Salomon the builder of the temple in these words And the Lord said vnto him 1. King 9.3 I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for euer and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Christ therefore in this temple perswading vnto newnes of life had the promise of his fathers presence to make his perswasion powerful as also to print in the hart of the hearer a more reuerend regarde and estimation thereof being deliuered Dauid a type of the militant Church Reade Psal 84. Psa 122.1.2 1. Chon 29.9 Dauid being a true type and figure of the Militant Church here on earth neuer came into the temple but his heart leapt for ioy his ioy was increased and his zeale kindled yea that which being out of the temple he could neuer attaine vnto was in the temple made partaker of Salomons temple a type of the spiritual temple Though that temple was a type and figure of the spirituall temple neuer made with hands and there is not the same vse of it now as there was then yet haue wee at this day two things Two things now resembling Salomōs temple Ioh. 4.24 that may fitly resemble that temple and where God wil as well heare the praiers and receiue the sacrifices of his Church being done in spirit and trueth as he would then The first is the godly societies and assemblies of the righteous Godly societies meete together for exhorting one another Matth. 18.20 wheresoeuer and whensoeuer they meete together according to the rule and warrant of Gods worde to such Christ hath promised his presence saying Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them The second is our ordinary assemblies and meetings together at the house of prayer Publike assemblies of the faithfull at the house of prayer to powre forth prayers to the Lord be partakers of the word preached and administration of the Sacraments Where such assemblies are employed to these aforesaid vses they are not as the Prophet calleth the temple in his time the den of theeues Esay 56.7 Ierem. 7.11 Mar. 11.17 but they are euen the blessed throne kingdome of Christ Iesus to whose faith and constancie Christ hath promised such power that euen the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against them In these two temples as I may call them when we meete with our brethren it is not our duties to prate and chat of worldly matters but rather euery one of vs Heb. 3.13 to exhort one another while it is called to day least we be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Yea to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and to prouoke one another vnto loue and to good workes Heb. 10.23 24 25. not forsaking the godly fellowship that ought to bee amongst Gods children And to be carefull alwaies to cherish and embolden the weake putting them in mind of their miraculous deliuerance out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome and cleere light of the Gospell And thus much of the second part Of the third part which is the words of exhortation themselues wherein wee haue to consider these three branches following First a rehearsall of the benefit done to the man behold thou art made whole The principall cause of his long sicknesse from which Christ had now deliuered him was his sinnes and iniquities which I gather out of these words Sinne no more As if hee should say sinne hath bin the cause of thy former sicknesse if therefore hereafter thou wilt remaine a sound man sinne no more Thirdly what must be the effect of this miracle by Christ or the dutie of his deliuerance which is the subiect of this treatise euen true repentance set downe here by the former part of true repentance which is to sinne no more or to cease from sin Rom. 2.4 The bountifulnes of God ought to leade vs to repentance Of the first branch Behold thou art made whole Where first we are to consider that our Sauiour vseth a word of attention or to make the matter hee hath in hand take more effect saith Ecce Behold Psal 32. v. 5.7 The Prophet Dauid speaking of any extraordinary matter alwaies vseth an hebrew verbe importing the like which is Selah so likewise the seruant of God Moses vsing any vehemēt exhortation commonly hath this word behold or remēber as thus Behold Deut. 30.19 Exod. 20. I set before thee this day life and death blessing and cursing The Prophets of the Lord speaking either of the manifestation of Christ in his humane nature or of his second comming againe to iudgement or of any such great matter vseth this word behold As Esay Tell the daughter Sion Esay 62.11 Zach. 9.9 Matth. 21.5 Mal. 4.1 Behold thy King commeth meekely riding on an asse c. And Malachie Behold the day cōmeth that shall burne like an ouen and all the proud yea and all that doe wickedly shall bee stubble Apoc. 1.7 Behold be commeth with clowdes and euery eye shall see him c. and 22.7 Behold I come shortly Euen so here as a preface to the declaration of the benefit done to him Christ saith Behold giue eare consider well what I haue done for thee passe not lightly ouer that miracle I haue shewed vpon thee in giuing thee health Where we are to note Receiue his word miracles and mercies with attentiō that GOD would haue vs receiue his word his exhortations threatnings blessings and miracles with attention heede taking and waying well who it is that doth such things for vs and what is done as we ourselues O my countrimen and deare brethren in Christ Iesus for whose sake the Lorde hath moued me to penne this little treatise haue iust occasion to giue eare what the Lords Eccho soundeth in our eares daily Aboue many others the North parts after our great and late receiued deliuerances euen thus Behold thou art made whole c. VVhereunto let euery one of vs fill our families our meetings and conferences with this heauenly harmonie and sweete sounding melodie answering the former behold saying then sith it is so indeede My soule praise thou the Lord Psal 13.1.2 Psal 57.7.8 and all that is within me praise his holy name Awake thou my glorie awake lute and harpe I my selfe will awake right early And let vs one prouoke an other to praise the Lord of might for his miraculous mercies as Deborah stirred vp her owne soule and Barake to sing praise to God for their triumphant victories Vp Deborah Iudg. 5.12 c. vp arise sing a song arise Barak c. Euen so vp O Westmerland Comberland and Northumberland vp ye seuerall townes congregations and families euery particular soule whose safetie the liuing Lord by the shadowing wings of his
full of faintnes when the fat buls of Basan and the deuouring lions shall be sent emptie away yea they shall clap their handes and lift vp their heads for ioy of that In terror and feare wherof the wicked shall gnash with their teeth grin like a dog and for auoyding of it though all in vaine they shall wish the rockes to open the hils to couer and the mountaines to be as a shelter vnto them from the glorious presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne Thus death against the godly hath no sting hell against the Christian hath no victorie Reade Heb. 12 11. Psal 30.8.9 34.18.19 119.71 affliction is not our confusion as husbandmen vse to bring dead trees and burne them in the fire but our affliction is for our firmer further consolation and edification like as a good husbandman purgeth his vine that it may bring forth more fruite Psal 30.5 Heauinesse with the godly may endure for a night but assuredly peace ioy commeth in the morning Seeing then that thus happily it goeth with vs all in our greatest afflictions if we belong vnto Christ I will conclude as Saint Paul concludeth his treatise of our immortall state in the life to come that seeing death once had dominion ouer vs but is now destroyed afflictions hurted vs but now they profit vs sicknesse affraied vs but now comforteth vs euen thankes and all thankes be giuen for euer to God the father 1. Cor. 15.57 who hath giue vs this happie victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ Now for the wicked their sicknesse sores As for the wicked it is not so with them griefes and vexations are still vnto them as stipends of sinne tokens of Gods wrath and vnlesse they speedily repent euen beginnings as I said before of the flashings of hell fire I denie not but the godly man may haue for the outward operation the same sicknesse sore For the outward operation of the sicknesse they may agree Cal. in Psal 37.19 A difference betweene the afflictions of the godly and vngodly Psal 1.4 griefe and trouble that the wicked and vngodly haue yet inwardly euer this difference shall be found Quòd Deus suis in necessitate manum porrigens impios deferit God in time of his childrens necessities bee they neuer so great still stretcheth out his hand for helping them and vpholding them least they fall but as for the wicked it is not so with them he vtterly reiecteth them forsaketh and giueth thē ouer vnto their owne hearts lust Propter peccatum Flagellantur iusti propter probationem iniusti ad perditionem The godly are afflicted for their greater triall but the wicked are afflicted for their cōfusion because of their great sinnes Esay 9.13.14 For the people saith Esay turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hosts Therefore will the Lord cut off in one day from Israel head and tayle branch and rush Pijs afflictio est disciplina qua docetur iram Domini effugere voluntati eius obsequi Afflictiō to the godly is for discipline in themselues whereby they are taught to auoide the Lords wrath by reformation of their liues and willingly to yeeld obedience to his commandements Whereupon Paul saith When we are iudged 1. Cor. 11.32 wee re chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Impijs verò afflictio est obduratio qua a malo in peius progrediuntur sicut Pharaoh But vnto the wicked In euerie affliction two things to be considered afflictiō is a meane of hardening their hearts whereby they proceede from worse to worse In euery affliction two things are to be considered first Gods iudgement secondly Gods mercie The wicked partaker of the former but neuer of the latter The wicked in their afflictions are partakers of the one which is Gods iudgement but neuer of the other The godly are partakers of both iudgement for their sinnes mercie for Iesus Christ his sake Hereupon saith Nahum Nah. 1.7 Good is our God and comfortable to his owne children in the day of trouble And Dauid Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Loe his mercie whereof the wicked are neuer partakers So that herein appeareth againe wherein the godly are commō partakers with the wicked in afflictions and where they differ Psal 85. The last thing that I will note out of this part and so end it is this That in the words sinne no more we may note that the Lord was priuie to al his former sinnes and offences that euer before he had committed and therefore it is as if he should say I haue seene noted and obserued all such sins as euer before this thou hast committed either publikely or priuately inwardly or outwardly by thought word and worke and for the same haue afflicted thee and also in the end deliuered thee take heede therefore thou sinne no more Hence note the Lord hath Eagles eyes to see the corners of our hearts and all our sinnes neuer so closely committed nothing so secret but it shall bee made manifest Mat. 10. Read Psal 138. and that which is committed in corners shal be published on the house top Then euer hereafter let euery man worke as in the day time walke as in Gods presence behaue themselues as hauing the Lorde an eye vvitnesse who if we doe well in his mercie vvill accept of vs but if wee doe euill Gen. 4.7 then know sinne standeth at the doores who will neuer cease crying in the eares of the Lord for vengeance till such time as it bee powred downe vpon the wicked in fearfull manner and executed vpon the vnbeleeuers to their euerlasting destruction And thus much for the second part of the words of exhortation which is that sinne was the cause of his long sicknesse THE THIRD SERMON OF THE DVTIE OF OVR DELIVERANCE The third Sermon NOw followeth the third part vz. what must be the effect of his health recouerie or what must bee the dutie of his deliuerance drawne out of the same wordes that the other part was though not in the same sence Sinne no more This is the subiect of the whole treatise describing the dutie that this man healed must euer bee mindfull of to his louing and mercifull father for his great and large deliuerance and in him may fitly bee gathered the dutie of all Gods children to the Lord for so many liberall and louing mercies as continually he powreth vpon them Particulars shewing the mercies of God How greatly this poore man was bound to render thankes to the almightie for his deliuerance I haue before set down in some particulars as the dangerous disease ouer his whole body the long continuance of it euen most of his life the little good that any likely meanes of outward medicine did for him with some other moe the consideratiō whereof could not but
forewarning the daunger of not doing the dutie aforesaid in these wordes least a worse thing come vnto thee Of all these parts and their seuerall branches in order Of the first part The time whē these words were vttered The time whē was a little after our Sauiour Christ had shewed the great miracle vpon him in healing him of his disease which had vexed him thirtie eight yeres to the intent he might the better remember it Where first wee are to note Christ a careful shepheard the carefull dealing of Christ as a true shepheard to vse all meanes for gathering into the folde the lost and straying sheepe he omitteth no occasion neglecteth no meanes neither is hindred by any labour to instruct and edifie either by doctrine or miracle The like course must be imitated of all the faithfull shepheards of Christ Iesus to be instant in season and out of season 2. Tim. 4.2 1. Cor. 8.13 and 9. ver 21 22 23 to exhort to improue rebuke And with Paul to become all vnto all to the ende they may win some Againe we note here the dutie of all Gods children when God hath bestowed his blessings vpon them euen immediatly thereupon to render thankes sing praises to the highest Exo. 15.2 3. c Iudg. 5.2 3. c. Thus did Moses after the great deliuerances God gaue vnto Israel Thus did Deborah whē God had giuen her victorie ouer her cruell enemie Sisera Thus did Dauid for euery miraculous blessing God shewed vpon him vsing this or the like speech Psal 116.12.13 What shall I giue vnto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done vnto me Luk. 17.16 And finally thus did the tenth leaper when Christ had cleansed him returne with speede to giue God praise So that hence I conclude this doctrine Delay not thy thankfulnes when God offereth his mercie that immediatly vpon the bestowing of Gods blessings vpon vs wee ought with thanksgiuing to put them in remembrance As most of vs now liuing in the North parts of this land haue most largely tasted the comfortable and neuer stinting streame of his mercies First in preseruing vs in the pinching time of dearth Next Some particulars wherein the North-parts haue found God louing to them in turning our pouertie into plentie Thirdly his miraculous sauing vs in the vehement ouer-spreading time of the pestilence So that whē to mans expectation we haue been within the reach of it yet euen then hath his power in mercie ouerreached and preuented the same So that in regard of these late receiued deliuerances Our danger by-past I may very fitly vse the patheticall conclusion that Dauid vseth after a large suruey of his mercies Psalm 105. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth for the children of men Againe the time when our Sauiour Christ vttered these words was immediatly after the man healed had talked with the Pharisies Christ his vtter enemies The subtill dealing of the Pharisies the Pharisies dealt with him as they vvere accustomed to deale with all others who they saw to fauour Christ either for his doctrine or his miracles First to trie if they could perswade them that Christ was a seducer Note Ioh. 9.24 Ioh. 6.47.48 and that they runne into great danger if any way they did affect him Thus dealt they with the man that was borne blind whom Christ had healed The crueltie of the Pharisies when the other would not preuaile Ioh. 9.22 and with those seruants they sent to attach Christ But if by this perswasion they could not preuaile then they assaied a sharper course euen to threatē them vvith the law and to cast them out of their Synagouges by which two meanes they held backe many yea euen of the chiefer sort Ioh. 12.42 43. that they durst not openly professe any good will to Christ Our Sauiour Christ therefore espying the danger this poore man was in after he had talked with the Pharisies The loue and care of Christ to call vpon vs when we are in most danger thought it then a fit time euen immediatly thereupon to vtter these words of the text thereby to bring into his remembrance afresh his late receiued benefit as also to make him bold and zealous in the course of a Christian by shewing him the danger that would ensue if he did it not Here may we note Dangerous for weak ones to be conuented before persecutors that it is very dangerous for weake Christians to hearken to the subtill perswasions of Gods enemies or to be called before them being in authoritie and to bee threatned as may appeare by the oftē reuolts and recantations of many weake Christians in the Primitiue Church our owne Church of England when they were vrged thereunto by persecuting tyrants or bloodsucking Byshops A speciall remedie against feare and fainting in our troubles for the Gospell sake Therfore that neither the one may deceiue them nor the other terrifie them they are themselues to vse incessant prayer that God would giue them his spirit to leade them into all trueth and being in the trueth that he would in his mercie vouchsafe them the spirit of boldnes to professe his name euen before kings and princes and neuer be ashamed The dutie of good pastors Secondly in Christ we are here to note the dutie of good shepheards ouer their flockes as also of stronger Christians to their weaker and new conuerted brethren The dutie of one Christian to another vz. where they espie the intrumēts of Satan so busie both by perswasions and threatnings to quench the spirit of God in new conuerts 1. Thess 5.19 1. Pet. 22. euen then to bee as readie as Christ was here whensoeuer they meete with them Exhort one another daily Esay 2.3 4. either in publike exhortations or priuate conferences with Christ to put them in minde of their late deliuerances out of the clawes of Satan and kingdome of darknes of the danger that will ensue if euer they fall away And thus much for the first part of the text drawne out of these wordes and after that The second part The second part vz. The place where The place where our master Christ vttered these wordes to the man whom hee had healed before was the temple Iesus after the miracle shewed in healing the man got him out of the way for a certaine space and comming into the temple there he found the man vpon whom the miracle of healing had been shewed lately come from talking with the Pharisies whereupon Christ what in regarde of the vrgent occasion and what in regard of the fitnes of the place vttereth the words of exhortation in my text Behold thou art made whole The temple was the place where God had promised his presence when they came either to pray or to perswade vnto Christianitie as the Lord promised vnto