Name of God I will blesse thy Name saieth hee IT is not without great cause that he mentioneth here the NAME of God For clearing of this wee shall shew you shortly first what is meaned by his Name 2. How great a ground this is to us of praise and blessing For the first A name properlie is not the thing it self which is named but is without it signifying representing and manifesting it Now God who in himself is hid cannot be manifested to us but by his works and word whereby we attaine to the knowledge of him that knowledge of him or rather himself or his divine perfections as they are made known and discovered to us is called his Name When he doth the works of Almightie power wee call him Omnipotent When he doeth the works of Iustice wisdom goodnes c. wee call him just wise good c. And of all these is made up his dreadfull glorious and blessed Name which he hath amongst men So that the Name which God hath amongst us lyeth first inwrapped in his works and from thence by the knowledge and due esteeme of them is convoyed to our hearts whence againe it is published and proclaimed everiewhere To this purpose the Lord being to declare his Name to Moses Exod. 34. 6. The LORD The LORD GOD mercifull gracious long suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth Keeping mercie for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. Thus the Name of Christ Iesus in whom God was reconciling the world to himself is called Isai 9. 6. Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God c. and Jerem. 23. 6. his name is called IEHOVA The Lord our Righteousnesse Let us now come to the second point and consider how great a ground of comfort and praise this Name is First it is so great a ground of comfort and consequently of praise that no grace is bestowed upon us nor promise of it made unto us but for this Names sake The Name of God is the originall root and spring out of which all flow and into which all are resolved It is of his goodnesse mercie which is his Name that he promiseth any thing to us and it is of his trueth and power which also belong unto his Name that these promises are accomplished Hence DAVID Psal 25. IT For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Secondly As wee can have no good but for and through his Name so in it and by it all goodnesse is to be had There is in it infinite sufficiencie of comfort against all our distresses wants and temptations if wee know it beleeve in it and call upon it Are thou perplexed with thy sinnes look upon the Name of God Exod. 34. This is a part of it The Lord God mercifull Hee is the Lord God and therefore able to forgive Hee is Mercifull therfore willing But it may be thou will say thy sinnes have made thee most unworthy of any favour Looke againe upon his Name Hee is Gracious and aboundant in goodnes saieth it Thy sinnes do not so abound but his grace goodnesse superabound If thou say thou hast continued long in sin and often relapsed Look to his Name there is comfort in it against this also Hee is long-suffering and slow to wrath In a word whatsoever be the heinousnesse of thy sinnes whatsoever the circumstances yet there is comfort in his Name and a ground of the hope of pardon for his Name beareth That he keepeth mercy beside him as it were in treasure forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Needest thou refreshment as well as pardon Look to his Name as it is elswhere descrived Hee is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort Who comforteth us in all our tribulations Would thou have peace The God of peace is his name also Would thou have grace to heale thy corruptions Hee is the God of all grace Would thou have wisdome to direct thee Hee is the Father of Lights All this belongeth to his Name In likemanner if wee look to the Name of Christ in whom and for whose sake all good is bestowed upon us by God wee shall find all manner of comforts His Name is The Prince of peace and according to it able to give us tranquillity in all out troubles His Name is the mighty God accordingly He is able to save us to the uttermost though there be nothing but troubls without and terrours within Would thou have his Image renewed in thee Hee is the Everlasting Father A Father to beget his Likenesse in us and Everlasting to preserve it in us To give us wisdome he is the Counsellour and he is Wonderfull to work in us and for us beyond all that we can ask or think even to wonderment and admiration And if our sinnes disquiet us Hee is IEHOVA our Righteousnesse The righteousnesse that is in him is ours aswel ours to save us trusting in him as his to glorifie him Thus we see what matter of unspeakable comfort we have in the name of God as he is God as he is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our Father When all other comforts faile us yet in this Name comfort is to be found IT falleth out somtimes with the godly that they are not sensible of that former comfort of the assurance of Gods favour They cannot bee perswaded of it neither of the truth and sinceritie of the graces of God in them they find not that delyte which before they had in prayer or in other meanes yet when all failleth we find the Name of the Lord to be a strong Tower Proverb 18. 10. and the Righteous flee to it and are saved Yee know the use of a Tower is that when all other fortifications are taken and forsaken when the wals are scaled and houses left men flee to it as to the last refuge so when wee are beleggered with troubles without and terrours within when wee are forced to quite all other holds grounds of comfort yet have we Gods Name to flee unto as to a strong Tower Whatsoever be our distresse we may say to him O Lord there is mercy power with thee that is thy Name In Iesus there is Righteousnesse even our righteousnesse that is his Name And thou hast commanded us to call on thy Name in the time of our trouble To this Altar I flee I take hold on the hornes of it if I perish here will I perish So yee see the Name of God is a most soveraigne ground of comfort Whence DAVID saieth to God Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee And the Apostle Rom. 10. 13. out of the PROPHET Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall the saved Great reason therfore have we to praise blesse it and that for ever and ever This much of the object of DAVIDS praise wee come now to the praise
subjection Lest by any means when he bad preached unto others he himself should be a cast-away Our securitie is to feare alwayes our strength is to distrust our own strength and to put all our confidence in the Mercie of God and Merites of Christ Who hath prayed for us that our faith faile not Let us therefore say to God every one of us LORD thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O GOD of my salvation Secondly we may perceive from this fall of Peter that one sinne especially if it be grievous draweth another after it and that without stay till Christ look againe upon the sinner Hence sinne is called by S. PAUL The sâ—ure of the devil Ye know when a bird is taken in a sâ—are she is still more and more fastened and entangled If thou give place but to a light lust at the first as Peter did to the servant-maid one to a hundereth but from that thou shalt fall into a greater sinne from that to worse againe as S. Peter from denying came to swearing and from swearing came to extreame cursing of himself This should teach us not to give any place to the devil but to resist him stedfastly and to pray with DAVID Order my steps in thy word and let no iniquitie have dominion over me Thirdly It is observed by holy AUGUSTINE in the place before citted that this fall of S. Peter was permitted by God to make him the more ready to compassionate others when they should fall He was by nature vehement as appeareth by many passages of the Gospell and particularly by cutting off the eare of Malchus He was to be a prime pastor ruller of the Church and to receive the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven An innummerable multitude of people was to be committed unto him loaden with manifold iniquities Now if he had never fallen himself like enough it was that he would have been the lesse inclind to piâ—tie comiserate others Therefore saieth holy AUGUSTINE The secret of Gods providence was so disposed that he himself was permitted first to fall and that foullie that he might temper the severitie of the sentence against others by the remembrance and consideration of his own fall Thus God hath taught us also by his fall that it is most necessar in a pastor to have a tender heart ready to pitty compassionat others He will never act the part of a pastor faithfully that can do nothing else but rule with authoritie terrifie censure punish That is not the way to win men to God but to drive unstablished souls from God and to cast those that ar weak and distressed into despaire Fourthly It is to be observed that a man may deny Christ although by his mouth he say not that he knowes him not as S. Peter did We may professe that we know him with our mouths and yet by our works deny him as S. PAUL teacheth us Tit. 1. we deny him also wheÌ„ we deny our selves to be his disciples as we see in S. Peter here Now our Lord hath told us That he that will not take up his crosse and follow him cannot be his disciple and that hereby all men shall know that we are his disciples If we love one another And That we must abide it s his word and do the will of his Father If we would be his disciples So also S. PAUL saieth That they that are Christs hath crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof If therefore thou art not content to take up thy crosse with patiencâ— if thou love not thy brother abide not in Christs words art not carefull to do the will of his heavenly Father and to crucifie thy flesh with the lusts of it thou denies thy self to be his disciple consequently denies him In a word Christ is the trueth and therefore if thou believe him not thou deniest him Christ is the way If thou follow not him thou doest deny him Christ is the life therefore if thou be given to the dead works of sinne thou deniest him Thus alace many wayes often-times have we denied him and so have deserved that he should deny us before his Father and his Angels and have need to slie to the mercie of God whereof we may see a notable demonstration in Christ his dealing with S. Peter But there is mercie with God as yee will see most clearly in the next part of my text to which now I come S. Peter having fallen in the manner before declared immediatly whill he was yet speaking the Cock crew the second time and with all Jesus turning looked upon him where upon he remembred and called to minde the words of Jesus how he had said before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice and so went out and weeped bitterly Here is the historie of his rising or repentance Two things are to be considered in it First the cause of his repentance 2. the repentance it self for the first the cause of his repentance was Jesus turned and looked upon him Some thinke that the Look of Christ was only spirituall and that he did not look upon him with his bodily eyes But the Text showeth that he did this also for it is said That be turned and looked upon him Now to what purpose should his turning been mentioned if he had not looked upon him with the eyes of his body But say they S. Peter was without and could not be seen with the bodily eyes of Christ Yet this convinceth not but it may bee that he was brought to the court wherein Peter was or that being in an upper roome as the Gospell showeth he might from thence being turned about see him with the eyes of his body Neverthelesse it is certain that his spirituall look was that which pierced into the soul of S. Peter and cleansed and renewed his heart For clearing of this more fully ye are to consider that the spirituall look of God as it is descrived in scripture is somtimes in Justice somtimes in Mercie somtimes to Humble somtimes to Exalt somtimes to Reward somtimes to Punish In Iustice he looked upon the first world when all flesh had corrupted their wayes and the effect of his Look was an universall diludge of waters Thus he looked upon them that were building Baâ—el Gen. 10. and the effect of his look was the confounding of their languages and the scattering of them upon the earth He looked thus upon Sedom and Gomorrah Gen 18. I will go down saieth the Lord and see if it be according to the cry which is come up unto me and the effect was the destroying of them with fire brimstone from heaven Thus he looked upon Sâ—nnacherâ—b Isai 37. And the Angell of the LORD that same night smot a hundreth fourescore and five thousand of his armie He looked thus upon Corah Dathan and Abiram numb 16. and was displeased and in his fiâ—ie indignation he consumed
in a most divine manner at length he descriveth In the first verse that I have read The Thankfulnesse of the Church is expressed Praise waiteth for thee c. In the second an excellent benefit is set down for which God should be praised and vowes should be performed to him Praise waiteth for thee c. Praise is the proclaming of the Excellencie of any especially manifested by worthe deeds This David saieth waiteth for God The word rendered to waits signifieth properly to be silent but for the similitude and agreement of silence expectâ—â—â—â— is rendered here to waiâ—e or expect And if we so expound the word the sense is That God doth so loaden his 〈…〉 and by 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 every morning furnish such matter of Praise Thà nksgiving that praise in the Church continually as it were waiteth on to honour him If wee render the word to be silent as it properly signifieth and which our Interpreters have put on the Margent the meaning is That the benefits of God bestowed upon Sion or his Church are so great and so many that even our Praise through astonishment becometh as it were silent notable to reach to the due commemoration and esteeme of Gods bountie and benefits And indeed so it is The benefits of God toward his people are such and so many daylie and hourly bestowed upon them in generall in particular known and unknown that no minde can sufficiently conceive nor tongue utter them In him wee live move and have out being Hee maketh his sun to shyne and his rain to fall upon us Hee hath endued us with reason and understanding When we were lost he did not forsake us but even when blinded with our own ignorance and wickednesse and so his enemies Hee redeemed our life from destruction and to this effect sent his own Son which the Church now clearly knoweth to bee born and suffer and by his most perfect sacrifice to purge all our sinnes and withall sendeth his Spirit in our heart to guide us through all difficulties till we attaine to the blessed sight and joy of his Countenance Thus he compasseth and crowneth us with loving kindnesse and tender mercies for which if wee had a thousand hearts and a thousand tongues could wee give him sufficiently praise and thanks No Praise it self is forced as it were to stand here astonished and silent And the saints say with DAVID O Lord What shall thy servants say What shall we render unto thee for all thy benefits towards us But where is this waiting of praise and the admiration of it In Sion DAVID had translated the Ark of God unto Sion There was Gods Sanctuary and there was he woâ—shipped and therefore Sion here signifieth the Church of God then and in all following ages This is added for great reasons First the PROPHET signifieth that Sion or Gods Church hath reason ought to praise God beyond all others whom hee hath not chosen to be his people for Gods chief benefits are poured down upon Sion It is the perfection of beauty and out of it God shyneth Psal 87. God loveth the gates of Sion more then all the habitations of Iudah It is the City of God and glorious things ar spoken of thee O City of God saieth DAVID in the same psalme Of Sion it shall be said such and such a man was born there The Lord Himself counteth and writeth that such a man was born there saieth DAVID in the place mentioned All the true Citizens of Sion are written in the book of God even in the book of life by his own finger and nothing is so great a matter of Thanksgiving and Praise as that Rejoyce not in this saieth our Saviour that the devils are subjectunto you but rather rejoyce in this that your names ar written in heaven So then in Sion justly should praise wait for God The Citizens of it are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people to set forth the praises of him who hath called theÌ„ out of darknes unto his marvellous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. Secondly As Sion should so Sion only can praise God righly Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner saieth the Wise-man Ecclesiast 15. IT standeth not so much in the words of the mouth as in the devotion of the heart He that would rightly praise must be affected with that which he praiseth truly believe it haue an inward taste feeling of it Except therfore he hath tasted seen how good the Lord is he cannot praise as he should on the other part God also looketh not so much to the mouth as to the heart of the praiser He respecteth not so much the tongue as the Conversation What availeth it to blesse God with thy mouth and blaspheme him with thy life this is an abomination and therefore it is truly said by holy August that a wicked man cannot praise God The discord of his life from his word marreth all the sweetnesse of his song of praise maketh it unpleasaÌ„t ungracious in the eares of God Thirdly As Sion should and onely can so also she will undoubtedly praise God and therefore rightly saieth the PROPHET that praise waiteth for God in her as if he would have said O Lord albeit all other men would hold their peace of thy praises yet Sion or thy church thy servants and saints will not Though other men haue not eyes to see nor minds to consider thy benefits but bury them in ignorance or oblivion yet thy own people will set forth thy praises and magnifie thy Name Hence we may clearly see how necessare is this duty of praise and thanksgiving Gods Worship standeth chiefly in this that we be not unthankefull unto him saieth holy August in his book of the spirit and latter chap. 11. when God first made the world he sequestred one day of every week as for his service so particularly for a thankfull remembrance of the benefit of Creation Under the law he appointed one day in the month to wit the first which was the feast of the new moone for a thankfull remembrance of the benefit of conservation of the world he ordained the feast of the passover for celebrating the benefit of bringing his people out of Egypt The feast of Pentecost for remembring the benefit of giving the Law The feast of Tabernacles for remembrance of protection in the wilderness and commanded that yearly the first fruits of the land should be offered to him be way of thanksgiving Thus under the law the duty of thanksgiving was most necessare and acceptable to God Under the gospel now I may say it is yet more necessar The proper sacrifice of ChristiaÌ„s is the sacrifice of praise thanksgiving every wher vehemently urged in the new Test Our blessed Lord did institute the blessed sacrameÌ„t of his body blood giving thanks and for this end that we may give thanks to God as for
shall we find rest and quietnes to our perplexed hearts In this what have been done already the LORD whose Will is ever to be adored hath done it He gave and he hath taken away blessed be his Name And as for the time to come nothing shall fall out but according to his Will wherein we ought fully to acquiesce We may indeed say Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me but with all we should adde not my Will but thine be done But it may be Some man will say Albeit this may satisfie our minds in worldly losses yet it seemath that it caÌ„not give sufficient satisfaction in these evils which are prejudiciall to the Glory of God and well of mens souls Thou art deceived if thou think so there is no evill in that kind which God doeth not clearly see and which he is not able to amend He hath all things all ages eternitie it self before him and knoweth what varietie is best to make the just proportion and beautie of the whole work Cast not therfore a way the peace of thy minde for these evils but in them also reverence the Will of God Pray thou to God humblie and do what becometh thee within the limits of thy calling as for the event referre it unto God If thou cannot amend what is amisse remember that which our Saviour sayeth Math. 13. That somtimes the cares must be let alone lest the good wheat be plucked up therwith untill the harvest come And then a separation shall be made the tares shal go to the fire the wheat to the barne Consider That the blessâ—d Saints in heaven know well that God is here exceedingly dishonoured that many thousand souls are ruined yet they losse not their peace which they have in God So we according to our measure ought to do This much coÌ„cerning the staying of our minds on God The PROPHET addeth Because he trusteth in thee If our minds be stayed upon God we will trust in Him which also is a soveraigne means to obtain peace and protection from God if there be any generositie in a man he will be loath to deceive him who trusteth in him yea he will hazard his means his life for his safeguard how much more may we think that God will defend and direct them who put their whole trust assurance in him Hence the PROPHET exhorteth in the next words Trust in the LORD for ever for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength He exhorteth not only to trust but alwayes to continue in this our trust confidence and he giveth most pregnant reasons for He in whom we trust is JEHOVAH the prime and infinite being in whom is everlasting strength or the rock of ages That which he saieth of his strength he understandeth of all his other Perfections As there is infinite and everlasting Strength in Him so infinite and everlasting Goodnes infinite and everlasting Wisdome infinite everlasting Truth If we look to these his Perfections by the eye of Faith wee cannot choise but trust in him and trust in him not for a time but for ever Let us obey this Exhortation of the PROPHET Blessed are they that trust in him they shall not be ashamed Yee have had manifold experiences of his goodnesse and power especially of late all which should concurre to the confirming of your Confidence in him Hee seemed for a time to leave you and yet ye cannot but acknowledge that whatsoever yee suffered came short of your deservings It is of his mercies that wee are not consumed And when he had a little afflicted you he sent you wonderfull deliverance Hee afflicted you that ye might turne to him and delivered you againe that yee might praise his Name put your trust therein Hee had given you long his Word in purity and plenty long peace and prosperitie but wee turned his grace into wantonnesse and abused our peace and plenty to ryot and excesse What wonder then that he should for a time send a scarcenesse of the Word and Sacraments That hee should turne our peace into trouble and our plenty into want but in his Wrath he remembred mercie Hee made his countenance to shine and we were saved Let us therefore beware of our sinnes whereby we haue provocked him before and then we may trust in him securely for the time to come If the Lord hath spoken peace unto us let us not turne again unto folly lest our latter end be worse then the beginning But if we turne to him with all our heart he shall keep us in perfect peace according to his promise His salvation shal be wals bulwarks Wee shall be able to say with DAVID The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be affrayed The Lord grant this unto us and that for the merits of Christ Iesus To whom c. A SERMON UPON the XXVI Chap. of MATTH Vers 73. And after a while came unto him they that stood by said to Peter Surely thou also art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee Vers 74. Then began he to curse and to swear saying I know not the man And immediatly the cock crew Vers 75. And Peter remembred the words of Jesus which said unto him Before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice And he went out and wept bitterly IN these words wee have set down the Sin and fall even the hight of the Fall of the holy Apostle and his blessed Rising againe by repentance This his Fall is registrated in holy scripture not only to shew the trueth of divine Historie the Pen-men wherof concealeth not the faults of them that were most deare unto them as commonly humane Historians do but also it was written for our instruction comfort That they who stand may take heed lest they fall they who have fallen may learn how to rise The registrating of this Historie is as it were a sending of S. Peter by God to teach us this I may say of him as holy AUGUST speaketh of DAVID upon 51 psal As Nathan saieth he was sent to David so David is sent to thee whil as his fal and repentance is registrated in holy scripture When thou hearest him crying Have mercie upon me O Lord according to thy tender mercies c. Hee cryeth that thou mayest learne how to cry hee sigheth that thou mayest learn how to sigh hee weepeth that thou mayest joyne thy tears with him and he is amended before thee that thou mayst learn how to ameÌ„d The same may I say of S. Peter who is set before our eyes in this historie that hee may be a preacher to us of our humane frailtie of the mercie of God and a patern of repentance That we may make our use herof more fruitfully Wee shall first set down in order the Summe of the Historie of that which we
very well Phenicia where Tyrus and Sidon here mentioned were was possessed by the postoritie of Canaan as we may see in the 10. of Gen. Where Moses telleth us that the sonnes of Canaan inhabited both Iudea and this part also and the eldest sonne of Canaan was Sidon who gave the name to that ancient famous town expressed here So then these whom the greeks called Phenicians from the aboundance of Palme trees that grew in their countrie were called by the Isralites Cananites Hence in the 5. of Joshua those that were called in the hebrew kings of Canaan are now called by the seaventy INTERPRETER 9. kings of Phenicia S. MARK addeth that she was a Syrophenician not only because that Countrey was a part of Syria but also because it was particularly termed Syrophenicia in respect it was next adjacent to the chief part of Syria Thus yee see She was not only an heathen woman but also a Cananite That is one of the worst of the Heathens who for their grievous and unnaturall sinnes were very abhominable This part of her Discription is set down not only to shew That the Spirit of God doeth breath where it pleaseth but also that the glory of the grace of God wrought in this Woman and manifested by her at this time might appeare the more When the Jews the Scribs and Pharisees who had the LAW and PROPHETS daylie in their hands did flye from our Saviour Who followed them and made him at this time to retyre from them for a while because of their unworthinesse yet this woman followeth him though in appearance flying from her and would by no meanes leave him till she obtained her suit Besids the benefite bestowed upon her was a presage as it were of that mercie which was to bee taken from the Jews and to be bestowed upon the Gentiles and by which the devill who so long and so grievously had vexed their soules drawing them to so many errours and sinnes was to be expelled from them Lastly She is descrived from her distresse misery Her daughter had an uncleane spirit saith S. MATTH and was vexed therby So it was affliction that drew her unto Christ and was the occasion of this singular manifestation of the grace that was in her IT would have seemed that none had been more miserable then she but yet experience taught that it was good for her that she was so afflicted Had it been otherwise with her it may be she would not have taken such notice of Christ as she did when she heard of him it may be would never have come to him So it was good for Manasses that he was bowed down with heavie bonds that hee could not lift up his head nor get any release that did drive him to God and made him seek God most humbly and earnestly who also heard him and was intreated of him It was good for the Prodigall son that he could not get so much as the huskes that the swine did eat This made him come to himself againe to returne to his father who received him graciouslie It was good for the Theefe whoÌ„ our Saviour converted that he was nailed to the Crosse if it had been otherwise iâ— is like enough he should not have been in Paradise as he is now So look not to the crosse and to the bitternesse of it but look to the fruit thereof Happy is that crosse although it were to beo vexed with a devill that sends a man to Christ to get salvation in him But let us now come to the behaviour of this Woman Here yee have first her addresse to Christ and the manner of it 2. The mighty temptations which her faith meet with and overcame First being sensible of the greatnesse of her own misery and understanding that Christ was come to these parts although as man he laboured to keep it as secret as could bee and having no doubt heard that he was called the Son of God and the Messiâ—s and that he had proved himself to be such an one by many miracles and that he lovingly received and powerfully delivered all that came unto him She I say having heard this cometh to him full of faith and confidence that she will be also relieved by him She goeth not to Inchanters or Socerers to drive out one devill by another as appearantly hath been the practise of these heathen parts where she lived but forsaking these impieties she goeth to Christ to seek help And mark I pray you how she cometh She goeth not as CHRYSOST observeth to Peter James or John or any of the Apostles that they might get her accesse but she goeth to himself immediatly and she cometh to him with a prayer full of faith fervencie humilitie most fit to stirre up pittie and compassion SHE cryed after him who seemed to hasten from her cryed farre lowder with her heart then with her mouth Have mercie upon me O LORD thou sonne of David for my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil O LORD saieth she see her faith she acknowledgeth by this style his Deietie and almighty Power Thou Sonne of David Here her faith acknowledgeth that he was the Messias and promised Saviour of the world for it is manifest by many places of the Gospell that the Messias was commonly so called be way of excellencie because he was to come of his seed and to sit in his throne This was the ground of her confidence It might have been said If he be the LORD how darest thou so importune him but her faith was ready to reply he is the Sonne of David also and the Saviour of the world For this end came he down from heaven hath humbled himself and hath assumed such flesh as I have that I might have accesse unto him that I might not be affraied to speak unto him Therefore sayeth she O LORD thou Sonne of David have mercie upon me for my daughter c. The reason of her cry is expressed in these words my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil This was a lamentable case and could not well be fully expressed by words We may easily conceive how much this distresse afflicted her What a dolefull spectacle was it for her to see her daughter daylie so tormented as they are whom the devil getteth power to vex We know that some naturall diseases breed so terrible convulsions such intollerable paines as hardly can we endure to look upon them that are in such a case The eyes are like to burst out of the head the mouth fometh the face is turned about sense is taken away c How much more miserable may we think the estate of this woman was who was vexed with a devil Fathers and mothers who have sense of naturall affection may conceive this better then I expresse it her lowd and importunate cries shew how sensible she was of it she might have said Alace O LORD my torment is intollerable What
shall I do whether shall I go I cannot leave my daughter she is so tormented I cannot stay with her The beholding of her sufferings is so grievous unto me she is not dead and yet a thousand times worse then dead O LORD therefore have mercy upon me This is her suit that he would have mercy upon her Marke the words I pray you she sayes not Pray to God for me but Lord have thou mercy and it shall be well Thou art the LORD I have not brought her to thee Thou sees that which is absent Thou knowest that which is hid I desire thee not to go to her nor yet to speak a word that she may be whole only have mercy and that will put away the devil and subdue all his power See here the wonderfull strength of her faith Secondly she saieth not have mercy upon my daughter but have mercy upon me She counteth the miserie of her daughter her own it touched her as if she had been in that same estate herself Secondly it seemeth she hath thought her daughter was so afflicted because of her sinnes which she desires to be removed by mercy that so her daughter might have health Lastly it is remarkable that the thing she requireth is the exercise of mercy Mercy is but one word but comprehendeth under it all Good that we stand in need of and with all includeth a confession of our own miserie as if she would have said O LORD it is not in confidence of any worthines or righteousnesse in me that I present my self unto thee I flie to thy mercy the haven and harberie of sinners My miserie is great but thy Mercy is greater The disease is grievous but nothing to thee the Great and mercifull Phisitian Hence we may learne what we should fix our eyes upon this day after we duly viewed the great miseries wherein we are plunged either by reason of our sinnes or by reason of their wofull effects Where to shall we look but to the Mercy of God in Christ and say with this woman have mercy upon me O LORD c. With the Publican be mercifull to me a sinner with DAVID Have mercy upon me O LORD according to thy Loving kindnesse and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot my transgressions out This Mercy is the refuge of sinners This is our maine comfort that our God is the God and Father of Mercies that his Mercies are over all his works and reach even unto the heavens Mercie is the name wherin God delighteth most The LORD The LORD Mercifull c. and wherein our strength against despaire lieth and as we said it comprehendeth all the good we have or would have If we say God is Light that importeth but one thing if we say God is our Strength that importeth but the strengthening of us but when I say that he is the God of my Mercy that imports all whatsoever we are whatsoever we have or desire in nature in grace in intention in conversation in faith in hope in love in deliverance from evill or injoying of good that is all of his Mercy and his Mercy can give it all Come therefore O man if thou have a penitent heart fix thine eyes this day upon this Mercy of God be not swallowed up with the greatnes either of thy sinnes or sorrowes Art thou polluted with uncleannesse filthinesse of thy flesh yet cast not away thy confidence remember what this Mercy of God did to that uncleane and sinfull woman who washed the feet of Christ with tears in the 7. of Luk. Hast thou been a murtherer theef or oppressor remember what the Mercy of Christ did to that Theefe who was crucified with him Many villanies it may be had he done yet when he with a penitent heart said LORD remember me when thou comest to thy kingdome this Mercy answered verily to day thou shalt be with me in paradise hast thou been a persecuter and blasphemer Remember what this Mercy did to S. PAUL it made him who was before a wolf to be a pastor it made him to be an Apostle who was before a persecuter and to be a prime builder of that Church which before he wasted But let us proceed and see how this fervent devote Prayer was accepted It is said by S. MATTHEVV that he answered her not a word What a strange thing was this this miserable woman prayes cryes againe againe for mercy yet the Saviour and lover of mankinde giveth no answer he that is the eternal Word is silent He that was the opened fountaine seemeth to be closed he that was the great and most kinde Physitian seemeth to deny all cure This was the first assault of this womans faith and it was not a small temptation She might have thought with herself alace I heard he received al that came unto him graciously but now I find by mine own experience that either this report is false or at least I am extreamly unhappy man cannot help me and God will not heare me What shall I do but such thoughts entered not into the devot heart of this woman For al this she continueth crying still as appeareth by the following words Hence we should learne that which our LORD often urgeth that we should pray and not faint There is in us naturally impatience wherby we weary soon when we are not heard If God hide his face for a while seeme to forget us we give over O say we we have prayed and it may be againe and againe and yet we had no answer returned us But consider although thou hast prayed yet it may be thou hast not cryed thou hast not been earnest nor fervent in seeking God Alace how often do our hearts wander when our lips move in prayer and we do not so much as remember that we are praying Secondly suppose thou hast cryed with fervency to God yet that is not enough thou must also persevere and not weary Thou must still ask seek knock God hath not promised to grant our desires upon the first or second or third petition This assurance is only given to them who continue without fainting Abraham was an hundreth years old before he obtained Isaac that was promised him No doubt the mother of Samuel hath poured out her heart oftē before God erre she conceived Simeon waited long for the consolation of Israel before he got Christ in his armes Luke 2. So Anna the prophetesse departed not from the temple but served God day and night with fasting praying erre she was blessed with the sight of our Saviour O LORD saieth DAVID Psal 22. I cry to thee in the day time and by night I am not silent So then perseverance in prayer is necessary for obtaining our suites Neither need we feare that this importunity will displease God It is not with God as it is with the great ones of this world If they vouchsafe not an answer to our
being ended the Physitians look to the part being to use their cure But there they found all to be whole and sound But ye will say to me whence cometh it then to passe that our prayers have so small effect I answer we pray not aright and therefore find not the wished fruite of our prayers We follow not this patron which is proposed unto us She cryed and prayed fervently being sensible of her great distres but our prayers have no life in them and that because we have not a due sense and feeling of our misery which is farre greater then hers But you will say to me there is none of us blessed be God vëxed with a devil how thē can we be in such or a worse estate then she was The answer is easie for first the devil vexed but the body of her daughter and amongst us many have their soules fully subjected to his power through grievous sinnes Sinne is a great devil sayeth CHRISOST writting upon this place at least it is an argument of his presence in a most wofull manner The bodies of good men and women may be vexed with Satan and that makes them to be but the objects of pittie but when sinne reigneth in the soul men are wicked and the objects of the wrath and Hatred of GOD. Now how much the devil prevaileth by sinne and holdeth men captive at his pleasure the great abominations of this land and citie do plainly testifie the Love and Fear of God is not in the hearts of men his Name is prophaned his Sabbaths are violated Superioures are disobeyed the hearts of men are full of hatred and malice every place is polluted with whooredome falshood oppression lies slanders abound What a strange power then hath Satan gotten over us if there be any sense in us how great reason have we to mourne and sigh for al our own sinnes and for all the sinnes and abominations done in the midst of this land Secondly we have great reason to fear that Satan and his instruments shall get power over our bodies and estates When I pray you is the devil more loosed in this kinde then in the time of warres If at any time his Throue is then set up for then the exercise of religion is banished or much hindred Justice hath no place the authoritie of lawes is contemned Men give themselves to uncleannes to drunkennes to the oppression of the weak poore The bodies of men are murthered their meanes are spoyled This is one of the most terrible Plagues of GOD whereto David preferred the pestilence Now this we justly fear and have we not reason then out of the deep sense of so great an evil to cry unto God mightily this woman cryed vehemently for one but among us many thousands are in danger Secondly Her prayer proceeded from a true and lively faith whereby her heart was purged from her former sinnes and now set wholly upon God But alace we continue still in our iniquities and what wonder then that our prayers are not heard Would we have God to do our will when we rebell against his most Holy Will Though ye multiply your prayers I will not hear saith the LORD when ye spread out your hands I will hide my face because your hands are full of blood And again Is this the fast that I have required for a man to hang down his head as a bulrush is not this the fast that I have required to loose the bands of wickednesse to undo the heavie buedens and to let the oppressed go free Isai 58. Hence it is that our manifold humiliations and prayers bring not forth the desired fruit Some will acknowledge their sinnes and promise to amend them but in the meane time bring forth no fruits worthie of amendement of life Some will not so much as acknowledge their own sinnes but stand still in the maintenance thereof Wee reade Jeremiah the 42. and 43. that IOHANAN and the remnant of the Jews that were with him after the destruction of Jerusalem desired IEREMIAH to pray to God for them and promised to obey the Word of the LORD whatsomever it was IEREMIAH did so brought him back this answer That if they would stay in the land of Judea it should be wel with them that they needed not fear the king of the Caldeans of whō they were affraied for the slaughter of Gedaliah for God would incline his Heart to favour them whereas if on the other part They would go down to Egypt as they intended They should perish by the famine by the sword and by the pestilonce IOHANAN and the rest of the proud men having heard this which was contrary to their humor replyed That this which he said was false and that the LORD had not spoken so but that BARUCH the sonne of NERIAH did set him upon them to perswade them to stay in the land that they might be delivered into the hand of the Caldeans Even so it fareth with many They promise indeed to obey the Word of the LORD but when the Word of the LORD is told them if it crosse their intentions and desires they say it is not the Word of the LORD and so continue in their evil courses No wonder then that GOD heare not their prayers not the prayers of others for them If we would be heard we must wash our hearts from wickednes and put away our vaine thoughts from us and as we said before most still continue knocking at the doore of Gods Mercy This if we do we may be sure God in end will give us a comfortable answer which the LORD grant and that for the Merits of Christ to whom c. A SERMON UPON the XVIII Chapter of S. MATTHEW Vers 18. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde one earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven OUr blessed Saviour having declared in the words preceeding in what manner a sinner that is obstenate and disobedient to the voice of the Church is to be delt with Namly that he should be accounted as an heathen and as a publican He now in the words that I have read sheweth what is the efficacie power of the Sentenco of the Church even that it is no lesse then if it were pronounced in heaven and by GOD Himself A man rejected by the Church and ordained to be accounted as an heathen and a Publican might have thought within himself what albeit such or such men esteemes so of me if they misregard me account of me as of an heathen or publican I shall do the like to them and shall as much disesteeme them No saieth our Saviour it is not only their bare sentence and esteeme that is to be looked too That which they do rightly in this kinde is ratified confirmed and allowed by God in heaven And he that will despise them must despise GOD and Heaven
DIVERSE Select SERMONS Upon severall TEXTS of holy SCRIPTVRE Preached by that Reverend and faithfull Servant of JESUS CHRIST D. James Sibald Doctour of DIVINITY Late Preacher of the Gospell at ABERDENE There-after At DUBLIN in IRELAND Published after his Death Remember how thou hast received heard and hold fast and repent REVEL 3. 3. Printed at ABERDENE by Iames Brown 1618. TO The Right Honourable JOHN JAFFRAY PROVEST ROBERT FORBES GILBERT GRAY ALEX. ROBERTSONE ALEXANDER ALEXANDER Bailies And the remnant of the Honourable Councell of the City of ABERDENE Grace mercy and peace c. RIght Honourable This posthumus WORK coming forth to Publick view IT was thought fitt not without reason to have your H. Names so eminent Favourers of learning piety prefixed unto it For by the defence it may expect at your hands as an Orphan The Authour of it did labour in your City a considerable time in the Lords Worke and probablie would have ended his Labours where he began them if GOD in his holy provideÌ„ce wherunto he learned to submit himself had not disposed otherwise of him As he studied to approve himself unto GOD a Work-man that needed not to bee ashamed rightlie dividing the Word of Truth and to have his Conversation such as became a Minister of the gospel of Christ through his rich blessing upon his travels was instrumentall for strengthning to wel-doing for lifting up of weak hands for comforting of Mourners for winning to settling in the Truth so with the same minde in the rest of his beloved Charge your love and respects towards him your longings after him when he was withdrawn from you were very great Vpon these accounts next to the glory of GOD and the well of his Church in generall These following Sermons preached upon severall occasions in your hearing are published and to be an encouragement to your H. to go on and persevere in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse whereunto while he was with you he did from time to time most earnestly exhort you that as yee were his hope here yee may bee his Joy and Crown of rejoycing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming Which is the earnest prayer of Your H. humble servant I. S. Christian Reader SOme of the Travels of one who is now resting from his laboures are here presented unto thee It is more then probable if before the publication of them they had been revised by himself for thy further satisfaction they had come forth both more polisthed and enlarged Notwithstanding it is hoped that the Voice of the Dead yet speaking in them upoÌ„ thy diligent perusall of them through the Lords Mercy may prove helpfull to further thee in thy way to eternall life The Authour was first called from the profession of Phylosophy in COLLEDGE-MARISCHALL in Aberdene to a pastorall Charge of souls in the same City where to his great joy he saw the seale of his Ministry and the LORDS Work prospering in his hand Afterwards when the troubles of this Nation both in Church and State were come to a great hight the sad effects whereof he oftentimes foretold and bemoned upon the not concurring of his judgement in the manner of Church-Goverment with them who were other wayes minded He was called to afflictions and sufferings and which he looked upon as the heaviest of all to leave them who were so deare unto him and to whom so oft with 〈◊〉 mutuall joy he had holden forth the word of life His last Service in the ministry of the Gospell was in the city of Dublin in Ireland which at that time was againe and againe in great danger of the bloody sword of their unnaturall Countrey-men of the popish party their rageing exceedingly sheding much innocent blood Here he acquited himself so eminently a burning and ashining light that he was greatly beloved of all living very much desired and dying no lesse lamented and the reâ—lity of their affections was demonstrate by evident testimonies of their respects to him both in his life time aud after his death In this city after he had run his race of ten years labours in the LORDS Work he finished his course and was called to receive that eternall Crown which was prepared for him and for all who love the appearing of our LORD Iesus Christ in Glory at his second coming I have only this to adde further in a word that his recepts from the Father of lights were not small for his great abilities in the Oriental languages and all kinde of liberall sciences humane divine expressing them selves with the tongue of the learned dayly growing to greater perfection wer accompanied with the power of Godlines earnest desires for the peace of the Church unanimity with his worthy fellow labourers gravity humility charity and all other christian graces So being confident that his Memorie shall he blessed and his laboures profitable I shall adde only that of the Poet speaking of another Vivet extento Proculeius aevo Notus in fratres animi paterni Illum aget penna metuente solvâ— Fama superstes Horat. Lib. 2. Carm. od 2. J S. THE FIRST SERMON PSAL. CXLV vers 1. 2. I will extoll thee my God O King and I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Every day will I blesse thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever ALthough all Scripture bee given by inspiration of GOD and bee profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse 2. TIM 3. 16. yet the Psalmes among other parts of scripture have been ever thought to have a speciall excellencie S. Chrysostome in the 5. Tom. of his works 6. Hom. of Repentance saieth That this was the coÌ„mon sense of Christians in his time albeit saieth he Moses was the great Lawgiver saw God face to face yet saieth he his books are scarce read once a yeare The gospell wherin Christs miracles are registrat wherin we see death destroyed life restored and God as it were conversing with men is read saieth hee but once or twyce a weeke The Epistles of S. Paul who was the Orator of Christ who was taken up to the third heaven who saw things which is not lawfull to utter are read saieth he but twice a weeke But saieth he in the meane time DAVID is read day and night All carrie him about at all times as a precious and sweet smelling oyntment If wee abide in the Church all night David is the first and the middle and the last with whom wee end If wee sing hymnes to God in the morning DAVID is the first and the middle and the last If wee have pompe at the Funerals of the dead DAVID is the first the middle and the last Even they that have not letters have him as it were ingraven in the heart Neither is this only in Churches and towns but in all places in all times 2. Sam. 23. 1. The sweet singer of Israel
and weaknes he saith not all spirits or all that are holy just wel-deserving wealthie or noble but all flesh shall come The poore have accesse aswell as the rich to poure out their heart before God the base aswell as the noble the unlearned aswell as the learned the sinfull Publican aswel as the Pharisee even the sinner I say if he have begun to compt his sin a miserie may come to God and bevaile his miserie and implore his mercie All these I say may come and shall be heard If any man come and is not heard it is because he cometh not as he ought nor seeketh aright Here first consider that latlie we came to God offered up our prayers to him as for other benefits so for a seasonable harvest We have found by experience that the Lord hath heard our prayers though having in them many defects and worthie to be cast back as dung in our faces We have found as the PROPHET speaketh in the end of this Psalme that he hath visited the earth and enriched it with the river of God blessed the springing of it hath crowned the year with his goodnes and hath made his paths to drop fatnes Let us no think that this was from chance or nature but let us with thankful hearts acknowledge it to be as indeed it is the visitation and blessing of God Let every heart and every mouth say Blessed be the Lord who-hath not put back our prayers but notwithstanding of our sinnes hath so visited blessed and enriched vs. Secondly if we would be still partakers of this great benefit let vs be carefull to continue our thankfulnes still There are many things that we stand in need of for which we must pray to him to purge away our iniquities as he saieth in the next verse To still the noise of the sea and tumults of the people to blesse the fruits that he hath given us that his wrath come nor upon us while it is betwixt our teeth Let us therefore that it may be well with us for ever resolve to performe not only this day but also all the dayes of our life our vows of obedience and to praise him with our life aswell as with our mouth As for the earthly blessings which he hath given us as on the one part we should esteem highly of them soon the other part Let us remember they are but the pleadges of better things abyding us in our countrey if his riches be so great toward us in our sojourning what may we expect when we shall sit down in his house at his table to be satisfied with the fatnesse of it If the river of God passing through the earth so refresh us here how shall we be delighted with that river of pleasures which maketh glad the citie of God The Lord grant that our hearts may be there and that we may walk in the way that leadeth into it and that for the merits of Christ To Whom c. FIRST SERMON UPON the Lamentations of JEREMIAH Chap. V. Verse 19. Thou O Lord remainest for ever Thy throne from generation to generation 20. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever and forsake us so long-time 21. Turne us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned renew our dayes as of old The holy PROPHET having made a pittifull complaint to God of the great desolation that had come upon Sion or the Church of God Ierusalem being taken and burnt the people of God being killed or lead in captivitie he in end shutteth up all and closeth with a fervent prayer Thou O Lord remainest for ever c. In this prayer two things are to be cōsidered First the ground of the PROPHETS petitions Thou O Lord remainest for ever thy thro◠from generation to generation Secondly the petitions themselves which are espetially two the first is set down by way of expostulation wherefore doest thou forget us forever and forsake us so long time which includeth this petition Lord forsake us not but restore thy favour to us againe and renew our dayes as of old The second is in the next words turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned To returne againe to the first part which is the ground of the PROPHETS supplication and of his hope confidence to be heard it is set down in the first words we have in it three Prerogatives ascrived to God the first that he is UNCHANGEABLE Thou O Lord remainest Sayeth he secondly he ascriveth to him absolute Dominion imported by this that Hee is the Lord and hath a Throne Thirdly Eternity is ascrived both to him and his Kingdome Thou O Lord remainest for ever c. Let us consider these points shortly both in themselves and with a reference to the PROPHETS petitions Thou O Lord remainest c. Here the PROPHET to strengthen his hope the hope of the Church fixeth the eyes of his faith upon the Vnchangeablnes of God thou sayest he remainest The word in the originall signifieth to dwell to abide or sit still importeth when ascrived to God his constancie immntabilitie For clearing of this we are to consider that this is in God in a most excellent manner He is simple Vnchangeable both in his nature and in his decrees or purposes both which are meaned here In his nature at his perfections he is Vnchangeable If any chāge of this kynde could have place in him it should be either from imperfection to perfection or from perfection to imperfection but neither of these can be no new perfection can haue place in him because as we said before in him is the infinite fulnes of perfectiōn which is not capable of any increase o◠accession Neither can he change to any imperfection for none of his infinite perfections can be lossed They are one the same with his own nature and being Now his being is necessar for he hath it not from another and therefore as it ever was so it can never cease to be and consequently is Vnchangeable for Vnchangeablnes is nothing else but a necessitie of being that which he was before Thus it i◠most evident that God in his nature essentiall perfections is Unchangeable the acquiring of any new perfection being repugnant to the infinite fulnes of being that is in him and the losse of his perfection being contrate to the necessitie or infinit firmnes or stabilitie of his being or Nature Secondly as he is Vnchangeable in his naturall perfections so in his decrees and purposes toward us we often change our resolutions and purposes and the reason is we do not perfectly perceive and consider the good or the evil the conveniencie or inconveniencie of that which we are about therefore when thereafter we find our own errour we change and retraite the will and purpose which we had before This cannot have place in God who from all eternitie hade a most clear sight of all the good
and evil expediencie and inexpediencie that is in every thing and therefore not subject to any errour or change Hence I am chap. 1. 17. calleth him the Father of lights with whom is noâ— variablenesse neither shadow of turning Hence the Lord himself sayeth of himself Malach. 3. 6. I am the LORD I change not therefore yee sons of Iacob are not consumed Num. 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lie neither the son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall be not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good To this same purpose David psal 102. speaking to God sayeth thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Thou art not now one and now another but alwayes one the same Thus we see his being is the same alwayes so are his decrees the counsell of his heart standeth and his thoughts throughout all generatioÌ„s Thus we see his unchangeablnes by reason whereof the PROPHET sayeth here Thou O Lord remainst Hence we may perceive that no change which we see in the creatures doeth any way affect God he made this world all things in it he changed them froÌ„ nothing to this being which they now have but without any change in himself When the shadow of thy face appeareth in a glasse there is no change in thy face from that which was before when thy foot leaveth an impression or mark in the way thy foot is nothing altered now what is the creature but as it were the shadow of the countenance of God A footstepe impression or smal resemblance of that perfection which is in him proceeding from him without any alteration of him at all so without any change he ruleth and governeth this world which he hath made albeit ther be innumerable changes or alterations in it yet he is touched with no new affections no new thought or counsel aryseth in his mynde Whatsoever counsell or purpose love or hatred lyking or disslyking is now in him was in him from all eternitie and what was in him is yet and shall be for all eternitie Once for al before the foundations of the world even froÌ„ everlasting he conceived and decreed what he would have done or permitted to be done in al succeding ages and by vertue of that his eternall decree all things come forth in their own times he remaining fixt and firme immutable in his most simple Unity and prime estate suppose that this world have its being and all the creatures especially men angels concurre to serve to worship to praise and enjoy him this addeth nothing to his inward joy or blesse or to any his inward perfections He had in himself without them the infinite fulnes of that he made them not to ripe any comfort or gaine by them but to communicate the super aboundace of his goodnes to make them partakers of his riches so far as they are capable On the other part Suppose the whole world al the creaturs therin should perish it would diminish nothing of the joy blesse of God For he hath infinite happines in himself which cannot be impaired as we haue shewn all the creatures ar in him in a most excellent manner in his wisdom in his power for in himself he beholds them and delights in them aswell as in themselves But it may be some man will say it seemeth that there may be some change in God since the scripture ascriveth repentance to him Gen. 6. 6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth And the PROPHET expostulateth with him for forgetfulnesse I Ans That the scripture ascriveth these and the like things unto God condiscending to the weaknes of our capacity not to signifie that there is any such thing in God properly but to signifie that such effects come from him as use to proceed from repenting and forgetfull men Repentance properly taken in men presupposeth an errour or fault for the which the Penitent is grieved So Wrath includeth the flame of an incensed minde Mercie importeth the misery of a condoling heart Jealousie some inward dispite and envy Thus it is that these things are ascrived unto men but in God it is far otherwayes His Wrath Aâ—g 1. book against the Adversary of the Law and Prophets chap. 20. is nothing else but the revenge of sinne His Mercy is a succurring goodnesse His Jealousie in his Providence whereby he will not suffer them to go free or unpunished who love that which he forbiddeth so his Repentance is nothing else but an unlooked for clearing of things that are in his power IT importeth no change in him but in the outward effects which he altereth without any change in his Will or purpose Hence in 1. Sam. 15. 29. It is said The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent albeit it be said a little before in that same chapter That he had repented that he had set up Saul to be King So when he repenteth he changeth things but is not changed when he is angriâ— he revengeth but is not moved when hee sheweth mercie he helpeth but is not grieved and when he is Jealous he afflicteth but is not afflicted In like manner when hee is said to remember or forget The speech is borrowed from men His Remembrance importeth his Love his Care and Protection and his Forgetfulnesse signifying that he leaveth or seemeth to leave men exposed to dangers This much of his Vnchangeablnesse Secondly It is to be observed That the PROPHET ascriveth this Vnchangeablnesse to God as proper to him and competent to no other Thou O Lord remainest as if he would have said This is thy prerogative O Lord thou and none but Thou remainest All other things whatsomever are changeable This World we see is full of changes alterations and nothing more certain then the uncertaintie of it and therefore the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. 31. compareth it to a Shew upon a stage where suddenly all things are altered The fashion saith he of this world passeth away So it is with our selves our bodies our soules and the whole man Our bodies are exposed to a perpetuall change Now they are in health incontinent in sicknesse now in strength and againe in weaknes All flesh is grasse and the goodlinesse therof as the flower of the field Isai 40 6. so that Every man this way in his best estate is altogether vanitie When God with rebukes corrects us for iniquitie he makes our beauty whatsomever is desirable in us as Davids word importeth Psal 39. to melt away or to consume like a moth Our soules albeit of a more excellent nature being spirituall and heavenly ar in like manner tossed to and fro with changes now they know now they are ignorant now againe they forget now they are moved with one affection againe with the contrare somtimes with love
a Name of dignitie and authoritie which God hath over the creatures therefore as they were not eternall so this name agreeth not to him from eternitie S. August in his 12. book of the City God and 15. chap. in modestie refuseth to determine this question Vpon the one part he saieth that he dare not deny but God was LORD from all eternitie and one the other part he saieth it is hard to conceive this since Dominion importeth a respect to the creatures which begane in time But if we consider well we will find that the question is rather verball then reall For clearing whereof ye are to understand that there are two things imported by the Dominion of God The first which is the chief and principall is his power over all things that actually are or are possible The second is a reference unto the creatures subject unto God This belongeth unto God but in time but it is nothing else then an outward secondarie respect that which is inward and principall in the Dominion of God to wit his Power was from eternitie and therfore he is truly from eternitie LORD His Dominion is grounded on his Power which is one with his essence and that is eternall Neither is it the creatures that actually are who alone are subject to him Even the things that are not at under his Dominiō he calleth the things that are not as if they were They obey his commandement and commandement presupposeth Dominion by vertue whereof it hath power Thus the Dominion of God was from all eternitie Secondly It we look to following ages this Dominion and Kingdome endureth after them to all eternitie This is true both of Gods Kingdome generally and particularly considered That is the Kingdome of his Power as it is called by which he commandeth and ruleth all things It is certaine this Kingdome shall never end for God shal ever have supreame power over things that are or are possible His particular Kingdome is that whereby he reigneth in his church and this also shall have no end Hence the Angell speaking of our Saviour LUKE 1. saieth Hee shall reigne in the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end Wee must not think that this Kingdome of God and Christ shall end when this World endeth no it shall be most perfected and established when all other Rule Authority and Power shall be put down Here it is the kingdome of grace God ruling in the hearts of his servants by his Spirit grace hereafter it shall be the kingdome of Glory wherein the glory of Gods Wisdome Mercie and Power shall be manifested in the eternall salvation of his own and the glory of his Power and justice shall appeare in the eternall confusion of his enemies Now the Kingdome of God is but not peaceable now his enemies are overcome but not wholly rooted out and trampled under foot Sathan remaineth yet and goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devoure Sinne and Death remain As yet there are many that rebell against the Law of God and despise his Commandements but all these enemies shall be hereafter rooted out Sathan with his angels shall be chained in hel and shall have no more leave to tempt Sin shall be banished also in the godly it shall not be Their flesh shall no more resist the spirit and the spirit God and the wicked shall have no more liberty to commit any new sin Death shall be rooted out by the resurrection so that we may then sing Death is swallowed up in victorie O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victorie Lastly wicked men the rebels of this great KING and disobedient to his Will shall be subjected to eternal pains against their will whereas the servants of God shall be advanced to the participation of his eternall glory Thus this his Kingdome shall be Eternal and not only so in respect of himself but also in respect of his servants Feare not little flock saith our Saviour it is your Father will to give you a kingdom To him that overcometh will I give saith he Rev. 3. to sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and sit with my Father in his Throne Come yee blessed of my Father shall he say at the last day and receive the kingdome prepared for you c. This much of the Eternitie of the Kingdome of God I come now to the uses of the Doctrine First The consideration of this Eternitie of God his Kingdome should teach us to disesteeme the things of this World which are but fraile and momentanie suppose they endured never so long yet at last they have an end and when that end is come they are as though they had never been Put the case thou had all the riches and pleasures and honours and dominions of the World yet these should end and being ended leave thee nothing but a sad and sorrowfull remembrance of them and the more sad and bitter the more sweet and deare they were to thee when thou had them I will yet say more these things not only have an end but also end suddenly to us Their continuance is most uncertaine and short All our enjoying of them is grounded upon this mortall life and how fraile that is wee know by experience and S. Jam. teacheth us Chap. 4. Go to now saeth he yee that say to morrow wee will go to such a City and continue a year and buy and sell and get gain And yee know not what shall be to morrow for what is your life but a vapour that appeareth for a little whyle and then vanisheth away Now the life being ended all this World endeth to us That which our Saviour saieth of the soule I may say of the body also What profite is it to a man to gaine the whole World if he losse his bodily life More our health is more uncertaine then life and without it we can enjoy no worldly thing Take health from a man what availe all the treasures of the earth Set the most daintie dishes before him they are loathsome Bring his Wife children friends unto him their sight is often grievous Let him remember his former pleasures it breedeth nothing but bitternesse In a word What is the whole man but as it were an earthen vessel which God in whose hand is a rod of Iron is able to dash in pieces when he will Albeit an earthen vessel were never so pleasant painted perfumed adorned with flowers a crown set upon it yet if it be stricken with a rod of Iron it goeth in pieces so it fareth with these earthen vessels of our bodies Though we had the vigour and strength of youth the prudence of the aged the knowledge and eloquence of the learned the treasures of the rich if God but touch us with his rod it is enough to beat us to powder Why then should we set our hearts upon these things that
them Of this Look DAVID Psal 104. saieth He looketh upon the earth and it trembleth He toutbeth the mountains and they smoke Secondly somtimes he looketh in Mercie and Favour of this DAVID speaketh Psal 25. Look upon mine affliction and my pain and for give all my sinnes And Psal 119. 132. Look upon me and be mercifull unto me as thou usest to do to them that love thy Name It was with this Look that he beheld S. Peter at this time as appeareth by the gracious mercifull effect thereof for it wakned him out of security and brought him to remembrance and consideration of that which he had done c. Here first observe the necessitie and power of Christs Grace The necessitie for till Christ looked upon Peter he neither remembred what he had done not considered the hynousnesse thereof The cock crew againe and againe and this should have been a memoriall of his fall and an admonition to repent but all this availed nothing till Christ looked upon him Likewise so powerfull was this Look that no sooner doeth Christ look upon him but he remembereth and considereth his heart melts and his eyes gush out with tuares They whom Christ looketh upon bewaile their sinnes sayeth S. AMBROSE as without it there is no saving good so where it is there is all good Whence was it that the blessed Virgine was the Mother of our LORD It was because God had Looked upon the low estate of his handmaid Whence is it that we enjoy any good in this life or in the life to come more then others it is because it pleased God to look upon us from eternitie with the eyes of his mercy Hence that prayer of the ancient Church Lord look upon me with these eyes wherewith thou looked upon Marie Magdalen in the banquet wherewith thou looked upon S. Peter in the hall and wherewith thou looked upon the thief upon the crosse Grant unto me that with Marie Magdalen I may perfectly love thee with Peter I may bitterly â—walle my sinnes and that with the thief I may see thee for ever Secondly we may observe here the readinesse and willingnesse of God to show mercie even to most grievous sinners Our Lord at this time was arreigned before his enemies bound buffered condemned or ready to be condemned On the other part S. Peter had forsaken him denied him that with Oaths curses yet forgetting the injuries done to him both by his enemies and by his own Apostle he remembereth him and looketh upon him and plucketh him out of the mouth of the Lyon who was ready to devoure him This and the like examples of mercie serve much to encourage and comfort distressed souls ready to despaire through the sight of their own sinnes S. AUGUSTINE in his 9. 10 sermons on the words of the Apostle 1. Tim. 1. 15. hath a sweet meditation to this purpose of the Mercie of God shewn to S. PAUL suppose saith he an excellent skilful physitian should come to a place where he is not known and having wrought a rare cure upon a man desperatly diseased would say to him whom he had cured go thy wayes now to other men who have the like disease show them what I have done unto thee Bid them be of good courage I am able and willing to cure them also If this man should come to a person so diseasea as he was looking for nothing but death and should say to him be of good courage I have seen the like disease and have had the like my self and have been cured by him who is willing to cure thee also and hath hiden me tell thee so much This could not be but matter of great comfort unto him Even so saieth he S. PAUL healed by the Great Physitian CHRIST JESVS saieth unto thee who are ready to despaire He that cured me sent me unto thee he said unto me go tell distressed foules what I have done to thee what I have cured in thee and how soon with one voycel called thee from heaven with another I did cast thee down with the third I raised thee up and with the fourth I healed perfected and crowned thee say unto thee sick cry unto them that are ready to despaire This is a true and faithfull saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Why feare yee why doubt yee I am the chief of them and I obtained mercy for this effect that in me he might show forth all long suffering for a patern for them that should there after believe upoÌ„ him to everlasting lif I was a persecuter and blasphemer I keeped the garments of them that stoned his first Martyre Steven I breathed nothing but surie and thirsted nothing but the blood of the Saints I was in a spirituall frâ—necie and did strick my phisitian and yet he suffered me long and in end took away my disease Thus S. PAUL speaketh to us and so doeth S. Peter and many others which is matter as I said of unspeakable comfort This much for the cause of his repentance The repentance it self followeth And PETER called to minde the words of Jesus Being Looked upon by our LORD First he remembereth his words and no doubt considered and weighed his own sinne This remembring or calling to minde importeth that before he had forgotten or at least considered not Christ his Words It is strange that he should have forgotten him with whom he was so familiar who that night had washed his feet and from whom that night he had received the holy sacrament but such is the corruption of our nature that most quickly we forget GOD and his Word Hence we are compared to lacking vessels that rune out Hence the LORD Deut. 4. saieth â—kè heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the thing which thine eyes have seen and that they depart not from thy heart for ever And againe Deut. 8 Take heed to thy self that thou forget not the LORD thy GOD in not keeping his Commandements and judgements and statutes c. who would give himself to wickednes if he remembred and considered the Goodnes of God bestowed upon him and laid up for him if he remembred and considered the end for which God made and redeemed him even that he might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life if he considered the filthinesse that is in sinne and the great evils that it bringeth upon the body and soul both here and hereafter It is most manifest that we forget or consider not these things when we give place to sinne This is the cause of our offending God and is in it self a great offence There is no moment wherein we taste not of the Mercies of God and therefore there is no moment wherein we should not remember him We should not breath oftener then we should remember him Wo to them that regard not to forget him the time shall come when
they shall be forced to remember and that remembrance shall be one of their greatest torments What greater torment have the damned then to remember how often and how willingly God called upon them yet they refused to hearken unto him What greater torment then to remember how easilie they might have escaped these infinite and eternall torments and how easily they might have attained unto eternal joyes Let us therefore take heed than we forget not Christ and if we have forgotten him let us call to minde againe as S. Peter did whose remembrance was most fruitfull for He went out and weept bitterly There was bitternes and grief in his heart and aboundant tears in his eyes Neither at that time only did he weep but as it is reported by Clemens as long as he lived He weept when he heard the cock crow so that at last his tears drew furrows in his cheeks We reade not his words which may bee were chocked with aboundance of his tears but no doubt since he called to minde his sinne repented fruitfully he had thoughts or inward words both of sorrow and confidence When he thought upon his sinne we may well thinke he said within himself Alace miserable man what have I done How do I yet live who have denied him who is the life what wonder though the earth should swallow me up who have denied my Lord and redeemer O wicked mouth how could thou deny that thou knewest him who hath bestowed so many benefits upon thee cursed tongue how could thou abjure him who hath showed so many tokens of his love unto thee In like manner while he thought upon these words of Christ I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not we may think that he hath said within himself I will turne to him who hath turned to me I will look to him who hath looked to me It is he that hath said As I live I love not the death of a sinner I will cast my self down at his feet and say Master and LORD I have sinned against the heaven and against thee and am no more worthy now to be called thy Son Would God we would imitate the Apostle in these tears of unfeigned sorrow Nothing more pleasing to God No face so beautifull in his Eyes as that which is bluddered with tears The teares of a penitent are the pearles which he delighteth in Nothing more profitable to us Hast thou lost thy goods thy tears will not recover them againe Hast thou lost thy children thy tears will not bring them back againe Hast thou lost health thy tears will not make thee better but rather worse But if thou hast lost GOD and his Favour the tears of unfeigned sorrow can bring him back againe and who would not for recovering of so great a good with Peter here weep bitterly with Mary Magdalen wash his feet with tears and with DAVID make his bed to swime with them But it may be ye will say to me I would do so if Christ would turne and look upon me Is not Christ turned to thee when he speaketh to thee in his Word and inviteth thee to come to him doth he not turne and look unto thee when he offereth to thee his own Body and his Blood Look therefore unto him and look unto thy self Look to him sweating his own Blood crowned with thorns scourged buffetted denuded of his garments and all for thee Canst thou look upon this sight without tears what are the tears of thine eyes to the Blood of his sacred Body and to the sorrowes and travailes of his Soul look upon thy self consider thy ungratitude the filthines and defilment of thy soul and body how thou art exposed by thy sinnes to his dreadfull and eternall wrath If thou can consider this aright it will make thee to say with the PROPHET O that my head were waters and that my eyes were fountaines of teares that I might weep day and night Blessed are they that so sow in teares they shall reap in joy but â—o to them that will needs laugh now for they shall mourne and that without comfort for ever The Lord make us wise in time and that for the merits of Christ to whom with the Father c. A SERMON UPON the XV. Chapter of MATTHEW Vers 21. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon Vers 22. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O LORD thou Sonne of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil Vers 23. But he answered her not a word And his disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after usâ—â— Vers 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel Vers 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me Vers 26. But he answered and said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs Vers 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbes which fall from their Masters table Vers 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her daughter was made whole from that very houre I Have made choise of these words at this time which containe a most notable historie and most fit for the worke which we have in hand this day for in it is set before us an exact paterne teaching us how to pray and how to wrestle with God so as we may prevaile and have a blessed successe as the woman here mentioned had who prayed with such faith confidence humilitie and invincible constancie that not only obtained she her desire but much more O woman said our Saviour unto her great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt The historie is very easie and and plaine and requireth not so much to be explained as to be remarked and applyed Three things are chiefly considerable in it First the description of the person so much commended here Secondly her carriage toward Christ and his behaviour toward her Thirdly the obtaining of her suite and praise of her faith To come to the first The person that was here a supplicant to our Lord was a woman One of the weaker sex by which the devill first prevailed against man expelled him from paradise and the joyes of it Secondly she was a gentile or a heathen woman as S. Mark telleth us she was none of the peculiar people of God but a greek as it is in the original which according to the phrase of scripture is as much as a gentile and so a stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel and had her being among them who worshiped the devil in stead of the true God Thirdly yet more she was a Canaanite as S. Mathew calleth her S. Mark calleth her a Syrophenician both which agree
petitions and yet be againe and againe importunated this is the way to offend them and make them more difficult But a restles importunitie and a kinde of violent urgeing of our desires is most acceptable to God which if we use rightly we are sure to obtaine that which we seek or that which is better Now let us proceed to the second temptation wherewith the faith of this woman was assaulted The disciples of our Lord moved either with pitty or impatience at the hearing of the frequent cryes of this woman desire him that he would dismisse her send her away say they for she cryeth after us Her cryes troubled them and it may be caused the people to gather about them To this our Lord answereth I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel Strange and as it would seeme very uncomfortable words for this woman The meaning of the words is not that he came not to redeeme any but the Jews The scripture clearly telleth us That he is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to the death that whosoever should beleeve on him should not-perish but have eternal life In the 1. of Mal. it is promised by God that through the Messias his Name should be great among the gentiles from the rising of the sunne to the going down of it In the 2. of Haggai he is called The desire of all nations Isai chap. 11. foretold that the root of Jesse should be an ensigne to the people and that to it the gentiles should seek Before him DAVID prophecied Psal 2. That the heathen should be his inheritance and that the outmost ends of the earth should be his possession And long before him Jacob said That when Shilo came or the Messias to him should be the gathering of the nationes What then ye will say doth our Saviour meane by this that he was not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel I answer he meaneth that he was sent to be Borne among them to worke his miracles among them to be visibly conversant with them whence he is called The Minister of the circumcision Rom. 15. God carried that respect to the Jews because of the covenant made with their fathers that the Messias was both to come of them and to do his wonderfull works among them not going nor sending to others til they had made themselves unworthie of his presence This is the true sense of his words yet the woman might have easily conceived them so as if they hide simply excluded her from his favour as not belonging to his care This was a mighty assault yet is she not dashed for all that On the contrary the strength of her faith doeth kyth the more in greater servencie and greater devotion for now she runes before him and falleth down at his feet worshippeh him acknowledgeth her own unworthinesse and his infinite excellencie and withall reneweth her petition saying LORD help me Her faith wisly passeth by the words of our Saviour she giveth not a direct answer to theÌ„ but still inforceth her suit as if she would have said O LORD I cannot reason with thee I cannot answer thee one of a thousand thy Words are above my reach Yet one thing I know beleeve that thou art the Saviour of the world who came for them that are miserable and lost and such an one I am therefore LORD help me Let them be affraied of these thy Words who seek the not but as for me I seek thee and will not leave thee untill thou have mercy upon me and sure I am thou not only may but will do it howsoever thou hide thy Love for the time Here we may learne how to incounter with a dangerous temptation which sometimes is suggested unto men namely that they are none of those whom God hath chosen or upon whom he hath set his LOVE and to whom his speciall Care belongeth If Sathan assault thee this way do as this woman did go thou and fall down at the Feet of Christ to worship him lay LORD help me Search not into the deep misâ—ery of Gods Predestination which thou art not able to wade through secret things belong to God and things that are revealed to us say thou therefore to him O LORD thou hast revealed that thou came To seek and save that which is lost and that thou willest not the death of sinners I am a sinner and I am lost O LORD therefore have mercy upon me and help me Say or do what thou will I will never depart from thee till thou blesse me Now let us here the answer of our Saviour to the womans renewed petition Suffer The children to be first satisfied said our Saviour unto her as it is in S. Mark For it is not good to take the bread of the children and to cast it unto dogs What I pray you could seeme more harsk then this he represents her unworhines unto her in respect of the Jews to whom he said before he was sent He calleth them children and her a dog and insinuateth that suppose she wer to get any help from him yet was it not to be expected at this time since the children were not yet satisfied whose bread ought not to be casten unto the dogs This was the third comptation a mighty one She looked for a gracious acceptance at the first and yet findeth herself still rejected and that with a reproach in end yet her faith is so farre from being broken with this that the vigor and strength of it still increased A little flame is soon quenched but a great fire the more it is opposed becometh the more violent so a strong lively faith overcometh al impediments and maketh a man to say with Job although the LORD should slay me yet I will trust in him Hence this woman claspeth yet faster to her Saviour and his Mercies Trueth LORD said she yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters table Strange and wonderfull words full of humilitie modestie faith and wisdome Humilitie for she acknowledgeth herself to be a dog as she was called Modestie for she expresseth only what is due to dogs not inferring what was due to herself but leaving that to be inferred by our LORD Her faith also shineth in these words for she professeth that she beleeved the miraculous deliverance of her daughter to be but as it wer a crumbe in respect of these great things which his Mercy could give Her wisdom also appeareth greatly in these words for she taketh advantage of our Saviour his own words useth that as a most pregnant argument to perswade him which he used as an argument to repell her as if she would have said O LORD thou callest me a dog and I confesse that in truth it is so but in the mean time even dogs have liberty to eat of the
abide to look upon them let be to speak with them Alace it is a pitty to see the company of excommunicat persons so much haunted as it is by some among you This is to transgresse the expresse Cōmandement of God this is to disappoint the Gracious Intention of GOD which is that such Persons may be ashamed of their sinne yea this is to confirme and barden them into their sinne to make your selves partakers thereof I beseech you therefore to esteeme such as we cast out to be indeed cast out of the society of the faithfull and unworthy with whom good Christians should converse The LORD imprint these things in our hearts and that for the merits of Christ to whom c. THE FIRST SERMON Upon the XII Chapter of LUKE Vers 15. And he said unto them Take heed and beware of covetousnesse for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Vers 16. And he spake a parable unto them saying The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully Vers 17. And he thought within himself saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits Vers 18. And he said This will I do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods THere is no time of the year wherein ye are more distracted about worldly cares then at this time To the end therefore that you exceed not due measure I thought good to present to your meditation these Words of our Saviour wherein most powerfully he diswadeth frō covetousnesse First ye have his dehortation Take heed and beware of covetousnesse Secondly it is inforced by a pregnant reason for the life of man c. Thirdly this reason is confirmed and cleared by a most divine parable where in to the life is represented the folly wickednes punishment of avarice And he spake unto them a parable saying Let us return to the dehortation And he said unto them take heed c. Before we consider the words ye are to understand that this dehortation was occasioned by the discord of two brethren of whom one came to our Saviour as ye may reade in the preceeding words desiring him to move his brother to divide the inheritance with him It was covetousnesse which made the one to retain that part of the inheritance which was not his own and which made the other to have recourse to our Saviour not for the health of his soul as he should have done but for redresse in his temporall estate It made him more mindfull of his patrimony in earth then of that which is in heaven Hence our Saviour taketh occasion to exhort him and all these that were present and in them us all to take heed and beware of covetousnesse Take heed and beware of covetousnesse This is the duty which he recommendeth That which he wils us to beware of is covetousnesse Elsewher it is called The love of money but the word used here is more large signifying a desire and seeking after that which is more then is needfull and sufficient whether in money or houses or lands c. It is a vice in defect contrary to liberality whereby a man esteemeth loveth and delighteth in earthly riches more then he ought whence he exceeds just measure in retaining or acquiring of them Thus one is guilty of this sinne 1. when against the tenth commandement he coveteth that which is not his own or against the eight commandement violently or fraudulently takes it 2. when he setteth his heart upon that which is his own placeth his delight therein or which followeth therupon niggardly tetaineth it when by justice or love or mercy he is oblidged to cōmunicat it to others This is the vice from which here our Saviour diswadeth neither sayeth he simplie Be not covetous but Take heed and beware of it Take heed fore see or consider we cannot be aware except by sound and right judgement what is good and to be desired what is necessary and what not This he will have us to consider and weigh and with all that present effect of covetousnesse among these bretheren and the like wofull effects which avarice bringeth forth This is not enough we must also beware We must carefully watch and strongly guard our hearts that this enemie get no accesse By this our LORD insinuateth two things first that covetousnesse is insidious next that it is also a pernicious evil First We must beware of it because it is an insidious evil It subtily creeps into the heart of man To this purpose it bath often the maske the appearance of vertue somtimes it seemeth to be frugality somtims justice and pretendeth titles of just and right Thus easily it prevails with our earthly minds and therefore almost there is no vice so universall it entred into the society of the holy Apostles and overthrew Judas there amongst the primitive Christians it poysoned the heart of Ananias and Saphira the courts of kings the cottages of poor men are easily tempted by it as experience teacheth Secondly It is a most pernicious evil S. PAUL 1. Tim. 6. sayeth The love of money is the roote of all evil distrustfull anxiety lying fraude perjury thift oppression discord and murther spring from it There is nothing more wicked then a covetous may sayeth the wise-man Ecclesiast 10. 9. for such an one will set his soul to sayle Ther is no law of man no law of God or nature which it will not make men to trample under foot That same Apostle sayeth It is Idolatrie It maketh a man to yeeld that honour to his gold which he oweth to GOD. That he beleeveth that he trusteth to that he delighteth in to it he offereth sacrifice upō the altar of covetousnesse Cursed is that altar sayeth CHRISOST in his 18. homile upon the epist to the Ephes The sacrifices offered upon it are the bodies and souls of men if thou go to the altars of pagan Idols thou shalt find the blood of sheep and oxen but the altar of avarice smoaketh with the blood of men There the skin is plucked from the flesh and the flesh from the bones of the Poore There their flesh is eaten and their bones brocken and choped in pieces as for the Pot. MICAH 3. 3. On this alter a man often sacrificeth himself He killeth his soul with deadly wounds and often his bodie How many hath it made to drowne or hang or steb themselves no wonder therfore that the Apostle calleth it the serving of an Idol They that serve it may say to it For thy Sake we are killed all the day as holy AUGUSTINE marketh in his 100 sermon upon the saints Besids it is a vice almost incurable The older men grow it cleaveth the faster to them when they are nearest to the earth and grave they cover often most for it and cannot be satisfied till
of his patient to be desperate he careth not what he take he suffereth him to have whatsoever his heart desireth but if he have good hope of a mans health he putteth him to a dyet and restraineth him from many things So God careth not to let the wicked whose amendement is desperate glute themselves with the things of this world but to his own saints and children he giveth no more or permitteth them to have no more nor he knoweth is convenient for their eternal health I come now to the disposition of this man his minde And he thought within himself c. I am richer now then before but never a white the better yea by abundance he became worse as shall appeare by his disposition manifested here This disposition of his heart our Saviour expresseth first by his consultation next by his resolution His consultation And he thought within himself saying what shall I do c. Where first observe the povertie of this wealthy wretch What shal I do I have not are the words of men that are in povertie distresse as S. BASIL writing upon these words marketh and yet such are the words of this wretch Thus you see his povertie increased with his riches Observe 2. his anxietie and SOLICITUDE For what shall I do is the expression of anxietie and care His abundance giveth him not quietnes tranquillity of minde but maketh him more anxious and perplexed Who would not pittie such a miserable man sayth S. BASIL Miserable was he in that which he had and more miserable in that which he expected The earth sayeth he hath not brought forth fruits unto thee but sorrow unxietie and cares to prick and sting thy heart like so many thornes Thirdly Observe his wickednes and folly That which he advised on was wher to find room for his cornes he had so much of old stuffe so great an increase had newly sprung up unto him that his barns wer not able to receive al. Being perplexed with this he consulteth what to do but he consulted not with love and mercy or spirituall prudence which would have soon resolved him wher to have bestowed his fruits more securely and profitably then he did Hade he consulted with love and mercy it would have told him there was many empty house and hungry bellie of the poore where he might have bestowed a part of that which was superfluous to him love would have taught him quickly to have resolved thus this I will do I will satisfie the hungrie soules of the poore I will open my barnes and supplie their wants as GOD hath dealt with me liberally so I will make a magnificent PROCLAIMATION Come unto me all yee that are poore and indigent and be partakers of that which GOD hath given bountifully unto me He hath opened unto me a fountaine and yee shall drinke of the streamt of it In like manner had he consulted with spirituall wisdome it would have bidden him if he had loved his riches lay them up in heaven or at least a part of them for they might have been preserved to eternitie It would have said unto him now thou wilt have a faire gaine thou may purchase things heavenly by things earthly and things that are permanent with these that are transitorie Lay up thy treasure according to the Commandement of the most High and it shall profite thee more then gold Shut up almes in thy store-houses and it shall deliver thee from all affliction and it shall fight for thee against all enemies more then a mighty shield spear Ecclesiast 29. But this covetous wretch used not these COUNSELERS He thought within himself sayeth our Saviour he consulted not with GOD with his law or servants but with his own corrupt heart He thought upon nothing but this life and thought all he had was but for himself and therefore forgetting both the law of nature and of GOD he resolveth most uncharitably and wickedly as followeth And he said this will I do I will pull down my barnes and build up greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods At last his anxious and perplexed minde resolveth on this to pull down his barnes because they were not capacious enough and to renew enlarge them so as that they might receive all his new fruits and all his old cornes which he calleth his goods for other goods yee know use not to be laid up in barnes This was his resolution concerning his goods which was seconded with a wicked resolution concerning himself set down in the next verse Here marke first his follie He assured himself of these his fruits which as yet were exposed to many dangers of raine and winde and hayle 2. marke his UNSATIAâ—LNES I will build up greater sayeth he and when that is done what if thy field bring forth as plentifully the next year sayeth S. BASIL That these barnes are not able to containe these thy fruits wilt thou cast down these againe and build greater againe what a follie is that for a man to weary himself with endlesse paines ever to be building up and ever to be casting down againe This is the nature of covetousnesse it can never be satisfied The more the covetous man hath the more still he desireth Thirdly marke his hard heartednesse he designed nothing for the poore but resolveth to hord up all for himself as appeareth by the following words No minde had he of the necessities of others no probable feare of want â—o himself or his family for he had old stuffe and a plentifull field and yet he would hord up all foolish therefore and wicked were these words I will pull my barnes c. If his intention had been right well might he had resolved sayeth S. BASIL to have pulled down his barnes Miserable man saith he pull them down with thine own hands for they are barnes of iniquity barnes that hath never done good to any Pull them down to the very ground Overthrow these houses of maÌ„mon bring forth to the Sun thy hote and mothy cornes give liberty to the goods which thy covetousnesse hath poysoned and fettered there But he had no such intention he would pull down to build greater Here first yee see what covetousnesse may be in retaining that which is our own aswell as in desiring or taking that which is not our own This man as holy AUGUSTINE observeth Was not thinking upon another mans field nor of removing his neighbours marches He was not thinking how to spoile the poore or circumveen the simple but thought and resolved to hord and treasure up his own goods and yet GOD condemneth and punisheth him at a covetous wretch There are many that think that they are well enough if they take not the goods of other men O say they this is my own I have it by inheritance or by my travailes and industrie I have laboured for it I have been in hazard both by sea and land