the Wise mens Oblation Math. 2. verse 11. 2. Politicke Hunting Genesis 25. verse 27. 3. Plaine-Dealing or a Precedent of Honesty Genesis 25. verse 27. 4. The Three Diuine Sisters 1. Cor. 13. verse 13. 5. The Taming of the Tongue Iam. 3. verse 8. ⧠To the Right Worshipfull Sir Henry Mountague Knight the Kings Maiesties Serieant for the Law and Recorder of the Honourable Citie of London Worthy Sir WHere there is diuersitie of helpes leading to one Intention of good the variety may well be tolerated Who findes fault with a Garden for the multitude of flowers You shall perceiue heere different kinds whereof if some to some seeme bitter there is none vnwholesome It takes fire at the Altar of God and beginnes with the Christians Sacrifice the flame wherof by the operation of the blessed Spirit may both enlighten the vnderstanding and warme the affections of good men and in others consumingly waste the drosse and rust of sinne which must eyther be purged by the fire of Grace heere or sent to the euerlasting fire to be burned The Wisemens Oblation seconds it what is formerly commaunded in Precept is heere commended in Practise The Politicke Hunters of the world are discouered and Plaine-Dealing encouraged One almost forgotten vertue Charitie is praised and a busie vice is taxed In all is intended Lux Scientiae Pax Conscientiae Peccati ruina aedificatio Iustitiae Your noble endeuours are obserued by all eyes to bee distinguished into this method from your vertues there is a resultance of shining Light to information from your Office to reformation of others Goe forward so still to menage your Place in that honourable Citie and let the fire of correction eate out the rust of corruption You may punish euen whiles you pitie The good Magistrate like a good Chirurgion doth with a shaking hand search vlcers more earnestly desiring Non inuenire quod quaerit quà m inuenire quod puniat The God of mercie and saluation wrappe vp your soule in the bundle of Life and when the Lust of the earth shall to the Dust of the earth fixe you in the blessed Orbe of Glory Your Worships in all faithfull obseruance THO. ADAMS Ad Lectorem Senec. epist. 59. Cupio si fieri potest propitijs auribus quid sentiam dicere sin minùs dicam iratis THE SACRIFICE OF THANKFVLNESSE Psal. 118. 27. God is the Lord which hath shewed vs Light bind the Sacrifice with Cords euen vnto the Hornes of the Altar THE first and the last wordes of this Psalme are O giue thankes vnto the Lord for hee is good because his mercy endureth for euer Thankesgiuing is the prescript and the postscript Hee that is Alpha and Omega the first and the last requires that our beginning and ending should be Prayse to the Lord. You see the head and the foote the bulke body members are not dissonant There is scarce any Verse in the Psalme that is not either an Hosanna or an Halleluia a prayer for mercie or a praise for mercie I haue singled out one let it speake for all the rest God is the Lord that hath shewed c. Heere is somewhat receiued somewhat to be returned God hath blessed vs and wee must blesse God His Grace and our Gratitude are the two Lines my Discourse must runne vpon They are met in my Text let them as happily meete in your Hearts and they shall not leaue you till they bring you to Heauen The summe is God is to be Praysed The particulars are Wherefore hee is to be Praysed Wherewith hee is to be Praysed Wherefore God is the Lord that hath shewed vs light Wherewith Binde the Sacrifice with Cords euen vnto the Hornes of the Altar In the For what we will consider the Author his Blessing The Author God is the Lord. His Blessing That hath shewed vs Light The Lord the Light The Author is called God and Lord which lead vs to looke vpon his Goodnesse Greatnesse GOD and Good LOe I begin with him that hath no Beginning but is the Beginning of all other Beeinges God And would onely tell you for I must not loose my selfe in this Mysterie that this God is Good In himselfe Goodnesse Good to vs. Psal. 100. The Lord is Good his mercie is euerlasting He is True Life saith August A Quo aucrtâ—â— cadere in Quem conuerti resurgere in Quo manere vinere est From Him to turne is to fall to Him to returne is to rise in Him to abide is to liue for euer Dauid in the 59. Psalme calls him his Mercie Deus meus misericordia mea my God my Mercie Whereupon Augustine sweetely discourses If thou hadst sayd my Health I know what thou hadst meant because God giues health If thou hadst sayd my Refuge I vnderstand because thou fliest vnto him If thou hadst said my strength I conceaue thy meaning because he giues strength But Misericordiamea quid est Totum quicquid sum de misericordia tuá est My Mercie What is it I am by thy Mercie whatsoeuer I am Bernard would haue vs speake of God in abstracto not onely to call him Wise Mercifull good but Wisedome Mercie Goodnesse Because the Lord is without accidents at all For as hee is most Great without quantitie so he is most Good without qualitie Nil habet in se nisi se He hath nothing in him but himselfe God then being Good not onely formaliter good in himselfe but also effectiuè good to vs teacheth vs to loue him Wee should loue goodnesse for it owne sake but when it reflects vpon vs there is a new inuitation of our loue The LORD WEe haue heard his Goodnesse listen to his Greatnesse In this Title we will consider his Maiestie as wee did in the other his Mercie Lord implies a great State â— the Title is giuen to a great man vpon earth But if an earthen Lord be great Quantus est Dominus qui Dominos facit How great is the Lord which makes Lords yea and vnmakes them two at his pleasure This is an absolute and independant Lord. 1. Cor. 8. There may be many Gods and many Lords But this is Ille Dominus The Lord or that Lord that commaunds and controlls them all They are Domini titulares this is Dominus tutelaris They are in title and name this in deed and power There are Many
by his bountifulnesse With vs to blesse God by our Thankefulnesse What should I say For Iesus Christ his sake let vs be Thankefull It is a good thing to giue thankes to the Lord saith our Psalmist Good for the vertue of the action Good for the excellencie of the obiect Good for the happinesse of the retribution For the Action it is better to Blesse then to curse Rom. 12. Blesse them that persecute you Blesse and curse not For the Obiect our Prayses are sung to a most glorious God one that is Beautie it selfe and onely worthy to inhabite the prayses of Israel For the Retribution If wee blesse God God will blesse vs As one notes that all Dauids Psalmes were either Hosanna or Halleluiah that is God blesse or God be blessed Either a Prayer for Mercie or a Prayse for Merciâ— Ascendat â—rgo gratia vt descendat gratia For Gratiarum cessat decursus vbi recursus non fuerit Grace will not come downe vnles Gratitude goe vp All Riuers runne backe to the Sea whence they were first deriued Let vs send vp our gifts to God that hee may sende downe his gifts to vs. Let vs not Vti datis tanquam innatis But remember that we hold all in Capite and are sutors to the Court of Heauen worthy to forfet our estates if we pay not the quit-rent of Thankefulnesse acknowledge not Gratitude and Obedience God will not long Catulis indulgâ—râ— Luporum pamper the Wolues whelps as the Prouerbe But he will forget them that forget him Wee haue a saying from Aristotle Nec in puerum nec in senem collocanduâ— esse beneficium That our beneficence should not be fixed vpon a Child or an Old man for the Child before he comes to age will forget it and the Old man will die before he can requite it Are wee all either Children or Old men that wee either not remember or not returne Thankefulnes to God for his mercies Yet saith the Psalmist Old men and Children prayse the Name of the Lord. With him let vs then say What shall we render to the Lord for all his Benefites towardes vs Dauid was inward with God yet he studied what Present he should offer him Hee lights vpon that which hee was onely able to giue and God most willing to receaue Thankefulnesse I will take the Cuppe of Saluation and blesse the Name of the Lord. Pray wee then to GOD to giue vs Thankefullnesse that wee may giue it him For of our selues wee haue not what to giue vnlesse the Lord giue vs wherewith to giue Let vs Shew foorth his louing kindnesse in his Morning and his faythfulnesse euery Night Morning and Euening let vs prayse him that hath made the Day for our labour and the Night for our rest And that not ex vsu magis quam sensu but with a heartie humilitie Giue vnto the Lord the Glory due to his Name Bring your Sacrifiâ—e and come into his Courts Let no opportunitie steale by neglected but Reioyce in the Lord yee righteous and giue thankes at the remembrance of his Holynesse No Garment better becomes you though you haue almost put it out of fashion then to Prayse the Lord For Prayse is comely for the righteous Thanksgiuing is the best Sauce to our Meate and blesseth all the Dishes on the Table When thou hast eaten and art full thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God Whether we eate or drinke worke or rest let vs set that golden Poesie on all our labours which the Angel to Zachay gaue of the Head-stone Grace grace vnto it Hee spake pleasant truth that said He that riseth from the Table without giuing of thanks goes his way owes for his Ordinary He is vnthankefull that is vnmindfull of a benefite vnthankeful that requites it not vnthankefull that dissembles it but most vnthankefull that denies it Though wee cannot requite Gods fauour we will neither forget it nor dissemble it nor denie it I haue purposely been liberall in this doctrine neither beg I pardon for prolixitie It was necessary for the Text no lesse for our times God hath shewed vs his Light and wee bring foorth the workes of Darknesse We say we al are thankefull Our Words will not passe with God without our Deeds Our Words are so fickle and false that wee dare not trust one another without manuscrips Scriueners must be employed in al our commerce And shall God take our words with whom we haue broke so often No beloued wee must sette our hands to it and to speake to our capacitie in the Citie seale it and deliuer it as our act and deed wee must worke that which is good I appeale from mens Lippes to their Liues Verba rebus probate sayth Seneca The forme the life the Soule of Thankefulnesse is Obedience Wee like blinde Isaac cannot see your Hearts but say Let mee feele thee my sonne If your Liues be rugged like the Hands of Esau we dare not trust your Voyce for the Voyce of Iacob If your deedes be rough and sensible of rebellion in vaine you tell vs you are Thankefull It is somewhat that you Enter into his Courts and speake good of his Name But you must also doe good for his Name and you shall be blessed I haue begun and will end with a Psalme O come then let vs fing vnto the Lord let vs reioyce to the Rocke of our saluation Let ve come before his presence with Thankesgiuing and make a ioyfull noyse to him with Psalmes For the Lord is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods God is the Lord that hath shewed vs Light binde the Sacrifice with Cords euen to the Hornes of the Altar FINIS POLITICKE HVNTING OR A Discouerie of the cunning Esauites of our times And Plaine Dealing or A president of Honesty The Text. Genes 25. 27. Esau was a cunning Hunter and a man of the field and Iacob was a plaine man dwelling in Tents WHen God hath a long while deferred his actuall Blessings to the importunate suppliants and extended their desires at last hee doubles on them the expected Mercie So hee recompenceth the dilation with the dilatation and enlarging of his fauours Rebecca had been long barren and now the Lord opens her Wombe and sets her a teeming she conceaues two at once It is obserueable that many holy Women ordained to be the mothers of men specially famous and worthy were yet long barren Sara the wife of Abraham that bore Isaac Rebeccah the wife of Isaac that bore Iacob Rahel the wife of Iacob that bore Ioseph Anna the mother of Samuel Elizabeth the mother of Iohn the Baptist Hereof may be giuen some reasons 1. One Chrysost. giues Vt ex mirabili partu stirilium praestrueretur fides partui virginis That by the miraculous Child-bearing of barren Women a way might be made to beleeue the birth of Christ by a Virgin 2. To shew that Israel
Goodnesse that he is willing to saue vs. Were hee neuer so Great if not Good to vs wee had litle helpe Were hee neuer so Good if not Great and of abilitie to succour vs wee had lesse comfort Hee would stand vs in small stead if either his Will or his Power was defectiue if either hee could not or would not saue vs. His Goodnesse without his Greatnesse might fayle vs His Greatnesse without his Goodnesse would terrifie vs. It is a happy concurrence when Mercie and Truth meet togeather when Righteousnesse and Peace kisse each other So sweetly singes the Psalmist Graciouâ— is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull Wherevpon S. Ambros. Bis misericordiam posuit semel iustitiam He is once sayd to be Righteous but twice in one verse to be Gratious It is sweete when both are conioyned as in the first and last verse of this Psalme O giue thaenkes to the Lord for hee is good for his Mercie endureth for euer The Lord is Good though Great yet also Good and his Mercie so well as his Iustice endures for euer Man hath no such assurance of comfort in God as to meditate that his great Power and good Will his Glory and Grace his Maiestie and Mercie met togeather These be Gods two Daughters Iustice and Mercie Let vs honour them both but let vs kisse and imbrace Mercie But alas wee haue dealt vnkindly with them both God hath two Daughters and we haue rauished them There is a Storie of a man that meeting in a Desart with two Virgin-sisters hee did rauish both of them Afterwards on his apprehension the former desired that he might iustly die for it The other did intreat as earnestly that he might liue and that she might enioy him for her Husband Man is that rauisher and those two Virgins are the Iustice and Mercie of God Against his Iustice we haue sinned and prouoked his indignation to strike vs yea euen his Mercie we haue abused For her sake we haue been spared and a longer day of repentance giuen vs yet we haue despised the riches of this Mercie and presuming on Mercie haue dared to multiply our transgressions Iustice pleades to God that we should die vrgeth his Law Who so euer sinneth shall die And Death is the wages of sinne Mercie intreats beseecheth that wee may liue and produceth the Gospell Who so euer repents shall be pardoned Who so euer beleeues shall be saued And for further assurance brings foorth that blessed Pardon sealed in the Wounds and Blood of Iesus Christ. God hearkens to Mercie for his Sonnes sake though wee haue rauished and wronged his Mercie yet for Mercies sake we shall be forgiuen But then we must be marryed to Mercie marryed in our Fayth beleeuing on Christ marryed in our good life being merciâ—ull vnto men The Blessing WEe see the Author let vs looke on his Blessingâ— Light Hee hath-sâ—â—wed vs Light Wee are come into the Light and therefore haue light enough of an ample Discourse But my purpose is onely to shew you this Light as the word is in my Text not to dwell on it though I pray that all you and my selfe may for euer dwell in it LIGHT SVch as the Giuer is such is the Gift 1. Ioh. â— God is Light and in him is no Darknesse at all And S. Iames cals him the Father of Light God is So Glorious a Light that as the Sunne dazeleth the eyes too stedfastly fixed on it so his incomprehensible Maiestie confounds all those that too curiously pry into it So Cleare a Light that hee sees into all corners The eyes of God are in euery place beholding the euill and the good Hee searcheth more narrowly then the beames of the Sunne Hee sees Briberie in the Office Adulterie in the Clossâ—t Fraude in the Shoppe though the Pent-house makes it as darke as a roome in Bedlam So Good a Light that in him is no darknesse not so much as a shadow There is none in him there comes none from him Indeed hee made outward Darknesse of Hell the wages of sinne But he neuer made the inward Darknesse of the Soule which is sinne So Constant a Light that though the Sunne be variable in his Course somtimes shining bright often Clouded yet God is without change as the Moone without Eclipsing as the Sunne without Setting as the Starres So Spreading a Light that he communicates it to vs. This is the true Light which Lighteth euery one that commeth into the world Without whom we should haue beene wrapped in an eternall miserable Darkenesse but that he sent one To giue Light to them that sate in Darkenesse and in the shadow of Death to guide their feete into the way of Peace And this is the Light which he here sheweth vs. By the consent of all Expositors in this Psalme is Typed the comming of Christ and his kingdome of the Gospell This is manifested by an Exaltation by an Exultation by a Petition by a Benediction The Exaltation Ver. 22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the Corner The Iewes refused this Stone but God hath Built his Church vpon it The Exultation Ver. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made wee will reioyce and be glad in it A more blessed Day then that Day was wherein hee made man when he had done making the world Reioyce we and be glad in it The Petition Ver. 25. Saue now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now Prosperytie Thy Iustice would not suffer thee to saue without the Messias he is come Saue Now O Lord I beseech thee Our Sauiour is come let mercie and saluation come along with him The Benediction makes all cleare ver 25. Blessed be hee that commeth in the name of the Lord. For what Dauid here prophecied the people after accomplished Math. 21. Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. The Corollary or Summe is in my Text. ver 27. God is the Lord that hath shewed vs light bind the Sacrifice with Cordes to the Hornes of the Altar It was truly sayd Lex est Lux the Law is Light But vnable to light vs to Heauen not through it owne but our deficiencie Hereon it did not saue but condemne vs. Lex non damnans est ficta et picta Lex That Law that doth not condemne vs is a faigned and painted Law The Apostle calles it the Ministration of death Let then the lesse Light giue place to the greater Legalia fuerunt ante passionem Domini vina Statim post passionem mortua hodie sepulta The Legall rites were before the Passion of Christ aliue straight after his Passion dead now buried Or as another The Ceremonies of the Law were in their prime Mortales in Christes age Mortuae in our time Mortiferae They were at first Dying in our Sauiours time Dead in ours Deadly The Law was giuen by Moses
Saboths Sacraments word Ministers are vilipended our selues standing by with a guiltie silence Oh which of vs hath not beene Guiltie of this Ingratitude It was the exprobation of Athens that shee suffred those men to die in exile ignominie obliuion that with their vertuous endeauours had reared her vp on the Pillars of Fame Miltiades Aristides Solon Phocion Vbi vixerunt Vbi iacent Where liued they where lye they Their worthy Actes gaue glory to that Citie and that Cittie couerd them with the inglorious dust of obscuritie So the Lord Iesus had made vs liue that were dead and we doe what we can to let his lining name dye amongst vs. The Grecians had a Prouerbe amongst them against them Pro meritis male tractarunt Agamemnona Graâ—i Agamemnon for the Honour of Greece had done great seruice to the conquest and subuersion oâ— Troy And when he came home was Slaine by his owne Wife Clitemnestra by the helpe of Aegistus the adulterer Christ loued vs as his Wife endowed vs with all his owne Riches Conquers Troy for vs subdues all our Enemies and returning home when he expects to finde peace and kind entertainment in our hearts we fall to vexing and wounding him forsaking his loue and cleauing to the world in a Cursed Adulterie So Dulcem pro meritis tractamus acerrime Christum So bitterly doe we requite our sweete Sauiour for his mercies Scipio had made Rome Lady of Affricke And comming home with Triumph ouer that and Hanibal the Senate banished him into a bace village where dying he commanded this sculpture to be engrauen on his Tombe Ingrata Patria ne ossa quidem mea habes Vnthankfull Countrey thou hast not so much as my very bones Many and mightie deliuerances hath the Lord giuen vs. From furious Amalâ—kites that came with a Nauy as they bragg'd able to fetch away our Land in Turues From an angry and raging Pestilence that turned the popular Streetes of this Cittie into solitude From a Treason wherein men conspired with Deuils for Hell was brought vp to their coniurations and a whole brewing of that salt Sulphure was tunn'd vp in Barrels for vs to drinke Behold and kisse the feete of his Mercie wee are deliuered by Iesus Christ from all these miseries and mischiefes Oh let vs not voluntarily call vpon ourselues a worse then all these our owne Vnthankefulnesse Let not Christ say Ingratâ— Anglia ne ossa quidem mea habes Vnthankefull England thou hast not so much as my bones the prints and sensible impressions of these fauours in thy memorie Thou hast shut thy Sauiour out of thy minde and buried him in neglectfull obliuion Take heed least in a iust quittance hee exclude thee from his thoughts and forget to do thee any more good Least he take away his Name his Glory his Light his Gospell from thee and bestow it on those vnchristned borders where now his great Maiestie is not adored How iustly might hee leaue vs in our former wretchednesse There is a pretty Fable the morall of it will profitably fitte our present Discourse A Serpent accidentally inclosed betwixt two great Stones that hee could no way es extricate himselfe made his moane to a man passing by to deliuer him The man with much force remooued the Stone and set him free The Serpent now feeling his libertie thus bespake his deliuerer I confesse you haue done mee a kindnesse in helping me out being almost famished But now I am out my hunger is so violent that I must needes take the benefite of my fortune and deuoure you The man vrged his Ingratitude but to no purpose for the Serpent would eate him Instantly hee spied an Asse comming and desired the Serpent to put it to his iudgement The Serpent was contented knowing that the Asse durst not but condemne the man for his prey least hee endangered himselfe The case was pleaded on both sides the Man vrging his kindnesse the Serpent his hunger But the Asse gaue iudgement on the Serpents side who is now ready to set on the Man Hereupon flyes by an Eagle to whom the Man appealed for Iudgement in this controuersie The Eagle hearing the cause debated demanded of the Serpent if hee could haue freed himselfe without the mans ayde The Serpent answered affirmatiuely and sayd it was onely his policie by this tricke to get the Man within his reach The Eagle desires to see the place the Man shewes it The Eagle bids the Serpent goe into the hole againe for more certaine demonstration The Serpent doth so and the Man remooues the other Stone as it was before and reincloseth the Serpent The Eagle now bids the Serpent deliuer himselfe Hee replied hee could not Then quoth the Eagle this is my iudgement The next time the Man lets thee foorth doe thou take him for thy prey and eate him It cannot be denyed but wee were once surer in Satans hold then this Serpent is imagin'd to be betweene the Stones The Man Christ Iesus in pittie redeemed vs and gaue vs libertie Wee are no sooner out but we fall to deuoure him to make his poore members his poore Ministers our Prey to wound his Name with Blasphemies to steale his Goods with Sacriledge and to giue his Honour either to other Creatures or to our owne Wittesâ— as if we could haue deliuered our selues Let any be Iudge but the Asse our owne flesh blood and we are sure to be condemned for Ingratitude But if Christ should in his Iustice put vs againe into our former hole leaue vs in the power of Satan Who would not say with the Eagle The next time hee sets vs free let vs take him for our bootie and deuoâ—â—e our Redeemer It is recorded of Alexander an Emperour famoused for his liberalitie and of Iulius Caesar no lesse commended for his patience that the former would neuer giue nor the other forgiue an Ingratefull person Wretched were wee if the Lord should with-hold from vs either of these Mercies If he should shut vp the Flud-gates of his Bountie and cease giuing or locke vp the Treasure-house of his Mercie and leaue forgiuing If hee should neither Donare bona sua nor Condonare mala nostra woe vnto vs Wee might curse our Births or rather our Ingratitude Wee hope still God will be mercifull to vs for Christ his sake So God of vs hee hopes wee will be obedient to him for Christ his sake Petimusque damusque vicissim As wee expect God should saue vs for the merites of his Sonne So God expectes wee should serue him for the merites of his Sonne If the bitter sufferings and heart-blood of Iesus cannot get of vs the forbearance of Iniquitie How shall it get for vs the forgiuenesse of Iniquitie As wee intreat God for his Mercie to bee good to vs So God intreats vs for his Mercie to bee good to him and therein most good to our selues O let that Goodnesse that reconciles vs both preuaile with vs both With God to blesse vs
and disposing all things is brought in as the preordainer of Iacobs lie that I say not the Patron But not without derogation to his diuine Iustice. For first it appeares not that this was the counsell of God but onely Rebeccaes deuice verse 8. Heare my voice my sonne in that which I commaund thee My voice not Gods what I command not what GOD approoues 2. If Iacob had receiued any oraculous warrant for this proiect hee would not haue had so doubtfull an opinion of the successe The matter was forseene of God not allowed for God neuer inspireth lies Gods wise disposition of this meanes affords no warrant of his approbation He ordereth many things which hee ordayned not The means were so vnlawfull that Iacob himselfe doth more distrust their successe then hope for their blessing He knew that good Isaac beeing â—o plaine-hearted himselfe would seuerely punish deceit in his sonne Men in office truely honest are the sorest enemies to fraudulent courses in others Hee therefore carries his meate in trembling hands and scarce dares hope that God will blesse such a subtletie with good euent Yet he did but how Heere was prodigall dissembling a dissembled person a dissembled name dissembled venison dissembling answere yet beholde a true blessing to the man not to the meanes Thus God may worke his owne will out of our infirmities yet without approuall of our weakenesse or wronging the integritie of his owne goodnes 2. Some haue confessed it a lie but a guiltlesse he by reason of a necessitie imagined in this exigent as if GOD could not haue wrought Isaacs heart to blesse Iacob in this short interim whiles Esau was gone a hunting for venison Origen sayes that Necessitie may vrge a man to vse a lie as sawce to his meate Another as Physicians vse Hellebora But that which is simply euill can by no apologie be made good Causa patrocinio non bona peicr erit 3. Some take from it all imputation of alie and directly iustifie it Augustine thinkes Iacob spoke mystically and that it is to bee referred to Iacobs bodie not to Iacobs person to the Christian Church that should take away the Birthright from the elder But wee may better receiue that Iacob fell into an infirmitie then the colour of an allegorie Neyther doth the successe iustifie the meanes As some Philosophers haue deliuered that Prosperum scelus vocatur virtus luckie wickednesse merites the name of goodnesse But Iacobs one act of falshoode shall not disparage wholly that simplicitie the Scripture giues him Hee was a plaine man To bee vniust condemnes a man not the dooing of one singular act vniustly therefore God casts not off Iacob for this one infirmitie but makes vse of this infirmity to serue his owne purpose If Esaus and Iacobs workes bee weighed together in a ballance one would thinke the more solide vertue to bee in Esau's Esau obeyeth his fathers will painefully hunts venison carefully prepares it heere is nothing but praise-worthy Iacob dissembles offers kids flesh for venison counterfets Esau beguiles his father here is all blame-worthy I will not heereon speake as a Poet Committunt eadem diuerso crimina fato Ille crucem sceleris pretium tuâ—it hic diadem But inferre with the Apostle The purpose of God shall remaine by election which standeth not in workes but in grace Therefore howsoeuer Iacob got the Blessing against Isaacs will yet once giuen it stood neyther did the father recant this act as an errour but sawe in it the mercie of God that preuented him of an errour so verse 33. I haue blessed him therefore hee shall bee blessed When afterwards Esau came in Isaac trembled his heart tolde him that hee should not haue intended the Blessing where hee did and that it was due to him vnto whom it was giuen not intended Hee sawe now that hee had performed vnwilling iustice and executed Gods purpose against his owne He rather cries mercy for wrong intending then thinkes of reuersing it Yet then may Iacob stand for our precedent of Plaine-Dealing notwithstanding this particular weakenesse Who hath not oftener erred without the losse of his honest reputation Not that his fact should embolden an imitation let vs not tell Iacobs lie to get Iacobs blessing It would be presumption in vs what was in him infirmity and God that pardond his weaknesse would curse our obstinatenesse There is yet one cauill more against Iacobs integrity concerning Laban ABout the parti-coloured sheepe whether it were a fault in Iacob by the deuice of the pilled and straked roddes to enrich himselfe The answere is threefolde 1. This was by the direction of God Genesis 31. 11. who being an infinite and illimited Lord hath an absolute power to transferre the right of things from one to another as he might iustly giue the Land of Canaan to the Israelites from the vsurping Cananites 2. Iacob apprehends this meanes to recouer his owne due vnto him by a double right first as the wages of twenty yeares seruice Genesis 31. 7. yet vnpayd Secondly as the dowry for his wiues whom miserable Laban had thrust vppon him without any competent portion Thirdly especially Gods warrant concurring it was lawfull for him to recouer that by policie which was detained from him by iniury So did the Israelites borrow of the Egyptians their best goods iewells and ornaments and bore them away as a iust recompence of their long seruice 3. Lastly hee is quitted by that saying Volenti non fit iniuria Laban sees that hee was well blessed by Iacobs seruice the encreasing his flockes makes him loath to part But Iacob hath serued long enough for a dead pay somewhat hee must haue or be gone His hard vnckle biddes him aske a hire you know Iacobs demaund Laban readily promoues this bargaine which at last made his sonne in law rich and himselfe enuious So sayth Caluine Tractatus est prosuo ingenio Laban is handled in his kinde Hee thought by this meanes to haue multiplyed his owne flockes but those few spotted sheepe and goates vpon this couenant as if they had beene weary of their olde owner alter their fashion and runne their best yoong into party-colours changing at once their colour and their maister So that this meanes which Iacob vsed was not fraudulent or artificiall but naturall not depending vpon mans witte but Gods blessing who considering his tedious and painfull seruice payes him good wages out of his vnckles foldes For foureteene yeares the Lord hath for Iacob enriched Laban therefore for these last six he will out of Laban enrich Iacob And if the vnckles flocke be the greater the nephews shall be the better Most iustly then is Iacob cleared from iniustice and no aspersion of fraud with Laban can be cast to discredite his Plaine-Dealing He dwelt in Tents TWo things are obseruable in the holy Partriarchs and commendable to all that wil be heires with them of eternall life 1. Their contempt of the world They that dwell in
graces in an holy emulation if I may so speake striuing for the chiefedome and our Apostle giues it to Loue. The greatest of these is Charity Not that other Daughters are blacke but that Charity excels in beauty Wee may say of this Sister as it was sayd of the good Woman Prou. 31. Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surpassest them all Paul doth not disparage any when he sayth Charity is the greatest All starres are bright though one starre may differ from another in glory Wee may say of graces as of the Captaines of the sonnes of Gad the least can resist a hundred the greatest a thousand Or as the song was of Saul and Dauid Saul hath slaine his thousand Dauid his ten thousand Faith is excellent so is Hope but the greatest of these is Charitie Mee thinkes these three Theologall Vertues may not vnfitly bee compared to three great Feastes which wee celebrate in the yeare Easter Whitsuntide and Christmas Faith like Easter beleeues Christ dead for our sinnes and risen againe for our Iustification Hope like Pentecost waites for the comming of the holy Ghost Gods free Spirit of grace to come into vs and to bring vs to Heauen And Charitie lookes like Christmas full of loue to our neighbours full of hospitality and mercy to the poore These are three strings often touched Faith whereby wee beleeue all Gods promises to bee true and ours Hope whereby we waite for them with patience Charitie whereby vee testifie what wee beleeue and hope Hee that hath faith cannot distrust hee that hath hope cannot bee put from anchor he that hath charity will not lead a licentious life for Loue keepes the commandements For Methods sake wee might first conferre them all then preferre one But I will speake of them according to the three degrees of comparison 1. Positiuely 2. Comparatiuely 3. Superlatiuely The greatest of these is Charitie Faith IS that grace which makes Christ ours and all his benefites God giues it 1. Cor. 12. Faith is giuen by the spirit By the Word preached Rom. 10. Faith comes by hearing For Christ his sake To you it is giuen for Christ his sake to beleeue in his name This vertue is no sooner giuen of God but it giues God So soone as thou beleeuest Christ is thine and all his For he that giues vs Christ will also with him giue vs all things Without this it is impossible to please God Let vs not otherwise dare to come into his presence There is nothing but wrath in him for sinne in vs. Ioseph charged his brethren that they should come no more in his sight vnlesse they brought Beniami◠with them Wee come at our perill into Gods presence if wee leaue his beloued Beniamin our deare Iesus behind vs. When the Philosopher heard of the inraged Emperours menace that the next time hee saw him hee would kill him he tooke vp the Emperours little sonne in his armes and saluted him with a potes ne Thou canst not now strike mee God is angry with euery man for his sinnes happie is hee that can catch vp his sonne Iesus for in whose armes soeuer the Lord sees his sonne he will spare him The men of Tyre are faine to intercede to Herod by Blastus Act. 12. Our intercession to God is made by a higher and surer way not by his seruant but by his sonne Now this Mediator is not had without a medium Faith Fides medium à quo remedium Faith is that meanes whereby wee lay hold on this Christ. Diffidence shall neuer haue Iesus for the Aduocate Though euerie man may say I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Saint Paul vseth one word that very significantly expresseth Faith calling it the Euidence of things not seene Fides est credere quod non vides cuius merces est videre quod credis Faith is to beleeue what thou seest whose reward is to see what thou beleeuest Now the Metaphore may be extended thus 1. Christ dying made a Will or a Testament scaling it with his owne bloud wherein hee bequeathed a certain Legacie of Inheritance to his brethren with himselfe Ioh. 17. Father I will that they whom thou hast giuen mee bee with mee where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me This is the substance of his Will and Testament 2 The Conueyance of this Will is the Gospell Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptized shall bee saued A large Patent a free and full grant There is no exception of persons eyther in regard of state quality or Country There is neyther Iew nor Greeke bond nor free male nor female for yee are all one in Christ Iesus The conueyance is of an ample latitude 3. The Executor or Administrator of this Will if I may so speake is the holy Ghost that Comforter which Christ promised to send that should lead vs into all truth This Spirit begets faith sanctification in our hearts puts Abba into our mouthes applyes the merites of our Sauiour to our soules and indeed seales vs vp to the day of redemption Without his assistance wee could appropriate no comfort by his Will nor challenge any Legacie therein bequeathed 4. Lastly the Euidence whereby euery particular man apportions to himselfe this title and interest is his Faith Thou vnregenerate soule pleadest a Legacie in this Will Goe to let vs ioyne issue come to tryal Where is thy Euidence Here it is my Faith This Euidence as all other must haue some witnesses produce thine and before the Barre of the great Chiefe Iustice the Kings Bench of Heauen let them not lie The first is thy Conscience Alas giue this leaue to speake without interruption and one day it shal not flatter thee This sayth thy Euidence is false counterfeit forged by a wretched Seriuener flesh and bloud for thy heart trusts in vncertainely good riches or in certainely bad vanities more then in the liuing God The next is thy life Alas this is so speckled with sinnes so raw and sore with lusts that as a body broken out into blaines and biles argues a corrupted liuer or stomacke within so the spottes and vlcers of thy life demonstrate a putrified heart Loe now thy witnesses Thou art gone at the common Law of Iustice It is onely the Chancerie of mercy that must cleare thee What wilt thou now doe What but humble thy selfe in repentance for thy false faith take prayer in thy company for pardon of former errors goe by the word preached for the Minister is as it were the Register to ingrosse the deed and desire God on the humbled knees of thy soule to giue thee a new and a true Euidence Let this instruct vs to some vses 1. Be sure that thy Euidence is good Satan is a subtill Lawyer and thou doest not doubt of his malice and will soone picke holes in it find out tricks and cauils against it He will winnow and sift thee
grain after graine take heed lest thou run not all to chaffe There is a Faith of Saints Gal. 2. Now liue not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life that I liue I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God And there is a faith of Deuils Iam. 2. Thou beleeuest thou doest well the Deuils beleeue and tremble There is a faith which cannot perish Ioh. 3. Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish And there is a faith that in the time of temptation fals away Luk. 8. The rockie ground receiues the Word and for a while beleeueth but in the time of temptation fall away There is a faith which the world ouercommeth such was the faith of Demas And there is a faith that ouercommeth the world 1. Ioh. 5 This is the victorie whereby wee ouercome the world euen our faith There is a dead idle and infructuous faith Iam. 2. 14. And there is a liuely actiue working faith Gal. 5. Faith worketh by loue Bee sure then that thy faith will endure the toucheuen the fiery tryall 2 Doe not loose such a Legacie as Christ hath bequeathed for want of faith Glorious is the inheritance but where is thy Euidence Flatter not thy soule with hope of this possession without the assurance of faith Christ giues his life for his sheepe What is this to thee that art a Wolfe a Swine a Goate God dresseth his Vineyard pruneth it watereth it is prouident ouer it What 's this to thee that art a thorne and no branch of the Vine Looke thou to be weeded vp and throwne out The bloud of Christ runnes fresh but where is thy pipe of faith to deriue it from his side to thy conscience Say it should showre mercy yet if thou wantest faith all would fall besides thee There would be no more fauour for thee then if there was no Sauiour Let then no miseries of earth much lesse pleasures quench thy faith Satan seeing this sparke of fire kindled in thy heart would blow it out with stormes or worke thee to smother it thy selfe with vanities or to rake it vp in the dead embers of cold security but beleeue against sight and sense As Dauid prophesied that hee should be a King Eo plus habet fides meriti quo minus argumenti Faith shall haue so much the more recompence as it had the lesse argument to induce it Hope IS the sweetest friend that euer kept a distressed soule company it beguiles all the tediousnesse of the way all the miseries of our Pilgrimage Iam mala finissem letho sed eredula vitam Spes fouet melius cras foresemper ait Therefore dum spiro spero sayes the Heathen but dum expiro spero sayes the Christian. The one whilest I liue I hope the other when I dye I hope so Iob I will hope in thee though thou killest â—ee It tels the soule such sweet stories of the succeeding ioyes what comforts there bee in heauen what peace what ioy what triumphes mariage-songs and Halleluiahs there are in that Country whether shee is trauelling that shee goes merrily away with her present burden It holds the head whilst it takes and giues invisible drinke to the thirsty conscience It is a liberty to them that are in prison and the sweetest Physicke to the sicke Saint Paul calles it an Anchor Let the windes blow and the stormes beat and the waues swell yet the Anchor stayes the shippe It breakes through all difficulties and makes way for the soule to follow it It teacheth Abraham to expect fruit from a withered stocke and Ioseph in a dungeon to looke for the Sunne and Starres obeysance It counsels a man as Esdras did the woman that hauing lost her sonne would needs dye languishing in the disconsolate fields Goe thy way into the City to thine husband Mourne not wretch for the losse of some worldly and perishing delight sit not downe and die though the fruit of thy wombe bee swallowed into the earth But goe home to the citie the City of mercy to thine husband euen thy husband Iesus Christ let him comfort thee This is the voyce of hope Though misery be present comfort absent though through the dimme and waterish humor of thy heart thou canst spie no deliuerance yet such is the nature of Hope that futura facta dicit It speakes of future things as if they were present Rom. 8. Wee are saued by hope Yet sic liberati vt adhuc speranda sit haereditas postea possidenda Nunc habemius ius adrem nondum inre Wee haue our inheritance in hope which giues vs the right of the substance though not the substance of the right assurance of the possession though not possession of the thing assured This tels vs that Nemo valde dolebit diu no man should grieue much and long God making our misery aut tolerabilem aut breuem eyther sufferable or short These are the comforts of Hope Now that you may not bee deceyued there is as I sayde before of Faith a thing like Hope which is not it There is a bold and presumptuous Hope an ignorant security and vngrounded perswasion the very illusion of the Diuell who when hee cannot preuaile with downe-right euill cozens with the shadowes of goodnesse that how wickedly and wretchedly soeuer a man shall liue though hee sucke the poisonous dugs of lust though hee surres himselfe warme with poore mens hearts though hee forbids his braines as on couenant one sober houre in the yeaae to thinke of heauen though hee thirst for carowses of bloud though he striues to powder a whole Kingdome with the cornes of death and massacre though hee carries halfe a dozen impropriate Churches on his sacrilegious backe though hee out-thunder heauen with blasphemies though hee trample vnder his profane foote the precious bloud of Gods sonne yet still hee hopes to bee saued by the mercy of God But wee will sooner cast pearles to swine and bread to dogges then the comforts of Sion to such Wee say not Reioyce tremble but tremble without reioycing Wee sing not to them with the Lord is mercy that hee might bee feared but with the Lord is iudgement and vengeance with him is plague and pestilence storme and tempest horrour and anguish indignation and wrath that hee may bee feared Against this Hope wee shut vp the bosome of consolation and the promise of safety by the merites of Christ and so farre as wee are charged the verie gates of euerlasting life There is an Hope sober faithfull well grounded well guarded well assured This is like a house built on a rocke The rocke is Gods promised mercy the building Hope in Christ it is as it were moted or intrenched about with his bloud bulwarked and rampirde with the Sacraments assured by the sweet testimonie of Gods Spirit to the Conscience knowne by the Charity of the Inhabitants for it keeps bread for the hungrie clothes for the naked entertainment for
resemblance of the Trinity vncreate For as there the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceedes from them both so heere a true faith begets a constant hope and from them proceedes Charity Thus is Gods Temple built in our hearts sayth August The foundation whereof is Faith Hope the erection of the wals Charity the perfection of the roofe In the godly all these three are vnited together cannot bee sundred Wee beleeue in Gods mercy wee hope for his mercy and we loue him for his mercy Faith sayes there are good things prepared Hope sayes they are prepared for me Charity sayes I endevour to walke worthy of them So that what good Faith beleeues shall bee Hope expects for her selfe and Charity aymes at the way to get it by keeping the commandements Faith apprehends both reward and punishment Hope onely lookes for good things for our selues Charity desires the glory of God and the good of all our Brethren The second degree giues way to the third last best the Superlatiue But the greatest of these is Charity Time will not afforde mee to answere all the obiections which subtill wits haue inconsequently deduced from these words Neyther were it to other purpose then to write Iliades after Homer they haue been so soundly and satisfyingly answered already I will only mention two and but report a responsiue Solution 1 The principall promises are made to beleeuers Whosoeuer beleeues and is baptized shall bee saued So no lesse a promise is made to Louers Rom. 8. All things shall worke together to the best to those that loue God c. God sayth the Psalmist is neere to those that call vpon him Hee is close by all those that suffer for him but he is within those that loue him Heere is Prope â—uxta Intus This same Intra within is of the highest degree 1. Ioh. 4. God is loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him O vnspeakable felicity 2 If Charity be greater then faith then is not man iustified by faith onely Inconsequent illation Saint Paul commends not loue for the vertue of Iustification it may fayle in that particular action yet receiue no impeachment to the excellency of it By demonstration A Prince doth excell a peasant shall any man therefore inferre that hee can plow better or haue more skill in tillage A Philosopher doth excell a Mechanicke though he cannot grinde so well as a Miller or lim so cunningly as a Painter A man is better then a beast who but a mad-man will therefore conclude that hee can runne faster then a horse draw more then an oxe or carry a greater burden then an Elephant Though he fayle in these particular arts yet none will deny but hee is better then a beast The truth is that in FÃ ith stands originally our fellowship with God Into that hand he powreth the riches of his mercy for salvation and were the actions of Charity neuer so great and foolishly thought meritorious yet if not the effects of a true sauing Faith they are lost and a man may for his Charitie goe to the Deuill And though they would plead from the forme of the last iudgement Math. 25. that God accepts men to life for their deeds of Charitie feeding clothing releeuing Yet the Scripture fully testifies that God neither accepts these nor our selues for these further then they are the effects of a true faith Our persons being first iustified by faith in Christ then God will crowne our works Yet a Christian must worke for no nudifidian so well as no nullifidian shall be admitted into heauen Therefore sayth the Apostle Faith worketh by loue For Faith is able to iustifie of it selfe not to vorke of it selfe The hand alone can receiue an Almes but cannot cut a peece of wood without an axe or some instrument Faith is the Christians hand and can without helpe receyue Gods giuen grace into the heart but to produce the fruits of obedience and to vorke the actuall duties required it must haue an instâ—ument adde Loue to it and it worketh by loue So that the one is our Iustification before God and the other our Testification before men Wherein then consists this high transcendency of Charity In two priviledges incommunicable to Faith and Hope Latitude and Perpetuity 1. For Latitude Loue is the greatest Faith and Hope are restrayned within the limits of our particular persons The iust man liues by his owne faith and hopes good to himselfe but Loue is like the Vine which God brought out of Egypt and cast out the heathen to plant it which couereth the mountaines with the shadow of the boughes spreads the branches vnto the sea and the riuers It is like the Sunne in the skie that throwes his comfortable beames vpon all and forbeares not to warme euen that earth that beareth weeds Loue extends to earth heauen In heauen it affecteth God the Maker and mover the Angels as our Guardians the triumphant Saints for their pious sanctitie On earth it imbraceth those that feare the Lord especially it wisheth conversion to those that do not it counsels the rich it comforts the poore it reverenceth superiors respecteth inferiors doth good to friends no evill to foes wisheth well to all This is the latitude of Charity The property of faith is to receyue into it selfe the property of loue to lay out it selfe to others So that faith hath but narrow limits but the extent of Loue is vniversall not bounded with the world Faith beleeues for thy selfe but Charity deriues driues the effects of thy faith to others Thy faith relieues thy self thy charity thy brother 2. For perpetvity and continuance Faith laies hold on Gods gracious promise for everlasting salvation Hope expects this with patience but when God shal fulfil his word vs with ioy then Faith shall be at an end hope at an end but Loue shal remain between God vs an everlasting bond Therefore sayth the Apostle Now abideth faith c. Now. Now three then one and that is Charity When wee haue possession of those pleasures which we hoped and beleeued what longer vse is there of Faith or Hope But our loues shall not end with our liues Wee shall euerlastingly loue our our Maker Saviour Sanctifier Angels Saints where no discontent shall breed any iarre in our Halleluiahs If the vse of loue bee so comfortable on earth what may wee thinke it will be in heaven Thus sayth Chrysost Onely loue is eternall Now Faith and Hope hold vp the hands of Charity as Aaron and Hur helde vp the hands of Moses but then their vse and office shall cease Tunc non erit spes quando erit spes Hope shall not bee when the thing hoped is Hope shall bring in possession possession shall thrust out Hope Therefore sayth Augustine is Charity greater Et si non propter eminentiam tamen propter permanentiam If not for the excellency yet for
Trueth neuer speake it of vs that wee haue the Booke of the Lord in our Hands not the doctrine in our Consciences That wee haue Gods Seales yet vn-marked Soules That De virtutibus vacui loquimâ—â— Wee speake of the Graces wee haue not It was once spoken of Greece in regard of the ruines â—ea of the vtter extinction for Etiam periere ruinae Grâ—ciam in Graecia quaerimus non inuenimus Wee seeke for Greece in Greece and can not find it Let it neuer be sayd of vs in respect of our recidiuall disobedience Angliam in Anglia quaerimus et non inuenta est Wee seeke that famous Church of England in England and finde it not Many loue to liue within the circumference and reach of the Gospell because it hath brought Peace and that Peace Wealth and that Wealth Promotion But if this Health or Quiet might be vpheld or augmented by that Romane Harlot they would be ready to cry Great is Diana of the Ephesians and Christ might lodge long enough at Bethleem ere they would goe to visite him Our liues too prodigiously begin to pretend this But O faxit Deus vt nullum sit in omine pondus And for our selues Bel. Let vs not like the Priestes direct others to a Sauiour and stay at home our selues nor like the Trumpeter that encourageth others to the Battaile against the enemies of God and our saluation Nihil ipse nec ausus nec potuit our selues being Cowards and giuing neuer a stroke It is not enough to tell the people of a Sauiour in Bethleem Opus est etiam praeitione aut saltem coitione et pari congressu Wee must goe before them or at least goe with them For this cause I commend the Fayth of these Magi Seeing the Priestes doctrine concurres with the Starres dumbe direction though Herod will not leaue his Court nor the Scribes their ease nor the People their trades yet these men will goe alone to Christ. When thou art to imbrace Religion it is good going in company if thou canst get them for the greater blessinges â—alles vpon a multitude but resolue to goe though alone For thou shalt neuer see the Lord Iesus if thou tarry till all Ierusalem goe with thee to Bethleem WEe haue heard their Aduent or Accesse listen to the Euent or Successe They saw the young Child with Mary his Mother God hath answered the desire of their hearts they had vndertooke a long Iourney made a diligent inquirie no doubt their Soules longed with Simeon to see their Sauiour Loe he that neuer frustrates the faythfull affection giues abundant satisfaction to their hopes They saw the young Child with Mary his Mother Obserue Whom With whom Where they saw him Whom The young Child Meditate and wonder The Ancient of dayes is become a young Child The Infinitely great is made Litle The sustainer of all things Suckes Factor terrae factus interra Creator coel creatussub coelo He that made Heauen and Earth is made vnder Heauen vpon Earth The Creator of the world is Created in the world Created Litle in the world they saw the young Child With whom With Mary his Mother Mary was his Daughter is she now become his Mother Yes he is made the Child of Mary who is the Father of Mary Sine quo Pater nunquam fuit sine quo mater nunquam fuisset Without whom his Father in Heauen neuer was without whom his Mother on Earth had neuer beene Where It is euident in S. Lukes Gospell they found him lying in a Cratch He who sits on the right hand of the Maiestie on high was lodged in a stable He that Measures the Waters in his Fist and Heauen with a Spaâ—ne was now Crowned in a Manger and swadled with a few Ragges Here they finde neither Gard to defend him nor tumults of people thronging to see him neither Crowne on his Head nor Scepter in his hand but a young Child in a Cratch hauing so litle externall glory that they might haue saued their paine and seene many in their owne Countrey farre beyond him Our instruction hence is that God doth often strangly and strongly exercise the Fayth of his that their perswasion may not be guided Oculis but Oraâ—ulis by their Sight but his Word The eye of true Fayth is so quicke sighted that it can see through all the Mistes and Fogges of difficulties Hereon these Magi doe confidently beleeue that this poore Child lying in so base a manner is the great King of Heauen and Earth The fayth of man that is grounded on the promises of God must beleeue that in prison there is libertie in trouble peace in affliction comfort in Death life in the Crosse a Crowne and in a Manger the Lord Iesus The vse of this teacheth vs not to be offended at the basenesse of the Gospell lest we neuer come to the Honour to see Iesus It was an argument of the Deuils breaching Haue any of the Rulers or Pharises beleeued on him The great the learned the wise giue him no crâ—dence But this people that knoweth not the Law is Cursed None but a few oâ— the rascall companie follow him 〈◊〉 hereof Simeon resolued his mother Mary 〈…〉 set for the fall as well as the risiâ—g againe of many 〈…〉 for a Signe which shall be spoken against He should 〈…〉 but woe vnto them that so esteemed 〈…〉 to worke his will by 〈…〉 should apply a medicine contrary to 〈…〉 of the patient he would haue litle 〈…〉 the disease But such is Gods mâ—raculous working that he subdues Crownes to a Crosse ouercomes 〈…〉 pouertie ouerthrowes the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 Folishnesse of the Spirit and sets knees a 〈…〉 in a Manger YOu see their Accesse and the Euent or Successe which poynts determine their Direction Let vs come to their Deuotion Herein wee shall find a triplicitie to follow the method of Augustines Glosse Adorant corporibus vencrantur officijs honorant muneribus Christ had bestowed on these Magi three sorts of giftes Goods Corporall Spirituall Temporall And all these in a deuout thankefulnesse they returne to Christ. In Falling downe they did honour him with the Goods of the body In Worshipping him with the gifts of the Minde In Presenting to him guiftes Gold Frankincense Mirrhe with the goods of the World The Body and Minde I will knit togeather They fell downe and worshipped him It is fitte they should be partners in repentance that haue been confederates in sinne It is questioned whether in transgressing the body or the soule be most culpable I am sure either is guiltie It is all one a man that wants Eyes carries a man that wants Feete the lame that cannot goe spies a Bootie and tels his blind Porter of it that cannot see Hee that hath Eyes directes the way hee that hath Feet trauels to it but they both consent to steale it The Bodie without the Soule wants Eyes the Soule without the Body wants